While the mission of this little site has been from the very beginning to provide up to date information on the best places to rent an RV adapted to the needs of people with disabilities, it has become increasingly difficult to locate suitable companies locally or even nationally. When you weigh things up, it's pretty easy to see why these vehicles are so rare nowadays.
Prohibitive Costs
While a good quality Class "A" RV made in assembly line factories can sell for about $100,000, a custom motor home is likely to start at $400.000 to $600,000 with full adaptation and facilities. Given the incredibly high initial cost, it would be difficult to recoup that outlay in rental fees even charging top prices over 10 years.
Having looked over some of the main custom factories making RVs, none of them are making adaptive coaches. So it would have to come from a small custom garage which would likely push the price up even more since it would probably all need to be done by hand.
When you look at it objectively, it's pretty disheartening but economic factors will al ways dictate how the industry moves. While the concept of renting is a wonderful one for those who simply cannot afford to buy outright a custom motorhome with all the necessary facilities, the reality is that the availability is just not there.
Abandon All Hope
Should you abandon all hope of ever finding a suitable RV rental either in Florida or for that matter anywhere in the US? I wouldn't go so far as to suggest that, but without clear results in black and white, finding one is going to be more of a fantasy dream than a hard reality.
So what are the alternatives?
Well, weighing up the costs, it is much more economical to rent an adapted car and drive to hotels along a planned route that cater for wheelchair users. Fuel costs alone drive the cost of a motorhome vacation up with gas at an all-time high and getting 10 mpg if you're lucky soon eats into your holiday money.
Stopovers in RV parks and suitable campgrounds can cost as much as $80 a night. When you add that cost to the extra fuel you'll use, it makes for a very expensive road to freedom and when you look at it that way, you can get some pretty nice hotel rooms along the way for a similar cost!
It's not the same by any means, but there is some freedom in at least being able to go pretty much where you want even though the stopovers will need to be booked in advance. However, it will be a strategy that restricts your potential for taking the road less traveled!
Are there any rental companies in Florida with wheelchair adapted RVs available? Not as far as I know. But if you happen to come across one, please share it here in the comments of this post, thanks!