Fibonacci

This vaca kind of snuck up on me. My wife's parents are getting up in years and want to spend 'quality' vacations with us, so we're renting a '36 foot RV for a family vacation for 10 days the first of July and heading out to Yellowstone. Just realized that I really have no clue about how anything on the darn thing operates.

Anybody have any experience?

Are they easy to drive?

How much water do they typically hold? (not enough for eight people to take daily showers I presume).

Anything unexpected I should prepare for?

This could be a lot of fun, or it could be hell on wheels - I'm hoping for the former.

JLatimer

I cant help too much, but I can warn you - sometimes they charge for the extras - ie. charge by the hour if you use the generator.

From what I have seen, they are easy to drive forward, mostly because visibility is good. Without a camera, they could be pretty tough to backup, especially if you are not the kind of driver can backup with only mirrors. My neighbour owned one and he went from driving a little civic to a big RV with ease.

I think as long as you get along with your inlaws it could be a blast - for everyone except the driver... I plan on doing it sometime.

Fibonacci

Gee, thanks for the insight.

iTimmy

Most basic RV's are easy to figure out, since this is a rental RV it would make sense to keep it simple(cheap). The big luxury ones are difficult to operate and figure out in less then a week, they have tons of options available which can be very difficult to learn. Just use common sense, take it easy while driving and you'll be fine.

Ashburner

I rented a 36' dolphin a few years back for 7 days. My wife, my friend, and his new g/f came along. We drove from Sacramento to the coast all the way up to Oregon. It was absolutely awesome. We camped on the Ocean, in the Redwoods, along rivers and lakes.

Driving it was like driving a big truck. You get used to it after a while although it can be nerve racking on the narrow twisties and in town. You have to watch your blindspots carefully.

We paid to camp a couple of times and that gave us the opportunity to fill up with fresh water and dump any grey water. I think a 36' only has about a 100 gallon tank so you will probably have to fill up. Use of the generator usually costs about $2/hour although if your staying in a campground, you usually have to have it off at 8:00pm or you'll piss everyone off. The motorhome will run everything on batteries for(not at the same time) at least for a couple more hours- enough time to watch a DVD or play some boardgames.

Mileage is the biggest kicker when renting an Motorhome. Most people/companies give you 100 miles a day as part of the deal. Each additional mile is 50 cents to $1. With a 36', expect to get 7-9 mpg (gas engine), 10-14 mpg (diesel). Gas gets expensive real fast. Make the women make sammiches while you drive. This will save money. Also, Walmart will be your friend as we somehow found ourselves at one almost everyday.

Depending on how much you are willing to pay, you can rent a really nice motorhome- a 36' can have a diesel, 3 slides, a plasma TV and real time satellite tracking TV and internet. These are $$$- Usually 2,800+/week. We rented ours from a nice older couple (private party). We found them on the internet and paid $1,200 for the week. The motorhome was a couple of years old but in very nice condition. Everything is included with the rental- dishes, silverware, linens, ect...

When you return the motorhome, it has be cleaned. If it's a private party, I suggest you clean it immaculately if you ever want to use it again. Plan at least a half day for this when you get back. The couple we rented from were very nice and even let us take it a day early.

Finally, you will most like need insurance coverage to rent a Class A motorhome. You can get the insurance just for a week or 2 and from what I remember, it wasn't too expensive.

We had the time of our lives and I can't wait until my kids are old enough so we can enjoy it again.

BTW, you may go insane in a 36' with 8 people. They usually only sleep 4-6 and even if you can fit 8 in, you guys are going to be at each other throats by the end of the trip. Nevertheless, it will be memorable.

I hope this helps... let me know if you have any questions. I surf RV sites too when I'm not here.

-Ash