Family confronts renter who took their RV to Burning Man and trashed it
The Burning Man festival is notoriously hard on vehicles. Desert weather and fine silt blown into cabins can cause numerous mechanical issues. During the 2025 festival, attendees experienced thunderstorms, heavy rainfall, flooding, and extreme winds. There are even videos of tornado-like storms descending on the Black Rock Desert playa this year.
So it makes sense that one RV owner and his insurance company were willing to rent the vehicle out—but forbid renters from taking it to Burning Man. One renter ignored the rule, and things went sideways.
“The RV is strictly prohibited from being taken to music festivals, large gatherings, or similar events (including, without limitation, Coachella, Burning Man, and comparable venues)…The Renter acknowledges that if the RV is taken to Burning Man or similar events…there is NO coverage for damage to the RV itself.”
— Outdoorsy RV rental contract, 3.2. Use Restrictions
Ronnie Guinto and his wife must have been a bit nervous as they waited for Shiban Shakuri to arrive at their house. They had rented the man their beloved 2023 Coachman Prism RV camper through the Outdoorsy app for some extra cash. Because he took it during Burning Man, they even texted to confirm he wasn’t headed to the festival. Shakuri responded, “Hi Ronnie, yes confirming I am not going to burning man.”
But then Shakuri ditched the AirTag on the keychain and drove straight to Black Rock Desert. The couple tracked him with a second AirTag hidden in the vehicle and later received a photo of their RV at the festival from a friend.
The RV renter returns from Burning Man
When Shakuri arrived, Guinto confronted the man: “I really feel disrespected by you.” Shakuri ignored the questions about Burning Man and simply demanded the inspection form he needed to sign before leaving.
Guinto found that the exterior awning had been blown off its hinges, likely by high winds. The accident had broken the brackets attaching the roof ladder to the side of the vehicle, as well as the metal trim on the outside of the RV.
“The dishonesty… it’s heartbreaking. I feel like I got scammed,” Guinto said.
He already has a lawyer who believes he won’t have to pay for repairs out of pocket—even if they must take Shakuri to court. “It might have got away with other renters. But Imma get him,” Guinto said. “I think Imma sue him, from all these damages he created, the depreciation, all the time lost.”
See the aftermath of the RV taken to Burning Man in the video below:
