So, you want to explore the great outdoors, but at a fraction of the cost of purchasing an RV and still have all the comforts of home? Well, you can. There are many places around the country that specialize in renting recreational vehicles to people just like you. There are lots of reasons people choose to rent RVs instead of purchasing them. It’s considerably cheaper, there’s no maintenance to keep up with, and no hassle of finding a place to store them in the off season. In the Houston, Texas area, there are two rental agencies that specialize in renting recreational vehicles on different terms. Let’s find out who they are and what they offer.
Smith RV Rentals
540 W. Gulfbank
Houston, Texas 77037
281-447-4263
1-800-326-4289
www.smithrvrentals.com
Smith RV rentals has an extensive fleet of recreation vehicles ranging from 26′ vehicles that sleep six people to 31′ vehicles with a slide out room that can accommodate up to ten. Smith RV Rentals breaks the year down into seasons and rentals are priced according to the following schedule:
Winter Season*
Oct. 1-Feb. 28
Mid Season
Mar. 1-May 31
Aug. 15-Sep. 30
Summer Season
June 1-Aug. 14
Smith RV Rentals does have a minimum rental policy in effect for the different seasons. They are as follows:
1 WEEK IN SUMMER SEASON, ALL HOLIDAYS & PEAK PERIODS
3 DAYS IN WINTER AND MID SEASON
4 DAYS DURING SOME PEAK PERIODS
The rates Smith RV quotes include the following:
100 FREE MILES PER DAY
8 HRS. PER DAY GENERATOR USE
EXTRA MILEAGE (over free mileage) @.25/mile.
EXTRA GENERATOR USE AT $1/HOUR.
Here is a breakdown of what each type of vehicle has to offer:
26′ RV – Sleeps 6
Color Television Video Cassette Player 2 Door Refrigerator/ Freezer 3 Burner Stove Oven or Microwave/Convection Oven Shower Toilet 4 KW Onan Generator Coffeemaker Large Roof/Dash Air Conditioning Central Heat Basement Storage Ford Triton V10 Engine 60 Gallon Unleaded Fuel Tank 15 Gallon Propane Tank AM/FM Radio with Cassette Automatic Transmission Cruise Control Hot Water Heater Auxiliary Battery
29′ RV – Sleeps 8
Color Television Video Cassette Player 2 Door Refrigerator/ Freezer Microwave 3 Burner Stove Oven Shower Toilet 4 KW Onan Generator Coffeemaker Large Roof/Dash Air Conditioning Central Heat Basement Storage Ford Triton V10 Engine 60 Gallon Unleaded Fuel Tank 12 Gallon Propane Tank AM/FM Radio with Cassette Automatic Transmission Cruise Control Hot Water Heater Auxiliary Battery
31′ RV with slide out – Sleeps 10
Color Television Video Cassette Player 2 Door Refrigerator/ Freezer Microwave 3 Burner Stove Oven Shower Toilet 4 KW Onan Generator Coffeemaker Large Roof/Dash Air Conditioning Central Heat Basement Storage Ford Triton V10 Engine 60 Gallon Unleaded Fuel Tank 10 Gallon Propane Tank AM/FM Radio with CD Automatic Transmission Cruise Control Hot Water Heater Auxiliary Battery
On all of their vehicles, Smith RV Rentals requires a $200 deposit to confirm the reservation, which is applied to rental charges, and a $500 security deposit via credit card or $1000 cash. They don’t allow drivers under 25 years old. No towing is allowed with the vehicles. Not available to travel into Mexico. Pick up and return times are Mon-Fri 8:30am-1:00pm and Saturday 8:30am-11:30am. A $25 per hour charge will be applied for late returns.
Bates Motorhome Rentals
210 Burbank
Houston, Texas 77076
713-691-7238
1-800-491-9021
www.batesofhouston.com
Bates of Houston is not only an RV rental dealer, but also a service department for local owners. Before you leave with your rented vehicle, Bates of Houston performs a safety and operational inspection of your vehicle to make sure you’re ready for the open road. Bates of Houston also offers free 24 hour roadside assistance to all their rental vehicles. Bates of Houston offers three types of rentals.
Class C – which is the type of RV with the overhead bed that hangs over the driver’s cab?
Class A – which is more your tour bus type with no overhead bed
Pop Up – This is a tow behind your own vehicle mini travel trailer
The vehicles range in all sizes from the 14′ travel length of the pop up trailer to the massive 42′ of the travel busses that have 2-4 pull out rooms. The busses are luxurious to say the least, complete with tiled floors, mirrored walls, and full size sofas. Although they have all the comforts of home, you will need to supply your own linens, towels, disposable dishes, trash bags, etc. The rental rates vary by the size of the vehicle and there doesn’t seem to be an on/off season rental chart. There is a 3 day minimum on all rentals. The deposit information is as follows:
Class C – $500.00
Class A 40′ – $1000.00
Class A 42′ – $1500.00
Deposits are due at the time of reservation.
Deposits are refundable upon return of the motor home.
Towing is allowed, but only with the Class A vehicles. Hours of operation are Monday – Friday, 7:00am to 4:00pm. Pick up and delivery are available during these times. Other fees include:
There is a one-time $30.00 sanitation/prep fee and sales tax of 15%.
700 FREE MILES per week are included in the rental price as are 4 hours per day of generator usage. Additional miles over the free ones are charged at a rate between .30 and .38 each.
If you’re in the Houston area, these are the first two places you should check into if renting an RV is in your future. You can contact the individual rental agencies for more information or driving directions. Whatever your adventure or budget may consist of, you’re sure to find the perfect vehicle to take you away from it all, while taking it all with you at the same time.
