Any body ever rent an RV?

STM

STM

Joined
May 27, 2006
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I'm thinking about taking the family on a road trip to see some state parks. It would be me, the Mrs., and two kids (11 & 9). My son and I want to camp but my wife and daughter want comfort. After a quick internet search, I can get one in this area for $300/day with 250 free miles. Is that a good deal, can I do better?

Thanks,

Scott
 
$300/day!?! Wow. And I'll bet that that does not include the optional insurance you going to want on a vehicle like that.

You can rent a nice sedan or station wagon or "mini van", or even an SUV-type thing -- plenty comfortable for four people, lots of room, AC, etc. -- for well under $100/day with basic insurance.

The RV will probably get about 10MPG. If you are planning to go 200 miles per day, that's 20 gallons, upwards of $80/day for gas. A sedan or minivan might get 25MPG, 20 at least. So your fuel cost would be half as much.

You can get a nice hotel room in most places in the $100/night range. And you should be able to eat nicely in restaurants for about $30/person/day.

Keep in mind that $300/day does not include site rental fees and fuel. And you'd still have to buy groceries. It doesn't seem to pencil out economically to me.
 
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I've never done it, but looked into it several times. I agree with Gollnick. I've got a boy and a girl that are your kids ages and we go to national parks most summers. We always camp.

I couldn't keep the mileage below 250. I usually go 3x that far on day 1. Once you start factoring in the added costs per mile over 250, the extra gas, the site fees, etc, it is way cheaper to put them in a nice room. Here's my cheapa** formula: rent a minivan with unlimited mileage; buy a big cooler full of food before you leave; get your wife and daughter their hotel room on Priceline (learn how to maximize using Priceline and you can get an incredible deal); drive straight thru to your destination on day one and spend that night in a hotel bed then camp. You're not too terribly far away from Rocky Mountain National Park, which is awesome. The nearby town of Estes Park will have lots of hotel options. Travel a little further and go to Grand Canyon. It's incredible and the Mather campground is a great campground. Nice hotels in the park too.

It also seems like a PIA to get around once you get to your destination. I wouldn't want to drive around (to go out to eat for instance) in a big RV - or even a medium sized one.
 
I just don't see how the rental RV thing works for four people. If you have six, maybe. Eight is probably where it starts to make sense because suddenly you'd need two cars, two or three hotel rooms, etc.
 
Aaah the dreaded family road trip, nobody should have to spend that much time in such close proximity to their family. Good luck! ;)

Anyways jokes aside if roadtripping is your thing I'd rent rooms. On that side of the pond I paid 60 - 150$ a night. Do not take my word on that though, check what rooms cost along your route and book well in advance. It takes the guesswork out of it, as well as saves money and hassle. Trying to find suitable rooms at 1 am along the way with kids in the car is not an ideal situation.

You might even consider getting a longer package somewhere close to the area you want to explore and foregoing the long hard miles altogether. A week of nonstop driving is not all it is cracked up to be.

My solution. If it is more than a days drive fly in, then rent a room and car at the location. If that means you can't bring much gear with you so be it. Spend the time on site doing day hikes and day outings with the car. If it is a days drive or less go there using your own vehicle but otherwise follow the same process.
 
Also... For going off the beaten path... RVs aren't so hot.
Like Gollnick said 300 isn't close to what it'll cost the RVs I've been in get 8-9 MPG, site fees vary, pumping gray water sucks, small TVs, small kitchens, small fridges, driving something that size isn't much of an issue, but it can be in a parking lot or heavy traffic.

If you have a truck, rent a pop up camper, tell your wife and daughter they can buy a kick butt tent and sweet air mattress and whatever else they need, like a heated shower, it'll be cheaper and you can still camp!
 
Rent the Family Truckster and take the family and grandma to Wally World. Stay over with the cousins who live in the country and enjoy some delicious home cooking. Better yet rent Nat'l Lampoon Vacation and have a movie night before you go on your own family road trip.
For us our best road vacations included stops at small towns enjoying their public parks/playgrounds/small town mom and pop stores and hitting the local cafe' for whatever is the lunch time special. At least up here in the upper Midwest that and a state park or two is a fine road trip.
 
We have the same problem. We want to go to some parks and camp (Yellowstone/Tetons/ect.), but my wife is afraid of bears. Soooo she bought a camper shell for the truck-- that's where she's sleeping. We also got a cool new Dutch oven to cook some good meals.
Now that's livin'!
 
You guys make some good points. We may just drive to a national park and stay in the lodge. Sounds less painful.

Scott
 
Gollnick said:
I just don't see how the rental RV thing works for four people. If you have six, maybe. Eight is probably where it starts to make sense because suddenly you'd need two cars, two or three hotel rooms, etc.
Click to expand...

Maybe makes sense financially, but can you imagine spending time with 8 people in one of those things?

A friend of mine (older) just bought a used one for $90,000. It is actually really nice and comfortable inside, but I didn't ask him if he knew how many hotel rooms he could rent for $90,000!

That being said, if you want to do it just to try it out, why not? Vacations are all about trying something different.
 
Well, saw this post and had to chime in with all this negativity. :D I rented a RV with the wife and our two kids and did a 1400 mile road trip.... it was the best vacation ever. Yes, it cost a bunch, but it was still a great way to go.
Never had to worry about bathroom breaks, bedbugs, inclement weather, food and snacks were always there, getting to a hotel in time, lugging suitcases, checking in and out of a crack/whore hotel, kids could nap anytime, board games ( remember them?)........ etc.
My auto insurance covered the RV rental, so gas was the only culprit. Sometimes we just stayed in parking areas, campgrounds were a breeze for set up. I figure you pay for convenience, and driving the RV was a blast.

I guess all I'm saying is - don't count out a RV rental all the time. Also check on Craigs list - plenty of private folks rent out there RV's to off set the cost of ownership. Whatever you do, have a great vacation!! :D

Just remembered: 2 yrs later went on a road trip and did the hotel thing. We remembered why we spent the money for the RV. It was not a happy vaca for me and the wife!!
 
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STM said:
You guys make some good points. We may just drive to a national park and stay in the lodge. Sounds less painful
Click to expand...

Rent the RV. You won't regret it...you'll never forget it.

I own a Class C. Wife hated it....until the first trip.
 
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If you have the money and can afford to spend it, then rent the RV. The convenience of it as pointed out by Sled is worth a lot of saved money by going the motel/hotel route. Also, the ability to change directions and or plans is the best part of such a vacation. The people you will meet is worth a lot also. It may only be a once in a lifetime opportunity, or a start of a different life style. You won't know until you try it. Its an adventure, and one that you may never get another chance to take. Good point about looking for owners renting their units out. Might save you some money. I went on a hunting trip with a buddy with one once, and we had a blast, and a successful hunt to boot. Very comfortable and convenient. Go for it!

Blessings,

Omar
 
One issue I didn't see directly mentioned with renting an RV is how to travel about once you reach your destination. Without towing a separate vehicle you will be tied to the campground (not necessarily a bad thing depending on your destination) or you will have to rely on alternate transportation. Once you are set up in a spot it is a major pain in the ass to move just to go sight seeing.
 
I've been from NC to Texas (18 hours each way) with my wife, daughter, and in laws twice. First time, we barely survived, second time was almost enjoyable. Smart to take only immediate family. I think for all the reasons mentioned above your better off renting a smaller vehicle and getting a room.

I'm taking the wife, daughter, and a friend of hers to Pigeon Forge/Gatlinburg in a couple of weeks. I love to tent camp. We need a new tent (@150-$200). Tent sites with water and electric were @$40. I found a small cabin with a double bed, bunk beds, cable TV, AC, toilet and sink for @$50 a night. Guess which one I choose;) I'm going to the knife show, the campground has a nice big pool and good clean shower facilities.

We plan to take our pop up shelter and a big cooler and drive the wife's crossover that gets @19 mpg on the highway (its AWD) and she's got a heavy foot. I think it's a great compromise that makes everyone happy, including our check book. With what we save on lodging, food, and entertainment, we can possibly let the girls do something really special, something they'll never forget.

Oh, and if your family balks at the idea, rent that RV movie with Robin Williams:D

GregB
 
I've never rented an RV, but I own one and love it. I have my own bed and plenty of room for clothes for varying weather conditions. Not to mention room for toys. We tend to spend our time away from town in the woods. We cook in the RV instead of eating every meal in a restaurant, saving money there. It's not for everybody, but it may be for you. Renting one is a good way to find out.
 
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