Why Now Is The Perfect Time To Plan An RV Trip
What Makes an RV a Great Choice?
Most all of our plans for the near future have been cancelled. We’re staying at home. We’re working from home. For many of us, this give us more free time than we’ve ever had before.
Now is the perfect time to start planning your RVing vacation for so many reasons…
- Daydreaming about an awesome vacation is a great way to occupy your mind right now
- If you’ve been obeying social distancing guidelines, it’s likely you may have been watching too much news, have some extra time on your hands and need a mental break.
- Imagining all of the places you’d like to go, remembering what’s on your bucket list and checking you calendar months ahead from now is not a bad way to treat yourself to break.
If you’re looking for a different type of vacation, one where you can skip the usual travel hassles and stay safer this summer, maybe it’s time you give RVing a try. While most people are worrying about shifting flights and returning rental cars, taking a vacation in an RV means you can un-cancel your vacation plans and avoid common travel hassles.
RVs are typically in high demand
If you’re planning an RV trip for one of these prime rental weekends, you’ll want to book months in advance. If you’re not convinced that many people rent RVs in the summer, here are the numbers: There are approximately 200,000 RVs for rent available in the U.S. and the number of Google searches for RV rentals is around 10 million every month.
Many RV owners don’t accept last minute rentals. Often times, they set limits as to the number of days before check-in they are willing to rent an RV. For example, if you want to start your RV trip next weekend, the cut-off to have your reservation made is often 3-4 days prior to the start date of the trip. Not all RV owners have this rule, but many do.
So many RV options…
You’ll want to spend some time figuring out what type of RV you need for your trip.
Booking an RV for rent is not the same as booking a hotel or AirBnB. There are so many more options to choose from when it comes to the type of trip you want to take. There are luxury, Class A RVs that sleep over 8 people. Another type of luxury RV is the Class B, which is more compact, with many of the same amenities, but easier to drive and maneuver. You can rent a Class C RV, that is smaller than a Class A yet provides the at-home amenities people look for in an RV.
If you don’t want to deal with driving an RV, you can have one delivered to your campsite or any location. This way, you can drive to your spot and meet your RV delivered and set-up for you. This is very convenient for trips where you want to have a car to get around, sight-see or just go to the store without having to pack up your RV before heading out.
Travel trailers are a great RV choice for delivery because they typically offer you more space than a drivable RV of the same length. This is because the space in drivable RVs used for the cab and engine is now available for sleeping, dining, extra storage space, among other features.
The best road trips are well-planned out and allow for flexibility
If you’ve always dreamed of going on a road trip in an RV, now is the time to map your route plan your stops, places you want to see along the way and where you want to stay.
There are a few general guidelines when you’re planning a road trip in an RV. If possible, try to plan your RV trip such that you drive less than 300 miles a day. Keep in mind that driving an RV is a bit slower than a car, so you’ll want to allocate more time per mile.
Then, you’ll want to do your best to try and get where you’re planning to stay the night by 3pm. This is so that you can see where you are staying and set up your RV camping spot before dark.
Most experienced RVers will tell you that it’s best not to over schedule your RV trip with things to do and places to see. The best RV trips are those that allow for some flexibility. That way, if you love the place you’re staying, you could stay and extra day. Or, if you see something on the way that wasn’t on your list, you have the time to stop and check it out.
If you want to go on a longer road trip, make sure you build in an extra day on the front and back of your trip in case of any issues on the road or extra stops you want to make.
RV Resorts and Campgrounds are less busy right now and able to provide better service
With the number of cancellations everyone experienced due to the Coronavirus, you’re likely to be able to get a friendly person on the phone to answer all of the questions you might have about their RV park or campground.
Typically, the best, most popular campgrounds and RV resorts book up by February for the spring and summer months. If you try to find a camping spot or RV spot in Florida for a spring break trip during the months of March or April, you’ll want to book your spot by January.
For summer trips, since RVing is so popular, you’ll want to book both your RV and your RV space by March. This year is a bit different with the cancellations due to the Coronavirus, but it’s not a bad idea to at least start doing the research on the type of RV you want to rent and where you want to stay, especially for a trip your plans months from now.
Choosing the RV you want to rent is one step in planning your RV trip
When you begin the process of planning your RV trip, you’ll want to start by asking yourself a few questions:
- Where do I want to go? If you live more than 600 miles from where you want to go, you may want to drive there and meet your RV instead of renting an RV and driving 1200 there and back.
- What do I want to do when I get there? If you want to drive around to a lot of places sight-seeing, you may want to consider either meeting your RV at the location where you want to stay so that you have your car. Or, you could also rent a smaller RV like a Class B or a Campervan so that you can get around easier.
- Who is going on the trip with me? If you’re planning a trip with a group of 4 or more, you’ll likely want to rent a larger RV like a Class A or Class C. If you’re having your RV delivered to a campsite or at an event, you can rent a travel trailer, which can provide for ample space for everyone. If you’re planning a trip with just you and another person, you may want to consider a smaller Class C RV or a Class B.
If the place you’re headed has restrooms and showers, you can rent a Campervan, which often times provides a kitchenette and space for sleeping but does not include a shower or bathroom.
You don’t have to go far to get away
No matter where you live in the U.S., you can find an RV to rent. Whether you want to visit someplace in your state or take a longer trip, you don’t necessarily need to go very far. Driving an RV usually is a bit slower than in a car, which means you likely won’t mind if you’re only driving 100 miles or less to your RV campsite.
If you live near an RV resort, campground, National Park or State Park, you’ll want to call them or check their website to see whether they are open right now or what their plans are for upcoming availability. Depending on where you live in the U.S., the State may have different policies in place.
National Parks have made park entrance completely free, so that people aren’t gathered at entrances to pay to enter. Overnight stays are not currently allowed, so you’ll have to find a campground nearby.
If you’re on an RV trip and you find that for some reason you don’t have a place to park your RV overnight, you can always park in a Walmart parking lot for free. It’s among the most well-known RV hacks. However, you’ll likely not get the same experience as you would in an RV park or campground.
It’s time to do some fun, dreamy research
Now that you know all of the ins and outs about why now is the time to start planning an RV trip, it’s time to get started. Here are some valuable resources to help you plan your RV trip:
- RVnGO – Thousands of RVs to search from all across the U.S.
- RVLife – A great site with campgrounds and RV parks all across the U.S. with photos and details.
- National Park Service – The U.S. Government’s wonderful resource for everything related to visiting a National Park. Also, check out any State’s Park website to find additional locations to stay, hike and experience the outdoors.
Many people find easier to travel and stay in a contained environment like an RV right now. And even if it’s a short trip, trying something new, when the time is right to get away safely, RVing is definitely a great option.