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Old 12-12-2015, 02:50 PM
 
Location: South Carolina
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we will be traveling from sc to florida to see my grandkids in about 8/9 month from now and we were thinking about renting a small motorhome for a week and would like any tips about motorhome travel this will be our first time .
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Old 12-12-2015, 08:40 PM
 
Location: We_tside PNW (Columbia Gorge) / CO / SA TX / Thailand
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Watch your clearances (overhead, width, tail swing)

Consider a Class B (Camper van). They are really ez (park / go anywhere a car goes, ez to 'stealthcamp', cheap to operate and NICE for road trips.

You will be paying dearly for mileage, so I would just buy a Roadtrek (very ez to resell)

Motorhomes can be pretty BIG (maybe what you want?). but, they are not a car (you need to plan your trip / destination, transportation at destination. ) You cannot LIVE in a Class B (as a couple... fine (tight) for one person)
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Old 12-13-2015, 04:17 AM
 
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Much depends upon why you want to use a "motorhome" for this one-week trip.

If you're seeking the convenience of having the onboard facilities in your travels, then a Class C rental will be the most likely available. These are bigger than a Class B (such as a Roadtrek) and require a bit more care in driving and parking for clearance. A Class C will typically not get the fuel economy of a Class B. The trade-off is the larger interior space with dedicated areas for your use; ie, a bed area that is a full-time bed area, not your dinette/table area that you have to convert for use. You'll also have a dedicated Bathroom area rather than the small area around a flush toilet in the Class B with a possibility of a shower stall ... in a Roadtrek, the shower stall is a shower curtain drawn out from the toilet area to surround an area over a floor drain in the middle of the van. You'll typically also have a larger refrigerator, storage space, kitchen cooking/food prep space, dining/table space, tankage (propane, fresh water, and grey/blackwater storage) and living space in a Class C.

If your priority is simply comfortable accommodations for a week's travel instead of using a car/motels/restaurants and you're not experienced campers, you'll likely find that a Class C is a more accessible RV. Keep in mind that it will come at a price for your freedom and comforts that may not necessarily be less expensive than motels & restaurants when you're traveling by a car that gets good fuel mileage. With a Class C, you'll more likely want to overnight in an RV campground ... which could be anything from an RV park (think KOA's or comparable facilities with plug-in hook-ups for power, water & sewer) to fed/state/local campgrounds where you can "camp". The campgrounds may/may not have RV hook-ups, and dump stations. Keep in mind that you will pay for your overnight RV parking, whether it's a RV campground or a public lands campground, there are fees which can easily run into the mid-$20/night to somewhat higher per night. The only way you avoid overnight fees is to "stealth camp" in places which run the gamut from a Wal-Mart parking lot (is that where you want to stay on your vacation trip?) to public lands where you simply park for the night to roadside parking places (I use interstate "rest stops" out here in the Western USA, but these may not be a viable option for you in the SE USA). "Stealth Camping" comes at it's own costs, too ... you have to plan out the logistics of this use, such as where you'll get potable water for the tankage, where you'll find a dump station, and so forth. Essentially, you're trading your time and convenience freedom for dollars spent at an RV accommodation in your travels.

I'd differ with the above poster re buying an RV for a one-week trip. He (and I) is an experienced traveler (and repairman) with decades of RV'ing and knows what works for him and what doesn't in his travels. But the overall financial commitment in buying, licensing, insuring, and the risks of purchasing a used RV in what may be less than roadworthy condition for the vehicle and RV equipment don't make sense for a first-time RV road trip of one week's duration. And then you're still stuck with selling the RV in a timely manner after your trip ... even where a Roadtrek is a good seller (and there's a very active market in the SE USA), you'll not likely break even on a one-week use of it. No more than the likelihood of buying a used car for a one-week trip, licensing, insuring, repairing ... and then selling it at the end of the week travels makes sense compared to renting it for a week's use. Keep in mind that if something breaks in the RV while you've got it for that week's travels ... you get to fix it if you're an owner, while if it's a rental RV, it's somebody else's responsibility.

If the intent of this rental is to see if RV'ing works for you, then by all means rent something that looks nice to you and try it out. At least you'll then have a week's practical experience to know what works ... and doesn't ... for your travels in the future, and you'll have some experience with the financial aspects of RV'ing. Don't expect that a limited use per year RV will be a financial advantage over other means of travels. The justification for the RV expense is found in other benefits which may or may not be a value to you.

Last edited by sunsprit; 12-13-2015 at 04:52 AM..
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Old 12-13-2015, 06:12 PM
 
11,181 posts, read 10,505,530 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by phonelady61 View Post
we will be traveling from sc to florida to see my grandkids in about 8/9 month from now and we were thinking about renting a small motorhome for a week and would like any tips about motorhome travel this will be our first time .
SC to FL means you'll likely make the drive in a day and not spend overnight on the road??
So is the purpose of a motorhome to have a place to stay while visiting them?
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Old 12-13-2015, 06:43 PM
 
Location: Richmond VA
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Sounds like fun!
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Old 12-14-2015, 10:35 AM
 
Location: South Carolina
14,785 posts, read 24,019,525 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by biscuitmom View Post
SC to FL means you'll likely make the drive in a day and not spend overnight on the road??
So is the purpose of a motorhome to have a place to stay while visiting them?
yes because their house is not big enough for us and the two chis . we don't want to inconvience them either .
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Old 12-14-2015, 12:38 PM
 
Location: The Triad
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Quote:
Originally Posted by phonelady61 View Post
yes because their house is not big enough for us and the two chis .
we don't want to inconvenience them either .
Do they have a convenient place to PARK the rig?
How about water and electrical hook ups? (sewage dump can wait a week)

With the short distance... I'd drive down there so as to have my car with me...
and then renting the rig once you're in FL.

I'd also suggest renting an extended stay or an efficiency motel room for the visit week.
ValuePlace Inns have the best rates. http://www.valueplace.com/
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Old 12-15-2015, 10:10 AM
 
11,550 posts, read 53,054,760 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by phonelady61 View Post
yes because their house is not big enough for us and the two chis . we don't want to inconvience them either .
then highly unlikely that a Class B RV would be comfortable for your stay, and a Class C would be the minimum I'd want for a week.

but, as posted above ... given the logistics of a stay at a residence with an RV ... your overall trip costs would likely be more efficient driving your car to the destination area if there is an extended stay hotel in the area near your destination.

In any event, driving the short distance and renting an RV nearby would make a lot more sense than racking up the miles (and fuel expense) to drive the RV from home to your destination.
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Old 12-15-2015, 10:12 AM
 
Location: We_tside PNW (Columbia Gorge) / CO / SA TX / Thailand
34,661 posts, read 57,789,143 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by phonelady61 View Post
yes because their house is not big enough for us and the two chis . we don't want to inconvience them either .
there is always the Guest home route... ($10/ night worldwide) Several choices of clubs / directories if you are over age 50
Hospitality exchange - Wikitravel

Or home exchange / house / pet sitting.

I was under the impression you were exploring transitioning to traveling via MH. (as a regular venue)
Granted it is really nice to travel via MH (Refrig / bed / couch / shower / bath / mobile motel room)

Likely Too expensive for a MH trip + 'camping' at a location for a week+, For a road trip the mileage caps are often too low, and you end up paying a lot of extra fees.

With the current bargains on low airfares ($40 - $89) you can't buy much gas. I usually get a priceline / hotwire car for $12 / day. + $10 / night in guesthome. Your meals will probably be taken care of, but the guesthomes usually provide 1-2 meals if needed.
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Old 12-15-2015, 12:58 PM
 
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Time you pay campground fees and the rental cost of the rv you will find out real quick you can stay in a very nice hotel cheaper
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