US RV Trip

[Chrisc]

So my lad finishes school in 2026 which coincides with my 40th. We're pretty big on trips to the US but i fancy something a bit different to mark the occasions.

Im thinking of hiring an RV and doing a bit of a tour of California. LA up to San fran via Yosemite national park etc. . ive tried to do a bit of research online and ive seen people mention that even though the cost of the RV per week may only be around $1200, the total costs can sky rocket with additional mileage/fuel and little extras needed for the the RV like gas etc. .

I just thought i would put it to you lovely bunch to see if anybody has any 1st hand experience of doing something like this?

Alternatively, ill just hire a car and stick to the origin plan of LA-Vegas-Pheonix

Cheers

 

[Chrisc]

I have never done it, simply because every time I priced it up as a whole (extra fuel, site fees etc) it's been way more expensive than car + hotels. The fact toy have a very large vehicle is another negative, even though the US is built for it, it still could add headaches if you have city stops and depending on the national park / attraction the car parks can be VERY busy.

Plus side I guess is you get to park up in some very scenic places if you book early enough. I like the idea but I don't think it's worth it for me.

You can still do touring without one, there are motels/hotels everywhere.

yeah, you have pretty much hit all of my concerns, im going into the unknown really and the youtube videos ive watched dont really get into the difficulties of RV'ing. But im drawn to the adventure of it and perhaps even spending a night off grid in the middle of nowhere. There are a couple of companies that will let you hire for a couple of nights which might allow me to dip my toe in without too much investment.

 

[Chrisc]

Sorry can’t help, but that sounds epic. I went to San Fran in 99” and it was great, just a one off, out of the blue trip my dad booked for half term holidays. I will always remember that place as it was my first trip to America.

its supposed to have gone a bit down hill, but id still like to visit, its one of few places left in the US that i really want to see.