RV (Recreational Vehicle) is part of the "American Dream" of many people. RV travel is a very good way to return to nature, return to the wild, and relax.

I always have this picture in my memory: On the Olympia Peninsula in Seattle, I parked my RV by the sea, and my companions started to make a fire and cook. Blowing in the breeze, listening to the music, I completely relaxed. Then, I went to the beach to pick up a few dozen fresh oysters and started dinner.

I think this is also the scene that many people yearn for. Unfortunately, most of you did not act. Vatid today brought a special RV guide for novices. We hope that everyone can have a deeper understanding of RV and take action. Have fun together and be crazy!

1. Preface▼

• The RVis not as difficult to drive as you think, so it can be driven by a normal driver's license. However, it also has many differences from the operation of a normal car, so you must do your homework in advance.
• I personally think that the fun of a RV is closer to "camping" rather than "driving". Choose a camp with great scenery, get in touch with nature, eat hot pot with friends and watch the stars. The RV is more exhausting and expensive to drive Oil, for novices, it is not recommended to take a trip that is too far away.
• Because the RV is large, parking is more troublesome. When choosing a travel route, you can either use the RV with a regular vehicle to travel (so that the RV is used for camping, and the regular vehicle is driven out to play), or you can choose one that is not too busy and parking is not troublesome. line.
• RV campsites should consider: natural environment, convenience, RV facilities (water, electricity, launching), and camp facilities (Wifi, bathroom, etc.).
• Choose the RV according to your needs. In addition to comparing prices when booking, you must also pay attention to various terms.

2. Learn about Motorhomes▼

The following picture shows the three most common RVs in the United States. What is the difference between them?

(1) Class A Motorhomes

• The most luxurious and the most spacious RV is usually very long, ranging from more than 30 feet to more than 40 feet. It looks like a bus. Generally, there are independent private rooms and toilets at the rear of the car. Generally there are multiple Slide-out ( That is, it can be panned and expanded after parking, so that the space inside the car becomes larger).

• The disadvantage is that it is big, so driving and parking are a lot of difficulties, and it is expensive and expensive.

• Generally live 4-6 people.

(2) Class C Motorhomes

• The car I rent most often. If Class A looks like a bus, Class C looks more like a carriage behind a pickup truck. The length is generally more than 20 feet to 33 feet. The configuration is generally: a bed at the top of the front and a rear A semi-open room with a seat in the middle of the car, which can be transformed into a bed at night. Basic facilities such as stove, refrigerator, small TV are available, but there is no Class A standard dishwasher, ice machine, high-end audio, etc.

• Usually 4-8 people live. But when there are 8 people, even a relatively long 33-foot car will be a bit crowded. Personal experience, 4 people use 23-26 feet, 6 people use 26-33 feet, add Slide-out that is Yes. It's more fuel-efficient than Class A, but it's still quite expensive-I usually drove at 6-8 miles/gallon, which is 3 times the fuel consumption of ordinary SUVs.

(3)Class B Motorhomes

• The smallest car is more like a modification from Cargo-Van. I have never rented it. This is generally more suitable for two people to travel, the space in the car is very small, and everything is small.

• The advantage is that it is easy to drive and stop. , It is similar to an ordinary commercial car. But personally, Class B is not a real RV.

There are also several options

(4)Jucy Camper.

• The size is smaller than the common Class B, and the rental price is also cheap. You don't even need to park in the RV Site (but finding a place to take a bath is a problem).
• It is most suitable for two people to watch the music festival and walk along Highway 1. good.

(5)Air Stream.

• Equipped with powerful tools, the interior is very luxurious, and the price is not cheap. Generally, pickups or SUVs are required to tow.
• However, I think it is more suitable to search for fixed Airstream housing on Airbnb.

3. 3. Book a car ▼

Car rental site

There are two types of car rental sites: large-scale RV rental companies, and collectives.

There are large-scale companies including El Monte RV, Cruise America, Apollo Motorhome Holidays, etc. These companies have their own cars, so the quality of service is more guaranteed, and the prices are generally slightly more expensive. However, because they also have " The mechanism of "joining", so the service may not always be good. You can check the Review on Yelp before booking the car. These car rental companies usually also have some discounts, such as discounts for booking long in advance, discounts for one-way car returns (usually popular attractions) Between), seasonal discounts, or unlimited mileage, etc.

Collective websites are generally global, and most of the call centers are in Europe. For example, USA RV Rentals, Camper Travel, they do not own a car, but cooperate with many small RV companies, so the price is sometimes very cheap. However, Firstly, it is difficult to determine whether the service is good or not. Secondly, because the partner’s inventory status is not instant, sometimes the next day tells you that the model you want is gone, you have to change one, and then another day, or even more. I don’t Make sure everyone likes this experience, especially the first time.

Other expenses besides car rental fee

Non-refundable Deposit

Generally between $100-$500, there are also full price. If you book a car, but there is no trip afterwards, the money is not refundable.

Refundable Deposit

Generally, it is $1,000, which is paid when the car is picked up. If there is no problem with the car after returning the car, it will be refunded to you.

Mileage

The basic price of most car rental companies will include 100 miles/day of mileage, and the excess will be charged according to the standard ranging from $0.2-$1.2/miles. Some car rental companies will sell you cheaper mileage packages, such as extra 1000 miles is charged at $100 and the like. It is recommended to buy a mileage package after calculating the length of the journey.

Generator Use  

Most basic prices will include 3 hours of generator use time, sometimes unlimited use, sometimes hourly charges. The function of the generator is to convert gasoline into electricity for the car Air-conditioning and other electrical appliances. Generally, you don’t need a generator in the RV camp. Most of the time, 3 hours is enough, except for hot and cold days, because you may need to use air-conditioning.

Mandatory Prep Fee

The cost of preparing the car for you is generally unavoidable.

Insurance

This is indispensable, usually not expensive, tens of dollars a day. But it should be noted that because RV bumps and bumps a lot, so most insurance will have a $1,000 deductable, that is, you have to The car crashed, you have to pay $1,000, and the insurance company will pay the rest.

Personal Kits

Quilts and sheets are generally not available, so go to the supermarket to buy them cheaper.

Kitchen Kits

All kinds of cups, plates, knives and forks, cutting boards, etc., don't buy this by yourself.

Holding Tank Dumping

Almost all car rental companies will require you to drain the drain when you return the car. But if you don’t want to do it by yourself (sometimes there is a little distance from the last stop to the return of the car, you may wash your hands in the toilet or something), This fee can also be paid. Generally less than $100.

Others

Video number, trailer (you may want to use an RV to tow a regular vehicle), tables, chairs, benches, barbecue grills, first aid kits and the like. Buy them on demand.

4. 4. Drive ▼

(1)Pick up the car

Getting an RV is not as fast as getting an ordinary car, because there are more documents to sign, and generally the car rental company will give you a demo of the operation, including the operation in the car, and the operation of the camp. I only need to pay attention to it here. The steps are listed, so I won’t say more about the specific operation method, because someone will talk to you at the scene, and there are too many searches for "how to operate RV" or "how to hook up RV" on Youtube.

• To start the car, switch to P gear before starting the generator.
• How to operate the generator.
• How to check the remaining amount of water tank, two types of water tank, battery, gas.
• How to use kitchen supplies.
• How to use Slide-out.
• How to turn a seat into a bed.
• An introduction to the various storage spaces of the car.
• Connection of water and electricity.
• How to drain the water.

(2)Familiar with the car

This is a step I recommend for novices. Personally, I feel that RV is not difficult to drive, but you need to practice first. Find a place with few people and wide roads, and drive at a lower speed, mainly to feel the difference between turning left and turning right.

(3)Driving car

• It is recommended not to drive too fast, especially when the road is curved, it is dangerous and fuel-consuming. I generally recommend driving at a speed of 65 mph on the highway and driving at a speed of about 60 mph on the rightmost road. At night, driving at about 55 mph.

• If you encounter a problem, the car rental company generally has a 24-hour support phone, just call it directly and ask, sometimes we think that the serious problem is just a small improper operation.

• In addition, when dealing with a car, you must think calmly before acting.

5. Campsite ▼

• How to choose camp facilities
• The first thing to pay attention to is the length of the body and whether there is a Slide-out. If you do not choose to be longer than the body length, or do not consider the Slide-out, the car may not be able to stop. Then the method of entering the car in different RV Sites is different. Some are back in , or they may be Pull Through.

• All campsites have electricity, some RVs use 30 amp electricity, some larger ones use 50 amp electricity, most campsites have 30/50 electricity, and a small part only has 30. Please pay attention before ordering.

• All campsites have water. Most of them can be used to connect to the RV water inlet system through water pipes. Note that many RV water inlet systems (used in the camp) and water tanks (leave the camp) (Used later) are separate, don't forget to fill the water tank when you leave the camp.

Sewer. There are two types of sewer, gray water (kitchen and bathroom) and black water (toilet). Generally, black water is connected first, and gray water is connected after the drain. I believe I don't need to explain the reason, haha.

• If a parking space has electricity, water, and launching, it can be called Full Hookup. If there is no separate launching, there must be a public area for draining water in the camp. In addition, many gas stations have special drains for RVs.

(2)The source of the scheduled camp

• If you want the best camping experience, it's best to research on Google which is the best local campsite.

• For a chain of campsites, I recommend KOA. This company started from Yellowstone Park has campsites in almost all popular attractions, and the facilities are very good. Most RV car rental companies have its members, you can get a 10% discount, or you can Buy it yourself, about $33.

• The RV company has free manuals and coupons, and you can find nearby camps on it.

What are you still hesitating? Plan your RV journey now.