Renting an RV for Land portion on your own

[mlmalone3]

DH and I have done cruisetours with RCCL and Princess in 2007 and 2009. We are giving consideration to renting a RV in Anchorage and camping about, up towards Denali, before catching a Southbound cruise. Have any of you done this before? Would like to hear from anyone who has. We have camped with our 3 kids, first in a tent, then moved up to a Pop Up Trailer, from California to Florida and as far North as Montana. We enjoy the outdoors and would like more time than Land tours allow (or we could afford). Thanks for your opinions!

[PennyAgain]

Best way to travel inland Alaska!

 

Thousands and thousands of people have. You need to book your RV as far in advance as possible as they do sell out. Limited supply.

 

You sound like you have plenty of experience. That really helps.

 

My one tiny bit of advice is to make sure you have Windex and paper towels as the views are much easier to see out of clean windows.

 

Have a ball!

[mlmalone3]

Thanks for the windex tip...will keep that in mind and on the list.:D

[mapleleaves]

I RV'd last yr for 2 weeks. It was great!! I have camped before but never been in an RV. As a single woman I was more than a little nervous about driving the beast. Drove 2,000 miles; Anc-Denali-Fairbanks-Valdez-Palmer-Seward. I loved the flexibility of being able to wander as I pleased instead of being tied to a hotel reservation. My only reservation was at Denali because I wanted to camp INSIDE the park.

I made my reservation in November '08 for Aug '09, when Great Alaskan Holidays ran a half price special. If you're seriouso, watch their web site. It was about $120 a night plus the gas and camp fees. The 22 ft got about 10mpg. But you save on meals which can be pretty pricey in Alaska. ABC Motorhome runs specials as well; they had 3 free days in the coupon book this year. I spent a lot of time reading trip reports on tripadvisor.com. There are plenty of people who do RV trips thru Alaska and their detailed reports were a great resource. I also met a lot of retired people who had driven their RVs from Florida, Texas, etc all the way to Alaska. What a trip that would be!

[PennyAgain]

mapleleaves! Proud of you! Most of my RV-ing in Alaska has been much less fancy. Pick up with camper and even my old Subaru, but my dream (after retirement) is to get really serious about RV-ing in Alaska.

 

The pick up with camper got absolutely horrible gas mileage. Ridiculous!

[Budget Queen]

I have RV'd Alaska twice. It's not my preferred mode of travel. :)

 

IF you can firm up your details and book your trip, in the fall, there can be big discounts with prepaying your RV. I ended up with less than $100 per day, for 2 weeks this year. Gas was about 8mpg, you're lucky if you get 10, :) I had a 24 foot.

 

Be certain to purchase twice the toilet paper you think you'll need, matches, foil, dish soap. I don't cook all my meal, far from it. :) So, it wasn't the deal for me. I stayed 4 nights in paid campgrounds. Rest of time, along the road, in parking lots. :) Suited me fine.

 

BE very informed about insurance. Most auto policies do NOT cover RV's. It is a good idea to purchase all additional waivers, since damages are very common.

 

TIME is the most important feature of any interior Alaska RV trip. Go for as long as you can afford, and don't underestimate time and distances.

[sdfamily]

Here's what we did in 2008.....I'd be glad to answer any questions. My family called the 'Amazing Alaska Race', but loved every minute!

 

We spent 9 nights in 2 RV's on land before our 7-day cruise. We are a family of 5 with 3 boys (9, 7, and 2) traveling with my in-laws.

 

Day 1 - arrived in Anchorage early am after staying in Seattle the night before. Picked up RV#1 in anchorage and headed to Wasilla. Stopped at Thunderbird Falls for hike along the way. It was very beautiful and quick. Picked up RV#2 in Wasilla, hit Wal-Mart and Carrs. Stayed at Finger Lakes campground. It was raining during the day, but cleared up around 9 or 10 pm. It was clear and stunning. Finally, tossed the kids in bed around midnight after roasting marshmallows in the blazing midnight sun.

 

Day 2 - slept to the sound of rain and woke up with rain. Our plans had been to head to Denali first. But, given the weather we rescheduled our flightseeing trip and headed East on the Glenn Highway. Stopped, again, at Fred Meyer in Palmer. Visited the Matanuska Glacier and did a short hike in the rain. Stayed overnight at the Tolsona Wilderness campground. It was a great campground and the kids had a fun time running around. Had dinner 'early' this night around 10 pm:=)

 

Day 3 - headed towards Valdez in the morning. The weather looked not so good for the PWS boat cruise, so we adapted again and headed towards McCarthy. We dropped one RV at the Kenny Lake campground and motored on...This was really an adventure we were VERY fortunate that it was spectacular and not a disaster. The road is everything that is reported. Good in some sections and not so good in others. It was raining throughout the day and driving was slow. It took us about 4 hours from Kenny Lake. We saw a bald eagle and a bear along the road and stopped for a much needed coffee and ice cream. We arrived in McCarthy in time for the 3:30 mill tour with St. Elias guides. The tour was awesome and I highly recommend it. If you take the trouble to go all the way out there, you need to take the tour to get into the building. It was really fascinating, and my kids were riveted. We had dinner in McCarthy and headed back down the road. Arrived in Chitna, well after midnight....Again, not the smartest move, but we enjoyed every minute.

 

Day 4 - weather was clearing and we headed to Valdez for PWS tour with Stan Stephens. The drive was breathtaking. We arrived in Valdez and boarded the Valdez Spirit for the tour. I would have to say that this was one of the highlights of our trip. The weather was clear and the views were unbelievable. We saw sea lions, humpback whales, eagles and the magnificent Columbia Glacier. The 2YO did great on the boat! Surprise, Surprise!

 

Day 5 - we debated on spending another day in Valdez, but trekked on. Some of our party did the trek on the Worthington Glacier and really enjoyed it . Again, the weather cooperated and it was beautiful. We picked them up at the glacier and headed north on the Richardson. About 1 hour into the drive, BOOM, 2 flat tires on RV#2!!!! DH and FIL employed all their MacGyver techniques and fixed the flat on tire #1 and changed to the spare on tire #2. While they were using the generator to pump up the tires, we heated the pizza from the night before and had lunch:=) We were a bit delayed due to the tire 'issue' and stayed overnight at Sourdough River Campground after checking the tires in Glenallen. This campground was gorgeous and we again had dinner around 11pm and roasted marshmallows under the midnight sun.

 

Day 6 - went for a hike around the campground and explored the river. Packed up after lunch and headed for Fairbanks. Stopped at a pipeline display and Rika's Roadhouse before arriving in Fairbanks. Dropped of DH, FIL and DS (9) at the Goldpanners baseball game and stayed at the Tanana Valley Fairgrounds Campground. Did laundry and had a quiet evening (so to speak).

 

Day 7 - Headed to 'used' tire store for 2 'new' tires. Tire store found a nail in RV#1 and pulled it and fixed THAT flat. Headed to U of AK Museum of the North then on to Hot Licks for ice cream an onto Denali (we move fast...). Internet site messed up our reservations for Riley Creek, so we drove to Savage River and back (saw a moose and baby) and then checked in at Carlo Creek Campground south of Denali. This was a fabulous place and just stunning. They gave us the group site and we camped by the river.

 

Day 8 - Went to Denali for the day, but did not take a shuttle bus. 2 Year-olds do not belong on a bus. Saw the sled dogs and took a hike or two. Stayed again at Carlo Creek.

 

Day 9 - got up early (for us) and headed south to Talkeetna for noon flightseeing. It was really rainy so they rescheduled us for 7 pm. We messed around Talkeetna. They have a really cool new kids playground that my kids spent hours at. Finally convinced the rest of the family to take the flight even though the weather was not clear (in fact, it was rainy and overcast). Well....they thanked me over and over! The trip was unbelievable! We saw Denali and flew under a rainbow. The scenery is indescribable. We had dinner in Talkeetna and headed south overnight near Willow.

 

Day 10 - cleaned up our RVs, did laundry, returned RV#2, stopped at Wal-Mart, picked up rental minivan, picked up dry cleaning, returned RV#1, drove towards Whittier for cruise, realized that we left kids' backpacks in RV#1, drove back to Anchorage, drove back towards Whittier, went to liquor store :=), and boarded cruise ready to be taken care of for a week!

 

We really enjoyed RVing in Alaska and getting to see some of the vast wilderness.

[jaspersmommy]

DH and I have done cruisetours with RCCL and Princess in 2007 and 2009. We are giving consideration to renting a RV in Anchorage and camping about, up towards Denali, before catching a Southbound cruise. Have any of you done this before? Would like to hear from anyone who has. We have camped with our 3 kids, first in a tent, then moved up to a Pop Up Trailer, from California to Florida and as far North as Montana. We enjoy the outdoors and would like more time than Land tours allow (or we could afford). Thanks for your opinions!

 

 

We just returned from one week of RV'ing in Alaska followed by a cruise. The RV portion was every bit as enjoyable as the cruise. I would highly recommend it. With an RV, you have so much flexibility to do things your own way.

 

We rented a 32' model with 2 slide-outs from Great Alaskan Holidays. We rented it last fall and got 50% off the cost. GAH was excellent all the way - no problems at all with them. The RV was a 2011 model with only 10,000 miles on it. Looked brand-new.

 

Having the RV was also good as it saves $$ on restaurant meals. Plus, it was nice to have home cooking for the first week of our holidays, knowing we'd be having restaurant-type meals on the ship for the second week. It was really nice to be able to pull over beside a pretty spot along our travels and eat our lunch.

 

I can't recommend the RV more. Enjoy!

[cage keeper]

I will agree with everyone else. We had a wonderful 7 week adventure this summer in Alaska. I too thought about renting an RV but decided the 3,000. would make a good down payment on the camper we have been wanting to buy. So instead of the pop up we were looking at we bought a 24' travel trailer. One week from CT. to Alaska, second week, Fairbanks to Denali, then Seward, Cruise for two weeks, then a three week return trip. So many people we talked to on the ship hated the restrictions on the cruise tour. Of course we did spend a small fortune on gas. Enjoyed cooking most of our meals as much as we loved being served on the ship. Can't wait to return in a couple of years.

[mapleleaves]

I will agree with everyone else. We had a wonderful 7 week adventure this summer in Alaska. I too thought about renting an RV but decided the 3,000. would make a good down payment on the camper we have been wanting to buy. So instead of the pop up we were looking at we bought a 24' travel trailer. One week from CT. to Alaska, second week, Fairbanks to Denali, then Seward, Cruise for two weeks, then a three week return trip. So many people we talked to on the ship hated the restrictions on the cruise tour. Of course we did spend a small fortune on gas. Enjoyed cooking most of our meals as much as we loved being served on the ship. Can't wait to return in a couple of years.

 

I was surprised at the number of RV license plates from all over the lower 48. You were one of them! A lot of people post daily to

http://www.mytripjournal.com/travel-United_States-Alaska

A friend of miine did the trip from Chicago last yr and she posted daily. It's pretty interesting to read about the routes people choose and what they see and do along the way. And some people don't go home; they stay on the road for a few years.

[Avida]

Hi Mimalone3.

 

We have booked a southbound cruise in June next year and are also investigating the hire of an RV for about 3 weeks. Having researched the web there seem to be only a few companies that appear to do this - some are obviously small operators and their terms and conditions are very limiting.

 

We will be very interested to hear how your investigations are going.

 

Viv and Bryan

[mapleleaves]

Hi Mimalone3.

 

Having researched the web there seem to be only a few companies that appear to do this - some are obviously small operators and their terms and conditions are very limiting.

 

 

Be sure to check out the rating of the RV company with the Better Business Bureau. Some people have posted about serious problems with a couple of companies and have lost their money. ( Great Alaska and ABC are both A+ )

[Avida]

Hi Mapleleaves.

 

Thanks very much for that info. As you probably realised I got that feeling about one or two of them!! Will check out 'Better Business Bureau'. Is that an Alaskan or general USA operation? We are in the UK and will need to Google it!!

 

Viv and Bryan

[mlmalone3]

Thanks for all the comments and the descriptions of other trips. DH has been working in Australia for a month. Hopefully we'll get to sit down and really look at serious options as soon as he returns. Thanks again!

[mapleleaves]

Hi Mapleleaves.

 

Thanks very much for that info. As you probably realised I got that feeling about one or two of them!! Will check out 'Better Business Bureau'. Is that an Alaskan or general USA operation? We are in the UK and will need to Google it!!

 

Viv and Bryan

 

Here's the link.

http://www.bbb.org/

Seems like there are a few from the UK and Australia planning to RV next yr based on recent posts on tripadvisor.com

My cousin from England joined me last yr in the RV. Actually she did several yrs ago too when we tent camped in Alaska. She loved Valdez.

[Budget Queen]

( Great Alaska and ABC are both A+ )

 

I don't know if you have rented from Both these companies, but I have, and my experience, was not what you state. By far Great Alaskan was superior, with several issues, I ran into.

[Avida]

I have looked at both Great Alaskan and ABC. From our point of view not having any motor insurance in the US or Canada ABC are a non-starter as they require you to use your own motor insurance cover for the RV.

 

Great Alaskan therefore appear to be the front runner from our viewpoint in the UK

 

Bryan

[mapleleaves]

I don't know if you have rented from Both these companies, but I have, and my experience, was not what you state. By far Great Alaskan was superior, with several issues, I ran into.

 

I was stating the BBB ratings of these 2 companies, which is A+.

My personal experience was with GAH and they were definitely A+ in my book. Clean new RV with low miles, stocked with everything we needed.

[Chat Noir]

RV'd as a family of 4 following a northbound cruise. For our family, it was a no-brainer. All amenities on board (fridge, microwave, restroom) and room for our then-teenaged sons to stretch. Much more convenient and less crowded for us than renting a car and motel/hotel hopping.

 

We stayed in designated campgrounds, roadside pull-outs, and once in a restaurant parking lot after asking the manager's permission.

 

Figuring costs for our family, I believe our RV experience was a tad bit less expensive than car-rental with lodging and all meals out, and a whole lot less expensive than a cruisetour... and we had more freedom.

 

My vote is GO FOR IT! :)

[Avida]

Hi Chat Noir.

 

Sounds good. Who did you rent from?? We have been looking at various companies, the reviews on some are not too bright!

 

We are firming up our plans both for pre and post cruise. Pre-cruise in Alaska post-cruise out of Vancouver.

 

Great reading about the various experiences. Look forward to seeing others.

 

Bryan

[Chat Noir]

Hi Avida,

 

We rented from Great Alaskan Holidays and were very pleased. Our RV had only a couple thousand miles on it; the one our friends were assigned had more miles but still very nice.

 

At the time we rented (and I haven't heard anything's changed) all necessities such as linens, cookware, etc were included in the set price as well as generator usage. Some companies look less expensive to begin with, but it adds up when they start charging extra for those items. Our only extra fee was for insurance coverage.

 

GAH has you sign the paperwork, sit through a video, go over any nicks and dings already on the unit - be sure to point out and have them document anything they don't mention, inside and out, then you're free to go.

 

We're back to considering if we want to cruise/RV again, or do the 14 day round-trip on HAL... decisions, decisions...

 

Hope you all have a great trip, though planning can be half the fun! :)

[Avida]

Thanks for your post Chat Noir.

 

We have already exchanged emails with GAH and are awaiting the launch of their 2011 website. Having looked carefully at their 2010 website and the email responses we had received they seemed to be 'on the ball'. You have confirmed our thoughts and we hope to book as soon as they launch the 2011 details. Hopefully some early booking offers will be made!!

[mapleleaves]

Avida, I don't know if you looked at info on tripadvisor, but this link contains a very useful group of messages designed to help people who are thinking about an RV rental. It includes the housekeeping items that GAH includes, tips on what people bought because they weren't included, etc . The only item I rented was a Mr Coffee.

http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic-g28923-i349-k3415077-Helpful_hints_for_renting_driving_utilizing_RVs_in_Alaska-Alaska.html

I elected to get additional insurance thru GAH since I had never driven an RV before; it was around $175 for 2 wks. The insurance they provide has a $1500 deductible but it gave me peace of mind to pay the extra and know I wouldn't be stuck.

I still have all my paperwork from last yr so if you have any questions ask away.

[Avida]

Hi Mapleleaves.

 

Thanks for the link to tripadvisor. Had looked at various parts of the site but not the link you have suggested. We would definitely be taking the additional insurance to reduce the 'deductable' and as you say get peace of mind.

 

We are off in our motorhome for the next few days and will get onto the link and back to the board when we return on Monday.

 

Meanwhile thanks to all for help and guidance so far.

 

Bryan

[mapleleaves]

Avida, enjoy your brief getaway. I was just talking to family in the UK this morning; they were complaining about the cold weather and rain. Hope you can find a little sunshine. :-)