We Rented and Traveled in an RV - First Timer Review

I've always wanted a camper; I've got the Pinterest board full of trailers and tiny homes. We haven't been able to afford one just yet, because we keep going on Carnival cruises (another topic for another day!) but we decided to go ahead and rent one from RVShare to try it out.

We are traveling with 4 children, one of whom is nearly 6'3" so we needed plenty of space. I don't like traveling if I can't sleep well, which has been the case when we stay at hotels. We don't want to book two rooms, but sleeping 6 people when you just have two queen beds is rough.

RVShare consists of individuals offering use of their RVs or trailers. I found one locally that was pet-friendly and seemed to fit us.

This is the one we picked - a 2003 Jayco Escapade, renting for $150 a night. 29 footer

The owner was very friendly and down-to-earth. She taught us how to work everything, and then we were off! 

The drive itself is very shaky when you are in the body of the RV. I don't think we were expecting it to be so bumpy. Window blinds are rattling, things are rolling off of surfaces. We all ended up hovering around the front seats so that we could get air conditioning. Unless you run the generator while driving, you aren't going to get air towards the back. RVs already guzzle gas (8 miles to the gallon) so we didn't want to run the generator for just a 4 hour trip to Lake Conroe. 

One thing I was really surprised by was how roomy the over cab bed is! It comfortably fit my husband and I with room to spare.

We had such a nice time at Stow Away Marina and RV Park in Willis, TX. We rented a double kayak for a couple of hours and paddled all over the north end of Lake Conroe. The park itself was so homey. They have many long term tenants who really make their spaces fun and attractive with lush landscaping. It is heavily wooded, and generally quiet. Just a quick walk to the lake. There's also a BBQ restaurant on site with some delicious BBQ brisket! We had full hookups and had no issues. The air worked great, and we cooked meals on the gas stove.

With the double bed in the back, and the sofa and dinette converting to beds, along with the overcab bed, we had plenty of room to sleep. Much more than in a hotel room. 

One downside to traveling in a class C RV is that you don't have another vehicle to run errands in. If you've already hooked up to sewer, electric, and water, it's kind of annoying to detach and drive off. 

Unfortunately, my children began to feel sick during this trip, and were pretty grumpy. My son was sick in the tiny RV bathroom. I hate to say it has dampened their enthusiasm for future RV trips. 

After thinking about it for a while, I think that traveling in a comfortable SUV to a hotel or lake cabin is much easier. Our gas expenses were very high; and we had to pay $40 a night to stay at the park on top of the $150 RV rental. What we might do for the future in invest in some better cots to bring to hotels. I still would like to get a class C RV eventually to go on closer lake trips to my in-laws or my grandparents lot in Flint, but this experience really showed us the pros and cons of traveling by motorhome with a bigger family. 

It also proved that we really are a cruising family at heart!