RV from Las Vegas to ... ?

Hi, all!  New here and hoping for some advice.  Our family needs to be in Portland, OR at the end of March for a family event. Since we're flying across the country anyway, we've decided to take advantage and check off some family bucket list items while we're out that way. 

Our current plan is fly into Las Vegas, as we can inexpensively fly there nonstop from our hometown, and rent an RV.  Our daughter has multiple severe food allergies and we've been considering buying an RV as an easier way to travel safely with her.  This will be a trial run of sorts to see how it works for us. 

So we'll pick up the RV in Las Vegas and then we have two possible itineraries in mind:

1. Zion National Park, Grand Canyon, Sedona, then over to Anaheim for a couple of days at Disneyland. Return the RV in LA and fly from LAX to Portland.

2. Head right to Anaheim, maybe with a detour for either Death Valley or Joshua Tree. Spend a couple of days at Disneyland then drive up the coast to San Francisco, stopping for a night or two along the way. Return the RV in San Francisco and fly from SFO to Portland.

We have 7 nights for this part of the trip.  Are we being overzealous with our plans? 

It will be mid-March, probably 16th-23rd. Are either of these itineraries better at that time of year?

Overall which would be a better trip with the RV?  We are planning to rent a Class C in the 25-27' range.  I feel like the RV may be better suited to the first itinerary but I don't know as we are brand new to this.

Any feedback would be very much appreciated as I know we need to get booking things!

EDIT to add:  I originally posted this question on a travel board for the Western US and most responses said, "do not rent an RV for this trip."  I wasn't able to discern whether these people just didn't like/ know much about RVing or if our plan didn't make sense with an RV.  So looking forward to the feedback here!

Driving an RV in LA traffic is probably not the best idea for someone without a great deal of experience with such vehicles.

seasalt said:

1. Zion National Park, Grand Canyon, Sedona, then over to Anaheim for a couple of days at Disneyland. Return the RV in LA and fly from LAX to Portland.

2. Head right to Anaheim, maybe with a detour for either Death Valley or Joshua Tree. Spend a couple of days at Disneyland then drive up the coast to San Francisco, stopping for a night or two along the way. Return the RV in San Francisco and fly from SFO to Portland.

We have 7 nights for this part of the trip.  Are we being overzealous with our plans? 

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No, both trips are doable and both are fabulous.

It will be mid-March, probably 16th-23rd. Are either of these itineraries better at that time of year?

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There is a chance you will run into snow at the Grand Canyon but it would be a very light snow and not much of an issue.

Overall which would be a better trip with the RV?  We are planning to rent a Class C in the 25-27' range.  I feel like the RV may be better suited to the first itinerary but I don't know as we are brand new to this.

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A 25 foot class C will be very tight for three people but it is doable. You would be far better off in a 30 footer. 

I originally posted this question on a travel board for the Western US and most responses said, "do not rent an RV for this trip."  I wasn't able to discern whether these people just didn't like/ know much about RVing or if our plan didn't make sense with an RV.  So looking forward to the feedback here!

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They are idiots. Absolutely rent an RV for the trip, you will have a ball. I have lived at the Grand Canyon and on the Pacific Coast so I love both trips but if I had to choose it would be the Grand Canyon one. Don't worry about driving in LA. Just avoid the rush hour and you will be fine.

Several thoughts.

The time of year you are planning this trip will favor the second of your choices so you can see Death Valley and Joshua Tree when it isn't too hot.

Your first idea will be much more scenic and memorable, but almost impossible to do. You will need to cut out seeing Zion because it's on the wrong side of the canyon if you want to see Sedona. You could see Zion, Bryce Canyon and head down to the North Rim, but then you'll have to backtrack and go pretty far out of your way to get around the canyon. If you cut out Zion, you can see GC and Sedona without a problem. Driving from Vegas to GC is six hours by car, so I would figure 8-9 hours by RV with family. So one day driving, one day at the GC, a day to get back to Sedona and a day spent there, then an entire day getting to LA. As someone else already posted, stay away from LA traffic unless you're completely familiar with driving an RV in city traffic.

If you're thinking of renting a CruiseAmerica Class C, I think they come in 25' and 31' models. Depending on the size of your family, you might want to think about getting the larger one.

Whichever way you decide to go, you're going to have some challenges, especially in city traffic. RV's are meant for open road driving with 10-12' wide lanes, not city traffic with 8-9' wide lanes. Good luck with whatever you decide.

FYI, at the time of year you're planning the trip, the road to the North Rim of the GC will still be closed.  Opens mid-May.

Definitely rent a 30' CruiseAmerica over the 25' When we were between coaches last April we rented the larger one for 2 people, and it was OK. In the 25, the double bed is on the side in the back, next to the wet bathroom.

Also, be aware that the drivers seat is very space limited. At 6-4 220 with size 14 feet, I had to take off my shoes to fit the footwell, and my wife said it looks like I was driving a go-kart.

Just to offer a different opinion on the size - you will have a blast no matter what size you choose.  Growing up, my family was the Griswolds.  One summer both parents and us 5 kids loaded up in a station wagon and drove from Montana to Mexico.  Another year we borrowed a friend's 25' class C and 2 adults and 5 young adults/teens drove from Montana to Disneyland.  Did we have our moments in the cramped space? Of course!  But 35 years later I have very fond memories of those trips.

Pick a size you can drive and be ready for moments when you each might need some space.  Then have fun!

I too am going to suggest that you go smaller rather than larger on the class C size something between 22-25 ft range.    The truth is any class C you rent from Cruise America, El Monte, etc. will be somewhat cramped inside, these rental RV's are designed for maximum number of sleeping spaces, so all will have small bathrooms, small kitchens, etc. lack of cargo space is probably not a big issues with a rental, as you only need room for your luggage, plus maybe some disposable camping chairs, etc.  Remember you will not have a car to drive around to see the sites in, so you will have to negotiate roadside pull outs in an RV, a standard full size parking space is 22 ft long, ...

Wow, thank you all!  I really appreciate you taking the time to reply.  We don't want to bite off more than we can chew so hearing feedback from those with experience is really helpful.  I'm going to discuss all of this info with my husband and see what we come up with. 

We are planning to rent from Road Bear RV as they do not allow pets in their RVs and my daughter has pet allergies in addition to the food allergies.  They offer 22-24', 25-27', 28-30', or 30-32' as size choices.

Don't let the large size scare you. It is just as easy to drive a 22 foot RV as it is to drive a 39 foot Rv. Remember most people spend 95% of their time living in the RV and 5% of their time driving it so in my mind it make sense to maximize for living and not for being easier to park. If you get stuck inside for a few days in a nasty rainstorm you will really appreciate the room. The best thing for you to do is to rent an RV for a week end before you go and see how much the size matters to you.

With all due respect to SeilerBird, on adventure trips like this it is not so much about ease of driving down the highway, but the ability to stop at those spur of the moment (or even planned) roadside attractions.  Attached is a photo of my coach in the visitor center parking lot at the Blue Bell Ice cream factory in Texas.  Note mine is 29'5" bumper to bumper.  Yes there was room for a bigger coach in that particular parking lot, but often there is not room to get a good photo in the smaller ones, finding parking for a 23 ft coach is MUCH easier than something like a 30ish ft like mine, which itself is way easier than a 45 ft diesel pusher, ...

I full timed in a 39 foot DP and had no trouble finding parking places at all the attractions I wanted to see. However if you want to live in a phone booth then get a tiny RV.  :

I think your last statement has a key word in it, and that is live.  For me, my coach provides ample space for 1 or 2 people travelling part time, typically for a week or two at a time, with my longest trip to date being 4,200 miles and just over a month.  If I were a snow birder travelling to one place and  then staying for 3-4 months I would probably want something larger, and I would certainly want a towed car for local transportation.

In the end I think it comes down to what you are comparing it to.

Compared to a tent, a small class C is incredible luxury
Compared to a motel room a small class C is cramped
Compared to a house a small class C is microscopic

As to the parking issue, any motorhome even the short ones will have some parking limitations either due to height (overhanging limbs, etc.) or width, though often with some creativity one can find a parking option, even for a larger coach pulling a car.  A standard parking space is 22 ft long, a coach like mine at just under 30 ft can reasonably fit within a standard parking space if allowed to back in and overhang the curb as shown above, something that is not always possible, even then it tends to need the width of 2 spaces to get in and out due to off tracking and tail swing, while turning.  Anything over 30 feet is going to need at a minimum 4 parking spaces in a 2x2 grid giving a total of 44 ft of length, or 5 or more spaces side by side to park and get in and out of the space.  There are some roadside attractions out there that simply don't have that much space, and there is no reasonable adjacent parking options. 

I think it is irresponsible to state that driving a 22 ft. coach is no different or less difficult than to drive a 39 ft. coach. If you have driven large rigs before, you won't have a problem, but if you haven't, there are a lot of things you will need to learn about any longer than average rig. The first time you take out a gas pump because you didn't know about the swing out behind the rear wheels while trying to pull away from the pump will teach you how much you don't know. Comparing driving a 22 ft. to a 39 ft. is like comparing driving a sedan to driving an 18 wheeler.

I personally prefer larger vehicles because I get claustrophobic when trying to stay in anything shorter than 35 ft.; hence, my owning a 39 ft. Class A. But the larger sizes do have their drawbacks and if you're not going to tow a car behind the coach, you will be quite limited at where you can go, giving credence to renting a shorter coach if it has enough room for your entire family.

John Stephens said:

I think it is irresponsible to state that driving a 22 ft. coach is no different or less difficult than to drive a 39 ft. coach. If you have driven large rigs before, you won't have a problem, but if you haven't, there are a lot of things you will need to learn about any longer than average rig. The first time you take out a gas pump because you didn't know about the swing out behind the rear wheels while trying to pull away from the pump will teach you how much you don't know. Comparing driving a 22 ft. to a 39 ft. is like comparing driving a sedan to driving an 18 wheeler.

I personally prefer larger vehicles because I get claustrophobic when trying to stay in anything shorter than 35 ft.; hence, my owning a 39 ft. Class A. But the larger sizes do have their drawbacks and if you're not going to tow a car behind the coach, you will be quite limited at where you can go, giving credence to renting a shorter coach if it has enough room for your entire family.

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This whole post is irresponsible. He claims driving a longer rig is more dangerous than driving a short rig but offers no proof, no links to back this crazy claim. Then he mentions he prefers big rigs proving my point.

I think that the size of rig and whether or not you are comfortable is down to each individual person.  I struggle just driving our truck never mind anything larger.  Everyone will have a differing opinion....

At time of writing you will need to watch out for the parks potentially being closed, if the Government shutdown is still in force.  There are many complaints about human waste / trash and vandalism.  Not trying to put you off, but just keep an eye on things.

Don't feel rushed into booking either.  There will be plenty of places to stay.  Check out www.campendium.com as there are many forest sites and RV parks as alternatives to staying in the National Parks themselves.

Also keep an eye on the weather, some places may have snow and as Seilerbird states it might not be heavy but again you want to be aware of the conditions.


If you are flying into Vegas, I would consider visiting Hoover Dam and the Valley of Fire.  These are both close and great places to see.  You could do both in one day if you get up early.  There are a couple of short hikes in the Valley of Fire - White Domes Loop (site of old film set and you walk through a short slot canyon), the Fire Wave and Mouse's Tank are 3.

http://parks.nv.gov/forms/Valley_of_Fire_Map_1_SE_HWY_162_NET_otln_reduced_2014-02-10.pdf

Lake Mead is also close to Vegas and you can rent a boat for the day if this takes your fancy.

The ghost town of Nelson is not far either, this is an old mining area and is mostly just junk cars and buildings, but we like it.  They do mine tours and rent kayaks for the lake too.

I would thoroughly recommend Death Valley as there is a lot to see although some things are off road.  Father Crowley's point is a place you can see jet fighters flying through the canyon, Badwater Basin for the salt flats that you can walk out on, Zabriskie Point for lovely photos, several areas with sand dunes, some old Charcoal Kilns and the ghost town of Rhyolite.  Lots of campgrounds but mostly with no hook ups.

Have you looked at flights straight into LA?  I know that there are sales on just now and cheap flights from the UK to there, so would imagine the same might apply in the US. 

If you flew into LA and rented the RV from there you could do Anaheim, Joshua then head north where you could do the above or drive up the coast which is beautiful.  If you do that, stop in Monterey, the aquarium there is worth a visit, and there are also whale watching trips.  We saw killer whales when we went which was really fabulous.

Good luck and I hope you have a great trip.