Box truck camping tips..

[BoyScoutGirl]

Thanks for the clarification! Your advice is super-helpful (as always), lucky, and JungleSmacks, and FIGJAM

[lucky420]

no problemo

[FIGJAM]

If you can zoom in just above the cab of my truck, you can see the top of the canvas we hung on their big truck.

[MikieCGY]

Great Idea! We went from getting an RV to doing one of these. How much at the end of the day has everone spent on the rental, gas, milage and such..
seems like milage is the killer from Reno to Gerlach..

STOKED!!!!!!!!


flower power gypsy camp

[lucky420]

I usually spend around 800-1000 for the week (8-9 days). When I fill up the truck before returning it I spend about $70 in gas.

[Canoe]

...tip the couch on its back and shove the top of it against the wall, then corral some of the stuff between the couch and the wall in the little pocket this would create, and secure with some rope to the walls (rope is cheap, and you should have some anyway)..

+1000

[junglesmacks]

Great Idea! We went from getting an RV to doing one of these. How much at the end of the day has everone spent on the rental, gas, milage and such..
seems like milage is the killer from Reno to Gerlach..

STOKED!!!!!!!!


flower power gypsy camp

I rent mine for 10 days and spend around $550 for everything all totaled.

The trick is to rent it as a business rental, not a residential!! It brings your mileage few down to $0.19/mile and you don't need to show any proof of business ownership whatsoever.

Don't get the lift gate truck, either. They only have diesel trucks with lift gates and diesel fuel is more expensive, scarce and with negligible gas mileage savings.

420.. how on earth are you spending that much??? I drive from RNO to SLT to BRC to SLT to RNO and even with all those miles I've never gone over $600 for 10 days.

[lucky420]

JS, I've never rented "business" I see now that I must try. I've already got my reservation confirmed but I think I will try to change it by online or just calling the office on Gentry. I usually rent out of fallon (60 mi east of Reno) but every year get jacked around on the size I order. It is always a nail biter because I'm always scared that the fallon office won't have one for me because of all the rentals out of Reno. This year I rented out of Reno so I should be good there...

[junglesmacks]

You'll need to cancel the old reservation altogether and make a new one. The daily rate will be slightly higher but you'll make up for it on the mileage. Yeah.. the guys at Gentry way are awesome. Wait until you see their office.. it's fulllllllllll of toys and trinkets and gifts from BM. They love us and take good care of us and we try and do the same..

[lucky420]

thanks js. I will take the guys a 2012 "shot in the dark" shot glass as well.

[FeetOfClay]

Yeah.. the guys at Gentry way are awesome. Wait until you see their office.. it's fulllllllllll of toys and trinkets and gifts from BM. They love us and take good care of us and we try and do the same..

whoever these people are, since they support community, it'd like to support them! but what rental company? do i just search "gentry way"?
sounds like, if i rent from this office, i don't need to lie about going to BMan?! and they will give me the business rate, no questions asked?

[FeetOfClay]

ah....found it. Budget on Gentry Way, right?

[junglesmacks]

Yup.. Budget on Gentry Way. When you reserve online, you'll choose the location. That will be one of them. Only reserve online.. you'll get the best rate and be able to choose the business rental rate. Look for the button at the top of the screen.

No questions asked about the business. No having to hide where you're going.. they know full well!! Last year they had photocopies of an FAQ entitled "Why We Rent To Burners" sitting on the counter. Seriously, you're among friends there.

[BoyScoutGirl]

junglesmacks - how forgiving is their "return the vehicle dust-free" policy?

[junglesmacks]

They're pretty chill about it. They offer to clean it for you if you're in a rush no matter what it looks like. I think they ask for like $60-$80 or something. In 2010 I did that and then at the last minute said nahhh.. I'll go wash it and be right back.. to which they offered me half of what they were originally asking.

Last year, I took an hour or so and cleaned it all out with vinegar wipe and all. Not perfect, not bad, ok. No charge and not even a second thought.

Main cleanliness rules apply and you'll have a much easier time. While in entry/exodus keep windows rolled up and AC on recirculating. After parking, don't go in the cab unless you absolutely have to.

[BoyScoutGirl]

The vinegar wipe is for the cab I assume.

Any recommendation for the box, other than a thorough sweeping?

[junglesmacks]

Not really. If you don't make a complete mess of it by driving around with the windows down on the playa, it's not that big of a deal. My washing routine went like this:

1. Sweep out the inside of the box completely

2. Pressure wash and brush the outside of the truck entirely and pressure wash out the floor of the inside of the box

3. Vacuum the inside of the cab

4. Do a full pre-lim wipe down of the inside of the cab with soapy rags and/or baby wipes

5. Do a final wipe down of the inside of the cab with vinegar/water and paper towels.. making sure to throw the paper towel away after each small section as to not wipe playa dust grime back over the surfaces again..


That last one is the trick. Get an entire roll of cheap paper towels and go through just about all of them. If you don't keep throwing out the towel, you'll just keep wiping dust back over everything. All in all, it takes about an hour of solid, focused work.

Or.. you say to heck with it and negotiate with the guys on the spot when returning it and see what kind of deal they'll give you. You can always say no and drive down the street to a car wash and wash it.. at which point when you go to drive away, they'll make a final offer. Bargaining skills help here..

[lucky420]

business rate vs residential rate came out the same for me. Maybe because I'm a Nevada resident? all told 925.00 for 13 days. that price includes 120 extra miles

[junglesmacks]

What dates are you putting in? I don't understand what you're doing to get such a crazy rate quote?

[lucky420]

aug 24 to Sep 5. If I cut out a day or two i get it down to something like 790. I may do that. I wanted to pick up on friday (8/24) but may go Sat and save a buck or two

[junglesmacks]

aug 24 to Sep 5. If I cut out a day or two i get it down to something like 790. I may do that. I wanted to pick up on friday (8/24) but may go Sat and save a buck or two

You've got to be doing something wrong. I'm putting in those same dates and getting those same rates. That's 12 days BTW..

[lucky420]

Just went back to the budget site. If I return the truck to Fallon (where I currently live) the total price was the 925.00 if I return it to Reno it will be $595. that's for my original 13 days. So woohoo I will return the truck to reno and save a bunch. It will be a pain in the ass to drive the truck back to reno but for +300 bucks I can handle it... I'll just leave my car at my moms for the 2 weeks.
Guess they charge people out in the sticks more money. Maybe they're afraid we'll load it up with farm animals??


Thanks for the tips js.

[junglesmacks]

AHHHHHH... you're not renting and returning it to the Reno location, that's why!! Why not just do that and save yourself a few hundred bucks?! You can surely find a ride..


EDIT: Ok.. this is weird. I selected the Fallon, NV location and still.. got the same exact rate as Reno. I think we may have a serious user error here..

Are you not seeing this exact summary when you choose the 16' truck with a business rate with those dates out of Fallon? Are you absolutely positive that you're selecting "business" from the main search page?

[lucky420]

went back to the site and played around. When I pick business pick up and drop off in fallon, I do get the better rate. BUT...the last 2 years I rented out of Fallon and haven't gotten the truck I reserved (16ft). First year they gave me a 24 footer, last year they gave me a 10 footer. When i questioned/complained they were sympathetic but their reason was that so many trucks get rented out of Reno, they aren't guaranteed the size I reserved.

Last year was really a nail biter right before I picked up the truck (because of the year before)...
So screw that, I'd rather come up to Reno and be assured that I'll gt the 16 footer. It's no big deal, I have family there and can leave my car parked until I return the truck.

[lucky420]

And both years I even called the Fallon rental office a week and a half to make sure I would have a 16 footer waiting for me...HAH!

[BoyScoutGirl]

I recommend finding a coupon online. Back in early March, I got $0.17/mile and $31.57/day from the Gentry Way place using a coupon I found via searching for "Budget truck rental coupon" with Google.

EDIT: followed my own advice out of curiosity and got it down to $28.53/day and $0.17/mile.

[junglesmacks]

I recommend finding a coupon online. Back in early March, I got $0.17/mile and $31.57/day from the Gentry Way place using a coupon I found via searching for "Budget truck rental coupon" with Google.

EDIT: followed my own advice out of curiosity and got it down to $28.53/day and $0.17/mile.

What's that code?!?! Usually you can get the daily rate down but not the mileage rate! Pass that along!! Screenshot time!

[BoyScoutGirl]

http://www.retailmenot.com/view/budgettruck.com

Top one is 25% off - redoing my reservation now.

[junglesmacks]

http://www.retailmenot.com/view/budgettruck.com

Top one is 25% off - redoing my reservation now.

Even with that, it's still $36.05/Day +$0.78/Mile which isn't as good as the standard rate that you get renting as a business. Where is this mythical $0.17/mile and $31.57/day??

[Savannah]

Beautiful box truck cleaning tips, Junglesmacks! I'd always wondered exactly what you do because I know you rent from a location that knows where you're going, and I like to know what the standard is.