[Heartnsoul]

Hubby and i are thinking of renting an rv out west and traveling the parks. Has anyone ever done this?? Don't even know where to start?? Is it costly?? Fun? Worth it?? It's either this or rent a car and travel around?? Would like to hear from those who have done this recently with recommendations

[Sleeper]

We've traveled in the west via RV...it's the best way to see the "big" west including the national parks. We owned but rentals are popular via Denver or Salt Lake. I'd start with a few user forums similar to this site.

RV.Net RV and Camping Forum ? RV, Trailer, Camper, Motorhome, Camping and Campground Information
iRV2 Forum | - RV Forum Community and RV News

Good site to plan where to stay:
RV Park Reviews :: Home
Tons of blogs out there of folks doing all sorts of RV travels this is one of my favorites...young couple traveling full-time in an RV. They visit a lot of interesting places.
Gone With the Wynns
Happy travels.

[Midvale]

2 years ago I traveled for 6 weeks in my little motorhome by myself from Rochester, New York 1st through the midwest and St. Louis and then out through South Dakota into Wyoming. I found it is much nicer traveling after Labor Day: less traffic and no problems finding a site w/o reservations.

Stay at Bad Lands National Park and Devils Tower if you get the chance.

(last year traveled 8 weeks down through Arkansas, Texas, Louisiana.)

[Heartnsoul]

yes Bad Lands and Devils Tower are a must.!! Just another question. I'm a little frightened staying in them. Are they safe?? Can people break into easily?? We'd have a rental one of course. Not looking to buy with price of gas these days.

[jimbo2012]

The rv parks/camps are safe, many simply park if in rush at Walmart Flying J's and Cracker Barrel, for a brief overnite.

Never park over nite in hwy rest stop

Having said that I do carry a 12 Gauge shot gun, just because

[gomoho]

My best advice to you is rent locally for a few short trips - there is a HUGE learning curve in both driving and operating an RV. We bought a 38' class A motorhome and were foolish enough to think you just get in and go. Forunately someone advised us to get use to the thing before you take off for sights unknown - some of the best advice we ever followed. That being said you will have the time of your life and meet some of the nicest people in the world. Campgrounds have the reputation for friendly, helpful folks and I'm sure you'll find that to be true. Enjoy!

[chuckinca]

Originally Posted by Heartnsoul

Hubby and i are thinking of renting an rv out west and traveling the parks. Has anyone ever done this?? Don't even know where to start?? Is it costly?? Fun? Worth it?? It's either this or rent a car and travel around?? Would like to hear from those who have done this recently with recommendations

If it's only the two of you, a "Class C" of about 25' length would work fine and you wouldn't have to worry about driving a monster motor home your first time in an RV.

(CruiseAmerica has a one way Class C rental from their factory near Chicago O'Hare to Denver, San Francisco or Seattle with 4 weeks use at $29/nite and 150 miles per day, about 4,500 miles, free of mileage charges).
http://www.cruiseamerica.com/rent/hot_deals/#
.

[BogeyBoy]

Originally Posted by chuckinca

If it's only the two of you, a "Class C" of about 25' length would work fine and you wouldn't have to worry about driving a monster motor home your first time in an RV.

(CruiseAmerica has a one way Class C rental from their factory near Chicago O'Hare to Denver, San Francisco or Seattle with 4 weeks use at $29/nite and 150 miles per day, about 4,500 miles, free of mileage charges).
Cruise America: RV Rental Hot Deals
.

We've seen a lot of the Cruise America RV's as we travel around the US. They are a convenient way to get around, small enough that you can get in and out of National Parks easily, and you won't feel uncomfortable on busy roadways or driving in city traffic.

There is a little to learn if you have never used a RV - hooking up the electric, water, sewer, etc. Also effectively draining the holding tanks, there is a method.

The downside - you have to pack up everything daily as this is your only vehicle. Loose objects have a way of flying around and breaking. You will be somewhat limited on space, both roominess and places to stow your gear.

The upside - you will enjoy the outdoors more than in a motel. There are a lot of nice campgrounds both state/federal and private. There are a lot of very nice people and it is usually very easy to strike up a conversation - we often will take note of someone's license plate and ask about their home state.

RVing is fun on many levels. From the smallest pop-up tent camper to large motorhomes everyone seems to be enjoying the lifestyle (yes, it is like The Villages, a lifestyle of it's own.) Our daughter has a small travel trailer and they have a blast. We have got to the point where I think we'd miss the HD TV, washer/dryer, dishwasher, king bed, and tons of storage area our diesel pusher offers. (Gotta have the golf clubs, kayaks, bikes, etc., etc. when we hit the road.) Of course, we're gone for months at a time - it's all a matter of choice.

[Heartnsoul]

sounds all great. what about idea of towing a small car to get into the towns etc?? is that necessary?? how do we go about doing all this?? the inexperienced Rv ers

[gomoho]

Yes you can tow a small car, but you car needs to be equipped for towing - or there is the option of putting it on a trailer, but not sure a rental would allow this.

[dgammon6]

Our last trip in our RV before we sold it was out West for 3 1/2 months an awesome trip we will never forget. I would advise having a tow vehicle to get around. It's nice to find a park and spend a few days there and use your car to explore the area. A tow dolly is best suited if you plan to rent an RV. You would need a front wheel drive auto. I agree with the above posts, taking a couple of short trips will help you get familiar with the operations of the RV and will pay off with a great trip.
Have fun, you'll find we live in a magnificent country.

[chuckinca]

Towing a car is expensive if you don't RV often. If you are in a 35 - 40 ft Class A motor home it is just about required because of the size of the RV. In a smaller 25 - 30 ft Class C, it's an inconvenience not having a car but not a necessity because the smaller RV is easier to move around than the Class A's.

.

[nrmwrn11]

Do you really want to fiddle with sewer lines, H20(sometimes questionable)lines, 'lectric (do you have the right fitting?) and cable for an hour each time youj move? I delivered new motor homes for a few years, what an expensive way to travel!!!!

[Xavier]

Originally Posted by nrmwrn11

Do you really want to fiddle with sewer lines, H20(sometimes questionable)lines, 'lectric (do you have the right fitting?) and cable for an hour each time youj move? I delivered new motor homes for a few years, what an expensive way to travel!!!!

We have traveled/vacationed in a motor home since 1983. 30 years! After retirement, we lived in a motor home for 10 years - 24 hours a day/7 days a week/365 days a year. We absolutely LOVE the lifestyle. When we bought into The Villages we really weren't ready to give up the road completely, but it was a good time to buy. Now we love both. We spend about 7-8 months a year in our Villages home and 4-5 months a year in our motor home - The BEST of both worlds. We don't make it work when we travel. When traveling, we seldom travel more than 250 miles on any given day. We don't travel every day. We don't try to see everything in any area. We figure we'll be back some day. We usually don't hit the road before 9 AM and we're usually off the road by 4 PM. We always stop at a campground and NEVER spend the night in truck stops, Wal-Marts or Rest Areas. We started out in a 23 food class C in 1983 and have worked our way up to 43 foot Class A Diesel Pusher. We flat tow our Saturn Aura behind the motor home. Unless you are an unconverted hyper personality, you should LOVE the experience.

We are headed to the Great Northwest this Summer. Maybe we'll meet you on the road. You'd love the National Parks in Utah.

Xavier

[JAV0108]

My hubby and I are traveling west starting the end of May and traveling the perimeter of the U.S. in our SUV. We are ending our trip in PA heading back down to FL and not traveling the NE until another time. We plan to be gone 8 weeks, but are open to longer if necessary. We did the math, and RV'ing is so much more expensive than hotel/motels so we decided to use our SUV. I think RV'ing would be more fun but one has to do what one has to do expense wise! We do have several friends and family that we will be visiting on the way so it won't be all motels. Hope you have a great trip and enjoy every minute of it. I am so looking forward to ours.