How to Rent an RV for Coachella

For a lot of people, there's only one way to attend a music festival... in a big ol' RV. Get a handful of friends together, rent a big ass motorhome, and make it your air-conditioned home away from home for the weekend. At festivals that allow you to park overnight, such as Bonnaroo, this is an especially attractive option.

Unfortunately, Coachella is not so RV-friendly. There is no overnight parking allowed (unless you are camping on-site, but even then, sleeping in cars/RVs isn't allowed).

But that doesn't mean rollin' to Coachella in an RV is a bad idea. The festival itself may not be RV-friendly, but the surrounding cities are. There's plenty of RV parks and campgrounds nearby where you can park your mobile party palace overnight, and you can still use the RV as a home base at the festival during the day.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Friends (to split costs)
• Money (to rent the RV, and to buy gas)
• Driving skill (these things don't handle like your Honda Civic)

1. 

   RECRUIT FELLOW ROAD WARRIORS. Don't reserve an RV unless you have a crew willing to split costs with you. These things aren't cheap. And make sure someone in your group can drive a big RV safely.

2. 

   FIND AN RV TO RENT. There's tons of places to rent from, just look in your local yellow pages or do a quick internet search. The leading company is Cruise America: http://www.cruiseamerica.com/ There's a page on the Coachella website that lists several places: http://www.coachella.com/visitors/offsite-camping Keep in mind that most places require the renter be at least 25 years old, and you're gonna have to put up a hefty deposit - often $1000 or more. Rental rates depend on where you're renting from, how big/nice the RV is, and how long you'll have it. Renting a 25' motorhome out of LA for 4 days will run you in the ballpark of $750, and that doesn't include gas.

3. 

   FIND A SPOT TO PARK OVERNIGHT. You can't park at Coachella overnight, so find another spot. Preferably a nearby RV park that offers the hookups you'll need. The three RV Parks closest to the festival are:
   
   
   
   Indian Wells RV Resort
   47340 Jefferson St, Indio, CA
   [phone]
   
   Sunnyside RV Park
   79496 Varner Rd, Indio, CA
   [phone]
   
   Shadow Hills RV Resort
   40655 Jefferson St, Indio, CA
   [phone]
   
   And there are several other RV parks nearby, as well as campgrounds with RV hookups. Check out the following sites:
   http://www.thecityofpalmsprings.com/rv/
   http://www.coachella.com/camping/?offsite

4. 

   GET THERE EARLY. The parking lots open at 9AM each day. Get your RV there early, and you'll have a few hours to pre-party in air-conditioned comfort while the rest of the masses sweat it out in an endless line of tiny, overheating econo-cars. And you can walk back out to the RV if you need a late afternoon nap before you freak out at the main stage for the headlining act!

Tips & Warnings

• This may sound obvious, but when driving an RV, don't forget that it's much taller, wider, longer and heavier than a car. Novice RV drivers often damage the vehicle by driving into tree branches, curbs, road signs and fast food drive-thru overhangs.