RV Rental Anchorage - Suggestions?

[jaspersmommy]

We are planning on a SB cruise from Alaska in late August 2010, and are planning on renting an RV for a week prior to the cruise.

 

Does anyone have any experiences they can share regarding which RV rental companies are good vs. bad as far as service, condition of the RV's, prices, etc.? Any feedback would be appreciated.

 

Also, if anyone has any tips on good iteneraries and campgrounds, that would be welcome too.

 

Thanks!!

[viktoriaB]

We are doing a 2-week trip next June, and I just reserved a 25' motorhome through Great Alaskan Holidays. After much researching online, they seem to have a very good reputation. When I reserved last Friday, they were having (may still have) a "lowest price guarantee", in which if the price goes down anytime from the confirmed reservation, to the day you pick up your RV, you get the lowest price. This guarantee was on their site, so mention it if you call. Their address:greatalaskanholidays.com

Good luck, and have a great time when you go! I'm sure we both will! Can't wait!

[lucyddr]

I'm interested in this as well... My cost for Great Alaskan Holidays is $1637 for the week while ABC Motorhomes would only be $869 if deposit paid by September 1. Both require an additional $500 deposit which is refunded approximately 1 week after returning the RV.

 

Any recent opinions/reviews??? I'll spend twice the money if it makes our trip better, but don't want to be ripped off!

[PennyAgain]

You must be very careful when renting in Alaska. Photograph the inside and outside in detail both when you pick up your RV and when you return it to avoid disputes over condition when you are back home.

 

Even take the precaution of washing your RV just before you return it. Make it look as good as possible. You will be charged a lot for small appliances. Often more than they cost new at a discount store.

[jaspersmommy]

You must be very careful when renting in Alaska. Photograph the inside and outside in detail both when you pick up your RV and when you return it to avoid disputes over condition when you are back home.

 

Even take the precaution of washing your RV just before you return it. Make it look as good as possible. You will be charged a lot for small appliances. Often more than they cost new at a discount store.

 

 

Thank you for the very good advice. Just curious... was there a particular provider that you had problems with? If you take 'before' and 'after' photos, I don't know how you would prove which ones were the photos of the RV when you dropped it off...

 

Yikes... now I'm worried

[Budget Queen]

You also need to compare ALL costs. Some companies charge cleaning and set up fees. Purchase ALL available insurance waivers. It's about a given you are going to ding something, and they know exactly what and where damages are and go over RV's with a fine tooth comb upon return.

 

Generally your auto insurance does not cover RV"S check out and verify.

 

Do not expect savings compared to B&B's.

 

Best is to avoid the smallest RV's with the combo beds that you have to make up from tables and couches. Far better are the permanent lower beds.

 

Going north, be certain to top off your gas tanks in Wasilla. There is no decent cost gas until Fairbanks. All your grocery shopping has to be done by here as well. Take double the toilet paper that you think you'll need. :)

 

Overall, in season, you may have to consider getting camping spots early rather than pulling in prior to dark- with nothing but uneven crappy spots left. :)

 

The MILEPOST is a necessary reference. :)

[PennyAgain]

Thank you for the very good advice. Just curious... was there a particular provider that you had problems with? If you take 'before' and 'after' photos, I don't know how you would prove which ones were the photos of the RV when you dropped it off...

 

Yikes... now I'm worried

 

I have much experience in Alaska both as a resident and as a visitor. The tales of RV's companies are legends. Especially the cleaning fees and charges for repairs. Inspect it as if you are buying it when you pick it up!

 

I always have a bottle of Windex and towels in my car. More than once I've helped RV renters clean their windows and their headlights.

 

Put a date stamp onto your photos! That solves the before and after issue.

 

As a veteran car camper, I see an RV as an upgrade, but if you don't have experience with an RV you need to get some training from a friend or neighbor who has long before you arrive in Alaska. Most especially learn how to back up and how to level it when you set up.

[gmh79]

We rented a 30 ft. RV from Great Alaskan Holidays at the end of May this year for 9 days. We purchased the additional insurance they offered to protect ourselves and have piece of mind. It was $20-25 per rental day. It was a wonderful start to our trip and the only reservations we made ahead of time were for camp Riley in Denali National park. We also stayed in Portage, Seward (waterfront) and ship creek in anchorage.

[greatam]

if you don't have experience with an RV you need to get some training from a friend or neighbor who has long before you arrive in Alaska. Most especially learn how to back up and how to level it when you set up.

 

And pay attention to tree limbs, building overhangs and MICKEY D's DRIVE THROUGH!!!

 

I think the entire town of Homer turned out last year just after Labor Day to watch the tourists trying to extricate their RV from the drive through without tearing down the entire building. Lots of suggestions how to do it, but the most telling was the sign right by the RV-OVERHEAD CLEARANCE-9'2". Someone either needed new glasses or a reading lesson. Or more likely, a thinking cap!!!!

[PennyAgain]

Greatam, thanks to Heaven you are apparently OK. Lady how many of your 9 lives have you used up?

 

Next time something blows up on your work site, will you please let us know you are OK! Please!

[greatam]

Greatam, thanks to Heaven you are apparently OK. Lady how many of your 9 lives have you used up?

 

Next time something blows up on your work site, will you please let us know you are OK! Please!

 

Thanks for your concern. Flew Mil air out of Bagram early this morning. Am now at the Doha airport, waiting for a Qatar Airlines flight to BKK, onto Saigon, PNP, then to JFK and JFK to YVR and onto ANC by next Friday.

 

Not as many kabooms as I expected, even though we were repeatedly warned and told to put on the kevlar even on the base. Think most of the fighting is closer to the Paki border and down south in Kandahar. I was within 40km of the Paki border checking on a supply line. The driver of our "gun truck" said there was sniper fire close. I never heard it (could be "old" ears or just that the trucks are so heavily armored). But we got in and out without any problems. IED's are still the most troublesome, but the new ground sensing radar is helping considerably with that problem.

 

I now have to PAY for all my meals and lodging. No more eating DFAC food (which is REALLY, REALLY good) Steak and lobster on Tuesday/Wednesday/Thursdays (depends on the base), Mongolian BBQ cooked to order on Fridays/Saturdays, absolutely fantastic buffet with a HUGE salad bar every day, all the Baskin-Robbins ice cream you can eat in about 15 flavors and more deserts than most cruise ships. About 6 kinds of milk, REAL southern sweet tea, all the bottled water you can drink free all over the bases. And if you want to pay for it, there is Carl's Jr, Subway, a couple of chicken places and even STARBUCKS at almost all bases. Some even have Mickey D's. Not a bad life except for the kabooms (which are few and far between in Iraq and non existent in Kuwait).

 

Should be loading the plane shortly. So better sign off. Thanks again for the concern.

[basser]

Check out B and B RV Rentals in Anchorage. They rent older motorhomes and have great prices with no hidden charges. No deposits or clean up fees. We rented from them in mid June and had a great experience. We paid for an extra night and stayed in our RV on their lot the first night and didn't have to get a hotel after arriving around 7:00. Bob picked us up at the airport and even loaned us their van to go get something to eat. There was no hassle turning it in even though we had broken the air conditioner cover by hitting a tree branch. Our RV showed some wear, but it ran very well and we had no engine or tire trouble.

[AK_Explorer]

We've reserved a 25' one-way ANC > SEA, with CruiseAmerica (a national chain). Pick it up on the 14th, after we disembark in Whittier. And I will be sure to photograph the living heck out of the thing - appreciate the advice.

 

We had set things up with ABC early in the year (Feb) for the same rental, and then about a week later, got sent back to square one with a phone call by the rep "sorry, Sir, but we've decided to eliminate one-way rentals". They refunded my deposit, but I wasn't happy, to say the least. CruiseAmerica is a little more expensive (and it looks like we'll be driving a rolling billboard!) :eek: but at least they agreed to the one-way. Right now, they have 1/2 price on the mileage charges. No more one-ways available at this date, but you might be able to score an interior rental - the only outlet in Alaska is in ANC, but they do have outlets in Yukon & BC.

 

We wanted to do the RV thing and see if it's something we'd be interested in on a more regular basis later. Of course, if we enjoy the cruise enough (first time for that, too), we may never vacation on land again! ;)

[greatam]

We've reserved a 25' one-way ANC > SEA, with CruiseAmerica (a national chain). Pick it up on the 14th, after we disembark in Whittier. And I will be sure to photograph the living heck out of the thing - appreciate the advice.

 

We had set things up with ABC early in the year (Feb) for the same rental, and then about a week later, got sent back to square one with a phone call by the rep "sorry, Sir, but we've decided to eliminate one-way rentals". They refunded my deposit, but I wasn't happy, to say the least. CruiseAmerica is a little more expensive (and it looks like we'll be driving a rolling billboard!) :eek: but at least they agreed to the one-way. Right now, they have 1/2 price on the mileage charges. No more one-ways available at this date, but you might be able to score an interior rental - the only outlet in Alaska is in ANC, but they do have outlets in Yukon & BC.

 

We wanted to do the RV thing and see if it's something we'd be interested in on a more regular basis later. Of course, if we enjoy the cruise enough (first time for that, too), we may never vacation on land again! ;)

 

FYI

 

AT the beginning and end of each summer season, quite a few of the RV rental companies allow one way rentals from Indianna (where they are made-pick up a NEW vehicle) and also to/from Phoenix and Seattle (for winter snow bird rentals). They are usually VERY cheap to rent. My employees have taken one of them back to Phoenix a couple of times at the end of our fish shipping season. Cheap transportation (as cheap as an airline ticket for 5 days) and a good adventure.

[cjnky]

We are presently debating for next year between a 2-week cruise to see sites we missed before like Kodiak and Icy Strait - or just flying to AK and renting again from Great Alaskan Holidays. Two years ago we did a northbound cruise, and then rented from them for 2 weeks (the smallest RV they had was quite comfortable for the 2 of us) and LOVED every minute of it. If we decide to skip the cruise, we'll definitely rent from them again. As to places we stayed, I'm not sure this link will still work or not, but here's a link to the trip report I posted then. The only place we had reservations was for Denali, so we planned our trip to visit it first and do "our own thing" after that. http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic-g28923-i349-k1497369-l9084878-Our_Great_Alaska_3_week_Holiday_L_O_N_G-Alaska.html

 

If you're going to AK, you'll have a FANTASTIC trip, no matter how you plan it!!

[cjnky]

Duplicate post!!

[pspercy]

Great thread. Thinking of doing the same if $$ allow. It looks like most motels/hotels/lodges start at $150-175/night and go up so it's not hard to come up with a figure comparable to the land part of a cruisetour.

I believe the Toursaver coupon book had one for one of the RV rental places this year, I'm told the 2010 edition comes out in November.

I've also bought Frommer's guidebook and 2009 Milepost as well as sending for lots of brochures.

Good hunting;)

[Chat Noir]

We rented from Great Alaskan Holidays in May/June 2006, extremely pleased with our rental, very low miles but of course beginning of the sesaon. All costs were stated up-front, including linens, cookware, generator (no time fees charged), and clean-up.

 

For two people, it may not make much difference in cost over lodging and dining out. For our family of four, however, it was quite economical allowing us to stock up at the grocery and fix our own meals and snacks. Additionally, our teen boys enjoyed the wiggle room, and a restroom on board can't be beat for a family trip! :)

 

We made reservations at Denali, otherwise we just stopped wherever we happened to be... taking care not to trespass on private property.

[Budget Queen]

Great thread. Thinking of doing the same if $$ allow. It looks like most motels/hotels/lodges start at $150-175/night and go up so it's not hard to come up with a figure comparable to the land part of a cruisetour.

I believe the Toursaver coupon book had one for one of the RV rental places this year, I'm told the 2010 edition comes out in November.

I've also bought Frommer's guidebook and 2009 Milepost as well as sending for lots of brochures.

Good hunting;)

 

There can be some cheaper B&B options, if open to some shared bathrooms.