Posted on 05/25/2016 5:48:41 AM PDT by Toadman
Look for pointers, recommendations for our scheduled road trip.
Watch the Movie “RV” with Robin Williams.
My wife and I have RV’ed for over 20 years - 4 to 6 months every year - all states except Hawaii. Always great times.
Don’t forget to take a bag of tools - screwdrivers, cutters, duct tape and etc.
I suggest building your trip on your personal likes.
If you really like people and city oriented trips, then the country is not for you.
We are country people and shy away from anything over 100,000 people. We take 2 trips per year and go for the raw scenic beauty.
This you will find in the western states. Our favorite is the South Dakota, Wyoming, Montana Colorado area where there are mountains.
The wildlife, the scenic beauty is just awesome. Just a simple drive on Beartooth Pass is fun.
If you are driving a Class C, then your off road options are limited, but you can still have fun. Many National Forests have back roads that are just fun to go on. Along the way you will find ATV rentals. I suggest doing that, going on some back trails. Maybe find a moose, bear or get lucky and be chased by a mountain lion.
Same with fishing and boating, there will be boat rentals and places to fish.
We prefer National Forests over Parks because there are fewer restrictions, and often times a Park Rangers get big headed over being federal cops and can be aggressive whereas forest Rangers are few and far between and always very friendly.
You should check this... I think 30 feet is the largest motor-home national parks can accommodate.
I have a Forester, it is a good rig. Make sure you have an external water pressure regulator and use it (about 8 bucks). Some RV parks have high water pressure and anything over 40 PSI going into the rig could blow out the the water connections. Make sure you have the right toilet paper, its not the same stuff. I would visit the north rim of the Grand Canyon, not nearly as commercialized as the south rim.
I’ve lived my entire life in Minnesota and have never been further north than Lutzen. Where in northern MN do you recommend?
I would recommend spending several days in Superior National Forest and Voyageurs National Park (especially if you like back country canoeing!), with a trip to the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame in Eveleth.
On the Eastern Half: Cross the Mississippi in Natchez, then take the Natchez Trace 400 miles to Nashville, TN. There are some great state parks to camp at on the road, usually free, plus a lot of little interesting stops with history and scenic tidbits.
2 years ago we came to the Bitterroot area and was shocked to see all the folks that have moved in from GOD knows where.
Very crowded but WOW beautiful.
I hope your RV has a backup camera
He does, they are called college girls aka co pilots
There are a lot of fun stops along Route 66
And there are several Route 66 museums.
Meteor Crater is worth a few hours.
Painted Desert and Petrified Forest (both next to each other).
Right now, Bridal Veil Falls at Yosemite is flowing after years of being dried up (drought). Worth stopping in. Sequoias in north California. Lake Tahoe, the Rockies (Estes Park Skyline Road may not be open yet), Mt Evans is a great drive. Kansas, meh, but you might swing north to see Mt. Rushmore. Great Smokey Mountains, Grand Ol Opry (lots of camp grounds in the Nashville area), just a few suggestions.
If you stay at an RV place expect that you will receive plenty of input from the coverall crowd - mostly that you are doing it all wrong.
If you are close Lake Tahoe is a must see.
2. Always check your holding tank drain hose connection before you dump your tanks. Dump site owners and other RVers will appreciate it.
3. Dump your black water tank first, then grey. Being sure to close the black water valve before you dump the grey. See number 2. Also, always replace the little cap over the end of the dump tube.
4. Always check your mirrors.
5. The rig is bigger than you think, even if it's smaller than the big ones, always look ahead, and avoid tight parking lots.
6. Make sure all slides are in and locked, all cabinets are closed, sliding doors and shower doors are latched.
7. Even the best rigs get less than 10 MPG in most cases, so plan fuel stops accordingly. Know your limits.
8. Never put heavy things in the overhead cabinets. Canned goods, ammo, water jugs, etc... should be at the floor level. We know of someone who stocked their upper cabinets with canned goods. A few miles and several large bumps in the road later, those upper cabinets collapsed.
They aren't like your pantry.
Assuming your class C is a Ford Triton V-10, check the oil daily if you're doing a lot of hill climbing. Have fun. If you're driving along I-40, stop in Albuquerque and have yourself a green-chile burger.
:-) I suppose it is, but it was at a resort so I assumed it wasn’t the rugged north you meant. It was where I encountered a bear while running on the resort’s trails alone. Scary to my then 18 year old self-I learned to start thinking about where my running took me rather than just assuming I would be fine no matter what.
Depends on each park, or even campground.
I've had my 34' with a toad and been okay in some, others I wouldn't recommend without 4-wheel-drive Jeep, a winch, shovel, and a few buddies to help (or point and laugh) just in case.
I will add to this, put the pressure regulator on the spigot, before your hoses. I almost blew out a hose on a campground that had 70+ PSI of pressure.
Had my pressure regulator after the hose at the RV, and went and checked it in the mid-day heat, and the hose had swelled to nearly double it's original diameter. I moved the regulator to the spigot, and everything went back to normal.
I was told to use it at the RV, but that won't save your hoses.
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