Renting an RV

A

Austin_Horn

100+ Posts
Never done it....would be taking 6 of us (2 adults, 4 kids) to the Grand Canyon from Austin....any words of wisdom?

Standard (23-25') vs. Large (28-30')? etc
 
From my point of view, it wasn't very beneficial to rent an RV. Tbe cost was significantly more than a hotel, and that doesn't even include gas money. Of course if you are one of those people that doesn't really make plans, and vacations by the seat of your pants then an RV might makes sense. This is assuming you're talking about a motorhome. If you intend to rent a trailer then it might be different.
 
CruiseAmerica charges a base rate, plus .32 per mile. That's a **** ton of money for your trip.

My recommendation would be to rent a van (an Astro gets good mileage, and has plenty of room for 6 and gear) with unlimited mileage and do the motel thing. I just did this for my Big Sur trip. You can still pack your coolers and do the sandwich for lunch thing while on the road, and everybody will be much more comfortable in a real bed at night after a hot shower. As a wise man once posted on a hornfans RV thread; "shitter's full".
 
here's a random googleweb search for an outfit in Dallas The Link

they start at 1200 per week, with some free miles and a mileage charge after that.
 
Unless you are used to driving a big vehicle (semi comes to mind), one of the larger RV's can get pretty scary on narrow mountain roads. I agree with the van and motel suggestion. I've done it both ways - driving my folk's motorhome and driving it in a van, and I much preferred the van.

If you are determined to use an RV, the .32 per mile problem can be helped by flying, or renting a van for the majority of the drive. Get to Salt Lake City, Vegas, or even Phoenix and then rent your RV there.

You think you are getting more comfort and moving around room by driving all that way in an RV, but it is dangerous to have people moving around in the back (especially kids) while you are driving.

A Texas Monthly contributor (Gary Cartwright?) years ago talked about driving almost that far west in a Suburban, and how comfortable that was. Great advice.
 
OTOH, when Brock Edwards' dad, Buddy (IIRC, helluva nice guy anyway) pulled up next to our Holiday Bowl tailgate in a completely pimped-out luxury coach, we were all in awe. Especially when the side compartment opened to reveal the giant flat screen.
 
My brother rented an RV once to take his family camping in Colorado. He said he brought the thing back in better condition than they got it and the rental place charged them extra for cleaning because they felt he didn't clean it thoroughly enough. He was pretty pissed. He found out later that this happened to some other friends of friends and that it is a fairly common practice.
 
Another suggestion is to drive in a regular vehicle most of the way, rent an RV for the middle part of the trip so the mostly hw miles part is not charged at RV rental rates.

You can probably store your regular vehicle at the RV rental spot.(if arranged in advance)

Ask lots of questions.
 
The Athletic Department has gone to great lengths and research to find ways to screw up the parking and tailgating for home games. Their diligence and hard work have paid off.
 
The grand canyon athletic department?
wink.gif
 
I would suggest renting the Griswald vacation series for research purposes.
It's a handful to drive something that large, I once had one. People do get out of your way when you turn on the signal and start sticking your head out of the window and craning your neck, which is a plus. Once you've knocked a couple of highway signs and service station awnings down, you start to get the hang of it.
 
I would recommend getting the largest RV that you can reasonably afford, especially if you will be sleeping in it every night.
 
I'll start by saying that I own a 29 foot class C that I purchased used. We are a family of four and have put 15,000 miles on it in three years.

As others have said, mileage charges can be very high.

One way rental can be a better option. The bigger companies offer the discounts to reposition their fleet for various reasons.

Look Here for discounts

In general, the class 'A' bus style will have more room and be better appointed; however, I enjoy the simplicity of the class 'C' (van chassis with a cab over the driver).

You will probably want at least 27 feet and be mindful of managing the kids stuff. This is where the cramped quarters can get difficult.

Before you rent, I would do some 'shopping' at some RV dealers to get a better understanding of what the layouts look like. A couch that can sleep 'two' may only sleep one for your family. The double in the back of mine can easily sleep two adults + a kid if needed (but not desirable). Also, drive one. It can be intimidating. It was for me at first. The education from shopping will probably help you make a decision if this is something you want to do.

Feel free to PM or repost with more questions.
 
If you’re gonna rent an RV just to see if you like it….do it for a local trip. Otherwise, you’re better off staying in hotels. I’m a frequent RVer (25’ pull behind) and love it. I travel all over the US and stay at State & National Parks or military campgrounds for about $15-20/night. Private places like KOA are expensive and they pack you in pretty tight.

For the Grand Canyon I stay at Futhill in Flagstaff but it’s ran by the Air Force and restricted to military. If you head further west, Lake Mead National has some decent Campgrounds close to Hoover dam. Also, there are plenty of state parks in NM for your first stop. If you like Santa Fe try Hyde Memorial State Park….if you prefer lakes try the state parks at Navajo, Heron, or Elephant Butte lakes.
 
my folks took their travel trailer to Vegas. Campground area in town wanted something like fifty bucks a night. Meanwhile, hotel rooms were available for 40.
 
One thing to keep in mind is that you don't just show up at 10:00 a.m. and hope to be on the road at 10:30. They put you through a whole checkout process to make sure you know what you are doing and don't destroy their vehicle.
 
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