RV travel soars for summer trips as air travel stalls

Summer travel via recreational vehicle, or RV, could hit record levels this year. Hitting the road in a self-contained cocoon, which travelers can sanitize to their liking, is on a roll as gasoline prices tumble and Americans seek ways to express their pent up demand to get out of the house.

“RVs provide a great way for consumers to enjoy vacations with their families, while still adhering to social-distancing policies that are likely to remain in place in some fashion moving forward,” said RV Industry Association President Craig Kirby.

San Francisco-based Outdoorsy.com, a company that connects renters with RV owners, has seen visits to its website hit 2.5 million this month, up 93% compared to the same time last year, according to a spokesperson. Its gross bookings are up 84% year-over-year.  "We had our best bookings day on record this week — with 300 percent year-over-year growth that day," she said.

RV vacations produced some of the fondest summer vacation memories from my childhood, such as the time we booked an "Islander" motor home in Atlanta and rumbled up to Ontario to visit family for summer vacation. Best memory? We stopped in Pennsylvania's Amish country during peak fruit and vegetable season, bought berries and my mother made a pie in the RV's tiny oven while we watched locals clop around in their horses and buggies from our parking spot.

A few years later, we rented a 36-foot whopper of a Winnebago to drive to the Rockies for the grand tour from Denver, up through the Grand Tetons and Yellowstone parks and into Montana, then back across the high plains with a stop at Mount Rushmore. Most thrilling for me was that I was 15-years-old at the time and in possession of my learner's permit, and my father let me drive that big rig on those long flat freeways listening to Boz Scaggs and ELO 8-track tapes!

Care to create your own memories? Here's what you need to know to start planning your own RV experience for your family or circle of friends.

First, get busy. Increased interest in RV travel this summer means higher prices and frequent sellouts.

How can you find the right RV? There are several companies that rent their own fleets of motor homes such as Cruise America and El Monte RV. There are also Airbnb-style websites set up that connect potential renters with RV owners, such as RVShare.com, Outdoorsy.com and GoRVing.com. Back in the day, my father saw the Islander parked in a driveway in our neighborhood — he approached the owner and they worked out a private deal to rent it, so there's a low-tech option, too.

To get an idea of cost, let's look at Cruise America's weekly rates for a "standard" size motor home that sleeps five. Cruise America's motor homes are midrange — functional but not fancy. Pets are allowed. For a one week rental, picking up and dropping off in the Bay Area, you'll pay about $200 per night, or about $1,400 for a week. There is also a fee of 35 cents per mile, so if you plan on driving 1,000 miles, you'll pay $350. And you'll also pay a $3.50 fee per hour for use of the generator, typically used to power air conditioning. Kitchen and bedding "kits" are extra.

Then there is gasoline, which is relatively cheap right now (averaging about $2.60 per gallon in California). A standard size RV gets about 10 mpg. So, the all-in price for a seven-day RV motor home rental will be about $2,000 plus gas, campground, parking or park fees, and food/beverages. That's the price for a Class C-style motor home.

The larger "bus" style homes (Class A) are more expensive, and offer more room and amenities — I even found one with a fireplace! Keep in mind that you'll likely have to park the big rigs overnight in designated campgrounds, with electrical and waste hookups.

Camper vans, such as the popular Sprinter models (Class B), vary in price, and are prized because they can be legally parked in most parking lots. These smaller, spryer vans are best for those who want to go "boondocking," where you drive to remote areas, park and camp relying on the vehicle's generator and waste systems.

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While I've been writing about driveable motor homes, there are a wide variety of recreational vehicles available, including non-driveable RVs that you tow behind a car, ranging from small teardrop trailers to smooth and silvery vintage Airstreams.

Some other considerations for those ready to hit the road in an RV this summer:

– You can keep your RV cocoon as sanitized as you like, but keep in mind that gasoline stations, truck stops and restaurants along the road could harbor the coronavirus, so pack latex gloves or paper towels for touching gas pumps, and only allow one person out of the RV.

– Keep in mind that some state park campgrounds are closed, but many are opening now. (Outdoorsy is keeping track of openings/closings here.) Campgrounds are also places where you'll likely come into contact with others. Most private campgrounds, such as those operated by KOA, are still open. In any case, be sure to call ahead to determine availability — you don't want to get stuck driving around in the dark looking for a place to park overnight.

– With many hotels in the United States still closed, you'll have fewer options for alternate lodging if, like our family experienced back in the day, there is too much togetherness and the need for a long hot shower!

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Chris McGinnis is SFGATE's senior travel correspondent. You can reach him via email or follow him on Twitter or Facebook. Don't miss a shred of important travel news by signing up for his FREE weekly email updates!

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