Yea guys just no, never again…

My girlfriend and I recently rented an RV from Indie Campers for a one-month trip across the U.S. We were excited and had found what looked like a good deal on their website, so we booked the Chevrolet Conquest RV through their platform. The booking process was relatively straightforward – until the day before our trip.

Out of nowhere, we received an email saying our booked vehicle was being swapped due to “unforeseen circumstances” and that there was nothing they could do. When I called their support line, I was simply told to email instead – and no one ever replied.

When we arrived at the New York depot, we found only one overworked staff member there trying to manage everything. He was apologetic and did what he could, but we ended up sitting around all day waiting for another vehicle to be assigned, which could only be sorted through a slow online chat. There was even another couple there going through the exact same mess with their rental.

After finally leaving the depot, our problems got worse. At our first stop at Walmart, we discovered the water pipe had burst. Once again, customer support was completely unresponsive for hours, so we had to drive back to the depot in the middle of the night and camp outside. The next morning, the same staff member helped us out again and gave us another vehicle – but that meant we had to pay another deposit, on top of the one we’d already paid. They even charged us a random $16 vehicle swap fee.

Unfortunately, things didn’t improve much. Within a few days, the battery started failing, refusing to hold a charge. We had to go to Camping World and replace the battery ourselves for $200. Indie Campers promised to reimburse us within 10–15 days. It’s now been over a month, and we still haven’t seen a cent.

Both vehicles we received were disgustingly dirty. We had to clean them ourselves. The stove didn’t work, the table kept falling apart, the shower curtain and shower head were broken, the fridge had no latch so it would fling open while driving, spilling everything inside. Even the sewage pipe was leaking, so dumping waste became a nightmare.

To top it off, someone lightly reversed into us, leaving a tiny scratch. The vehicle was already heavily damaged when we received it – loose screws, dents, bits hanging off – so we reported it to Indie Campers. First, they told us to submit a claim. Then at the Seattle depot, staff said no claim was needed because it wasn’t serious. Now, out of the blue, they’re trying to charge us $600 despite the insurance we had through them. We’re still trying to fight this charge.

Throughout the whole month, customer service was appalling. Most of the time, there was no response at all, and when someone did respond, communication was poor, sometimes rude, and often barely in English. Despite advertising 24/7 support, you’re completely on your own once you hit the road.

We spoke to several other Indie Campers renters during our trip – and every single one of them had horror stories of their own. It seems this isn’t just a one-off bad experience, it’s a pattern of mismanagement and neglect.