FAQ
When should I make reservations?
As soon as possible. Once you reserve the RV will be pulled from the market for the days of your vacation so you can relax with the knowledge that you will have a beautiful trip in a first class motor home. Travel when you want, go where you want, and see what you want. You can have it all in a very comfortable lifestyle that few people ever get to enjoy!
What insurance is needed?
Liability, collision, and comprehensive coverage is required when renting a motor home. You may either provide insurance through your own insurance company or, if this is not possible, full coverage insurance is available for $15/day through a 3rd party company. Call for more details.
Do I need a special license to drive an RV?
A current valid driver’s license from your home state or a current international license from your country is all you’ll need. No additional license requirements are required for RV’s less than 40′ in length.
Do you pick up and deliver to the airport?
We will be happy to help you arrange transportation to and from the airport to our location. We are located just 30 minutes from both LAX and Burbank airports with many shuttle and limo services passing right by our door. Just ask. We’ll help.
Where can we go with the motor home?
Los Angeles is the perfect staging ground for planning your RV vacation. In every direction you’ll find beautiful state and national parks, miles of coastline, and wonders of the world! Take for example…
North: Travel northward along the Pacific coast toward Santa Barbara, through famous wine country to San Francisco and visit Fisherman’s Wharf. Drive on to Oregon and Washington, both famous for their coastlines, mountains, lakes, rivers, and state parks. Crater Lake National Monument is a popular destination that you and your family will remember forever. You can even dip in to Canada and the beautiful city of Vancouver, British Columbia. You can go inland a bit and see Yellowstone National Park, the Great Salt Lake, Mormon temple, and stay in town to catch a Utah Jazz game while you’re at it…Bear Lake Valley in Southern Idaho is one of the best kept secrets where all you will find is peace and serenity.
South: How about Disneyland and Universal Studios in Los Angeles, Long Beach Harbor and the Queen Mary or Spruce Goose, if flying tickles your fancy. San Diego is a popular destination with Sea World, the world famous San Diego Zoo, and Petco Park, home of the San Diego Padres, all favorite attractions.
East: Drop by Las Vegas to lose a few coins and see the attractions on your way to the wondrous Grand Canyon in Arizona. Venturing further East you’ll find New Mexico, where the name “The Land of Enchantment” is no accident.
West: Travel along hundreds of miles of coastline along the Pacific Ocean and enjoy fabulous fresh seafood, the wind, and the waves washing ashore on beautiful beaches. Dozens of State Parks offer plenty of places to stop, shop, eat, relax and enjoy each day!
North: Travel northward along the Pacific coast toward Santa Barbara, through famous wine country to San Francisco and visit Fisherman’s Wharf. Drive on to Oregon and Washington, both famous for their coastlines, mountains, lakes, rivers, and state parks. Crater Lake National Monument is a popular destination that you and your family will remember forever. You can even dip in to Canada and the beautiful city of Vancouver, British Columbia. You can go inland a bit and see Yellowstone National Park, the Great Salt Lake, Mormon temple, and stay in town to catch a Utah Jazz game while you’re at it…Bear Lake Valley in Southern Idaho is one of the best kept secrets where all you will find is peace and serenity.
South: How about Disneyland and Universal Studios in Los Angeles, Long Beach Harbor and the Queen Mary or Spruce Goose, if flying tickles your fancy. San Diego is a popular destination with Sea World, the world famous San Diego Zoo, and Petco Park, home of the San Diego Padres, all favorite attractions.
East: Drop by Las Vegas to lose a few coins and see the attractions on your way to the wondrous Grand Canyon in Arizona. Venturing further East you’ll find New Mexico, where the name “The Land of Enchantment” is no accident.
West: Travel along hundreds of miles of coastline along the Pacific Ocean and enjoy fabulous fresh seafood, the wind, and the waves washing ashore on beautiful beaches. Dozens of State Parks offer plenty of places to stop, shop, eat, relax and enjoy each day!
Which motor home is best for me?
Most renters will ask for a small unit but wish that they had rented the next size up when they return. Our orientation program will help you familiarize yourself with the RV and get over any intimidation factor very quickly. The number of beds, and storage space, are the primary considerations you’ll make when deciding the length of coach you’ll want. Call us, we’ll help you pick out the RV that will suit your needs best.
Why should I rent a motor home?
You have the ability to stop by that beautiful stream in the mountains or on the beach for the night. No schedule to meet or reservations to make. No worry about where to eat or where the next rest stop is. Relax and enjoy with all the comforts of home while having the world at your doorstep.
Why should I rent from Expedition Motor Homes
Our business is all about trust. You will entrust us with your family’s safety and vacation experience. We recognize these trips are important family events, and we promise to do our very best to treat your family like our family. Our family has been helping families like yours for over 23 years, 10,800+ rentals, 1000,000 nights and over 8,000,000 miles traveled. We know what we are doing.
How can I choose one rental company over another?
If you are primarily price conscious you should consider the national companies like El Monte and the peer to peer marketplaces like RVShare. If you are looking for a personal, friendly experience from the actual RV owner, consider Outdoorsy or RVShare. If you are looking for someone who you can trust with your family’s safety that helps you have a meaningful camping experience, then you should consider professional rental companies who have real experience helping families such as yours for many years, who do this for a living. Most professional rental companies are owned and operated by price conscious RV owners who love people and the great outdoors.
What’s the difference between your company and a P2P rental company?
As described above we are a well established, F2F (Family to Family) company that takes very seriously the trust you place in our hands, the welfare of your family & your vacation. P2P (Peer to Peer) rental companies are not really rental companies. They are middle men between an RV owner and a renter. They are much like Hotels.com, or AirBnB. They are much like match.com without the funny commercials. They process transactions, and facilitate. They are an added expense. They are not RV people. We are. They are international corporation. We are local family, a friend.
This is my first time renting an RV. How do I decide which motor home will work best for me?
We will help you select a motor home that you can drive safely and has all the features your family needs to camp comfortably. AS you gain experience we will help you select other size motor homes with more features to enhance your camping experience. Our website is very interactive and is another resource to help you pick a motor home and other great destinations and campgrounds.
How do I decide where to go and where to park the motor home?
Our rental agents and our website Trip Planning page can offer you many ideas for popular places to go. We have pre-planned trips you can customize to your own interests. We also offer customized trip planning where we join wirth you in organizing each day and activity for you.
How far can I go? Where can I go?
You can go wherever you like in the US and Canada. There are some roads and destinations that are unsafe, so we will instruct you to avoid them. We recommend staying in campgrounds with RV hook ups. Most of our renters travel about 100 miles per day on average, so when you plan your trip with this guide in mind you will have plenty of time to enjoy your destinations.
Can I get some training before I go on my trip?
Of course, everyone gets training so that they feel comfortable taking their motor home on the road. We will also do a test drive if you would like one.
What happens if something goes wrong on the trip? What do I do?
You will never be left alone. You can watch our training videos on our website anytime you have an internet connection. Each motor home has a troubleshooting guide that gives you extra hints from our personal experience to help you with questions not covered in the training videos. And you will be given the cell phone for our lot supervisor. And for the more difficult problems we have an emergency roadside assistance service available to send out help. You can be assured that you will have the best available support working for you during youir whole trip.
How many people can I get into a motor home?
There are 2 answers to that question: 1) each person must be in a seat belt, so you can travel only as many people as you have seat belts for. Generally the shorter (25 foot or so) motor homes have 4 to 5 seat belts, whilethe longer ones (34+ feet) have 7-8 seat belts. 2) Most motor homes have more beds or sleeping areas than seat belts. That’s normal. You can still only carry as many people as you have seat belts for.
When should I place my reservation?
If you are travelling during the peak season (Memorial Day to Labor Day) you should generally reserve your campsite and motor home at least 3 months beforehand. Shop for your motor home but don’t reserve it until after you have reserved your campsite(s). The sooner you reserve he better selection will be available to you. Many campgrounds become available 6 to 12 months ahead. If you travel any other time of year, except holidays, you are usually safe to reserve about a week or two ahead.
I’ve heard a motor home trip is cheaper than a hotel. Is that true?
Sometimes, but not always. If you are staying in a national park, RVing is probably much cheaper. If you are travelling in a larger group one motor home is almost always cheaper than 2 hotel rooms.
What’s the fuel economy for a motor home.
Most gasoline engine motor homes get 8 to 10 miles per gallon on regular 87 octane gas, diesels get 12 to 14 miles per gallon. But it really depends on how heavy you are loaded, how you drive, and how hilly the roads are. Most gas tanks are 55 gallons, but some are 30 and larer motor homes have up to 80 gallons capacity.
What about insurance? How do you handle that?
You have 2 choices when renting with us. You can either use your auto coverage or purchase insurance online. There are several levels of insurance available, with the basic coverage starting at about $18 per day for a short motor home. We also have additional plans like tire and windshield coverage available. This goes for about $10 per day. Emergency roadside assistance is available and is included in the daily rental rate you paid.
Do you deliver? Do one ways? Whats the difference?
Yes for both. Delivery is bringing the motor home to your home. One way is driving the motor home to your campground and setting it up for you. We also pick up when you are back from your trip. There is an additional fee that varies based on motor home size, distance and time of year.
Do I need a special drivers’ license?
No, your regular driver license will do fine as long as it is valid. Overseas driver licences are also acceptable.
How much does it cost to rent?
The nightly rate varies based on season (we have 3) and moror home size and/or type. A general range is between $100 to $500 per night. You can get a complete, accurate price from our website. Just click on the “Quick Quote” button.
Is it hard to drive an RV?
No, it’s much easier than it looks. We will help you select a motor home you feel comfortable with. We will also give you driving tips, and you can watch the driving instruction video on our website. Then, if you want a test drive, we’d be happy to accommodate.
Can I bring my pet? How about service animals or comfort animals?
Yes, we have some motor homes that are pet friendly for small dogs. Service animals and comfort animals are also welcome.
What comes with the motor home? Linens? Towels? Pots & pans?
All the motor homes generally come bare, without provisions. Most of our customers bring their own supplies and like their own pillows. We do have various kits for rent, so can rent just about anything you like, from camp chairs to down comforter. A list of accessories and pictures is on our website.
Can I get a test drive as part of my training? Before I reserve?
Yes, absolutely. Just ask.
What are the best ways to keep my cost as low as possible?
Hidden fees and damage are the traditional surprise charges that make an RV rental trip surprisingly expensive. All our fees are disclosed up front, before a reservation can be placed. Damage charges are very expensive, we charge $125 per hour labor. We will give you lots of suggestions how to avoid damage when you come pick up the motor home. Generally we avoid most damage by helping you get the right motor home and training you properly.
What are your best deals?
Check out our specials on the webiste, and sign up for our email newsletter. We will let you know when they come up. The best value time of year is September and October. The weather is still great, the crowds have gone home, kids are back in school, and you are paying our lowest rates, winter season.
Do you give discounts to Vets? Seniors? Emergency responders, etc?
We certainly love those who serve our communities and friends. We do try to ‘spoil’ these heroes, so we have specials just for them. Please contact us for details.
Do you donate to charities and school/organization fundraisers?
Yes we believe strongly in giving because we have received so much. We often offer RV vacation getaways as a fundraiser auction item to local entities.
Can I tow a car to get around in?
Yes, but we do not recommend it. Not many cars are designed to be towed. Sometimes special tow hitches need to be installed onto the cars. Your fuel efficiency will certainly be drastically reduced. We recommend renting a car locally (Enterprise will deliver it or pick you up) or renting bikes or scooters from the campground. Uber & Lyft are also easy affordable alternatives.
Can I come look at the motor homes before making a decision?
Yes, we would love to personally show you all the different sizes and types we offer. We have the largest variety of motor homes in southern CA. We’ll answer all your questions, and show you how stuff works. Then you can place a reservation if you like what you see. What you see is what you get. We don’t switch or over book. We have a Come See Us discount for some models!
What’s your Cancellation Policy?
A recent survey showed that we have the most flexible, lenient cancellation policy of any CA RV rental company. The fee is $100 if you cancel more than 3 weeks before departure; $500 if you cancel between 2-3 weeks before departure; and full fare if you cancel less than 2 weeks before departure. However, you can reschedule once for another date without any penalty.
For those who want as much money back as possible and may never reschedule, like overseas travelers, we offer our TCP (Trip Cancellation Plan). If you purchase this plan you will then get all of your money back less a $49 processing fee and $10 per day cost of the plan. Our fly-in guests love this plan.
What if I get sick or something comes up. Can I get a refund?
Yes, certainly. The Cancellation Policy above explains your options. Honestly, most people just reschedule. There’s no cost to do this.
What are your additional fees? Any hidden fees?
We do have additional fees over the nightly rate. But we pride ourselves in not hiding any of them. You know beforehand what your trip will cost “out the door”! A typical rental will include 3 additional fees for the trip: a prep fee ($108), a cleaning fee ($129-$179), and a processing fee (3-4%). These fees cover taxes, DMV fees, cleaning when you return, dump tanks when you return, generator use, chemicals, adapters, Emergency Roadside /Assistance, etc. Any other fees you get are ones you select, like accessories or additional miles.
Can you help me plan my trip? I have no idea where to stay or what to do.
Yes, we have lots of ways to help you design and plan a trip, from basic ideas to a customized itinerary where we even make all the reservations for you!
Our website has several “top 10” lists in the Travel Planning page. We also have popular preplanned trips to areas like the west coast or national parks (Yosemite, Sequoia, Kings Canyon and Lake Tahoe). And our consierge service has us do all the work, just give us an idea of the theme of your trips and we will make all the arrangements.
Do you have a security deposit?
Yes we do. It is normally $2500. It is refundable. This deposit covers any extra costs you might incur during your trip, like extra miles or extra days extension. It also covers incidental damage that may accidentally occur. It will cover your insurance deductible if a claim is filed.
Why is it so high? We want to avoid stressing you out if by chance there are additional charges at the end of your rental, and you are running short. This way you have the money available and everything is covered. If there are no charges, you will be refunded immediately.
Do you supply drivers? I am afraid to drive an RV.
We don’t normally, but we can. We’ve found most of our families don’t really want a stranger travelling with them during their vacation. We often do deliver an RV to your destination. This works best if you are staying in one place, like Yosemite, for the full time. Other than that we do expend a lot of effort helping you choose a motor home you will be comfortable driving, and don’t forget we do offer free test drives. If you are going on a long trip we would recommend a weekend ‘test drive’ at a local campground to get your feet wet.
Do I have to pay for miles? Do you have unlimited miles like car rental companies?
We do not have unlimited miles packages, yet. With so many people wanting to do cross country trips, the price would be prohibitive, and honestly the trip would not be much fun with so much driving. We do offer more free miles than almost every other rental company, 100 miles per nights. That equates to about 2 hours driving per day averaged, allowing for lots of fun time at your destination. If you want to travel more than 100 miles per night averaged, then yes you pay for extra miles. The rate starts at $0.32 per mile. If you are going way over then please contact a rental agent to help you design the least expensive trip possible. If we can’t meet your budget wew will refer you to another company who could.