The majority of the rental RVs go without any glitches or issues. However, there are some unfortunate cases where RV damage may take place. Before you rent an RV, you should be aware of the worst-case scenario that could happen on a rental RV.
Background
A family of four decided to take an RV trip from Chicago to California to drop their son for his new job and visit places on their way to California and some more on their way back.
Local RV rental
They rented the RV from a local RV rental in the Chicago suburbs.
Insurance
As part of the rental, they purchased all the necessary rental RV insurance and coverage with standard deductibles.
Accident
Unfortunately, at one of the gas stations, the driver took a sharp turn, misjudged the distance, and drove over a stone. He panicked and tried to go back and forth a few times to get out of the situation that further increased the RV damage. Please refer to the pictures below.
Called up the rental RV place
As soon as this incident happened they called the local rental RV and informed them of the situation. They were honest and straightforward to accept all responsibility and request guidance.
Passenger Safety
Thankfully all passengers were safe and no one in the RV was hurt despite the rental RV damage.
RV was damaged but still in driving condition
The RV was damaged below the floor line as shown in the pictures, however, after an assessment the local RV rental company and the renter concluded that the RV can be driven safely.
Cost of RV damage
As shown in the pictures, not only was the RV damaged by the stone but the back and forth driving further damaged the RV. The overall damage was assessed to be about $18K.
‘Traumatic” Drive back
The family that rented the RV was so shaken by this experience that they wanted to abandon the RV and just fly back to Chicago. However, the RV rental company warned that if the RV needs to be driven back by them then it will cost a few more thousand dollars. With great reluctance, the family drove back to Chicago.
RV Insurance Claim Process
The local RV rental office hand-held them through the whole process of filing the paperwork. This was a fresh case at the time of publishing this but the local RV rental company expected the insurance to pay the entire $18K amount.
Lessons for renters – Don’t plan a long trip unless you are an experienced RV renter
Any first-time renter should plan short trips to nearby destinations to get a feel of the RV before they plan a cross-country trip.
Driving – Never lower your guard
While driving the RV never take your attention off even for few moments. Particularly while turning and backing up go slow and have folks spot or guide you through tight spots.
Related article: Driving the RV: #1 Aspect of RV of your RV Rental Trip
Insurance – Take the best coverage to minimize deductibles
For rental RV trips the chance of something going wrong is high, therefore always take as much RV insurance as feasible. It may appear costly but it may save you thousands of dollars later on.
If you have any questions on RV damage or any other topic then please reach out to us at support@rvrentalguru.com. We’ll get back to you within 12-24 hours to answer your questions.
