Tag: cruise america

If you are exploring travel options, try renting an RV to see if it’s the right fit.

We first experienced RVs quite by accident. I was researching a trip to Walt Disney World and was floored by Disney hotel prices. I noticed there was a campground on Disney property and began clicking through the site. I realized that people drove their RVs down and stayed at Fort Wilderness for a fraction of the hotel cost. I was talking to my mom one night and I wondered aloud, “Can you rent an RV?” She had no idea, so I took it upon myself to start researching. I couldn’t believe it when I discovered that there was a Cruise America about two miles from our house.

I mentioned the idea of renting RVs to Mike and to my surprise, he told me that his Grandma had a Fleetwood Bounder back in the 1980s and drove him and his cousins to Florida in it one summer.

Since Mike had some experience with RVs, half the battle was won. Plus, Mike is a very hands-on kind of guy. No task is too big for him and he likes challenges. If something is broke, he’ll fix it. Driving an RV and all of its tasks (because there are a lot of them) did not daunt him.

The next weekend, Mike and I visited Cruise America. They confirmed the pricing from the website and we signed the dotted line: We were renting a 32 foot RV with a at the very beginning of March, destination Florida.

We picked up the RV two nights before we were leaving, which also happened to be the coldest February 28th in the record books. Preparing was near impossible; I had no idea what to pack or what we needed outside of our own necessities. I did my best and of course, it does not at all resemble what I pack now in our own RV, but we still survived!

Our first night we stopped in Tennessee, right outside of Nashville and I remember laying the dark and hearing the trucks whizzing past on I-24 thinking, “What in the world are we doing?” The rest, as they say, is history. We were hooked. During the entire drive home, I kept teasing Mike that we should look into buying an RV. He thought I was joking. Little did he know that a few short months later, Bessie would roll into our lives!

How much does it cost to rent an RV?

Renting turned out to be the best way for us to get our feet wet, but we bit off kind of a lot by heading down to Disney World. You can easily rent an RV and not travel halfway across the United States.

There are a few costs to consider. First, there is a daily fee based on the type of RV you are renting, as well as a mileage fee. We rented a class C and incurred an $80 per day fee and a 35 cent mileage fee. We also had a damage deposit we paid up front, but if you take care of the RV (and empty the gray and black water tanks properly), it is refunded upon return. We travelled roughly 1220 miles to Disney World over 9 days and spent roughly $1500 on the RV itself. This did not include gas nor the cost of the campground, which obviously is a separate cost.

You can price one yourself at Cruise America.

Is it hard to drive an RV?

Mike is the driver in our family and is one of the loudest backseat drivers I know. Of course, I would share the driving load, but he prefers to drive while I take care of everything else that is going on during the drive — the kids, snacks, meals, turning things on and off, securing vents, and navigating. I drive Bessie to check-ups to get her oil changed and for maintenance and yes, it’s different than driving a car, but not impossible to handle.

Prior to renting, Mike never drove a class C RV, but he watched a few videos and practiced driving a bus simulation video game on his computer (I swear this is true), which he claimed helped him immensely. So if you aren’t fearful of highways and generally enjoy driving, you will have no problem.

Are rented RVs dirty?

Am I the only person with this question? I admittedly have a little OCD when it comes to dirt and grime, so I worried night after night about the cleanliness of the RV. To my surprise and absolute utter delight, the RV we rented was brand-spanking new.

It was only driven from California and it still had tape on the toilet seat. When we ran the heater the first night, the vents reeked of that new heater burn (which caused a little alarm). Lucky for me, I can’t really comment on other rented RVs because we totally lucked out!

What is supplied with a rented RV?

Nothing! I think this question deserves a separate post because packing in a rented RV is hard for newbies — trust me, I was there!

In general, you need to supply every single item yourself, including bed linens, pillows, dishes, garbage bags, dish soap, napkins…you get the picture!

It’s the journey, not the destination.

Renting an RV is easy, not too costly, and a great way to experiment. Personally, I love having a house on wheels with food, a toilet, and a bed at my constant disposal, but then again, I’m not a fly-by-the-seat-of-my-pants kind of girl. If you’re toying with the idea of Rving, keep in mind that it takes a lot more time to travel in an RV versus an airplane. RVing requires you to enjoy the journey as much as the destination. And we sure do!

Now it’s time for you to get out there and let the rubber hit the road!