Original research

When to rent an RV: demand peaks in June in 32 states and bottoms out in December

We tracked a year of Google searches for RV, camper and motorhome rentals in all 50 states and DC, October 2025 to September 2026: 5,095,710 searches. Nationally, demand peaks in June at 44% above an average month and falls to 39% below average in December. June is the peak in 32 states, July in 11 states and DC, and spring in 7.

By the RV Rental Atlas research desk · Published October 25, 2026

Key findings

  • June is the national peak at an index of 144 (100 = an average month), with July at 139 and May at 135.
  • December is the quietest month at 61, after November at 66. June demand is 2.4 times the December low.
  • June is the peak month in 32 states, July in 11 states and DC, and March to May in 7. Florida is the only state that peaks in March.
  • Warm-winter states peak in spring: Florida in March; California, Arizona, Nevada, South Carolina, Alabama and Hawaii in May. New England, New York, New Jersey, Delaware, DC, Kansas and Wyoming peak in July.
  • The most seasonal states are in the north: Alaska's June runs at 2.43 times an average month and North Dakota's at 2.10. Florida is the flattest, peaking at 113 and never falling below 75.
  • Demand drops right after summer: the national index falls from 139 in July to 106 in August and 80 in September.

Peak month by state

We added up monthly Google search volume for four phrases, "rv rental", "rv rental near me", "camper rental" and "motorhome rental", in every state and DC, and found the month with the most searches. The pattern follows the weather: the South and Southwest peak in spring, most of the country in June, and the Northeast in July, when school is out and the mountains and coast are warm.

Month with the most RV rental searches, Oct 2025 to Sep 2026March to May: AL, AZ, CA, FL, HI, NV, SC. June: AK, AR, CO, GA, IA, ID, IL, IN, KY, LA, MD, MI, MN, MO, MS, MT, NC, ND, NE, NM, OH, OK, OR, PA, SD, TN, TX, UT, VA, WA, WI, WV. July: CT, DC, DE, KS, MA, ME, NH, NJ, NY, RI, VT, WYAK: JuneAKME: JulyMEVT: JulyVTNH: JulyNHWA: JuneWAID: JuneIDMT: JuneMTND: JuneNDMN: JuneMNIL: JuneILWI: JuneWIMI: JuneMINY: JulyNYRI: JulyRIMA: JulyMAOR: JuneORNV: March to MayNVWY: JulyWYSD: JuneSDIA: JuneIAIN: JuneINOH: JuneOHPA: JunePANJ: JulyNJCT: JulyCTCA: March to MayCAUT: JuneUTCO: JuneCONE: JuneNEMO: JuneMOKY: JuneKYWV: JuneWVVA: JuneVAMD: JuneMDDE: JulyDEAZ: March to MayAZNM: JuneNMKS: JulyKSAR: JuneARTN: JuneTNNC: JuneNCSC: March to MaySCDC: JulyDCOK: JuneOKLA: JuneLAMS: JuneMSAL: March to MayALGA: JuneGAHI: March to MayHITX: JuneTXFL: March to MayFLMarch to MayJuneJuly
Where two months tie, the earlier one is shown; the table lists both.
32states peak in June
11 + DCpeak in July
7states peak in March to May
Peak and quietest month for RV rental searches, by state
CaliforniaMay/Jun137Dec72697,200
TexasJun126Dec75463,000
FloridaMar113Sep75405,340
New YorkJul156Dec51209,540
IllinoisJun155Dec49182,970
MichiganJun186Nov41175,600
PennsylvaniaJun/Jul145Dec53171,280
OhioJun155Dec48170,600
North CarolinaJun/Jul137Dec60158,410
WashingtonJun164Dec47158,150
GeorgiaJun119Dec71155,170
ArizonaMay144Dec67134,770
VirginiaJun137Dec58128,830
ColoradoJun175Nov47122,700
IndianaJun151Nov48107,010
MinnesotaJun186Nov/Dec42104,810
WisconsinJun176Nov/Dec44102,760
TennesseeJun155Dec60102,060
New JerseyJul154Dec56101,960
MissouriJun150Dec5593,390
MassachusettsJul164Dec5388,750
MarylandJun/Jul148Dec6274,860
South CarolinaMay/Jun133Dec6773,360
OregonJun/Jul162Dec4671,500
UtahJun171Dec3867,290
AlabamaMay132Nov/Dec6767,130
KentuckyJun152Dec4957,580
OklahomaJun151Dec5856,250
LouisianaJun132Dec6655,660
NevadaMay151Dec5454,420
IowaJun177Nov4248,180
ConnecticutJul165Nov5745,680
KansasJul171Dec4845,010
ArkansasJun156Dec6141,180
IdahoJun191Dec3737,240
MississippiJun137Dec5830,950
New MexicoJun164Nov/Dec5630,030
NebraskaJun176Nov/Dec4527,490
New HampshireJul170Dec4323,550
West VirginiaJun168Dec5521,600
MaineJul173Nov4320,260
MontanaJun184Dec3018,090
DelawareJul138Dec5413,390
Rhode IslandJul152Dec4913,280
South DakotaJun190Dec3712,350
AlaskaJun243Nov2111,280
WyomingJul172Dec3610,690
North DakotaJun210Dec359,880
District of ColumbiaJul145Dec619,260
VermontJul169Dec489,040
HawaiiMay134Aug/Dec784,930

Index: 100 is an average month for that state; 200 means twice its usual search volume. Searches are the sum of four rental phrases. Sorted by search volume. Download this table (CSV)

The calendar, month by month

Each row is compared with its own yearly average, so a smaller state's season reads as clearly as a big one's. Darker cells mean more people were searching for a rental that month.

RV rental searches by month (100 = an average month for that state)United States peaks in Jun; California peaks in May; Texas peaks in Jun; Florida peaks in Mar; New York peaks in Jul; Illinois peaks in Jun; Michigan peaks in Jun; Pennsylvania peaks in Jun; North Carolina peaks in Jun; Washington peaks in Jun; Arizona peaks in May; Colorado peaks in JunJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecUnited StatesUnited States, Jan: 85United States, Feb: 81United States, Mar: 112United States, Apr: 111United States, May: 135United States, Jun: 1441.4×United States, Jul: 139United States, Aug: 106United States, Sep: 80United States, Oct: 80United States, Nov: 66United States, Dec: 61CaliforniaCalifornia, Jan: 88California, Feb: 88California, Mar: 113California, Apr: 113California, May: 1371.4×California, Jun: 137California, Jul: 131California, Aug: 92California, Sep: 75California, Oct: 80California, Nov: 75California, Dec: 72TexasTexas, Jan: 93Texas, Feb: 84Texas, Mar: 119Texas, Apr: 103Texas, May: 120Texas, Jun: 1261.3×Texas, Jul: 119Texas, Aug: 97Texas, Sep: 83Texas, Oct: 97Texas, Nov: 84Texas, Dec: 75FloridaFlorida, Jan: 111Florida, Feb: 92Florida, Mar: 1131.1×Florida, Apr: 112Florida, May: 112Florida, Jun: 112Florida, Jul: 107Florida, Aug: 91Florida, Sep: 75Florida, Oct: 92Florida, Nov: 92Florida, Dec: 91New YorkNew York, Jan: 79New York, Feb: 70New York, Mar: 125New York, Apr: 106New York, May: 128New York, Jun: 139New York, Jul: 1561.6×New York, Aug: 127New York, Sep: 85New York, Oct: 72New York, Nov: 62New York, Dec: 51IllinoisIllinois, Jan: 77Illinois, Feb: 78Illinois, Mar: 117Illinois, Apr: 119Illinois, May: 145Illinois, Jun: 1551.6×Illinois, Jul: 153Illinois, Aug: 102Illinois, Sep: 82Illinois, Oct: 69Illinois, Nov: 52Illinois, Dec: 49MichiganMichigan, Jan: 75Michigan, Feb: 75Michigan, Mar: 100Michigan, Apr: 102Michigan, May: 143Michigan, Jun: 1861.9×Michigan, Jul: 176Michigan, Aug: 126Michigan, Sep: 66Michigan, Oct: 62Michigan, Nov: 41Michigan, Dec: 47PennsylvaniaPennsylvania, Jan: 83Pennsylvania, Feb: 84Pennsylvania, Mar: 110Pennsylvania, Apr: 109Pennsylvania, May: 136Pennsylvania, Jun: 1451.4×Pennsylvania, Jul: 145Pennsylvania, Aug: 116Pennsylvania, Sep: 89Pennsylvania, Oct: 74Pennsylvania, Nov: 55Pennsylvania, Dec: 53North CarolinaNorth Carolina, Jan: 86North Carolina, Feb: 75North Carolina, Mar: 113North Carolina, Apr: 114North Carolina, May: 136North Carolina, Jun: 1371.4×North Carolina, Jul: 137North Carolina, Aug: 96North Carolina, Sep: 80North Carolina, Oct: 92North Carolina, Nov: 74North Carolina, Dec: 60WashingtonWashington, Jan: 80Washington, Feb: 74Washington, Mar: 105Washington, Apr: 110Washington, May: 155Washington, Jun: 1641.6×Washington, Jul: 157Washington, Aug: 128Washington, Sep: 69Washington, Oct: 58Washington, Nov: 54Washington, Dec: 47ArizonaArizona, Jan: 96Arizona, Feb: 95Arizona, Mar: 123Arizona, Apr: 119Arizona, May: 1441.4×Arizona, Jun: 119Arizona, Jul: 97Arizona, Aug: 96Arizona, Sep: 82Arizona, Oct: 82Arizona, Nov: 79Arizona, Dec: 67ColoradoColorado, Jan: 73Colorado, Feb: 74Colorado, Mar: 108Colorado, Apr: 115Colorado, May: 165Colorado, Jun: 1751.8×Colorado, Jul: 143Colorado, Aug: 115Colorado, Sep: 77Colorado, Oct: 60Colorado, Nov: 47Colorado, Dec: 49Quieter than averageBusiest months
Google search volume for four RV rental phrases, October 2025 to September 2026, indexed to each row's monthly average. The 11 states with the most searches, plus the national total.

Two patterns stand out. Warm-winter states such as Florida, California and Arizona have a long, gentle season with a spring peak, because winter and spring are good camping weather there. Northern and mountain states pack their demand into a few summer months: Michigan and Minnesota both reach 186 in June and fall to about 41 or 42 in November, and Montana's June (184) is six times its December (30).

What it means for you

  1. Book summer trips in spring. National searches jump from 81 in February to 112 in March, so the best rigs for June and July get reserved early. Most companies refund in full only 30 or more days before pickup, so check the window in our RV Rental Fine Print Index before you commit.
  2. Look for deals from September to December. The national index falls to 80 in September and October, 66 in November and 61 in December. That is the time to ask about weekly or monthly RV rental rates.
  3. Go after Labor Day. August to September is the steepest drop in most states, while the weather in much of the country is still good.
  4. Head south in the off-season. Florida, Arizona, California and Hawaii stay close to average through winter and spring, so rigs are available when the north is closed for the season.
  5. Ask about one-way trips as the seasons turn. Some companies move rigs between warm-winter and summer markets in spring and fall; see one-way RV rentals.

Busy weeks also stretch rental staff, which shows up in reviews; see what goes wrong on an RV rental. To see where companies are concentrated, read RV rental hotspots and deserts.

The infographic

The RV rental season calendar · 2026RV rental demand peaks in Juneand bottoms out in DecemberGoogle searches for RV, camper and motorhome rentals by month, all 50states and DC, Oct 2025 to Sep 2026. 100 = an average month.144national index in June, thepeak61national index in December,the low32states peak in JuneRV rental searches by month (100 = an average month for that state)United States peaks in Jun; California peaks in May; Texas peaks in Jun; Florida peaks in Mar; New York peaks in Jul; Illinois peaks in Jun; Michigan peaks in Jun; Pennsylvania peaks in Jun; North Carolina peaks in Jun; Washington peaks in Jun; Arizona peaks in May; Colorado peaks in JunJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecUnited StatesUnited States, Jan: 85United States, Feb: 81United States, Mar: 112United States, Apr: 111United States, May: 135United States, Jun: 1441.4×United States, Jul: 139United States, Aug: 106United States, Sep: 80United States, Oct: 80United States, Nov: 66United States, Dec: 61CaliforniaCalifornia, Jan: 88California, Feb: 88California, Mar: 113California, Apr: 113California, May: 1371.4×California, Jun: 137California, Jul: 131California, Aug: 92California, Sep: 75California, Oct: 80California, Nov: 75California, Dec: 72TexasTexas, Jan: 93Texas, Feb: 84Texas, Mar: 119Texas, Apr: 103Texas, May: 120Texas, Jun: 1261.3×Texas, Jul: 119Texas, Aug: 97Texas, Sep: 83Texas, Oct: 97Texas, Nov: 84Texas, Dec: 75FloridaFlorida, Jan: 111Florida, Feb: 92Florida, Mar: 1131.1×Florida, Apr: 112Florida, May: 112Florida, Jun: 112Florida, Jul: 107Florida, Aug: 91Florida, Sep: 75Florida, Oct: 92Florida, Nov: 92Florida, Dec: 91New YorkNew York, Jan: 79New York, Feb: 70New York, Mar: 125New York, Apr: 106New York, May: 128New York, Jun: 139New York, Jul: 1561.6×New York, Aug: 127New York, Sep: 85New York, Oct: 72New York, Nov: 62New York, Dec: 51IllinoisIllinois, Jan: 77Illinois, Feb: 78Illinois, Mar: 117Illinois, Apr: 119Illinois, May: 145Illinois, Jun: 1551.6×Illinois, Jul: 153Illinois, Aug: 102Illinois, Sep: 82Illinois, Oct: 69Illinois, Nov: 52Illinois, Dec: 49MichiganMichigan, Jan: 75Michigan, Feb: 75Michigan, Mar: 100Michigan, Apr: 102Michigan, May: 143Michigan, Jun: 1861.9×Michigan, Jul: 176Michigan, Aug: 126Michigan, Sep: 66Michigan, Oct: 62Michigan, Nov: 41Michigan, Dec: 47PennsylvaniaPennsylvania, Jan: 83Pennsylvania, Feb: 84Pennsylvania, Mar: 110Pennsylvania, Apr: 109Pennsylvania, May: 136Pennsylvania, Jun: 1451.4×Pennsylvania, Jul: 145Pennsylvania, Aug: 116Pennsylvania, Sep: 89Pennsylvania, Oct: 74Pennsylvania, Nov: 55Pennsylvania, Dec: 53North CarolinaNorth Carolina, Jan: 86North Carolina, Feb: 75North Carolina, Mar: 113North Carolina, Apr: 114North Carolina, May: 136North Carolina, Jun: 1371.4×North Carolina, Jul: 137North Carolina, Aug: 96North Carolina, Sep: 80North Carolina, Oct: 92North Carolina, Nov: 74North Carolina, Dec: 60WashingtonWashington, Jan: 80Washington, Feb: 74Washington, Mar: 105Washington, Apr: 110Washington, May: 155Washington, Jun: 1641.6×Washington, Jul: 157Washington, Aug: 128Washington, Sep: 69Washington, Oct: 58Washington, Nov: 54Washington, Dec: 47ArizonaArizona, Jan: 96Arizona, Feb: 95Arizona, Mar: 123Arizona, Apr: 119Arizona, May: 1441.4×Arizona, Jun: 119Arizona, Jul: 97Arizona, Aug: 96Arizona, Sep: 82Arizona, Oct: 82Arizona, Nov: 79Arizona, Dec: 67ColoradoColorado, Jan: 73Colorado, Feb: 74Colorado, Mar: 108Colorado, Apr: 115Colorado, May: 165Colorado, Jun: 1751.8×Colorado, Jul: 143Colorado, Aug: 115Colorado, Sep: 77Colorado, Oct: 60Colorado, Nov: 47Colorado, Dec: 49Quieter than averageBusiest monthsSource: RV Rental Atlas analysis of 5.1 million Google searches (via DataForSEO) in50 states and DC, Oct 2025–Sep 2026.rvrentalatlas.com

How we did this

  • We pulled monthly Google search volume (Google Ads data via DataForSEO) for four phrases, "rv rental", "rv rental near me", "camper rental" and "motorhome rental", for each of the 50 states and DC, covering October 2025 to September 2026, and summed them per state and month. The national row is the sum of all 51: 5,095,710 searches.
  • Each month's volume is divided by that state's average month and multiplied by 100. The peak month is the month with the highest volume; where two months tie (for example California, May and June at 137), the map shows the earlier one and the table lists both. Each calendar month appears once in the 12-month window.
  • Google reports search volume as rounded estimates, and small states have small monthly numbers, so treat differences of a few points as noise.
  • Searches measure interest in renting, not bookings, prices or fleet size.

Sources

  1. Google Ads search volume by state via DataForSEO, October 2025 to September 2026, accessed October 25, 2026
  2. RV Rental Atlas analysis, October 2026

Cite this: RV Rental Atlas, "When to rent an RV: demand peaks in June in 32 states and bottoms out in December," October 25, 2026, https://rvrentalatlas.com/when-to-rent-an-rv/

Spotted an error or have newer data? Tell us and we'll check it and update the page.

Questions people ask

What is the best month to rent an RV?

For lower demand, September through December. Nationally, rental searches fall to 80 in September and October, 66 in November and 61 in December, against 144 in June (100 = an average month). Fewer renters usually means more choice of rigs and more room to ask for a weekly or monthly rate.

When is peak RV rental season?

June in most of the country. June is the peak search month in 32 states and nationally, at 1.44 times an average month, with July (139) and May (135) close behind. Eleven states and DC peak in July, mostly in the Northeast, and seven warm-winter states peak between March and May.

How far ahead should I book an RV rental for summer?

Book in spring. National search interest jumps from 81 in February to 112 in March, and the most popular rigs for June and July are often reserved by then. Check the cancellation window too: the median company refunds in full only 30 days or more before pickup.

Is winter a good time to rent an RV?

In warm states, yes. Florida never drops below 75 on our index and peaks in March, and Arizona, California and Hawaii stay near average through winter. In northern states demand collapses: Montana's December is 30 and Alaska's November is 21, so expect fewer rigs on offer or companies closed for the season.

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