Here’s another great question; “Why Rent an RV? Why should I rent an RV?” So I’m just going to go off on some of the various reasons why you should rent an RV.
It’s because you want to! This is the biggest reason; you want to do it! Maybe it’s something on your bucket list. Maybe it’s something you’ve been planning, maybe you did it as a child or whatever the case may be; but basically, you want to do it!
Another reason is because it’s actually economical in certain situations. Depending on your itinerary, or what you’re trying to accomplish with your vacation, this could easily be comparable to renting a car and driving to your specific destination or to a national park. Rather than staying in a hotel, and then constantly having to get in and out of your hotel to go do whatever it is you’re doing for that day, you could be in an RV and go at your own pace. So this is certainly one great reason to rent an RV. Now mind you, of course, there is still fuel, and obviously RV’s, motorhomes, and travel trailers do not get as great of fuel mileage as your personal vehicle. But again, refer back to reason number one. You want to do this! This is a different type of vacation experience.
Another reason why, which kind of goes along with number 2, is because you’ve got your house on wheels, all of your luggage is with you. If you’ve got small children you can buckle them in, you can stop anywhere along the way. Maybe you have people that need to go to the bathroom often. Whatever the reason. You have your house on wheels and you can go or leave at your convenience. You are not set to anything in particular. And this is another great reason to do this. This particular reason is one that I personally like, because I have kids. And Yes, I have hauled my kids in my personal vehicle and we’ve made the long drives and that’s fine. But sometimes it’s nice to have the extra space or to be able to stop and make them some food. What’s also great about this is you’re not all crammed in this tight little car or truck or SUV, driving across country, or driving to National Parks. This is a great to be able to spread your legs out and just have some extra room.
So let’s see, what’s another great reason that people tell me or that I can think of? It’s fun and awesome for the kids, especially since there are usually windows in most of these RV’s or motor homes. Everybody can look out the windows which is really, really nice. Hopefully all of the electronics are put to the side and people can look out the window and explore.
What else is good about renting an RV? The Travel Trailer option, gives you the ability to throw everything in the back of your truck, just hook up to a trailer, head out and go somewhere fun for the weekend. You don’t necessarily need to go on a long trip. You might be going to a local state park, or a lake to go fishing, these are great reasons to rent a travel trailer.
I’m sure I could think of other reasons, but those are probably the top four or five that I could think of right now. But again, the biggest thing is renting an RV is just a great experience, it’s another alternative to taking a vacation. So thanks for watching you guys and have a great day. Be sure to watch some of our other videos.
Here’s another great question that gets asked a lot and that is: “What are the different classes? What do those terms mean?” Well let me see if I can explain this for you. I’ve been doing this for a while, so it’s kind of second nature to me, but we get a lot of customers calling, and they have no idea what these terms mean, so we talk them through it we try and explain to better suite their rental needs.
So, a Class A motorhome is what a lot of people would refer to as a bus style. They’re not technically a bus, but they look similar to a bus; some people say they look like a cigar on wheels or something like that. So, I like to point out Class As have the big flat front, the big open windshield, you usually sit up a lot higher than most vehicles. There’s a lot more living space, usually a lot more headroom, and a lot more storage space underneath. They are bigger in terms of space in that regard, but when it comes to length, this could be neither here nor there, meaning you could have a 24’ ft Class A, or you could have a 24’ ft Class C or even Class B. So, length doesn’t necessarily mean larger it just means more space. Overall, I would say Class As are more spacious.
In this video I want to talk about RV Rentals in the winter time, or in the off season. We get calls, not frequently, at least not as frequently as the summer time, about renting RV’s in the winter time. So, do we do it? Yes! We do rent in the winter time, but, there are some major exceptions to this rule.
We don’t provide the linens, at least at this time, in the winter time because the nightly prices are a lot cheaper.
The biggest drawback from renting in the wintertime is that we live in Colorado, specifically, Colorado Springs. So obviously, it gets cold here in the winter time. This means, we have to “winterize” all of the RV’s between the months of October and April. So, what this means for you as the renter is that you will not have any running water in any of the recreational vehicles.
Now, are there are ways around it? Yes, we can assist you with this issue, but we do not allow the RV’s to be de-winterized if you are staying in a cold state or where freezing weather conditions may exist, we just don’t do it. Trust me, it’s not worth the risk, and it’s not worth the risk to you if something were to crack or break because of freezing temperatures. Now, here is the exception, we can allow you to use the toilet and we can allow you to use the sinks and we can walk you through how to use these amenities with cold freezing weather conditions. This is the only exception to the no water rule but this is something we can go over if you do rent in the winter time and we explain this in more detail. Now can you take it to a warmer climate and then use running water? Sure. We make exceptions to this as well, but we need to know where you’re going. If you’re going to Texas or Florida or Arizona or California or Nevada. All perfectly fine, as long as the weather stays warm and you’re not going somewhere where it’s freezing at night, we can then de-winterize the Motorhome or the Travel Trailer for you and you’re welcome to take it and use the water. Of course there are fees that apply to this. So, just know, yes, we are operating in the winter time but it’s all by appointment only at this time and it’s very hit or miss based on your needs and what you’re trying to accomplish with the RV. I hope this answers the winter time rental question and I hope this information helps. Thanks for watching!
Here’s one question I get asked a lot; “Do I need a special license to drive a motorhome?” The answer is no. To my knowledge, in the state of Colorado, as I am filming this video, you do not need a special license to drive any of the motor homes or travel trailers. Now, a bus, an actual bus (which we don’t rent any buses at this time), would be the only exception. Sometimes, some states will require a special license for what’s called a, “Tag Axle” or Tag Axles are what they’re called. This is when the RV has duel axles in the rear of the vehicle, sometimes you need a special license for this. But generally speaking, the majority of US states do not require a special license for RVs weighing under 26,000 pounds or towed vehicles under 10,000 pounds. Vehicles that can carry more than 16 passengers are often subject to special licensing. But, again, as of now, in the state of Colorado you DO NOT need any special license to rent any motorhomes, at least not in our fleet. I’ve provided a list below of all the states and their specific requirements. Please note, state laws, rules and regulations are subject to change. We always recommend checking with your local DMV to confirm the information below.
Class A
Class C
Class B
Travel Trailer
0-26,000 lbs
0-26,000 lbs
0-10,000 lbs
0-10,000 lbs
What is a special license?
Broadly speaking, there are two types of special licenses: a commercial and non-commercial license. Some states require you to have a non-commercial special license in order to drive a recreational vehicle over a certain length or weight. Other states will require you to have a commercial driver’s license (CDL) — the kind of license needed for large and heavy vehicles likes buses or tractor trailers.
States That Require A Commercial Driver’s License
Arkansas: CDL required for vehicle over 26,000 lb
Connecticut: CDL (Class B) required for single vehicle over 26,000 lb; CDL (Class A) required for multiple vehicles with combined weight over 26,000 lb
Hawaii: CDL (Class B) required for single vehicle over 26,000 lb; CDL (Class A) required for multiple vehicles with combined weight over 26,000 lb
Kansas: CDL (Class B) required for single vehicle over 26,000 lb; CDL (Class A) required for multiple vehicles with combined weight over 26,000 lb
New Mexico: CDL (Class B) required for single vehicle over 26,000 lb; CDL (Class A) required for multiple vehicles with combined weight over 26,000 lb
Washington, D.C.: CDL (Class B) required for single vehicle over 26,000 lb; CDL (Class A) required for multiple vehicles with combined weight over 26,000 lb
Wisconsin: CDL required over 45 feet
States That Require A Non-Commercial Special Driver’s License
California: Class B license required over 26,000 lb or over 40 feet; Class A license required for towing over 10,000 lbs
Maryland: Class B license required over 26,000 lb
Michigan: Recreational Double “R” Endorsement required to tow a fifth wheel plus a trailer (it’s unlikely that you’ll ever need this)
North Carolina: Class B license required for single vehicle over 26,000 lb; Class A license required for multiple vehicles with combined weight over 26,000 lb
Nevada: Class B license required for single vehicle over 26,000 lb; Class A license required for multiple vehicles with combined weight over 26,000 lb; “J” Endorsement required to tow a vehicle over 10,000 lb (if the combined weight is less than 26,000 lb)
New York: Recreational Vehicle or “R” endorsement required for vehicles over 26,000 lb
Pennsylvania: Class B license required for single vehicle over 26,000 lb; required for multiple vehicles with combined weight over 26,000 lb
South Carolina: Class E license required for single vehicle over 26,000 lb; Class F license required for multiple vehicles with combined weight over 26,000 lb
Texas: Class B license required for single vehicle over 26,000 lb; Class A license required for multiple vehicles with combined weight over 26,000 lb
Wyoming: Class B license required for vehicle over 26,000 lb and towing under 10,000 lb; Class A license required for vehicle over 26,000 lb and towing over 10,000 lb
States That Do Not Require A Special Driver’s License
The following states do not require a special driver’s license to drive an RV. Where possible, we have provided links to the relevant state laws where the exemption for recreational vehicles can be found. Remember: When in doubt, contact your local DMV.
Alabama (Ala. Code § 32-6-49.7)
Montana (§ 61-1-101, MCA.)
Alaska (AS § 28.90.990)
Nebraska (Neb. Rev. Stat. § 60-465)
Arizona (Ark. Code § 28-3102)
New Hampshire (N.H. § Saf-C 1801.02)
Colorado (Colo. Rev. Stat. § 42-2-402)
New Jersey (N.J. Rev. Stat § 39:3-10.11)
Delaware (Del. Admin. Code tit. 2 § 2213)
North Dakota (N.D.C.C. § 39-06.2-06)
Florida (Fla. Stat. § 332.53)
Ohio (Ohio Rev. Code § 4506.3)
Georgia (OCGA § 40-5-142)
Oklahoma (47 O.S. § 1-107.4)
Idaho (I.C. § 49-302)
Oregon (Or. Rev. Stat § 801.208)
Illinois (625 ILCS § 5/6-500)
Rhode Island (31 R.I. Gen. Laws § 10.3-16)
Indiana (CDL Manual)
South Dakota (S.D. Codified Laws § 32-9-3)
Iowa (Iowa Code §321.176A)
Tennessee (T.C.A § 55-50-102)
Kentucky (KRS § 281A-050 and CDL Manual)
Utah (Utah Code § 53-3-102)
Louisiana ( LSA-RS § 32:408)
Vermont (23 V.S.A § 39-4103)
Maine (29A M.R.S § 1252 and CDL manual)
Virginia (Code § 46.2-341.4)
Massachusetts (DMV.org)
Washington (RCW 46 25-050)
Minnesota (Minn. Stat. § 169.011 or driver’s manual)
In this video I want to discuss something called RV Terminology. And what I mean by this, these are all the various names that people use to call an RV. There’s so many different names out there and people have different meanings for each one of them. So, when we get phone calls, people will say “Hey, do you have this, that or the other?” And you know, of course we help them out. But for those who don’t know, or maybe would like to be a little more educated, I’ve got a thorough list and I’m going to run down those as quickly as I can and explain the different RV terminology or different RV names.
Recreational Vehicles = RV
So I’ve broken the names up into three categories, two main categories and then a sub category (if you will). The very first one or first terminology, not even in any category is the term, RV. What does RV mean? It means Recreational Vehicle. So every other name hereafter refers to a recreational vehicle. So now matter what you’re talking about, it is still referred to as a recreational vehicle, or an RV. So let’s just clear this up immediately from the get-go!
Driveable RVs and Motorhomes (Motor homes)
Now the first category, I would like to say, are called DRIVEABLE units or driveable RVs or your motorized units or your MOTORHOMES, which is a very popular term. These are any type of RV which will have a motor built directly into it to make it self-driving and you don’t need to pull it with another vehicle or do anything special with it; you just get in the motorhome, turn on the key and you drive away. These are motorhomes. These types of RVs are usually gas or they can be diesel. Which is generally the only types of engines out there at this time. Then the motorhomes are broken into classes (which in one of my other videos you can see the different RV classes and what they mean). So you have a Class A, which is the long, cigar, bus style looking motorhome. Then you have a Class C, which is what I like to call a cab-over because there is a bed or loft/nook above the cab area where you drive. Then you have a Class B (as in boy) for a conversion vans. Anything on a van chassis like a Mercedes Sprinter, a Dodge Pro Master, a Ford Transit or whatever else is out there in the market and they are converted into a motorhome. So this is a Class B. Now along with the Class Bs you’ll have what is called a “Campervan”. This is popular in Europe and you’ll hear this terminology used a lot from overseas. And I imagine this is because smaller motorhomes and recreational vehicles are popular overseas because of smaller streets, smaller parking area, smaller spaces, and whatever the case might be. So I get a lot of my foreign customers calling in requesting a campervan and since we know what they’re talking about, we can help them out.
Diesel Pusher
Now there are some sub categories of these types of motorhomes. You have a term some people use called a “Diesel Pusher” and maybe you’ve heard this terminology. All this means is a Class A motorhome, but it has a diesel engine mounted in the rear which pushes the motorhome down the street. This is why it got the nick name, diesel pusher. And to my current knowledge, I don’t know of any gas mounted engines in Class As that are mounted in the rear (I have no idea). But generally speaking a diesel pusher is a rear mounted diesel powered motorhome.
Super C
Another motorhome type is a “Super C”. Maybe you’ve heard this term. These types are fairly newer to the industry (I would say) and these are going to be the really big, box truck (or moving truck) style, semi-truck chassis, Class C style motorhome. These are on a diesel chassis with brands from International, Freightliner, Kenworth, Volvo, and other big manufacturers. But these are going to be the big monster looking Class Cs with the diesel engine in the front end; a Super C.
Super B, B+
The last motorhome style goes along with the Class B. This one I want to talk a little bit more about because this name kind of bugs me a little bit. Myself and the manufacturers don’t see eye to eye or get along with this terminology, but here goes: I call these “Super B” or B Plus”. Now what do I mean by this? In my opinion, anything that is mounted to a truck chassis, like a typical Class C, technically, this falls under a Class C category. If the RV is mounted to a van chassis, like the Sprinter, Pro Master or similar, this to me is a Class B. What manufacturers have been doing is cutting away the Class B conversion van and putting a box on the frame, to make it appear similar to a Class C motorhome. But to me, these types drive and feel like a Class B. So I call them, “Super B” or “B Plus”. So some manufacturers will call these Class Cs others will call them Super Bs. I still feel strongly that this type of RV should fall into the B category. And this should sum it up for any of the driveable, motorhomes that are out in the market.
Towable RVs, Travel Trailers and Pull behinds
The next category is your towable units. This is simply anything that will be towed or pulled behind your personal vehicle. Now there is a lot of names for these types of RVs as well! You have a towable unit, some call them bumper pulls. To me a bumper pull is a type of RV unit on the trailer side, not on the 5th wheel type (which I’ll explain in a moment). Meaning it is towed and pulled from a hitch directly from the back of your vehicle. This is a bumper pull.
5th Wheel & Gooseneck
You also have 5th Wheels and goosenecks. These are RVs that are similar to a semi-truck style trailer that mounts on the back of the pickup truck directly in the bed of the pickup truck. This is a 5th wheel or a gooseneck. At this time Hightened Path RV does not rent 5th wheels or goosenecks, we might in the future and there are some companies that will rent these but unfortunately we are not one who does. They are very large and take up too much space. Plus washing and dumping is very challenging.
Travel Trailer
The general term for a towable unit is a trailer or “travel trailer”. This is the general, generic term when people ask if you have a trailer for rent. But unfortunately when people say trailer, they can be referring to a motorhome too (so it’s kind of funny in this regards). Now to me, going back to the trailer specifically, a trailer is a hard sided unit and what I mean by this is that they are not a popup with canvas canopies on them, so all four sides are hard sided. Now in-between a popup and a hard-sided travel trailer, you have what’s called a “hybrid travel trailer”. A hybrid trailer is the best of both worlds (in my opinion) and it’s a combination of a popup and a hard-sided trailer. So during travel, all four sides of the trailer are hard sided and when you’re ready to setup the unit at your campground, the front and back of the trailer flip open to provide much more space, but they are usually soft sided canvas similar to a popup. The nice thing about hybrid travel trailers is they are lightweight and they still sleep a handful of people, sometimes up to 10! So this is a hybrid travel trailer.
Popups, Folding Campers, and A-Frames
Now let’s go back to the term “popup” “pop-up” or another term is “folding camper” or “a-frame”. Although an A-frame is slightly different but these type of RV units all come equipped slightly different. Basically with all of these types, you have to use a crank to open the units up allowing them to expand to get all of the sleeping space provided. Generally speaking, none of these types are hard sided, although an a-frame is hard sided and has the same concept, you crank them open and they expand to look like the letter A and this is your little camper trailer. The nice thing about popups is they sleep a lot and they are usually lightweight similar to a hybrid. The biggest thing that I personally like about popup trailers, especially with my kids, is that they are like a glorified tent camping experience. They are completely open all the way around with the see through canvas windows. Which is really nice because it gives you the traditional tent camping feel without being in a tent and laying on the ground.
So this should cover all of the second category of various types of trailer units, towable, bumper pull, hybrids, popup, folding campers, a-frames, hi-lo’s, hard sided, soft sided, travel trailer, 5th wheel, and gooseneck.
Campers, All Season, and Extreme Condition
So lastly are the sub categories and the general terms that people use a lot and they can mean pretty much anything regarding recreational vehicles. One term is “camper”. Hey do you rent campers? Yes, do you want a driveable or towable? And this is how I handle this question. Another term is “All Season”, do you rent all season RVs? And the is a maybe because it’s referring to winter rentals. So the RV would be used during the winter season, and the term refers to the water and waste tanks being heated or the water pipes are coiled and heated or even the water pump is insulated and heated. But mind you, in another separate video, I talk about if you can rent an RV during the off season winter months. You certainly can, but we always leave the RV winterized. There are rare exceptions but even if the RV is an all season motorhome or travel trailer of any type, we still leave them winterized. So please be aware of this. Another term is “Extreme Conditions RV”. These types are becoming more popular and originate from Australia and New Zealand. You probably have seen them at some point and if not, just Google the term and you’ll find out more. HPRV does not have any at this time, they’re pretty magnificent RVs and they are just beasts. They are fully equipped, they are rugged, they go anywhere, and they are tough. These are extreme condition RVs. Popups and trailers can be extreme conditions and this just means they are lifted, with larger tires, and maybe they have diamond plates around the sides which makes them extreme condition popups and travel trailers.
Toy Haulers
The last one are “Toy Haulers”. The interesting thing about toy haulers is people assume they only come in a towable unit like a travel trailer or 5th wheel. But now toy haulers can come in a Class A, Class C (I don’t think they come in a Class B, too small), in 5th wheels and most types of travel trailers. A toy hauler is exactly as it sounds, it hauls your personal toys around inside of the RV. The very back of the RV has a large built in garage door that will fold down as a ramp and provide extra space to put smaller vehicles inside such as a motorcycle, dirt bikes, ATVs, quads, a razor, or anything else you can think of that will fit into this space. So that’s a description of a toy hauler and at this time we do not have any for rent. But always check our website to see what we have in our inventory; the inventory changes all the time each and every year since this is an owner consigned rental fleet.
Slide in Camper, Truck Camper
One more that I forgot to mention is called a “Slide in Camper” or “Pickup Camper”. A Slide in Camper is basically an RV box or camper box with all the normal amenities of a recreational vehicle, that slides into the back of a pickup truck. At this time we do not have any and maybe you’re watching this video and you own a slide in camper and would like to add one to our fleet to rent for you. Just give us a call and let us know. But again, this is a slide in camper and they are pretty cool units as well.
Conclusion
So this should cover all of the RV terminology I’ve come across. I’m sure there’s still other names and terms out there that I’ve missed (if so comment below) and we’ll likely get calls about these. But hopefully this answers your questions and if you watched the whole video, now when you call in, you’ll have a better understanding of the specific type of RV you’re wanting to rent! Thanks for watching this long video and I hope you’re having a good day. Make sure to check out some of the other blogs.
So, have you ever heard of the Pikes Peak International Race? I’m sure you have because that’s probably why you’re coming to this page or watching this video. The Pikes Peak International Hill Climb is actually the technical term for this famous race and it is right here in Colorado Springs at Pikes Peak. If I could take my camera, I don’t want to mess everything up, but, if I could take my camera and show you out of my office window, I can see Pikes Peak right outside of my office window. Which, is really nice! And this event happens once a year. It’s a big deal. Here’s the kicker though. It’s really hard to get up there with any RV. 24 foot is the max length allowed for anything that goes up that mountain. Now, at Hightened Path RV Rentals we have 24 foot Motorhomes and 24 feet or smaller Travel Trailers. So, if you need anything call or email us. But we are limited on these smaller sizes, and there’s not very many spaces. Now, if you’re doing promotional things or maybe you’re part of the event or something of that nature, we can get a larger Motorhome or Trailer up there but you have to have permits and basically you have to be allowed to do so. But, just know this, plan accordingly if you’re going to come to the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb to watch the famous race; especially if you’re going to rent an RV in order to do this. Because the event books up fast and there is very, very limited space on that mountain. Most people just take their personal vehicle and park on the side of the road, and that’s what they do.
Anyway we’ll put a link here in the description so you can read all of the details about the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb, and this way you can read more about it. So, yes, we do service it, we do offer RV rentals for the event, and we can deliver up there if you need this service. If you’re just flying in and you want to get up Pikes Peak with limited issues and you don’t want to mess with driving or pulling an RV up the mountain, we can take care of delivering and RV for you as well.
Thanks for watching, have a great day.
Pikes Peak International Hill Climb official website: http://ppihc.org/
