On April 8th, 2024, a total solar eclipse will shadow many parts of the U.S. This type of solar eclipse is so rare that we won’t see another like it until 2044.
As a result, travelers from all over the world will be zipping stateside to witness the rare event. And with hotel prices surging over $1,000/night in some eclipse zones, you can bet your bottom dollar that guests will be renting RVs to see the 2024 Solar Eclipse.
That’s where we come in — no matter where we find ourselves in the country, there are ways for us hosts to capture this rental demand. In this post, we’ll share tips for marketing RVing as the best way to see Solar Eclipse 2024, break out the key eclipse zones, and unpack strategies to capture eclipse rental demand from just about anywhere.
What is a Total Solar Eclipse?
A total solar eclipse happens when the moon sails between the earth and the sun, completely blocking the sun’s face. As this occurs, the sun’s rays glisten over the moon’s craters — allowing viewers to see a special view of the lunar surface before daylight turns to dark.
The 2024 Solar Eclipse will follow a path of totality from Texas to Maine. RVers will have maximum flexibility to see the eclipse from a remote area or any other section they’d like to roll to.
How to Market RVing to Eclipse-Goers
When thinking of ways to pitch your rig to eclipse-goers, it’s important to put yourself in their shoes and think about what they do and don’t want on the trip. You can then speak to these things in your listing description(s).
Here are the key RVing benefits you’ll want to highlight to make your marketing eclipse-friendly:
–RVing skips the pricey hotel — Hotel prices along the eclipse’s path will be going sky-high. We’ve been seeing nightly hotel/bnb prices in the range of $1,000-$4,500/night!
RVers can roll wherever the campground prices and views are the best. Your guests could also boondock to save even more.
–RVing offers freedom and flexibility — Solar Eclipse 2024 is literally a moving target. Suppose someone books an eclipse hotel only to find that the location is especially crowded or the views are obstructed.
RVers won’t have this challenge because they can roll into the best spots for the 2024 solar eclipse.
–Remote areas are open for business — Many of the best spots to view the eclipse will be in areas where there’s no civilization (i.e. no hotels).
Point out in your marketing that RVing families can set up a private eclipse viewing party in the most secluded of spots.
Where is the 2024 Solar Eclipse?
This is the path of totality for the 2024 Solar Eclipse:
But even if you don’t find yourself directly in that zone, there is such a high level of eclipse rental demand that we believe it’ll be worth your while to expand your delivery radius and/or explore consignment (more on that in a moment).
Here are ten populated areas in the path of totality that could serve as meetup points for you and your renters:
–Fredericksburg, Texas — Fredericksburg is in the heart of Texas wine country so you can soak in some sips after you deliver your RV.
And we just opened our new glamping property, Outdoorsy Hill Country, outside Fredericksburg in case you want to check that out.
–Dallas Ft. Worth, Texas — With its bustling international airport, Dallas is likely to be a hub for international eclipse-seekers. Offering airport pick-up/drop-off plus a mileage-based delivery fee as add-ons to your rental can help you capitalize on this traffic.
–Little Rock, AR — Arkansas is an outdoor oasis that’s also the self-proclaimed mountain biking capital of the world. You could take a trip here to capture some eclipse demand and then hit the trails after.
Little Rock is also a large enough town that it’ll also probably see a bump in airport arrivals with the eclipse.
–Carbondale, IL — This town in the path is just a couple hours away from St. Louis. If you find yourself anywhere near The Gateway to the West, be sure you’re targeting your marketing to capture eclipse-bound renters.
–Bloomington, IN — This college town is close to Indianapolis and central to many other population centers.
–Cleveland, OH — The rock and roll capital of the world is another solid hub to promote rentals for the 2024 Solar Eclipse.
–Syracuse, NY — Upstate New York is a natural oasis that happens to be on the path of totality. It’s also easily accessible to travelers from large population centers like NYC, Pittsburg, and Toronto, offering a large potential customer base for your eclipse-ready RV
–Burlington, VT — This picturesque town on Lake Champlain is another solid spot to get your rental(s) noticed if you find yourself anywhere near the upper Northeast.
–Toronto, ON — Another major metro area that’ll see eclipse’rs arriving from all over the world.
–Montreal, QC — Same story as Toronto in another super-cool city.
Capturing Eclipse Rental Demand (from just about anywhere)
It’s true that the path of totality cuts a relatively narrow band through the U.S. But that doesn’t mean you can’t capitalize on that RV rental demand from just about anywhere.
Here are ways to do that:
–Offer delivery with an expanded radius — Our delivery add-on allows you to customize charges that work for you. Because the rental demand is so high for Solar Eclipse 2024, you’ll likely be able to charge higher nightly rates and bigger delivery fees to make it worth a long trip for you.
You can also customize your delivery radius so you’ll only show up in the places along the path that you’re willing to deliver to.
–Market airport pickup/dropoff add-ons — Nothing beats flying in and starting an RVing trip just after baggage claim. If you’re near an airport that eclipse guests will be flying into, consider offering this as an add-on to your listing. Guests are generally willing to pay a premium for this considering you’ll save them on the cost of taxis, rental cars, and hotels.
–Consignment — Consignment typically happens when a cold-winter host makes a deal with a warm-winter host to manage their RV in a more hospitable climate.
In this case, the rarity of the event could make a short-term consignment worthwhile. If you find yourself in California, for example, you might find that the surge in nightly rental prices makes it worth rolling your RV in range of the path of totality.
The Outdoorsy RV Host Community on Facebook is the place to explore this.
How to Make Your RV Eclipse-Friendly
Here are a few things to consider including in your rental to wow your solar-viewing guests:
–Viewing glasses certified by the International Space Organization — Sunglasses are a no-go for viewing the eclipse. Your renters probably will have proper solar viewing equipment, but would surely appreciate a few extras too.
–A generator — For boondocking in dark sky country.
–Camp stove — To cook under the stars.
–Outdoor blankets
-Something bubbly — Because who doesn’t want to toast a once-in-a-generation event? 🙂
The 2024 Solar Eclipse is a monumental happening that’s going to create an uptick in demand along and beyond its path. No matter where you might find yourself, it’s worth taking a beat to consider how you could connect with these customers. And in case you haven’t already — you can list your RV for rent right here.
