How the heck did you take that trip?

A practical guide to driving an RV across the United States — from someone who’s actually done it

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Nov 10, 2023

Do you ever hear about someone’s amazing vacation and think to yourself, “That sounds awesome, but like literally, how is that even possible?”

One of the biggest American travel fantasies is taking a road trip across country, especially in an RV. (It can also be the source of many mishaps if movies like Meet the Fockers or RV are to be believed.)

I’m going ot say the “P” word, but stick with me… Pandemic. Stephanie Mitchell and her husband got creative during the pandemic, renting an RV to see the U.S. while it was difficult to participate in most travel, at least as we knew it before.

Even post-pandemic, her tips are still relevant to inspire you and give you practical advice for how to take a RV road trip of your own. Here she breaks down exactly how they made it happen:

The route:

My husband Travis and I started in Brooklyn, New York and finished in Los Angeles, California to visit my family. For the most part, we followed part of the Oregon Trail, but customized it to accommodate the two weeks we had off of work.

Length of trip:

3,600 miles in 14 days!

How they decided on an RV road trip:

Four months into the Covid-19 pandemic I finally accepted the fact that the end was nowhere in sight, and if I wanted to see my family at all in 2020, we would have to get creative. At the time, flying still seemed too risky, while also requiring us to quarantine for two weeks once we arrived.

So, it was Travis who threw out the idea of renting a van that we could also sleep in, and essentially self-quarantine over the course of our drive across the country. At that point I had barely spent any time in the middle of the U.S., so it sounded like a fun reprieve during such a stressful time.

What went into the planning process:

We planned it all within two months. After researching van rentals like Escape Campervans and Wandervans, we came across an RV company called Road Bear offering a special rate for travelers willing to pick up an RV from the car manufacturer in Middlebury, Indiana and drive it one-way to one of their West Coast locations.

We spent a bit more money than anticipated, but we got really lucky as it was a great deal! The RV also meant we’d be a little more comfortable with our sleeping and shower options, which was ideal, since I had also just found out at the time of planning the trip that I was pregnant!

The easiest part of planning:

Deciding on our route was easy. Since the RV pickup was in Indiana, we knew we’d have to take the northern route. We rented a car from National at Newark Airport and drove 10 hours straight the first day, which made for a really long day! From there we continued west while making sure we were able to see some of the National Parks along the way.

The most difficult part of the trip:

Learning how to properly use the RV! Things like filling the propane tank, fresh water reserve and dumping our waste were definitely nothing I had ever dealt with before, but once we spent some time on YouTube and trying it for ourselves we became pros.

How much was planned in advance:

We had the first seven days pretty well planned, with campsites reserved in advance, but we wanted to give ourselves flexibility in the last week in case we realized that camping on BLM (Bureau of Land Management aka federal land) was less stressful than parking alongside a bunch of other RVs while trying to social distance during the pandemic.

Total cost of trip:

Over the course of the pandemic, we inevitably saved a lot of money by not going out to eat or traveling, so we had been unintentionally saving. Once we took into account the car rental, RV, insurance, gas, campsite fees, food for two weeks, and National Park pass, we spent about $4000 USD.

How to decide where to stop:

Once we picked up the RV in Middlebury, we knew we wanted to enjoy some hikes and see some National Parks, so we simply mapped out what was along the way, and realized we could easily see Badlands National Park and Black Hills in in South Dakota, Yellowstone and Grand Tetons in Wyoming, and Bryce and Zion Canyons in Utah.

Favorite place along the way:

Every place we visited was truly beautiful and unique, but I enjoyed Bryce Canyon the most. There weren’t a lot of other people, which helped with my Covid-19 anxiety, and the vibrant colors of the red hoodoos and other rock formations in contrast with the amazing blue skies were just breathtaking.

Yellowstone would be a close second, but I don’t do well in cooler weather, which is definitely what you get in Yellowstone, even in August. In fact, we got snow one day while in Yellowstone!

The most surprising place:

The Black Hills were the biggest pleasant surprise. I thought it was going to be super touristy considering Mount Rushmore and Crazy Horse Memorial are there, but they actually were pretty impressive to see in person. We also did a really beautiful hike thanks to a friend’s recommendation called Harney Peak Trail #9, which is located along the Sylvan Lake Day Use Area in Custer State Park. It was a decent hike at around eight miles, but it ended with a dip in Sylvan Lake, so it was well worth it!

Did any place fall flat?

Honestly, no. Every place we saw was beautiful and unique. Seeing new parts of the U.S. that were so different from the coastal cities I’ve called home for my entire life gave me a new appreciation for the U.S.

What inevitably went wrong:

I think the worst decision we made was ignoring the 12’ clearance sign in the Black Hills and having to stop traffic and VERY CAREFULLY make a u-turn alongside a windy and narrow road in the RV to get back to a larger highway!

Do you think you’ll rent an RV again in the future?

Yes! I don’t think we’ll do it regularly, but once our kids are old enough to appreciate something like that, I would love to give them that experience too.