Happy Campers: No Hotel? No Problem as RV Owners, Renters Head East

While some people head for the Hamptons to stay in shares, book hotel rooms, bed down in bed and breakfasts, or stay with friends, others are going a very different route.

Sunny Day Camper Rentals, for instance, will deliver, set up and supply vacationers with spacious campers, often set up on beaches. You not only get a waterfront view, but a temporary East End home with amenities, often literally on the beach.

“A lot of people don’t realize that campers can be a hotel on wheels,” said Sunshine Berlin, a 35-year-old Long Beach resident who owns Sunny Day Camper Rentals, a Long Beach-based company that rents various types of campers. “They’re imagining a camper in the middle of the woods, but that’s not the case at all.”

While East End hotels are few and far between, shares fill up and AirBNB and similar services provide another option, there is a little reported side to the hospitality industry: People with, or who rent, motorhomes and campers.

Renting RVs may be travel’s best kept secret, providing a shortcut, and savings, when it comes to staying in an RV.

“The fact that there are little to no hotels in areas that people may want to go to, yes, this does help,” said Berlin, whose fleet provides an option for those who don’t, or haven’t yet decided to, own campers. “People don’t realize you can call an Uber at your campground to pick you up, so you aren’t remote at a campground if you have other plans.”

Renting can be the easiest solution, with the company that rents handling maintenance and Sunny Day Campers delivers, sets up and takes the camper back when you’re done. But it’s not the only way to travel east via camper.

Heike and Bobby Santos, of Lindenhurst, travel in a 33-foot motorhome they converted to a 4-wheel drive, often parking, sleeping and staying on beaches and fishing. The day we talked, they were preparing to go to Shinnecock East County Park over the weekend through Monday.

“I can’t express enough how beautiful it is,” said Heike Santos, 51, a comptroller in the automotive industry. “We love that we live here on Long Island and have this accessible to us.”

The Santoses are among those with the have-camper-will-travel attitude, often traveling to Long Island’s East End, although that means doing their own maintenance, storage and otherwise managing the whole process.

“We use it almost every other weekend. This unit is a four-season. That means it has heavy insulation. We use it from early April until November,” Heike said. “We go around here (the East End).”

Michael Sardo, a 58-year-old Great Neck resident, keeps their Newmar Baystar RV at their Hampton Bays family house.

“What’s not to like? It’s big and roomy,” he said. “I wanted a motorhome since I was a kid. I treated myself for my 55th birthday. The minute you put it in park and open up the slides, it’s never a bad time. It’s always fun.”

BETTER ON THE BEACH

Owning is a big decision that can pay off, but renting gives the option at lower cost and with greater ease. Simply storing a camper can be an issue, but with renting, you take your vacation and let someone else worry about the rest. And it’s possible and pleasurable to do this beyond the sunny days of summer.

Warmer weather is peak season, but not the only season. While campground spaces can be booked months in advance during peak season, Berlin said RVs/campers have a better chance of getting spaces to park when things cool off. And beaches with proper permits — Berliner also takes care of that — can provide an option with a waterfront view.

She sets up campers, so people arrive with their own ideally located hotel room, often literally on the beach. Her company doesn’t just provide the place to stay, but service in terms of delivery/drop off and return.

“Most people have the wrong idea of what you can do during the camping off season,” Berlin said, noting heaters and heating come in handy. “Because a lot of campers are small, you get really toasty inside quickly.”

NATURE WITH COMFORT

Renting also is one way to test out whether RVing works for you, providing the  entertainment of RVing, with greater ease and lower cost. You don’t have to worry about maintenance, insurance or driving to your destination, and you don’t make a commitment beyond your stay.

For those who own, there are also lots of options. Many people buy small, or basic campers, but the Santoses about a year ago bought “a full house on wheels” for roughly $80,000, including bathroom, kitchen, shower, beds, recliners and dinette.

“The four-wheel drive is really big,” Heike added of a feature allowing use on beaches. “There aren’t that many four-wheel drive motorhomes around.”

Bobby Santos, a 58-year-old retiree, said their motorhome includes cameras on the right, left and back as well as other tech that makes them feel secure.

“It’s big-time safety,” he said. “We have TVs.”

Heike said her family had campers when she was younger, and the Santoses continued the tradition, something her children still discuss. Whether you rent or own, these campers can provide a unique experience.

“I wanted to go camping to build a strong family bond for us with the girls. It was a treasure. They still talk about everything we did together to this day. We made lifelong friends,” Heike said. “It’s a golden thing that’s out here. It has picked up in popularity on Long Island since we started 20-something years ago.”

Sardo said their $135,000 RV lets them have the best of both worlds: The great outdoors with great amenities.

“You can be in nature and still have the comforts of home,” he said, noting the RV can be used for everything from tailgating to travel.

Heike said they love taking their RV to beaches, after obtaining permits.

“It’s amazing,” she said. “We can go to the beach access sites on Long Island with this camper and sleep in it overnight.”

The Santoses love peak season, going to Shinnecock East County Park, Montauk and elsewhere, sometimes joining campers lined up on the ocean.

“You’re on the beach, make your coffee and the sand and the waves. It’s beautiful,” Heike said. “We live in such a beautiful place.”

For those less dedicated, renting an RV may really be the best way to spend time this way without a big investment, getting the experience without the expense. “We make camping easy with delivery, setup and pick up service anywhere on Long Island,” Berlin said.

What can be better than waking up on a beach in your own mobile hotel room, renting or owning, thanks to these vehicles? With rentals, you don’t have to drive it back home when you’re done. Campers may be a great solution for a staycation, whether you own or rent. Renting, however, may be not just the best of both worlds, but an option that can open up new worlds to travelers.

ON FOR OFF SEASON

Sunshine Berlin, an expert on campers who owns a local camper rental company, said most East End locations are open into November. And that can include options to stay directly on beaches.

Campers can be ideal for night fishing, if you park, sleep and stay on beaches, not just standard spaces. “That’s where Hither Hills Campground is as well as Smith Point Campground,” Berlin said. “They are literally located on a beach. A hotel can’t give you that.”

Berlin said campground rules change off season, since water typically isn’t available and tents aren’t permitted. Suffolk County Parks campgrounds start their off season on Nov. 11.

People can still use campers at Smith Point County Park (Shirley), Indian Island County Park (Riverhead) and Cathedral Pines County Park (Middle Island). And you can still use campers at Hither Hills State Park in Montauk until Nov. 23.

You can also use campers at Nickerson Beach Campground, Lido Beach, until the first Saturday of November. Battle Row Campground in Bethpage is open year-round, Berlin said.

She added that “bonfires are the best part as well as going on hiking trails with friends and family for the weekend” for November camping.