Invasion of the Rental RVs

[Skater]

My parents used to run a campground in southern Florida, and a good part of their business was European travelers on a road trip through the U.S. Seems like an appropriate way to see the country. They would fly in to Miami and start the tour there.

[idroba]

I love visiting with international people in our National Parks. It is fun to help them understand our country and how we do things, as it is fun to learn from them about their way of doing stuff. I have never had a bad experience and have learned more from them than I gave back, I am sure.

I had a fun conversation with a group of German guys one night 30 years ago in Glacier National Park. We were all drinking a fair amount of beer. They could not understand why we used aluminum cans and no bottles, and the few bottles were not recycled. At that time there was NO beer brewed in Montana at all (changed now with micro breweries). The beer we were drinking came from Portland Oregon. I explained that carting bottles back to Portland hundreds of miles away to wash and re use just didn't make sense. They explained that all German beer bottles were the same and could go back to any brewery and be re used, and filled with any other beer. Since they had a lot of breweries, the bottles didn't travel very far. They then understood not only about beer bottles but how vast this country is. At that time Germany had not been re united and was about the size of Oregon but with 60 million people in it. So, even re cycling can become a topic of understanding.

They could not understand the lack of good cheese here either. I said "neither can I". American single slice pre wrapped cheese was all they could find in the little convenience stores they were shopping in....LOL.

learning is fun.

[TheOhioSean]

Both last year at Grand Canyon, and this year at Shenandoah, about half the rental RV's seemed to be filled with Europeans. I've also seen European motorhomes shipped to the US from Europe at both Yellowstone and Grand Canyon. An acquaintance from the Netherlands did a 3-week cross-country rental RV trip with his family to see America.

[Fly at Night]

Class C rentals are a huge business here. Have met many from Germany, the UK, and Australia.

[TinShack]

We have them all over in California campgrounds. I have never had a problem with any of them. Most are Europeans as stated and are generally very conscientious about their camping habits.

I met a couple of young German ladies with their kids at a dump station and they were filling the fresh water tank on their rental with the dump station hose. I tried to explain to them about the contamination of the water supply and how it could make them sick, but they looked at me like I had lobsters crawling out of my ears an said in a thick German accent, "But we do not drink it!" I sure hope the rental company sterilizes the fresh system on those things after each rental!

[FCloud9]

During our recent snowbird adventure of southwestern states we met many Europeans especially in State and National Parks. Among the many travelers with rented class C MH....
we met three separate couples and two families whom brought their own MH from Germany via port entry in Baltimore. Some couples discussed their 10-11 month plans and others were visiting U.S. for shorter stays. We were very impressed with their excellent English and knowledge of their destinations. One couple we bumped into twice during our three month sojourn. I always smiled at their show of patriotism as their MH was decorated with Ralph Lauren "red, white and blue" decor and they frequently dressed in color coordinated sportswear also in Americana red, white and blue!

[Eonicks]

I just returned from a trip to Yosemite with a rented 25 ft class C. It was a great introduction to the lifestyle and convinced my wife and I to go forward with a trailer purchase. A good portion of the people we came across were foreigners. I was amazed by the languages heard just walking the grounds.

Great way to see the country, but I can admit that it wasn't inexpensive. We went during one of the cheapest time frames. It can go up to $300+ per night in peak periods.

[dstalzer]

We are on a 3 month road trip to Alaska and Canada. We met a man from Switzerland who had shipped a very expensive (and unusual) trailer and VW tow car to Baltimore and proceded to drive to Alaska. His family will fly to Anchorage where they will go on a tour of Alaska.
Dennis

[Meeks]

I have met more Europeans at our National Park campgrounds over the past thirty plus years than I can remember. Consistently a fabulous group of people.

My wife, fourteen year old son, and I rented a Class C Motorhome last year for a month each in Australia and New Zealand. As others have written, it was not cheap but we had a trip of a lifetime!

The journey and lifestyle of these and our 2014 tent trailer experiences led.......to the purchase of our Airstream .

[Len n Jeanne]

The bakery-truck style of rental RV (class c, like Cruise America) are indeed common in the western states and Canadian provinces.

My feeling is that we should welcome the Euros they spend in the US and Canada. These RV rentals are not cheap. A clever travel web site or local chamber of commerce could encourage further value-added expenditures.

Plus, Europeans have put up with hordes of our tourists in their countries for years.

[Lily&Me]

10-12 years ago, Doug and I took the train....with a sleeper car....to Seattle and back. What a way to go.

We had about 10 days between arrival in Seattle, and our return trip, rented a Class C and spent that driving down the coast to the Redwoods and back.

A wonderful, wonderful trip.

RV rentals are ridiculously expensive, but not a bad way to see a destination far from where you reside.


Maggie

[ROBERT CROSS]

Do the Rt.66 tour, you'll meet plenty of interesting Tourists from across the Pond.

Hans and his wife were on their way to Chicago to pick up 66 and tour across the Country with their Car Club....Welcome to the USA!!




Bob

[flyncloud]

Originally Posted by TinShack

We have them all over in California campgrounds. I have never had a problem with any of them. Most are Europeans as stated and are generally very conscientious about their camping habits.

I met a couple of young German ladies with their kids at a dump station and they were filling the fresh water tank on their rental with the dump station hose. I tried to explain to them about the contamination of the water supply and how it could make them sick, but they looked at me like I had lobsters crawling out of my ears an said in a thick German accent, "But we do not drink it!" I sure hope the rental company sterilizes the fresh system on those things after each rental!

I apologize for the thread drift right upfront. But I wouldn't drink out of my own fresh water tank.........and I sterilize it at the beginning of every season too. Is that weird?

[flyncloud]

Originally Posted by Lily&Me

10-12 years ago, Doug and I took the train....with a sleeper car....to Seattle and back. What a way to go.

It's the motion of the train that makes it so nice

Absolutely, my favorite way to travel and see the country..........especially, in Europe. Too bad we don't have that many options in the US. But I wouldn't live anywhere else.

[Lily&Me]

Yes....the motion of the train, also the big window in the sleeper car, sipping coffee in the mornings which watching the countryside go by, meals in the dining car....all that.

We love the trains, and are fortunate to be able to get on one a mile from my house, landing us in downtown Chicago 2+ hours later.

Lovely.


Maggie

[KJRitchie]

RV rentals I saw were mainly in the national parks, hardly saw them anywhere else. Didn't see any at Heaton Campground on Dillon Lake near Frisco, CO where I stayed one night on the way home. Did have another Airstream on the same loop though.

A Class C came in late at North Campground (no hookups) in Bryce just across from me. It didn't appear to be a rental but the occupants spoke in a eastern European language as they set to level the RV and a tent for the kids. It was about 9pm and the sun was just setting. They started their generator. Generator hours ended at 8pm. Since I was still up I figured they needed it to cook their dinner it didn't bother me. But by 10pm it was still running and I had my AS windows open to sleep. I had to go over and ask them to turn it off since generator hours had passed and all quiet was 10pm. They were very accommodating and turned it off. The next morning they got up early, packed up and were gone.

Kelvin

[Aerowood]

I have met several German couples at the few times I've stayed in campgrounds. All have been fascinated with the Airstream even though it an aluminum tent. We even had one couple take us out for a nice dinner at a Mexican restaurant, they had many questions about the Airstream and the west. They absolutely loved my wife as she was born in Germany and is bilingual, it was quite the evening watching my wife and the couple conversing in their native language while enjoying Chile Rellenos

[UKDUDE]

Originally Posted by KJRitchie

Saw this parked by the general store in Bryce.

Kelvin

Did you know they build those in Nixa - where you're from?

[KJRitchie]

Yep, not too far from my house. Haven't seen one on the road yet.

Kelvin

[ericpeltier]

I was in Capitol Reef last year and met a couple from Holland, I think, that had signed up to "deliver" an RV from the east coast to the west coast, where a buyer was waiting for it. Nifty idea, I thought.

Eric