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That's how we've always felt in the small camper or the Chalet. The getting outside when possible is a big help. We bought the bigger Mr. Buddy heater so we can extend the outdoor time a little without having to wait for a fire to die down and be put out. The screen room gives afternoon shade and everybody takes some rest time then we're good for a hike. We fix meals outside whenever possible. It sure is nice to have the bed made when you get there though and be snug inside during sleep.

 

I am glad I came on the list and heard from others. I can't tell you how much better I feel about the decision to go small. I am listening about the little more space with the slide but still think we'll end up without it as that's 12 gallons of extra water weight for the difference in room. My chairs and my cots will both go outside except in the snow or rain or sand or too much sun but I expect a lot more good weather then bad.

 

Less then 12 months. Last night I stayed up late getting the garage ready for another garage sale.

 

Christine

Colorado

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I remember the excitement of getting ready. Although it has been over 5 years ago, I also remember the excitement of those first few days on the road. Then I remember hitting the Western States...and Yellowstone, Glacier, Olympic NP and other great, great scenic areas. Even though you live in Colorado, you will find countless great places to visit. BTW, as I remember you were still concerned about where to winter and about the need to hookup for electricity on a regular basis. There are plenty of choices for places to stay. You can go to Quartzite but I prefer Death Valley and Mojave. There are plenty of places to stay and lots to do. Death Valley is one of my favorite parks and I spent close to a month there. I stayed in the open parking lot for $6/night. I did not care where I slept. I was out all day visiting the Park.

 

Regarding electricity, I recommend you solve this issue before setting out. Find out how much electricity you need to use and decide how to cut back. LED lights take almost no electricity. You might find you really don't need much juice. Also solar panels are not big and heavy. A 100 watt solar panel can fit on most roof tops and might be more than you need. Being as self sufficient as possible gives you lots and lots of options. Avoiding hookups will pay for led lights and an AGM battery and a solar panel in a short time.

 

I have nothing against those who want big rigs, lots of space and most of the conveniences of home. But going light, small and self sufficient offers great opportunities. Most, yes most, of my favorite camping areas are too small for a big rig.

 

You won't need a sewing machine or a treadmill. Hobbies like woodworking don't go well with RV travel. Instead look at your kitchen items and clothing. Go small and light and find what works for you. There are lots and lots of choices for clothing. Remember the adage: there is no bad weather, just bad clothing. Don't take more than you need. You will anyway but try not too.

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In theory there is also a time limit of 2 weeks at Death Valley. I stayed less than two weeks at Furnace, moved to Mojave, returned to Death Valley and split up my stays between Stovepipe and Furnace. I don't think anyone really cares how long you spend in the gravel parking lot at Furnace.

 

Regarding Mojave, it has been 3 years and my memory has faded some. I stayed a week or so in main campground by the ranger station. I think that was called Hole in the Wall. I dispersed camped by the Kelso dunes. I like that area a lot and I enjoyed hiking the dunes. I also stayed near Baker, off the ZZyzz road. I spent a night or two at the Lava tubes....very isolated with nothing but coyotes.

 

For variety and winter camping there are lots of other places to stay. There are lots of dunes and boondocking opportunities north of Baker. I recommend a stop at the Salton Sea to see what has happened and what was once there. You need to see Slab City even if you decide it is not safe to stay. I am not sure about the status of Salvation Mountain but when I visited that alone was worth the drive. Don't forget Joshua Tree and the Crater. Or Red Rock Canyon. There are countless interesting places to see and you can boondock at most of them. Unless you like crowds and a big flea market there is no reason to need to stay at Quartzite.

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Hobbies like woodworking don't go well with RV travel.

 

 

Even that gets a "it depends." I know several RVers who do wood carving in small pieces of wood releasing the wood sprites and/or their homes buried within the wood. Amazing things to see!

 

Linda Sand

Blog: http://sandcastle.sandsys.org/

Former Rigs: Liesure Travel van, Winnebago View 24H, Winnebago Journey 34Y, Sportsmobile Sprinter conversion van

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Keep looking, you'll find something that fits your wish list. I started out preparing for my solo full-time lifestyle by buying an old 26-foot motorhome that had a perfect floor plan for me. Before I could retire and get my house sold the grandkids got big enough to want to "camp". Well, that motorhome, perfect for one, was not big enough for gma, ex-husband gpa, 2 girls and a boy. The girls and I ended up tent camping beside the ex and the gson. I enjoy tent camping, but not setting up and taking down every day on a family vacay.

 

I sold the motorhome and got a 20' or so old travel trailer. A full bed + twin bunk above (that has 150# capacity), a couch that makes into a bed and a dinette that makes into a bed,if needed, sleeps all the fam that wantto go and, I hope will suit me for solo travel also. I may remove the couch and put a more comfortable chair + additional storage. I can use the bunk for storage also.

 

Right now, seems like it's a good solution. We'll see how I feel about the small square footage after a two-week trip! Keep looking. . .

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All my California camping has been at paid sites. I've driven to Slab City but didn't care for it. The Salton Sea was attack of the mosquitoes resulting in my learning to make screen doors for Class B;s (which I was grateful for one summer in Lake Tahoe mosquito territory). Year two summer is going to be a trip from southern CA to southern Oregon. I'll have to explore BLMs now that we will be looking for cheap rent to help with costs. One of my favorite camping spots is Red Rock State Park in Mojave. Those red rocks on the outside give way to a totally different view inside where sandstone caves and interesting formations grace the walls surrounding one's campsite. The night views on a clear night are spectacular desert but you are right, I don't have to pay to see that.

 

Last year when cheap school supplies came out I bought several composition books and marked each one with a different state for the areas I plan to travel to. All the ideas and notes about traveling are being put into these and will be used for browsing while not hooked up and wondering where to go next.

 

LG, the trailer we are thinking about has a bed, small dinette and two bunks. I'm thinking top bunk probably spare clothing and bottom bunk two dogs who will like the window right there also. We don't plan on house guests but it will sleep 5 if we find a place to put what is going to be stored on the beds.

 

I am still letting all the comments float around in my head while we continue to look. This is absolutely the last week of working on the camper and actually I am glad we did not rush out and buy because you all have given me so much to think about. We were going to take the camper out later in the week as Wayne is off but this is July in Colorado and we get afternoon thunderstorms. The camper is absolutely clean of any dirt having had extensive remodel inside and out so the thought of us, two dogs and dirt and mud before we put it up for sale I just can't do it. We might end up without a camping season this year. Maybe we will rent a cabin but a lot of those don't take dogs. Oh well, it is less than 12 months to take off so I'll have my fill of camping before too long. Garage sale this week and we are thinking about putting the bedroom set out and just sleeping on mattresses and using bins for our clothes to help us sort through those more.

 

Photos and memories still need scanning. So much to do.

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X's 2... 40' + can provide choices not available to a smaller rig - at times:)!

 

We too have been to Madison and others Yellowstone campgrounds, without reservations. We always enjoy Gros Ventre in the Teton's.

 

But, I'll admit that their are campgrounds we've seen in National Parks, that we just will not fit... So as always, to sides to every story...

 

My main reason for posting, is to concur that "Being Big" does not block you form "Enjoying Many Great Campgrounds" - and, larger tanks means not always needing to have hook ups:)!

 

Best to all,

Smitty

 

I agree with Smitty .....we boondock all the time with our 40foot DP and it is set up so that I can go anywhere from 10 days to 3 weeks before looking for a dump station. With our 4x4 toad we can roam around all we want and not have to worry about whether the rough road we are on is shaking up everything in the fridge or cupboards. We generally avoid the heavy touristy places like Yellowstone and greatly prefer the lesser known back country.

 

Cheers. Jim

<p>....JIM and LINDA......2001 American Eagle 40 '.towing a GMC Sierra 1500 4X4 with RZR in the rear. 1999 JEEP Cherokee that we tow as well.

IT IS A CONTENTED MAN WHO CAN APPRECIATE THE SCENERY ALONG A DETOUR.

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If you are looking for low cost camping, the California and Oregon coasts are a poor choice. The campgrounds are nice, but expensive and there are few alternatives to the established campgrounds. Most highway pull offs and day stops are posted to prohibit staying overnight.

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If you are looking for low cost camping, the California and Oregon coasts are a poor choice. The campgrounds are nice, but expensive and there are few alternatives to the established campgrounds. Most highway pull offs and day stops are posted to prohibit staying overnight.

Agreed. The San Diego to Oregon trip is memories of many places we want to go back to and people we want to see. We want to make this trip one more time so it has to be scheduled in. Still, we've always been able to afford the trip and we always camped along the way. I have to dance with the redwoods and splash at Big Sur, stand in line for handmade tortillas in San Diego and buy chippino along the Oregon coast. The winter I'll settle down and save some road trip money, do my hobbies and make small trips here and there as weather permits.

 

Agreed also with those who have the larger big rigs. This is like bringing your house everywhere you go and always having room and usually having what you need. There is a freedom the small rigs don't have as you say and vice versa. We didn't like driving the 24 foot Winnebago so we know this is the right option for us but you weren't trying to change our minds just saying you aren't left out of things too much due to your size and you have many benefits.

 

If we decide after two years that we just can't go back to house living for awhile we might trade up to the larger MH but for now this fits us and we will have our car when we are done and living back in the city. Strike that - not city, country somewhere.

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While we were spending some time in Las Vegas last winter a single guy pulled in beside us with an older Safari 40 ft DP towing a Westfalia. He tld me the MH was the mothership and he roamed around for up to 2 weeks with the Westfalia. He had a kayak and a mountain bike on the Westfalia. I thought that was an almost ideal setup.

<p>....JIM and LINDA......2001 American Eagle 40 '.towing a GMC Sierra 1500 4X4 with RZR in the rear. 1999 JEEP Cherokee that we tow as well.

IT IS A CONTENTED MAN WHO CAN APPRECIATE THE SCENERY ALONG A DETOUR.

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LOL, you need to start the topic, what's the biggest rig you've ever seen? Or the wierdiest.

I just saw the most unique RV in my experience at Escapade. It was a custom built fiver, all aluminum and solid wood, entry area is a shower with lockers for sweats that guests are asked to shower and wear due to allergies. On the left is a greenhouse lighted with "grow" lights, and a very long list of other unique features. It was nearly 14' tall and I'd guess close to 40' long. Near that was the smallest RV that I've ever seen which was a Runaway.

Good travelin !...............Kirk

Full-time 11+ years...... Now seasonal travelers.
Kirk & Pam's Great RV Adventure

            images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQqFswi_bvvojaMvanTWAI

 

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Sometimes I think about looking into a custom built. They are doing the tiny houses but those are too heavy and large. I would think you could get a custom built trailer. I guess the cost might be the stopping factor for me on something like that but who knows? Maybe they would welcome new designs from campers that they can then use when they work out well.

 

This weekend is the Tiny House Jamboree in Colorado Springs. It is so big they have moved it three times. It's now at the Air Force Academy or else the Base. Last year we drove there but could not find a place to park anywhere near walking distance to the event. We were going to drive the Class B down there with a for sale sign on it but I don't want to get calls from 4,000 people, lots of whom would just be curious. It sounds like so many people I just can't imagine. I was thinking more people would see the for sale sign on the drive down as the chances of a walk by when parked is very little. But no, too many people. There are folks from Oregon driving their tiny house on wheels to the event as well as coming from other places. Sounds huge.

 

Christine

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  • 3 weeks later...

If you know what you want, build it yourself. Start with a cargo trailer for $5-10k, put up some insulation and wallboard, install some windows and interior furniture and you're almost there.

 

Want some inspiration? Google "cargo trailer to RV" and look at the pictures. Or look at this Pinterest page

Some great ideas. If I were going to go that route though I would just keep the Class B as it's laid out pretty good for its size. I'm now, several weeks later, researching for a bigger tow vehicle and adding one side if I get a trailer. After restoring the Class B I want to never have to restore another vehicle!

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  • 3 weeks later...

Thanks for the links.

 

As of less than an hour ago a new 2016 Chevy Silverado 2500HD GAS 4WD truck is in our driveway. Our towing capacity is 13,000 because we wanted this combo as it suits us best. It will tow the weight and sizes we are looking at. The diesel engine would have been $8 to $10 thousand more - that's a lot of gas money (but would tow another 5,000 pounds). The 0% interest for 72 months was a great deal and that ends Monday.

 

We are going to not buy a new trailer until the new ones come out spring 2017. The lots are starting to not have as many choices and I really want to see what the manufacturers come up with for 2017. Colorado winter is looming (already last night some places dipped to an overnight low of 27 degrees!)

 

That also gives me more time to discover various manufacturers and I'll be linking to them and checking them all out. I can't wait to tell my trailer lady that I now know what my tow vehicle can tow. (I call her that because I've searched that lot for 3 years looking for the right one. She always gives me full access and is very patient about my frequent returns so I really hope I find one on her lot but won't know till I find the right one.

 

As for building my own - my body is not up to it.

 

Christine

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