Totally Off Topic -- Renting an RV?

Jay,

If you haven't already, you might want to cruise through
rec.outdoors.rv-travel and/or Google something like "RV rental" or
"motorhome rental" - keeping in mind you need to account for the usual,
widely varying knowledge & experience levels of the posters, there is
valuable informationto be gleened from the results. Might give you some
insight of what to look out for and tips to make it work, should you
decide to proceed. Here are couple to get you started (used "renting
RV" - no quotes - as criteria):

http://www.rvadvice.com/

http://www.lovetheoutdoors.com/camping/rv/rv_rental.htm

http://www.lovetheoutdoors.com/camping/RV_Resources.htm

Regarding the poster who stated he wasn't impressed with the Kennedy
Space Center when they were there 15 years ago, the place is very much
in the "impressive" catagory - at least two years ago, when we last
visited.

They have several tour offerings that are well worth the time. One stop
that still gives me goosepimples, 3 years later, is the (can't recall
the proper name...) Launch Cotrol Room that they have restored and
added multimedia to. You file in and sit in some theater-type seating
at the back of the room and they show you the history of the space
program - there are no technicans in the seats, but its like their
ghosts are there - as each position reports, the console equipement
lights up and real audio from that mission plays. Video on the big
monitors in the front of the room follows along. Very moving and well
done.

One of the stops is the observation gantry, between Launch Pads 39A &
B, where they launch the Shuttle. I see on NASA's website
(http://www.nasa.gov/centers/kennedy/home/index.html) that the Shuttle
is returning to service this spring/summer. Depending on your timing,
you might be able to see an unmanned rocket launch, as they have those
happening with some regularity.

However you get there, its worth it. Their website has a ton of info,
you just have to surf around it a bit.

If you have time, the beaches are fun, too. We've been to Coco Beach
the last two times we have visited Florida and found it enjoyable. The
one time was in Dec-Jan and we where the only ones out there, save for
the Life Guard sitting on a four-wheeler, bundled up in a parka. For
him, 60 degrees was cold, for us from Minnesota, we went swimming.

Randy

Jay,

If you haven't already, you might want to cruise through
rec.outdoors.rv-travel and/or Google something like "RV rental" or
"motorhome rental" - keeping in mind you need to account for the usual,
widely varying knowledge & experience levels of the posters, there is
valuable informationto be gleened from the results. Might give you some
insight of what to look out for and tips to make it work, should you
decide to proceed. Here are couple to get you started (used "renting
RV" - no quotes - as criteria):

http://www.rvadvice.com/

http://www.lovetheoutdoors.com/camping/rv/rv_rental.htm

http://www.lovetheoutdoors.com/camping/RV_Resources.htm

Regarding the poster who stated he wasn't impressed with the Kennedy
Space Center when they were there 15 years ago, the place is very much
in the "impressive" catagory - at least two years ago, when we last
visited.

They have several tour offerings that are well worth the time. One stop
that still gives me goosepimples, 3 years later, is the (can't recall
the proper name...) Launch Cotrol Room that they have restored and
added multimedia to. You file in and sit in some theater-type seating
at the back of the room and they show you the history of the space
program - there are no technicans in the seats, but its like their
ghosts are there - as each position reports, the console equipement
lights up and real audio from that mission plays. Video on the big
monitors in the front of the room follows along. Very moving and well
done.

One of the stops is the observation gantry, between Launch Pads 39A &
B, where they launch the Shuttle. I see on NASA's website
(http://www.nasa.gov/centers/kennedy/home/index.html) that the Shuttle
is returning to service this spring/summer. Depending on your timing,
you might be able to see an unmanned rocket launch, as they have those
happening with some regularity.

However you get there, its worth it. Their website has a ton of info,
you just have to surf around it a bit.

If you have time, the beaches are fun, too. We've been to Coco Beach
the last two times we have visited Florida and found it enjoyable. The
one time was in Dec-Jan and we where the only ones out there, save for
the Life Guard sitting on a four-wheeler, bundled up in a parka. For
him, 60 degrees was cold, for us from Minnesota, we went swimming.

Randy

Colin W Kingsbury wrote:
I'm heading back to Alaska with my father this summer for two weeks. I
decided to rent a 22' model from these guys:

http://www.greatalaskanholidays.com/

When you add up the price of hotel & rental car, it's in pretty much the
same ballpark. We're not going to travel constantly, so the gas prices
weren't a major factor. They claim to renew their fleet every year (at the
end of the season they sell all their RVs off like rental car companies) and
I just generally liked what I saw with them.

Before anyone says anything, I'm well aware that an RV is not an optimal way
to explore Alaska. We're going to do
Anchorage-Homer-Kenai-Denali-Fairbanks-Anchorage or something like that. I'd
love to take my dad to a 7-day fly-in fishing camp but neither of us have
the money for that right now, so we'll put up with the madding crowds. And I
don't have the time to fly my 172 up there from Boston. In any case, the
scenery and fishing are spectacular enough to make up for the
overpopulation.

-cwk.

"Jay Honeck" wrote in message
news:cy8Wd.92615$tl3.17640@attbi_s02...

No, not a Van's RV-6A. I'm talking about a Winnebago!

Anyone ever rented one of these big hogs for a family vacation? I'm
thinking of driving the family to Cape Canaveral for spring break this

year,

and it would be kind of cool to "carry the house with us", as it were...

Who rents these things, anyway? *Does* anyone rent them?
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"





I've missed the rest of this thread and so this may be redundent, but
I've rented RV's for several vacations and used them in a slightly
different manner then you propose. I fly to my destination and then
rent it to drive around in the general area I'm going. I've used Cruise
America in San Diego and Seattle. I've driven the units 6 or 7 hundred
miles each time and have greatly enjoyed the setup. San Diego included
going up to LA to visit the Mouse and when the kids were very young it
was nice to go out to the RV after lunch for naps and when they woke up
just walk back into the park. The Seattle trip had us driving around
the Olympic peninsular for 3 days, just stopping where we wanted. We
stopped in a small town to watch the fireworks on July 4 and they don't
go off till quite late there and so we ended up staying in the parking
lot of a dentist office overnight and leaving the next morning. Flying
out to the destination does limit you to how much stuff you can take but
that's offset by having your hotel on wheels when you get there. The
units I rented came complete with bedding and kitchen stuff so all I had
to do was get food and drink supplies and I was set.

John Theune

NVArt wrote:

How 'bout Atlas and rental van when you get there?

That thought also occurred to me, but I figured that Jay probably wants to see
some things along the way.

George Patterson
I prefer Heaven for climate but Hell for company.

Jay Honeck wrote:

No, not a Van's RV-6A. I'm talking about a Winnebago!

Anyone ever rented one of these big hogs for a family vacation? I'm
thinking of driving the family to Cape Canaveral for spring break this
year, and it would be kind of cool to "carry the house with us", as it
were...

Who rents these things, anyway? *Does* anyone rent them?

I've rented once from Cruise America but not for long trip. They rent
new(er) equipment and it was a really nice unit albeit a bit expensive.

I flew down from Milwaukee for a launch once. If I had your plane my first
option would be to fly to somewhere close and rent the RV there. Without
the mileage charge costs are close to a hotel room.


--
Frank....H