Meet Ashley Grant — Fireside RV Rental Cumberland, MD

Hi! I’m Ashley Grant, owner of Fireside RV Rental in Cumberland, Maryland.

If you had told me a few years ago that I’d own an RV rental business, deliver campers across the region, and be working toward becoming a certified RV technician, I probably would have laughed. By trade, I’m actually a special education teacher. But life has a way of taking us on unexpected adventures.

My husband, Sam, and I discovered camping shortly after our first anniversary in 2019 when we bought a tiny 17½-foot 1982 Coleman travel trailer. Sam had grown up tent camping. I hadn’t grown up camping at all, and I insisted that if we were going to do this, I needed two things: a real mattress and my own bathroom. That little camper became the beginning of what we affectionately called Glamping with the Grants.

Camping quickly became our escape from demanding careers. Sam served as a paramedic and emergency manager, and after long, stressful weeks, weekends at the campground gave us time to slow down, reconnect, and simply enjoy being together.

When our daughter was born in 2022, we wanted to try traveling in a Class C motorhome but couldn’t bear to part with the travel trailer we’d poured so much work into. Our solution? Buy a motorhome and rent it when we weren’t using it. That idea eventually led us to Fireside RV Rental.

Life, however, had different plans.

During our onboarding with Fireside, Sam became critically ill and began a ten-month inpatient hospital journey. Even in the hospital, camping remained one of his favorite things to talk about. Planning future trips and reminiscing about past adventures gave him something joyful to hold onto during incredibly difficult days. Before he passed away at home on May 10, 2025, he encouraged me to continue building the business we’d dreamed about together. His dying wish was for me to keep the kids camping.

So I did.

What began with one RV has grown into a fleet of family-friendly campers, each with its own personality and classic name. Our Class C motorhome is named Betsy, after Betsy Ross, because Sam was deeply patriotic and the Fourth of July was his favorite holiday. Every RV has a story, and around here, we tend to talk about them as if they’re members of the family.

Today, Fireside RV Rental is truly a family business. My children—now four and two—often tag along on deliveries, inspections, and rental prep. They’re learning that hard work can also be an adventure. We’ve seen some pretty neat places.

Since Sam’s passing, I’ve learned how to confidently back RVs, manage a growing fleet, and I’m currently working toward becoming a certified RV technician. I believe that understanding every part of an RV—from the customer experience to the mechanical systems—helps me provide the best possible experience for every renter.

When we’re not helping others head out on adventures, you’ll usually find us at our own seasonal campsite. There’s just something about a quiet morning with a cup of coffee, mountain air, and bacon sizzling on the Blackstone that reminds me what camping is really about. It’s not about having the biggest camper or the fanciest campground. It’s about slowing down long enough to make memories with the people you love.

Our family learned the hard way that tomorrow isn’t promised. Growing old together isn’t guaranteed. That’s why Fireside RV Rental exists—not just to rent RVs, but to help families create the kinds of memories that become stories they’ll tell for years to come.

Whether you’re planning your first camping trip or your fiftieth, I hope we can help you gather around a campfire, unplug for a while, and discover why we fell in love with this lifestyle in the first place.

I can’t wait to help you start your next adventure.