Emergency Travel Across US - Class B?

[gksmith-ClassB]

My much older brother and wife have a winter home in Laguna Beach CA and summer home in Philadelphia. Both are in their 80's and relatively healthy, but are currently in CA. With the coronavirus scare, they are wondering how to best get back to Philly. They are scared and do not know what would be the best way to travel in mid April. Consequently, they are wondering about renting an RV. Being a Class B owner, they have asked me for advice. What should I tell them?

 

[Jon in AZ]

Why not just stay put? Unless there is a lease that runs out without an option to extend, seems like they’re better off where they are.

 

[booster]

Unless they are experience RV campers, it might be way to much of a trip to try to do with all the closures and such plus trying to learn how it all works when traveling.


It would be great if they could travel in a larger RV with adequate sleeping access for seniors with an experienced RVer, but that might be tough to get setup.


If they would be going to a denser populated area in Philadelphia than they are in presently, they may very well be safer where they are now.

 

[@Michael]

Assuming that they can legally travel at all - no lockdown?

Travelling by car or RV is a bit dicey, as you don't really know what'll be open vs. shut down two weeks from now. With a rental, it would have to be one-way, which for 'B' would be tough to find and expensive. Even local rentals of B's are $200/day.

OTOH, I just checked Delta, and one-way flights from LAX to PHI a week from now start at $100 and first class is only $500.

 

[avanti]

Assuming that they can legally travel at all - no lockdown?

Travelling by car or RV is a bit dicey, as you don't really know what'll be open vs. shut down two weeks from now. With a rental, it would have to be one-way, which for 'B' would be tough to find and expensive. Even local rentals of B's are $200/day.

OTOH, I just checked Delta, and one-way flights from LAX to PHI a week from now start at $100 and first class is only $500.

Yeah. To be honest, it seems to me that if they really have to move, flying would be the best choice for many reasons. Airports and planes are empty. Take all the precautions, and carry lots of wipes. Get on a non-stop flight and get it over with.

 

[Jon in AZ]

I’ve never heard of one-way RV rentals. Agree- stay put if possible, fly if not.

 

[MsNomer]

This is not the time to learn the ropes of an RV.

 

[Bud-ClassB]

As is often the case, it is about $'s! Charter auto to aircraft to..............

I would first ask myself this question, and the op probably has. Would I give my 80+ year old parents MY B to drive across the country? The answer is an obvious Yes and No. It would depend on the follow up questions, dozens maybe.

The best value might be a first class ticket plus best rides on each end. But that also depends on how well they have already behaved and Will going forward.

These are very interesting times for those that study 'Risk Taking', 'Risk Management'. I've been involved in risk taking stuff for 60+ years. Part of my own situation is that I'm Not 15 or 20 or 30 or 40 or 50 or 60 70, not so easy to know what to do at my old age now. Just try to not hurt anyone else. But heck, is it ever any different at any age? I guess that is what raising other humans is about, suppose to be about, part of it?

Bud

 

[GallenH]

It might also depend on the living conditions in each place. Both houses? If you're in a condo, you go through a common area, up an elevator? If they were both houses, I'd hunker in CA, order food delivered, sanitize arrivals. Leave for a walk. Avoid other people.

At least for a few weeks.

IF the virus is tamed by heat, CA would certainly warm up faster. And the UV light is probably more intense.

A lot of IFS in my post, though.

 

[mikeehlert]

I am in Southern California and old too. I sympathize but staying quarantined and with food delivery is safest option. That’s what I am doing.

 

[Davydd]

Driving from Laguna Beach to Philadelphia is going to take a week or so especially for an inexperienced RVer. They would be exposed to many strangers picking up the RV, every night at campgrounds if campgrounds are open, at least 9 fill-ups at service stations, food in unknown places, numerous public toilet facilities, etc. That’s a lot of exposure to unknown sources. That is foolhardy. Fly.

 

[gksmith-ClassB]

Update on Emergency Travel Across US

Thanks for all the responses. And your feelings have basically coincided with mine--stay in their nice beach house until most fears of the Coronavirus have dissapated and then travel to Philadelphia. But they seem to be anxious to get to Philadelphia so that they can move on to their summer home in northern Maine, on the waterfront. I really feel sorry for them!:???:

The problem I think, though they do not talk about it, is that my sister-in-law is having intestinal problems, so I suspect that they need to travel with a toilet available at their convenience. So they feel that by cooking their own meals and using the toilet with them, and probably by boondocking like we usually do, their exposure to the virus would be minimal--only a few stops for fuel.

To my surprise, my sister-in-law reports that she has located a 2018 Mercedes unit (nor other information given) that is available for them to rent. The only caveat is they have to somehow return it, too. It will be interesting to see how it works out for them! They have taken frequent walking tours in Europe, but the RV life will be new to them!

 

[hbn7hj]

The chances that all systems on that RV will work properly without a shakedown trip is somewhere between slim and none. The water system, battery system, and furnace must work. To stay isolated the refrigerator needs to work.

I would say don’t do it but if they do let us know how it worked out.

Get a friend or family member to drive it back. They might enjoy the free trip.

First class air with a diaper or three is the best solution.

 

[gksmith-ClassB]

I am wondering if the return trip might be us! My wife would like to upgrade our 2002 Leisure Travel, so it might be a dangerous trip for me!

 

[InterBlog]

What the OP describes can, indeed, be done in a Class B. That's more-or-less equivalent to what I do annually, crossing almost three thousand miles solo from southeast Texas to northeast Nova Scotia. I don't stay anywhere that requires hook-ups, and the only thing I need to touch across those 5 days, my sole dependency, is fuel pumps.

However, that kind of trip takes a great deal of planning, mental discipline, and stamina, not to mention experience. It's not even remotely something that should be attempted by newbies under emergency conditions.

 

[MsNomer]

If the unit sleeps 4 and they're paying, looks like you’ve got a deal.

 

[Davydd]

If "intestinal problems" means diarrhea, in an RV it means the trip from hell. You are not going to last 5 days in a Class B especially now when everything is shutting down or just not opening in the northern climates. These are not normal times for traveling and inexperience in an RV and not familiar with the RV compounds it.

 

[Davydd]

This article has relevance to this thread.

Tourism is tanking. So RV and camper companies found business fighting COVID-19

 

[gksmith-ClassB]

This is a very apropos article. I will forward it to them. Thanks!

 

[gbail]

The problem I think, though they do not talk about it, is that my sister-in-law is having intestinal problems, so I suspect that they need to travel with a toilet available at their convenience. So they feel that by cooking their own meals and using the toilet with them, and probably by boondocking like we usually do, their exposure to the virus would be minimal--only a few stops for fuel.
!

Take Amtrak.

Get a safely cleaned sleeper (handicapped?) room with its own toilet.
Pack their own meals to avoid the diner...or tip the steward to bring their meals to their room.

Pricey? Maybe, but no worse than two first class air tickets, or 2,000 miles of gas to fuel a big RV plus rig rental and other travel costs.

We road Amtrak in a sleeper for 3 nights from Az to D.C. about a year ago. It was a great, relaxing stress free trip.