Novel Fly/Drive Vacation Ideas...

("Jay Honeck" wrote)
Anyone ever rented an RV? Are they a pain to drive? (I've driven trucks,
but never a motor home.) Anyone ever tried combining a flying vacation
with a road trip?


I'm thinking....


Montblack

In article . com,
Jay Honeck wrote:

Yeah, we might just do that, although it would take away some of the
"coolness" of the trip. The kids have camped in our pop-up, and in
tents, but never in an RV.

As a kid, my parents took us on a two trips in rented RVs. It was
a great experience. One of the biggest benefits of an RV over car
camping or hoteling it is that as soon as you or Mary wakes up,
you can start driving for the next destination. You can be hundreds
of miles down the road by the time the kids wake up.

On one three week trip, we left from NY, stopped to visit friends
near Chicago, and then went out to Mt Rushmore, Yellowstone, Teton,
Bryce Canyon, Grand Canyon and many smaller stops along the way.
Other then Yellowstone, which we just spend the day in to watch
the geysers and then drove over to Teton, we spend several days in
each location. I still remember paddling like mad to get the canoe
back to the dock as a storm rolled in across the lake in Grand
Teton NP. My dad and I also hiked down to the Colorado River at
Grand Canyon NP.

The RVs we rented were fairly new, and we didn't have any problems
with them, except for the fact that they burnt a lot of oil. This
was in the late 80s, so I don't know if RVs today have better power
to weight ratios. Probably not, with all the extra gadgets they've
added.

There were five of us in the RV, and it was the type on a van
chassis, not the bigger custom chassis or bus conversions. It
was close quarters, but much better then road trips in the car.

John
--
John Clear - http://www.clear-prop.org/

"Jay Honeck" wrote in message
ups.com...

One possible solution: Fly Atlas to Denver, CO, and pick up a big ol'
rental RV. It seems you can rent one for around $600 per week (not
counting gas), and that would give us the "feeling" of a road trip
without the zillion hours spent getting there.

Anyone ever rented an RV? Are they a pain to drive? (I've driven
trucks, but never a motor home.)

They're not hard, but they take some getting used to. I would NOT recommend
driving one in the Colorado Rockies if you're what we mountain folk call
"Prarie Chickens" (those who are used to flatlands, then come to the
mountains and PANIC!!!!)

Anyone ever tried combining a flying
vacation with a road trip?

Yeah! It was easy, but it was drving in the flatlands of Texas, not the
Rockies.

You mentioned Estes park, so I assume you're going to Rocky Mountain
National Park. That would mean a trip up Trail Ridge Road. That, my friend,
is not for the faint of heart in a car, much less a motor home.

Rent a SUV or just a nice car. See RMNP, then take a trip out Highway 24
down to HW50 through the Black Canyon of the Gunnison to Montrose, then head
into Ouray. From there, if you want a "white-knuckle" drive, take the
Million Dollar Highway to Silverton. From there take the NGR to Durango and
back again.

If you take the Million Dollar highway, don't expect the driver to see very
much sceanery...only the roadway. :~)


--
Matt Barrow
Performace Homes, LLC.
Cheyenne, WY

"RomeoMike" wrote in message
news
With respect, that's nonsense. I live "out west." The roads in season are
full of RV's driven by old retired folks and by foreigners, who rent them
in California. They are a real pain in the a** for the rest of us, but
they manage to get around just fine. Their survival on the roads is
evidenced by the vast numbers of them who have managed to fill the camp
grounds and then return home alive.

Yup....two days to drive to Colorado, then six weeks to drive 100 miles.

"Newps" wrote in message
...


john smith wrote:



You do not want to rent an RV and drive/camp the national parks out west.
Maneuverability on the winding, narrow, sometimes windy mountain roads
will give you pucker factor like you have never experienced in IMC.


Ah, baloney. I've driven them recently pulling a 26 foot 5th wheel.
Glacier has a portion of the Going to the Sun Road that they don't allow
vehicles over a certtain length. Other than that you won't have a
problem. Somebody may be looking down a several thousand foot drop but
that's about it.

Yeah, but you and I are used to it. For "Prairie Chickens" it's a different
story.

--
Matt Barrow
Performace Homes, LLC.
Cheyenne, WY

"Newps" wrote in message
...
Forget Yellowstone, Glacier and the Tetons in the Summer. Those parks are
absolutely wrecked in June, July and August. I have already made it quite
clear to my relatives in Minnesota that should they ever decide to come
out here we would not ever consider joining them in going to those parks.
If you're going to go, go in September or October. By far the best
months.


Changing of the Aspen.

"Jay Honeck" wrote in message
ups.com...
2) Get a good briefing on how all of the gadgets work.

Good idea. I've seen some of these RVs, and it takes a Masters'
Degree to understand half the stuff on board...

There is one argument for renting a car vs. renting an RV. Renting a
car means that you need to tent-camp or stay in a hotel, but since you
know the secret handshake, you can get hotel rooms for like $10 a night,
right?

Yeah, we might just do that, although it would take away some of the
"coolness" of the trip. The kids have camped in our pop-up, and in
tents, but never in an RV.

Rent an SUV or van and take your gear with you.

Morgans wrote:
"Jay Honeck" wrote


Anyone ever rented an RV? Are they a pain to drive? (I've driven
trucks, but never a motor home.) Anyone ever tried combining a flying
vacation with a road trip?


No problem learning to drive one. Drive with your mirrors, a lot.

I know of three people that have rented, and all three had MAJOR breakdowns.
Two of the three got quick repairs, and one nearly had their trip destroyed.

Make sure you get a vehicle only one year old, at best.

12 of us rented a 35' RV one summer and took it from north Texas to NW
Arkansas. It was no problem to drive. I did have to get use to driving
past 18 wheelers - the air pressure between the two as they passed.
Worst part was the 10 drunks while 2 of us stayed sober to drive. We
went to the Buffalo River area in Arkansas and the driving was not bad
in the mountains (yes, there are not the Rockies, but I have seen lots
of big RV (motor coaches) up there in Colorado)).

--

Regards, Ross
C-172F 180HP
KSWI

Matt Barrow wrote:

"Jay Honeck" wrote in message
ups.com...

One possible solution: Fly Atlas to Denver, CO, and pick up a big ol'
rental RV. It seems you can rent one for around $600 per week (not
counting gas), and that would give us the "feeling" of a road trip
without the zillion hours spent getting there.

SNIP

Rent a SUV or just a nice car. See RMNP, then take a trip out Highway 24
down to HW50 through the Black Canyon of the Gunnison to Montrose, then head
into Ouray. From there, if you want a "white-knuckle" drive, take the
Million Dollar Highway to Silverton. From there take the NGR to Durango and
back again.

If you take the Million Dollar highway, don't expect the driver to see very
much sceanery...only the roadway. :~)



That is a beautiful drive. One year we stayed in Ouray, rented a Jeep,
and drove all over the Jeep trails there. Again, most beautiful. We
stayed at the Best Western there.
--

Regards, Ross
C-172F 180HP
KSWI

You mentioned Estes park, so I assume you're going to Rocky Mountain
National Park. That would mean a trip up Trail Ridge Road. That, my friend,
is not for the faint of heart in a car, much less a motor home.

I know -- I did it in a fully-loaded (for a 2-week camping trip)
Goldwing.

It was an amazing ride.
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"