amarie1

I'm driving west and my next stop is in Winslow AZ for 1 night, then Needles CA for 3 nights. At Winslow, I'm just 2.5 hrs from the Grand Canyon. Of course I tried looking for a spot but everything is booked. So I was thinking of just driving there, spending an hour looking at it 😉 and then driving down to Needles, which is another 6 hrs away so I'd have to find a spot to spend the night along the way. Possible to do ? I've never been there, can I just pull up in my 30' motorhome and park in a parking lot? (I have a little doggo with me, can I bring him or leave him in the RV?) Thanks! AM

Thank you all! Great information. I'll investigate and move on to the next stage of planning.

Well I'm relieved that it won't turn into a Lawrence of Arabia-like trek across the desert, thanks for that! As I've never seen *any* canyon before I wouldn't know the Grand Canyon south rim from the north rim. I just want to look at it 😉 I'm guessing it'll be crowded if it's even open (thanks for the heads up on that). I would go back and spend a week at one or two during another trip. For at least one of these canyons I'd like to find some sort of place to park the rig and walk over or take a shuttle (won't have a toad) and do a short hike and explore. I'll have my doggo with me (staying in the RV) so I couldn't be out all day. Not sure how to work the logistics out with that. All suggestions of where to stay on that route are so welcome. (thank you Kirk!). Any idea of the temps/weather around this canyon area in early May? Should I plan/dress for cold during the day? Great suggestions for stopping at close-in canyons, thank you!

Thanks. I'm saving all these suggestions. 😉 Here's a link to the google map so you can see the roads it's suggesting. https://goo.gl/maps/NBePF33j4QymZiUq8

Last year I took my maiden voyage in Bessie from Chicago to Oakland via I-80 all the way, and it was pretty successful, thanks in no small part to all the tips and suggestions I got from you all. I went back the same way, and enjoyed it. Both trips were mainly to get from Point A to Point B and little time for sightseeing. Most places I stayed only one night, a few two nights. This year I have a bit more time and would like to do a little sightseeing, especially visiting a canyon or two, which I've never seen. I'm leaving mid-April and have about 3 weeks to get to Oakland. So what do you all think of this route, my first stab at planning the trip? It's basically Chicago to Santa Fe NM, then up to Antelope Canyon, Grand Canyon and Bryce Canyon, then over to southern Calif and up to the Bay area. I'm a bit worried about the long stretches of nothing from the canyons to California. (will I have enough gas and water? what if I break down? etc). At least on I-80 I was comforted by all the truckers going my way and the number of truck stops ;-).

Thanks! I'm taking a different route this time, probably more south. Leaving in a month. I'd like to stop and see a canyon or something on my way. 😉

A long shot, looking to see if anyone has any recommendations for parking my 30' motorhome for a couple months in the Bay area (not to stay inside it, just to leave it). I'll be staying with family, but I can't park by their home because they're up in the Oakland hills. I'm scouring Google and craigslist but thought I'd drop a line here too. Thanks.

ah ... so that would be something like this? https://www.walmart.com/ip/Blue-Ox-BX2232-07-C-Honda-Crv-Baseplate/49348708

I purchased a used 2017 Class C last year that came with a toad, a stick-shift 2006 VW Rabbit, and the equipment to tow it: Blue Ox tow bars w/attachments Electrical harness Safety chains Patriot II braking system I am considering getting an older (2010-2014) Honda CRV or similar to tow behind it instead, since the stick-shift is just not my friend. (I've tried.) I have someone I could sell the VW Rabbit to. I sorta know that the Patriot II braking system can be used in any toad. The Rabbit has a couple pieces attached to its front grill for hooking up the tow bar and safety chains. The RV has a step-down (?) hitch so the tow bar is even with the Rabbit. Has anyone switched toads before like this? Do I need to start all over again with the towing equipment? Thanks, AM

A little off-topic, but .. I'm watching a cool video from the principal designers of the new Recreation.gov branding ... logo, website design etc. It's from Adobe MAX, a free online conference happening now. They're talking about how they had to design the site to modernize and appeal to the sensibilities of many audiences ... the gov't, campers, rangers, park managers, etc. https://www.adobe.com/max/2020/sessions/rebranding-and-outreach-for-recreationgov-s6832.html AM

Yes, I did boondock! One night at the Teton Reservoir in Wyoming. It was COLD that night and my coach heater wasn't up to the task. I put a "Mr. Buddy propane heater" on my shopping list. Bessie in the morning: The Teton Reservoir: Full moon that night:

Thanks! Jim K, I took 10 days to make the trip, each way. Stayed in Oakland for about 5 weeks. Google Maps says it's a 32 hour drive. It took me 10 days because I only wanted to drive about 4-5 hours a day, and a couple places I stayed an extra day just to have the luxury of not having to disconnect/tear down and reconnect/set up for 24 hours. 😉 But toward the end I was like, you know what? I can drive 6 or 7 hours, easy, if I start early and take a break in the middle. So I did that a couple times. If/when I make the trip again, I'd like to be able to stop many more places and sight-see. AM

BTW for any lurkers, here's my first post here from July asking for help in planning this trip:

Thanks Kirk. Oh there were a few glitches but they were minor. I had to call a mobile rv tech at one rv park because the coach heater was blowing cold (and it was freezing at night), and the radio/rearview camera stopped working. He fixed both in a couple hours. Another time my TPMS gave a warning about a low tire (again, while I was parked, yay) and the valve had worked itself behind the hubcap. I fished it out gently with a needle-nose pliers, then broke out my portable air compressor for the first time (first time inflating an RV tire that is) and it worked. I think having these small glitches happen and overcoming them will help prep me for the inevitable larger glitch. I keep reminding myself that in the 20+ years I've owned my house, I've dealt with flooded basements, roof replacement, furnace repairs, and more; and you just have to roll with it.

Hey Kirk, I loved Cheyenne. Well at least, the KOA there ... they were great. I made it a point to stay there again on my way back. They even have a western-themed miniature golf course! Next time through I want to hang out a few days and explore.

Hi foiks! I want to say thank you. This forum and all you contributors have been a godsend for me as I made my first long-distance trip in my new-to-me 2017 Thor FE29 motorhome. For this older gal who traveled solo with her doggos, it felt so great to have you all in my back pocket with good advice. I went from Chicago to Oakland in mid-August, spent a month with my daughter and her family, and just returned to Chicago. This is my first morning back and I'm marveling at the wonders of a house like toilets that flush and waste that goes... somewhere ... what do I care ... lol ... and water I can leave running for a minute, 2nd floors with bedrooms, laundry rooms that don't need quarters, and so on. You all helped me navigate mountain passes, Tow/Haul mode, downahifting, coach batteries, tank heaters, leveling, electric monitoring systems, and so much more. I'm feeling much more comfortable these days and am excited to start planning future trips. Such a wonderful, warm, and helpful community. Thanks again!

okay! Thanks. Just the kind of advice I was looking for. AM

I'm in Wyoming traveling east for the next two or three days. Days are 75-80, nights are 35-40. I'm running the coach heater for the first time at night, but I'm also wondering if I should be turning on the black and grey tank heaters at the same time. Are they just for when it's below freezing consistently? AM

Huh. Maybe you can help me out. I bought and have been using this model: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000EDQQD8/ Which has a yellow, green, and red zone (red indicating too high pressure). I'm in an rv park right now where for the first time it went into the red zone. I wasn't sure what to do so I dialed down the water source (what Kirk called a "hydrant" ... learning as I go) until it went into the green. Now I'm not getting much of a flow of water in the coach. It's enough, and I'm only here for one day. But can you tell me if I'm doing this right? I'm not clear what to do if the regulator shows red.

Kirk, I have an onboard Onan 4000. JimK, I empathize with your confusion. The terms are loosey-goosey. In looking at reviews of them I see them most often referred to as "solar generators" but also as "portable power stations." I think the latter is more accurate, but the fact that they can be charged by solar is new, I take it, so thus the new term. https://www.rvweb.net/best-solar-generators-for-rv-reviewed/

Thanks all. I'm only boondocking one night on my road trip home. I'll decide that morning, depending on the weather. I have a couple other backup places nearby. I do want to be able to boondock longer on subsequent trips and know that I'd need to upgrade the battery set up and add solar. But on this trip, the beauty of that spot as described sounds hard to resist. After researching various portable generators I settled on the Rockpals. Here's a pretty thorough review: https://rockchucksummit.com/rockpals-portable-power-offgrid-lithium-ion-generator/ @JimK: I tested the CPAP by plugging it in (110) to the RockPals at home and it did fine overnight. I didn't use its humidifier, which uses a lot of energy. (Yes I'll be looking for another CPAP that runs on DC.) @bigjim: Thanks for all that advice. Not sure how to "turn the hot water heater off electric" ... but I just won't turn it on, in the first place. @Kirk W: Happy belated birthday! AM

Ok! Thanks.

Re the boondocking site, I want to spend a night here, which is just a little out of the way (I'm doing I-80 all the way back): https://thedyrt.com/camping/wyoming/wyoming-teton-reservoir-recreation-site Think there's snow there now? Yikes. Hrm. I've never even tried the heater. AM

Anyway I have a 2017 Thor 29FE motorhome, which I bought from the original owner a few months ago. He bought it new and took some good trips with his family in it. He said when he needed to boondock for the occasional night in a Walmart lot "I just ran the generator all day." It has 23k miles. The independent inspector I hired said the battery was in good shape. So did the service center I hired to go over everything before I left for my trip from Chicago to Oakland. I'll be heading back in a week. Here are the specs: https://www.rvusa.com/rv-guide/2017-thor-motor-coach-freedom-elite-class-c-floorplan-29fe-tr30886

I'm not seeing a signature field in my Profile or Edit Profile area Hrm. Here's a screenshot: https://www.dropbox.com/s/b2k1gk5g6znds6d/profile.png?dl=0