One Response to “How much would it cost to rent an RV to travel america?”

1. walmeis says:

   July 8, 2011 at 12:30 pm

   R.V. rental costs are commensurate with the size and amenities of the vehicle. Typical rental charges range from $60 to $275 per day, plus $0.30 per mile, plus fuel—and R.V.s take a lot of fuel. 10 mpg is not unusual. Average fuel cost is currently about $3 per gallon.

   There’s no easy answer for how long it would take to travel around the U.S. A very focused cross country drive (N.Y.C. to L.A.) is 2,800 miles and about 50 hours. That includes three stops per day for an hour. Consider that a baseline minimum. A trip around the U.S. seems like it would have to go through most states, but there are many states which can be bypassed simply because they are so much like neighboring states, especially in the Midwest.

   A route like this http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&source=s_d&saddr=nyc&daddr=I-95+N+to:NY-5+E%2FLake+Shore+Rd+to:US-1+S+to:US-14+W%2FUS-16+W%2FUS-20+W%2FE+Entrance+Rd+to:48.166085,-124.49707+to:los+angeles&hl=en&geocode=FXFAbQIdK8KW-yk7CD_TpU_CiTFi_nfhBo8LyA%3BFbhrsQIdMNPn-w%3BFar4jAIdAOVM-w%3BFVzqdgEdLJUg-w%3BFaLqpwIdiKhs-Q%3B%3BFYqYBwIdm77z-CkT2ifcXcfCgDH0CEYlb98v4g&mra=dpe&mrcr=0&mrsp=5&sz=5&via=1,2,3,4,5&sll=37.39221,-96.12527&sspn=30.903581,67.631836&ie=UTF8&z=5 adequately samples most of the variety of the U.S. and goes past plenty of interesting sites. As you can see, it is 7,500 miles and five solid days of driving. In practice, something like three weeks would be a realistic, yet still trying (and tiring) journey. To begin qualifying into the “leisurely” category, at least twice as long should be allocated.

   To pass through each of the 48 states is a challenging planning problem, but can probably be done in 12,000 miles. I planned one a few months ago. Check my previous answers.

   Taking an RV from the 48 states to Alaska or Hawaii is rare and difficult, so presumably you don’t plan that. Fly to those states and rent a car.