Booking your Burning Man RV Rental - Frequently Asked Questions

Bakpak Dave's been booking Burning Man RV rentals for travelers from all over the world since 2010. In 2023/2024, Bakpak Dave booked Burners from over 30 countries!

Before sending an email with questions about your quote, he kindly asks that you review the below Frequently Asked Questions first. Thank you!

Important - The below is just a snapshot of frequently asked questions/things to consider when booking an RV rental for Burning Man. Please carefully read the terms and conditions (link is in your quote) for full and complete details. Terms/conditions may vary between RV series.

ARE THESE RVS REALLY ALLOWED AT BURNING MAN?

Yes, I've been booking these RVs for Burning Man for many years, it's all good!

HOW NEW ARE THE RVS?

Great question! For Burning Man 2025, the EM and RB series RVs are 2024 or newer models. The Mighty RVs are 2023 or newer. The CR series are 2020 or newer.

DO I HAVE TO PAY A BOOKING DEPOSIT?

Yes. Bakpak Dave's booking deposit policy is very generous, with just a low initial booking deposit due at booking as shown in your quote. The remaining booking deposit is due by April 30, 2025, giving you time to secure tickets for Burning Man 2025. Even better, as long as you cancel your RV rental booking at least 65 days before your pickup date (55 days for CR series RVs), just the initial booking deposit is non-refundable. You can even use most or all of it towards a future booking (see terms/conditions for complete details).

The money you can save by booking in advance should far outweigh any cancel costs, assuming you cancel at least 65 days before your pickup (55 for CR series RVs).

The balance of your rental cost (total rental cost less booking deposit paid) is due 65 days prior to your pickup date (50 for the CR series RVs). The balance due is payable only by bank transfer or Zelle (if you have a US bank account). You can use services such as Wise (wise dot com), Revolut or your own bank to make the transfer.

WHAT ARE BEST PICKUP AND RETURN DATES & TIMES?

Before we get into it, please note - Monday, September 1st, 2025 is Labor Day Holiday - all rental depots are closed. For San Francisco rentals, August 31 is also closed.

Pickup/return times in the RV rental world are similar to hotels. Pickup is generally in the afternoon from 1pm to 4pm and you have to call a few days prior to pickup to schedule an exact time, you can't show up without scheduling a time. Return time is generally from 8am to 10:30 (RB series RVs) or 11am (CR, EM and Mighty RVs). With some RVs, you can add early pickup options for a fee. Please refer to the terms/conditions of your desired RV for early pickup options.

I highly recommend you review pickup and return times and ensure you have sufficient time to leave the Playa, drive to your drop off location and make your scheduled flights, if applicable. As you can imagine, most pickup and return dates are jam packed with Burners. You may experience a wait time before it is your turn to check in and/or check out.

I also recommend leaving some extra cushion for your pickup and return dates to account for potential flight delays and unexpected weather conditions.

WHERE CAN I FIND RV INFO & IMAGES?

To view exterior and interior images of your quoted RV, please click on the name of the RV in your quote. This will take you to the RV information page, with full specs, bed measurements, tank capacities, etc. You can click on the IMAGES tab (second tab) to access the images.

WHAT ARE THE CANCELLATION TERMS?

Cancellation terms vary by RV series. Therefore, it is important to make sure you read the terms and conditions of each RV series type if you receive multiple quotes. There are two types of cancellation fees. The non-refundable portion of your booking deposit ($250-$350 depending on the RV) and the Supplier cancellation fees. As long as you cancel at least 65 days prior to your pickup date, supplier cancellation fees will be minimal. Once you are under 60 days before pickup, the supplier cancel fees increase as you get closer to your pickup date. Please refer to the terms/conditions of your desired RV for cancellation terms.

WHAT IF I NEED TO CHANGE DATES OR RENTER NAME?

If you book in advance, you might need to make changes to your dates and/or the main renter on your booking. The terms for such changes vary by Supplier/RV series type and are fully disclosed in the terms and conditions provided to you in your quote. Please refer to these terms for complete details. I will always attempt to achieve the best outcome possible for your booking. Please refer to the terms/conditions of your desired RV for specific terms.

• Date Adjustments - depending on the RV rented, you can usually adjust the pickup or return date by a day or two, subject to availability, without triggering a recalculation of rates, although it depends on the circumstances and the RV booked. I always recommend to carefully plan your dates, taking into consideration RV pickup times, return times and distance you need to travel as well as unforeseen circumstances.
• Lead Renter Changes - The lead renter in your party can no longer travel (for whatever reason) and another member of your group needs to take over the booking - like the travel date changes above, it depends on the RV rented. Most allow name changes without triggering rate recalculations. The terms/conditions for the quote you receive will state this clearly.
• RV Size & Type Changes - if you require a different size RV than booked, subject to availability, your deposit payment can be transferred to the new RV size. Depending on when the change is made, the new RV size may be re-priced at current rates, which may be higher.

RENTER REQUIREMENTS

All lead renters and drivers must be 21 or older and have a valid drivers license from your home state/country. If you are booking under an international rate program as indicated in the terms/conditions linked in your quote, you must have a drivers license from and an international residence in a NON-US country (EM, Mighty, RB series RVs) or NON-US/Canadian for CR series RVs.

DOES THE LEAD RENTER/DRIVERS NEED TO BE PRESENT AT PICKUP?

Yes! The lead renter on the booking must be present at pickup, show their drivers license, passport if applicable and have a major credit card to pay for the security deposit (See below). Only the lead renter can pick up the RV. All other members in your group that want to drive the RV must also be present at pickup to present their drivers license and sign the rental contract. Digital copies/images of Driver's Licenses are not accepted. You must present your physical drivers license.

ARE THERE CLEANING FEES?

It depends. Cleaning your RV post Burning Man is an event in of itself. The general requirement is that you must return the RV as clean as you received it. If you don't, you will be charged a cleaning fee based on the condition of the RV. Some RV options (see below) have a prepaid cleaning option, others do not. On average, I recommend a budget of $1,000. It depends on how well you prepare the RV for the Burn and how well you can personally or professionally get it cleaned before returning it. It can be much less. Please refer to the terms/conditions of your desired RV for cleaning polcy.

The EM and Mighty series RVs have a prepaid cleaning option that you can add and pay for at pickup only. In 2024, the fee was $1,000. This allows you to return it without cleaning or emptying the waste. It does not cover any damage to the RV. I recommend this option for piece of mind. Please note - the 2025 rate has not been published yet and may not be until July/August 2025.

The RB and CR series RVs do NOT have prepaid cleaning options. You must return it as clean as received to avoid cleaning fees. I always recommend talking to staff at pickup to understand their expectations and what cleaning charges might be if any cleaning needs to be done after returning your RV.

HOW DOES THE GENERATOR AND POWER WORK?

All the RVs I book have built-in generators for use while on the Playa that run off the regular gas in your gas tank. I recommend filling up/topping of as close as possible to Black Rock City (I believe in Gerlach, NV). You can transport extra fuel in containers made for carrying gas. Please talk to staff at pickup on how best to store extra fuel.

With the EM, CR and Mighty RVs, you can add unlimited generator to your booking from $8-10/night or pay per hour used on return for $3-$3.50/hr + tax. The RB series RVs do not offer unlimited generator option, the charge is $3.50/hr + tax.

How much fuel the generator uses depends on a number of factors including conditions on the ground and of course how many hours you run the A/C. Guidelines say an hour of generator use can use 1/2 to 1 full gallon of gas. I strongly recommend monitoring your fuel tank daily. Once your fuel tank is down to 1/4 tank, the generator will not run (hopefully none of you will end up here). The generator powers the A/C, microwave and recharges the auxiliary battery. The fridge, stove and furnace run off of LPG gas.

IS THERE A SECURITY DEPOSIT?

Yes, you will be required to provide a security deposit at pickup that will be charged to a major credit card (no debit/travel cards) in the name of the lead renter. This deposit cannot be split between different people. This covers potential damage to the RV and will be refunded to you assuming no damage has occurred or any cleaning fees apply. The amount of the security deposit ranges from $1000-$2000, depending on the RV series booked. Please refer to the terms/conditions of your desired RV for specific terms.

WHAT ARE MY INSURANCE OPTIONS?

RVs include some level of RV damage and public liability insurance in the daily rate, which varies by RV series. The damage excess ranges from $1500 per incident (EM, RB, Mighty RVs) to $2500 per incident (CR series RVs) per incident. You can reduce the damage excess to $0 with the extra deductible coverage, which ranges from $17.95 to $19.95 per night. Please refer to the terms/conditions of your desired RV for insurance options.

CAN I HIRE ANY OPTIONAL EXTRAS?

Of course. Miles packs are available for prepayment and come in 100 and 500 mile increments, depending on the RV series. Any miles driven over what you book are charged at per mile rate (37-39 cents per mile plus tax and payable on return). If you want to add additional miles packages, it must be done in advance, preferably before you pay your balance due. Miles packages cannot be added at pickup.

You can also choose to add a kitchen kit (one price per rental), sleeping kits (bedding, towels, pillows, etc charged by the person) or you can bring/buy your own. You can choose to add these options at pickup if you are not sure before your pickup date.

ARE BIKES & BIKE RACK RENTALS AVAILABLE?

Bike rentals are not available with the RVs. However, bike rack rentals are available on a limited basis with the RB series RVs only, for $50/rental for up to 4 bikes which can be added at booking but is subject to availability. The EM, Mighty and CR series RV do NOT have bike rack rentals. You can buy/bring your own bike rack and the staff will unlock the hitch and re-lock once you install your rack. I can provide further details on the types required for each of the RV series.

Get a Quote