need for tow vehicle

daywalker567 · 02-07-2016, 11:56 PM

we are planning a 6-= week trip to Utah/ the national parks in the area. It's almost 1600mi from Here in Tn and I am not sure I want to drag my car that far and only use it a short time. Our MH is 25 ft and would be easy to see the sights in. There will only be the 2 of us and the dogs. Will be staying in NP cg most of the time without hook-ups. Your thoughts please.

JLeising · 02-08-2016, 01:04 AM

Have visited the Utah parks several times with our Solera without a toad. Had no issues.

MNtraveler · 02-08-2016, 09:39 PM

Should be OK. You may need to post something in your site to let others know you are still using it. There should be a ticket mounted on the site showing "reserved" however people have been known to take those down and then you get to argue with them (also the CG should not re-rent it to someone else but they might convince the CG you split - may want to let the office know you're coming back...). This should be less of an issue in a NP vs. say a national forest where it's more free range-ish (by which I mean there may be no ranger around to help resolve the issue).

Another option would be to rent a car locally in Cedar City or wherever you will be closest to. Cedar City has three agencies, at least, and there are several around St. George too.

Another option - day rentals, for example: 4x4 Jeep Rentals - Capitol Reef - Utah

rockfordroo · 02-08-2016, 09:50 PM

You might try Uber, too. Don't know much about it, but it seems to be all the rage.

NoviBill · 02-08-2016, 09:57 PM

I am guessing you will have no major issues. We are doing similar (26' Lexington) , Yellowstone & Glacier over 3 weeks without a toad. What I figure is I can rent a car for 3+ weeks for the price of adding a toad (brake buddy, tow dolly or tow bar etc). That does not include the pain, cost and wear and tear of dragging the car when I don't need it.

One major issues in the summer is parking, if you stay on easter standard time and get out in the morning hitting the key sites first you will be fine.

MNtraveler · 02-08-2016, 11:48 PM

We took a 31' around Yellowstone and you can get around OK but you may find an occasional visiting site lot that is too full to be able to park in comfortably. That park is large enough that you can move on to another site and come back later. On the roads you have to use the occasional pull-overs to let traffic go by. In some places you may want to pull off to a lookout, but in other places there are designated pull-off slots for RVs/trailers to let others go by and get off your tail - these are more easy-off, easy-on than having to pull into a lookout.

geeman53 · 02-09-2016, 07:21 AM

We are doing the same Ute trip plus yosemite and PC1 w/ no toad . East towed -yes west coast -no. Our west coast trip w/ no towed will be great in the mountains and in Cal. traffic.BTW our S.S. is 24'- we love it !

backdoctor · 02-09-2016, 08:07 AM

We did the same trip in sept last year. Spent a month on the road and 11,000 km. No toad, just 2 bikes. Great time riding (gently, no mtn biking for us) around the 5 big Utah parks and through Vegas. You see a lot more from the saddle than you would the drivers seat. And parking/access is way better. In some places access was limited to 25'. Our Solera is 24' so we had no issues. Add a toad and you're gonna have some limitations.

Snowman9000 · 02-09-2016, 11:24 AM

We have a 25' C. So far with 13,000 miles we have not had a toad. We are on a trip now. Earlier on this trip we were convinced it was time for a toad. But now we have settled into our routine, and we are not so sure. It's actually quite easy to break camp, and to drive the vehicle in town.

Some quick tips:
-Use your fresh water tank instead of connecting a hose.
-Only connect to a sewer hookup when you need to dump.
-Spend some time thinking about how to store frequently needed items readily available in plain sight. Then buy some plastic bins to do it. Some of ours we bought in the Wal-Mart bathroom section, and some in office supply stores.
-Last, develop the habit of putting things away instead of just them down. When I stop using the ipad, I don't put it on the table. I put it in the bin in the overhead bunk where it stores. Believe me, this is a change for me, lol.
-Have a printed checklist for breaking camp, so you don't drive off with your antenna up, etc.
-Don't use leveling blocks unless truly necessary to protect your fridge. The fridge can tolerate two degrees off level. We have been out for a month now, at least 8 campsites, and have yet to use the blocks.
-Our shore power cable has a loop handle on the male end. I use a cable and padlock and lock it to the pedestal, if I feel the need. Then I just leave it on the ground when we leave. Breaker turned off, of course!

Typically now, it takes us about 5 minutes to break camp and depart for town. My wife puts away the things inside, and I disconnect the shore power and cable and do the walk-around.

Canonman · 02-09-2016, 11:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by daywalker567

we are planning a 6-= week trip to Utah/ the national parks in the area. It's almost 1600mi from Here in Tn and I am not sure I want to drag my car that far and only use it a short time. Our MH is 25 ft and would be easy to see the sights in. There will only be the 2 of us and the dogs. Will be staying in NP cg most of the time without hook-ups. Your thoughts please.

Simple answer, No TOAD required.
You'll Love It. All the parks are really well accessed. RV parking is available at the popular view points and several (Zions, Bryce) have a shuttle bus service available. If you'd like some local input or ideas you can PM me any time. Also you can click on my avitar and view several photo albums from the area.
Make your reservations early and and

daywalker567 · 02-09-2016, 07:43 PM

thank you for all your responses I think if I leave my campsite I will change something my barbecue grill maybe to the picnic table once again thank you for your response

Snowman9000 · 02-09-2016, 08:10 PM

Things don't get stolen very often anyway. Look at all the people who camp in tents.

RamblerGuy · 02-17-2016, 05:16 AM

A folding chair with a laminated "Occupied" note works well if you leave your site.

Years ago I set up my pop-up in Yellowstone, then found an Occupied note under a small rock on the table. I wasn't amused.

Slimjc · 02-18-2016, 02:57 PM

Hi there - Utah resident here as well. Just a quick note - if you reserve a spot in a Utah campground they will put a placard up with the dates you are there so that everyone knows it is taken. Of course if it is a walk up, leaving out an empty junk cooler and chair is a clear sign.

Unwrapping my 3120 this weekend to get ready - hope to see you out there!!

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