Foreigner and Newbie on RVs

I know that CruiseAmerica does a limited number of one-ways, with reservations well in advance. There is an extra fee.

Some contracts include 100 miles per day in the base rental rate, others all mileage is extra. Expect mileage charges of $0.30 to $0.40 per mile. If mileage is not included in the base rate, expect to pre-pay for 100 miles per day at the time you pick up the motorhome. I just got a quote for $4200 for 21 days out of Miami, with basic fee $2500 and the rest mileage, tax, and deposits.

Depending on fuel prices, fuel costs will be about $0.30 to $0.50 a mile additional. My fuel costs have averaged $0.33 per mile when prices were between $2.00 and $3.00 per gallon. They are now in that price range again, although southern California was showing $3.30 to $3.50 today in urban areas. A budget of $0.50 per mile for fuel will work for prices approaching $4.00 per gallon.

Use of the generator (for cooling air in the house part of the RV while traveling) is charged at $3 to $4 an hour, so maybe an extra $40 to $50 per day to stay cool when not hooked up to power at a campground or RV park.

Your plan looks good to me. Where you go depends on your interests. My interests, mostly history and geology, would take me through San Antonio and across the southern part of New Mexico to Carlsbad Caverns and the Guadalupe Mountains, because I have been through the middle of New Mexico several times.

Your interests may be better for the route you have chosen. On your route, I would be certain to stop at the Meteor Crater near Winslow, Arizona. This one is not particularly large, but it is also not small (energy similar to a small modern nuclear weapon) and the impact was recent (50,000 years) so that the results are well preserved.

I do not consider the route to be too ambitious, I often travel 200 to 300 miles a day with about 1/3 of a day sightseeing. I try to plan my travels to arrive at places I want to visit early in the afternoon, to make camp afterward, or so that I am close to the places when I stop for the night, to visit when they open in the morning. This is a good amount to time for the distance, visiting places along the way, staying in no place for more than a day or two.

Thank you all.
I agree with you all in terms of the travel planning, too many driving hours, and plane tickets to avoid.
Thanks a lot for your answers.

Only club i would consider is pasport america half off campgrounds

20 days, Miami to San Francisco is awfully ambitious. Would not be a leisurely trip.
I calculate about 3100 miles,avg 50 MPH is 62 hours of driving. figure 5 hours per day average is 12 days. Not a lot of time to see a country!

In the summer the state parks in California are full even on weekdays.

RV ing is fun but you will see more and spend less time driving and less money if you rent a van and stay in hotels along the way. RV's are slow and expensive.

Whatever you do, plan a route that takes you through the west into Utah and the like close to California. That is where you want to be. In fact, do you have to go to Florida? If so, fly to Florida and do that then fly to California and spend more time out west but that is my opinion. Flying from Florida to LA will cost you all less than renting an RV and putting gas into it and staying in parks. Plus, it will buy you several days and that's what counts. I was born in Tampa and I now live in LA. I do that route all the time by plane. In a car or an RV that southern route is BORING imho.

Have fun and good luck!

Good summary so far. You will need electric hookup of 30 amps or more to run air conditioning, but most private campgrounds have that, as do many state parks. (Older campgrounds may have only 20 amp hookups.)

"Dump" refers to a place where you can dump your RV's wastewater tanks. FHU (full-hookup) sites include that at your site, but most campgrounds also have a dump station for all campers to use; best time for that is upon departure from the campground. By "Hydro" I think you are referring to water hookups, which is how that will be listed. That is not the same as "dump" or "sewer".


It will very likely cost more to rent an RV in one place and drop off in another, but that should still work out all right for you. Correct that 5 people in a Class C will be a bit tight. When campers are stated to "sleep 5," that usually doesn't mean 5 adults. Some of the couches and other alternate sleeping platforms in an RV are too small for anyone older than 10. :)

Depending on what it costs, you might consider joining Good Sam, as membership will get you a 10% discount on campgrounds that are allied with Good Sam. You might save a little money that way, but in 20 days, you will more likely just break even.

An alternative to private campgrounds which you may want to consider is to stay in state parks, national parks and national forests along the way. Friday and Saturday nights will usually be full in state parks especially, but Sunday through Wednesday nights you may find campsites available. They would provide a different kind of atmosphere - more nature and less like a trailer park - in many cases, and could be a welcome change. They will have fewer amenities - some may not have any hookups at all, toilets may be "vault" or pit toilets instead of flushing ones, you may have to carry water back to your campsite from a central location, etc., but again, you have the opportunity to be closer to nature in many such campgrounds.

Washing RVs is generally not permitted in campgrounds of any type. Occasionally a campground will allow it; they will state one way or another in their rules.

That route would be good. I would probably go that way.

You will need to stay in campgrounds with FHU full hook up. That means they have water, electricity and a sewage connection. There are many all along the way with some of the areas being very beautiful. The normal cost is $25.. to $45.00 a night. Some may have swimming pools.

You will need to be plugged into elctric for air conditioning. You will also probably want a rig with a generator built in. It will aid in being comfortable while on the road and let you stop for meal breaks . It can be very hot and humid in some areas.

5 Adults may be a little crowded in a class C but you could also consider a class A.

Either C or A will get 7 to 10 mpg. Others may have a better estimate than me.

I dont see why you need to join any clubs.

People on here can offer a wide range of things to see along the way.

They appear to offer one way rentals but it says to call them. It may move the price up a lot.

Cruise America

El Monte