Renting an RV for two week vacation..

[hollypoast]

My family is planning a two week vacation to Glacier & Banff next year. I started pricing RVs for rent. Wow, are they expensive. For the cost of renting one for a two week trip I could almost make payments on a new one for an entire year. I suggested this option to my husband (somewhat in jest) and he immediately rolled his eyes at me.

Are there any experienced renters out there that have tips on getting a good deal?

 

[BCV2003]

I don't have any advice for you but I have friends who I just saw this weekend and they rented an RV for a two week vacation and they said they spent $2k on gas alone.

 

[NeverlandClub23]

I used to work for an RV dealership that did RV rentals. It's definitely something you do for the experience (or to try before you buy one) and not necessarily because it's cheaper than staying in hotels. I would recommend looking at the packages compared to itemized things you want. I know we would include all sorts of things in our packages (like bike racks, etc.) that you may not need. The biggest $$ saver would be to find a place to rent close to where you are going/camping and drive there. The gas goes quick and most RV rental places charge a lot over a certain amount of miles (our packages included 400 miles which isn't a lot when going round trip!). Make sure you know how much everything is going to cost when you return it too. Some places charge a cleaning fee or to fill up the gas tank. Also our dealership was closed on Sunday's which I guess some renters wouldn't read in the contract and thought they could bring it back on Sunday (which they couldn't as it's not like a car they can just drop off, at our place you had to go through it with a technician to make sure everything was ok [i.e. you don't leave and then the technician finds something wrong and then it's just his word against yours]).

 

[lastminutemom]

We looked at RV rentals for Yellowstone/Grand tetons. It was cheaper to rent a car and stay in hotels/lodges.

 

[Cheshire Figment]

Try contacting NHMickey, who is a moderator on the Collector's Forum. I think that he is involved with RV Sales and Rentals, and has been in that job for many years.

 

[MrsPete]

We did a driving trip out west last summer, and we started our planning with the assumption that renting an RV was going to be an economical choice. When we started researching, we realized pretty quickly that we'd been wrong in this assumption!

Add in all these things:
Cost of RV rental
Cost of mileage for the RV (this is on top of the rental fee)
Cost of gas (huge)
Cost of campsite rental
Fewer miles traveled in a day
More difficulty navigating through

It turned out to be MUCH CHEAPER to get moderately-priced hotel rooms (and cabins at the national parks). AND with hotels, we had greater flexibility in location.

We had started our trip plans with the idea that an RV was a budget choice -- we were never going for the RV experience -- so it was easy for us to let go of that idea.

Renting an RV doesn't look like a good option at all (unless you're trying it out before you buy one for yourself). Owning or borrowing one would be a whole different kettle of fish.

 

[hollypoast]

It's definitely something you do for the experience (or to try before you buy one) and not necessarily because it's cheaper than staying in hotels. .

I have run the numbers for taking the train, flying and driving and know that all options are cheaper. My husband wants to rent the RV for the experience. (I'm not so thrilled about it but am willing to play along since he puts up with my Disney trips. )

So, knowing that renting an RV is the most expensive option.... any ideas on "saving" would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Promomx2]

Something else to figure in your decision: there's alot of extra things in camping: leveling the rv, hooking up the grey/black tanks. We had a 25 foot travel trailer and it was great when the kids were small, but even then everytime a person would roll over in their bed, the camper would shake a little. Not necessary the best place to sleep. It was fun, and every trip was definitely an adventure. Once we had ants, once the air conditioner broke in middle of July, once we had a tornado warning, got stuck in sand. But now, bring me room service.

 

[kkwis2]

I have run the numbers for taking the train, flying and driving and know that all options are cheaper. My husband wants to rent the RV for the experience. (I'm not so thrilled about it but am willing to play along since he puts up with my Disney trips. )

So, knowing that renting an RV is the most expensive option.... any ideas on "saving" would be greatly appreciated.

We have looked into renting an RV for the past few years and always find the same thing you're finding: It's outrageously expensive! Especially when, as others have said, you factor in gas, etc., etc.

HOWEVER, I still completely understand your husband's desire to rent one! I am totally the one who wanted to do it. We never ended up renting one as we are procrastinators. Once we finally decided that we were going to suck it up and pay for the rental this past summer, it was too late. We couldn't find any availability.

My suggestion is that you look into private rentals. I researched quite a few of them. Google private RV rentals and see what comes up in your area. A lot of people put rentals on Craigslist also.

BTW: We went with your idea that a rental would almost cost the same as purchasing (well, the first year at least) and bought ours right after our trip last summer. It's awesome!!!

 

[hambirg]

I've always wanted to do that, but found what you are finding. . .it's so expensive. I know people that bought one to tour Alaska and then just sold it after their trip. It ended up being much cheaper. I don't know what kind of car you own, but have you considered just purchasing a tent trailer or small used trailer from Craigslist? Even if you have to add a towing package to your car it would still be cheaper. The other thing I like about that is you can unhitch it when you get to the campsite and just drive your car wherever you want to go. It's a pain to have to hook-up and unhook everything just to drive into town. My parents had a small trailer when we were kids, and then a big Bounder RV after they retired. They towed my Mom's Honda behind the RV.

Btw. . .we've made that trip before. It's beautiful! We drove our mini-van and stayed in KOA Kabins. It was a lot of fun!

 

[SandrA9810]

I would look into a rental closer to your destination. You'll have your car for getting around town, and the long haul will save a ton of gas. I don't know if RV rentals have hitches, so when you're going from campground to campground, you don't have to have two drivers.

I would also look over on the camping board. Many many owners overs there, and they know a ton about TT and RVs. There's even a few TT owners that live close to Disney that rent out their TT for people wanting to stay at Ft Wilderness. They take it to the campgrounds, hook it up, get it ready for you, and drive it off when you're done. So they might know a thing or two about looking for rentals.

 

[indimom]

Stinks, doesn't it??? I've researched this as well.
My all time favorite vacation as a girl was when my parents rented a huge camper for the six of us and we traveled all over the east coast in it. FANTASTIC!
But it's Way To Expensive for us. I just can't spend that kind of money to repeat the experience. Bummer.

 

[MrsPete]

I have run the numbers for taking the train, flying and driving and know that all options are cheaper. My husband wants to rent the RV for the experience. (I'm not so thrilled about it but am willing to play along since he puts up with my Disney trips. )

So, knowing that renting an RV is the most expensive option.... any ideas on "saving" would be greatly appreciated.

Well, you know what you're getting into financially . . .

I'd suggest that you look for an individual from whom to rent. Try "putting the word out" to see if a friend-of-a-friend might have an RV and would like to make a few bucks by renting it to you. Those things do spend a great deal of time just sitting in people's yards.

I don't think there's much of a way to compromise on during-the-trip costs. I mean, campsite fees and gas are what they are.

 

[3boymthr]

If you owned an RV I'd say it's a great option for the National Parks but I don't think renting one is that great an idea, both for the cost and for the ease of use. We drove thru the parks a few years ago and considered renting an RV. After looking at the cost we decided not to. Can I tell you I was very glad we decided to just take our own van. I was amazed at how many Scenic roads both in the National Parks and thru the Rocky Mountains that did not allow RVs because the roads were either too narrow for the width of an RV or too steep for the weight of the RV or the turns too sharp for the longer RVs and how many parking lots in the National Parks did not allow RVs because the RVs were just too big for the little parking lots. For point of reference these are not usually the high use areas but the little -oooh that sounds neat lets pull over and look areas.

 

[sameyeyam]

I own my own RV (25' trailer) and there are definitely some upsides to RV travel. First and foremost is food. You don't have to go out to eat. Most RV's have stove, oven & microwave. Plan ahead and make economical meals to cook in the RV and you will save a ton of money over eating out. I recommend cooking things ahead and putting them in the fridge or freezer. I often cook hamburger at home & freeze, cook spaghetti pasta & put in gallon bag in fridge. Those sorts of things make mealtimes in an RV a breeze.

I would also like to add that it's nice to be able to use the CLEAN bathroom whenever you want. No waiting for a rest area or looking for a clean place.

There are some awesome RV parks out there. If you like staying in the city you can find an rv park, want to feel like you're camping then stay in rural areas. Many RV parks have pools and other amenities. I highly recommend strapping bikes to the back. It is a must do thing with kids. As soon as you stop for the night they can hop on bikes, get out of your hair & be exploring.

I think you will find with an RV that you spend more time outside. Think about the last time you sat outside with your family around a campfire and watched shooting stars. It's an awesome way to connect with your family.

Now here are the downsides...rain. I hate being stuck inside an RV with kids if it rains. Yes, we take movies to watch, games to play, but eventually they get bored. If it's going to rain stay near a city that has a movie theater, mall. Even check out local community centers or pools.

Depending on the floor layout & closet space, you could end up with kids clothes EVERYWHERE! Living with kids in tight quarters can be a bit stressful to say the least. I recommend you bring sleeping bags for the kids as it's much easier then trying to make 3-4 beds every day. If you do rent one make sure that you can still walk around, even if the beds are out. There is nothing worse then having to go to the bathroom at midnite and stepping over the top of sleeping kids.

RV traveling does require work. When you stop for the evening you must level the trailer, light the hot water heater, pull out the awning, set up lawn chairs, hook up generator or electricity, hook up water, etc. You must also know how to keep the toilet from stinking, know in advance where you can empty your gray & black water tanks, etc... A couple of weekends ago my DH was emptying our tanks at the rest area near our home and a couple of men approached him. They were renting an RV for vacation and had no idea how to empty the tanks! DH gave them a quick lesson and left them with a handful of disposable gloves. Seriously, nobody at the dealership told them they would have to empty the tanks or how to empty them! You've gotta ask yourself if your DH wants to play septic man while on vacation. It's not hard if you know what you are doing, but if you don't and end up with sewage all over your shoes...well that's not a fun vacation.

I think the trick to having a successful RV vacation is organization and planning ahead. I don't want to discourage RV travel, because I obviously love it. But truly thinking about it I don't know if I would recommend renting an RV. Just because there is a learning curve, there are many things you need to do. None of the things you have to do are difficult or time consuming, but learning 20 new things to do on vacation might not be so fun if your're looking for a relaxing vacation.

If you're looking to save a lot of money on food, want to be close to your family (literally), love the outdoors, can plan ahead & be very organized, and want an experience similar to home...then renting an RV might be for you. If you want a restful vacation, go the airplane and hotel route. I wouldn't trade my RV for anything, we use it year round. I think renting is a good way to figure out if you might want to buy one in the future. But if you rent, just be sure that both of you are present and ask lots of questions when you rent. You need to know how to run everything correctly, otherwise vacation won't be nearly as fun. If you're the type of person that loves camping, but wishes you had good cooking facilities and a real bed, then RV's are for you.

 

[endy]

More on the driving thru Nat'l Parks. There is a size limit in Glacier Park on the Going to the Sun road. An rv will almost surely be too big. So then you'd need a rental car or take one of the tours across the park. I haven't been to Banff for a while but I don't think you'd want to drive a big rv there either.
Glacier to Banff is likely 5 hours give or take an hour. Gas is more expensive in Canada. Well everything is more expensive here.

We camp in a tent so I'd love to try out an rv.

Not sure where you're coming from but if you're driving maybe you could rent an rv near Glacier for a few days then drive your car to Banff and rent an rv there for a few days.

 

[QT Pooh]

We actually rented a 30 foot Class A RV in 2005. We flew out to Denver, then took 2 weeks to tour Colorado, Utah, New Mexico and Arizona. We had an awesome time. The kids were 12 and 10. Unfortunately, it IS very expensive. I'll list the pros and cons of RV rental IMO:

Pros:
1) The family time is priceless
2) We could sleep all 4 people comfortably and in their own beds
3) We met some great people while camping
4) We saw a lot of great places

Cons:
1) The price - aside from the vehicle price there is a charge for convenience kits (blankets & stuff), kitchen kits (plates, silverware), you're allowed 100 miles per day free and so much free generator time...other than that you get charged, separate insurance, campground fees, gas, food. I believe we spent about $5000 for that two weeks and that didn't include the park admissions and other stuff we did.
2) Your home is also your vehicle (which meant unhooking your hoses/electricity when you wanted to go somewhere and securing everything in the camper)
3) The bathroom is very small
4) You have to learn how to drive it and maneuver it in places that may not be designed for vehicles that large (we went to the Gila Cliff Dwellings in New Mexico - up really tight switchbacks - white knuckled all the way)
5) You do all the cooking and cleaning
6) Adult private time was difficult

I am very glad we did it...but we will not do it again. Now when we want the same type of experience, we rent an SUV, bring all our camping stuff, and stay in the KOA cabins or hotels.

 

[PIERCEDRN]

We just got back from a trip to alaska, where the worst hotels are 120 a night and a car rental is $500/wk, and rented a 2011 32 foot slide out motorhome for $107 a night on an "odds and ends" special from Great Alaskan Holidays. Much nicer than the crappy hotels and cost $750 for the week (50% off).
We could never have afforded the trip if not for the RV deal.
I hope that with some research and luck you can find a comparable deal. If you are travelling with kids, it is the best way to go with bathroom breaks.
FYI I was pricing some hybrid trailers in my area, that can be pulled by an SUV, and they can be had for about $5000 used and would sell for the same price after you went on your trip. Its a risk if you cant find a buyer but it could be really cheap trip if all goes well.
BOB

 

[MrsPete]

I own my own RV (25' trailer) and there are definitely some upsides to RV travel. First and foremost is food.

When we started planning our cross-country drive, food was one of the reasons we wanted to rent an RV . . . but then we thought about cooking breakfast, lunch, and dinner every night on vacation, and that was one more nail in the RV vacation trip's coffin.

 

[disneyfan55]

Well we have done the cross country trip (from NJ) 6 times. Three were when the children were young (86, 88 and 89) The other 3 in 2003, 2004 and 2005. These were all staying in motels/hotels and bringing some food snacks etc. We visited many national parks and found bringing food came in handy both for cost and variety. Well, in 2005, I injured my back (during the crosscountry trip in northern Montana) and cannot sit for long periods of time. We wanted to continue to make cross country trips and looked into renting an RV in 2006, well the price was very high and with milage and all the gas costs we did not do it. We did look into purchasing a small travel trailer( my husband has a truck to tow with) We did buy it for about 4000 more than the rental would have costed and now still have it!! It was a left over 2005 that we bought in 2006. It's fun but a lot of work as others have said. There are pro cons to the RV vs a trailer as well. If staying a few nights at each location, not that bad with the trailer since you unhitch and use the other vehicle. If only an RV, you have to drive it everywhere and many NP roads cannot fit one.