RVezy Review: What You Need To Know Before Renting An RV
RVezy simplifies RV rental with an easy-to-use platform, comprehensive insurance, and excellent customer service, ensuring a hassle-free road trip.
Planning a road trip can involve a lot of moving parts, especially when renting an RV is involved.
To make things easier, more and more people have turned to peer-to-peer RV rental companies to find authentic and affordable RVs for their trip.
RVezy is one of the newest companies to apply Airbnb’s model to the world of RVs.
In this article, I’ll provide an inside look at RVezy by taking you through their entire rental process to see how they compare to other popular RV rental platforms like Outdoorsy.
P.S. If you’re an RV owner who’s wondering if you should list your RV on the platform, skip here for the answer.
Who is RVezy?
Before you do business with any company, I think it’s always a good idea to do a little bit of homework to see who they are and what they stand for. So I caught up with Canadian co-founders Michael McNaught and Will Thompson to hear a little about their story.
Just like most companies, RVezy was created to solve a problem: RVs are expensive and are typically only being used a few times per year. This is especially true in Canada, due to the harsh climate.
When the company was founded in 2016, the idea was to provide RV owners with an easy and safe way to rent out their RVs while giving outdoor enthusiasts a more authentic RVing experience.
Michael added:
“As owners ourselves, we understood what was important when renting out your RV. From insurance to renter screenings, to customer support, everything we created was to make the experience as easy and secure as possible.”
Flash forward almost four years later and RVezy has grown into the most trusted RVing platform in Canada and has recently expanded into the United States.
So is RVezy as “Easy” as they make it sound? Let’s find out.
RVezy at a Glance
If you don’t have time to read my complete review, here are the essential pros and cons list you need to be aware of before considering RVezy for your next RV rental.
Pros
- Easy to Use: The process for renting an RV on RVezy is as smooth as we’ve seen. They have a user-friendly app and website, a helpful team if you have questions, and great insurance coverage so you can focus on what’s important: having fun on your trip.
- Variety of Travel Experiences: There are plenty of options to suit your adventuring needs, including pet-friendly and deliverable vehicles. Many RV owners offer free add-ons such as portable BBQs, not found on other RV rental platforms.
- Customer Service: This is by far RVezy’s strong suit. Unlike some RV rental companies, it’s easy to get a hold of someone over the phone and their team is super helpful and polite (maybe it’s because they’re Canadian).
- Safety: RVezy has one of the best insurance and roadside assistance products in the business. From towing and tire replacements to cab fare and hotel expenses, everything is covered.
Cons
- Unknown in the U.S.: RVezy has only been in the US since June 2020. This means they don’t have as many RVs, reviews, or street cred as some of their competitors. It will take time before we know how they compare.
- Rental Restrictions: RVezy can be a little picky about who gets to rent an RV. You need to be 25 years old with a clean driving and insurance record. Plus, owners have the right to decline your booking if they don’t agree with your travel plans.
- Up to the Owner: The same thing that makes peer-to-peer renting an amazing, personalized option, can be a drawback should cleaning be sub-par or if the owner is unresponsive.
- Pricey Extras: Despite the fact RVezy has great insurance and roadside assistance, these extras can add up, especially on long trips.
Searching for the Right RV
Renting an RV can feel daunting, especially if it’s your first time, but companies like RVezy make it super easy and approachable. They offer a user-friendly booking process, a lot like Airbnb, as well as a cool matchmaker feature if you don’t know where to begin.
Just enter your starting destination with your preferred dates and hit search. You’ll be shown multiple RVs that match what you’re looking for, an interactive map with prices per night, and filters for pinpointing the perfect RV.
From my search with a trip starting in Los Angeles, I was pleasantly surprised by the variety of prices, and options I had to choose from.
If you’re a little picky on the type of RV experience you want, RVezy’s numerous filtering options really help you get down to the nitty gritty. You want to be picked up from the airport and have your RV delivered to your campsite? Not a problem. You’ve got a furry friend you couldn’t bear leaving behind because they’re part of the family? RVezy has you covered.
Booking the RV
After you’ve found an RV that you like, it’s important to take a look at the breakdown of costs, amenities, and what extras the owner is willing to provide. This is one of the benefits of peer-to-peer rentals, you never know what you can find.
While many RV owners offer unlimited mileage and discounts on longer bookings, some of them go above and beyond by offering portable BBQs, bikes, and even electric scooters for a small upcharge.
Once you’ve found the one, hit request to book, and you’ll be prompted to fill out some information about yourself and the trip for the owner to review.
Next, you select the optional add-ons you want as well as your insurance package.
Note, you won’t be asked for payment information until after the owner has accepted your request. Based on the complexity of your trip plans, you might have to put in a few different requests before you get an accepted booking. For example, some owners aren’t comfortable if you’re planning on taking their RV across the country.
Once you’ve got a confirmed booking, it’s time to add your payment information and to make the security deposit. Most owners will require a $1,000 deposit which will take care of any deductible in the case of an accident or damages not covered through an insurance claim. More on payments and insurance below.
The last step, before you can pick up your RV, is adding a driver. Every rental on RVezy needs an approved driver regardless of it being driven or delivered. Drivers need to be at least 25 years of age and have a clean driving and insurance record for several years. This can be a drawback for younger couples looking to go on a road trip.
Picking Up the RV
You will meet up with the owner of the RV on the day of the rental for a quick walkthrough and handover of the keys. The RVezy app provides a simple checklist that ensures the owner shows you how to properly operate their vehicle. Once that’s completed, the app is used to take pictures and to sign off (electronically) on the condition of the RV. This is a critical step for insurance purposes.
As I mentioned before, you can also arrange for delivery and pickup of the RV if you don’t want to be doing any driving. Because delivery costs are based on distance, I’d strongly recommend choosing RVs within 50 miles of your final destination in order to save on costs.
During Your Trip
One great thing about traveling in an owner-operated RV is that it’s incognito. Unlike dealership RVs or Cruise America, there is no corporate branding that will make other campers look at you like you differently.
When it comes to your trip, your main focus is to have fun. However, there might be occasions where you have questions or run into an issue. For RV related questions, RVezy recommends communicating directly with the owner as they know their unit best. This can be done through the RVezy app.
When it comes to larger incidents, you’ve got access to 24/7 roadside assistance and RVezy’s dedicated support team. If you’re travelling a long distance or simply want complete peace of mind, we’d highly recommend the 24/7 roadside assistance as it covers everything from tire changes, to towing, to food, to hotel expenses.
Dropping Off the RV and Closing the Booking
Similar to the pickup process, the owner will walk through the RV with you and make sure everything is in order. Pictures will be taken and everyone will sign off on the condition of the RV.
After the RV has been returned, the owner will submit any overage charges or damages that may have occurred. If you agree to the fees, the amount is taken from your security deposit and then the booking is closed and you will receive the remaining balance. You can visit the RVezy help center for more details about their payment structure.
If you don’t agree to the fees, you can file a dispute that will be mediated by RVezy’s Dispute and Claims team. This is a great service that ensures that both renters and owners are treated fairly and there is no funny business going on.
Should You Rent Out Your RV?
From my initial research, RVezy seems like one of the best companies for owners looking to rent out their RVs. With great insurance, renter screenings, easy-to-use app, and top notch customer service, there is basically no risk to list your RV.
For some people, renting out their pride and joy to strangers seems like the last thing they’d ever want to do. However, as we’ve seen with companies like Airbnb, there is a growing number of people willing to participate in the peer-to-peer economy.
Whether you’re looking to offset some of your costs, run a profitable side-business, or even to own a rig that’s just slightly outside of your comfort zone. There are many reasons why you might want to consider renting out your RV.
The thing I’ve found, through my experience renting RVs on multiple platforms, is that owners are passionate and really enjoy sharing their stories, experiences, and seeing the happiness on the faces of people coming back from their trips.
Either way, I can tell you, that after speaking with the founders and customer support team at RVezy, they’ve got their owner’s best interests in mind.
Final Thoughts
With peer-to-peer platforms making RVing easier and more affordable, there has never been a better time to explore the great outdoors in an RV.
With a wide range of vehicles to choose from, great customer support, and an easy-to-use app, RVezy is a great option to consider when looking to try out the RV lifestyle.
Despite the fact they don’t have the same presence yet in the US as in Canada, they look like an up-and-coming company that’s definitely worth checking out.
RVezy FAQs
What is the most popular RV rental app?
Outdoorsy is the most popular RV rental app.
How safe is RVezy?
RVezy has great protections both for RV renters and owners. It is a very safe and secure platform.
Is it a good idea to rent a travel trailer?
Renting a travel trailer is a great way to explore the country while saving money on hotels.
Who owns RVezy?
Michael McNaught is the founder and owner of RVezy.
What is the largest RV rental company in the US?
Cruise American is the largest RV rental company in the US.
Recently rented with RVezy.com and it has been a total NIGHTMARE. Purchased an insurance policy from them and they won’t provide ANY documentation at all. I thought it was odd at first, but then I figured if anything happens I’ll be able to see what I’m liable for.
Sure thing, the catalytic converter was stolen and I had to make a claim. They charge my CC $3000 without my authorization, I figured it’s for the deductible (as it says on their TOA). Surely by now I should be able to see some kind of paper work pertaining to the claim. NOTHING.
Have many conversations with them and everyone I speak with just sounds like a robot without any authorization to provide me with proper information. It felt like they hired a company to handle all of their cases and told them “do whatever you want, just don’t bother us”.
I totally get how insurance works and I have to pay a deductible according to the policy I buy, but I’m deeply concerned with the practice of “We charge whatever we want and we’re not accountable to anyone” attitude. Why do I not have a single paper trail of my charges?
Anyway, I wanted to share this before you go on and rent from them, this will be my last time.
We too just got screwed by RvEzy and an owner without any integrity. The RV we rented online was a mess. Supposedly 2019 model with all kinds of features that were missing in practice. Extremely filthy too. When we refused to sign the rental contract RVEzy screwed us and we lost over 900 usd. Do not trust them is all I can say.
yep, we just got screwed by an owner advertising their RV on Rvezy. We’re in Houston and the owner is allegedly in Beaumont which is about 70 miles away. We were directed to send the deposit to the owner, we did, have not heard back in a week after repeated tries. All RVezy could offer is “Keep Trying” to reach out….meanwhile offered no remedy other than they’ll delist and try to contact. If the owner listed with them, they should have all of the contact info. The amount we sent exceeds felony theft amounts for Texas so now down the legal path.
RVezy is a joke of a company. Zero ethics, zero morals, zero common sense.
Thank ya sir!
Hey Jeremy, this is a fantastic article! I just RT’d this on Twitter. Funny enough, I just produced a video on peer-to-peer vs Cruise America featuring a rental through RVezy. If you think it would add value to this article, feel free to embed. https://youtu.be/Zy93_o2pwRA
Hope all is well with you. Cheers, Mike
Thanks so much, Mike! This is a great comparison video—nicely done!