General Requirements for Renting Cars and Campers

Thank you again for allowing Bakpak Dave to provide you information for your road trip adventure. He knows that renting a car, camper or motorhome in the USA can be confusing and he is here to help you figure out the best options and pricing at no additional cost to you.

Rental Requirements
Your passport, a valid credit card (Visa/Mastercard) and a valid national driver’s license are required for rental. The minimum age is 21 years old. You do not need an international driver's license.

Booking & Payment Terms
Booking terms depending on the type of vehicle you rent and the rental operator. A non-refundable deposit is generally required to book and ranges between 15-20% of the base rental rate and sometimes a flat $300 deposit is required.

Why is a deposit required? The larger rental car companies do not require deposits because they have large fleets and generally service regular rental car conditions. Bakpak represents companies that specialize in Under 25 rentals, cross-country rentals and backpacker prices and generally have limited supplies of vehicles. So to guarantee availability of a great rental price and options, a deposit is required.

The balance due on your total rental cost is due 30 days prior to your pickup date for some companies or on the day you pick up for others. Both deposit and balance due payments can be made by Visa, Mastercard or wire transfer. Additionally, for some rentals, a $500 security deposit to cover damage to the vehicle is required at pickup ($1000 for campers and motorhomes).

Understanding your Total Rental Cost
Your total rental cost includes: the base daily rental rate, one-way fees (if applicable), vehicle preparation fees (if applicable), security fees (for rentals from New York), state taxes, any optional insurance purchased and additional miles incurred or purchased (see Miles below).

Miles
Your quote may or may not include miles, depending on the type of vehicle you are renting. For cars, minivans and sleepervans, your daily rate includes 100 miles per day for all rental periods 30 days and over. For periods under 30 days, your quote includes a specified number of miles. For campervans, you get 100 miles per day based on the number of days in your rental period.And some quotes may also include unlimited miles options.

Miles incurred over your included miles are charged between $0.25 and $0.45 per mile. You can also add extra miles per day or per trip or choose unlimited miles. Of course, if you have choose unlimited miles, there are no additional mileage charges.

For camper and motorhome rentals under 30 days, a specified number of miles is included. You can also pre-purchase miles for $210 per 500 mile pack. For rental periods over 30 days, your daily rate does not included miles. You must pre-purchase the estimated number of miles you expect to drive at the rate of $210 per 500 mile pack. This is standard industry practice. You can also choose unlimited miles for rentals over 30 days.

I hope this helps your planning. If you have further questions, shoot Bakpak Dave an email at: dbarish at bakpakguide.com