Considering a stay at Sunland San Diego RV Resort? Here is our honest review to help you plan a great trip.
When you think about camping, it is usually mountains or lakes or even starry-skyed deserts that come to mind. But we recently had an amazing camping experience in San Diego that offered a whole new perspective.
And it didn’t involve a tent or a backpack or cooking breakfast over an open campfire – although those things are fun sometimes, too!
We stayed in a rented RV at the Sunland San Diego RV Resort.
Located right off the 8 Freeway in the San Diego suburb of La Mesa, this resort’s location puts you within a comfortable 20-minute drive to the beach, Seaport Village, San Diego Zoo, SeaWorld, and many other area attractions.
But the best thing about staying at Sunland San Diego RV Resort is its private and direct access to the San Diego Trolley.
Read on for our full review of Sunland San Diego Resort, and details on how you can easily rent an RV (and have it delivered and set up!) for a whole new kind of camping experience.
San Diego RV Resort At-A-Glance
- 174 sites with full hook-ups
- Pool and hot tub
- Clubhouse with fitness center
- Laundry facility
- Restrooms and showers
- Game room
- Billiards room
- Friendly and helpful staff
- Pet-friendly property
- Easy access to trolley station
- No onsite restaurant
- Complimentary Wi-Fi
Sunland San Diego RV Resort Review
Featuring 174 sites with full hook-ups and free wi-fi, Sunland San Diego RV Resort combines easy RV living with many amenities you’d find at an upscale hotel. There are also family-friendly activities scheduled throughout the year.
Guests at the resort are a mix of vacationers and those working on location in San Diego. Overall, we found the community to be very quiet and friendly, and the staff was exceptionally helpful!
The campground is very clean and well-maintained, from the grounds to the restrooms and laundry facilities.
► Travel Insight
Since the San Diego RV Resort is so close to the freeway, there’s a good chance you’ll hear noise from the road. Be sure to request a campsite toward the back of the property.
While the campsites were close together (pretty standard for most RV parks), we had a nice patch of grass and plenty of space to enjoy sitting outside under the RV’s awning. Every campsite also has a concrete patio.
The one thing we really thought the campsites were lacking was a picnic table. We had our own chairs but no table for outside, so that addition would have been nice.
But the resort’s many other amenities more than made up for this. San Diego RV Resort has a nice-sized heated pool and hot tub with plenty of lounge chairs and patio tables on deck. There’s also a BBQ in the pool area that guests can use.
Throughout the year the resort hosts many special events. We were there over a holiday weekend and were treated to a fun afternoon with burgers and hot dogs grilled to order by the pool.
Adjacent to the pool area, you’ll find a fitness center, clubhouse, game room, and billiards room. We had a great time one evening shooting pool, and I was excited to see that the game room had an air hockey table and a Pac Man arcade game – and you don’t even need to put in quarters to play!
Walk to the Trolley Station
Of all the amenities available at Sunland San Diego RV Resort, its private and direct access to a San Diego Trolley light rail station was our favorite feature.
It was so nice to be able to walk to the trolley station and hop aboard a train (they run approximately every 20 minutes). We took the trolley to Old Town San Diego where we spent a lovely afternoon exploring the shops and free museums, and then had a wonderful dinner at one of Old Town’s amazing Mexican restaurants. We even indulged in a couple of margaritas before heading back since we didn’t have to worry about getting on the road.
The trolley also runs to downtown San Diego – providing easy access to Seaport Village San Diego, the Gaslamp Quarter, San Diego Convention Center, and Petco Park. You can even hop on the ferry from the waterfront area to enjoy some time on Coronado Island.
Renting an RV for Your San Diego Get Away
But what if you want to try RV camping but don’t own an RV?
There’s an easy solution! Imagine arriving at the campground with a fully-equipped RV already set up and waiting for you. That is exactly what we did and it was fantastic!
We rented an RV through RVshare –the largest online community for RV owners and renters with more than 100,000 vehicles around the country. We picked out the RV we wanted online and it was delivered to the campsite and all hooked up before we even arrived.
There were no logistics to worry about, and we didn’t even have to think about driving it…or trying to park it!
Renting an RV and having it delivered offers the best of both worlds – a stay in an RV and all the outdoor adventures that go with it, but with the convenience of checking into a hotel.
We rented a 29-foot Transcend XPLOR travel trailer, with a queen bed, bunk beds, sleeper sofa, bathroom, kitchenette, and a booth table. It was the perfect size (even a little roomy!) for our family of three. When we got to the campsite in San Diego, the RV was parked, leveled, hooked up, and good to go. All we needed to do after checking in with the resort was flip on the lights and start unpacking our stuff.
The RV came stocked with all the basics – silverware, dishes, coffee maker, paper towels, toilet paper, hand soap, camp chairs, bedding and towels (although there was an extra fee for linens, more on that below). We brought our own toiletries and some groceries.
RV Rental Cost
Budget is always a major consideration when planning a vacation. The cost of renting an RV depends on many factors – including size, location, season, and what kind of insurance is needed. You’ll also need to pay for the campsite.
So, it’s a little different than just logging onto your favorite booking site and reserving a hotel room.
The RV we rented cost $129 a night, which is a fair price considering its size and features. But the added expenses for tax, insurance, delivery, a prep fee, a service fee, and even a $38 bedding fee brought the total closer to $300 a night for three nights.
I will admit to some initial sticker shock after seeing the total cost. But after some thought, I realized if you consider hotels also charge tax and resort fees, it was not so bad. And if we had rented the RV for longer than three nights, the fees would have been the same, thus bringing the nightly average way down.
Plus – RVs can accommodate large families, something that is very hard to pull off in a regular hotel room!
Final Thoughts: Sunland San Diego RV Resort
Sunland San Diego RV Resort was a great spot to call home for a few days and I highly recommend it. The staff was wonderful and the facilities and grounds were all very clean.
If you are curious about RV camping or even thinking of buying one for your family, starting off with a rental is a great way for first-timers to get their toes wet before taking the plunge.
We thoroughly enjoyed our stay at Sunland San Diego RV Resort and would definitely do it again.
Information & Reservations
- 7407 Alvarado Road, La Mesa
- (866) 912-3627
- sunlandrvresorts.com/california/san-diego-rv-resort
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Thank you to Sunland San Diego RV Resort for hosting our stay! As always, all opinions are my own.