RV travel has become more popular than ever, with sales of recreational vehicles booming. In fact, they’ve increased every year following a one-year decline in 2009 during the financial crisis, as CNN Business reports, with 430,000 RVs of all types sold in 2016.

If you’ve been thinking about buying one, renting an RV can be a great way to see if it fits your lifestyle, or a good option if you don’t plan to use it very often. There’s an abundance of RV rental deals that can be found across North America to suit the needs for your next cross-country road trip. Here’s how to find the best one.

The Size

 

Size is important when considering which RV to rent for your cross-country road trip. While you might think the bigger the better, consider that a smaller RV is usually much easier to handle, especially when it’s time to maneuver narrow, winding roads and mountain passes. At the same time, you probably don’t want to rent one that has just enough sleeping space for the number of people who will be traveling. For example, if you’re a family of four, two adults and two kids, you might want to go for one that sleeps 5 or 6 so that you have a little extra wiggle room to avoid the obvious tension that can come with traveling thousands of miles in tight quarters.

Plan Your Itinerary

 

While you don’t have to stick to it exactly, planning at least a tentative itinerary will give you an idea as to how many miles you’ll travel, something you’ll need to know if you choose a rental company that charges by the mile when comparing prices.

Make Sure It Has All the Features You Need to Live Comfortably for an Extended Period of Time

 

Not only do you want to make sure that the RV is big enough to fit your family, but not too big to make it a nightmare to drive, you want it to have all the important features for living comfortably during a long road trip. For example, does it have a bathroom large enough for each family member to be able to take a shower? How about cooking facilities? Having a stove, oven, microwave and refrigerator will make it much easier to put together meals and limit more expensive dining out. What are the sleeping arrangements? You probably want a layout that allows for a little more privacy for the adults.