Questions about renting a camper

[parmtoo]

We are considering renting a camper for a trip to FW the first week of March 2014. We had our own camper (5th wheel) for years, but no longer have it, and miss camping at the fort terribly.
My question is, do those of you who rent bring everything from home? Or do you go grocery shopping in Orlando? We are a family of 5, me, DD25, DD23, & 2 DGS's both 5. I'll be driving my Taurus, and space is kind of limited.
Also, is there anything NOT in the rental that would have the trip easier? Thanks in advance

 

[queenofthehive]

I am thinking of renting a camper next year too. I plan on bringing the items that don't need refrigeration and ordering from Garden Grocer for the cold stuff. I don't want to spend my precious vacation time in the grocery store plus I don't have everyone adding extra stuff in the cart... I have never stayed in a rv or camped before so I am interested in what advice folks share on what is handy to bring and such. The rv rentals seem to provide the basics (pot, pans, sheets etc..). It is the odd stuff that an unseasoned camper would never think to bring until they are there. Thanks in advance.

 

[parmtoo]

You'll love camping! It's a very different way to vacation, and I find it much more relaxing. FW is an awesome place to have your first experience!
When we had our own camper, I had everything I needed in there, so my problem is, I'm not really sure what's in the rentals, and I'd like to avoid any trips off to Walmart if at all possible

 

[Readerbug]

What will be included depends upon the rental company. Do you have a specific one in mind? We just returned from a trip made more streamlined, comfortable and simple because we did rent- a pop up- and that experience taught us a lot about our future buying needs. Our experience with Fort Camper Rental was all positive. They supplied towels, bedding, cleaning and basic cooking supplies, even left us customized games and movies.

Basics are often included, but keep in mind, they are not personalized to your camping style or needs. If the rv is basically a bed and you are just there for eating, stuff like size and type of cooking equip. won't matter so much. If it is nice weather, or you aren't spending much time at your site, tarps/ez ups for outdoor living space won't matter as much.

When you have your plans set, List what you think you will need. Go through the camper packing thread here, add what makes sense from other's lists, then take a look at the rental company "what's included list" and subtract what they provide. Then subtract what won't fit in your packing I think we all tend to bring too much...:But by all means, rent or no, just go !

 

[parmtoo]

Thanks readerbug!

I haven't picked the rental company yet, but seriously considering a pop up! Did the one you rented have a bathroom? I'm not sure we could do without one, as we have two 5 year olds in our family. But haven't decided on much of anything yet. I'm so excited!!!!

 

[Readerbug]

This is from the company site: "Please Note...None of our Pop Ups *have bathroom facilities as the Comfort Stations at the Fort are exceptional."

We have one and a half "little kids" left, DH made it mandatory to wake our 5 yr old after a long day for a bathroom visit before tucking in, but we have plenty of siblings to accompany. DH did worry about a chance hit on someone else's mattress, so 5yr old slept with a protective pad underneath,

The kids' independent visit, like a lot of FW campground experiences, was a great independence/self esteem booster for our 5 and 9 yr old. We did have to go check on them a few times, only to find them making faces in the large low mirrors, or checking out the bird life painted on the tiles.

You may have a site like we did, right next to a comfort station, or the light night and early morning walks...which don'nt need to be far...just becomes another piece of special time-together parent time. (laid back talk, skip and-discover, chasing squirrels or lizards, squealing over cute site decor, anticipating with the bbq or bacon smells...). Saw and heard a lot of that when there...to a kid, it's part of the good time.

On the other hand, there are other companies That provide bathrooms that you might go with. I emailed Greenburgrvflorida.com about thier TT rentals and had a nice interchange before settling where we did. Quite a few other good places, too. That 's good for us!

 

[Sundancer330]

We rented a trailer from greenbergrvflorida.com this past march. Matt the owner was great to work with, he has a great web site that shows the various size trailers he has available and pricing. The trailers come with the basics in the kitchen, pots and pans, coffee maker, cups, plates, silverware. Also had bath towels and bed linens. The trailer we had included an outside kitchen which included a second frig, stove, microwave and sink. We would get up make some coffee and make breakfast outside and enjoy the quiet morning at the fort. We ordered some basic groceries from Garden Grocer and they delivered the next morning nice and early. Since this was vacation we didnt plan on doing much cooking, we just made breakfast and a few lunches.

 

[MattFromPA]

We had a great experience with Fort Camper Rental. Everything was basically perfect, and we had them buy cold groceries ahead of time. Everything was 100% setup and running when we arrived, including the A/C!

We may be a little extreme, but we brought a suitcase full of dry food, and an RV porta-potti (surprisingly easy to pack when taken apart). It was vital for our daughter (still working on potty training), and frankly for the grown-ups for middle-of-the-night use. My wife isn't a fan of walking to the comfort station at 3 AM for some reason.

You'll have to rely on the vendor to let you know what isn't included in the rental, but again Fort Camper Rental thought of everything.

 

[disnic75]

We rented a very nice travel trailer from Greenberg last week. It had every kitchen item you may need including a crock pot. The owners, Matt and Anita, were very helpful.

 

[bama_ed]

We are considering renting a camper for a trip to FW the first week of March 2014. We had our own camper (5th wheel) for years, but no longer have it, and miss camping at the fort terribly.
My question is, do those of you who rent bring everything from home? Or do you go grocery shopping in Orlando? We are a family of 5, me, DD25, DD23, & 2 DGS's both 5. I'll be driving my Taurus, and space is kind of limited.
Also, is there anything NOT in the rental that would have the trip easier? Thanks in advance

There are several grocery stores within 15 minutes of the Fort (Wal-Mart, Publix, Winn Dixie, etc). So don't fill the car with stuff you can get close by. Just plan on making a run to the grocery store once you get to the Fort (budget 90 minutes to include to/from).

Bama Ed

 

[TieDyeMickey101]

Hi, I recently rented a trailer from Greenberg Trailer and it turned into a nightmare. I would strongly recommend staying away from them

 

[parmtoo]

Thanks for all the info! I THINK we decided on a pop up rental. It less costly and don't plan to be in the camper except for sleep. We are all getting very excited about this trip to FW

 

[OnlyDisney]

Hi, I recently rented a trailer from Greenberg Trailer and it turned into a nightmare. I would strongly recommend staying away from them

Can you explain what happened please?

 

[wdwpoohbear]

Fort Camper Rental is very good. They set everything up for you and have several Disney themed pop-ups and supply your basic needs like towels, bedding, pillows, plastic plates, bowls, & glasses, silverware, basic cleaning needs, assorted pots and pans for cooking, as well as the propane needed. Check out their website which is the name of the company with .com after it. Hope this helps!!

 

[parmtoo]

Thanks! I've been looking at that site. They are very reasonable. We looked at larger campers on other rental sites, but have decided to go with the popup. Only slightly concerned about not having a bathroom for the two 5 yr olds. Going to request a site close to the bathhouse.
Thanks for all the replays!

 

[bama_ed]

Can you explain what happened please?

If I remember her post correctly, her issue was with how her deposit was treated after the trip. She brought a dog along which apparently left hair on the furniture, etc and some/all of the deposit was used for cleaning and not refunded.

Of course as you asked, OnlyDisney, TyeDye is welcome to correct or expand on the situation but since it's been over a week without a response, I chipped in with what I remembered.

Obviously, if you want to bring a pet to a rental trailer, you might want to ask additional clarifying questions about their pet policy.

Bama Ed

 

[Jaylens Papa]

There's an app called RV Checklist. It works great for me. It gives you guidlines. Check them against what the rental has.
It has lists for things to check before you leave and setting up when you get there. Also inside things such as pots and pans, coffee pot, food items. Checklists for hygene items, electronics, chargers etc. it's pretty usefull.