Outdoorsy Review: Pros, Complaints, Prices & More

It’s easy to get lost in the hustle and bustle of day-to-day life. Sometimes you just need to get away, and the last place you want to spend a vacation is in a hotel room with paper-thin walls. Isn’t it time for you to try something new?

Outdoorsy provides the opportunity to reconnect with the peace of the great outdoors without sacrificing comfort. We decided to see if Outdoorsy is as impressive as the reviews suggest, and we weren’t disappointed. Read more about why Outdoorsy is one of our best RV rental companies.

About the Company

Outdoorsy began as a labor of love in 2014 and grew into a massive venture. Co-founders Jeff Cavins, Jennifer Young, Ryan Quinn, and Tyler Stillwater shared love of outdoor travel. They realized that a lot of RVs spent too much time sitting and sought to change that trend.

For months, they chatted with RV owners they found on Craigslist to learn everything they could about their world. They made connections and formed a supportive outdoor travel community.

Today, the Outdoorsy team connects people who love outdoor travel as much as they do. They provide secure transactions that benefit renters and owners while preventing RVs from sitting around unused, similar to RVshare. I also have a full breakdown of the similarities and differences between RVshare vs. Outdoorsy if you want to compare the two.

Outdoorsy’s RV Rental Process

The rental process is easy to navigate, even if you’re not sure what you’re looking to rent. Outdoorsy walks you through each step from the moment you click “Rent an RV.”

We really appreciate how easy it is to complete the booking process. Everything is streamlined and involves limited paperwork with no unnecessary running around. If you don’t believe us, check out the simple step-by-step process!

Browse the Available Inventory

The only information you need to get started is a rental location and desired dates of travel. Select your starting city, beginning date, and return date to reveal a list of available outdoorsy RV rentals. You can add additional filters, like price range or amenities, to further narrow your search.

Bonus tip: You can choose to rent vehicles near state parks. Say you always wanted to visit Grand Canyon National Park, they have an overview of the park and a list of vehicles available in the area.

How to Book Your RV Rental

Outdoorsy offers two options for booking. The easiest just takes one click on the “instant booking” button. However, not all vehicles use instant booking, so you need to request a reservation and wait for the RV owner to approve your request. Usually, approval occurs within 24 to 48 hours.

Choose additional options from the list of add-ons. These will vary from RV rental to rental, but some popular add-ons include gas grills, pet fees, and bedding.

Submitting Payment

When you submit payment, it will include a refundable security deposit. You also have the choice of what level of insurance protection you’d like to purchase, trip protection, and even damage protection.

Picking Up and Turning in Your RV Rental

You arrange all pick-ups and drop-offs with the RV owner via Outdoorsy for RV rental. We’d suggest you download the app for a streamlined experience. Many owners provide flexible days and times. Some RV owners even deliver the rentals for an additional fee.

Bonus tip: these RV rentals are all owned by private people who know their vehicles and can give you tips for a successful outing. Make sure you ask plenty of questions, especially if you’re a newbie!

Available RV Rental Inventory

For the most part, Outdoorsy has a lot to offer RV renters. First and foremost, Outdoorsy works with more than 15,000 RV owners with a wide range of styles.

You can find everything from an adorable candy apple red teardrop trailer to a luxurious 36-foot motorhome with more amenities than a hotel suite. If you’d like a vintage airstream or custom campervan for a long weekend, you can probably find it on Outdoorsy.

Additionally, some of these RV owners got creative with add-on amenities. They even thought of things that could make or break certain trips. For example, not all campsites have convenient bathrooms, so a porta-potty with a tent and disposable waste bags could come in handy.

One of the common Outdoorsy complaints is that some areas, mainly less populated rural regions, have limited inventory. However, this is true for most RV rental companies.

Pricing

Like any RV rental service, pricing varies depending on your location and the type of vehicle. Smaller rentals can average $50 to $100 per night, while larger and luxury vehicles can cost $300 or more per night.

There are additional fees to account for, like the Outdoorsy service fee, cleaning fees, protection packages, and taxes. Some owners allow for free unlimited miles while others charge a mileage fee. We noticed that owners were upfront with any fees related to their vehicles.

Insurance Coverage

One of our favorite things about Outdoorsy is their insurance coverage. Not only are they open about their insurer (Liberty Mutual Insurance), they provide $250,000 for comprehensive collision damage and up to $1 million for liability insurance.

We didn’t have an issue with our rental, but we found others who had incidents and need to use insurance protection. From our research, it seemed pretty typical of a regular insurance exchange with no over-the-top hassles or customer service issues.

Roadside Assistance

Another perk of using Outdoorsy is their free Roadside Assistance with their premium and ultimate insurance options. Most of the owners use Coach-Net for their Roadside Assistance.

Coach-Net’s coverage seems to be reliable, and there aren’t an overwhelming number of bad experiences floating around.

• 24/7 Tech Support
• Service appointment assistance
• Access to their premier RV service network
• Mobile mechanics and emergency road service

It would be nice if they included the free Roadside Assistance with their basic insurance options. We’d also like to see all of their owners commit to the same RV rental company, so you know what to expect across the board.

Cancellation Policy

Things happen, vacations get canceled, and Outdoorsy addresses this issue better than most RV rental agencies. They allow owners to choose from three standard cancellation policies to protect both sides of the transaction.

Flexible Cancellation Policy

• You receive your reservation security deposit, minus fees if you cancel more than five days before your booking date.
• If you have already paid in full but need to cancel, you receive a full refund (minus fees) as long as you cancel more than five days before your scheduled pick-up.
• Cancellations less than five days before the booking are eligible for a partial refund, but the reservation deposit is non-refundable.

Moderate Cancellation Policy

• The reservation deposit is non-refundable.
• If you paid in full and cancel more than seven days in advance, you receive a partial refund equal to 75% of the full amount, minus fees.
• Cancellations that occur less than seven days before the booking date are eligible for a partial refund of 50% of the total rental, minus fees.

Strict Cancellation Policy

• Half of the reservation deposit is non-refundable.
• If you paid in full and cancel more than 14 days before your booking date, you receive 50% of the full rental amount, minus fees.
• There is no refund for cancellations less than 14 days before the reservation.
• If an owner chooses this option for their vehicle, renters receive a prompt asking them to agree to the terms before they can complete the booking.

We like that you know what you’re getting into before booking a reservation, so consider that when selecting a vehicle. Every RV rental lists the cancellation policy on their page, and it’s easy to find detailed information for each level.

Customer Service

Customer service is a bit of a hot topic in the rental industry, but Outdoorsy does not need to worry. They are easy to reach by phone, email, live chat, and through their website’s help center. You can expect a reasonable response time, unlike other RV rental services like Cruise America.

Outdoorsy streamlined their customer service options (no complicated menus to struggle through) and hired friendly team members. We’ve had nothing but good experiences with the Outdoorsy customer service team. We felt appreciated and heard in both phone calls we made.

Renting Your RV Through Them

Renting an RV is one thing, but what if you’re an RV owner? Don’t worry, we didn’t forget those of you wondering what it’s like to use Outdoorsy to rent out your RV.

Why People Rent Out RVs

Owning an RV provides a means of escape and an opportunity to spend time in the great outdoors. What happens when you can’t use it enough? Instead of letting your RV sit empty for forty or fifty weeks of the year, you can rent it out to somebody looking for RV adventures.

You can put your RV to good use and make a little money on the side. Think of all the good things you could do with that cash!

• Additional income can pay off debt, pad your savings, or increase investments.
• Use the rental fees to pay off the RV or cover maintenance.
• You don’t need to pay storage fees if people are renting your RV.

Read more about the benefits and drawbacks of renting your RV in Brian’s latest column on the topic.

Perks to Listing on Outdoorsy

Outdoorsy has a stellar reputation with renters, but it’s just as popular with owners. They provide a lot of bonuses that give you peace of mind while your RV is rented.

• Outdoorsy gives you the option to refuse an RV rental.
• They have a top-notch customer service team.
• Every renter has to pass an extensive driving history check.
• Comprehensive insurance packages protect owners and renters.
• It costs nothing to list on Outdoorsy, but they do take a small transaction fee from each booking.
• Payments are directly deposited within 24 hours of the renter picking up the RV.

In short, if you have an RV that’s collecting dust for the better part of the year, consider listing it with Outdoorsy. You can connect with other people in your community, and the RV traveling community while making a little extra money.

Tips for Successfully Renting Your RV

It can take time to find renters, but once you get the hang of it and establish a chain of positive reviews, the sky’s the limit! To help you get started, we’ve compiled a few quick tips.

• Clean your RV like the Queen of England is about to stay there.
• Pick a picturesque setup for your photos. You may want to consider a professional photographer.
• Create a list of amenities.
• Bonus points for including some creative add-on features, like hammocks and outdoor activity gear.
• Build a manual to leave in your RV that explains how to use different features and offer destination suggestions.

Conclusion

At the end of the day, we agreed with the thousands of reviewers who rated Outdoorsy as a five-star experience. There are a lot of good reasons to consider Outdoorsy for your next vacation.

For a reasonable rate, you can find a vehicle in nearly any shape, size, and color to take you on an outdoor adventure. What are you waiting for? Go on over to Outdoorsy and book an RV!