Renting RV in Colorado

[kazawolf]

Hi, I am a newbie to RVs and would love to rent one in Colorado in early July to take my two daughters camping. However, as a newly-divorced dad I am hesitant to spend the $250/night plus mileage that seems to be the going summer rate for a Class C. Any suggestions, or anyone interested in renting their RV? Thanks for your help.

[C_Schomer]

I used to rent cabins when I was in that situation. Glenwood Springs/Sunlite ski area was our favorite. We loved the stinky pool in the winter! Craig

[2gypsies1]

Check out some RV parks for cabins or yurts in them. Some state parks use them. Oregon State Parks have them and they're great. KOAs have cabins. To would be less expensive than renting an RV. Good luck finding something!

[tatest]

$250 a day sounds pretty good to me, for a class C. With the current level of use for mine, it costs me about $600 a day for the days I use it. It would cost me less if I could use it more.

Have you checked hotel rates in the places you to be? Camping cabins? There are alternatives to motorhome camping, which is probably not really camping, rather living in a house on wheels. My way of seeing it, since I do both.

I've seen motorhome rental prices over $1000 lately. On the other hand, you might be able to find a pop-up camper for under $200 a day, if you have a vehicle ready to tow it. But maybe not, that's a Kansas/Oklahoma price, not a Colorado price.

To introduce my daughters to camping, if I had not had the Girl Scout camp as a alternative, I would have bought a tent, cooler, sleeping bags, camp stove and lantern and borrow some cooking stuff from the house. Except that I bought that stuff 40 years ago to take my wife camping, and it worked for the girls, and it now works for my grandchildren.

[GizmosMom]

I immediately thought about Snowy Peaks in Buena Vista.

Clicky

But I also think a cabin might be fun, too. We have camped in our van and also stayed in cabins.

Have fun whatever you decide to do!

[OutdoorPhotogra]

Here's my take on rentals. If you don't have time to use the RV 30-40 nights per year, renting isn't a bad deal compared to the cost of ownership. I am not saying it's cheap, but neither is owning.

I was a long time tent camper until I got caught in one too many rainstorms and I bought a cheap used pop-up. That was six years ago and we've loved our pop-up but I'm tired of taking it down in the rain now that I'm back on the East Coast. I would love a Class C but I've run the numbers and just can't justify it. My new strategy is use my pop-up for weekend camping within 100 miles of home and rent a Class C for 10-14 days in summer. My annual cost would be $3,000 to 4,000. I can't own one for that price, especially to watch it sit. I don't look at the rental as throwing away money. It's just economics until I'm closer to retirement and can use a class C more.

By all means check out cabin options or consider tent camping but don't rule out the RV as a bad deal if you can afford it.

[kknowlton]

Agree with others, and I like the idea of a cabin rental. (Or a yurt.) When I was a kid we spent several weeks in Colorado, and often stayed in cabins (my parents were not into camping). I loved it!

[Bumpyroad]

it might be possible if you can find somebody to drive their RV to a campground and you just stay in it a couple of nights.
bumpy

[pconroy328]

kazawolf wrote:
Any suggestions, or anyone interested in renting their RV? Thanks for your help.

I really hope you find something, I do.



But think about it from our perspective:
- an RV cost tens and tens and tens of thousands of dollars - or more
- it's filled with semi-complicated systems that take time to learn
- I made mistakes and am glad I didn't break anything expensive
- It's running on an expensive chassis that takes time to learn to drive safely
- I don't know what my insurance would do if you wrecked it


Before I got one, I thought "Meh, how hard can this be?"
Well it was a much steeper learning curve than I realized.

Hand it over to a stranger, an inexperienced stranger for a couple of hundred bucks?

One tire on my doggone RV is a coupl'a hundred bucks.
Sorry.


I hope you do find something. Spending time with your daughters out here in Colorado would be a golden moment.

You might consider renting a Jeep and getting a cabin or Yurt. Yurts are cool.

[FlatBroke]

Might be less stressful if you would rent a rustic cabin in one of the small towns. Lots of em have fire pits if you want a camp fire. Bet the girls would love it. Plus more freedom to move around to see the sights.

[bikendan]

kazawolf wrote:
Hi, I am a newbie to RVs and would love to rent one in Colorado in early July to take my two daughters camping. However, as a newly-divorced dad I am hesitant to spend the $250/night plus mileage that seems to be the going summer rate for a Class C. Any suggestions, or anyone interested in renting their RV? Thanks for your help.

Nearly NO one on this forum, would rent out their RV, when this subject is brought up.
most wouldn't even let family members use it.

You're renting in peak season so that's probably the typical cost.
I would look for some place that would rent a popup, since most vehicles can tow one.

[Bumpyroad]

I wouldn't have rented out any of my motorhomes for less than $250 per night (if at all) and would have required a sky high security deposit.
bumpy

[pconroy328]

Two colleagues at work have rented. They shopped and shopped and that seems to be the going rate for a class C. Plus mileage for anything over 100 miles a day. Plus all the cleaning fees.

It's not my definition of cheap by any means.

Popups are less, I think.

[AZRick]

Was just at Snowy Peaks RV Park in Buena Vista, and they rent RVs- looked like they had a dozen or so, but I didn't pay any attention to them. Have no idea about what kinds and details, but you might check with them.