Summer is upon us, and that means it’s time to start thinking about your summer getaways. Obviously we think RV trips are the best of the best, and for many, an RV trip means a summer RV rental.
The good news is that renting an RV is easy peasy when you go through RVshare. That said, there are some things you should know when planning for a summer RV rental in order to ensure your trip goes off without a hitch.
Know How to Find the Right RV
First things first, it is important that you understand how to make sure you choose the right summer RV rental. After all, you and your family want to be comfortable while out on your summer getaway.
Start by figuring out what type of RV you’d like to rent. Ask yourself the following questions to narrow down your options:
- Do you want to drive the RV, tow it, or have it delivered?
- If you wish to tow the RV, how much weight can your vehicle safely handle?
- If you wish to drive the RV, are you more comfortable driving a class C RV with a van chassis, or a bus-like class A RV? Is something as small as a campervan big enough?
Once you decide on the best RV type for your getaway, take a look at the details:
- How much space do you need? Do you need the RV to have slides?
- How many beds will your group need?
- What kinds of amenities are most important to you?
Book Your RV Early
Now that you know what kinds of summer RV rental you’re hunting for, you will want to track one down in your area (or the area you’ll be visiting) and book it as early as possible. Rental RVs do book up quickly during the summer months, and you definitely don’t want to find yourself without a rig when it comes time for your summer adventure.
In other words, the sooner you can book, the better.
Choose Your Destination Wisely
You’ll also want to think carefully about where exactly you want to park your summer RV rental. Obviously you could go anywhere you like, but there are some factors to keep in mind when choosing your summer vacation destination:
- Weather — Southern destinations are going to be hot in the summertime. If you need to stay south, consider parking near the ocean, a river, or a lake to take advantage of cool breezes off the water and opportunities for swimming.
- Shade — Shade trees help tremendously with keeping an RV cool on the inside when the temperature outside is extra hot. If you can’t head north or park on the water, try to pick a destination with plenty of trees.
- Attractions — Camping is fun, and hanging out in a campground can be nice for a few days, but if you’re headed out for a week-long vacation, you’ll probably want things to do. Make sure you look for destinations with plenty of attractions. National parks, state parks, museums, zoos, and amusement parks are all good picks.
Be Prepared for Crowds (or Find Ways to Avoid Them)
Another thing to consider when choosing your summer vacation destination? Crowd levels.
Unfortunately, summer is when kids are out of school and when most families tend to vacation. This means many popular attractions (and the surrounding areas) are going to be crowded.
This isn’t to say you can’t have fun, however. It just means you need to go in prepared for the crowds to be there:
- Give yourself extra time at each attraction, as everything will take longer when there are crowds to contend with.
- To avoid wandering through crowds aimlessly, know where you want to go and what you want to do before you arrive at a given attraction.
- When possible, make reservations and buy tickets in advance to ensure you can get in and avoid long waits at the ticket sales counter.
You could also choose to try to avoid the big summer crowds entirely. There are a few ways to go about this:
- Choose less popular destinations.
- Visit museums, zoos, and amusement parks on weekdays when most people are at work or school.
- When in popular parks, head out on less popular hiking trails.
Remember to Make National Park Reservations
In recent years, some of the most popular national parks have started requiring timed entry passes in order to enter during peak season. These spots can go quickly, so it is important that you do your research and snap up a reservation as soon as it becomes available.
The following parks will have timed entry this summer:
- Glacier National Park
- Arches National Park
- Haleakala National Park
- Rocky Mountain National Park
- Acadia National Park
- Shenandoah National Park
- Great Smoky Mountains National Park
- Yosemite National Park
- Zion National Park
- Mount Rainier National Park
Find the Perfect Campsite
Obviously, you will need a place to park your summer RV rental. Fortunately, there are hundreds of campgrounds scattered across the country, so finding the perfect campsite for your crew should be a cinch.
Things to consider when looking at campgrounds include…
- Proximity to attractions, dining, and shopping.
- Availability of RV hookups.
- Amenities (pool, laundry room, showers, dog park, etc).
- Price.
If you’re looking for luxury camping, we recommend checking out private resorts. Meanwhile, those who need budget-friendly accommodations might want to turn to state, city, and county parks.
Reserve Campsites in Advance
Another thing affected by the summer travel crowds? Campsite availability, of course. Because of this, it is crucial that you book your campsite (or campsites) in advance. In fact, we recommend doing this as soon as you book your summer RV rental in order to be absolutely sure you have a place to stay.
Pack Essentials in Your Summer RV Rental
Finally, it is important to make sure you pack all of the summer camping essentials before you hit the road in your summer RV rental. These things will ensure you are comfortable even when the temperatures soar:
- Source of shade — As mentioned above, shade makes a huge difference.
- Cooling towels — These are handy for cooling off when outdoors.
- Portable air conditioner — The Zero Breeze portable air conditioner is perfect for keeping a tent or Clam shelter cool.
- Fans — Setting up fans inside or outside of the RV will keep air moving, helping to both keep bugs away and cool you off.
- Sunscreen — You definitely don’t want a sunburn to ruin your trip. Toss some sunscreen in your summer RV rental and use it!
- Hats — A hat will help keep the sun off your face and will even help prevent sunburn.
- Bug spray — The bugs tend to come out by the thousands in the summer. Fight them off with a good bug spray.
- Swimming gear — You’ll want to be able to take a dip to cool off in the middle of the day. Swimsuits, goggles, towels, and other swim gear are essential.
- Grill — When the weather is super hot, cooking inside of an RV is a sure fire way to heat it up. Bring a small grill along so you can cook outside and keep the inside of your summer RV rental nice and cool.
These are our top tips for getting the most out of your summer RV rental. Ready to put these tips to the test? Book your RV today and you’ll be well on your way to the summer adventure of your dreams!
