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I am thinking of renting a RV to go on a family (4) trip to Acadia national park from Raleigh, NC, have no experience with RV. what type of RV should we rent for 4 of us 2 adults and 2 kids. How much does it cost to rent for a week ? Please share your experience if you rented a RV
Location: We_tside PNW (Columbia Gorge) / CO / SA TX / Thailand
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Doubt there are too many 'renters' of RV's on this forum...
I would suggest a mid sized Class C for comfort and convenience (All can sleep inside)
Class B Van = 2 will sleep outside in tent, but price will be similar to C and availability less for Class B.
I was planning to start a RV class B (Van) rental company, and what I found...
Mileage charges are very high
Daily charges are not so high
Lots of RV's get damaged (larger vehicle than driver is used to, heavier, more chance of damage).
RV's are not a robust as a rental truck (easier to damage / abuse)
Pick-up zones and drop dates and fees are very important.
See if you can get a 'relocation' gig (Transferring a MH to your destination)
Personally... I would buy a used minivan and outfit it for camping and add a dining canopy and take a tent. (New Zealand Style)
~$3000 and you can resell for $3000. Fuel cost will be 1/2 a MH. (I bought my last minivan for $800, worked well for 40,000 miles)
or buy a used VW pop-up camper (Used to be $3000, not $30000) but really fun and you will have LOTS of war stories / memories! (Our kids remember our cross country VW van trips WELL (35 yrs later!) Me too! (not for same reasons... ALWAYS fixing - van for me, and being passed by SLOW U-Haul moving trucks) Poof, the're GONE!
Doubt there are too many 'renters' of RV's on this forum...
I would suggest a mid sized Class C for comfort and convenience (All can sleep inside)
Class B Van = 2 will sleep outside in tent, but price will be similar to C and availability less for Class B.
I was planning to start a RV class B (Van) rental company, and what I found...
Mileage charges are very high
Daily charges are not so high
Lots of RV's get damaged (larger vehicle than driver is used to, heavier, more chance of damage).
RV's are not a robust as a rental truck (easier to damage / abuse)
Pick-up zones and drop dates and fees are very important.
See if you can get a 'relocation' gig (Transferring a MH to your destination)
Personally... I would buy a used minivan and outfit it for camping and add a dining canopy and take a tent. (New Zealand Style)
~$3000 and you can resell for $3000. Fuel cost will be 1/2 a MH. (I bought my last minivan for $800, worked well for 40,000 miles)
or buy a used VW pop-up camper (Used to be $3000, not $30000) but really fun and you will have LOTS of war stories / memories! (Our kids remember our cross country VW van trips WELL (35 yrs later!) Me too! (not for same reasons... ALWAYS fixing - van for me, and being passed by SLOW U-Haul moving trucks) Poof, the're GONE!
I have rented several times in the past. Contact your local RV store and they will likely have a rental program. Floor plans and vehicles will be on line for you to see what works best for you and your family.
Some dealers have their own rentals. Other dealers have customer owned units in their fleets of rental units.
It isn't cheap, but it is a wonderful family adventure.
Costs include the basic rental, plus a cleaning fee, plus a stocking fee (propane) and a dumping fee (waste water). Then there is fuel. A Class C will get less than 10 MPG. Raleigh to Acadia and return that can add up. This late you are not likely to find units available in the Acadia area, if you ever could.
Do not rent a piece of junk with high miles. Get a newer unit which has been well cared for.
When we rent we pick up the unit, get a walk through from the dealer. Take it home and clean it to our standards. Stock it with provisions, linens etc. and the next morning shove off. Plan your trip so you travel, sight see, rest, and eat on a schedule that is comfortable for your family.
Between Raleigh and Acadia there are tons of things to see. Take note that if you travel into NYC ( I would NOT recommend it) there are restrictions on propane in the tunnels. The same may hold true for Boston. Generally you are better off avoiding congested areas as parking, and even driving, is not easy until you become familiar with a bigger vehicle. If you are at all capable you can quickly learn to drive a camper.
It's a great family experience. Way more costly than hotels, but allow greater freedom and flexibility. Especially with children it can be a fun "adventure" and campgrounds, with hook ups, are well equipped with pools, recreational equipment, hiking trails and other activities for children to enjoy.
Start by visiting your local RV dealer. His rental offerings will be on line.
I have rented several times in the past. Contact your local RV store and they will likely have a rental program. Floor plans and vehicles will be on line for you to see what works best for you and your family.
Some dealers have their own rentals. Other dealers have customer owned units in their fleets of rental units.
It isn't cheap, but it is a wonderful family adventure.
Costs include the basic rental, plus a cleaning fee, plus a stocking fee (propane) and a dumping fee (waste water). Then there is fuel. A Class C will get less than 10 MPG. Raleigh to Acadia and return that can add up. This late you are not likely to find units available in the Acadia area, if you ever could.
Do not rent a piece of junk with high miles. Get a newer unit which has been well cared for.
When we rent we pick up the unit, get a walk through from the dealer. Take it home and clean it to our standards. Stock it with provisions, linens etc. and the next morning shove off. Plan your trip so you travel, sight see, rest, and eat on a schedule that is comfortable for your family.
Between Raleigh and Acadia there are tons of things to see. Take note that if you travel into NYC ( I would NOT recommend it) there are restrictions on propane in the tunnels. The same may hold true for Boston. Generally you are better off avoiding congested areas as parking, and even driving, is not easy until you become familiar with a bigger vehicle. If you are at all capable you can quickly learn to drive a camper.
It's a great family experience. Way more costly than hotels, but allow greater freedom and flexibility. Especially with children it can be a fun "adventure" and campgrounds, with hook ups, are well equipped with pools, recreational equipment, hiking trails and other activities for children to enjoy.
Start by visiting your local RV dealer. His rental offerings will be on line.
Since you have no experience, start with a shorter trip like up to the Smokies. There are campgrounds in the National Park as well as private ones in and around Pigeon Forge and Cherokee. There is lots to see and do up there. The National Seashore at Hatteras is also good. There is some quite interesting sightseeing down around Charleston SC.
When you have gained skill and experience then Arcadia is a good trip and then go on up to Nova Scotia. Along the way you can camp in Fundy NP (Canada) and see the amazing tides for which Fundy is famous.
Chatting with other campers, you will learn about lots of places to visit.
You can consider the 'fly/ drive' or even drive a personal or rental car to a RV destination... then rent RV.
Some places with a lot of regional interests (things to see and do) are inexpensive to fly to (Las Vegas / Denver / SLC / LA / Baltimore / Boston / Phoenix / Austin...). As a family we booked Air on Mondays and Fridays in hopes of getting bumped (overbooked) (and we did get bumped several times with travel credits paying well ($1440 EACH on one trip). Bumping is not so common after United incident, so you can no longer count on it. But $100 fares can make it reasonable to fly (budget carriers / no bags / travel light, ship your items ahead)
Renting an RV for 'occasional' use is a great idea vs owning / storing / maintaining / insuring / licensing one. And them trying to clean-up and resell!.
Warning... when with family and RV, don't overbook each day with too many activities / too long of travel distance...
Take your time, enjoy the journey.
Do we need to own a firearm ? Hope the national Parks are safe place to camp in an RV.
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