Planning National Parks Trip West - Summer 2014

[mlfrancis]

Hi everyone,

I had a questions regarding logistics with the camper. How should I plan for needing to use the dump station, fill propane, generator use, etc...? I will have 8 people on the camper, 4 male, 4 female, 4/4 adult&children, and between the stop north of SLC and inside the Yellowstone park at Bridge Bay we will be without hook-ups for 6 days. I was just wondering how best to determine how to manage the RV systems?

[Southwest Dave]

You can't really plan out when you will need to use the dump station as that will depend on usage. Some RV's have an electronic board that tells you the current situation by way of lights, but I wouldn't rely solely on them. We have found it more convenient to use the public loo and shower blocks, if available on site, to minimise use and just use the loo through the night if needed, or when out in the day. [Especially when avoiding pit toilets, Yuk ! ] It will also get real small in the RV in the morning with 8 of you jostling for position for the loo and shower. Dumping isn't that bad of a job and we just ended up doing it when it was convenient. The propane tank normally has a dial indicator on it but I doubt you will need to top that up until it's time to return the RV. During the evening when cooking and having lights on etc we would run the generator up for half hour/ hour or so , just to keep the battery topped up overnight, but the house battery charges while you are driving. When you collect the RV you will go through the orientation process and will have opportunity to ask questions.

[Lifemagician]

You will often see RVs at roadside rest areas, truck stops, etc., where the occupants of the vehicle all march out to use the facilities. As Dave said, you will not be limited to the facilities in the RV. Not even in national parks.

Lifey

[mlfrancis]

Thanks! I've done some tent camping but never an RV trip so I was just trying to see if there was a rule of thumb to go by but what both of you are saying makes perfect sense. We'll need to get creative. We're going to have a tent we can use on the site in Yellowstone as well so that can be used for changing etc... Lift off is in two days so it's getting exciting now. I think we have a pretty good itinerary to help guide us through the Yellowstone leg of the trip. We can adjust and be flexible as needed. Everyone's very much looking forward to it.

[Southwest Dave]

You are in for a real treat, exciting times ahead !

In Yellowstone the Rangers are always there to help and guide you through your visit. There are some road closures at the moment as reported here by Mark but hopefully things would have returned to normal by the time you get there, although the park is huge and you will have plenty to keep you occupied.

Dave.

[Mark Sedenquist]

I had a questions regarding logistics with the camper. How should I plan for needing to use the dump station, fill propane, generator use, etc...?

While is true that you can use the park facilities -- as a general rule I always preferred to use the facilities in the RV. I kept the RV and it's gear in spotless condition and even though the shower/toilet combinations are tight -- I still preferred them over the offerings of the parks.

General logistics:

Propane use is pretty minimal during the summer months unless you take long, hot showers. You'll have a good feel for how often you need to refill within a day or so. many RV parks have propane fill-ups -- but the easiest source is U-haul rental facilities.

Any weight you carry in the any of the holding tanks -- fresh water, gray water & black water will affect the performance of the vehicle. Unless I knew that I would be without drinking water hookups -- for an extended period -- I rarely topped the fresh water tank on a travel day. (There is a different procedure in cold-weather travel!)

Upon departure on any day I always dumped the gray water -- so that remained empty. If you have a hookup -- do not dump the black water until you plan to leave. The best way to manage the smell and etc is to let the "good" bacteria do their job and keep the material actively working in the tank. When it is time to roll-out you then dump the black & rinse with the gray fluid -- if you have that capability in your RV. I built mine to work that way. Always add some of the good bacteria stuff to the empty black tank and a single flush to swish around the fluid on the top and sides of the tank as you drive down the road. You NEVER want the sides and top of a black tank to ever dry out!

Most important: If you are going to be in a place with hookups -- you can open the gray tank valve to dump -- but never, never open the black tank and leave open for the reasons outlined above.

The actual dumping, stowing of gear can be part of the daily chores -- once you get the "flow" of it -- it rarely takes more than 30 minutes. It's just part of the RV experience --

Have fun!

Mark