Don’t let an RV’s size intimidate you into not taking a vacation in one

If you’ve never vacationed in a recreational vehicle, your first reaction might be, “I can’t afford to rent an RV.” Or “They’re too large to maneuver.” Or maybe even, “I don’t want to end up like Robin Williams,” who not only had trouble driving one in the movie RV but also had a run-in with the septic tank.

I rented an RV for the first time last summer and I’m here to tell you that whole sewage-tank thing is pretty easy. What’s more, RV dealers and rental companies are not going to hand you the keys without some preparation. A tutorial before you drive off the lot is the norm.

“We spend about an hour with them before they leave and show them how to operate everything,” says Kevin Peters, owner of Perinton RV Rentals in Macedon, Wayne County.

He even permits prospective customers to take a test drive.

“After 15 minutes on the road, they’re settled in like it’s a little sports car,” he says. “It pretty much goes where you point it.”

Gas prices have made it more expensive to take road trips in any kind of vehicle, especially one that gets 8 miles a gallon, but RVs come in different models and sizes — from towable trailers to deluxe motor homes.

At Stacey’s Camper Rental, 1415 Scottsville Road in Chili, owner Doug Stacey has taken the rising cost of gas into account.

“We’ve added a lot of the smaller trailers, the smaller motor homes,” says Stacey, who has been in the business for 10 years. “We have the micro-mini on a Toyota chassis. It’s kind of an experiment for this year.”

He estimates the micro-mini, which sleeps four people, will get 10 to 15 miles a gallon.

Courtney Robey, public relations manager for the Recreational Vehicle Industry Association, says RVs can be a good deal for families.

“You’re not going to be eating out at restaurants three times a day. You’re going to be cooking in the RV,” Robey points out. “You also don’t have to pay for a hotel room.”

As with summer house rentals, RV rentals often go early.

“It’s definitely something that should be booked well in advance,” says Stacey, who is nearly sold out for popular weekends such as July 4.

Cost: For a class-C motor home that sleeps up to seven, expect to pay from $850 to $1,000. Travel trailers would be about half that; pop-up tents even less.

In addition to buying gas, you’ll also pay a fee per mile. (Some companies sell miles as a package or offer a set amount of free miles per day.)

Ask if sheets, towels, dishes, pans and so on are included in the rental or available for a fee. If you’re flying to a destination and renting an RV there, it can be handy not to pack all that.

Campsites with RV hookup range from about $20 at state parks to $45 or so at private campgrounds.

Familiarity: Before driving away, ask to be shown how to use the generator, water pump, water heater, furnace and liquid-propane tank; how to fill the fresh-water tanks and dump the black-water (toilet) and gray-water (sinks and shower) tanks; when to start electricity and which modes (battery or AC) to use; and when to run the refrigerator on gas or electricity.

Don’t be intimidated by disposing of the waste tanks, which are beneath the RV. A panel in the galley displays tank levels. Wait until tanks are at least three-quarters full before you empty them; otherwise they won’t drain properly. Dump contents of the black tank first so the soapy water from the gray tank can clean out the hose.

Put a tray of ice cubes down the toilet into the black tank after pumping out, but before hitting the road. The jiggling ice can help clean the tank.

Driving: Bob Caldarone, a spokesman for the Cruise America RV rental chain, compares driving a class-C motorhome to driving a U-Haul.

I found that it helps to get directions for the straightest, easiest route.

Also, don’t speed; you’ll need extra room to stop. Practice parking and learn to use your side-view mirrors (and rear camera if there is one).

“Backing up is the issue that everyone thinks is a big deal, and it can be,” says Peters of Perinton RV Rentals. “You just have to have a spotter.”

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