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Compare campervans, motorhomes and RVs to rent in Tampa, listed by private owners and local rental businesses. See prices, photos and reviews for RV rental in the USA, then book online with insurance included.
If you want an RV rental in Tampa, you can choose from motorhomes, camper vans, travel trailers and pop-ups listed by private owners and local rental businesses and booked through our partner Outdoorsy. Clearwater Beach and St. Petersburg are about 25 miles away, Sarasota is an hour south, Orlando is about an hour and a half east, and the Everglades are a long day down the Gulf coast. Insurance and payment protection come with every booking, and you can browse RV rental across the USA too. To start here, search RVs near Tampa.
Tampa RV rental quick facts
| Typical nightly prices | Most RVs run $150 to $350 a night. Class C $150 to $275, Class B about $250, Class A $225 to $450 or more, pop-ups $60 to $120, travel trailers commonly $75 to $225. |
|---|---|
| Best months | Winter and spring, roughly November to April, when it is most comfortable and the state parks are busiest. The wet season runs from late May to early October. |
| Pickup areas | Tampa, Clearwater, St. Petersburg and the suburbs around them. Tampa International (TPA) and St. Pete-Clearwater (PIE) are the two main airports, and owners may deliver. |
| Nearby parks and drives | Fort De Soto Park, Hillsborough River State Park, Little Manatee River State Park, Myakka River State Park near Sarasota, the Gulf beaches and Everglades National Park via the Tamiami Trail. |
| Where you can stay overnight | RV parks, county parks and state park campgrounds. Florida's rest areas ban camping, so do not plan on sleeping there. |
| Booking lead time | Two to three months ahead for the rental, longer for winter. Florida State Parks open 10 months ahead for non-residents, and Fort De Soto opens six months ahead. |
| Local special | Hurricane season runs June 1 to November 30, and Tampa-area tolling is largely electronic, so ask the owner how tolls are billed. |
Where to pick up an RV in Tampa
Tampa Bay is split by water, so where you collect the RV decides how your first day goes. Owners list across the Tampa Bay area, including Clearwater and St. Petersburg, so set a 20 to 35 mile radius in the search to see the full choice. If you fly into one airport and your RV is near the other, expect a bridge crossing, and a slow one at rush hour.
Many owners will deliver the RV to a campground or address and set it up, for a fee they set. Check each listing for the delivery area and price. One-way rentals exist on some listings but are not the norm, so confirm with the owner before you book.
Routes from Tampa
Clearwater Beach and the Gulf beaches: about 25 miles, 40 minutes
The easy first trip. Clearwater Beach, St. Pete Beach and the barrier islands are built around cars, and large rigs struggle for parking, so a Class B or short Class C works best here. Most visitors base the RV at a campground and go in for the day.
Fort De Soto and St. Petersburg: about 35 miles, 1 hour
Fort De Soto Park, run by Pinellas County, has almost three miles of white sand beach, two fishing piers and a fort begun in 1898, plus the county's RV campground. See the FAQs below for site details. The drive crosses the bay on the Howard Frankland or Gandy bridge, so allow extra time at rush hour.
Sarasota and Myakka River: about 60 miles, 1 to 1.25 hours
Interstate 75 runs south to Sarasota. Myakka River State Park is a quieter night away from the coast, with RV sites, and Siesta Key and the Sarasota beaches are a day trip from there. Check the park's alerts for fire restrictions before you set off.
Orlando: about 85 miles, 1.5 hours
Interstate 4 links Tampa and Orlando and is often busy, so leave outside rush hour. If you are flying into the theme-park region first, read our guide to RV rental in Orlando, and see the Florida overview for the rest of the state.
Everglades National Park via the Tamiami Trail: about 200 miles, 3.5 to 4 hours
Take Interstate 75 south to Naples, then follow US 41, the Tamiami Trail, east. The National Park Service puts the Gulf Coast entrance at Everglades City about 35 miles east of Naples on US 41, then about 3 miles on County Road 29, and the Shark Valley entrance about 70 miles east of Naples. The NPS warns that winter weekends can be very busy at Shark Valley and Homestead, and recommends weekdays. Its directions page gives no vehicle length guidance, so ask the park before you take a Class A in, and check NPS alerts before you plan a night inside. If you would rather pick up in the south, see RV rental in Miami.
For longer trips, Jacksonville is the next big Florida city to the north, and Interstate 75 and Interstate 10 lead west to New Orleans, where our Deep South road trip guide picks up the route to Charleston. That is a two-day drive from Tampa each way.
Choosing an RV for Tampa
A Class B camper van handles Tampa traffic, beach parking and the bay bridges best. A Class C motorhome suits families heading to Fort De Soto or the state parks. A Class A motorhome is comfortable on the long Interstate legs to Orlando or the Everglades, but check campground length limits first. A travel trailer or pop-up camper suits you if you are bringing your own tow vehicle.
Length matters at the parks. Fort De Soto's sites 1 to 85 take tents, vans, pop-ups and trailers shorter than 16 feet, while sites 86 to 236 take all camping units. Hillsborough River State Park lists a 50 foot limit. Hillsborough County's Edward Medard Conservation Park lists sites from 30 to 60 feet, mostly 32 to 55. Check the length on the listing against the campground before you book.
In a Florida summer, treat air conditioning as a deciding feature. Read the reviews for how well it cools, and ask whether the generator is included and how many hours you get. Fort De Soto lists gasoline-powered generators as prohibited, so you will rely on shore power there. Owners are advised to allow 200 miles a day, then $0.35 a mile, and an Everglades round trip is about 400 miles.
Where you can stay overnight
RV parks are the simplest answer, and Tampa has a lot of them, from basic lots to full-hookup resorts. Browse our RV parks guide to compare options.
- Fort De Soto Park. A 236-site county campground with water and 30 or 50 amp electric on every site.
- Hillsborough River State Park. 112 sites, most with electric, about 30 minutes northeast. Several campsites stayed closed when it reopened in February 2025 after Hurricane Milton flooding, so check which are open.
- Alafia River State Park. 30 family sites with water and electric. If you arrive after dark, phone the park for gate instructions.
- Little Manatee River State Park. 30 sites with water and 20, 30 and 50 amp electric, south of Tampa near Wimauma.
- Hillsborough County parks. Lithia Springs has 45 sites (all 30 amp, 15 also 50 amp) and Edward Medard has 43 sites (all 30 amp, 17 also 50 amp, with an RV dump station).
Florida State Parks let Florida residents book 11 months ahead and everyone else 10 months, with new sites released daily at 8 am Eastern, according to the Florida State Parks reservation page. Winter weekends fill.
Sleeping in an RV on a Tampa street is a different matter. Rules depend on where you park, so check local signage and use a campground. Florida's rest-area rule (14-28.002) bans camping and caps most parking at three hours, so rest areas are for a break, not a bed. Store lots such as Walmart are decided store by store. Ask the store manager before you park, and move on if the answer is no.
Hurricane season, rain and tolls
The Atlantic hurricane season runs from June 1 to November 30, with the peak on September 10 and most activity between mid-August and mid-October, according to the National Hurricane Center. Tampa Bay has had a recent reminder: in 2024, Hurricane Helene pushed 5 to 7 feet of storm surge into the bay, and Hurricane Milton came ashore near Siesta Key as a Category 3 hurricane on October 9. Many seasons pass quietly, but it is worth planning around.
Hillsborough County sorts evacuations into zones A to E, with Zone A leaving first, and the zones were expanded for the 2026 season. You can look yours up by address at hcfl.gov/heat. Florida State Parks close their camping areas and evacuate them under a tropical storm warning, and close entirely under a hurricane warning, so a storm can cancel a state park night before it affects the roads. Choose a site you can leave quickly, and watch the forecast at the National Hurricane Center rather than waiting for last-minute alerts.
Before you book, read the owner's cancellation tier (Flexible, Moderate or Strict) and ask how they handle named storms. The 10% guest service fee is never refundable.
The National Weather Service sets the wet season for west-central Florida at about May 25 to October 10, peaking from July to early September, with highs from the upper 80s to the mid 90s and frequent lightning. Plan outdoor time for the morning.
Tolls are the other local detail. Florida's Turnpike says post-paid Toll-By-Plate is not available to rental customers, because the bill goes to the vehicle's registered owner, not the driver, and it advises adding the rental's plate and dates to your SunPass account if you bring your own transponder. On an Outdoorsy rental the registered owner is the person who lists the RV, so ask whether a transponder is fitted and how they pass the charges on before you drive.
Costs and when to go
A typical RV runs $150 to $350 a night. Go RV Rentals' 2026 index puts the average Class A at $343, Class B at $252, Class C at $225 and travel trailers at $128. Outdoorsy adds a 10% guest service fee, and the minimum deposit is $500 for most RVs and $1,500 for a Class A. For the full breakdown, read how much it costs to rent an RV.
Winter and spring are the most comfortable and the most popular seasons around Tampa Bay, and they are when the state parks fill. Tampa Electric's Manatee Viewing Center at Apollo Beach has opened each year from November 1 to April 15, so check the dates if manatees are on your list. Summer brings more rain, more heat and the hurricane peak. Book the RV two to three months ahead, and campsites as early as their window allows.
How RV rental works
- Search. Enter Tampa or your pickup area and set a radius.
- Check the listing. Read the length, sleeping capacity, mileage terms, generator rules, pet policy and the owner's cancellation tier.
- Book through our partner Outdoorsy. Insurance and payment protection come with every booking. 24/7 roadside assistance is an optional extra.
- Pickup or delivery. Collect the RV from the owner, or ask for delivery and setup to your campground for the fee they set.
Drivers must normally be 25 or over, and 21 to 24 is allowed only on some listings, with limits. Most rentals can be driven on an ordinary license, and the Florida Class E license covers recreational vehicles under 26,001 pounds. Check the weight rating on the listing. A basic kitchen kit comes with every listing, and separate cleaning fees are not allowed.
Tampa RV rental FAQs
Where can I pick up an RV near Tampa?
Owners list vehicles across the Tampa Bay area, including Clearwater and St. Petersburg. A 20 to 35 mile radius in the search shows the full choice.
What happens if a hurricane is forecast during my trip?
It depends on the owner's cancellation tier, which you can read on the listing before you book. Ask about named-storm policies if you travel from June to November, and keep an eye on the National Hurricane Center forecast as your trip gets close. If you are camping near the coast, know your evacuation zone and have a route out.
How do tolls work for a rental RV around Tampa?
Florida's tolling is largely electronic. Drivers use a SunPass prepaid account or Toll-By-Plate, but the Turnpike says post-paid Toll-By-Plate is not offered to rental customers because bills go to the registered owner. Ask the owner whether a transponder is fitted and how you will be billed.
Can I camp at Fort De Soto Park from Tampa in an RV?
Yes. Fort De Soto Park's campground in Tierra Verde, south of St. Petersburg, has 236 sites with water and 30 or 50 amp electric. Sites 1 to 85 suit tents, vans, pop-ups and trailers under 16 feet, while sites 86 to 236 take all camping units. Reservations open six months ahead, stays are capped at 14 nights in any 30-day period, and winter fills early. See the Pinellas County Fort De Soto page.
How far ahead can I book a Florida state park campsite?
Non-residents can book 10 months ahead, and Florida residents 11 months, with new sites released each day at 8 am Eastern. Cancelled sites return to inventory, so check back often for winter weekends.
Do I need a special license to drive an RV in Florida?
Usually not. Florida's Class E license covers recreational vehicles under 26,001 pounds. For a motorhome rated at 26,001 pounds or more, check the weight rating on the listing and ask the owner what license they require. Drivers must normally be 25 or over.
Can I sleep in an RV at a rest area or on the street in Tampa?
Not at rest areas: Florida's rule bans camping and limits most parking to three hours. On city streets, check local signage and do not assume it is allowed. Use a campground, or ask the store manager first at a Walmart or similar lot.
Ready to go? Search RVs near Tampa, or read our full guide to RV rental.