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John Cletheroe's
USA and Canada Holiday Hints |
We have never used an RV in the USA or Canada, so the information on this page is not from firsthand experience.
In the USA and Canada, small caravans towed behind cars in the British sense are virtually non-existent. The closest is the famous old silver aluminium caravan-like lengthy trailer with flat sides and rounded corners still seen occasionally (I forget the name but I think it has the word "air" in it - it might be "Airstream"). Minibuses are also quite common, although the old VW Microbus or Caravanette often associated with the hippie era is now a very rare sight.
RV's come a wide variety of sizes and types, described on the RV America web site listed in the External Links section at the bottom of this page.
While hiring an RV for a holiday in the USA and Canada may at first seem a very attractive proposition, we feel that the RV rental companies are selling a dream and that the practical reality has some very serious drawbacks.
The main disadvantage for visitors to the USA is the cost. Hiring an RV is very expensive in terms of basic rental cost, mileage charges, CDW (Collision Damage Waiver) charges and petrol consumption. Most RV rental companies only provide an extremely meagre mileage allowance and charge heavily for additional miles travelled. The typical RV only does five to ten miles to the gallon. There are usually also some "hidden" charges such as for the rental of kitchen utensils and a cleaning fee. Remember that motel prices in the USA and Canada are very low compared with the UK, and that you still have to pay campsite fees with an RV. Also remember that the cost of eating in fast food restaurants in the USA and Canada is almost as low as cooking your own meals.
An additional complication is that unlike car rental depots, RV rental depots are only open during normal office hours. This usually means having to arrange accommodation in a motel for the first and last night of your stay, plus transport between the rental depot, the motel and the airport.
We also feel that even a fairly large RV would be constrictive and during the summer an RV would be very hot at night especially in the south. However, I received an EMail from Sharon McCrary saying that many RV's have air conditioning, powered by an external mains electricity connection which almost all RV parks have in the USA and Canada. Sharon explains that some RV's also have generators but these are noisy and should be used only when camping in an area where no amenities are available and where no one else will be disturbed by the noise. Some RV's also have heating, usually gas with fans run off 12 volt battery current. Having the RV plugged into an electrical hookup will keep the batteries charged.
Another important factor is the presence of restrictions regarding large vehicles over some mountain roads, for example the highest part of the Going-to-the-Sun Road over Logan Pass in Glacier National Park in Montana. In addition, many of the companies who rent RV's prohibit taking their vehicles to Death Valley and some may impose further restrictions.
On the open road there would be few problems in driving even a large RV in the USA or Canada, and parking lots in National Parks (etc.) and outside most fast food restaurants and large out-of-town shops have areas set aside for them. However, driving a large RV in a confined area such as in a large town or city, or on relatively steep or narrow mountain roads, is quite a problem and causes a considerable inconvenience for fellow motorists.
On the other hand, being able to stay overnight in a scenic area out in the country is a very pleasant concept.
Jeff Solberg of southern Alberta sent me these comments in response to the above:
I have spent this morning searching for rentals in Canada, specifically Calgary Alberta, and find that the prices range from $1,000 to $1,500 Canadian per week for an RV that is 7 to 9 meters and sleeps six, with the "hidden" charges you mention not hidden at all, but proudly displayed. Example - linen - $95.00 per person (you then can keep the linen or it will be donated to a charity). Mileage allowances ranged from 200 to 250 kilometres (about 125 to 155 miles) per day, with a $0.28 per kilometre surcharge for exceeding the allowance (equivalent to about $0.45 per mile).
With (clean/safe) motels ranging from only $50.00 to $100.00 per night, an RV would be for the person who has the desire to experience the beautiful country in a way more intimate then one experiences when sleeping in motels. For instance, when camping on the west side of Logan Pass last summer, we were informed that bears were spotted in the campground every night for the past couple of weeks, making our 5 minute walk back (in the dark) to the RV from the common campfire talk with Ranger Shirley very interesting.
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Most recently modified 24-Feb-04