I think someone may have mentioned this, but is it practical to rent a 1/5 tonne pick up and trailer? I wouldn't mind trying out this as a summer vacation. Other thought would be to add a hitch to the Odyssey rent a pop up. I like the idea of leaving the trailer and having the freedom to move around, as opposed to renting a large RV. thoughts?
I second the pop-up idea. The fact that they are van towable means you are saving a fair chunk of money by not renting a 1/2 ton. You'll also burn about half the fuel you would towing a large trailer with a truck. Something to keep in mind.
They are not as convenient or comfortable as larger trailers, so that is a drawback to keep in mind. If your summer vacation involves a couple hour drive to a campground where you'll set up and stay for 2 weeks, then a larger travel trailer is ideal. If, however, your plan is to drive a few thousand kms and hit many different campsites over the course of a single trip, then the pop-up will be a lot less stressful to tow, and will save you a ton of money on fuel.
It seems like there's always somebody renting out a pop-up on Kijiji in every major city.
When we were in Banff and Jasper, we saw a lot of people in rented Class C Motorhomes using them as vehicles to get to all the different sights in the parks. We would see them at all the sight parking lots during the day, then they would pull in to their campsite at the end of the night, make dinner and sleep, then off to the sites again the next day.
These things: