Overseas First Timer RV users in the US

New RV user from Australia,
Hi to the RV Parks Gang,
We are new to RV travelling in the US and will be visiting the US in September - October,
We would love to travel for some time in New York State and the desert regions of Arizona, Utah and and Nevada.
Can you please help us with advice on hiring RV's in Phoenix and Syracuse.
We have flexible plans for travelling in these regions with about 10 days in NY State and 10 days in The desert regions and with so much to see and limited time can you advise on relaxed tours of these regions.
What do we need to know about rules for camping and travelling in RV's in the US please.
We travel in a small Toyota camper in Australia so have an understanding of rules and common courtesy.
All advice will be greatfuly recieved,
Cheers from Ron and Steffie Phillips

 

Hi and welcome to the forum. I can't be of much help in New York state but you can count on several members jumping in with lots of ideas and suggestions there. I am however quite familiar with Arizona and suggest you check out several areas including Tombstone and the surrounding areas nearby as well is further north in the state up around Flagstaff. Meteor Crater NP is an amazing site to see up close and personal and there is a very nice RV park and accommodations right there to stay at. And of course you will want to see the Grand Canyon and that surrounding area as well. In addition, there is Kartchner Caverns located between Tucson and Tombstone that offers a great tour of several large caverns. And there is an RV park right on the premises that is very nice. As to your actual RV rental, how familiar you driving or towing an RV will determine what type and model you do rent. I would suggest a nice moderate sized Class C unit if you are unfamiliar driving and RV as they are very maneuverable and easy to drive, etc. Like driving a full size van or pick up truck. There are several RV rental places including "Lazy Daze" in Tucson and I know there are other RV rental companies in most major metropolitan areas of the state. There are a multitude of RV parks and campgrounds all over Arizona and you can find them and check them all out right here on RVPR's home page. Let us know what specifically you are interested in seeing as well as how many will be traveling with you so we can help more on this. Sounds like a fun adventure and one that should give you many great memories to take back down under with you.................

Everyone is here to assist and shortly there will be several more posts to do just that so keep checking back..................

Safe and happy travels, BankShot.............(aka Terry)

 

Hi Terry
thank you for the great information.
All help offered by US RV users is gratefully received.
One question I have is whe I hire an RV will the hire company provide another RV if we have a breakdown or if the RV is disabled in a traffic accident.
would the hire company provide assistance in a remote place.
In my auto insurane and my RAA (auto association) cover in Australia I'm covered.
would the hire company do this.
yours sincerely Ron Phillips

 

I would think that any reputable RV rental company would take care of any breakdowns or problems you might encounter while on the road with their rental RV. Much the same as with a car rental company such as Hertz or Enterprise, etc. You will find all this out when you contact them to inquire about rates and availability. As for insurance you will probably be advised to take out rental insurance coverage that will cover the RV and occupants should you be involved in an accident. Again all that will be covered once you contact the rental company. Make a list of all these questions that you will need to have answered prior to taking off with the RV. Traveling away and out of your home country usually entails taking out rental insurances, and making sure you are fully covered so you can drive off with the secure feeling that you are.............

BankShot.................(aka Terry)

 

thank you BankShot
will do this.
Cheers Ron Phillips

 

Hi Ron and welcome to the forum. We're pommies but live in Canada. This might sound ridiculous but remember they drive on the right over here which may take some adjustment when getting to grips with a new RV as well. Arizona does have a few roundabouts and traffic circles but of course vehicles travel the opposite way around these to what you are used to. I have never experienced driving in Australia but by and large US roads as straighter and wider than we had in the UK. Take a little time to review the rules of the road (things like turning right against a red light if it is safe).
If travelling between destinations, I wouldn't recommend overnight camping in highway rest areas. You'd be better off stopping in the parking Lot of a Wal-Mart grocery store (no charge, just speak to the manager as a courtesy) or finding a campsite not far off you route. KOA's are good for this and with a $27 annual membership you receive 10% discount for each night.
In addition to the places recommended by Bankshot, Sedona is well worth a visit and only about 3 hours from Phoenix.
Beyond that, it really will depend largely upon what style of camping you prefer. Dry (no services) or full resort style camping with electric, water, sewer and cable TV connections. Prices will vary significantly. By September (after the labor Day holiday) & October I doubt there will be any need to book ahead of time for most campgrounds.
Safe travels

Richard & Diane

 

Than you Richard and Diane,
Canada looks and sounds like a great place, hopefuly we will tour there some day.
Thank you for your advice, yes we will make sure we are fully insured, I assume that the insurance that the RV company has would cover third party injuries for occupants of other vehicles.
Do RV hire companies have breakdown services or should we join a roadside assistance organisation, do the States have these and can anyone recommend one.
we will be trying to stay in authorised camp grounds as much as possible there seems to be an abundance so choosing one will be a challenge each day.
Thank you for your help, if anything else comes to mind especially about a good camp ground around Albany along the Hudson please feel free to share.
I have read that the 1000 islands is a great place but have not researched yet.
Cheers from Ron and Steffie

 

Plenty of tour boats on either side of the US/Canada border. Boldt Castle is worth a trip. I enjoyed watching all the ships, yachts, and cruisers plying the waters around the islands.

 

Looks like you guys will be travelling some of the ground we are looking at in 2018. Look forward to reviews and info.

 

cheers Jason
will do.

 

Hi Onemoretrail,
thanks for the info, we intend to travel to Buffalo from Syracuse along the lakes.
Have not researched campgrounds there but would like a night on the waters edge.
does anyone know a pretty spot.
thanks again, Ron and Steffi

 

Thank you Mike,
this is the type of information that we need,
can you suggest a pictureque route to Watkins Glen State Campground from Syracuse.
We want to drive to the hudson valley first then head for Ithaca on our way back to Syracuse.
Cheers Ron and Steffie

 

Will Niagara Falls be too far away for you to visit while you are in New York state. It is a spectacular sight.

 

Niagra is on our list.

 

Be sure to also see them from the Canadian side and take the Maid of the Mist boat tour and prepare to get wet.

 

You can pre-purchase MoM tickets on-line that will save you having to queue to buy them before you then join the queue to board the boats.
If I can offer another nugget of advice for this experience. Don't, like I watched multiple people do, don the red (or blue - depending upon whether you're in Canada or the US) plastic shrouds that are meant to save you from getting wet when lining up in 30oC sunshine. You'll end up sweating and being more wet than you would have been had you not worn one at all.

 

Do not get sucked into taking a bus tour for $60.00/person. We were there 3 weeks ago an planned on just taking the MoM for $18.50, but my aunt got all excited about the "full 3 1/2 hour tour that takes you everywhere!", So we took the bus. It was ok, but most of the areas we went to, we could have walked or driven to on our own.

The boat is awesome, and you will get your best photos there.

Chris G.

 

Read on this post. After reading the whole post, we can get solutions to deal with the trouble quickly and safely. Thanks for your nice sharing.