Hiring RVs in the US

[flower3bird]

Hi all

We are seriously thinking about flying over the US in Jan/Feb and hiring an RV for 2 months travel. Has anyone any experience of this please?

Ideally we would like to do the Florida area and maybe even further afield. We appreciate the huge distances involved and would like to do a one way trip, flying into one airport, picking up RV, travelling and then dropping RV off at the distant place. Rather than having to return to the start point.

Also what is the situtation with regard to driving on our UK driving licences over there?

Do you have to do camp sites? If so what are they like?

Oh and I guess prices comes into it all somewhere along the line?!

Any info and advice would be appreciated.

cheers

 

[guerdeval]

We did this 20 years or so ago so I cann't help with names/prices etc, other than to say that as a visitor to most parts of USA over many years I would think about flying into LA and exploring the West coast, Florida is very commercial now, on the West if you don't like the cities you can go into the deserts, if you don't like that there are the huge forests particularly up toward Oregon, we spent 2 weeks out of the Month in Sequoia national park in the forest, unforgettable experience.

 

[Monk]

I'm in Saskatchewan Canada, lots of people from here spend the winter in Arizona, some of them wild camp in the desert,
http://gosw.about.com/od/festivalsandevents/p/quartzite.htm

~Monk~

 

[guerdeval]

What a great place to live

 

[flower3bird]

Thanks Monk - sounds really interesting if a little 'dusty' from the web link I read.

 

[sagart]

Hi all

We are seriously thinking about flying over the US in Jan/Feb and hiring an RV for 2 months travel. Has anyone any experience of this please?

Now if you could hire one of these! http://www.marathoncoach.com/gallery/index.cfm

Just down the road from our daughter in Corvallis...had 2 months in Oregon in May and looked into hiring a (more normal) Rv.
First thing we learnt was that it was cheaper for her to hire than us from the UK. When she rang the same firms on the US. only toll free number, with an English accent, she was quoted up to 15% less. This with no enquiry from them as to her possesion of a US. licence or any other details, in fact for one she specifically said she had a UK. licence.
Campgrounds are generally excellent and in some states (or in our case, bear country) are the only place to camp. Generally well, if over equipped ,Casino's, night club, every site with a fire pit for barbecues.
Rates are usually very low by UK. standards, though when we went the exchange rate was $1.99 to £1.
Traveller's cheques are not welcome and often American Express cards are refused. Visa or a pre-loaded Dollar card (see moneysupermarket.com) are the best, though Amex fuel stations prefer cash...£100 dollar notes are suspect and often refused.
Photo Id. is essential, I found that a Scottish Executive travel card was more useful than a passport, "you work for the Scottish Government!!!".
We seemed never to meet an American, they were all Scots or Irish.
Don't be offended by this, but if you or anyone with you possesses a Blue Badge, take it with you.
It's of no use itself, but if you go to the local DMV. office with it and your passport, they will issue, free, a State Pass.
We found this of tremendous help as bay abuse is unknown in Oregon, California and Washington....penalty for using a bay with no badge? "$500 and your car will be towed".
Cultivate an English or Scot's accent, the police thrive on it.

 

[susiebrowning]

Hi

Have you considered doing an exchange rather than hiring a motorhome? We have just set one up for next year. We're going to Canada and using their vehicle then they will come to the UK and use ours! There's a site (motorhome holiday swap), its free and you can swop your home if you dont have an RV - great idea!

 

[sagart]

Couple of additional points.
Notify your credit/debit card issuer that you are in the US. for x months, they may well suspend your card if they pick up a variation in normal use - embarrasing if this happens as you are buying something.
Pop into your local bank branch and ask them to note this trip also on your file.
If you are like me with a wireless enabled smartphone or Pda. you will find whole communities with free public wi-fi as well as campgrounds, cafes, diners even churches. You may need to login with the phone's web browser but then you can email...far cheaper than phoning back to the UK.
If you phone is unlocked, buy a US. sim card while there.
Also look at http://www.sim4travel.com/ , this is a useful compromise solution.
If the police stop you, don't try to get out of your car but make sure they can see your hands at all times. If they ask for documentation, move slowly!
They have no sense of humour.
Our daughter was stopped once for speeding and they eventually relaxed with her...an English girl with hair long enough to sit on, her own Camaro in the UK and driving a Mustang in the US. The only thing that finally amused them was to realise that they could accept fines by the roadside, but (in their interpretation) UK police were so corrupt they could not be trusted with money in a similar situation.