HOW ABOUT PERSONAL CARE? (Tent Camping)
HOW ABOUT PERSONAL CARE? (Tent Camping)
Another thing to think about, if you are tent-camping: showering and clothes laundering. If you are staying in a state or national park and there are showers available, good! But many public parks are not equipped. So you are going to have to choose an alternative:
Go dirty. (Most people don't like that one.)
Stay at a motel every 2-3 nights and enjoy a real bed and a good shower.
Find a campground every few nights that does have shower facilities, and make sure to take advantage. Private campgrounds usually have a shower building!
Another might be a truck stop, which usually will sell you a shower ($10-15 each unless you buy all your fuel at that brand and build up points – not easy with car tanks, though truckers find it very easy!).
Yet another choice is to stay with a friend or family member along the way. Just make sure to do something nice for your friend or family member, so they won't think you're staying there for the free bed and free shower! With any public shower, wear some sort of pool or shower shoes.
Laundromats are often in small towns along the way, and truck stops have them too. Some motels have them, as well. Bring coins or at least cash to exchange for coins, and for purchasing laundry soap. (An alternative to that would be to carry laundry soap in a small plastic dollar-store container. I do that to this day, staying in hotels, as I prefer a certain brand.)
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...973752fa_w.jpg9C0B96A3-991D-4A5C-84D4-2FA597EB7686 by jeanniesisters, on Flickr
From the author's collection, circa 1983: one way to keep yourself clean on a camping trip, use the dishtub! Taken at one of the NFS campgrounds outside of Crater Lake NP.
What do i need to know for the rv rental?
WHAT DO I NEED TO KNOW FOR THE RV RENTAL?
It only comes with the RV, electrical cord (1), hose (1), and sewer hoses. Some places will include the utility hookups, others charge extra for them. For most, you'll need to get the “linen package”, the “cookware/dishware” package/s, and the “recreational package” (which may include the camp chairs and a small outdoor grill with or without the propane tank). Normally, rental places charge extra for these “packages”. Of course, if you are renting and are close to home, you may be able to bring your own linens, cookware and dishware and not have to pay for these. If you choose to bring your own linens from home, check your bed linen size. Sometimes RV's have odd-sized beds.
Your fuel mileage will probably not be wonderful, so plan on 5-7 mpg. You will probably be given a certain amount of mileage allowance, and anything above that, a specific amount per mile. It really adds up! (Most times, an RV rental is a lifestyle choice, not a budget choice.) This is all in addition to your rental and package fees.
Here is an article that one should read before renting an RV:
Check Out Your RV Rental
What about the costs for an rv?
WHAT ABOUT THE COSTS FOR AN RV?
How big is your budget? If you are planning to purchase, that has to be the first thing you consider. Your second is whether you want an all-in-one unit (motorhome) or if you have a decent tow vehicle and don't mind towing something. Another thing to consider, before a purchase, is where you like to camp. If you buy a long rig, you may be limited in some older public campgrounds that were built before the age of long, long rigs.
RVs come in a range of prices, too. Generally, motorhomes are the most expensive, with truck campers and camper vans (van conversions) right under them, then 5th wheels, then travel trailers. The least expensive are tent trailers.
Motorhomes have an engine in them, so it's an engine to maintain. It's also a home on wheels so it takes abuse, it has to! You can buy a less expensive used one, or go whole hog and buy a mansion on wheels. Remember that if you want to go sight-seeing, you're going to have to figure out how. Most folks with a Class A motorhome (engine often in the back, full access to the unit from the driver seat, usually no “cabover”) tow a dinghy, AKA “towed” or “toad”, so that they can flit around national parks, cities, and other places where parking a 30' long vehicle is difficult. Class C motorhomes, which are smaller, are a little easier to get around in, but they still can be difficult to park. A van-conversion is often someone's thoughts for the cross between tent camping and motorhoming, but not really suitable for more than 2 people. Van conversions are often known as Class B's.
Trailers come in three types, and some hybrids between. The tent trailer, or “pop up”, is a small rectangular prism that's towed down the highway by a 6-cylinder car or van, but pops up into half-trailer, half-tent with a hard top, when you're in camp. The pros: easy to tow, easy to stow when not using. The cons: You can't just jump in there to eat lunch when you're on the road, or if you forgot something. You pretty well have to unhitch in order to “pop up”. It's not easy to keep your possessions safe when you leave it popped up in a campground, either. And you haven't lived until you have experienced a tent trailer in a wind storm!
The next type is a travel trailer. You've seen these boxy units rolling down the highway. The pros: Easy to drop somewhere while you go out sight-seeing. Easily locked up. The cons: Depending on the weight, you're going to have to have a good tow vehicle. The heavier the unit, the more weight your vehicle has to pull.
The third type is a 5th wheel trailer. You've probably seen these units rolling, too, with part of the unit and the hitch over the long bed of a pick-up truck. These units have a bedroom over the hitch, usually, but the location of kitchen and the other bedrooms will vary. The pros: Strong hitch, good length, more space for the money. The cons: You HAVE to have a pick-up truck, and it's really best to have a diesel.
Hybrids include quite a variety. The variation on the pop-up is a hard sided one that lifts into a triangular shaped top. There are travel trailers with pull-out canvas beds – these are made by Forest River, who purchased the Palomino Company (who made tent trailers) and decided not to continue their tent trailer line, so they came up with the travel/tent trailer hybrid to use up all the canvas they inherited.
Yet another type you don't see very often is the truck camper. This camper mounts on the bed of the pickup truck, but contains most of the amenities of the travel trailer and the motorhome. If you equip it properly, you can remove it from the bed of the pickup and leave it in your driveway (if CC&R's approve).
Costs of these will vary. If money is an issue, consider a used one a few years old that's been lightly used. Get it checked over thoroughly.
If you choose to tow, and you want to try to use what you already have to be the tow vehicle: Know your vehicle's weight limit on how much it can tow, hitch weight limit, whether or not it is “trailer equipped”, consider an exhaust brake if your pickup is a diesel, and definitely DO NOT SKIMP on mirrors or radiator fans. Learn how to use the exhaust brake to avoid brake-burnout and a crash.
Another thing to know about any kind of RV: learn to back it up and to pull it into parking slots, before you leave home on your first trip. A good place to learn is in an empty parking lot, such as some churches on weekdays, or a business that's closed on weekends (and the lot isn't locked up).
What do i pack for an rv road trip, if i own the rv?
WHAT DO I PACK FOR AN RV ROAD TRIP, IF I OWN THE RV?
Everything in your regular pack list would probably be pertinent. In addition, you should have the required bedding (sheets, pillows and cases, blankets), cookware (pots, pans, dishes), dish cleaning equipment and soap, cooking linens, just to mention a few things for living. You should also make sure that you have the electrical cord and some adapters, water hose, and both grey water and black water sewer hoses. For the water hose, a pressure regulator is almost essential, as is a spray bottle with bleach to clean off the water hookup at the campsite before attaching your own hose to it. If you are going into areas with no water hookup at all, a collapsible water container is helpful. For your recreational activities, you'll have to decide whether you “need” to haul camp chairs, table, bikes, canoes/kayaks, etc.
If you're a TV-fan, you might want a small TV (if your rig did not come equipped), a cable cord, or a satellite dish.
A bit better fuel return with newer rentals.
Great thread Donna !!
Quote:
Your fuel mileage will probably not be wonderful, so plan on 5-7 mpg.
It's always best to plan costs with a certain amount of caution but if renting a new(ish) class 'C' RV of 25ft or 30ft in lenght we normally see a return of 8.5 to 9mpg. The cost of fuel and mileage charges on a rental is a significant part of the cost and the more miles you cover the more it's going to cost ! (Cruise America charge 35c per mile from the 'get go')
Dave.
