Forum Discussion

wilistew's avatar
wilistew
Explorer
Jul 14, 2014

RV rental advice needed please!

Hello everyone

We are travelling from our home in London UK to San Francisco in late September with our young kids (1 and 3) to stay with some friends. We would love to spend a week RVing in northern California and I was planning on renting a vehicle.

I have never RVd before so I have a few questions and I'd be really grateful for some help.

1) Is there an RV rental company that people would recommend?
2) Any ideas on which vehicle to go for?
3) Any ideas on sleeping arrangements for my daughter (she is still in a crib/cot at home.
4) I have started to think about a possible route (Yosemite, Lake Tahoe and then north to the national forests - Redwood possibly). Is this too much to do in a week?
5) Would it be best to reserve space in campsites before we leave the UK?

Apologies for all the questions. Thank you for your time!

Wil
  • IAMICHABOD's avatar
    IAMICHABOD
    Explorer II
    Jul 14, 2014
    There are 2 rental companies in the San Francisco area that specialize in rentals to over seas visitors El Monte Rv and
    APOLLO RENTAL.

    A Class C RV would be a perfect match for your needs.

    They are very helpful in trip planning and will answer all the questions that you may have, you may give them a jingle.

    Good Luck and please enjoy your time here.
  • donn0128's avatar
    donn0128
    Explorer II
    Jul 14, 2014
    There are several, CruiseAmerica for one. Check rates to see which works for you.
    Most will rent what we call ClassC so no worries there
    Bring a portable crib with you or buy one here.
    That is a lot for one week. Bay area to the Redwoods is about 300 miles, or a hard days drive. Bay area toTahoe is about 4 hours drive. Same for Yosemite. Well,you get the idea?
    Possibly. Late Sept is getting pretty late in the season in the mountains. It is going to be cool over night.
    You might do a search using the function at the top of the page. Most of your questions have been asked before hy other visitors from the UK and you might find their questions helpful
  • the_bear_II's avatar
    the_bear_II
    Explorer
    Jul 14, 2014
    1. Most popular are El Monte RV & Cruise America
    2. Class C for size or Class B (Sprinter Based) for smaller RV
    3. Our friends would use hard pillows to build a bed in the dinette area for their toddlers.
    4. Go north from San Francisco on 101 to the redwoods and then cross over to Tahoe. Take Hwy 50 out of Tahoe to Hwy 49 route travels from gold mining town to town, winding road but lots of scenery. Or 50 to 99 south to 120 to get into Yosemite. Will take all of a week unless you really push it and don't spend time in anyone place. Yosemite really needs a couple of days to see the good sights.
    5. Reserve for Yosemite and other stay overs if you can plan the route and stick to the plan. Yosemite will be the most difficult to find a spot if you don't have a reservation.

    Enjoy your trip.
  • wilistew's avatar
    wilistew
    Explorer
    Jul 16, 2014
    Many thanks everyone for the responses. Really looking forward to the trip.

    Wil
  • wintersun's avatar
    wintersun
    Explorer II
    Jul 17, 2014
    I have found the customers' reviews on Yelp.com to be very helpful in learning about possible problem merchants. Also a great way to increase your odds of finding a good restaurant as well.

    In San Francisco you will find companies that rent Class C and Class B motorhomes. Compare the cents per mile rates as that is what costs the most.

    If they offer a good RV GPS at a reasonable rate I would recommend using it. Or buy one like the Garmin 760 RV GPS.

    The longer the RV the fewer campsites you will find available in the western USA. I would look for one with a slideout and get one that is around 24 feet in length.

    After the first week of September and Labor Day passes the rates start to dip and places will offer either reduced rates or free days. The weather is the coldest along the California coast in February and warms up each month until September which is the warmest month and often the sunniest.
  • bikendan's avatar
    bikendan
    Explorer
    Jul 17, 2014
    wilistew wrote:
    4) I have started to think about a possible route (Yosemite, Lake Tahoe and then north to the national forests - Redwood possibly). Is this too much to do in a week?

    as someone who's lived in Calif for over 55 years, i think your plan for only a week, might be too ambitious, especially if you want to enjoy each area.
    i don't think you have a clear idea of the distances between these areas. with an RV, you can count on two-three days out of the week, just for driving to these areas. also, you may need to decide on which Redwoods you want to see, Coastal or Sequoia. the Sequoia will be closer to Yosemite than the Coastal Redwoods north of San Francisco.
    the drive from San Francisco to Yosemite, will be a 5 hour drive in a RV.

    5) Would it be best to reserve space in campsites before we leave the UK?

    YES! this is California, where we camp year-round and campsites get reserved 6 months in advance.
    you better try getting a reservation at Yosemite as quick as possible. you may be too late already.

About RV Newbies

4,026 PostsLatest Activity: Jun 15, 2017