Outdoorsy Reviews

To accommodate 8, I rented a luxury sprinter believing it would be safe and reliable. After driving three hours, we stopped to purchase gas and noticed the front bumper was falling off. It had been secured with duct tape. Then, we noticed steel coming out of the left front tire. Fortunately, we were close to a tire company who said we were minutes away from a blow out which would've caused a major accident. This delay caused us to be 3 hours late for our event. The longer we drove, the less the brakes worked. We had to push them farther and farther towards the floor to stop. The bathroom vent was broken and when it rained, water poured in, ruining our clothes. Outdoorsy refused to compensate us in any way for their gross negligence in renting us the unsafe vehicle they advertised as safe for travel. Our trip was an absolute nightmare!

An agent called me (Concierge) who had been trying to work on securing another RV at this point. She said she had one that was located in Monroe TN which is about a 2 hour drive (4 hours total to pick and and get back to home). The drive was not in the direction we would be traveling from our home but we decided to go with it anyway because our choices were limited at this point and we were already behind. The owner said he could have it ready by 6pm. I could not book this new RV myself due to the fact that the credit amount was not enough to book. I had to call the concierge and she had to book it on her end. She said she would add money to our account so that it could be booked so that we would not be out of pocket anything. She booked it and we moved forward but mentioned that we would need to supply another deposit of 2,000 for the new RV.

I had already paid for the other RV and in addition and according to their policy I had given a deposit of 1,500 for the first RV, She insisted that the money was refunded that day to our account after the cancel. This was in fact NOT the case and it took another 24 hours for it to show back up in our account. My husband left for the pickup and arrived back at our home at about 10:30PM. We loaded up and were out the door by 11:15PM finally headed to our destination although significantly behind. We missed an entire day's worth of driving.

Outdoorsy is now telling us that WE owe for extra miles and generator hours. At no time was any of this extra charge disclosed to us. We were operating off of the fact that our other booking did not have these charges. Outdoorsy is telling us now that we DO owe for this. I have not received a final bill yet from them but expect they will retain our 2nd deposit amount of 2,000 to cover any overage. I do have original booking details, emails and messages in regard to this matter. We are asking that we not be charged for the overages and to recover the cost of the missing day that we lost in driving.

Obviously I was unhappy with my rental and called Outdoorsy to edit my review and was told I could only edit if it was positive.?? So after was I forced to pay for a maintenance issue, drove a vehicle which put other drivers at risk, and camped with no water for four days, my raving 5 star review is out there misrepresenting my actual experience. After reading other reviews (hosts included) this company clearly has questionable ethical practices. Stay away.

Customer service is polite but powerless. You can’t speak to anyone who can actually fix the problem. Everything is “escalated” to the technical or tax team, but no one follows up. Apparently, the tax team doesn’t work weekends… and I'm beginning to wonder if they work during the week either. Customer service reps even admit they’re frustrated by the escalation delays.

Outdoorsy's site claims a 24–48 hour response window, but that seems more like wishful thinking. I haven’t heard a thing in four days. It’s now June in Maine—peak RV rental season—and I’m losing valuable time and income because of their broken system. I've switched to RVShare out of desperation. I’m not sure if it’s much better, but I can't waste another minute dealing with Outdoorsy's dysfunction. For a platform that takes a 25% cut, they ought to provide actual support. Sadly, I’ve since found I’m not the only one with these issues—if you look up reviews, you’ll see plenty of similar stories. Outdoorsy really needs to get its act together.

24/7 Unlimited Roadside Assistance

We'll be there if you need a tow or a jump start, lock your keys in your car, or get a flat tire or breakdown. We provide 24-hour emergency roadside assistance from a network of service providers, covering:

Delivery of fuel and emergency fluids

Mobile mechanic service

They should state after Mobile Mechanic service, fees for service to be paid by the renter. They wanted me to do the work for them. They wanted me to find out how much it would cost to have the Mobile Mechanic to come out and fix the problem. Then they wanted me to pay for the Mobile Mechanic, then ask the host to refund the money. If the host refuses, then Outdoorsy will step in and help. Outdoorsy should send out the Mobile Mechanic to fix the problem and charge the host.

I kept trying to work with Dorsey and with the host no one would help then I received notification that the host had canceled the reservation when I called outdoorsy to check on it. I was told that if I requested a refund, they would not process a refund for seven days. this was after they took the money out of my bank account instantly they were not concerned with helping me whatsoever. Do not trust outdoorsy nor rent from the host Jeffrey in Fort Worth. They totally ruined my trip.

The kitchen was dirty, taped and grungy. Kitchen table was old. The seating area cushions were dirty, torn and uncomfortable. The cabinets were taped in some areas, had water damage and painted different colors. The walls were worn. The bed was so uncomfortable and the mattress was dirty. It sank in the middle. Inside the kitchen cabinets were dirty. The driving area was filthy and the seats were dirty. Not pleasant to sit on had to use towels and sheets to sit on all sitting area. (I have pictures of interior areas.) signing paperwork.

The owner informed me she had repairs on the engine. Also, that the engine light might come on but to ignore it and continue with trip. The ceiling vent window was broken. There were tears in floor multiple places and the screen door had tear on the bottom. I asked the lady will I be charged for a cleaning charge since the rv was already dirty, the shower had dirt and hair in it. She said she cleaned it.

Got home from orientation and took us about 1 hour and a half to try and clean the RV as best as we could to start our trip. We were late to start trip. About 5 hours of driving into the trip the engine light comes on. We continue on the trip. The engine at times doesn't switch gears and jerks when pressing on accelerator. Extremely stressful since we were driving up the coast to Oregon with very windy, steep up and down hills. Was not pleasant to drive and was terrified. We stopped for the night at a rest stop. It was so uncomfortable in the RV.

The bed was so uncomfortable and dipped in the middle and smelled funny. The bathroom was so grungy it was so uncomfortable and made me feel dirty. We used the showers at the campgrounds and the hotel. We had to use sheets on the kitchen table seats do to them being dirty, torn and grungy, seats were uncomfortable. The floor was disgusting. We had to mop it multiple times. Even with socks on I felt dirty. The kitchen was dirty and smelled unpleasant we couldn't cook in it. Which we planned on doing instead if eating out. But due to the unsanitary nature of the kitchen, we did not feel safe using it or the stove. We hardly used the kitchen do to its condition which made us waste food. When I used the bathroom sink it plugged up so we used the kitchen sink the whole trip.

DAY 2: I sent the owner a message about the engine light she replied to ignore and continue with trip. The engine light was still on. While driving it felt like the gears were skipping at times, jerked a lot when pressing on accelerator and very slow uphills. Also, the brakes squeaked a lot. Extremely stressful to drive. Also, water started leaking from Grey water tank (took pictures.) The AC in the driving area went on and off throughout the trip.

Day 3: Possibly (not sure on day: Had water leak from side of sink down to floor. Not sure why. I took pictures and informed owner. She replied no prior leaks. We cleaned up the water. No other problems with that but you could see there was a problem before due to wood deterioration. When trying to use storage areas on outside, the locks don't always lock, just turns in circles. (Took pictures and had to tape shut.) Went to take a shower but when I stepped on the floor it felt mushy and unstable. Was not sure if it could hold weight so we did not use it. The shower is very dirty and grungy, and smelt very unpleasant. We had to use campground shower and the hotel. We used the generator once to use the microwave. Extremely loud so we turned it off. It was very embarrassing. I dumped waste and Grey water. (Only 2 people using rv)

Day 4. Engine light still on. Was going to drive to Olympic National Park Washington but didn't think the RV would make it and would we be dangerous so we canceled those plans. Since the RV bed and basically the whole RV was uncomfortable and unpleasant we decided to rent a hotel room for the night to take a break from the RV. We ended up staying 2 nights at the hotel because we didn't want to be uncomfortable.

Day 5: The engine light went off. Rv still driving rough at times and brakes still squeaking.

Day 6: Rough driving still with acceleration and braking. Same continued issues.

Day 7: Engine light came on again. We were going to check out property in Klamath falls but due to vehicle issues and roads we didn't feel safe to check it out. Also, left rear wheel started making loud noises.

Day 8: Same issues.

Day 9: Return day. When I went to the RV place to dump sewer tank and fill up propane, the guy that helped me asked what was wrong with my rear tire. I told him I had no idea, it was a rental. He told me that the noise sounds like the axle was going out. I dumped the sewer, filled propane and filled up gas tank before returning. When I returned the vehicle which I took my spouse and father (since he has experience with RVs) I was explaining everything that was wrong with the vehicle and the lack of cleanliness.

The owner said he was planning on having things fixed but then said there was nothing wrong with the RV and it was fine when I picked it up. He said everything worked after I dropped it off. Both my father and I told the owner he should have not rented the RV out in the unsafe and unsanitary condition. A verbal argument occurred which I have recorded. I also took pictures of the final rental return paperwork. I did not sign it.

If I had any knowledge of RVs or could of canceled my trip the day I picked it up, I would of. But, I already took the time off of work (unpaid time) and already set up plans to look at property throughout Oregon and to visit Olympic National Park in WA. It was also our 26th anniversary which this rental ruined our trip. We were unable to get to Washington and check out Klamath Falls due to the unsafe vehicle. We also spent unwanted money on eating out and hotel rooms since the kitchen in the RV was extremely unsanitary. Also, with the engine light being on and the vehicle running rough, I am assuming it cost me way more in gasoline. False advertisement with the whole RV and it did not have a new smell. I rented this RV thinking it was nice and a great deal...it was a disappointment to say the least. The only pros to this rental was the unlimited miles and it had a toilet/sink.

I had trouble with logging into the app multiple times; I had to "reset" my password every time I tried to log in. Luckily we didn't need to contact Outdoorsy while on the road. I chose this company because I was able to check out the rental van before I rented it and developed a good relationship with the owner. Next time I would rent directly from this owner. I chose the company for the extra insurance protection, since my car insurance didn't cover a type C camper van. It was worth the peace of mind even though I've read that others had trouble with their coverage. As with any travel insurance, you have to read the fine print and be persistent when you need reimbursement. It's a dog-eat-dog world in the rental/insurance business. Do your homework before you rent.

My husband informed the owner that we did not go off-roading, nor did we hit any bumps, so we found it unbelievable that the hubcaps fell off when we had possession of the RV. We suspected the owner might be lying as we had had no walkthrough with him and he could have easily slipped the hubcaps off after we had returned the vehicle. Even still, my husband offered to pay him $200 for hubcaps that we found online, but the owner said he would file a claim with Outdoorsy’s insurance that we had to purchase at rental time. The owner did not file a claim within the time that was allowed before our security deposit was refunded. Later, he filed a claim with an estimate for two hubcaps that was significantly more than $200. He did not provide any evidence that he bought these new hubcaps.

Outdoorsy’s insurance found us not liable for the missing hubcaps as there was no evidence of theft or collision/damage. We agreed with this assessment as we did not feel we lost the hubcaps and were now even more suspicious of the owner. The owner subsequently asked my husband for the money directly, and we said no as we agree with Outdoorsy’s assessment that we were not liable for the alleged loss.

Now, on August 5th (almost 4 months after the rental), my husband received an email from Outdoorsy informing us that the owner wants to charge us additional fees for the hubcaps. We are at a loss as to how a company/owner think they can keep trying to charge fees 4 months after a rental, i.e., after a security deposit was refunded and after a determination that the owner has not proven theft or damage occurred to his vehicle. Imagine a hotel or Airbnb trying to charge damage fees 4 months after your stay and after all charges have been determined to be settled. At a minimum, Outdoorsy needs to establish a time limit for owners to try to collect additional fees. If a security deposit has been returned to a renter, the renter should have the right to assume that the matter is closed to additional “damages”.

After reading all of the reviews with experiences similar to our own, we feel lucky that we were smart enough to cancel our credit card before Outdoorsy charged us any more fees. We feel like we dodged a bullet and would never rent from them again. The system is either intentionally setup so that owners can charge fees at their whim or it’s a severe flaw in their rental system. Either scenario should make buyers beware of this company.

Hosts seem to be a mixed bag...one I dealt was extremely responsive and willing to work with me on my reservation, but ultimately his costs were far too high for my trip ($.95c for every mile >100). Another host took a day to respond and when I needed him to contact customer service on behalf of my reservation, I was ghosted. I'm not naive, I understand that "fees" are a way of life these days, but this was rather extreme and made the entire experience feel quite uncomfortable and seedy.

We were lucky to drive to our destination and back with a battery that wouldn’t hold a charge, and a generator that would work intermittently leading us to shut everything off to the back cabin for the entirety of the trip. Add to this over $350 in additional charges for things that we never discussed nor used, and the need for dispute resolution afterwards, it made our experience even worse. Never rent from this company!

During our rental over the 4th of July, the power cord + surge protector failed...resulting in a smoking, melted plug. We were left with no power, no A/C, and we are in Texas in the middle of Summer. To our surprise, the the owner filed a damage claim against us which resulted in many headaches and countless hours of wasted time-with no real help from Outdoorsy. In fact, whenever I called, I could only speak with someone in the PHILIPPINES-never the same person, and never a last name. Sometimes someone would respond via email, but would not be available by phone. There was always a promise to escalate, but no follow-through.

We had actually purchased the stationary insurance (also called excess insurance), which we learned that they defer to YOUR PERSONAL AUTO POLICY FIRST. When I went back, I eventually found this in the fine print, but had to click through several pages and links to get to-essentially a rabbit hole. After the owner was told by our insurance company that this was not a qualified claim (and subsequently denied), he then pursued it with the Outdoorsy stationary policy-which was also denied. He told our insurance company that he would pursue it through the security deposit. They then emailed to ask us to approve a charge of $400-to pay for their faulty equipment-even after 2 denials stating that we were not responsible for their equipment failing. We declined.

We cannot get anyone at Outdoorsy to help us with this, though we have reached out via phone and email multiple times. Today we learned that Outdoorsy has charged our card for ANOTHER $750-the original amount of our deposit. After another call and another request to escalate-they are telling us that they have released it. I have yet to confirm that with my CC company, but will need to make sure that all future attempts to charge us will be denied. A side note of the stationary/excess policy-they also add an additional charge for roadside assistance-which you should not need if you are not towing the vehicle. In fact, the policy becomes null and void if you move the camper for any reason on a stationary policy. We would never even think of trusting Outdoorsy again-it's really just a platform, taking a cut, and cheaply outsourcing their customer service. There is no protection and no one to call who can do anything to help.

Outdoorsy is not much of a service but provides a great disservice to both the renter, to whom they charge exorbitant fees and force the sale of often redundant insurance products but also the owner, from whom they take a 25% cut, even when the owner didn't ultimately keep those funds. No other platform keeps their fee, especially an exceedingly high one, on money you don't actually net. In this case I wanted to refund my renter $750. Trouble is, Outdoorsy only paid me $562.50. I can't refund money I never received and Outdoorsy refuses to return their $187.50 cut of those funds that, again, are not in my bank account, to the renter. They refuse to explain what they are keeping that $187.50 for and I don't know a soul who could rationalize why that money wouldn't be refunded to the renter.

This wasn't always the case- a few years ago the owner's fees were 20% and Outdoorsy was reasonable to work with. Fast forward to today and the company has started selling their own insurance product to renters (95% of whom don't need it), tacking more fees onto renters, upping their cut of the owner's payout. You would think service might improve with all this extra income Outdoorsy is netting but it's gone downhill. Their smartphone app is bush league and barely functions, customer support is responsive but offers no actual solutions. You only get a real response by posting negative reviews. I see stories online of Outdoorsy asking renters who purchased Outdoorsy's insurance to use their regular insurance anyways and put Outdoorsy in a second position. This is now a company that thinks it can have it both ways and come out on top in every situation.

I would love to see another business disrupt Outdoorsy and provide a quality, peer to peer, platform for rentals. Most renters already have adequate auto insurance that covers their rental. Most owners need little more than a platform/market on which to rent their rigs and a payment processing service that allows for security deposits to be held appropriately. What nobody needs is Outdoorsy in the middle of it all, bilking all parties for every penny they can. As an owner, the fact that they keep a 25% cut of money you don't get paid really says it all though.

Yesterday, I finally click the link, I do the verification, and today still nothing. I contacted them today, and now I need to send the registration to their email....good thing I contacted them because if not, I would be still waiting to hear from them. RVShare took me only 10 min to verify everything, but Outdoorsy poor in communication, and if they are like that with a host, I don't want to see what customers have to go through.