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Before buying an RV, many consider renting one for a couple of days. Not only will you get a feel for it to decide if the RV life right for you, but it’s a lot cheaper. That’s where RV rental services come into play, where you can rent an RV for a couple of nights like you would a hotel. But this European RV rental company is slightly different, offering subscriptions rather than rentals.

Indie Camper's Rocky Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Sport with rooftop tent
Indie Camper’s “Rocky” Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Sport with rooftop tent | Indie Camper

Indie Camper’s RV subscription service is slowly coming to America

While RV camping is known as an American pastime, many Europeans enjoy it too. In fact, a group of college students from the Netherlands just built a solar-electric RV, and drove it through several countries. Though, for America, our RVs tend to be larger, and worse on gas.

Now, the Indie Campers RV rental platform is coming to America, albeit gradually. The only American city you can utilize this service is in Los Angeles, and the only RV you can rent out isn’t an RV at all. It’s just a Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Sport with a rooftop tent slapped on top known as “Rocky.” But for $40 a night, it doesn’t get much cheaper.

And it does come with some nifty features, like a cooler and pull-out kitchen. And there are discounts offered for anyone staying more than 14 nights. In fact, unlike most RV rental sites, Indie Campers encourages longer stays. That’s why, in Europe, they offer a full monthly and yearly subscription service.

This subscription service is completely available if you live in Europe

Indie Camper rental RV by the water
Indie Camper rental RV by the water | Indie Camper

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How Indie Camper’s RV subscription works is simple: you can rent an RV by the day, the month, or the year. It’s not inexpensive, but if you go for a monthly or yearly subscription, you save more than by renting an RV for 30 or 365 days.

While it varies by location, the pricing I’ll be using reflects the rates in Amsterdam. That said, if you were to an RV through Indie Camper every day for the month of August, it would cost you $5207. Meanwhile, the monthly subscription is just $2031 for the month. But the price of a monthly subscription varies according to the month you select. For example, if you rent for the month of September, it’s $3,081, whereas, for November, when RVing isn’t as popular, it’s $1,106.

But throw all that aside, because the yearly subscription is valued at just $1242 a month, every month. Sure, that’s a $14,000 investment, but you get an RV for a year. Considering new RV prices are sky-high, this is easily the cheapest way to try out an RV long-term.

When would the full service come to America, and would it work?

Indie Camper camper van with roof top tent
Indie Camper camper van with rooftop tent |

There’s no telling when this full service would come to the states. But for anyone looking to join the RV life without the commitment, this is definitely a viable option. When you consider that $14,000 could only buy you an older, dirtier used RV, being able to rent something new and well maintained (with maintenance and insurance costs included) would relieve stress and make the experience altogether more enjoyable.

These subscriptions aren’t available in America. But if you hopped on a plane to Barcelona this January, it would only cost you $441 to rent the RV for the month (and about $500 for round trip tickets). Obviously, this doesn’t include places to park, food, or living expenses. But if you’re looking to test the waters of long-term RV living before buying one, the Indie Camper RV rental service may be the way to do it.

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