Thinking about doing that for a vacation sometime in the future and I’d like some opinions from anyone who has done something like that.
Has anyone here rented a motorhome and traveled to the national parks out west?
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chargervert
Well-Known Member
Plan on bringing the car trailer too,you cannot go out west and not bring back a car!
Sending a PM....
I’ve lived in the west for a long time. We still find new national parks that are just great to visit. Can’t go wrong with Az, Sierra Nevadas in Ca and even New Mexico.
The rental RV’s cost about the same as a hotel room so that is that. And don’t go too big on the rental as most NP’s have a length limit 32 foot is very common.
The rental RV’s cost about the same as a hotel room so that is that. And don’t go too big on the rental as most NP’s have a length limit 32 foot is very common.
Rebelrouser
Well-Known Member
I have a slide-in camper for my truck that I take when racing and we do camping trips in it as well. Several years ago, we did Yellowstone, the Grand Tetons, and Arches National parks, super vacation. My main advice is plan ahead and reserve campsites especially in Yellowstone. I found that my slide-in camper really worked well because being smaller it gave us access to better campsites, many of the big motorhomes and trailers were just parked in open fields. I got a site in the woods overlooking Yellowstone Lake. I took the camper off and then had the truck free to drive around, parking at the attractions in the park gets pretty wild sometimes, especially for people that had bigger rigs. If you have never been to Yellowstone, I highly recommend you go, really a beautiful place. Plan your days in the park, hit the popular stops like Old Faithful early in the morning, and the park is huge, driving will take up more time than you think, people stop often to take pictures and about 45mph is speed limit. One reason we stayed at Bridge Bay Campground was that it is in the middle of the park, so we planned a four day stay splitting the park into four sections. Want to go back again someday.
XS22J8R
Well-Known Member
I think they’re a lot more than a hotel room, unless you’re talking a hotel room in manhattan or London or the like.
I’ve never done it, but a pilot I knew rented one 7 or 8 years ago to take his family to the Oshkosh air show for a week.
He rented one from a big outfit for RV rentals. I don’t recall the name offhand, but see their RVs on the highway often. Their RVs are camper bodies on a Ford cutaway van chassis.
He said rental was $500 a day, must be more now.
At any rate, even if it sounds expensive, it’s probably a lot cheaper than owning an RV. Unless you’re one of those people like a lot of snowbirds here who have a nice RV they drive or tow to Florida or Texas and live in it full time for 3-4 months every winter!
wahya
Well-Known Member
Yeah, smaller is better unless you are towing something to get around in. I never rented a camper but have talked to people that have and observed. I’ve seen a lot of people from other countries, mainly from Europe, that have to pick up and leave the campsite for the day because they wanted to go see things. There are a lot of cool places that you just can’t go in a motorhome. I have not seen any fifth wheels or travel trailer rentals. Maybe some pop ups.are rentals.
Between our fifth wheels and our motorhome, we have visited 49 states (couldn’t drive to Hawaii) and think that for us, it’s the only way to go.
Between our fifth wheels and our motorhome, we have visited 49 states (couldn’t drive to Hawaii) and think that for us, it’s the only way to go.
Nutso
Well-Known Member
I have taken my camper to several national parks in the southwest. It is amazing…Zion is a great spot for camping. Great Basin National Park is an under the radar park that is very cool. There are incredibly decorated caves there, the tour is phenomenal.
My buddy wrangling his sewer hose after a mishap…
My buddy wrangling his sewer hose after a mishap…
JMHO, I'd rather drive a car, burn a fraction of the amount of fuel & spend that savings on a hotel.... I've driven motorhomes enough to know it's stressful especially when in traffic, very few drivers will give you an opening, you begin to appreciate the crap truck drivers deal with...
Motorhomes are great to spend a few days at the lake, not to tour the country...
Motorhomes are great to spend a few days at the lake, not to tour the country...
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None of the renters in Canada will let you tow a car behind that I know of... check that out if it's part of the plan. I'd buy an older motorhome and resell it when you get back....
And make sure that Submit does the windshield for you..
And make sure that Submit does the windshield for you..
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It would be like driving my tool truck all over again. I did that for almost 3 decades. Camping in the parks would be fun but a motel and some fun restaurants nearby is enjoyable too.
Unkle Krusty
Well-Known Member
Vot Rebelrouser said.
Big units have more room, but may be restricted in some areas of Yellowstone. In fact there are many areas with signs that say, No motorhomes allowed. Then there can be parking issues when you go downtown. We are twenty feet overall, and crowded / full inside. But we have been to many places. We can tow a trailer if we need more junk. There are many rental places in Canada, and many folks from Europe rent units to see BC and Alberta. There are also many cooked brakes from folks that did not slow down for the many down hill runs. Do some pre planning. Bon chance.
I should add. There are many choices. Old camper vans can be found cheap, but they require a lot of work. A slightly bigger unit is a one ton chassis, usually a gas guzzler.
A truck and camper is practical.
A truck and trailer behind is practical.
Bumpy roads make the trailer plan worse.
Big units have more room, but may be restricted in some areas of Yellowstone. In fact there are many areas with signs that say, No motorhomes allowed. Then there can be parking issues when you go downtown. We are twenty feet overall, and crowded / full inside. But we have been to many places. We can tow a trailer if we need more junk. There are many rental places in Canada, and many folks from Europe rent units to see BC and Alberta. There are also many cooked brakes from folks that did not slow down for the many down hill runs. Do some pre planning. Bon chance.
I should add. There are many choices. Old camper vans can be found cheap, but they require a lot of work. A slightly bigger unit is a one ton chassis, usually a gas guzzler.
A truck and camper is practical.
A truck and trailer behind is practical.
Bumpy roads make the trailer plan worse.
Do yourself a favor. Stay at Hamptons or Hotel of your choice. Walk away from dirty towels/sheets, and everything else. Easy parking too. Only way to go. Use the Daytona or other fine ride of your choice. Get a Senior Pass. No way would I **** around looking for campsites etc. Hotels, restaurants, and fine rides. Probably cheaper too. Only way to go.
You may want to see Lake Tahoe. Circle clockwise and there is an app with a tutorial. Couldn’t even fit the 300 in some pull offs. A real cluster. Woulda been screwed with even a 20 footer in some cases.
Virginia City. Forget it. Better plan ahead there.
Other half tried to talk me into it. It’s a young mans game imo. Then there are campsites with kids who **** on the seat only found after a trip thru the poison ivy. I’ll be at the Hilton.
Virginia City. Forget it. Better plan ahead there.
Other half tried to talk me into it. It’s a young mans game imo. Then there are campsites with kids who **** on the seat only found after a trip thru the poison ivy. I’ll be at the Hilton.
Unkle Krusty
Well-Known Member
If you are a pavement basher, big city type, then a car and motel work fine. If you are an outdoorsy type, then a camper, trailer, camper van is the way to go.
There are many fine guides to the camp grounds of Canada and the US. We go to places where the hotels and motels do not exist. Hard to get a cold beer and sand which, if there is not pub or cafe.
Camp grounds average about $50. Some near major tourist places are more. Hotels start around $100 and go sky wood from there. There are no hotels in most of the places we go.
It is easy to plan a route, based on the camp grounds available. There are some roads that are not suitable for any vehicle of a decent quality.
When we were in Eagle Plains way up North, the bar was divided in to groups. Folks with blown tyres, waiting for arrivals, some for a week or more. This was on a variety of vehicles, but mostly small useless tyres, but some jeeps.
The busted bike group. They thought that modern electronics would save their day. They were wrong. This group included the blown tyre mob, that figured less air was better. They were wrong. The busted rider group, centred by Wounded Knee who had a crashed GS1250.
Then there was the happy camper group, with sufficient pick up trucks and campers, the camper van mob like us. We were happy and drinking beer. No problems, no worries, much dust.
In the morning after a good nights sleep in our own bed, food from our on fridge, we were off with minimal fuss.
Later we would be passed by the fast bike and cage mob. They had to take extra time getting started for the day. They also took longer getting settled in for the night. At our destination, the Arctic Ocean, we stayed overnight, because we could. Others had to turn around, due to the lack of accommodation. The camper van allows you to stop and snooze, most anywhere, including the Arctic Ocean.
There are many fine guides to the camp grounds of Canada and the US. We go to places where the hotels and motels do not exist. Hard to get a cold beer and sand which, if there is not pub or cafe.
Camp grounds average about $50. Some near major tourist places are more. Hotels start around $100 and go sky wood from there. There are no hotels in most of the places we go.
It is easy to plan a route, based on the camp grounds available. There are some roads that are not suitable for any vehicle of a decent quality.
When we were in Eagle Plains way up North, the bar was divided in to groups. Folks with blown tyres, waiting for arrivals, some for a week or more. This was on a variety of vehicles, but mostly small useless tyres, but some jeeps.
The busted bike group. They thought that modern electronics would save their day. They were wrong. This group included the blown tyre mob, that figured less air was better. They were wrong. The busted rider group, centred by Wounded Knee who had a crashed GS1250.
Then there was the happy camper group, with sufficient pick up trucks and campers, the camper van mob like us. We were happy and drinking beer. No problems, no worries, much dust.
In the morning after a good nights sleep in our own bed, food from our on fridge, we were off with minimal fuss.
Later we would be passed by the fast bike and cage mob. They had to take extra time getting started for the day. They also took longer getting settled in for the night. At our destination, the Arctic Ocean, we stayed overnight, because we could. Others had to turn around, due to the lack of accommodation. The camper van allows you to stop and snooze, most anywhere, including the Arctic Ocean.
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