I am going to do something I've always wanted to do...rent a motorhome and drive to see family, at the Christmas season.

I will be renting from Richmond VA and driving to points such as Charleston SC and Fort Myers FL.

Points to ponder...
1. KOA? Best places to hang out?
2. Absent an official campground, where do you park and sleep?
3. Would you take a 50 pound dog? Taking her would be so much fun, and also save a lot of coin on boarding or house sitting fees.
4. Length -- two people, one dog...just want to be sensible. We are both a bit noisy in our ageing years and might appreciate two bunks.
5. Securing a Sig -- how would you?
6. Other?

Thirty-footer. E450 chassis. Queen in back and full above cab. Dawg, hell yes! Get used to the sanitation. Dedicated gloves and even a pair of overalls and rubber boots is a good thing. Dump stations and propane are all over the place, once you know what to look for.

Most rest stops have RV parking. From there, ask other RV'ers. Motels once in a while or not.

Sig? You'll figure it out. There are nooks all over the place.

Thirty-foot sounds big but really isn't. Here is a 30' RV next to a small sandstone hill, for perspective:

Watch the height of anything you drive under.

For getting from point A to B along I-75 from Florida to Michigan and back, we've stayed at KOAs and other campgrounds. My wife looks up reviews when we get close to where we feel like stopping for the night. We haven't had a bad experience yet.

I'd bring the dog.

Bicycles, to.

When looking for places to stay for a while, we tend to state park campgrounds as they are usually cheaper. This requires advanced planning, again my wife's department. In Florida, state parks can be booked 11 months out and believe me, people are on at midnight doing it. Lots of snowbirds migrating to Florida, competition is fierce.

We have a spot in Anastasia State Park near St. Augustine booked for spring break. Gamble Rogers State Park south of Flagler Beach has ocean front campsites. There's quite a few nearby state parks that have hiking and kayaking. One has the oldest oak tree in Florida, the Fairchild Oak. Fort Desoto is a county park in St. Petersburg that's really nice.

Size is going to depend somewhat on what is available to rent. I'd look at them and then make the decision, but 30' for two adults and a dog should be plenty.

Since you're renting instead of buying right away, it sounds like someone has already given you some pretty good advice. Happy trails!

Read their price list carefully and plan what to bring to prevent being nickle and dimed to the tune of hundreds of dollars. For example, the places I looked at charged for silverware, plates, glasses, sheets, pillows, blankets, towels, etc.

Another one at the rental counter is their over priced insurance. When I lived in Alaska, I had State Farm and they'd give me a 14 day rv rider for free.

Then, there is the usually a $100+ cleaning fee if it isn’t returned better than you received it so video your receipt condition, bring your own cleaning supplies, and budget time for cleaning before returning.

quote:

Originally posted by 4MUL8R:
I am going to do something I've always wanted to do...rent a motorhome and drive to see family, at the Christmas season.

Playing Cousin Eddie! Solid Play!

[QUOTE]Originally posted by tatortodd:
Read their price list carefully and plan what to bring to prevent being nickle and dimed to the tune of hundreds of dollars. For example, the places I looked at charged for silverware, plates, glasses, sheets, pillows, blankets, towels, etc./QUOTE]

Add generator hours to this list if the rv is equiped with one.

[QUOTE]Originally posted by SpinZone:
[QUOTE]Originally posted by tatortodd:
Read their price list carefully and plan what to bring to prevent being nickle and dimed to the tune of hundreds of dollars. For example, the places I looked at charged for silverware, plates, glasses, sheets, pillows, blankets, towels, etc./QUOTE]

Add generator hours to this list if the rv is equiped with one.[/QUOTE

Look at the daily mileage limits and the charges above per mile

I noticed this last spring when I was considering renting an RV

Check size and license requirements for where you'll be driving.

Every year during Burning Man the Nevada highway guys pull over RVs and find drivers without the appropriate license for the size of their RV. They sit roadside until a qualified driver shows up.

There are no special licensing requirements in VA for operating an RV.

Commercial driver's license requirements do not apply to:

Operators of emergency vehicles, such as firefighters
Active duty military personnel operating military vehicles
Operators of vehicles, such as recreational vehicles and rental moving vans, used only for personal use.

Make sure it is good to go.
Back in the early seventies took small child and wife and dog in one.
Trip from hell,gas tank cracked in Missouri,got dog sick patching it with some shit from auto parts place.
The trip on well till we were on Bear too pass and camped .Damn heater went out.
Snow on ground and dog walk with fresh bear paws tracks everywhere.[only had a model s/w37]
Tires in Colorado springs ad front alignment thingy .Oh and that heater hose thingy.
Glad to finally get back home and turn that sucker in.
It was a dodge winnabago pos
I forgot the gas refrigerator thingy,went out every time I drove it and we had to continually buy new food

I don't believe any state requires more than a regular driver's license for an RV under 26,000 pounds. The E-450 chassis most rental type RVs use is rated for 14,500 pounds.

Here is the list of who requires what license. Many states don't require anything special for RVs.

http://rvmiles.com/rv-drivers-license-requirements/

Walmart is a Favorite place for motorhomes to stop and spend the night. .Also all Cabela and Pro Bass have places to stop..
I think RV are exempt from CDL in all states. You can drive a 60 ft RV bus pulling a 30' boat and not need a CDL because it is not a commercial vehicle.

Thanks for all the instructive commentary. I'm working on a KOA campground search and found several en route. Surprised at the prices on some.

I'll look at state parks next.

I hope to call the local RV rental place soon. Work is so crazy, I can't even get a moment to myself in my own office.

 
Carry a DMM and check the electrical hookup you are going to use. Using a GFCI breaker inline with your electrical line is not a bad idea either. Some campgrounds are said to have miswired hookups. I always used a water filter for my hose hookup.
 

KOA campgrounds are usually some of the highest prices in my experience.

My wife and daughter just rented a 25'class C and drove in Northern Calf. for a week.
They rented from Cruise America.
No problems, Cruise America was good to go.
My wife monitored the rental rate for about 2 weeks. It would fluctuate by the hour.She noted the lowest rate and jumped on it when she spotted it on the web site.
Make sure you do a very detailed inspection BEFORE you leave the rental lot!

What about joining a RV discount service, like Passport America? Rates are supposedly less, but you may not get the best campsites.