RV travel offers togetherness for families
An RV trip can be a family bonding experience. Credit: AP / Johnson & Wales University
Rent an RV, hit the road and save gobs of money on your next vacation?
Maybe not, even some advocates concede.
"You could probably pack four people in a car, eat at restaurants, stay in hotels, and I imagine it's about the same cost," says Chuck Woodbury, editor of RVTravel.com, a consumer website offering tips and tricks for RVers. But consider the intangibles.
"The real advantage of the RV is that the family's together, and you can cook and eat healthy meals," Woodbury says. "There's something about being in a little house that's very appealing. Sitting around a campfire at night is a lot more fun than sitting around a hotel room and watching TV."
Pauline Frommer, creator of the Pauline Frommer's Travel Guides series for budget travelers, said she was won over by her first family RV trip last year. (And, yes, "we probably spent exactly what we would have spent if we went on a car road trip," she added.)
But why spend more than you need to? Here are tips from Woodbury and Frommer on how to save.
RENT THE RIGHT SIZE Many people overestimate what they need. Frommer's family of four rented a 30-foot RV, but in Sedona, Ariz., she said, "we realized we couldn't drive it to a trail head. It was too big to park anywhere. So we turned out having to rent another car." Next time, they'll rent a smaller unit or even a pop-up camping trailer, which Woodbury said often rents for a fourth of what a regular RV costs.
SCOUT OUT FREE OR LOW-COST PARKING Popular spots can be costly during high season. Many private and national forest campgrounds charge less than $25 a night. Woodbury says cheaper spots don't come with hookups or may just have water and electricity. Consider doing without for a night or two - rely more on battery power and siphon waste into a dump station. You can park free on some public lands, he added, and said that many Walmarts will let you pull into their lots and spend the night - not exactly a nature experience, but OK in a pinch.
VACATION OFF-SEASON By avoiding summer, the peak time for RV rentals in most places, you'll pay less. Cruise America , which claims to be North America's largest RV rental company, was recently giving 25 percent off rentals between Sept. 10 and Dec. 15.
GRAB A ONE-WAY SPECIAL Rental companies sometimes need to move their inventory around, and if you help them, you can get "incredible deals," Woodbury says.
