El Monte RV · value
El Monte RV
THL's value brand for family road-trippers in the USA
Standard American Class C with good equipment, slide-out on bigger models, generator, AC. 25 USA branches. For travellers wanting comfort without premium pricing.
El Monte RV fleet
2 models in fleet.
El Monte RV AC22 Compact
22 ft Class C for 4 berths. El Monte's compact option. Easy to park, reasonable mileage, full American standard equipment.
El Monte RV AC28 Family
Family Class C at 28 ft with lateral slide-out. 5 berths. El Monte's most balanced option for a 2-3 week family road trip.
Recommended routes with El Monte RV
29 road trips where El Monte RV fits perfectly.
Acadia + Maine coast — lobster and lighthouses of New England
Short and very photogenic loop: Boston, Portland (lighthouses), Camden Hills, Acadia NP (Cadillac Mountain, first continental US sunrise), Bar Harbor (lobster and blueberries), Schoodic Peninsula. Slow roads, colonial towns and seafood.
Black Hills — Mt Rushmore + Badlands South Dakota
Black Hills SD: Mt Rushmore (4 presidents carved), Crazy Horse Memorial (world's largest sculpture, under construction since 1948), Custer State Park (bison, Wildlife Loop), Badlands NP (lunar canyons), Wind Cave (unique cave network), Spearfish Canyon. Small deep enigmatic USA.
Florida Keys — Overseas Highway
US-1 Overseas Highway: 113 miles jumping across 42 islands connected by bridges (including iconic Seven Mile Bridge). Key Largo (John Pennekamp snorkel), Islamorada (sport fishing), Marathon (turtles), Bahia Honda SP (best Keys beach), Key West (USA's southernmost point, Hemingway house). Sunsets, seafood and Caribbean vibe.
Hudson Valley — getaway from NYC
Hudson Valley NY: West Point Military Academy, Beacon (Dia art), Cold Spring (antiques), Hyde Park (FDR home), Storm King Art Center (monumental open-air sculptures), Mohonk Mountain House. Spectacular fall, 19th-century mansions and contemporary outdoor art.
Michigan Upper Peninsula — the secret Great Lakes
Great Lakes' northern coast: Sleeping Bear Dunes, Mackinac Island (no cars, horse buggies), Pictured Rocks, Tahquamenon Falls, Apostle Islands (ice sea caves in winter, kayaking in summer). Empty roads, lighthouses, ferries and aurora hunting.
Mt Hood + Columbia River Gorge (Oregon)
Scenic Oregon from Portland: Columbia River Gorge (Multnomah Falls, Vista House), Mt Hood (Timberline Lodge 1937 level, ski in July), Hood River (windsurfing world capital), Government Camp, Bagby Hot Springs. Multnomah is Oregon's most photographed waterfall.
Ozarks — rural Arkansas + Missouri
The Ozarks: plateau between Missouri and Arkansas, deep rural American soul. Eureka Springs (hanging Victorian town), Buffalo National River (1st USA Wild River), Branson (country/bluegrass capital), Lake of the Ozarks, Bentonville (Crystal Bridges Museum + Walmart HQ), caves. Bourbon, BBQ and banjo.
Pacific Northwest — Seattle, Olympic, Rainier and North Cascades
Three national parks in one loop: Olympic NP (Hoh rainforest, Rialto Beach, Hurricane Ridge), Mt Rainier NP (Paradise, Sunrise), North Cascades NP (Diablo Lake). Pike Place Market in Seattle, Puget Sound ferries and lots of local coffee.
Rocky Mountain National Park + Colorado Front Range
Colorado: Rocky Mountain NP (Trail Ridge Road over 12,000ft), Estes Park, Boulder, Aspen, Glenwood Springs (hot waterfalls), Independence Pass, Mt Evans Scenic Byway (USA's highest paved road, 14,265ft). 14er peaks, trout rivers and thin air.
Great Smoky Mountains + Blue Ridge Parkway
Atlanta to Washington DC along the Appalachian range: Great Smoky Mountains (USA's most visited NP), Asheville (Biltmore Estate), Blue Ridge Parkway (469 miles of official scenic byway), Shenandoah NP (Skyline Drive). Bluegrass music, BBQ and fall foliage.
Texas Hill Country — Austin, BBQ and Big Bend
Deep Texas: Austin (live music capital), Hill Country (German Fredericksburg, vineyards), San Antonio (Alamo, River Walk), Marfa (minimalist art), Big Bend NP (one of the most remote desert parks), Davis Mountains. BBQ everywhere and ranch country.
Yellowstone + Grand Tetons + Glacier — Wyoming/Montana big three
Three iconic national parks in one one-way route: Grand Tetons (alpine lakes), Yellowstone (Old Faithful, Grand Prismatic, Lamar Valley with bison and wolves), Glacier NP (Going-to-the-Sun Road, one of the most spectacular drives in the world). Volcanoes, geysers and glaciers.
Maine coast and Acadia NP — Lobster Trail 7 days
Maine coast loop — classic lobster trail. Boston, Portland, Camden, Bar Harbor, Acadia NP, back. Fishing villages, lighthouses and seafood at every stop.
Arizona and classic Route 66 — Phoenix, Sedona, Flagstaff 8 days
Phoenix loop through iconic Arizona. Sedona red rocks, Grand Canyon South Rim, Williams (Route 66), Flagstaff, Petrified Forest, back. Deeper than the classic Vegas-Grand Canyon route.
Blue Ridge Parkway and Great Smoky Mountains 7 days
One of the world's most scenic drives. DC → Shenandoah NP → Blue Ridge Parkway → Great Smoky Mountains → Atlanta. Forests, overlooks and bluegrass.
Eastern Sierras and Death Valley — hidden California 8 days
One-way combining Death Valley with the eastern Sierra Nevada face. Las Vegas, Death Valley, Lone Pine (Mt Whitney), Mammoth Lakes, Mono Lake, Bodie ghost town, Yosemite east, then to LA.
Colorado Rockies and Mesa Verde — Aspen, Telluride, Durango 8 days
Colorado Rockies loop. Denver, Vail, Aspen, Independence Pass, Telluride, Mesa Verde NP (cliff dwellings), Durango, Million Dollar Highway, back. Mountain towns + archaeology.
Deep South — Memphis, Nashville, New Orleans 10 days
American music road trip. Nashville (country), Memphis (Graceland, blues), Natchez Trace, New Orleans (jazz, French Quarter). Culture, BBQ and the open road.
Everglades and Florida Keys — South Florida 7 days
South Florida loop. Miami, Everglades NP (airboat + alligators), Big Cypress, Key Largo, Marathon, Key West (southernmost USA point), back. Caribbean vibes on American soil.
Natchez Trace + Mississippi Delta — American history 9 days
Very historical one-way. Nashville, full Natchez Trace Parkway, Vicksburg (battlefield), Mississippi Delta, Baton Rouge, Cajun country, Houston. Deep American history + local food.
New England fall foliage — fall colors road trip 9 days
Loop through the six New England states at peak foliage. Vermont, New Hampshire (White Mountains), Maine (Acadia), Massachusetts. Postcard scenery at every stop.
Pacific Coast Highway 1 extended — Seattle to San Diego 16 days
The full PCH. Seattle, Olympic, Astoria, Cannon Beach, Newport, Crescent City Redwoods, San Francisco, Big Sur, Hearst Castle, Santa Barbara, LA, San Diego. America's most photogenic road.
Pacific Coast + Baja California (optional extension) 14 days
PCH 1 plus optional Baja California Mexico extension (Tijuana, Ensenada). SF to SD one-way with the full coast. For those wanting California Pacific + Mexican flavor.
Pacific Northwest — Seattle, Cascades and Olympic 10 days
Pacific Northwest loop from Seattle. Olympic NP, Mount Rainier, North Cascades, San Juan Islands. Temperate rainforests, glaciers and wild coast.
Southern Utah canyons — Glen Canyon, Capitol Reef, Escalante 9 days
For canyon fanatics. Las Vegas, Zion, Bryce, Escalante (slot canyons), Capitol Reef, Goblin Valley, Lake Powell, back. Less visited but more spectacular than standard Mighty 5.
West Texas and Big Bend NP — remote Rio Grande 8 days
One-way through wild West Texas. El Paso (Mexican border), Guadalupe Mountains NP, Carlsbad Caverns NP (NM), Big Bend NP (Rio Grande), Marfa (art), San Antonio. Far from urban Texas.
Utah Mighty 5 + Grand Canyon North Rim 12 days
Complete Mighty 5 loop + Grand Canyon North Rim (less visited than South). Zion, Bryce, Capitol Reef, Arches, Canyonlands, Monument Valley, Antelope Canyon, back. Full Southwest with no shortcuts.
Vegas-Zion-Grand Canyon-Bryce-Antelope 10 days
Perfect American Southwest loop. Las Vegas, Hoover Dam, Grand Canyon West Rim, Antelope Canyon, Page, Bryce Canyon, Zion, Death Valley, back. Best Utah-Arizona intro.
Yellowstone, Tetons and Glacier — Rockies triangle 14 days
Loop through the three mythical Mountain West parks. Salt Lake City, Grand Teton, Yellowstone (5 days), Glacier NP, back via Idaho. The real American Rockies.