anyone rent RVs for vacation?

I thought about renting one, but after checking into it I dropped the idea. For what they wanted to rent one I decided I could stay in motels and eat in restaurants and still come out ahead. I don't remember the exact cost now, but I remember there was a weekly charge plus a mileage charge and the renter furnished the gas. The gas alone would kill you at today's prices. Then there was also the campground fees

I also looked into renting an RV to travel cross country. Between the rental fee, gas, and park fees, I couldn't make the numbers work over other options. If you can, please post.

I know a few people who have rented RVs for weekends or one week periods and they all said it was NOT worth it. The cost (rental, insurance, gas, and camping fees) is significantly more than renting a car and staying in motels. BUT if you are planning to buy an RV, renting a unit for a few short trips is a good idea!

RVing is really a lifestyle more than a way of traveling. We have several - otherwise normal - friends who LIVE the RV experience. They head out on a few week long tours each summer, set up shop at different sites and make instant friends with other campers. I don't get it myself, but they love it.

I can clearly see why people sell up and buy a RV our holiday in a rental was just the most wonderful family time.

I've traveled extensively in various RVs, from a small Class B (van conversion) to a huge Class A diesel pusher motorhome. The units at Cruise America are indeed Class Cs but (IMO) they'd be marginal for an entire week due to the tank capacities. You might have to refill the fresh water tank and dump the holding tanks once or twice. If you use the furnace, you might have to refill the propane as well.

Most (not all) Walmarts and Sam's Clubs welcome RVers staying for a night or two (at most) in their parking lot as long as you park well out of the way and don't "set up camp" by deploying the awning and breaking out the folding chairs and grill. It's considered good form to buy something from that particular store and ask the manager's permission before settling down for the night (best done with just-purchased items in hand).

The Cruise America RVs are self-contained but with limited capacities and can be hooked up to utilities where available to preserve your on-board fresh water supply and holding tank capacity. Dumping the holding tanks isn't all that difficult but has to be done carefully and in the proper order - black water tank first (toilet) and then the grey water tank (kitchen and bathroom sinks) to flush out the dump hose. Be sure to wear latex gloves for sanitation when dumping the holding tanks. Most Flying Js have a dump station with a fresh water fill spigot as well as a propane refill station. Some (not all) campgrounds also have dump stations and fresh water fill.

Good luck and have fun!

twice before I bought my own Class C. First time went to Mt Rushmore, second time to the Grand Canyon. Now I go where I want to go, when I want to go. I know who has slept in my bed and the sheets are clean. Gas prices are up there and will continue to go up so I usually only go to a RV park in a 200 mile radius from my home. On YouTube you'll find all kinds of help for dumping your tanks, hookups, etc. Look for RV101.

Hope this helps,

Regards,

Norm

Have to agree that RVing is lifestyle thing that can be compared with staying in hotel/motel, not just the expense, but also experience.

I am not ready for RVing, but thinking of owning a RV for a couple of years to travel around, then sell it. Is this a good idea?

there are a number of things that have to be concidered when buying an RV. How much you will use it and what for. You need to look at the cost to drive them, food, camping fees, and then compare that to motels for one thing. I could post a list three or four pages long but I think most can see from this you need to look at all cost and usage.

Thanks for the feedback.. Yes the cost is very expensive, at least as much as staying in a hotel somewhere.

I will reconsider just using my SUV for a roadtrip and making hotel reservations instead. There is a 30 minute introductory video on RVs on cruiseamerica and there seem to be a lot of things to check and remember. Maybe I'll do more homework on this and do a vacation in the future when it makes more sense.

We rented a CruiseAmerica for the four day Bluegrass Festival in Kentucky. We picked it up in Nashville on Wednesday & returned it on Monday. The cost was about $550. We found out that they are not designed for rough camping but we made it work. As the pic shows, we camped in an alfalfa field. The water & waste tanks had adequate capacity for us. We won't do it again, but it was a great experience.
http://i139.photobucket.com/albums/q297/spokybob/IMG_6326s.j...

Thanks Bob for the photo. What is (are) the reason(s) you wouldn't do it again?

I'm retired and have a 40 foot 5th wheel with 4 slide outs. It has a large double door frig, king bed, fireplace, recliners, etc. This is much different than renting a Class C RV. If you are planning to go camping during the winter, are you going to plug in or go dry camping. With weather dipping down really low, you could have problems, like hoses freezing that could possibly break pipes, even your grey and black tanks can freeze. Those of us that camp in the winter time have heated hoses, heated lines, and heated tanks. If this is your first time, go somewhere that isn't freezing. If you're dry camping, make sure to take military showers (rinse off, turn off the water, suds ups, etc). The grey water tank will fill up quickly if you don't do this. Usually your black water won't fill up for a weeks time. It might be a little expensive for a week but you need to see if you like it or not. Some people don't like camping. I love it. Plugging in and dumping are very easy to do and the rental company will show you how it is done.

1. The bed was not comfortable
2. Barbara likes long hot showers.
3. The furnace had minor problems in the middle of the night in October.
4. We did not like the idea of leaving our car at the rental place for 5 nights. (No problem though)
The best part was being able to stay right at the festival and getting the lawn chairs set up the night before the festival, insuring a good spot. Barbara could get a ride in the golf cart shuttles back and forth for her daily naps. The festival is continuous for about 12 hours each day with 2 stages active during the afternoon.
We attend 2 days every year, and stay in a motel 50 miles away but we miss certain acts that may only be there for one day.
Driving the rig was not difficult at all. It was very comfortable and quiet. I'm not sure what kind of gas mileage I got. We stopped at a KOA to top off the propane & dump the waste tanks because the rental place charges a penalty if they have to do it.

Another thing to think about. is You have your food and drinks with you so you don't spend as much money eating out. Camping fees with all amenities are usually cheaper in a campground than in a motel. One draw back is if you have a tow vehicle with you or not, as you may have to packup each day and go to things you want to do then go back to the campground and setup again.. I have done most all Motorcyle with and without trailer, truck and camper truck and traile, straight motels as well as sleeping in the back of the truck in the bed with a shell. I perfer the motorhome over all. You can stop anywhere and eat ust the bathroom and nap and never go outside. It is just each ones preference. Good Luck.

Nope. Never done a trip on RV

Years ago I would have never even given RV'ing a thought. I guess it is a skill that comes with age or I have killed of too many brain cells to think better of it. Now that I am retired I would love to get out of town and away from the snow in the winter. RV's might make that easier but gas prices are headed up and driving a full Class A is now more expensive than flying and hotels. Yes flying to the Grand Canyon isn't as easy as driving your car or RV but everything has a price and I'm thinking that the B Class RV or Roadtrek, PleasureWay versions would be the best thing out there for two people.

I don't know about renting them. From what I have seen it cost a lot to rent an RV and I would rather put that money into a purchase. If you have someone that owns one then ask for a ride along. I plan on going to am RV show.

If someone else has better insight into the RV thing then let me know. I wish someone built a Hybrid RV or one that got better than 30 mpg on the highway.

Bob

RV's are the best way to travel. My wife and I have owned several in the past 10 years and they can't be beat for cross-country drives.

Back in 2008 I was talked in by an acquaintance into going in a 5th wheel he just bought on a 12600 miles trip when diesel was at an all time high, in some areas we paid as much as $6 a gallon (Canada & AK)

The trip lasted 1½ months and it was the most miserable time of my life, besides not getting along with my traveling companion the thought of how much was costing to pull the trailer was enough to regret ever agreeing to go on that trip.

The P/U Truck by itself could do more that 20MPG but pulling the trailer we were lucky to get 8MPG, had we undertaken that trip on the P/U Truck and stayed at motels on the route and eat out every night we could have save a ton of money.

If you think saving money by doing the Rv thing, forget it, if you want to do it for the experience of having done it then by all means rent one.

I have to disagree with flaco on some of his post. I haven't seen may truck that can pull a 5th wheel that can get 20 or more mpg, when not pulling a trailer. Seconed in most cases it cost more for a motel room than a campsite depending on what you want. Also eating out every day for three meals can get more expensive than going back to the frig and getting a sandwitch or fixing something in the trailer or motohome. I have tried them both. But at the same time there are ways to travel by car or truck that can be much cheaper. We can discuss it all day long and still each will have their own opinions so no one is right or wrong.

As others have correctly stated, RVing is a lifestyle, even for only a vacation trip, or an occasional weekend to the state park. Compromises abound. Given a dozen RVers, you will get a dozen opinions on what is best. Only you, through experimentation and some trial and error will find out what's best for you.

For a newcomer, I would recommend renting a smaller Class-C to take to a nearby state park for a weekend and caravan with a friend who is a seasoned RVer. That is one of the easiest ways to learn how the various systems work and understand their limitations. From that experience, you may be able to tell if RVing is or isn't right for you without a major investment.

Realize that in the long run, you will be towing something. You will either end up with an SUV or pickup and tow a trailer (travel or 5th-wheel), or you will have a Class-C or Class-A and tow a car. Once at your destination, you will need wheels to sight-see, visit others, and make a run to the store for that loaf of bread.

Plan ahead and learn about the various regulations. Don't even think about towing a trailer on the parkways in southern Connecticut, or taking an RV through the Baltimore Bay tunnel. Even the road traversing Glacier National Park has size limitations.

Many of us started with a tent and Coleman stove & lantern and worked our way up to an RV that felt right.

For many, if you put the cost of airfare, hotels and rental cars on one side of the scale and the cost of RV ownership, maintenance and camping fees on the other, they will often balance. (I'm excluding the Class-A Coaches with the heated marble floors. )

Even tho this is on RV'ing, I will mention that I have found it very difficult to just get an inexpensive tent site for a night. Places like KOA are charging $50 plus a night for just a tent site. They are pricing the sites as "resorts" and you have to pay for it all. I paid as much for a tent site as the RV next to me did.

It seems that a lot of campgrounds and RV parks lately have tagged Resort on the end of their name and then charge like it was a resort. A swimming pool and playground does not a resort make! Not to pick on KOA, but I've noticed that many of their affiliated campgrounds have really gone up on prices. Arguably the taxes and operating costs to the campground owners has gone up along with everything else, but a family with a couple of kids and a tent wants a grassy spot, a picnic table and decent restroom and shower. There is no reason why they should pay anything like what I might if I rolled in expecting a paved, level 80' long pull through with water, electric, sewer and maybe even cable TV.

Tent camping is a great family activity that often grows into RVing and these campgrounds that gouge the tent campers are choking off their future business.

While public campgrounds have also gone up, National, State, and regional parks still offer a good camping experience for the tent campers at a reasonable price. In some areas, they are in such demand on weekends, that you need reservations when available.

Corp-of-engineers or BLM (Bureau of Land Mgt.) run $5-6 for boon-docking (no hookup). You get to set up on the shore of the lake, river,mtn. top, enjoy scenery & quiet. Have a warm bed, TV, bath,meals, etc.
Now, that's getting away-from-it-all.
It's a rewarding experience for pairs or families. The sounds of wildlife, the smell of campfire, the setting sun...followed by the peace of the night doesn't have to be expensive unless you want it to be. Just as "luxury" is relative; so is the "cost" of getting out there.

CruiseAmerican has a great FAQ. They billed our credit card for a very large deposit.

Their policy could be a problem if you are using a CC that carries a balance.

I love going camping, and have been on one long RV trip in a Class A, bus sized RV with two of us driving and two small kids. It was a blast. At first I was worried that the kids would be cranky or a pain but they seemed to like the extra room. They spent most of their time during the drives on the bed playing video games and dvds much like they would have at home on a rainy day.

I also worried that it would take some getting used to driving something that big down the road but that turned out not be an issue after a few hours on the interstate, city driving on a major highway in traffic was a little scary but doable. We ate mostly on the move, you acquire "sea legs" after a while but I took a tumble making coffee in traffic one morning, the kids got a laugh out of my mishap no damage to anything but my pride. We even did laundry on the go.

We stayed at Walmarts and dumped our tanks when we had to at truck stops, the owner doing that because he knew how while I kept the kids attention elsewhere. We ran into many of the same faces along the way, for the most part all great people but there were a few we avoided. Having Walmart right there everywhere we went made restocking supplies a breeze and you always had everything you needed at a good price. Some even had roving security.

I say it should be required because I have a better respect while driving around RVs now that I see how long it takes for them to come to a stop or even slow down in a hurry when someone without that respect would cut in and stop short causing instant panic and mayhem on-board.

Don't know if I would rent one. I hate renting or leasing a car.

I will not dispute that if you stay at state parks $10 to $15 a night, eat your three meals in the camper you may break even, however when we did the trip the price of Diesel was between $4.50 to $6 a gallon and yes the Diesel Dodge Ram was doing 8 MPG pulling the 5th wheel and 20MPG or better when not pulling anything.

Most of the stops we made were at Air Force Bases and the price for one night averaged around $30, many places we had no choice but stop at commercial sites and those were in the $70 range.

My advice is doing it for the fun and not because you are going to save money, remember he has to add rental and Ins. on top of fuel and camping site.

I agree with some parts as well. My only thought about RVing is if you are going to worry about cost then you have two optiongs Don't get an rv or don't think about cost. As you can drive yourself crazy if you think abut gas mph It has to be something that you are confortable with or don't do it. We could post pro's and con's all day long and still never got to the bottom of it.

Amen to Johnm405.

People who can afford it enjoyed them tremendously. They don't worry about diesel prices or campsite prices because you can't control prices. It's nice to drive comfortably pull over to a rest area cook lunch, take a shower, take a nap or whatever you enjoy. It's a hotel suite on wheels.

Thanks again for all the comments and helpful tips.

I am worrying about cost so I may just have to drive the SUV and book hotel rooms...

I really want to RV, like that Robin Williams vacation movie...someday.

nuvic320 don't give up on what you want, just look at different options. Small conversion van, Truck and camper, or a small class c. Start small and move up as you can. happy travels and good luck in what ever you decide.

Thanks, I will keep looking at pop-up trailers, class B's, etc. I am very nervous of rising gas prices this year, I hope it won't put a huge dent in our spring break budget.

This is my first post at this forum. We have been RVing for the last 4 summers. Our family has had a great time. Most of our trips are a couple of hours from home. Last year we did a long trip (5000 km) thru Saskatchewan, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wyoming, Montana and Alberta. It was 18 days from home and it was a blast.

My parents are recently retired and were thinking about buying, then they rented for the same 18 day stretch. They joined us for part of the trip and part of it they went on their own. What they liked about it is that they could go as fast or as slow as they wanted. Want a sandwich, go to the fridge and make it while you are going. You do not need to make reservations at hotels, you do not need to haul suitcases around, I could go on and on.

To buy an RV just to try it is very expensive too, rent it, try it and chalk up the extra cost as education and education is never free.

That is very true...good points. Thanks. And welcome to the forums!!

unrest in the Middle East, gas prices are gonna fly high! For those looking at pop up tent trailers, they are the way to go to save gas and they are very convienent. I've had two Jaycos and they were well built and easy to pull and set up. Try the link:

http://www.jayco.com/php/products/camping.trailers/camping.t...

Regards,

Norm

I've always thought if you're going to get a RV.. get a tow behind. That way if the towing vehicle breaks down you still have someplace to stay, eat and sleep.. or if you have problems with the towed RV trailer you've still got some type of transportation while the RV is being fixed.

On the other hand, if it's a all in one self contained unit and something happens, now you're out some place to stay.. as well as a vehicle to drive. The situation could be such that it's going to take 2 - 3 - 4 days before you can get back on the road.. so what do you do in the mean time?

Nuvi1300WTGPS

If you have a motorhome and tow a vehicle if it breaks down you still have a vehicle to drive to get around. If you on the hwy you can always send someone to the next town to get help if you don't have a cell phome. If you have a tow behind and your tow vehicle breaks down the you ahve to find someone to tow your trailer to a campground or someplace to get it off the hwy. There are pros and cons for either way. I prefer the motorhome with a tow.

If you want a good movie about the Open Road then rent "The long long trailer" 1954. I never saw the Robin Williams movie but IMHO The Long Long Trailer is the best.

After that movie hit the theater the number of RV's went way up.

Bob

Both were good movies.

Saw a neat show last night called "How it's made". They showed how the industry builds the RV's. Cool stuff...

We ended up booking a cruise because I like the idea of a hotel room anywhere we go, ha!

Looking forward to our cruise. But still intrigued by motor homes and hope to take one on a trip some day.