First-Time RVing at Sun Outdoors Myrtle Beach (What We Learned Renting a Class C)
Six of us. One rented Class C. Zero RV experience between us.
That was the lineup for our very first RV trip back in March 2023: me and Camille, our two kids, and both grandparents, all piling into a motorhome we had never driven to spend a couple of nights at Sun Outdoors Myrtle Beach in Conway, South Carolina. We did not own an RV. We were not even sure we wanted one yet. So before signing up for that life, we did the smart thing and rented one to find out.
Here is exactly how that first trip went, what the resort was actually like, and what we would tell any family thinking about doing the same.
Is renting an RV a good way to start? Here's our honest take
Yes, and we would do it the exact same way again. Renting a Class C for a long weekend let us test the whole RV thing with no loan, no buyer's remorse, and no pressure. We learned what we liked, what we would change, and that our family genuinely enjoyed it. Two nights taught us more than months of watching videos ever could.
Why we rented instead of buying
Buying an RV is a big commitment, and we were not about to make it on a hunch. Renting first gave us time to actually figure out what we wanted. You experience it first-hand, you see what you like and what you do not, and then you can buy with some idea of what fits your family instead of guessing.
A Class C made sense for a first trip. It drives a lot like a big van, you are not towing anything behind you, and everything you need is built in. The whole rental came in under $800, which felt more than fair for what turned out to be a trip we still talk about.
If you take one thing from this post, let it be that. Rent before you buy. It is the cheapest education in RVing you will ever get.
Six people, one motorhome, and a lot of nerves
Part of what made this trip ours was the crew. We did not just bring the kids, we talked both grandparents into coming along too. Three generations on a first-ever RV trip is either a great idea or a disaster waiting to happen, and we were genuinely not sure which one we were signing up for.
It turned out to be the good kind. Watching the kids experience this with their grandparents was the part we did not know we needed, and it set the tone for the kind of trips we wanted to keep taking.
Setting up was easier than we feared
If you are a first-timer, the part that lives in your head is the setup. The backing in, the leveling, the hookups, the quiet panic of "are we doing this right."
Here is the good news. Our site at Sun Outdoors was a paved concrete pad, roomy, with full hookups, so leveling barely registered as a problem. We pulled in, got connected to water, power, and sewer, and were honestly set up faster than we expected. For a family that had never done this before, starting on an easy, level, paved site took a huge amount of the stress out of day one.
If you are nervous about your first setup, book a resort with paved, full-hookup sites. It is worth it just for the peace of mind.
What Sun Outdoors Myrtle Beach is actually like
This place is less "campground" and more "resort that happens to have RV sites." It was called Carolina Pines RV Resort for years, so if you are reading older reviews under that name, it is the same property. It sits in Conway, about ten minutes west of North Myrtle Beach, which means you are close to the coast without paying oceanfront prices. Sites ran somewhere in the $70 to $100 a night range when we went.
The amenities are the real reason families book here, and with two kids and two grandparents along, we put them to the test. What the family loved:
The Carolina Splash water park and lazy river, which was an instant hit with the kids
The pools, including an indoor one, clutch for cooler March evenings
Bowling, the arcade, and mini golf for when everyone wanted a break from the water
Jumping pillows and splash pads for the little ones
Basketball and tennis courts that gave the bigger kids and grandparents something to do too
It is the kind of place where, even if something had gone sideways with the RV, nobody would have noticed because there was always something to do. For a first trip with a wide range of ages, that mattered.
Quiet evenings and a stroll through Broadway at the Beach
For all the activity during the day, the evenings at the resort were calm and relaxing. After the kids burned off every bit of energy, the property settled into a quiet, easy wind-down. That contrast, busy days and peaceful nights, is exactly what sold us on the whole idea.
We did not drive all that way to sit still the entire time, so we took a trip into Myrtle Beach to Broadway at the Beach. We mostly just walked it and soaked up the atmosphere as a family. No big agenda, no rushing from thing to thing. Honestly, that easy, unhurried vibe was the highlight. It was a good reminder that an RV trip does not have to be packed to be a good one.
What we'd tell a first-time RV family
Rent before you buy. We will keep saying it. One weekend told us more about what we actually wanted than any amount of research.
Pick a resort with amenities for your first trip. If the RV part feels overwhelming, a pool, a lazy river, and a jumping pillow keep everyone happy while you figure it out.
Do not overpack. This was our single biggest rookie mistake. We brought way more than we needed, and a Class C does not have room for "just in case." Pack lighter than feels comfortable.
FAQ
Where is Sun Outdoors Myrtle Beach?
It is in Conway, South Carolina, about ten minutes west of North Myrtle Beach. It was formerly known as Carolina Pines RV Resort.
Do you need your own RV to stay there?
No. There are RV and trailer sites, plus fully furnished cottage rentals if you do not have a rig. We rented a Class C motorhome for ours.
Is it good for kids?
Very. Between the water park, lazy river, pools, bowling, mini golf, arcade, jumping pillows, splash pads, and the basketball and tennis courts, our two kids never ran out of things to do, and the grandparents had plenty to keep them busy too.
How much does it cost?
When we went in March 2023, sites ran roughly $70 to $100 a night. Our Class C rental came in under $800 for the trip.
Is it close to the beach?
You are about ten minutes from North Myrtle Beach, and the resort runs a shuttle to a private beach club, so you are not on the sand but you are not far from it either.
The Verdict
Our first RV trip was supposed to be a test run. Instead it hooked us. Renting a Class C took the pressure off, the easy paved site made setup painless, and Sun Outdoors Myrtle Beach gave three generations of us enough to do that the trip basically ran itself. Would we stay again? Without a doubt, yes. We drove home already planning the next one.
If you are RV-curious, do what we did. Rent first, pick a resort with a pool, bring the people you love, and just go.
Want to see how it all actually went down? Watch the full trip on YouTube: Our First RV Adventure at Sun Outdoors Myrtle Beach, and subscribe to Finding Our Forte while you're there so you can follow along with the rest of our adventures.
