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Maybe you don't think of yourself as the trailer type. Think again. You can choose among models ranging from 16-foot, neo-fifties-style Airstream CCD Bambis to 45-foot mansions-on-wheels with marble counters and plasma screen TV's. It's no wonder that in the last year alone RV rentals increased 24 percent. To find out if you and your clan have the makings of tin-can tourists, answer these questions:
CAN YOU DRIVE SOMETHING THIS BIG? Recreational vehicles—even small ones—are substantially larger than cars, or even SUV's,and require room to maneuver. They do things cars don't, such as act like sails in crosswinds. Yet you're allowed to get behind the wheel of an RV and drive away without a special license. Your passengers, by the way, may want to roam around while you're driving. Don't let them. Just as in a car, they have to buckle up.
CAN YOU READ—AND ACTUALLY UNDERSTAND—THE MANUAL? An RV may seem like one big contraption; it's not—it's a lot of contraptions. Someone in the family needs to be able to check a gauge or change a fuse. That way you won't be at a total loss when the hot-water heater goes on the fritz and you're miles from a mechanic.
DO YOU HAVE STRONG ORGANIZATIONAL SKILLS? RV's lack washer-dryers, so to avoid a vacation at the Laundromat, pack to the max—and put all those storage spaces to use.
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