When you’re heading off on a camping vacation one of the first things that you need to decide is whether you want to rent a recreational vehicle (RV) to use as a base of operations while you’re away or if you want to rent a camping trailer that you can tow behind your car to carry all your gear.  You will need something to carry all your gear in, since most people do not have a family vehicle that is large enough to carry everyone in the family and all the gear and food that you will need to bring on a camping trip.

Advantages of Renting an RV

If you don’t have a lot of experience camping and don’t want to stray too far from all the comforts of home but you still want to experience the joys of a family camping trip, then renting an RV might be a good fit for you.

When you rent an RV, you won’t have to worry about the facilities or amenities that a campground has because you will have your own bathroom and shower, comfortable sleeping spaces that are protected from the weather, plus a real stove and refrigerator and sometimes even a washer and dryer too.

You can rent many different kinds of RVs from small RVs that sleep only 3-4 people and can save on gas but still give you all the comforts of home, to huge RVs that cost more to drive but give you a lot of luxurious amenities and can sleep 6-8 people. If you choose to rent an RV make sure that the campground you reserve a space at has electricity and water hookups for your RV or you will be out of luck.

Renting an RV can seriously increase the amount of money that you spend on your family camping vacation but if luxury matters to you and you don’t want to sleep in tents or take a chance on bad weather then you might be better off in an RV.

Additionally, if you are traveling quite a long distance to get to your destination renting an RV can save you a lot of time and money.  One adult can drive while the other sleeps so that you can get to your destination faster. And you can sleep in the RV and won’t need to pay for a hotel if the destination is more than a day’s journey away.

If you’re renting an RV, then maintenance isn’t a problem and you’ll always have roadside support. If your RV ever breaks down or if you have an accident or another type of mechanical problem, the company will send someone to come and help you or bring you a new RV, which is a big advantage of renting an RV.

When you rent an RV, you will have to provide proof of a valid driver’s license, insurance and other paperwork and everyone that is going to be driving the RV will need to be added to the rental contract so make sure that all the adults that are going to be driving the RV know how to drive an RV and can provide copies of a valid driver’s license.

Advantages of Renting a Camping Trailer

There are several different kinds of trailers that you rent if you are not comfortable driving a big RV.  The biggest advantage of any camping trailer is that they are smaller. Since they are smaller, they cost less to tow and they are easier to maneuver because you can tow them with your own car or truck.

Another advantage of using a trailer that you tow with your own car is that while you are on vacation if you want to visit a local town, go out to a restaurant for dinner, or even just go out and do some shopping, you don’t have to pull up stakes and drive the RV away just to run a few errands or take a quick day trip. Since you are pulling the trailer with your vehicle you can just unhitch the trailer from your vehicle and be on your way.

The most basic type of camping trailer is a trailer that is mainly used to haul gear.  These trailers can cost as little as $20 per day to rent and they will give you all the extra room that you need to store tents, sleeping bags, food, extra clothes and other gear that  you will need for your camping trip.  If you’re planning on “roughing it” then all you really need is a basic trailer to carry your gear.

If you want to have a little more comfort but you don’t want to commit to renting a huge RV you can rent a travel trailer.  Travel trailers are usually small enough that they can be towed by the family minivan or truck or SUV but they slide out to become a roomy home away from home.  Travel trailers have some of the advantages of RVs like cozy sleeping spaces, a full kitchen, a bathroom and sometimes laundry capability as well but they are cheaper and easier to move around.

Another good option is a tent trailer or a pop up trailer. These trailers fold down flat into an easy to tow square trailer that most cars and vans can tow but they fold out and open up to a large covered space that can accommodate as many as 8 people depending on the size of the trailer.  Not all of these trailers have electricity and water hooked up, some are just comfortable sleeping quarters, so double check when you’re renting if you need one that has water and electricity hookups.

Pop up trailers are a great option if you have small kids that might be too easily frightened by sleeping in a tent in the great outdoors and still need to have the safety and security of feeling like they are in a secure room.  Also if you are going camping in a place that has dramatic temperature drops at night, you will find sleeping in a trailer a lot warmer than sleeping in a tent.

For most families that are trying to keep their camping vacation from costing a fortune but want to make sure that has everyone has a good time and is safe and happy renting a travel trailer is the best option.  Driving an RV can be very difficult and the gas can be extremely expensive.