Campervan Rental Adventures Made Easy!

campervan rv parked by scenic coastal view

Renting a Campervan with Vander Outdoors: What to Expect

If this is your first time renting a campervan, you’re not alone. A lot of our guests are new to van travel—and that’s exactly who we built Vander Outdoors for.

Whether you’re planning a long weekend escape or a multi-week road trip, our goal is simple: make the process straightforward, remove the guesswork, and get you on the road feeling confident and prepared.

This guide walks through how our rental process works, what to expect at pickup, and where these vans are especially well-suited to travel from the Washington, DC area.

Why Rent a Campervan Instead of an RV?

Campervans offer the freedom of road-trip travel without the size, stress, or learning curve of a full RV. If you like to camping more than setting up camp, then a campervan might be for you. Certainly a step up from tent camping, when you pull into your camp site, you don’t have to mess around with putting down a ground cloths or wrestle with rain flies. Larger RVs, like Class Cs or Class A motorhomes, do not offer the same convenience, as the hassle of tent setup is replaced by the hassle of RV setup: levelers, slide-outs, generators, blackwater hoses, who wants to deal with all of that?

Our compact campervans live in the sweet spot between tents and RVs… Once it is in park at the campsite, you are ready to fully enjoy the outdoors.

Our vans:

Drive like a regular vehicle (no special license required)
Are fuel efficient compared to other RV options (our Cascade model gets almost 30mpg highway!)
Fit easily into parking spots, campsites, and cities
Come fully outfitted for comfortable travel and sleeping
Are ideal for both first-timers and experienced travelers

You get flexibility, simplicity, and the ability to go where larger rigs can’t—especially important when traveling on the East Coast.

How Reservations Work

We’ve designed our booking process to be easy and hassle-free.

1. Choose Your Campervan

Visit our Campervan Fleet page to explore the our available models. Each van page is loaded with detailed photos, layouts, and features so you know exactly what you’re renting.

Image of the page with three available rental campervan models.

2. Select Your Dates

Choose your rental dates based on your travel plans, and enter your name, email and phone number. If you’re unsure about timing, availability, or trip length, we’re happy to help you think it through.

3. Choose Add-On Options

Once you’ve selected a van and dates, tailor the reservation to your travel needs by selecting from our array of available add-ons and enhancements.

4. Reserve Online

When you are all set, secure your van and dates by submitting the reservation deposit payment through our secure online payment portal. From there, we’ll follow up with everything you need to prepare for pickup and departure.

Pickup Locations Around Washington, DC

We offer flexible handover options designed for travelers arriving by plane, train, or metro.

Most guests pick up at Huntington Metro Station (Yellow Line terminus), which offers easy airport access and long-term parking for multi-day trips. Airport, Union Station, and select Metro station handovers are also available by arrangement.

If you’re coming from out of town, we’ll help you choose the most practical option based on how you’re arriving and how long you’ll be gone.

Where Campervans Shine in the Mid-Atlantic

One of the biggest advantages of starting your trip in Washington, DC is how much geographical variety is within reach—often without needing to cross multiple time zones or spend days driving. If visitors to Washington, DC want an experience that extends beyond the ordinary National Mall and museum visits, a compact campervan is a great way to get out and immerse yourself in the region.

Within the Mid-Atlantic region, campervans are ideal for:

Shenandoah National Park and the Blue Ridge Mountains, with easy access to scenic drives, hiking, and quiet campgrounds
Assateague National Seashore, where wild horses, beaches, and oceanside camping make for a uniquely East Coast van trip
Chesapeake Bay and the Eastern Shore, perfect for slower travel, coastal towns, and waterfront campsites

If you’re willing to stretch the drive a bit, several iconic destinations are also well within striking distance for a longer trip:

The Blue Ridge Parkway, one of the most scenic road trips in the country
West Virginia, including Canaan Valley and New River Gorge National Park, for dramatic landscapes, hiking, and whitewater
Great Smoky Mountains National Park, a favorite for multi-day campervan travel with endless backcountry options
The Outer Banks, where a campervan offers flexibility for beach hopping and changing weather conditions

This range—from mountains to barrier islands—makes campervan travel especially well suited to the East Coast.

Tips for First-Time Campervan Renters

Plan, but don’t overplan
Have a general route and key stops in mind, but leave room for spontaneity. When you are behind the wheel, make your own itinerary. Campervans give you options.

Pack intentionally, but don’t overpack
You’ll have what you need onboard, but space is still limited. Think layers, weather variation, and essentials over extras. If you have to consider whether you need it, you probably don’t.

Ask questions at pickup, but don’t worry!
You will have access to our library of tutorial videos to familiarize yourself before the trip. On departure day, we walk you through the van before you leave and make sure you’re comfortable with how everything works. No rushed handoffs, no assumptions. You don’t leave until you feel ready!

The Vander Outdoors Approach

We’re a small, owner-operated campervan rental company based in the DC area. We focus on well-maintained vehicles, clear communication, and a rental experience that feels supportive—not transactional.

Our goal isn’t to rush you out the door. It’s to make sure you leave feeling ready.

Travel Responsibly

Campervan travel comes with responsibility. We ask all guests to:

Follow Leave No Trace principles
Respect campsites, communities, and wildlife
Dispose of waste properly and legally

These values are core to how we operate and how we hope our guests travel.

Ready to Get Started?

If you’re curious about campervan travel—or ready to book—take a look at our available vans or reach out with questions. We’re always happy to help you figure out whether a campervan is the right fit for your trip.