Campervan Rental Guide: What to Rent, What It Costs, and Which Van Actually Fits Your Trip

The terms "campervan" and "Sprinter van" get used interchangeably in rental listings, but they cover everything from a 22-foot factory-built Class B motorhome to a converted cargo van with a mattress and a USB port. What you can actually do with each is very different.

This guide covers what separates the formats, what each costs on Outdoorsy and RVShare, and which situations make one clearly better than the other. If you're trying to decide between a campervan and a larger motorhome, the class comparison guide covers that decision. This page focuses on campervans and Sprinter-style vans specifically.

What "campervan" actually means in rental listings

Rental platforms use "campervan" loosely. In practice, it's a catch-all for any self-propelled van-based rental under about 22 feet — which includes factory-built Class B motorhomes, custom Sprinter conversions, and basic cargo van setups. The unifying characteristic: you drive it like a large pickup truck, not like a vehicle with something attached behind it. No tow vehicle, no hitch, no backing-up-a-trailer learning curve.

Beyond that, the differences are real. Knowing which format you're looking at before you book saves you from arriving at a trailhead in a 22-foot motorhome when you needed something that fits in a parking space — or booking a converted van with no toilet when your trip required one.

The four formats and what each one gives you

Class B motorhome (the standard campervan)

The Class B is a purpose-built campervan on a van chassis — most often a Mercedes Sprinter, Ram ProMaster, or Ford Transit. At 17–22 feet, it's the most RV-like of the four formats: a real (if compact) kitchen, a wet bath or cassette toilet, a fixed or convertible bed, and shore power hookup capability. Winnebago Travato, Airstream Interstate, and Pleasure-Way models are common rental examples on both platforms.

Rentals typically run $150–$225 per night before platform fees. The tradeoff is parking: a 22-foot Class B doesn't fit in a standard parking space. It parks like a full-size cargo van — most need a spot at least 20 feet deep, which rules out parking garages.

Sprinter van conversion

A converted Sprinter or Transit with a custom buildout, typically 19–22 feet. These come from private owners or small fabricators rather than manufacturers, so the quality range is wide. High-end conversions have hardwood cabinetry, lithium battery banks, rooftop solar, and a roof fan. Entry-level builds have a platform bed, a cooler, and not much else.

Most Sprinter conversions have no toilet or shower — which is a feature for the right renter (less maintenance, more usable floor space, true stealth camping) and a dealbreaker for others. The trade-off is that most are genuinely self-sufficient for power: a solar panel plus a lithium battery bank handles lighting, phone charging, a fan, and a 12V fridge for 2–3 days without plugging in anywhere. Rentals run $125–$200 per night. Read the listing description carefully. "Full van conversion" means different things to different owners. Check whether bedding, kitchen supplies, and a camp chair are included — on factory Class Bs they usually are, on conversions it varies by owner.

Cargo van setup

An unmodified or lightly modified full-size cargo van — ProMaster, Transit, or Econoline — where the setup is a mattress, storage drawers, and little else. The smallest format, the most urban-friendly, and the most likely to pass for a regular vehicle in city parking. Rental prices start around $80–$120 per night, though inventory is thin on both platforms. Search for "cargo van" or "sleeper van" alongside "campervan" — platform algorithms don't always surface these under the generic campervan category.

The Mercedes Sprinter chassis

Searches for "Mercedes Sprinter rental" or "Sprinter rv rental" are often looking for the Sprinter chassis specifically — renters who know its combination of tall headroom, long wheelbase, and diesel reliability and want it by name. Both Class B motorhomes and converted vans frequently use the Sprinter, so filtering by this term doesn't guarantee a particular format. Searching "Sprinter" on either platform surfaces both formats. Filter by the interior features you need — a bathroom, a fixed bed, a kitchen — rather than the chassis name.

What a campervan rental actually costs

The listed nightly rate is roughly 60–70% of what checkout will ask for. Platform service fees run 17–25% of the subtotal on both Outdoorsy and RVShare. Add the protection plan ($35–55/day on most listings) and you're well above the advertised rate before you've driven a mile.

Campervans skip one fee that catches motorhome renters off guard: most have no generator, running on solar and shore power instead. No generator means no generator hour fee ($3–5/hour on listings that have one). That's a real difference on a week-long trip.

One cost campervans avoid that larger RVs don't: most Sprinter conversions and factory Class Bs run on solar and batteries rather than a generator, which eliminates both the generator fee and the fuel cost to run it. Fuel economy also works in your favor — a Sprinter gets roughly 18–22 mpg on the highway, compared to 8–12 mpg for a Class A or C. On a 1,200-mile trip, that difference is $150–$200 in fuel at current prices.

All-in cost for a 7-night booking by format:

• Class B motorhome: $1,700–$2,500
• Sprinter van conversion: $1,200–$2,000
• Cargo van setup: $800–$1,400

For the full line-item breakdown — service fees, cleaning fees, deposits, protection plan — the RV rental cost guide has the complete picture.

When a campervan beats a larger RV

The campervan format genuinely wins in four situations. Outside of these, a Class C or pop-up camper often makes more practical sense.

Moving every day. If your trip involves a different overnight stop each night, a campervan is faster to set up, easier to maneuver into varied sites, and doesn't require unhooking anything. A 40-foot Class A at a new campground every day is an exhausting trip. A Class B at a new campground every day is just driving.

National park circuits. Most national parks enforce vehicle length limits on at least some roads and campgrounds. Yosemite Valley campgrounds cap vehicles at 35 feet — a Class B clears that easily. Several roads in Glacier and Zion restrict vehicles below the length of most Class As and Cs. A campervan gives you access to campgrounds and pullouts that longer rigs can't reach. The national park RV guide has park-by-park size limits.

Two people, no kids. A campervan's sleeping capacity is genuinely two adults. The space a Class C adds primarily benefits families — a bunkhouse slide, a dinette that converts for kids. For a couple, it's extra square footage to maneuver around and extra length to park. A Class B's tighter layout suits two people better than it looks on paper.

Camping off the beaten path. Converted Sprinters and cargo vans can park on urban streets and dispersed camping areas without drawing attention. Boondocking on BLM land, staying at a trailhead overnight, or spending a night in a city before hitting the highway — the smaller the vehicle, the more options you have. Class Bs are less discreet than cargo van conversions, but both give you substantially more overnight options than any motorhome with slides.

One-way campervan rentals

Campervans are the most practical format for one-way trips. Because they're peer-to-peer listings rather than fleet vehicles, you can often negotiate a one-way drop directly with the owner — Outdoorsy supports one-way bookings where the owner has enabled it, and many Sprinter conversion owners are willing to discuss it via message before you commit.

Routes with the most reliable campervan one-way availability: Las Vegas to Los Angeles, Seattle to Portland, Denver to Salt Lake City, and the Pacific Coast Highway northbound from LA to San Francisco or Seattle. Cross-regional routes (say, Phoenix to Chicago) are harder — the owner has to figure out how to get their van back, and most won't take the booking.

For the mechanics of one-way RV rentals — drop fees, relocation deals, which platforms handle logistics better — the one-way RV rental guide covers all of it.

Where to find campervan and Sprinter van listings

Outdoorsy and RVShare both have strong campervan inventory, but they pull from different pools.

Outdoorsy's campervan listings skew toward frequently-rented, well-maintained vans with established review histories. Owners who have rented their van 30 or 40 times have worked out the handoff process — detailed walkthroughs, pre-departure checklists, good communication. For a first-time renter, that matters more with a campervan than with a Class A, where the systems are more standardized. Outdoorsy's payout structure (owners get paid 48 hours after trip start) also attracts owners who treat it as a real rental business rather than a side experiment.

RVShare has wider geographic coverage. In mid-sized cities where Outdoorsy's campervan inventory is sparse, RVShare often has listings Outdoorsy doesn't. Oregon is one market where both platforms have strong campervan inventory — Portland in particular skews heavily toward converted vans and Class B listings. San Diego is another — the climate makes year-round campervan rentals viable there, and both platforms reflect it in listing depth. The Oregon RV rental guide covers what to ask owners about solar setup and van quality before booking a coast or high-desert trip. The tradeoff is consistency — listing quality varies more on RVShare, so read every review and message the owner with specific questions before committing.

Frequently asked questions