Did someone say road trip? Are you looking for ideas on how to make your next trip the best vacation EVER? The great news is that if you’re planning a summer road trip, you could be in for the experience of a lifetime. The whole idea of going on a road trip is to hit the road and let it take you where it takes you. But before you start your journey, careful planning is important. What type of car should you drive? What should you pack? Which one of your friends won’t annoy you to death if you bring them along? While it may not be a blast, spending a little time planning your trip is important.
One of the big obstacles you’ll face when you’re heading out on summer road trips is the cost. Just because you’re going on a trip doesn’t mean your bills are going to stop. Here’s a creative solution, have you ever thought about renting out your place? You could sublet to someone for a few months, or you could rent it out for a few days at a time through Airbnb. Next obstacle, what do you do with your things while you’re subletting your place? Answer? Invest in some self-storage! Renting a storage unit is a great solution because they’re inexpensive, and they’ll keep your things safe while you’re on your trip. See, with a little forethought, and some planning, you can keep up on your bills while you’re away!
Packing for a Road Trip Through Different Climates
The one thing you need to do when packing for road trips is to recognize that different parts of the country will have different climates. Just because you’re going on a trip during the summer doesn’t mean that it’s going to be warm everywhere. If you know where you’re going in advance, you can do some research about the weather. Altitude and humidity level plays a huge role in determining how warm or cold an area is, so do yourself a favor and do your homework before you start your road trip. So, how should you pack for different climates?
- For colder climates, you’ll obviously need jackets, sweaters, and long pants. It might be summer, but there are quite a few places where it can get very chilly, especially at night.
- Staying at a higher altitude? Bring warmer clothing!
- For hot, dry climates, you should wear loose-fitting, light clothing. Many people make the mistake of wearing short sleeves when spending a lot of time outdoors in a hot climate. If you’re in the sun too long, you’ll end up with a major burn. So stick to light fabrics and long sleeves if you’re going somewhere hot and dry. Throw on your favorite hat for an extra layer of protection.
You might be thinking, ‘I’m bringing too many clothes!’ If that sounds like you, consider renting an RV for extra space. If you haven’t thought of renting an RV for your summer road trip, put that on your radar. Below we’ll go over how you can save money during the summer by renting an RV.
Renting an RV or Trailer Can Save You on Hotel Costs
Going on road trips can be an amazing experience, but that doesn’t mean that everything’s going to be perfect. At some point, you’re going to get tired. Zonking out in a car isn’t the best option, so most people end up staying in hotels. There are a couple of problems with staying in a hotel room. First, it’s going to be expensive. Even cheaper motels will add up over time. The other problem is you’ll have to lug all your stuff up to and from your room. What if there was a better solution that was more convenient, allowed you to carry more stuff, afforded you more privacy, and saved you money? That probably sounds too good to be true, doesn’t it? Well, you’re in for a treat! If you rent an RV for your road trip, you’ll get all of these benefits, which can turn an ordinary road trip into a stellar one!
Let’s Talk Money
So, how much is this going to cost you? That depends on what type of RV you want. Luxury RVs can be over $200 per day, whereas trailers can be as little as $60 per day. A little math will tell you that, for a 2-month trip, it will cost you between $3,600 and $12,000 to rent an RV or an RV trailer. We know that’s not exactly pocket change, but if your rent a lower-cost trailer, you’ll spend less than you would at a hotel. Even if you stayed in the cheapest motels, and who would want to do that, you’d still end up spending more than $3,600 for the summer.
Here’s where renting an RV can end up saving you some cash. Who wants to go on a road trip alone? Sounds boring! Let’s say that you bring five people with you on your road trip, and you split the cost of the RV. Your cost would be $720 on the low end and $2,400 on the high end. How much would you spend on a hotel every night? Assuming you shared the room with one other person, and you rented a cheap motel, you’d pay about $60 a night for a place. That’s about $3,600 throughout the summer. So, would you rather rent a bougie RV or check in and out of sketchy motels all summer?
Rent a Storage Unit for Your Belongings While You’re on Your Summer Road Trip
Continuing to pay your rent or mortgage payment while you’re on your road trip can drain your bank account. But, it’s not like you can call up your landlord or mortgage company and ask if you can skip your next two payments. That’s why subletting your place for a few months makes a lot of sense. With sites like Airbnb, you can connect with people looking for a short-term rental.
Now, what can you do with your stuff? You don’t want to just leave it. From the renter’s perspective, your new tenant probably won’t want all of your stuff around either. Here at iStorage, we suggest renting a storage unit. We know, shocking!
How much money can you save by subletting your place while you’re out on the great American summer road trip? Well, you can rent a storage unit for anywhere from $50 to $150 a month depending on the size you want. So, for the sake of this exercise, let’s say you rent one for $100 a month. That would place your cost for the summer at $200. Now, how much is your rent or mortgage payment? We’ll choose a nice even number here just to illustrate our point. Let’s say you pay $1,000 a month in rent or for your mortgage. So, if you can sublet your place for the summer t, you’d save $2,000 while only spending $200 for a storage unit.
We should warn you, these prices mentioned above are just examples. Maybe you’ll find a cheaper RV. Maybe you can rent your place out for more than you pay, so you’ll come out ahead. The one thing you can count on is that if you follow our advice, this epic summer road trip will be the time of your life.