As Vacation Season Approaches, RV Rentals Gain Popularity

People seeking travel while avoiding too much contact are eating up camper rentals at companies including RVshare and Ondevan.

According to popular wisdom, RVs and campers are only for retirees or those who've opted out of normal society in favor of #vanlife. But now, at least for this year, they may also be for anyone who's looking to continue social distancing during the coronavirus pandemic, yet still go on vacation. That's why RVShare, which is a vehicle-sharing platform for campers and RVs, is claiming a 650 percent increase in rental traffic since early April. The company surveyed users and found that 93 percent of those vacationing this summer "want to avoid crowds," which is up 70 percent since the company's last survey asked that question.

Like Airbnb, but for campers, RVShare lists privately owned RVs, and arrangements are made with the vehicle's owner for pickup, dropoff, cleaning fees, and the like. RVShare advertises that renters can visit popular road-trip destinations such as the Grand Canyon, Yosemite, and Arches National Monument.

Check out the full article from Car and Driver here.