What to look for in an RV?

[MarBee]

I’m debating renting an RV this summer and doing some road tripping with my family. We have never done anything like this. I’m wondering if you could give me some pointers/tips on what I should be looking for in an RV. It would be DH, myself, and our 2 kids aged 8&9.
We are looking to rent the RV to avoid hotels right now, so obviously we need a bathroom, beds, and someplace to store and cook food. We also need it to be cold as I’m miserable when I’m hot, especially when I sleep.
I was thinking this was the right place to ask about this. Any tips, pointers, advice welcome! Thank you in advance!

 

[bama_ed]

Hi MarBee.

I have a camper of course but when I camp, especially at the Fort, I see Class C rv's that are rented by Cruise America.

https://www.cruiseamerica.com/

One or both of the kids might think it's cool to sleep up in the bed space over the cab.

It's driveable so you have to plan ahead a little if you want to unplug it to drive for a loaf of bread or use Uber.

And instead of making hotel reservations you'd be making campground reservations (state park, corps of engineers, KOA, other). You can bring sheets/towels from home or they have a rental package I'm sure.

Never done it but always wanted to.

Hope this gets you started on your research.

Bama Ed

PS - there is sort of an AirBnB for rv's also. outdoorsy.com in the RV section

 

[Uncledave54]

You can bring sheets/towels from home or they have a rental package I'm sure.

We've rented several times in the past.
Linens, pots and pans, cooking utensils, even soaps except laundry detergent were included.

 

[MarBee]

Hi MarBee.

I have a camper of course but when I camp, especially at the Fort, I see Class C rv's that are rented by Cruise America.

https://www.cruiseamerica.com/

One or both of the kids might think it's cool to sleep up in the bed space over the cab.

It's driveable so you have to plan ahead a little if you want to unplug it to drive for a loaf of bread or use Uber.

And instead of making hotel reservations you'd be making campground reservations (state park, corps of engineers, KOA, other). You can bring sheets/towels from home or they have a rental package I'm sure.

Never done it but always wanted to.

Hope this gets you started on your research.

Bama Ed

PS - there is sort of an AirBnB for rv's also. outdoorsy.com in the RV section

Thanks Baka Ed! I think we are definitely going to go class C wherever we go because we’ve never driven one before. Looks like they’re the easiest to drive from what I can tell.

 

[morrik5]

Class C's are by far the best for families IMO. We had one when our kids were young and it easily slept a minimum of 4 people without pulling out sofas or breaking down the dinette. Our Class A on the other hand requires you to get pretty tight inside when you have to pull out the sleeper sofa and put down the dinette (when we are travelling with our daughter, SIL and 2 grandkids) or just to pull out the sleeper if it's our adult son coming with us. Great choice - rent first and then you'll know for sure if you chose the right model.

 

[Teamubr]

I'll 2nd and 3rd Cruise America and renting a Class C. Cs are great "all around" RVs. They are also more "familiar" to drive since they are built on a van chassis. A REALLY big van chassis, but still they feel more drive-able than a Class A.

Don't worry about staying cool in the summer. Nearly all campers have A/C units that will cool the space. The larger RVs have 2 A/C units for those of us that camp in 98 degrees and 98% humidity.

One other thing to make sure you include in you planning is mapping out where you want to go and get campground reservations. Many state park, COE (corps of engineers) and national park campgrounds book out months in advance, especially on the weekends. There are many private campgrounds too, but they are typically more expensive and the amenities can vary quite a bit.

Planning and using the internet is your friend.

Let us know where you are considering going to. I'm sure there is someone on here that has been there before and can give recommendations on where to stay and what to do.

j

 

[chartle]

One thing to keep in mind is that there are reports that sales and rentals of RVs are thru the roof so availability of RVs to rent maybe low and even as RVs sales have generally been growing over the past years campgrounds haven't been.

Growing up as we traveled we usually just winged in fact our trip to WDW in 75 was probably the first time we ever had to make a reservation. So plan accordingly.

 

[John VN]

Good advice given regarding a Class C rental. EXACTLY what we did first time, DW + DD + DS and me. Then bought new C as first RV with 2 A's following.

TIP when dumping holding tanks -- After hooking up dump hose make sure to check for leaks with a slight gray tank valve opening and closing. Doing this will prevent and accidental black tank mess if there is a leak.

 

[MarBee]

Thanks everyone! Great advice here! We are traveling from the Philly area of PA and looking to end up in Yellowstone. I’m thinking of “swinging past” Mount Rushmore, and we are totally open to any places or tips anyone whose gone this way may want to give.
You guys are awesome! Thanks again!

 

[Stratman50th]

Thanks everyone! Great advice here! We are traveling from the Philly area of PA and looking to end up in Yellowstone. I’m thinking of “swinging past” Mount Rushmore, and we are totally open to any places or tips anyone whose gone this way may want to give.
You guys are awesome! Thanks again!

Wow, sounds like a great trip! We did it as teens (1976) starting in Maryland. We didn't camp though. That trip has really fond memories for me. Probably my favorite. My wife and I are planning the same trip when we retire. Difference being we have our own MH to use.
Please let us know how the planning is going, then do a travel log of your trip.

 

[MarBee]

One other question- has anyone ever rented from RV Share? It seems like there’s better pricing than Cruise America, but I wanted to see if there was anything I should be wary of.

 

[team bradfield]

Thanks everyone! Great advice here! We are traveling from the Philly area of PA and looking to end up in Yellowstone. I’m thinking of “swinging past” Mount Rushmore, and we are totally open to any places or tips anyone whose gone this way may want to give.
You guys are awesome! Thanks again!

Yellowstone is a great trip, along the way, we stay at White River KOA, Interior SD, right in the heart of the Badlands NP. Custer State Park, just south of Mt. Rushmore, large herds of Bison, Bighorn Sheep and spectacular Hiking, take the wildlife loop. at Yellowstone we stay at Rocky Mountain RV park, its right at the North Entrance to the Park, Gardnier MT see picture below. that was our site, looking at Yellowstone

 

[mrsbs0701]

Hi, sounds like a great idea. We love Ft. Wilderness. Renting a golf cart is really important for us also. Saves a lot of time. You drive it to the front to catch a bus to a park and there is a place to plug it in while you are gone. Same with going to the marina for a boat to MK or to catch the monorail or for the restaurants. We have had everything from a "slide in" camper to pull trailers, 5th wheel and a 36' motor coach. When we retired we spent 10 months in our "coach" traveling around. Although you may not spend much time watching TV while at WDW, with small children a bit of TV time will be important I'm sure. Watching about things at WDW while you make breakfast etc. The placement of the TV is very important. I don't care to sit on a couch and have to look sideways and up to see the TV. The campsites are in a lot of shade so any air cond should be fine. If you want me to I could give you tips about waste water and other mechanical things. Message me at mrsbs0701@gmail.com.
A fan, like maybe a "box fan" can really help for white noise to sleep.
You should think about a space really close to a "comfort station" so you can all go shower etc at the same time. If you take your turns in the RV you also have to add in time for the water heater to recover. You can not wash dishes (ugh on vacation) when someone wants to shower.
The buffet at Trails End is fantastic and the best priced on property. Breakfast and dinner. The to go part is good too. Mom or Dad jumps in the golf cart and goes to get breakfast while the rest of you get dressed. I'm sure you will have a great time. Have the kids really watch for animals. One trip we had an armadillo nest at the edge of our site.
I could go on and on. Please continue your research, it WILL pay off. Good Luck, Beverly