Renting Motor Homes

Motor home rental rates are affected by season, location and supply and demand.

U-Haul bought several thousand luxury motor homes, about 4,000 of which were built in Riverside and 1,000 in Indianapolis. Until this inventory is spread out across the country, areas with high inventory will tend to have lower rates.

U-Haul prices in early spring were $59 a day and 19 cents a mile. But they found that many more people came in to look at the RVs, and more prospects rented from them when they advertised $39 a day and 39 cents a mile.

Suggested base prices are issued to the 1,200 U-Haul Centers, which adjust them up or down depending on the above factors. Off-season rates (starting Sept. 15) have not yet been determined, but expect them to be close to industry standards.

Overall, the base range for a U-Haul vacation motor home rental to an average family (one-week vacation, 900 miles traveled) is $650 to $850 a week in the summer. That does not cover insurance, deposits, sanitation charges or gasoline. (Cooking utensils and linen are not included in motor home rentals.)

For information on U-Haul motor home rentals, call toll-free (800) 528-0463 or (800) 821-2712 (except in Arizona).

The cost of the U-Haul motor home we rented for 10 days in Cleveland was $1,150 plus $675 for 2,700 miles.

The sample rates following cover local and one way for other areas of the country:

LOS ANGELES (City): Local is $550/week and 12 cents/mile (includes 700 free miles) or $100/day and 12 cents/mile (includes 100 free miles). To Cleveland, Ohio, one way: rate is $1,000 per week including 1,000 free miles.

LOS ANGELES (Valley): Local is $600/week and 20 cents/mile or $79/day and 20 cents/mile. To Cleveland one way: $1,818 including 10 days and 3,438 free miles.

SEATTLE: Local is $650/week and 12 cents/mile or $100/day and 12 cents/mile. To Chicago one way: $1,338 including five days and 3,188 miles. Extra miles, 20 cents; extra days, $90.

ATLANTA: Local is $550/week and 15 cents/mile or $100/day and 15 cents/mile. To Salt Lake City one way: $1,060 including nine days and 2,300 miles. Extra miles, 15 cents; extra days, $100.

BOSTON: Local is $600/week and 20 cents/mile. One way is $340 for first day, $90 each additional day, unlimited mileage.

LONG ISLAND: Local is $700/week and 15 cents/mile (includes 1,000 free miles); $125/day and 15 cents/mile (includes 100 free miles). One way is $1,000/week (includes 1,000 free miles).