Need Tips for Summer RV trip with family

[gman]

My family and I are tossing around the idea of renting a rv in Los Angeles and dropping it off in Chicago over a 2 week period and would love to get some input from others.- Stops we are planning include the Grand Canyon, somewhere in Utah, Yellowstone, and Mount Rushmore and one other stop along the way to Chicago. There will be 4 of us myself, wife, and two girls ages 6 and 8.

I need help and tips for this trip as it is our first adventure in an RV.

[MrsPete]

Before you commit to the idea, price the cost of renting an RV. We started out with that idea, and when we realized the total cost of renting, gas, mileage . . . we compared it to the cost of staying in a hotel and found that it would be considerably cheaper to drive a smaller vehicle.

You should do the math for yourself, based upon what you have available to you.

[Southwest Dave]

Hello and welcome to the R.T.A. forums.

Lifestyle or budget choice ?

As MrsPete pointed out it's not a budget friendly choice for your particular family group but if you are doing it as a lifestyle choice and it's what you want to do then go for it.

They are of course, slower going than a car and you will only see a return of around 10mpg but it doesn't get better than "camping" in the NP's in my book. They are pretty straight forward to operate in all aspects and pretty much have everything you would need. I would guess you are looking at close to a 3000 mile trip so expect to be on the road for 6 or 7 days and the rest looking around the parks etc.

I would highly recommend Zion and Bryce canyon as 2 great Utah parks within easy reach of G/C and pretty much on route as you head for Yellowstone.

As it is a one way trip you will need one of the bigger rental company's such as Cruise America or El Monte for instance. Look out for the "Hot deals" link on the Cruise America site if there are any going and click on it for specials.

[gman]

Thanks for your input. We really want to give the RV a shot as looking at the cost Cruise America has a pretty good deal on a one way as long as we drop it off east of the Mississippi river. We have family in Chicago and would love for them to join us on the last leg of the trip. Trying to find a nice spot not too far from Chicago where we could camp out on the last leg of the trip. Any thoughts?

[Midwest Michael]

How far are you thinking when you say not too far from Chicago? I can think of lots of really nice places, but you might start with Indiana Dunes National Lake Shore. There are also several nice state parks located within an hour or so from Chicago.

[gman]

We are looking for something like a 3 hour drive to the northwest of Chicago as we will be coming from Montana/ Wisconsin.

[Midwest Michael]

3 Hours would put you right around Wisconsin Dells, which has lots of places to camp. Devils Lake is the most popular state park in Wisconsin, and could be a great stop. There is also Mirror Lake, Rocky Arbor, and Buckhorn State Parks in that same general area. These parks do fill up quickly, though, so you'll probably want to make reservations.

If you're looking for a more resort style experience, there are also several RV campground/resorts with pools, water slides, mini-golf, etc. in the Dells area.