RV Rentals Let You Try Before You Buy

Many people are intrigued by recreational vehicles and the comfortable, relaxed travel opportunities they offer. They picture cozy camping trips with their families. They dream of exploring America’s amazing natural wonders and experiencing our country’s rich cultural diversity. They pour over RV ads on RVT.com, comparing features and amenities, saving their favorites, imagining themselves living the RV lifestyle. Many take the plunge and buy an RV online, but there are some who hesitate to “pull the trigger.” Why?

> They are concerned that RV travel may not turn out to be what they’re expecting.

> They wonder if they’ll be able to take proper care of an RV and manage water, septic and other systems.

> They want to be certain they like RVing before making a major purchase.

There is an easy way to find out if RV travel is a good fit for you and your family. RV rentals let you try before you buy. Experts suggest that prospective RV buyers rent an RV that is similar to the RV they are considering purchasing. You might want to rent several different types of RVs to see which you like best. To get a real taste of RV life, experts recommend spending at least a week traveling in a rental RV.

You’ll find RV rental dealers on RVT.com and can even rent an RV online on our website. When you’re ready to buy, come to RVT.com for the best prices.

Be Prepared for Your RV Journey

Using an RV for vacations and holiday travel certainly has a number of benefits over other forms of travel, but you can’t blindly dive into a long trip without some preparation. Your RV may have everything you need for cooking, entertainment and shelter, but in the event of an accident or emergency you need to be prepared with a first aid/safety kit designed for RV travel.

An RV first aid kit should have all of the necessities that you would find in a first aid kit for your home. Be sure to have a variety of sterile bandages, tape, scissors, disinfectant, pain killers and other necessary medications for specific members of the family and a properly functioning flashlight. This will likely be enough if the destination of your RV trip is a friends or family members home, but if you are going on and extended camping trip you might want to include a wider variety of personal safety items that could be of benefit in the great outdoors.

If you’re completely uncomfortable with the prospect of assembling your own first aid kit, there are a number of companies that offer already assembled kits that can adequately do the job. A fully functional RV first aid kit is pretty simple to put together though, and if you are doing it on your own you can include items specific to your family needs that might not be found in already assembled kits. Remember that an emergency can occur at any time, even while you are cruising down the road in your dream vehicle, so it’s important to make every effort to be prepared.

RV Vacations in Denali National Park

Now is the time to begin booking your vacation in Denali, Alaska. Touted as one of the must-sees of Alaska, this national park is full of wildlife with grizzlies, wolves, caribou and moose just to name a few of the majestic beasts that roam this pristine wilderness.

The park allows limited amounts of visitors at a time, so you definitely need to start looking into things now. The park website recommends booking at least six months prior to your anticipated visit.

Bear in mind as you make your plans that only certain campgrounds in Denali cater to large RV’s. Make sure your reservations are for an appropriate site that is suitable for your RV.

Another point to be aware of is that you can’t bring any vehicles deep into the interior of the park. After settling into one the lovely campgrounds, you will need to rely on the park’s own “green bus” services to bring you deeper in. The park offers daily shuttles that go over 90 miles into the park over mostly-gravel road. You will be traveling through boreal forests and sub-arctic tundra with rolling mountainsides and sheer cliffs, providing scenic views and excellent wildlife viewing areas. There are numerous other options as well which will allow you to park your RV at one of the sites and then set out on foot or bike for the interior of the park.

While you are planning your trip, it wouldn’t hurt to start praying that you get a good view of the beautiful Mt. McKinley, which is frequently covered by clouds.

RV Family Vacationing – Good for Kid’s Health and Education

Recently, the National Wildlife Federation has recommended that families make the “2010 Be Out There Resolution”. The idea behind this is to motivate families to spend more time exploring the great outdoors around the United States. This benefits American families as well as tourism and national parks.

For families that want to enjoy nature without losing any of the comfort a home can provide, traveling and camping with an RV is the ultimate vacation!

Some of the benefits of vacationing in nature with your RV are as follows:

1. Families that spend time together hiking and camping in pristine nature, learn how to work as a team. Instead of everyone just making a microwave dinner and plopping down to watch TV or surf the net, outdoor activities encourage social interaction and teamwork. For example, parents can join their kids to gather firewood so they can roast some hotdogs and marshmallows together.

2. Spending time outdoors is healthy. Hiking, swimming, gathering wood and other activities are all great exercises. Add to that all the clean, fresh air found in these pristine natural areas, and we are talking about some real quality of life.

3. Teaching history and geography to your children is so much easier when traveling around the US, Canada and South America.

Clearly there are many benefits of enjoying the simple yet rich bounty that nature provides us. Even more obvious is that this pleasure is greater when shared with family from the comfort of your RV.

Start making your dream vacation a reality by finding out about buying or renting an RV today!

ABC’s ‘Bachelor’ Goes on RV Date Tonight

Consider it a testimony to the popularity of RV travel. Love-lorn bachelor Jake Pavelka, star of the fourth season of ABC’s popular The Bachelor series, loads up this season’s bevy of beautiful hopefuls tonight and strikes out on a week-long RV tour. Temporarily trading in his pilot’s wings for keys to a luxury RV, Jake and the gals sample RV life in a rented de luxe Class A motorhome.

Admittedly, the group will be experiencing the high end of RV life. The Bachelor, after all, is known for immersing its contestants in the finer things of life. But it should be interesting to see where they go — producers promise that the gang will tour “some of the wildest places imaginable” — and whether RV travel helps the group pull together or whether the closeness tears them apart. RV travel is known and enjoyed for its ability to bring families together, but Jake and his beauties certainly aren’t your typical “family.”

Teasers for the show do make it sound like RV travel manages to advance the cause of love. Producers did say that some of the comments overheard from the back of the RV were enough to “make these grown men blush.” Check out the new episode tonight at 8 p.m. Eastern on your local ABC station.

RV rentals are a great way to checkout different RV models and see if the RV lifestyle is for you. Find RV rentals and great buys on new and used RVs on RVT.com.

RV Renters Soon Become Owners

Try before you buy. That’s the advice a lot of experienced RVers pass along to folks who are curious about the RV lifestyle. Renting an RV for a weekend getaway is a great way to try out the RV lifestyle before you plunk your money down. Once you choose your dream RV, rent it for an extended vacation trip — at least a week — to get a real feel for RV ownership. Most renters enjoy the convenience and comfort of RV travel so much, they soon become RV owners.

You may want to try out several different RV models to see which one best meets your traveling needs. If you enjoy the simple life, a “pop-up” folding trailer or truck camper may be all you need. If you plan to do a lot of touring once you reach your vacation destination, a detachable travel trailer might be your best bet. If you’ll be traveling with kids, you may want the extra space found in a Class C motorhome. If you like long vacations or plan to retire to an RV, you may want the roomy luxury of a Class A motorhome with a slideout or two.

RVT.com makes it easy to rent an RV and take it for a spin. Use RVT.com’s handy state-by-state RV rental locator to locate RV rentals in your state or arrange a rental in a distant state if you’re planning a fly/drive vacation. Then book your RV rental online on RVT.com and start packing!

Camping in Luxury

Record numbers of people are expected to descend on campgrounds this summer say popular outdoor outfitters REI and Eastern Mountain Sports (EMS). Spurred in equal parts by a desire to experience nature and the lure of cheap vacations in a down economy, first-time campers are booking reservations at campgrounds across the country. New to camping and the outdoors, for many the idea of “roughing it” means bringing along the computer games, TV and DVD player.

It’s now di rigeur for KOA and other popular campgrounds to offer free wi-fi, video arcades, swimming pools and scheduled family and kid activities along with campsites and fire rings. You can even rent a tent with queen size air mattresses, sleeping bags and all the accouterments at many campgrounds or via mail delivery from outfitters. Of course, RVers in the know wonder why rookies worried about staying warm, dry, comfortable and plugged into their creature comforts would choose to tent when they could enjoy the best of both worlds in an RV.

Rental RVs allow campers to enjoy all the advantages of outdoor living surrounded by the comforts of home. And, unlike tents, they dispel rookies’ overwrought fear of bears, which seems to loom large when they enter the woods. “I try to keep a straight face,” REI camping specialist Dave Sayler told Time reporter Kate Pickert in talking about questions he gets from new campers. “I’ve been asked if a tent will keep bears out.” No. Another reason to camp in an RV. For people new to camping, renting an RV is a natural choice and a great way to try out the free and easy RV lifestyle before you buy!

RV Industry Going Strong

Record-setting attendance at RV shows and strong first quarter sales figures indicate that while the rest of economy may be suffering, the RV industry is going strong. People who are looking for RV bargains know a good deal when they see one. Not only do RVs provide inexpensive travel options and living accommodations, but right now both the new and used RV markets offer superior bargains.

Those nice government incentives for RV owners just sweeten the deal. The federal stimulus package allows new RV owners to deduct sales or excise taxes on the first $49,500 of a new motorhome purchase. Many RV buyers are also able to deduct their loan interest on their federal taxes as second-home mortgage interest. Incentives to purchase an RV have never been better. If you’ve ever considered owning an RV or upgrading to a bigger model, this is the time to buy and sell!

Industry watchers report that 18- to 34-year-olds embracing the RV lifestyle for the first time make up the fastest growing RV owner population in the U.S. RV ownership lends itself to their active, outdoor lifestyle and their love of travel. Owning an RV allows you to take a weekend escape or mini vacation on the spur of the moment. No airline schedules to deal with, no high-priced hotel fees to pay. Just rev up the RV and you’re on your way! It’s a lifestyle that’s as appealing to free-spirited young adults as it is to busy families and retirees. With years of quality RV ownership ahead of younger owners, their early desire to adopt an RV lifestyle bodes well for the future of the industry.

If you’re looking to buy or sell an RV, RVT.com is the North American leader in online RV sales.