Planning a Family RV Vacation

Many people have a dream of traveling with an RV on their next vacation. The winter months are the best time to make that dream possible. With some careful planning now and by following these few suggestions you will be well on your way to a fun filled RV vacation this summer.

If you own your own RV, you are half way there. If you plan to rent an RV, you need to make arrangements now. There are a limited number of rentals available and during the peak months RV rentals are difficult to find. In our own camper rental business we are booked solid during the three months of June, July, and August. It is advisable to make reservations as early as January to get the best deals and rent from the best companies.

Finding an RV rental company is easy. There are several national RV rental companies which have franchise dealers across the country. Local RV dealers will often rent units. Another source is GetRV.com who acts as a clearing house for independent RV rental dealers throughout the country. You can search the type of unit, rates, and reserve through them online. When renting from an independent be certain to check them out with the Better Business Bureau and ask to see their rental units before committing to a contract.

If this is the year, you are going to take the plunge and purchase an RV there is no better time than the winter months. Manufacturers and dealers hold their trade shows during the off season. These shows allow you to tour all the different types and brands of RVs available in today's market. You can compare features and pricing on hundreds of models all in one place. By talking to the show attendees and get their opinions of the various brands. Here is a list of shows across the nation.

Many of the popular destinations like Yellowstone, Yosemite, and The Great Smokey Mountains National Parks will require you to make reservation early to get a spot during the summer months. The popular state parks fill up a year in advance. A web site you must learn is ReserveAmerica. Sign up for an account because you will need it.

Reserve America handles reservations for campgrounds in all National Parks, National Forests, most state parks, all Army Corps of Engineer, KOA, county and private campgrounds. In other words it is almost impossible to travel by RV today without using Reserve America.

Another good resource for the RV traveler is The Good Sam club. They will charge you a small membership fee of $19.00 and you will get a pile of junk mail from them but the services are very good. They offer destination planning, campground discounts, and a routing service just for the RV traveler.

The Good Sam routing service will warn you of tunnels you cannot drive through, steep grades, and congested areas. Your route map will show available dump stations, RV friendly exits, Good Sam approved campgrounds. However, the best feature is current fuel prices. This feature alone is worth the membership price. You will know that it is best to fill up in one state before crossing the border into the next state. Traveling across country, this knowledge alone can save you hundreds of dollars.

It is critical to have your reservations made well in advance if you are planning on attending an event such as a NASCAR race. Tickets will have to be purchased and campground reservations made. If you are driving a large class A motor home, you might need to rent a car for local transportation.

Good planning in the winter months means that you are well under way to a happy trouble-free RV vacation this summer. You have the rest of the winter months to warm yourself with researching your travel destination and fine tuning your stop over points. Best of all you can relax knowing you and your family will soon be off on a fun filled RV holiday.