Nibiru wrote:@captaingoddammit
I really don't get your point. That's my point of view:
1. You are driving the RV for a max of 10 hours in 7 days, 5 hours to BRC and 5 hours back to SF. So there is no need anymore to move your RV for seven days. I would say the risk of having an accident is reduced to a minimum in this 7 days, because you're simply not driving. No abrasion of your tires as well plus no use of the engine.
2. Did you ever wonder why nearly all airforce bases in your country are placed in the desert? No oxidation, no rust, nothing, because there is nearly no air moisture. So the RV is not even getting "older" out there.
3. The policy covers the damage, if you travel without insurance you're lost anyway, everywhere in the world. And we all know that you should probably read the terms of insurance first, especially in the U.S.
Ah, that's the real problem: "normal" wear and tear usually involves mileage on the vehicle and stuff that washes off in a car wash or with a light wipe-down inside the vehicle. Sure you may drive through rain or maybe get a little dirt on your vehicle, but there's not a whole lot that RVs generally go through.
The event, however, takes place on a dry lake bed, which is made of dirt/dust that has a high alkaline content. Though the event is (usually) dry, that dust is relatively corrosive, clings to surfaces, and a pain to wash out (a little vinegar helps). The dust gets everywhere: inside engines, your air filters, your AC, your vents, cracks, etc. It also damages metals and other stuff in ways that normal dirt does not.
Your vehicle may not move very much, but the dust is always blowing and getting everywhere. It's not uncommon to see drifts near wheels, a fine coating of dust inside the engine, and dust falling out of everywhere when a door is slammed or something like that. Even the drive in and out will expose you to a lot of dust billowing up under and around your vehicle.
Also, being an RV, there are people tracking dust inside the vehicle. Part of the struggle of sharing an RV with people you don't know is that people don't play by "house rules" and end up tracking lots of dust in and making a mess. Who knows if your "guests" will do their part to clean up the vehicle after they've paid their part of the bill too. Burning Man exposes you to both the best and the worst people.
So when the Captain talks about an expensive $100k+ vehicle being exposed to the ruinous effects of the playa, he's talking about the above. You either choose to not bring something "nice" to the playa, or be resigned to the fact that whatever you bring will not leave the event untainted.
All that dust and possible damage is why a lot of RV companies don't like to rent to burners because their vehicles return dirty and possibly damaged, with dust stuck everywhere. You won't see the metal on your vehicle breaking down before your eyes, but it really does get everywhere and slowly damages stuff. Responsible burners, or at least those who want their deposit back, will usually spend a day or two to clean up the RV before returning it, and this is after a car-wash or two to get the superficial dust off the outside.
I don't know if the RV company knows that you're bringing that RV to the playa. Maybe it's best they never know. Try to bring the RV back in equal or better shape than you drove out to not give RV-renting burners a bad reputation.
@bbadger
it looks like we will take the RV just for us. You only have one life, live it well
Sounds like a plan! That'll make it a lot easier and comfortable.
. Anyway, I really appreciate your feedback!