Burning Man RV Rental Deals and Important Info

RV rentals are a very popular way to experience Burning Man in comfort with air conditioning, full kitchen and comfy beds. I'm Bakpak Dave and I'm excited to help you find the right RV or camper for your 2025 Burning Man adventure. The dates for 2025 are August 24 to September 1.

For the 2024 Burn, I booked over 200 customers from 30+ countries in RVs and campervans and was at the ready to assist when the crazy weather hit the Playa. I've been booking RVs and campers for Burning Man since 2010 and it's so rewarding to hear from my customers about their amazing Burns. Please do check out my Google Reviews so you can feel confident in booking through Bakpak Dave. I look forward to booking your rental and finding you a great deal.

Just a few of the rental operators allow their vehicles to Burning Man due to the desert dust that gets into everything...everything. So I have put together a few recommendations for vehicles, tips and questions to consider when renting an RV or camper for Burning Man 2025. You can find more info about the event itself here: Burning Man Official Website

LOW BOOKING DEPOSIT OFFER

For 2025, Bakpak Dave will once again offer his very popular RV rental booking special where you can secure your RV rental with an initial booking deposit of $250 to $350* depending on the RV type booked. The remaining part of the booking deposit would be due by end of April giving you some time to secure tickets for Burning Man without putting down the usual large, non-refundable booking deposit charged by other companies. (*initial booking deposit is non-refundable).

You can use the following quote button to submit a general quote request for Burning Man OR use the Get a Quote buttons below for a specific campervan or RV. Either way, I will endeavor to suggest the best options for your trip.

Get a Quote

BOOK NOW FOR BURNING MAN 2025

By booking your RV/campervan rental now for 2025 Burning Man Festival, you can take advantage of generous early booking discounts (see below), best availability for pickup location (Reno/SF/Sacramento being the most popular) and most availability for the RV size you want.

There are a few caveats to consider when booking early:

• You don't secure tickets and need to cancel your booking - Bakpak Dave's booking deposit policy is very generous, with a low non-refundable portion of your booking deposit. You can even use it towards a future booking. The money you save by booking in advance should far outweigh any cancel costs, assuming you cancel at least 60 days before your pickup date (see Terms/conditions in your quote).
• You might need to adjust the dates you booked once it gets closer to the event - 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/campervan pickup times, return times and distance you need to travel as well as unforeseen circumstances like in 2023.
• The lead renter in your party can no longer travel (for whatever reason) and another party needs to take over the booking - like the travel date changes, it depends on the RV rented. Most allow name changes without triggering rate recalculations, some do not. The terms/conditions for the quote you receive will state this clearly. So be sure to read the terms/conditions carefully. I will always work with you to achieve the best outcome possible.

You can use the following quote button to submit a general quote request for Burning Man OR use the Get a Quote buttons below for a specific campervan or RV. Either way, I will endeavor to suggest the best options for your trip.

Get a Quote

FIVE IMPORTANT FACTORS TO CONSIDER

1. WHEN TO BOOK
The simple answer is NOW. It's ALWAYS better to book as soon as possible. You get the best rates and most availability. Rates change weekly and are based on supply and demand. Which means it will be more expensive the closer you get to the festival date (if anything is left available). You can also take advantage of early booking specials (see below).

Of course there is the risk that you won't get tickets and need to cancel. But you should know far enough in advance that the cancellation fees, if any, are not significant. Bakpak Dave also offers one of the best booking deposit refund policies. My suggestion is to book the dates you want to be at Burning Man and then choose flights to match this. This way, you don't have to worry about changing your dates later on.

2. ELECTRIC POWER
There are NO hook ups for RVs or campervans on the Playa. RVs (see options below) have generators that will power air conditioning/microwave/power outlets, propane to power the fridge/stove and dual battery to power lights. Generators in the RVs run on regular gas in the gas tank so you may need access to extra fuel. I definitely recommend opting for the unlimited generator package with your RV rental ($8-10/day). If your budget allows for an RV, I definitely recommend this option (see above for early booking specials).

Campervan options (see below) DO NOT have electric hookups. Even if your camp provides power hookups, there is nowhere to plug into the campervans. This means that the fridges will not last more than a few days. You also run the risk of draining the main battery and may need to be jumped before you leave the festival. What you can do is have a cooler that you fill with ice daily (you can purchase ice at the festival). The advantage of a campervan is the ease of driving and the significantly lower rental price.

3. RETURN DATE
The festival ends on Monday, September 1st which is Labor Day, a major holiday in the US. This means that all rental locations are closed. You CANNOT return a vehicle on on September 1st. Related to this, more specifically for RVs rented from San Francisco, is the return dates AFTER Sept 1st fill up very fast. There are only so many slots available for returns on a given day, particularly out of San Francisco. This means Sept 2nd, 3rd and 4th in SF will fill up fast. If you miss these dates, you have to wait until Sept 5 or later to return. You can't return early if you have a later return date as the return slots are already accounted for.

4. PICKUP LOCATION
Reno has limited availability and is super expensive. Sacramento is a good option but also has limited availability and expensive. San Francisco is generally the most popular location but more expensive than Los Angeles or Las Vegs. If you have flexibility though, you can save money, sometimes, thousands of dollars on RVs, by picking up in Los Angeles, Las Vegas, San Diego, Seattle, Phoenix or Denver.

5. PRIVATE RENTALS
If you are considering renting a private RV from one of those sites, be sure to check that BM is permitted. And beware, I've heard horror stories of RVs being cancelled last minute because the owner got a better price or didn't want their RV at BM.

Got mote Questions? Check out Booking a 2025 Burning Man RV Rental - Frequently Asked Questions

IS THERE A BURNING MAN FEE?

For campervan rentals, there is a $750-800 Burning Man fee to cover costs of cleaning the van. For RV rentals there is no extra Burning Man fee, however, you are required to return the RV as clean as you received it. At time of quote request, you must indicate your intention to attend the Burning Man festival. The EM and Mighty series RV rentals offer a prepaid cleaning option that you can add and pay for at pickup

VEHICLE OPTIONS

The following RV options are available to any traveler from around the world 21 and over. There are no Burning Man fees but you must return the RV as clean as you received it.

The following RV options are ONLY available to international travelers outside the US and Canada, 21+ years of age. You must reside outside of the US or Canada and have a non US/Canadian driver's license. There are no Burning Man fees you must return it as clean as you received it.

The following campervans are are available from San Francisco, Las Vegas or Los Angeles. The Mavericks is also available from Salt Lake City and Denver. These are available to renters from anywhere in the world 21 and over.