Here's my experience renting a small RV to travel 1600+ miles
The intent of this blog is not to share expertise, but rather to share my personal observations while traveling in a (Class B) RV for the first time. I am certainly not an expert or experienced with RV travel, but hopefully someone more experienced in RV can offer readers more thorough insight.
Why I was traveling so far
After a 50+ year absence, I was able to plan a trip to attend my family’s annual reunion for the 90th annual celebration. This gathering of descendants of the original settlers (1860) of the area surrounding rural Mecosta, Michigan has been held on the 3rd Saturday in August, in the same park location, each year, since 1934. My great grandfather was one of the founders of the annual event. There has been great interest among these related families, decades before the advent of Ancestry®, in maintaining our connections, genealogy and family history. I have not attended a Reunion since high school, having moved south to Atlanta, Georgia to attend college (where I live to this day). It was quite an event, with over 500 attendees.
Image: Map of location of "90th Annual Old Settlers Reunion" in Mecosta, Michigan.
Image: A gathering of people in a park in Mecosta. Photo courtesy of cousin N. Williams, Detroit.
Image: Karen smiling at the family reunion.
Why we chose to rent a Class B RV
Planning a year in advance, we originally explored renting a full-size (Class A RV) that would sleep about 10 people. However that plan changed due to the unavailability of our experienced driver and camping expert due to a scheduling conflict. We are all novices with regard to RV travel and camping. But, with a smaller group, we decided to rent a Class B conversion van instead, which is easy to drive. The main interest in this mode of travel was my desire, being disabled, to avoid the inconvenience of getting in and out of a vehicle to use public toilets at stops along the way. (Honestly, I have always cringed at using public toilets.) Hence I was looking for vans equipped with a toilet. Since the others on the trip were fully-abled, and the “black tank” would be small, we agreed that the toilet would be reserved for my use only.
Does anything go according to plan?
Even with planning, and reserving a rental van far in advance, we did experience another “hiccup”. Just weeks before the trip, the “host” (van owner) notified me that the van had been wrecked and was out of service for quite a while. Fortunately, she found me another rental with a different host, which in fact, was a newer model, plus better equipped and offered at a comparable price. The downside was that, after months of looking at floor plans and layouts, I did not have time to check this van out for my accessibility needs in advance.
Image: Our rental van. Photo from Outdoorsy.com.
Image: Bathroom in the back of the van. The trunk doors are open, exposing an ADA height porcelain toilet and sink. Photo from Outdoorsy.com.
The trip itself
The long trip was quite enjoyable and the time went by quickly. This was a luxury van equipped with 6 comfy captain’s chairs, 2 flat screen televisions, Wi-Fi & every streaming service, pull-out desks/tables at each seat, stereo for music streaming, footrests, loveseats that made into a bed, a microwave, sink, refrigerator, exterior cameras, ambient lighting, window shades, dual A/C controls, and big screen GPS. (pricey, but I planned for it). We could have slept in the van, but opted for hotel rooms once we arrived. That’s the good stuff. The price also included insurance for each registered driver and roadside assistance/coaching when booked through Outdoorsy.
The challenges:
- Front passenger seat space was too tight for me to comfortably get inside.
- No grip/handle at side sliding door to grab onto for balance
- Low, but narrow steps (2) to get inside
- Captains chairs behind driver seat made ramp use impossible (to get in/out in a wheelchair)
- Limited storage (Cargo net in bathroom)
- Narrow aisle to bathroom; will not accommodate walker or wheelchair
Fortunately, I can still walk and was able to climb into the van (which got easier) plus hold onto the chairs to make my way back to the toilet. My power wheelchair folds flat, so my husband and son were able to store it behind the driver’s seat. The 6 captains chairs were unnecessary, but the chairs could not be removed. Just 4 would have been perfect. I would have preferred the extra space.
Image: The rental van with labels showing some of the pros and cons. Pros: 2 loveseats, 360 degree swivel chairs, captain chairs; Cons: narrow steps, can't use ramp due to chairs, no handle for lift or balance, second row of captain chairs unnecessary. Original image from Outdoorsy.com
Considerations:
- Pack lightly
- Plan & budget: pricing varies widely; mileage may not be included in price; you pay for gas
- Study van floor plans to see what will work for you. Some have no obstructions at doors
- Search rental sites with filters specifically for accessible vans for optimal comfort
- Read up on RV travel; someone should know how to ‘dump’ the ‘black’/toilet tank, if needed; RV toilets are ‘different’; some are plastic, not porcelain
- Some vans will accommodate a walker or wheelchair
- Never attempt to use the toilet while the van is in motion
- Do not use household cleaners or toilet paper (use RV-specific products)
- Ask your host if they take care of return cleaning (ours did for a fee)
- Ask the host if there is a delivery/drop-off fee or if you must pick the van up
- Ask if there is secure storage for your personal vehicle at their site while you travel
- Always inquire about insurance. Ours included insurance for each registered driver and roadside assistance/coaching when booked through Outdoorsy.
Resources for renting:
Below are some additional pictures (from Outdoorsy.com) of the van we rented with my own labels. It was built on a Mercedes Sprinter chassis, but there are vans built on Dodge, Ford, etc. foundations, which are equally as luxurious, so don’t get hung up on a name. Pay more attention to the layout and floor plan. Incredibly, I did not take any pictures of the van. This is the actual van we rented. And, yes, I will definitely travel by RV again, hopefully, even the larger Class A. Happy travels!
Image: Looking toward the bathroom, which has a TV on the door. There are two captain seats and two love seats behind them, as well as large window and overhead grab bars. Photo from Outdoorsy.com.
Image: View from the bathroom door towards the front of the van. Part of the loveseats visible, as well as four captain seats and the driver and front passenger seats. Arrow pointing toward camera view/map for the driver. Photo from Outdoorsy.com.
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