RV rental question.

[usewickhouse]

Okay we have made our FW ressie and have been looking into RV rental companies and would like to know if anyone has used any of the commercial rental companies like CA. I'm not sure if I am allowed to use their name but they have sites all over America. They have a pick up site in Orlando/Kissimmee which would be very convienent for us. They are running a Spring special for the dates that we would be traveling that would give us 15% off per night which is a very nice savings. Before I bite the bullet and make the reservation I would love any and all advice/info you experts can give.

We want to rent to see how we like the experience. We have stayed at the value, mods and deluxe onsite at WDW. We love staying onsite but hate leaving our 4 legged family member home every time we want to go away. It is getting harder to get a pet sitter and since I grew up camping it occurred to me that my family might like it. My DH has only tent camped so I think he would love camping in an RV or TT. We have stayed at FW in a cabin as well as with friends in their 5th wheel and had a great time.

So basically this would be our, try it to see if we like it without buying it yet process. If we buy it will be a TT due to not wanting the added expense of keeping up another vehicle/engine/insurance. I have no idea about this but assumme that a TT is cheaper to maintain than an RV? Thanks in advance for the help!

 

[Rhonda]

I can't answer your question... but yes, you are allowed to mention company names here on the DIS! As long as you're not promoting your own personal company (because then you would need to be an official sponsor). We love to hear other people's experiences with companies and get ideas!

 

[auntie]

Hi..you might want to check out this thread..might find it helpful.

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1675144

If you're interested you can get in touch with Tina at

http://www.fslawncare.com/rv/content/index.asp

 

[disney4dan]

Be forewarned, DW and I took the 3 kids on a trip out west where we rented an RV (at 29 foot travel trailer) and a tow vehicle (full size Dodge 3/4 ton with a Cummins turbo diesel) for a vacation of a lifetime through the mountains of Utah, into Wyoming for Grand Tetons and Yellowstone. We were hooked in the first hour. Our trip was in August and we bought our first used TT in November of that year and have not looked back. Boy, do I miss that Dodge CTD tow vehicle. Anyhoo....

I think you will enjoy the trip, and rental is a great way to get started. See what you like and dislike about the rental rig, then spend some time at some RV shows and you will be amazed at the options.

We spent the first 15 years of our marriage mostly with hotel vacations and never really thought of ourselves as campers (we were both raised in families that did camp, from tent camping to pop-ups to travel trailers).

If you are seriously considering a future purchase of a trailer, then you might want to rent a trailer instead of a motorhome. The layout will be very different, and most have a queen size bedroom layout with bunks at the other end of the trailer for the kids (there are also many trailers that are geared more towards couples that have a living room area with more space).

We enjoy the ability to leave the TT behind at a campsite and travel around the vacation destination in the truck with more ease than taking a Motorhome around. However, you can tow some pretty good size vehicles behind motorhomes as well.

 

[usewickhouse]

Thanks for the warining!! We have been talking about buying some kind of camper for years so this is our first step towards doing that. We are planning on going to the big RV show in a couple of weeks to get some info on whats out there. We originally wanted a POP-UP but we are really leaning towards a lite weight TT. The only problem is we have a mini-van and will have to commit to giving up better gas mileage for a vehichle that can tow.

 

[bxtx]

We did something similar to you when we first moved to the US. We flew into Las Vegas and rented a Class C Motorhome (around 29') from CruiseAmerica, and hit Zion, Bryce, north & south Grand Canyon and back to LV in a 2 week period. We only had 1 child then and it worked well. We've also done a similar trip to San Diego and hit Yosemite, Kings Canyon, and Monterey etc, again only with one child.

I agree with the previous poster that its much easier with your own vehicle to get out and about once you are at your destination. In fact, we rented a small car as well when we were in CA.

We now have our own Travel Trailer which we tow with an Expedition. I love it! To me, there is more room in the trailer, and more freedom once you arrive. However you are limited to where you are prepared to tow it to... if we were to go far away from home, I would probably fly and rent once there again.

Good luck!

BX

 

[auntie]

We rented in campgrounds closer to home also..many of them have "on site" trailer rentals. It's a good way to find out what you like, and what you don't in a trailer. Gives you a good feel for RV'ing before you make your own investment. We rented with a slide out unit, and without...and knew for sure we wanted that extra space that the slide out provides for the those times when it may be rainy and you are spending more time inside than you might have planned. Whether you rent an RV to be brought to the site in FW or you bring a rented motor home, staying in the regular FW camping loops is sure to be a great experience.

 

[Disneymom1220]

As you know I am renting from Tina in April. We are also excited to see how we like "camping life" as I think it might be a really good way to go for our family. Cruise America seemed to offer good options as well but they didn't have setup included. Since we hadn't camped before, I was really nervous about having to park and set up an RV, especially one I didn't own!

I know I have already shared the extent of my RV rental knowledge with you, but keep us posted on what you decide. Hopefully you'll find the right fit for everyone in your family (both 2 legged and 4 legged!).

 

[usewickhouse]

I am fairly certain that we are going to rent from CA. Part of the reason is my 2 DD's want to "drive" in the RV. They love the movie RV and every time we watch it they ask to take a trip in an RV. I need to take the time to call them and ask a few questions as well as do some more research on the company. I also need to look further into the option you are going with. They may also be an alternative for us but CA has a Spring Special and I think the price was lower than the private owener. I will have to look into that again. Thanks again for all your info and advice. Here's hoping that both our families have a vacation to remember! Becky

 

[disney4dan]

Good luck with the trip, we saw lots of CA rentals in the Tetons and Yellowstone area, and became friendly with a family from Italy who spent 3 weeks in theirs. They were very happy with it.

If you are considering a purchase sometime soon, and if you are looking to a TT set up, we seriously considered an ultra light weight for our mini van due to the passenger comfort for the kids. What we found was, the combination of gear and passengers quickly took up any towing capacity beyond the weight of the smallest trailers. We also owned a pickup truck and decided to tow with that instead and sacrifice some on passenger comfort. We also found that the way our minivan was set up for stow and go seats in the rear meant that the tow hitch set up would sometimes drag on the ground.

Also, re fuel economy - the Dodge diesel rental that we used out west was averaging better than 21 mpg when not towing the trailer, around 15 when towing, and it was a 4-door vehicle with plent of leg room for our teenage son. There are lots of good posts to review on RV.net for comparison of vehicles, trailers, etc.

 

[usewickhouse]

disney4dan...thanks for the info! I will look into that website. My DH works for a Dodge/Chrysler/Jeep dealership so I'm sure it will not be hard to "twist" his are in to making a trade. I just hate to give up my mini van. It is so comfy and has so much room we can seat 7 nicely.