Renting vs. Owning an RV: Which Is Cheaper?

In 2025, rising travel costs and flexible lifestyles fuel interest in making use of an recreational vehicle (RV), compared to flying and getting a hotel or Airbnb when on vacation.

Contents

Upfront Costs Maintenance and Storage Insurance and Depreciation Frequency of Use Flexibility and Convenience Hidden Costs Comparison Table: Renting vs. Owning an RV

Owning or renting an RV is a great way to get around, traveling long or short distances, park up and have your accommodation taken care of. No need to worry about the extra expense of hotels and planes.

So now, the key question is: is renting or owning an RV more cost-effective in 2025? We’ll explore this question here.

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Upfront Costs

According to the RV Industry Association, there are 11 million U.S. households that own an RV. However, as this is such a big market and the size and luxurious quality of an RV is a matter of personal preference, budgets and credit scores, there are huge differences between high-end and budget RVs.

There are numerous different types, also known as classes, of an RV. Plus, all of the usual factors apply, such as whether a rig is new or second-hand, the features, size and age.

Here is a comparison of renting or buying, depending on the type of RV, according to Southeast Financial.

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Type of RV	Cost of buying an RV (average, within a class-based range)	Cost of renting an RV (daily average per class)
Class A	$110,000 to $500,000 or higher	$255 to $300 per day
Class B	$70,000 to $140,000	$190 to $240 per day
Class C	$80,000 to $200,000	$210 to $230 per day
Fifth wheel	$35,000 to $120,000	$135 to $170 per day
Travel trailer	$18,000 to $70,000	$130 to $135 per day
Pop-up camper	$14,000 to $22,000	$105 to $115 per day

If we base the average on the median of the Fifth Wheel and Class C prices, then it works out as the following:

Owning: According to Bish’s, the cost of buying: just under $100,000 for a Class C RV, plus taxes, registration and other associated costs.
Renting: The current average daily rental is $184 per day, per RV Trader.

If you only used an RV for three full weeks a year, that would be $3,864 on average. With that in mind, let’s see what other costs are associated with renting or buying an RV.

Maintenance and Storage

Owning: If you’ve got space to park an RV at your house without it getting in the way, then it will always cost less. If you’ve got space to park an RV, then repairs are your only possible extra costs, which depend on what needs fixing ($1,000 to $2,000 per year), according to Neighbor.com. However, if you need to factor in winterizing and storage fees, then we could be talking up to anywhere from $6,000 to $14,400 per year, according to Jackery.
Renting: You have no maintenance or storage responsibilities or costs when renting. But, if you park somewhere, it will be roughly $40 per night, so if you’re parking 21 nights per year, that will run you around $840, per Outdoorsy. Occasionally, some Walmart stores may allow overnight RV parkings, but this is location-dependent.

Insurance and Depreciation

Owning: Insurance for RVs can be anywhere; it typically averages around $600 to $3,000 per year because specialist insurance is needed, per MarketWatch. Plus, as is the case with any new vehicle, there’s depreciation of between 20% to 30% in the first year.
Renting: Insurance is always included in the rental, with upgraded insurance offers as add-ons. You also don’t have to worry about long-term value loss.

Frequency of Use

For occasional travelers, like those going on vacation for three to four weeks per year, renting an RV is cheaper.
For frequent users (road warriors) that intend to use the RV for several months per year, owning might pay off over time, if we compare the cost and convenience of having an RV of your own.

Flexibility and Convenience

Owning: You’ve got the advantage of being able to do spontaneous trips and customize it to your specific needs and comforts.
Renting: You can try different models, find one you like and always try to rent the same one as required, without any long-term commitment and heavy upfront costs.

Hidden Costs

Whether renting or owning, fuel, campground fees, towing gear, upgrades, all of these costs impact both and all reflect the needs and wants of the owner or renter.

Comparison Table: Renting vs. Owning an RV

Key Issues	Renting	Owning
Upfront costs	$184 per night = $3,864 for 21 days.	$108,750 upfront (Based on a median of the Fifth Wheel and Class C price)
Maintenance, storage	No costs for maintenance and potential costs of around $40 a night for short-term parkings	$6,000 to $14,400 per year for a long-term parking spot and $1,000 to $2,000 per year in maintenance depending on anything needing fixing and the type of storage (e.g., indoors and looked after)
Insurance, depreciation	Insurance is included only when renting and no depreciation	Insurance: $600 to $3,000 a year, plus 20% to 30% depreciation in 12 months
Frequency of use	Cheaper for infrequent RV users (e.g., four or fewer weeks of holidays)	Only makes sense financially when used for several months (e.g., road warriors)
Flexibility, convenience	Less convenient, especially around big holidays	More convenient, can be used always
Hidden costs	Fuel, campground fees, towing gear: Depends on the individual and their needs	Fuel, campground fees, towing gear: Depends on the individual and their needs