If you need to move a travel trailer, destination trailer, motorhome, or other RV hundreds or thousands of miles, choosing the right RV transport service involves much more than comparing prices.
One of the biggest mistakes RV owners can make is assuming that a transporter saying “we’re insured” automatically means the full value of their RV is protected against physical damage during transport. That may not be the case. Insurance is just one of several important details owners should understand before handing over an RV that could be worth tens or even hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Equipment, experience, inspections, communication, insurance protection, scheduling, and even who will actually transport your RV can vary considerably between RV transport companies.
Understanding those differences can help you make a much more informed decision before your RV ever leaves the pickup location.
What Are RV Transport Services?
RV transport services move recreational vehicles from one location to another for private owners, buyers, sellers, dealerships, campgrounds, storage facilities, and other customers.
How the RV is transported depends largely on the type of unit.
Tow-Away RV Transport
Tow-away transportation is commonly used for travel trailers, destination trailers, and other towable RVs.
A properly equipped tow vehicle connects directly to the customer’s trailer and tows it from the pickup location to the destination.
The tow vehicle, hitch configuration, braking equipment, electrical connections, tires, trailer condition, dimensions, and weight all matter when determining whether a particular RV can be transported safely.
A 25-foot lightweight travel trailer, for example, presents a very different transportation requirement from a large destination trailer approaching residential dimensions.
Motorhome Driveaway Service
Motorhomes can sometimes be moved using professional driveaway service.
Instead of towing or loading the motorhome onto another vehicle, a qualified driver operates the motorhome itself from the pickup location to the destination.
Because the RV is being driven, its mechanical condition becomes particularly important. The motorhome should be capable of safely completing the trip before transportation begins.
Distance, fuel consumption, driver travel logistics, route, scheduling, and the condition of the motorhome can all affect driveaway transportation.
Specialized RV Transportation
Large destination trailers, unusually configured RVs, oversized units, and RVs located in difficult pickup or delivery locations may require additional planning or specialized equipment.
This is one reason an RV transport company should ask for accurate information before providing a firm transportation plan.
Photos, dimensions, weight or GVWR, condition, pickup and delivery locations, and information about access can reveal potential issues long before a tow vehicle arrives.
In our experience working with privately owned RVs, accurate information and good photos provided beforehand can eliminate many of the surprises that otherwise aren’t discovered until pickup.
How to Choose an RV Transport Company
There are many RV transport companies and transportation marketplaces competing for customers, and the services being offered aren’t necessarily identical.
Price certainly matters. But when an RV represents a significant investment, the cheapest quote shouldn’t automatically determine who receives possession of it.
Here are some of the most important differences worth evaluating.
Experience With Your Type of RV
Ask whether the transport provider has experience with RVs similar to yours.
Transporting a smaller bumper-pull travel trailer is not necessarily the same as moving a large destination trailer.
Larger units can present different requirements involving tow vehicle capacity, hitch equipment, braking systems, tires, weight distribution, maneuverability, dimensions, and route planning.
A transporter should understand those requirements before arriving at pickup.
Appropriate Tow Vehicle and Equipment
Ask what equipment will actually be used for your transport.
The tow vehicle should be appropriate for the weight and configuration of the trailer. Hitch equipment, electrical connections, braking equipment, safety chains, mirrors, and other components should also be appropriate for the unit being moved.
This is particularly important with larger privately owned RVs.
A low price isn’t much of a bargain if the equipment arriving at pickup isn’t appropriate for the trailer.
Pickup Inspection and Documentation
The condition of an RV should be documented before transportation begins.
Photos or video can establish the condition of the exterior, tires, wheels, hitch components, lights, and other relevant areas before departure.
That documentation benefits both the RV owner and the transport provider by creating a record of the unit’s condition at pickup.
The RV should also be inspected at delivery.
Communication During Transport
Ask how communication will work once your RV leaves the pickup location.
Will you know who is transporting it? Will you be able to communicate with someone during the trip? Will you receive progress updates?
How will weather delays, mechanical concerns, traffic problems, or changes in delivery timing be communicated?
Long-distance RV transport can involve several days on the road. Owners shouldn’t have to wonder where their RV is or who to contact if they have a question.
Does the Transporter’s Insurance Actually Cover Your RV?
This is one of the most misunderstood aspects of RV transportation.
A transport provider saying:
“We’re insured.”
doesn’t necessarily answer the question the RV owner really needs answered:
“If my RV itself is damaged while it is being transported, what insurance coverage would respond to that damage?”
Commercial auto liability, cargo coverage, and coverage involving non-owned trailers can serve different purposes and may be subject to different definitions, limits, exclusions, and conditions.
For an RV owner, the important lesson is simple:
Never assume that the phrase “fully insured” automatically means the full value of your travel trailer or RV is protected against physical damage while someone else is transporting it.
Why Cargo Insurance Can Be Misunderstood
Consumers may hear that a transportation provider carries cargo insurance and reasonably assume:
“My RV is being transported, so my RV must be the cargo.”
That should not be assumed.
A towable RV is itself the trailer being pulled rather than simply merchandise being carried inside or on transportation equipment. Whether a particular insurance policy provides physical-damage protection for that RV depends on the actual coverage, policy language, endorsements, exclusions, limits, and circumstances.
Federal public-liability insurance requirements can also be confused with physical-damage protection for the customer’s RV. They are not necessarily the same thing.
Ask a Better Insurance Question
Instead of stopping at:
“Are you insured?”
ask:
“If my RV is physically damaged while you are transporting it, which insurance policy would respond to the damage, and what is the applicable coverage limit?”
That question is considerably more useful than a generic statement about being “fully insured.”
Coverage involving trailers that the insured doesn’t own may have its own limits and conditions. A limit sufficient for a small utility trailer could be dramatically inadequate for a privately owned RV worth $75,000, $100,000, or more.
For a particularly valuable RV, consider asking whether the applicable insurance agent or carrier can confirm the relevant protection.
Talk to Your Own RV Insurance Company
Your transport provider’s insurance isn’t the only coverage worth investigating.
Before transportation, consider contacting your own RV insurer and explaining that another person or transportation provider will be transporting your RV.
Ask whether your existing physical-damage coverage remains applicable, whether commercial transportation affects that coverage, whether exclusions or limitations could apply, and what deductible you would be responsible for in a covered loss.
For a high-value RV, consider requesting confirmation in writing.
The important thing is to determine before pickup which coverage would respond if your RV were physically damaged—not discover the answer after an accident occurs.
Know Who Is Actually Transporting Your RV
Another important distinction between RV transport services is the relationship between the company you hire and the person who physically moves your RV.
There are several possible arrangements.
A company may perform the transportation directly using its own driver and equipment.
Another company may coordinate your move and arrange for a separate carrier to perform the transportation.
An online transportation marketplace may connect customers with transportation providers that compete for available jobs.
None of those models automatically guarantees good or bad service.
What matters is transparency.
Before booking, understand whether you’re hiring the company physically performing the move, a company coordinating transportation through another provider, or a marketplace connecting you with available transporters.
Ask:
- Who will physically transport my RV?
- Will I know the driver or carrier before pickup?
- Who will I communicate with during transportation?
- Who handles problems if something goes wrong?
- Is the company providing my quote performing the transportation or arranging it through another provider?
There is nothing inherently wrong with transportation being arranged through another carrier. What matters is knowing the arrangement and understanding who will have possession of your RV.
What Matters During Long-Distance RV Transport?
Long-distance RV transport presents challenges that may not be obvious when you’re sitting at home comparing quotes.
A 1,000- or 2,000-mile transport can involve changing weather systems, construction zones, mountain grades, high winds, heavy traffic, overnight stops, tire concerns, and rapidly changing road conditions.
Those realities matter when transporting a large trailer.
Safe RV transportation sometimes means slowing down, altering a route, stopping because of severe weather, or changing an anticipated delivery time.
An aggressive schedule shouldn’t be more important than protecting the RV.
Ask prospective transport providers how they handle weather and unexpected road conditions, particularly if your transportation involves several states or a large trailer.
How Should You Compare RV Transport Quotes?
RV transport quotes can vary considerably between providers.
A lower quote doesn’t automatically indicate poor service, and a higher quote doesn’t automatically guarantee exceptional service.
The important question is whether you’re comparing equivalent services.
One quote may include dedicated transportation, detailed condition documentation, and direct communication throughout the trip. Another may involve a different service model entirely.
Equipment, scheduling, experience, insurance arrangements, pickup requirements, delivery requirements, and the identity of the actual transport provider can all differ.
If one quote is dramatically different from every other estimate you’ve received, ask why.
There may be a perfectly reasonable explanation, but you should understand the difference before making your decision.
If you’re researching what you should expect to pay, our RV Transport Rates Per Mile: Cost Guide explains how distance, RV size, route, condition, scheduling, and other factors can affect the total cost of RV transportation.
Questions to Ask Before Hiring an RV Transport Service
You don’t need to conduct an interrogation before allowing someone to transport your RV.
But a short conversation can reveal a great deal.
Consider asking:
- Have you transported my type and size of RV before?
- What tow vehicle and equipment will be used?
- Who will physically transport my RV?
- Will I know who that person or carrier is before pickup?
- Will my RV’s condition be documented before departure?
- How will I receive updates during the trip?
- How do you handle severe weather or unsafe road conditions?
- What happens if a tire or mechanical problem is discovered?
- If my RV is physically damaged, what insurance coverage would respond?
- What is the applicable coverage limit?
- What exactly does my quoted price include?
- What circumstances could change the price?
- What do you need me to do before pickup?
Pay attention to the quality of the answers.
Additional questions are warranted if a company cannot explain what equipment will be used, won’t identify who will transport the RV, has no process for documenting its condition, seems unconcerned about the RV’s weight or condition, or relies only on “we’re fully insured” when asked what coverage actually protects the RV.
Likewise, a dramatically inexpensive quote deserves additional investigation if the provider can’t explain why its price differs substantially from other estimates.
The objective isn’t to find the company with the best sales pitch.
It’s to understand exactly what you’re purchasing before turning over your RV.
How to Prepare Your RV for Transport
A successful RV transport isn’t solely the transporter’s responsibility.
The owner also plays an important role.
Before pickup, provide accurate information about the RV and disclose known mechanical or structural problems.
For a towable RV, important areas may include:
- Tires and tire pressure
- Wheel and bearing condition
- Trailer brakes
- Exterior lighting
- Hitch and coupler condition
- Safety chains
- Battery condition where applicable
- Suspension components
- Loose exterior accessories
- Doors and windows
- Slide-outs
- Awnings
- Storage compartments
Secure loose items inside the RV and anything else that could move or become damaged during transportation.
Photos are especially useful.
At Orange Gator, we would much rather know about a questionable tire, unusual hitch configuration, access problem, or other concern before transportation day. Advance information gives everyone an opportunity to address the issue rather than discovering it when the RV is supposed to leave.
Choosing the Right RV Transport Service
There isn’t one RV transport company that’s automatically the right choice for every RV and every move.
A relatively inexpensive travel trailer traveling a few hundred miles may present very different considerations from a six-figure destination trailer being transported across the country.
The objective is to find a transport provider whose equipment, experience, communication, transportation plan, and risk protection are appropriate for your RV and your route.
Before making a decision, make sure you understand:
- Who will transport the RV
- How it will be transported
- What your quote includes
- How communication will work during the trip
- What insurance protection would apply if the RV is damaged
Those answers tell you considerably more about an RV transport service than price alone.
Frequently Asked Questions About RV Transport Services
What does an RV transport service do?
An RV transport service moves recreational vehicles between locations. Towable RVs such as travel trailers and destination trailers can be moved using tow-away transportation, while suitable motorhomes can sometimes be moved using driveaway service. The appropriate transportation method depends on the RV’s type, size, configuration, condition, and route.
How do I choose between RV transport companies?
Compare the complete transportation service rather than price alone. Consider experience with your type of RV, towing equipment, inspection procedures, communication, scheduling, insurance protection, who will physically perform the transportation, and exactly what is included in the quote.
Does an RV transport company’s insurance cover damage to my trailer?
Don’t assume that it does simply because the transporter says it is insured. Different insurance policies cover different risks, and coverage depends on the specific policy, limits, exclusions, endorsements, and circumstances. Ask which coverage would respond specifically to physical damage to your RV and what limit applies.
Should I contact my own RV insurance company before transport?
Yes, particularly when transporting a high-value RV. Explain the transportation arrangement accurately and ask whether your existing physical-damage coverage remains applicable, whether commercial transportation affects coverage, whether exclusions or limitations apply, and what deductible would apply to a covered loss.
How much do RV transport services cost?
RV transport cost depends on distance, RV type, dimensions, weight, condition, route, pickup and delivery accessibility, scheduling, equipment requirements, and service level. Short-distance transports may have higher effective rates per mile, while long-distance transports can have lower per-mile rates but higher overall costs.
Is long-distance RV transport safe?
Long-distance RV transportation can be performed safely when the RV is roadworthy, appropriate equipment is used, the transport provider understands the unit, and weather and road conditions are handled conservatively. Owners should disclose known issues and properly prepare the RV before pickup.
How do I get an RV transport quote?
Provide accurate pickup and delivery locations, RV type, year, make and model when available, overall length, weight or GVWR, condition, desired timing, photos, and information about access at both locations. The more accurate the information, the easier it is to determine appropriate equipment and provide a realistic quote.
Need Long-Distance RV Transport?
If you’re planning a long-distance move for a privately owned travel trailer, destination trailer, motorhome, or other RV, Orange Gator RV Transport can evaluate your specific RV, route, and transportation requirements and explain how the move would be handled before you commit.
Tell us about your RV, pickup and delivery locations, and desired transportation timeframe. We’ll review the details and let you know whether Orange Gator is a good fit for your move.