newbie question

[vellamatic]

Hi all.

I am considering going on a 2-3 week vacation with my family (wife + 2 boys aged 5 and 9) on the west side of the US. We'd like to visit places like the Grand Canyon, Yosemite, Death Valley, San Diego (Safari, beaches), LA (Disneyland), San Francisco, etc.

I am thinking of renting a motorhome for us to stay in and travel around for the whole vacation. However, I never stayed in one, and I never visited the US. So I have some questions ...

- How safe is it to sleep in a motorhome in the US? What about cities like San Diego, LA, SF, etc.?

- Is it advisable to have some experience with maintaining/driving a motorhome before embarking on such a thing with my family? The driving doesn't worry me so much But I am wary of something going wrong (flat tyre, engine failure, plumbing, etc.) on the trip which could leave us stranded in the middle of nowhere.

- Can you recommend any reputable companies that rent motorhomes for such vacations?

Thanks!

 

[Augusta08]

Hi, we have done this when our lot were younger. Flew into San Fransico, stayed 1 night in cheap hotel. Hire companies insist you have a hotel they won't hire off the plane. Picked up a RV from El Monte . Drove North across Golden Gate up to Oregon, across Idaho to Yellowstone, then on to the Dakotas, Mnt. Rushmore, then back Salt Lake, Bryce Canyon, Monument Valley, Grand Canyon, Hoover Dam, Las Vegas, across to Yosimite. and dropped it back El Monte. We took 5 weeks in July/August (Kids school hols). We stayed in KOA and used Reserve America. I wouldn't boondock with the kids aboard. It's best to stay in RV parks and grab a cab or bus into the cities. We spend days in San Franciso, Boise, Salt Lake, Las Vegas. that way.

DO NOT DRIVE INTO DEATH VALLEY.

We've done Disney World, Busch Gardens Cap Canaveral and watch the Shuttle launch on another holiday.

We are planning East Coast USA for 90 days next year, Sept October November. Fly in New York, El Monte for 88 days driving thru Maine, Appalations, Tennessee Route 66, Texas, New Orleans, down to the Keys, and drop off in Miami, fly back from Miami.

 

[David and Sally]

 

[Puddleduck]

What Augusta08 said

We didn't hire an RV but a very large car and used motels to travel the mid-west and it was amazing.

Just remember that America is big ........

 

[vellamatic]

Thank you for your feedback.

Augusta08, wow what an itinerary. That sounds like the trip of a lifetime. I just traced your journey on google maps and it clocked over 6.5k kms (65 hours). This trip sounds doable in 3 weeks.

What you said about parking in RV parks and then bussing it into cities makes sense. Would such RV parks be readily available around cities? And are they safe enough that you can just leave your belongings in the vehicle while you're out and about?

Also, I don't have any experience with motorhomes. How likely is it that they breakdown or something goes wrong?

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[Augusta08]

Thank you for your feedback.

Augusta08, wow what an itinerary. That sounds like the trip of a lifetime. I just traced your journey on google maps and it clocked over 6.5k kms (65 hours). This trip sounds doable in 3 weeks.

What you said about parking in RV parks and then bussing it into cities makes sense. Would such RV parks be readily available around cities? And are they safe enough that you can just leave your belongings in the vehicle while you're out and about?

Also, I don't have any experience with motorhomes. How likely is it that they breakdown or something goes wrong?

The El Monte RV's are pretty new I would worry about break-downs. We travel light so not much point breaking into a RV to steal some dirty washing.

We did 3 months in Australia and broke down twice once in Mount Isa and a second time near Coober Pedy that was much more adventurous, we could drive all day and not see another vehicle. But when in the outback we always took 300 litres of water and the rule there is, if you see a fuel station, fill up. We did 25,000 miles in 90 days.

USA is big country but never that far away from some kind of civilisation and mobile phone coverage is good.

We are inveterate adventurers so the last two years have been hell, the garden has never looked better and the whole house has been redecorated.

But we’re off to Spain for the winter

 

[vellamatic]

Thanks for the recommendation, I will check out El Monte. I guess I just need to stop worrying and go for it! Enjoy your trip to Spain