Renting an RV

[Fozzie_DeBear]

I'm thinking of renting an RV (class B) to take the family out the Sunshine Coast however it's pretty spendy ~$250 per night plus gas. Is there a better option? Any recommendations on good places to rent?

[bizaro86]

I think basically it's expensive. I've heard good things about Canadream if you still want to do it.

[Kjesse]

That's a very long drive, and you have to get to Vancouver but then drive an RV through Vancouver and then get on the ferry. Could be a lot of fun though, if your family is fun to drive with.

Compared to the other options -- which is fly and then rent a car or fly and then take a seaplane, I've done both, the seaplane was only marginally more expensive especially when we factored in the time it saved. We had access to a cabin that was free to use, so the travel costs made sense. AirBNB might get you something great.

I think the big question would be, are you like Chevy Chase? If so, RV all the way. Either way, its not going to be cheap.

Also, the Sunshine Coast is a beautiful, amazing place. We set crab and shrimp traps in the morning, went fishing for salmon (caught none however at any time), and chiseled oysters off the foreshore. We caught enough shrimp and crab to feed everyone, and had oysters for good measure. Amazing experience.

EDIT: We also got skunked in our traps a couple times over a few days, its not always fruitful. Have backup food!

[You Need a Thneed]

Several years ago, we rented a class B for a week. Rental was about $1500 I think, and it's fuel thirsty. The rental diesels are significantly more to rent. Probably put in over $500 in gas, to travel ~1500-1800 km.

If we had to do it again, I'd probably have chosen to stay in hotels, it probably would have been cheaper. Less frustrating to drive through the mountains when it's easy to pass people on the two lane highways too.

[Calgary14]

In my experience the real cost comes from the distance - if you're not driving far the extra charges (KMs) dont add up nearly as fast. If you're set on an RV you may want to consider either driving or flying there, then renting once you get there. I didn't particularly enjoy the trip in an RV - those things are really bad for gas mileage and they're slow, so you'll always have a line of cars anxious to pass you. Thats not something I was used to.

If you're still interested I've heard good things about Affordable RV

[calgarygeologist]

We've rented a travel trailer before which was pretty inexpensive. I've looked at RVs in the past but the prices seemed way too high especially because they don't include unlimited KM. I've noticed that sometimes there are private rentals available on Kijiji. They prices seemed much cheaper but there is probably a lot more risk involved in renting from an individual as opposed to a company.

[Fuzz]

When we went to the Yukon, Frasierway had the best deals, particularly when you include the mileage. I hear they are also much less picky on things like returning it cleaned. You still have to tidy up, but apparently Canadream wants it in a condition to go to the next rental when you return it, whereas Frasierway will do the cleaning. For the Yukon, it had enough power but I think that would be an issue on the Trans Canada. All depends on the model though.

You will also have the added cost of taking the ferry with an RV, not to be underestimated.

[ken0042]

The one thing I would qualify- and this can be a delicate subject; is this being discussed because your wife wants to see the mountains from the comfort of a couch? If so, would taking the train from Edmonton be a better idea?

I ask because my wife suggested we trade in our travel trailer for a small motorhome; and it came down to her wanting the comfort of sitting on a couch when we travel once a year to somewhere 4 hours away.

[kevman]

When are you looking at going? Fraserway has some pretty stellar deals on until the end of April. ($1,800 for 30 days and 4,500km)

I've rented from both Canadream (twice) and Fraserway (once). My RV rentals were always for winter ski trips so my pros and cons list is around that use. For example, Canadream has working water in the winter, Fraserway does not. Will hotels and your own car be cheaper? Probably. Will you have more fun in an RV? Probably.

Driving them is not nearly as bad as you would think. Our last rental was a 31' Class C and while it was large in town it was far from impossible. On the highway power was never an issue. 60-70mph (the speedometer was in mph for some reason) was easy if the road allowed for it. Things get slow on twisty highways but that's kind of the point of RV living. It sure aint fast but it sure is fun! Since our trips have always been ski trips the whole point has been chasing snow which means driving them up sketchy mountain passes in blizzards. In these situations I've never been worried about getting there safely. Again, you're in it for the experience and not to set a record pace.

Last trip we averaged ~30L/100km with the 31' 22,000lbs monster. You should expect far lower in a Class B.

The real beauty is sleeping wherever you want, having no fixed schedule and never having to pack up and go. You're always ready for anything.

The worst part is picking the unit up in Airdrie or Balzac. Budget a few hours to get everything sorted out and getting back home to pack. Unless of course you live in Airdrie then this is a non issue.

Looking at the price sheet we got from our last rental you can get a small 19' class C from Fraserway for $170 in July and August or $140 in September and $110 in June. So being flexible with your timing is a good way to save money.

Pretty much all I can really say is do it. You're guaranteed to have a good time!

[Locke]

I've never done it personally, but I have spoken with many people who have and the consensus is this:

There has to be a love element involved.

I mean, you have to take advantage of the fact that you have an RV. Take your time, see places, stop places, camp, etc.

From a pure cost/benefit perspective this will never be a 'win.' So you have to do the things that you never could if you didnt have an RV and call the difference an 'intangible benefit.'

[bossy22]

We have a small B+ motorhome. 24'. We love it. We did a trip to the sunshine coast and it was a blast. Last year we did 2 weeks in Oregon. This year we are doing BC again. We originally planned Oregon again because we loved it so much, but Trump.

As others have said, you need to love it. It's nice to have the wife get up and make me a sandwich while I'm driving. Or if we want a break to just pull over somewhere, and take a break. Have a nap, make coffee, whatever.