Adventure Camper rents to plenty of first-timers who have never set up a folding tent trailer. Don’t worry—we’ve got answers to all of your questions about trailer vs. camper travel, rental policies, the possibility of cars towing a tent trailer, rain and its effect on your tent trailer, rent and sales options, gas mileage when towing campers… and if your question isn’t answered here, please do contact us!
1. Does Adventure require a security deposit?
No, we charge only for the rental of the camper. To reserve a camper, we ask for 50% payment at time of reservation. 21 days before pickup, we charge the remaining balance.
2. What is your cancellation policy?
If you cancel more than 21 days before your scheduled pickup date we refund all but a $50 per vehicle cancellation fee. If you cancel within 21 days of your scheduled pickup date you are responsible for the rental in full, there is no refund. We will attempt to re-rent the camper to another customer and relieve you of this responsibility, but cannot guarantee success.
3. What about insurance?
The camper has $500 deductible collision coverage and liability included in the rates shown on our rental rates page. Adventure Camper also offers a $0 deductible collision damage waiver for a flat rate of $60 per week which is strongly recommended.
You are NOT required to purchase this damage waiver, but please realize that any damage done to the camper will likely cost much more than the damage waiver.
If you are renting a tow vehicle from us, you can use your own car insurance from your agent or credit card, or we offer damage coverage for $15 per day.
4. Do any of your units have toilets?
The Grand Haven and Milan series of hard-sided travel trailers does have a toilet, as does the Viking 2407ST Luxury Tent Trailer.  Most of our folding tent trailers do not. You can purchase your own porta-potty from Adventure Camper or from stores for around $80.
5. Do any of your units have showers?
Yes, most of our Viking midsize and large units are equipped with exterior showers. The Viking 2407ST and Grand Haven and Milan travel trailers have indoor showers.
6. Do any of your units have air conditioning?
The Grand Haven and Milan series of hard-sided travel trailers does has A/C, as does the Viking 2407ST Luxury Tent Trailer.  Most of our folding tent trailers do not.
7. Will my vehicle be able to tow one of your campers?
We are often asked about cars towing a tent trailer, and how much weight a specific car or truck model can tow. We always recommend checking your owners manual or with your vehicle’s dealer to determine its towing capacity. We carry a wide variety of trailer weights, so normally we have something for everybody. Please see our camper comparison chart on our Camper Rentals page for towing weights of our various units.
8. What kind of hitch and vehicle wiring do I need to tow your campers?
Generally most of our pop-up tent trailers require a Class II hitch with a 2″ trailer ball. The travel trailers require a Class III hitch and an electric trailer brake controller installed on your vehicle, wired to a seven way round plug. We provide a weight distributing hitch with the camper.
Our campers are equipped with seven way round plugs for vehicle wiring. Although we do have adapters to convert many different types of vehicle plugs to what our campers have, we always recommend having the correct seven-way round wiring connection on your vehicle. Please call us to discuss the specifics of your vehicle and the hard-sided or folding tent camper you are planning on renting.
Adventure Camper offers both hitch installation and vehicle wiring, so please contact us if that’s of interest.
9. How can I find out what class of hitch is on my vehicle?Â
If you have a frame-mounted receiver hitch below your bumper, first determine the dimensions of the square hole. If it is 2”x2”, you have at least a Class III hitch, and you can tow any trailer Adventure Camper has.
If the dimension is 1.25”x1.25”, you have either a Class I or Class II. Look for capacity information on a sticker or engraved into the steel arms of the hitch which attach to your vehicle frame.
If you see a 200 lb. tongue weight/2000 lb. towing weight, you have a Class I hitch and are not able to tow any of Adventure Campers’ units until you upgrade to at least a Class II hitch. 350 lb. tongue weight/3500 lb. towing weight is a Class II, with which you can tow everything we carry except the Grand Haven Travel Trailer.
10. I’ve never used a tent trailer before, are they easy to set up? Do you show us how to set up the camper?Â
The Viking brand campers we carry are very easy to set up. We give you a link to an online video to watch prior to your trip, which covers how to set up the camper and operate the appliances. Part of our dispatch process on your day of pickup is to walk through your camper with you, inspect all appliances and offer personal instruction on how to set up and operate your camper.
11. How long will it take on the day of pickup to get the camper?
It normally takes about 45 minutes to sign paperwork and instruct you on the use and set-up of your camper. You can shorten this time by watching the set up video before your day of pickup on your home computer. The most common reason for any other delay is if your tow vehicle wiring is not in operable condition. If your vehicle hitch or wiring is not operable, Adventure Camper is prohibited by law from allowing you to take your camper. Please have a qualified hitch and wiring installer examine your vehicle before pickup to eliminate any problems.
12. How will towing a tent trailer or hard-sided trailer affect my gas mileage?
Many people want to know about gas mileage when towing campers.  Certainly, this is where trailer vs. camper travel comes into question: the heavier the trailer, the poorer the gas mileage. Our small camper trailer models are a wise choice when you’re concerned with the cost of gas as a factor of your trip. When towing a tent camper, the light weight and aerodynamic shape may reduce mileage 10-15%. The travel trailers have a greater effect on gas mileage, somewhere in the 25-35% vicinity.
13. What are the advantages of tent trailers over RVs and Fifth Wheel trailers?Â
We have a great comparison of different RV and trailer types in the About Our Rentals section of this website. We believe that a folding tent trailer offers many features and advantages which RV’s and larger trailers don’t.
The fuel efficiency and ease of towing makes a pop up tent camper a smart choice. You get into the woods with greater ease. You can be more at one with nature, but not have to really rough it. Â Plus a pop up trailer allows you the use of your vehicle for errands, sight seeing and side trips. Win win, we think!
14. What are your business hours, what are your pickup and return times?
Adventure Camper is open M-F 8-5, Saturday 8-4:30 PM, and closed Sunday, except in the Jackson, WY location. Pickup times are scheduled by appointment from 9 am till 4 pm. We give priority for earliest pickup times based upon date of reservation. Return is during business hours only from 8am till noon. Campers may not be dropped off after hours.
15. Are there any special requirements for towing a travel trailer?
Travel trailers are very heavy units to tow and require at least a Class III hitch on your vehicle as well as an electronic brake controller installed on your vehicle. Additionally, we strongly recommend towing travel trailers with no less than a tow vehicle equipped with V-8 motor.
If you have a six cylinder vehicle we recommend one of our tent camper models instead, all of which can be towed with a six cylinder vehicle. There is also no requirement for a trailer brake controller for a tent camper.
Should you choose to rent a travel trailer and tow with a six cylinder unit, we will need to verify your vehicle’s towing capacity with the VIN# for your vehicle. We will determine this capacity by taking the factory tow rating for your vehicle and subtracting 20% to allow for towing at altitude and on mountainous roads (factory ratings are developed at sea level on flat ground).
If this calculated towing capacity is less than 10% greater than the trailer weight, you will be asked to sign a waiver in which you acknowledge your vehicle’s lack of towing capacity, release Adventure Camper Rental from any liability for injury or damage to you, your family or other motorists; and any damage to your vehicle such as transmission damage, overheating, main internal engine components, etc.
If the calculated towing capacity of your vehicle is less than the trailer weight, you will not be allowed to take the trailer from our lot under any circumstances.
