An RV trip from Denver to San Francisco in a C19

My first motorhome trip! We laughed a lot, complained a lot, enjoyed a lot and almost hit a tree... we experienced a lot but what an experience this was. How nice it is to explore a country like America by motorhome. America, everything is big, bigger, biggest so ideal to explore by motorhome. Parking lots, even at supermarkets you drive right in, also campgrounds are big enough.

We started our trip in Denver. There we picked up our motorhome (Cruise America C19) and started our road trip. First tip, pack everything well and check that all cupboards are closed. We had done some shopping and put everything away and quickly hit the road! I had not closed 1 cabinet properly and while driving we heard a bang and yes, there went 1 mega pack of 4 gallon water... a water ballet!

The rest of the trip everything was stored well and the doors checked. A for America small camper, is anyway big for someone from Europe and so you have to get used to your length and width with which you drive. Also you can't see the back very well but fortunately there are sensors for that. After almost crashing into a tree and shooting past a bollard we learned that well too (luckily there was nothing serious though).

First tip:

A round trip requires some planning, figure out in advance what you want to see so you don't have to drive 7-8 hours at a time.

The ideal thing about an RV trip is that you have everything with you. You can go wherever you want, if you see a nice picnic spot for lunch then stop there. Grab your stuff and you can enjoy the view with a homemade lunch. Distances are very big in America, so plan your days ahead.

Second tip:

Make sure you always have enough fuel. You will sometimes find yourself in areas where you won't encounter anything for a very long time (and believe me, that's not good for your heart and ultimately not good for the motorhome either).


From Denver we drove to Mount Rushmore, then through Yellowstone NP to Jackson Hole, on to Salt Lake City, we saw Bryce Canyon, the Grand Canyon, Las Vegas, Mammoth Lakes, Yosemite NP and ended in San Francisco. And this is just a small sample of what we all saw along the way. What beautiful scenery, interesting National Parks - a very nice route to drive.

Unfortunately, we didn't see any bears along the way but these beautiful beasts often roam the National Parks so be sure to look around when you are cruising around and especially at night in the campground. You should often pack all your gear "bear safe".

Third tip:

stick to the speed limit. In America they are very much on the speed and tourists pack right out.

It then seems like you are in a Hollywood movie, which sounds nice, but it is a waste of your money. And if they don't catch you right away, you'll get the bill from the rental company plus administrative fees afterwards. So always watch your speed.

America! I love the country, the people and the food and the nature. Really perfect to do an RV tour here. This is the best way to discover this country!