Tent and rv camping – the basics
TENT AND RV CAMPING – THE BASICS
You've decided you want to try camping. That's wonderful! First, you need to figure out what makes you want to do that. There are some great reasons to camp, but it will help you make the best decision as far as equipment is concerned.
The great outdoors is what pulls a lot of people into camping. The ability to sleep, eat, and play in our natural world calls to many. For some, this is what pulls them into traveling.
Still others are thinking on this as a way to save money while traveling. After all, it is figured, you spend a lot of money on hotels and restaurants. Why not lighten up the pockets a little slower by camping? Well, maybe. We have an entire thread in the “Saving Money” forum, about RV's vs. Motels. Frankly, tenting is a lot cheaper than RV's (whether you purchase or rent said RV).
My husband and I have tent-camped, owned a tent-trailer (pop up), and a fifth wheel trailer. While I was growing up, my parents owned three different travel trailers, then a motorhome and another trailer after I moved out. My parents also owned a KOA Kampground in the desert Southwest when I was a teen, so this thread information is learned from experience – sometimes, the hard way.
So, how do i start? What should i think about?
SO, HOW DO I START? WHAT SHOULD I THINK ABOUT?
Do you want to sleep under the stars in a tent, cook outside on a fire or camp-stove, and sit on logs or stools by a campfire? Would you mind if it rains and all that's between you and wetness is a piece of cloth? Would you like to sleep on the ground with only a ground pad or air mattress, or on a camp cot that you can lug around? Then maybe a tent is for you.
Or would you rather just have a bed in a hard sided unit that will keep you dry and snug if it rains? A real stove with home-type pots and eating utensils? Would you like to drive something either very long or very boxy? Then maybe a hard-sided unit is for you.
If you are struggling with these issues and just don't know, perhaps you can borrow a tent and some equipment. There are few places to rent these things, call around locally and ask. (If you are military, check your local base Recreation Dept). Find a local state park or national forest campground (see lists on our Camping forum), and try it out for a weekend or two. Like it? Then you will know what kind of things you “need”, with that kind of experience. (This is what my husband and I did. We rented before deciding to buy tenting gear for ourselves.)
Perhaps you can rent an RV from a local company for a weekend or two, and see how you like that. Of course, this is not very cheap, but neither is purchasing one only to find that you don't like it. Another thought is to tag along with a friend who has one, and see how you like it. It's a lifestyle; it isn't cheap. You'll also see what you might require in such a unit. Most places will only rent motorhomes. Trailers, or towables, are not easy to find for rent because most folks do not have the right type of tow vehicle, and (according to one local RV-rental place), the trailers can't take the type of abuse that many renters will give it. (How true that is, though, is hard to prove.) In some areas, a local company will bring a towable out to a given campground and set it up. Some campgrounds even have trailers for rent.
Some campgrounds might rent you a cabin or a “tee pee” (Canada's oTENTIKs and KOA's kamping kabins come to mind). Those may give you a sense of what a hybrid (such as a hard sided tent trailer) might be like.
Ok, what are my costs going to be? (tenting)
OK, WHAT ARE MY COSTS GOING TO BE? (TENTING)
For tent camping, a basic outfit will include a tent, sleeping bag per person, and some sort of ground pad or air mattress (or cot). That's for sleeping. What you spend on those will depend on where you're planning to camp and how much you want to spend. Check your local big-box or sporting goods stores.
For cooking, you'll probably want a basic two-burner stove with the propane tank, plus it's helpful to have a fry pan and a sauce pan. Don't forget the matches. Not too expensive! Can you count on cooking on a campfire or on a provided grill? No. In many areas, campfires are being banned, or the firewood strictly regulated. Provided grills are often filthy.
For eating, a basic mess kit (per person) is helpful. Oh, and don't forget something with which to wash dishes – a tub, rag, towel, and a small bottle of dish soap are very handy. You'll want a cooler for your cold food, and some sort of containers to carry all this extra stuff. Of course, a few kitchen tools are helpful.
All those things can be had pretty cheaply, once again at the big box or sporting goods store. Watch for sales. If you have a charity “thrift store” in your area, start watching for gear there, or at yard sales. Honestly, though, most folks think buying a used sleeping bag is not particularly healthy. Buy a new one.
Think about a collapsible water jug, too. There are a number of forest service, corps of engineers and county/city parks that allow camping, but have no potable water available. You'll want to fill up somewhere. This was a lesson learned the hard way, by my husband and I, when we pulled into a forest service campground that had no water. We went into town but all we had was a 2-gallon thermos jug. Thank goodness we had one of those!
Your needs may be more minimalist than ours were. If you are planning to tent from a motorcycle, you'll have to decide what are your priorities. Maybe a single burner stove and one small pot will be sufficient. Or maybe you'll just tent overnight and eat all your meals out.
Your overnight costs for a tent will run anywhere from about $7 upward to $35, per night. It depends, once again, on where you want to camp. There are a few free campsites, but they are few and far between, often far from anywhere. No, you may not just pitch your tent wherever you want. Even the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and US Forest Service are fussy about where you camp – how close to a road and how close to moving water.
I'm coming from overseas and i want to tent camp, what do i do?
I'M COMING FROM OVERSEAS AND I WANT TO TENT CAMP, WHAT DO I DO?
Carry what you can in your luggage. Buy what you need in the US at a big-box or sporting goods store. When you're done and ready to return home, you can try to ship stuff home (tent and mess kit), or just drop it off at a charity thrift store in your departure city. Or give it to a friend here in the US to keep for you, for your next trip.
What do i pack for a tent camping road trip?
WHAT DO I PACK FOR A TENT CAMPING ROAD TRIP?
There are many packing lists available online, including one right here.
Here's another one, that includes car camping gear.
These are just basic lists. Your needs and desires, as well as the space in your vehicle, will make you pick and choose what's necessary and what is just a "nicety" that could be easily done without. Over the years, my husband and I tweaked our tent camping list, then completely rewrote it when we got our first trailer (that pop-up).
Essentially, you'll pack what you usually do for a regular road trip. A tenter's list will have tent, sleeping bags and mats, cooking gear, dish gear, and a few other things added.
How is travel time affected? (tent camping)
HOW IS TRAVEL TIME AFFECTED? (TENT CAMPING)
If you're tent-camping, you need to allow for breaking down a campsite in the morning, and setting it up at a different place in the evening. Though generally, 500-550 miles per day is deemed plenty for the average hotel-stayer, I'd recommend 450-500 miles for a tent-camper, at the most! Less is usually better. If you're driving on two-lane roads, it's best to stick to 350-400 miles or so. It's best to depart after daylight and arrive before sundown, because that makes tear-down/set-up much easier, at least for beginners.
HOW ABOUT PERSONAL CARE? (Tent Camping)
HOW ABOUT PERSONAL CARE? (Tent Camping)
Another thing to think about, if you are tent-camping: showering and clothes laundering. If you are staying in a state or national park and there are showers available, good! But many public parks are not equipped. So you are going to have to choose an alternative:
Go dirty. (Most people don't like that one.)
Stay at a motel every 2-3 nights and enjoy a real bed and a good shower.
Find a campground every few nights that does have shower facilities, and make sure to take advantage. Private campgrounds usually have a shower building!
Another might be a truck stop, which usually will sell you a shower ($10-15 each unless you buy all your fuel at that brand and build up points – not easy with car tanks, though truckers find it very easy!).
Yet another choice is to stay with a friend or family member along the way. Just make sure to do something nice for your friend or family member, so they won't think you're staying there for the free bed and free shower! With any public shower, wear some sort of pool or shower shoes.
Laundromats are often in small towns along the way, and truck stops have them too. Some motels have them, as well. Bring coins or at least cash to exchange for coins, and for purchasing laundry soap. (An alternative to that would be to carry laundry soap in a small plastic dollar-store container. I do that to this day, staying in hotels, as I prefer a certain brand.)
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...973752fa_w.jpg9C0B96A3-991D-4A5C-84D4-2FA597EB7686 by jeanniesisters, on Flickr
From the author's collection, circa 1983: one way to keep yourself clean on a camping trip, use the dishtub! Taken at one of the NFS campgrounds outside of Crater Lake NP.
What do i need to know for the rv rental?
WHAT DO I NEED TO KNOW FOR THE RV RENTAL?
It only comes with the RV, electrical cord (1), hose (1), and sewer hoses. Some places will include the utility hookups, others charge extra for them. For most, you'll need to get the “linen package”, the “cookware/dishware” package/s, and the “recreational package” (which may include the camp chairs and a small outdoor grill with or without the propane tank). Normally, rental places charge extra for these “packages”. Of course, if you are renting and are close to home, you may be able to bring your own linens, cookware and dishware and not have to pay for these. If you choose to bring your own linens from home, check your bed linen size. Sometimes RV's have odd-sized beds.
Your fuel mileage will probably not be wonderful, so plan on 5-7 mpg. You will probably be given a certain amount of mileage allowance, and anything above that, a specific amount per mile. It really adds up! (Most times, an RV rental is a lifestyle choice, not a budget choice.) This is all in addition to your rental and package fees.
Here is an article that one should read before renting an RV:
Check Out Your RV Rental
What about the costs for an rv?
WHAT ABOUT THE COSTS FOR AN RV?
How big is your budget? If you are planning to purchase, that has to be the first thing you consider. Your second is whether you want an all-in-one unit (motorhome) or if you have a decent tow vehicle and don't mind towing something. Another thing to consider, before a purchase, is where you like to camp. If you buy a long rig, you may be limited in some older public campgrounds that were built before the age of long, long rigs.
RVs come in a range of prices, too. Generally, motorhomes are the most expensive, with truck campers and camper vans (van conversions) right under them, then 5th wheels, then travel trailers. The least expensive are tent trailers.
Motorhomes have an engine in them, so it's an engine to maintain. It's also a home on wheels so it takes abuse, it has to! You can buy a less expensive used one, or go whole hog and buy a mansion on wheels. Remember that if you want to go sight-seeing, you're going to have to figure out how. Most folks with a Class A motorhome (engine often in the back, full access to the unit from the driver seat, usually no “cabover”) tow a dinghy, AKA “towed” or “toad”, so that they can flit around national parks, cities, and other places where parking a 30' long vehicle is difficult. Class C motorhomes, which are smaller, are a little easier to get around in, but they still can be difficult to park. A van-conversion is often someone's thoughts for the cross between tent camping and motorhoming, but not really suitable for more than 2 people. Van conversions are often known as Class B's.
Trailers come in three types, and some hybrids between. The tent trailer, or “pop up”, is a small rectangular prism that's towed down the highway by a 6-cylinder car or van, but pops up into half-trailer, half-tent with a hard top, when you're in camp. The pros: easy to tow, easy to stow when not using. The cons: You can't just jump in there to eat lunch when you're on the road, or if you forgot something. You pretty well have to unhitch in order to “pop up”. It's not easy to keep your possessions safe when you leave it popped up in a campground, either. And you haven't lived until you have experienced a tent trailer in a wind storm!
The next type is a travel trailer. You've seen these boxy units rolling down the highway. The pros: Easy to drop somewhere while you go out sight-seeing. Easily locked up. The cons: Depending on the weight, you're going to have to have a good tow vehicle. The heavier the unit, the more weight your vehicle has to pull.
The third type is a 5th wheel trailer. You've probably seen these units rolling, too, with part of the unit and the hitch over the long bed of a pick-up truck. These units have a bedroom over the hitch, usually, but the location of kitchen and the other bedrooms will vary. The pros: Strong hitch, good length, more space for the money. The cons: You HAVE to have a pick-up truck, and it's really best to have a diesel.
Hybrids include quite a variety. The variation on the pop-up is a hard sided one that lifts into a triangular shaped top. There are travel trailers with pull-out canvas beds – these are made by Forest River, who purchased the Palomino Company (who made tent trailers) and decided not to continue their tent trailer line, so they came up with the travel/tent trailer hybrid to use up all the canvas they inherited.
Yet another type you don't see very often is the truck camper. This camper mounts on the bed of the pickup truck, but contains most of the amenities of the travel trailer and the motorhome. If you equip it properly, you can remove it from the bed of the pickup and leave it in your driveway (if CC&R's approve).
Costs of these will vary. If money is an issue, consider a used one a few years old that's been lightly used. Get it checked over thoroughly.
If you choose to tow, and you want to try to use what you already have to be the tow vehicle: Know your vehicle's weight limit on how much it can tow, hitch weight limit, whether or not it is “trailer equipped”, consider an exhaust brake if your pickup is a diesel, and definitely DO NOT SKIMP on mirrors or radiator fans. Learn how to use the exhaust brake to avoid brake-burnout and a crash.
Another thing to know about any kind of RV: learn to back it up and to pull it into parking slots, before you leave home on your first trip. A good place to learn is in an empty parking lot, such as some churches on weekdays, or a business that's closed on weekends (and the lot isn't locked up).
What do i pack for an rv road trip, if i own the rv?
WHAT DO I PACK FOR AN RV ROAD TRIP, IF I OWN THE RV?
Everything in your regular pack list would probably be pertinent. In addition, you should have the required bedding (sheets, pillows and cases, blankets), cookware (pots, pans, dishes), dish cleaning equipment and soap, cooking linens, just to mention a few things for living. You should also make sure that you have the electrical cord and some adapters, water hose, and both grey water and black water sewer hoses. For the water hose, a pressure regulator is almost essential, as is a spray bottle with bleach to clean off the water hookup at the campsite before attaching your own hose to it. If you are going into areas with no water hookup at all, a collapsible water container is helpful. For your recreational activities, you'll have to decide whether you “need” to haul camp chairs, table, bikes, canoes/kayaks, etc.
If you're a TV-fan, you might want a small TV (if your rig did not come equipped), a cable cord, or a satellite dish.
A bit better fuel return with newer rentals.
Great thread Donna !!
Quote:
Your fuel mileage will probably not be wonderful, so plan on 5-7 mpg.
It's always best to plan costs with a certain amount of caution but if renting a new(ish) class 'C' RV of 25ft or 30ft in lenght we normally see a return of 8.5 to 9mpg. The cost of fuel and mileage charges on a rental is a significant part of the cost and the more miles you cover the more it's going to cost ! (Cruise America charge 35c per mile from the 'get go')
Dave.
I just bought my equipment. Now what?
I JUST BOUGHT MY EQUIPMENT. NOW WHAT?
Go on some weekend runs to a campground fairly close by. Bring what you think you need. Add some paper and a pencil (to make a list of things you wish you'd brought). Don't forget food. Try out your new equipment on several occasions before venturing further from home or the nearest store.
If you bought some form of RV, don't forget to practice driving it, backing it up, and making huge turns in it. As you're driving it, and you encounter a double-left turn lane, take the outside lane. You'll have wider swing room. If you're attempting to turn right, learn the phrase, “Swing wide, sweet chariot”, and DO it. If you have a towable, learn to hitch up. It's helpful to have two people for this process, but a number of people have devised systems to do it single-handedly. Have a check-list available for your hitch-up process so that you won't accidentally miss a step and drop your trailer on its nose (or the back of your brand new pick-up truck, as happened to friends)
When you're comfortable, try a “shake-down cruise”. This would be further afield, perhaps a long weekend a little farther away from home.
Once you've done all that, you're probably ready for your camping vacation. Doing practice runs close to home is much better than trying to learn all this while in strange places.
A few smaller tips:
Don't leave your sewer hookup open when you're in a camping site. When you get ready to leave, attach the sewer hose and “dump” at that time. You might want to wear protective gloves for this purpose. Leaving your sewer open into the drain leaves you vulnerable to a stoppage.
Carry a spray bottle of bleach, a water pressure regulator, a water T (2 hoses on one water spigot), a pair of protective gloves, and a rag. At one time or another, you'll appreciate having them.
You may also want 50' of water hose and 50' of electrical cord, plus pigtails that fit your rig. If you only have a 50-amp hookup for your unit's electrical, get a 50-to-30 adaptive pigtail. You may also want a 50-to-20, but DO NOT run your AC or furnace if you have to use that pigtail!
If a seasoned RV-er in a campground gives you some advice, consider it carefully. One veteran suggested to a newbie, “Retract your awning tonight”, and he didn't. In the middle of the night, the wind whipped up and destroyed said awning. For that newbie, lesson learned.
