Renting An RV In Alaska

January 8, 2009 at 6:12 am (RVs)
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Alaska may be the last frontier, but the cost of owning your own RV may seem like its own insurmountable boundary, never mind the drive to Alaska. In renting an RV in Alaska, you can travel when and where you want, and at a fraction of the cost of buying an RV. Alaskan RV rentals offer the best way to experience the Alaskan experience.

The most popular RV rental is the class-C motor home. It’s easy to drive — making it perfect for the first time RV renter — and has comforts of home like beds, a toilet, shower, heat and air-conditioning, refrigerator, and a microwave. These may be especially nice in the Alaskan wilderness. If you want a slightly more rustic experience, consider renting a Folding camper, travel trailer, or truck trailer.

Some rental agencies provide complementary cooking and bedding sets, a TV and DVD player for when you are tired of looking at the Alaskan wilderness and BBQ sets with lawn chairs for Alaskan cookouts. If you don’t want these extras, shop around for more basic, and possibly cheaper, RV rentals.
class-cPricing varies throughout Alaskan RV rental agencies. The off-season, when rates are the cheapest, starts at the beginning of September and runs through the end of May. Some agencies charge a base fee of around $150 a day with unlimited miles within Alaska. Other agencies have a cheaper base fee starting around $70 a day, but charge an additional fee per mile, usually between 15 and 20 cents.

Most Alaskan RV rental agencies provide one-way rentals, but you will have the best luck finding an RV in Anchorage, where the majority of RV rental agencies are based. Start your search on the Internet to find the Alaskan RV rental agency that will serve your needs the best. Don’t be afraid to ask questions, especially about insurance and extra costs like cleaning fees. Have fun exploring the last frontier.

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All About Motorhome And Truck Camper

November 28, 2008 at 11:22 am (motorhome)
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There are two main categories of recreational vehicles (RV’s); motorized and towable. Motorized RV’s include Class A, Class B, and Class C motorhomes, along with truck campers.

CLASS A MOTORHOME
Class A motorhomes are the king of RV’s and are the most expensive. They can easily cost more than a house and can be very luxurious. I dream about owning one someday, but not right now. I’d have to sell my house to buy one and there’s no way all my stuff would fit in a Class A motorhome! But it doesn’t stop me from touring the inside of them at every camper show I attend.

Favorite Class A motorhome at a show earlier this year had all-leather seating, granite kitchen countertops, cherry cabinets, a lighted cherry hutch in the living area, a king size bed in the bedroom, a built-in tv, hardwood floors and an awesome navigation system that my husband nearly drooled on. It was a beautiful motorhome. It came with a beautiful price tag
too. The “show special” price was nearly $300,000.

Most class A motorhomes today have at least one slideout to give you more interior room while you are camping.

Some disadvantages of Class A motorhomes? To me the biggest disadvantage is the same as the biggest advantage – that it’s a self-contained unit. When you’re at your destination and you need to drive to the store for a few supplies you can’t unhook the camper and drive to the store. You have the take the entire camper with you. It can be a problem maneuvering it in some parking lots and in congested traffic areas. To deal with this problem, many people tow a vehicle behind their class A motorhome.

CLASS B MOTORHOME
Class B motorhomes are typically called camper vans or conversion vans. They are small compact units that usually sleep two or three people, sometimes a few more.

Camper vans came into their own in the 1960’s and 1970’s when people put bedding and other essentials in their vans so they could have a mobile lifestyle (you can still see some of the “retro” VW vans on the road – what my parents called “hippie” vans and what thought were very cool). Companies then started to crop up to offer professional van conversion services.

Today’s camper vans look a lot like a normal van except they usually have a bubble top to accommodate being able to walk around the van more easily. A drop floor may also be installed in order to gain even more vertical area so you’re not bumping your head on the ceiling. The back seating areas are removed and in their place are typically a bed (often a convertible that doubles as a couch), a small kitchen, a small bathroom area and some storage areas.

Because a Class B motorhome for sale is van-sized, it’s easier to maneuver and drive where needed. It also makes them versatile since they can be used as both a camper and an additional family vehicle if you want. They fit in most garages and fit in regular parking spots. Their gas mileage isn’t bad either, somewhere between 13 & 20 miles per gallon depending on the size, weight, engine, and your driving habits.

CLASS C MOTORHOME
As a general rule, Class C motorhome are smaller than Class A motorhomes but larger than Class B motorhomes. Does that seem confusing? It kind of is. But the easiest way to identify a Class C motorhome is that they almost always have the bed over the top of the cab of the vehicle, although there’s not always a bed in some of the new motorhomes. Sometimes it’s used for storage or for an entertainment center.

Class C motorhomes are almost as easy to maneuver through traffic and camping areas as Class B motorhomes. Larger Class C motorhomes can tow a small vehicle if desired.

TRUCK CAMPER
A truck camper is the most economical choice for a motorized camper but it is also the smallest, although you might be surprised at how much function is packed into a small unit that fits on the back of a pickup truck.

Unlike Class A, B, and C motorhomes, you usually cannot get to the living area of the truck camper from the cab of the truck. Access is usually at the back of unit.

One of the attractive features of a truck camper for sale is that it can be removed from the truck when you’re not camping so the truck can be used for regular driving and hauling.

It’s unusual for the camper and the truck to be sold together. Usually people already have the truck and then find a camper to fit it.

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Finding the Right RV

November 6, 2008 at 7:29 am (RVs)
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How do you go about buying the right RV? Most people understand how to buy a car or truck, but they’re not sure which RV best suits their needs.RV Insurance Coverage: Have you looked at your recreational vehicle insurance policy lately? If you own a motorhome or travel trailer, you should occasionally review your RV insurance policy. Why? Because you could be over-paying for your motorhome insurance coverage, and not getting the specialized coverage offered by companies that specialize in motor home or travel trailer insurance . RV America knows how to insure RVs.

“How To Buy An RV Without Getting Ripped- off!” cuts to the core of the matter.”The correct order for choosing an RV is as follows: 1) type, 2) size, 3) quality, 4) floor plan, and 5) price.” The rest of this article will discuss RV types.

The TYPE and USE of the RV make a good marriage. When you consider how you will USE the RV and consider planning ahead five years, the specific TYPE of RV you’ll need becomes clear. Renting an RV before buying is an excellent idea.

What is an RV? According to the RVIA definition, “A recreation vehicle, or RV, is a motorized or towable vehicle that combines transportation and temporary living quarters for travel, recreation and camping. RVs do not include mobile homes, off-road vehicles or snowmobiles. RVIA classifies all RVs into two groups: towables and motorized. (Travel Trailer or motorhome)

Towables, according to RVIA, are “…designed to be towed by a motorized vehicle (auto, van, or pickup truck) and of such size and weight as not to require a special highway movement permit. It is designed to provide temporary living quarters for recreational camping or travel use and does not require permanent onsite hook-up .” The towables include conventional travel trailers, fifth-wheel travel trailer, folding camping trailer and the truck camper.

Motorized RVs are “A recreational camping and travel vehicle built on or as an integral part of a self-propelled motor vehicle chassis . It may provide kitchen, sleeping, and bathroom facilities and be equipped with the ability to store and carry fresh water and sewage . Motorized RVs include motorhome (Class A), Van Camper (Class B), Motorhome (Class C) and conversion vehicles.

The size, shape and configuration of these RVs will be referred to frequently. For now, a brief description is all that is required. The Conventional Travel Trailer will cost about $18,000. The length ranges from 12 to 35 feet. It is towed by means of a bumper or frame hitch attached to the towing vehicle.

The Fifth-Wheel Travel Trailer has a wide cost range, from $25,000 to over $150,000. RVIA defines it as “….can be equipped the same as the conventional travel trailer but is constructed with a raised forward section that allows a bi-level floor plan. This style is designated to be towed by a vehicle equipped with a device known as a fifth wheel hitch.”

The least expensive RV is the Folding Camping Trailer, or Tent Trailer. With a price range from less than $5,000 to about $18,000 , it is designed for temporary living quarters. The quarters are mounted on wheels and connected with collapsible sidewalls that fold for towing by a motorized vehicle.

The Truck Camper has an average price of about $10,500. RVIA defines as “A recreational camping unit designed to be loaded onto or affixed to the bed or chassis of a truck, constructed to provide temporary living quarters for recreational camping or travel use.”

“Full-time RVing” describe Class A motorhomes as “…resemble buses in shape although many models are sleeker and more streamlined.” The living unit has been entirely constructed on a bare, specially designed motor vehicle chassis. The price range for Class A is extensive, from $60,000 to over $500,000.

They describe the Class C motorhome as being “…built on a van cutaway chassis and have a van cab with the engine located under an extended hood. The distinguishing feature of all Class Cs is the cabover bed.” The price range is fairly narrow, from $35,000 to $75,000.

A very popular RV that is creating it’s own niche is the Van Camper (Class B) Most are a “panel type truck to which the RV manufacturer adds any of the two following conveniences: sleeping, kitchen and toilet facilities. Also 110-volt hook-up, fresh water storage, city water hook-up and a top extension to provide more head room.” These RVs start at $42,000 and can cost as much as $68,000.

The Conversion Vehicles are vans, trucks and sport utility vehicles manufactured by an automaker then modified for transportation and recreation use by a company specializing in customized vehicles. These changes may include windows, carpeting, paneling, seats, sofas, and accessories. Ambulances and airport.

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