Cheapo RV deals can make everyone a happy camper

I want to talk to you about how to rent an RV as cheaply as $1per day. Really. This is not a joke. Often, when you find car rental deals for a pittance, there’s some kind of a catch: The insurance is super expensive, or the deal is only good in alternate leap years or months that end in 32. But this RV rental setup is real. If you’re willing to drive an Apollo RV to help relocate it for its next rental, you can often get one very cheaply. And, sometimes, they’ll kick in gas money as well.

I first wrote about this deal when I launched the Cheapo Travel column. And I’ve had more questions from readers about it than any other travel deal I’ve described.

Apollo is the largest RV rental company in the world. Based in Australia, it has a small U.S. operation focused on four cities: Los Angeles, Las Vegas, San Francisco and Denver.

Currently, Apollo is having its RV fleet manufactured each winter by Winnebago at its plant in Forest City, Iowa, 150 miles south of Minneapolis.

After the RVs have been built, Apollo offers killer deals to people willing to get themselves to Iowa, pick up the RVs and then drive them to one of four hub cities in the spring.

Additionally, Apollo occasionally offers deeply discounted deals to move the RVs from one city to another to meet reservations — for example, from Las Vegas to LA or San Francisco.

Depending on how badly Apollo needs the vehicle moved, you can pay as little as $1a day — and even get a mileage and gas allowance — to take the RV to its new location.

It’s not going to be completely free, of course. You’ll have to figure out how much it will cost to get to or from your location. And, then, you’ll spend some money on gas. Driving a house eats up a lot of petrol. Also, you’ll pay camping fees for each night’s lodging.

Apollo also requires a deposit to prove you’re not a flake and in case you damage the RV. This means you need to be very sure of your plans.

I reserved an RV last August to move it from San Francisco to LA, planning to pay $25 per day on the relocation special. But life intervened and I had to cancel at the last minute, which meant I forfeited the $250 deposit I’d plunked down. That hurt. But I’d still try it again.

Rich and Kim Binder of Huntington Beach, Calif., took a relocation RV special back when I first wrote about it in 2013 and had such a good time they decided to rent one in Las Vegas last summer, too.

In 2013, the couple flew into Fort Wayne, Ind. — where the former manufacturing plant was located — and picked up their RV for $1per day.

“They gave us $600 toward gas and taxi,” Rich Binder said. “I also paid $15 per day to buy down the $1,000 (damage) deposit to $500. I also paid $2 per day for roadside assistance. The total I paid was $162, with a credit back of $600.”

He estimated they paid around $1,200 for fuel for their 10-day trip.

In 2014, the couple rented an RV to tour national parks in Utah and Colorado, picking up and returning to Las Vegas. This time, they brought their golden retriever along.

Another reader, Ann Parrack of Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif., also did the relocation special in 2013, picking up a brand-new RV for $1per day.

They visited Mount Rushmore and the Crazy Horse Memorial in South Dakota, returning the RV to the San Francisco office 13 days later. She estimated spending $1,000 on everything and would like to do it again.

You need to go onto the company’s website and look specifically for the “relocation” specials to get the best deals.

Here’s the website for the spring factory relocations: apollorv.com/factoryspecial

However, prices seem to have dropped, so check the general relocation website for the most recent details. It has the factory deals on it — but cheaper: Apollorv.com/reloc.aspx

These deals change constantly, as people and needs change. So, if you don’t see something that interests you, bookmark the page and keep checking back.

If you want to go to Australia or New Zealand, Apollo runs similar relocation specials in these countries, which are the company’s home turf. If you time it right, you could arrange a really terrific RV vacation at a fraction of the regular price.

I would love to do this. I hope someday I can.

These relocation specials change constantly so, again, keep checking back. At this writing, you could travel from Melbourne to Alice Springs, or Brisbane to Perth, or other locations in Australia, for $1per day and be reimbursed for gas. And in New Zealand you could drive from Auckland to Christchurch. “Lord of the Rings” tour, anyone?

Note that it’s fall Down Under right now. And maybe watch the movie “Priscilla, Queen of the Desert” to get yourself in the mood.