Rocky Mountain High! 12,000 feet in my RV?

[Grouchyoldman]

We are new RVers and our proposed journey this Spring brings us to Rocky Mountain National Park in late August.

This is our first experience with high altitude travel in our Class C Coachmen Freelander 21 qb Chevy 4500 and I'm not sure what to expect. We intend to travel the Trail Ridge Road that crosses the Continental Divide several times and

I would be interested in any advice you veterans can provide on what we can expect and whether there are any steps we should take to prepare? High elevation in particular, but any tips on the area apppreciated.

Thanks in advance for any comments,

-Grouchy

[HangDiver]

Depending on which way you're traveling over Trail Ridge be sure to gas up at or just before Estes Park (east side of RMNP) or Grand Lake (west side of the park). Expect heavy auto and pedestrian traffic in Estes Park. Maybe play "Rocky Mtn Way" by Joe Walsh as you crest the park.

Enjoy the scenery!
Rich J.

[67L48]

Expect your vehicle to tow like a dog. You end up losing about 3% for every 1,000 feet above some nominal rating ... usually 1-1.5K feet. So, yeah, at 12,000 feet, your engine will lose between 30-40% of its normal power. It sucks. Turbos and superchargers help by increasing compression and air flow, which helps to replace some of the lost O2/power. But, it's still a losing game.

Drink lots of water. Altitude affects everyone a little bit differently, ranging from nothing, to headaches, to dry eyes, to heart palpitations (and emergency room visits). One way to really help is to drink tons and tons of water.

I sometimes get dry eyes just from traveling from my house (5,000 ft) to camping (typically 8,000 ft).

Otherwise, it will be a great trip. Have fun.

[HangDiver]

Forgot to say in my post above that August is in the midst of our monsoon season. Expect rain/thundershowers each afternoon at higher elevations. If it were me I would try and cross Trail Ridge Rd earlier in the day instead of later.

[CampingGator]

Originally Posted by 67L48

Drink lots of water. Altitude affects everyone a little bit differently, ranging from nothing, to headaches, to dry eyes, to heart palpitations (and emergency room visits). One way to really help is to drink tons and tons of water.

.

My advice is to take it slow to adjust to the altitude. I feel sluggish the first day flying into Denver. Going up to Pikes Peak caused me to feel lightheaded and short of breath. A week later we went to Mt. Evans and I did much better. I think having acclimation time is important to avoiding problems.

[Grampa Jim]

My wife and I worked one summer at 9400 feet near Telluride in the San Juan Mountains of western Colorado. I was hit for that summer with the altitude sickness.....I woke up one night and thought I was having a panic or heart attack. I never got over and used to it all summer regardless of all the water I drank. Take it easy and don't exert yourself and stay VERY hydrated.

[jkoenig24]

If you're running a generator, you'll lose almost half of its' rated output at 12,000' AGL. Spark plug will also foul more quickly.

[McCormickJim]

Carry a bottle of peppermint oil (essential oil).

Peppermint oil can remove the symptoms of altitude sickness, including headaches in seconds. For altitude sickness, deeply inhaling the vapors (top of the bottle) 2-4 times. For headaches, wipe 1-2 drops across the forehead.

Beware, not all oils are of the same quality, so do your research and get a quality oil. Look for undiluted, essential oil.

A 2 oz. bottle will cost $25-$30 and last you for years.

[Rollingdunder1]

We were there last July. Trail Ridge was very crowded. The park police would not let people stop at the visitor center because the parking lot was full. Be aware of other drivers. The views and wildlife are magnificent. You can purchase bottled oxygen like the athletes use. I believe one brand is called Boost. A few snorts of that can really help counter the altitude. Your vehicle can make the trip. It will be pokey. Might consider parking rig and rent a car or jeep for exploring.

[pmsherman]

Don't be surprised if your propane furnace, water heater and/or fridge don't work at high altitude. None of these devices is truly designed for high altitude use so they may not like working at altitude.

Dometic fridges, running on propane are particularly troublesome. Dometic's response to me when I ran into this while visiting my brother at around 11k feet above sea level was that I needed to get the fridge to a dealer for repairs. Unfortunately, the nearest dealer was over four hours away from where I was which wasn't a viable option. The fridge did work fine on AC, which kept things cold without problems until I returned to lower altitudes.

Phil

[NoviBill]

I have never had my camper above 10k feet, so take this for what it's worth. Heater will be required at night (or at least very nice). It's been said, keep up on water, if your lips are dry you are dehydrated, drink more. Going up is "easy", just take your time and pull out to let other by. Going down long steep grades is a challenge, read the owner's manual about how to down-shift for grade, let the transmission and engine do the work of slowing you (if you use only your brakes, they will overheat and fail).

I have hiked around Emerald Lake and it's spectacular - Emerald Lake - Hike Emerald Lake in Rocky Mountain National Park

For getting around the park during the day, try their shuttle, it's free and you don't have to fight for a parking space (pick up at most campgrounds).

Enjoy,

Bill

[wildcatter]

Beautiful sites thru the pass, watch some of the turns, they are sharp and people like to cut the corners on them, you will also go over a land bridge between two mountains, it is narrow if two good size vehicles try to go over it at the same time, once when the family and I were out there we were on Grand Lake side going to Estes, they had the road shut down down towards the top due to ice, we could have waited bit the road may not have opened so we drove around the mountains, it took 4 hours to go around.

[camaraderie]

If you have a built in Genny that you will use...check manual for hi altitude fuel setting. Also any gas cans or cycle tanks need to be pressure released to prevent bursting or geysers. I learned this on my visit.
Wonderful park...enjoy!!

[Rango]

We have gone over the passes 12k + with our 5’er in Colorado and up to Estes Park in an automobile several times. The only advice I can offer is to watch out for road construction at the top of the passes, go slow and have a good time. You will be fine ...

[mdstudey]

Take a bottle of saline nose spray for each person. It will help keep nose bleeds at bay. All good advice, just make sure to listen to your body and get yourself to an ER if need. Altitude sickness can kill you. I use to live at 7,500' and never was able to breath well. If you are a smoker be prepared for bouts of dizziness.

[TitanMike]

Originally Posted by CampingGator

My advice is to take it slow to adjust to the altitude. I feel sluggish the first day flying into Denver. Going up to Pikes Peak caused me to feel lightheaded and short of breath. A week later we went to Mt. Evans and I did much better. I think having acclimation time is important to avoiding problems.

Some people don't acclimate at all to the high altitude and it can be serious.

I flew an employee into Denver from Phoenix. We had a meeting to attend in Frisco (just over 9,000 ft) and he almost died from the high altitude effects. It didn't help that he was a heavy smoker.

He passed away about 7-8 years later from a massive heart attack.

[TitanMike]

Originally Posted by jkoenig24

If you're running a generator, you'll lose almost half of its' rated output at 12,000' AGL. Spark plug will also foul more quickly.

Definitely will loose power but at least A/C is not often required at high altitude.

Batteries will charge just fine off most generators. A plus for a dual fuel genset/Inverter. The regulator adjusts for altitude so plugs won't foul or engine lug and sputter.

[McCormickJim]

The first 'lesson learned' when I moved to Fort Collins, Colorado (5000 feet) is never leave the house without a hat and water. At high altitude, the sun is more intense. You burn more easily.

And, you will dehydrate quickly.

I carry a "water bottle carabiner" (available on Amazon). Makes it easy to carry a standard water bottle by hanging it from your belt loop.

[PSU Turf]

We had problems with Dometic fridge and hot water heater operating on propane, when it was breezy, at RNP campground. I solved the problem by opening the access cover, on the outside of the trailer. Apparently that improved the airflow enough to keep the burner lit. If your 4500 is a diesel you should have no problem with vehicle performance.

[mraynie]

Make sure you have reservations for where you want to stay. We thought we'd wing it last year and almost didn't have a place to stay. The park was really crowded which we hadn't been expecting.