First Long Trip - How to prepare - Watch out for?

[Tim-Nancy-C]

My wife and I are planning a multi-week trip with our Ford F150 towing our Coachman Apex 265 RBSS. We are planning to leave the Detroit area, Cross the bridge into the UP of Michigan, turn left and head toward MT Rushmore. From there we may head to Yellowstone, go to Texas, before heading back to Michigan. (Still Planning the route)

We done multi-day trips in state, but nothing near this long. As far as the trip is concerned what should we look out for, prepare for to make this a success.

I'm making sure I have tools to change tires, my toolbox ready for repairs as needed. I'm planning on having a generator (at least 2500 watts) Just in case we need to boondock. Will get truck tuned up, and make sure propane is filled on the trailer.

What else might be good things to consider?

[Homebrew]

We always carry a 5 gallon container of fuel in the back of the truck .

[NoviBill]

Have a good brake controller (newer ford it might be built in), know to shift in the mountains (vs braking). Check your brakes if you have a long downhill.

We make sure to stop and do a 20-30 minute visit someplace every 3-4 hours of driving to help break things up. Lots of neet places along the way.

The drive through the UP is nice.

We did two related trips: https://www.flickr.com/photos/cdrdwd...7654837210899/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/cdrdwd...57668265484464

[robo44]

Few Jerry Cans of water in case you can't locate a place to fill
Spare Fan belt for your rig
Air pump to add air to tires
Torque Wrench
Blankets, flashlights, batteries, road flairs, your insurance card with roadside phone numbers, food that does not need to be refrigerated
Ice scraper for your windows (in case you are driving in winter conditions)
Window Squeegee & fluid to wash your windows (you would be surprised how fast you go through the washer fluid)
Cash - not every place takes a credit card in the event you are stranded in the middle of nowhere
There is maybe more but you sound like you have a good handle on the items.

[AlanMoor]

If you are "winging" the trip you might see if joining Boondockerswelcome.com could be an advantage. It might give you a place to overnight if you can't find a regular park. You might think about a tire plug kit and compressor. A 5 gallon jug of water to tide you over in case you have a "water emergency" (like it freezes) might be handy. You could be driving through some areas that require chains (by law) - but I have only heard that incidentally, more experienced members can shed some light.

If you haven't been there, stop at Pictured Rocks in Michigan! We rented a pontoon boat for a few hour trip and it was a great value. I guess now things will probably be frozen though. Also, if your trip takes you close to Cheyenne, WY, stop at Vedauwoo - the campground is nothing fancy but if you like to climb around on rocks it's great. Badlands National Park is a good overnight.

[Reverse_snowbird]

Originally Posted by Tim-Nancy-C

What else might be good things to consider?

How long is the multi week trip going to be?
All the above are good suggestions. Take your credit card because there are going to be somethings you've forgotten.
My main advice would be to build in days when you don't have to do anything. We did what you're going to do and quickly discovered that moving from one location to another requires at least a day for packing up, traveling and setting up camp. It becomes exhausting after a few days... both physically and mentally.
Watch the weather carefully. You're going to be headed into areas where camping an extra day will be safer than pressing on to keep a deadline.
Try to pull off the road early. Nothing is worse than trying to setup camp after dark.
If you make reservations, make certain you know their cancellation policy. We've found that even if a campground has a cancellation policy, they will usually let you bump your days a couple of days without penalty if you're having trouble on the road. It's not guaranteed, of course, and with the larger number of rvs on the road, that might be more difficult.
Last piece of advice....Keep your sense of humor and have a safe journey.

[Thomas ho]

snow is going to be pleantiful. upper u.s. and cold .real cold.

[medalguy]

Good paper maps of the places you are planning on going. Good GPS that doesn't require cell service. We carry laundry soap and dryer sheets so we don't have to buy at parks, where supplies are costly.

[BooBoo23]

Be sure to notify your credit card company that you are traveling out of state so you don't get charge denials.

[jwfrede]

Originally Posted by Tim-Nancy-C

My wife and I are planning a multi-week trip with our Ford F150 towing our Coachman Apex 265 RBSS. We are planning to leave the Detroit area, Cross the bridge into the UP of Michigan, turn left and head toward MT Rushmore. From there we may head to Yellowstone, go to Texas, before heading back to Michigan. (Still Planning the route)

We done multi-day trips in state, but nothing near this long. As far as the trip is concerned what should we look out for, prepare for to make this a success.

I'm making sure I have tools to change tires, my toolbox ready for repairs as needed. I'm planning on having a generator (at least 2500 watts) Just in case we need to boondock. Will get truck tuned up, and make sure propane is filled on the trailer.

What else might be good things to consider?

Weigh your rig before you go. If you fill that trailer to its 7600 GVRW max you may be near max cargo on your truck, depending on how full that is with all the extra stuff you think you need for a long trip.

If your plan is to do a bunch of big mileage days to get to a destination you might want to break it up after 2-3 days with an extra day at a point of interest.

Take a high quality gas can, maybe 2 gal, for the generator. Can double for the truck if you are far from a gas station.

I have a rioyi hand held air compressor, part of the Ryobi plus one 18 volt set. I check tire pressures frequently, especially when going to the mtns where its frequently colder(and adjust frequently in that case). I also have a hand held temperature sensor. You need to check with that a fair amount to get a base line for it to be useful.

Go through Badlands NP, even if you don't camp there. Road is fine for a trailer.

If you are going to Yellowstone you should make sure you spend at least a day or two in Grand Teton NP. Last time out there I found about 3-4 weeks in Yellowstone and 10 days in Grand Teton about right.

A couple nights at Rocky Mtn NP(east side) would be about right to break up that trek to Texas.

[Dirt Sifter]

Before leaving, we packed the wheel bearings on the trailer and had brakes checked; the pickup is serviced regularly. Torque wrench with thin walled sockets that fit the wheels' lug nuts and can turn in the opening if they are recessed. We packed a "flat" of bottled water in the pickup rather than jugs. Felt we'd not need more than a day's worth as we'd be able to stop and shop should we need more. Ended up using 6 or 7 bottles was all. We carried groceries we needed for a few days, then would hit a store after setting up camp somewhere. Set up a routine to check your TT tires and pressures regularly while stopped at the camp grounds. And I agree, build in two or three day stops from time to time just to get off the road.
One stop might be at Mt. Rushmore. Take in the sights and info center during the day time, but make sure to come back in the evening for the night time show - very moving. Lots to see in the state park and other sights around the area.
Have a paper map (AAA has'em) as well as your GPS. That darned thing will send you on roads you do not want to go on this time of year, especially in the west. Keep to the maintained highways; stop and double check your map if you have any doubts. That should be a great trip! Good for you guys for heading up, moving out.

[JoLee]

Since we understand that more RVs have been purchased last year, are people finding it is more difficult to get an RV site without making a reservation well in advance? We, too, are looking to take a multi-state (north, south, east or west) trip later this year and calling day by day to reserve a site as we travel, as we have always done in the past. We are now concerned it may be very difficult to find overnight or 1 to 2 day stays. Anyone finding this as they travel?

[Chief T]

Lot of great tips. I'll add that if you're going to be off interstate for a good stretch, to map out gas stations that you can get easily in and out off. I know my max range on a full tank, but if I come upon an easily accessible station I'll top 'er off.

Safe and happy travels.

[BooBoo23]

Originally Posted by Chief T

Lot of great tips. I'll add that if you're going to be off interstate for a good stretch, to map out gas stations that you can get easily in and out off. I know my max range on a full tank, but if I come upon an easily accessible station I'll top 'er off.

Safe and happy travels.

In Western states fuel stops can be over 50 miles apart even on interstate highways like in Utah or Wyoming so it would be a good idea not to go below 1/2 tank.

[Dennis King]

All good tips! I would also say get the Trip Wizard app that comes with RV Life. You can download your trip and route from your computer onto your phone and if you get in areas where there is no cell service and there are still a lot of those out west! You will be glad you did. It also has RV friendly routes! I would also get a tire minder for peace of mind! Even though you may be able to change a tire you could have major damage to your tow vehicle if you have a blowout! Also check the speed rating on your tires! You may be surprised not all are set for 70 mph. Places to see would be Castle Rock as you cross Mackinaw Bridge on the right! Great campsites on the water. Out West since you are there in Montana go to Glacier National Park! You won't be sorry and take the Road To The Sun trip.
In Yellowstone see it all as it is setup as a figure 8. Top half one day then lower half. While in lower half of Yellowstone run down to Jackson Hole and visit the Million Dollar Bar and you will see one of best views of the Grand Tetons on the right heading toward Jackson Hole from Yellowstone. Great Photo Op. There is a Lake there that reflects the Mountains. Stop into Cody Wyoming they have Rodeos every night June through August. Also be sure and eat at Irma's Hotel and Restaurant. (Built by Buffalo Bill for his daughter)They did have all you could eat Prime Rib. You have to see the Buffalo Bill Museum in Cody! It is World Class! Also don't miss Custer's Last Stand and Beartooth Highway and then on to Mt. Rushmore. But on the way see Devil's Tower, Spearfish Canyon, aThe town of Deadwood and ride through the town of Sturgis if you are there in first 2 weeks of August and see Bike Rally! Also see Needles highway by Mt Rushmore and The Crazy Horse Monument that is still being carveed out of the granite and also Custer State Park the nature trail especially! Bear Country Park was a nice break also by Keystone and Rapid City. (A lot easier to see Bears than in Yellowstone&#128522 Then camp at the Badlands and have breakfast or 5 cent coffee at Wall Drug. You can then head home and stop in Sioux Falls SD and see the Corn Palace. Yes it is covered in new Corn every year! Have an awesome trip! I think you were planning on going in the winter so be sure to have a spare heater with extra blankets and that generator you were planning on getting. But anytime is a great time to get away. Just have a good weather radio with extra batteries. Since you are going the northern route be sure and stop in the little town of Fargo North Dakota from the movie. I am sure this is out of order but pretty close. So be sure and map out the places you want to see before you start if you can! That way you don't have to backtrack to see something you really wanted to see. Have Fun!!

[hobienick]

Originally Posted by JoLee

Since we understand that more RVs have been purchased last year, are people finding it is more difficult to get an RV site without making a reservation well in advance? We, too, are looking to take a multi-state (north, south, east or west) trip later this year and calling day by day to reserve a site as we travel, as we have always done in the past. We are now concerned it may be very difficult to find overnight or 1 to 2 day stays. Anyone finding this as they travel?

We just planned a 15 day trip through New England in July. I booked each destination two weeks ago. I am glad I did. Even 6 months out the site selection/availability is tight.

[Jakieboy]

Beginning in May 2018, starting in Southern CA my wife and I and another couple began an eight-week long tour and visited nearly every National Park west of Denver. We both are towing 35-ft fifth wheels with diesel pickup trucks. We began to make our reservations for many sites more than a year ahead of time. We nearly always spent at least 2-3 nights at each stop. On those days when we drove to a new site we always started early to be sure to arrive with plenty of daylight remaining to set up. We rarely travelled more than 250-300 miles between stops. We kept a watchful eye on fuel usage, and usually found fuel stops before going below 1/4 tank. Kept 5 gallon fuels tanks in truck bed for extra insurance.

We always carry a Good Sam RV Park Directory and Road Atlas as extra reference material when GPS navigation is unavailable.

It was one of the most rewarding experiences we have ever had in more than 40 years of RV-ing.

All of the above recommendations are valuable, too.

Stay safe and enjoy your trip We all would love to hear how much you enjoyed it.

[mjones12]

Originally Posted by BooBoo23

Be sure to notify your credit card company that you are traveling out of state so you don't get charge denials.

Excellent point. Banks used to only worry about it if you left the country. A few years ago the same bank froze the same card when we went from NC to Mich. without notifying them.

[Trawlerphil]

All I can think of that might help are the "lessons learned" from our cross country "walk-About". Brace yourself, it's pretty long:
Here is a summary of lessons we learned on this Western Walk-About in no special order.
• The potable water hoses with the plastic ends don’t last very long. We put the water pressure regulator on the end that screws into the camp water because it is bronze and the threads won’t get bunged up like the plastic from frequent use.
• On the RV end I put on a bronze 3 way. One of the ports is a quick disconnect facing down where the blue water filter plugs into, the other faces up and allows me to vent air when I turn on the campsite water. It also serves as a port for the “water flush” of the black water tank using a 3’ hose.
• Tire pressures are critical, if they are too low, they get hot and will blow up a “China Bomb” tire quickly. Same result for over inflation. I have new load range E tires on everything. They have a max inflation pressure of 80 PSI, but travelling in 100+ degree temperatures, I run them at 70PSI. You can spend a few Benjamins for a Tire Pressure Monitoring System, or just buy a good digital tire gauge and have the discipline to check them frequently. When you upgrade to load range E or higher tires, be sure you also use the load range “E” or higher valve stems or something may go “bump in the day”. Many folks forget the valve stems.
• Our fresh water tank is 43 gallons or 358.62 pounds. Unless we’re boondocking, we only carry 10 gallons or 83.4 lbs. Good water is pervasive in the USA.
• Grey water tanks total 76 gallons or 634 lbs. and the blackwater tank is 40 gallons, or around another 340 lbs. It makes no sense to cart around 1,333lbs of fluids so we keep them as empty as possible when we are on the road.
• If you have a crank-up TV antenna and do some boondocking, you will lose it to a branch at some point. We even lost the replacement Winegard Razar Z1 antenna to a pine branch at my granddaughter’s in Mosier OR so have an alternate plan. Mine was to take 400 gigabytes of recorded TV programs I like with us. I brought 115 episodes of the original MacGuyver which started in 1986 for example. You simply connect a HDMI cable to your laptop and PC and use Windows Media Player to send them full screen to your TV. You can “advance the bubble” with your cursor to skip commercials. The Admiral gets everything on her I-Phone so she didn’t care.
• The folks at Lippert decided not to put a safety shutdown on their landing gear so the result is if you hold the button too long you will snap off the mild steel 1 ¼”x ¼” bolt holding the drive shaft mechanism. This will put you out of business so you need to carry spare bolts. Lots of discussion about this on RV forums and the conventional wisdom recommendation is to use 5 star (hardened) bolts. I stick with mild steel because it won’t do any damage to any other part of the landing gear. I mark the highest and lowest points on the legs with magic marker so I know when to let up on the switch.
• I replaced the single group 27 house battery with two golf cart batteries. I need to run my CPAP machine at night through a 150 watt inverter and if you are boondocking in cold weather the furnace blower fan takes a lot of juice. It added about 80 lbs. of weight to the pin load, but it was worth it.
• Last western walkabout in 2012 we regretted not bringing more cash. This time almost everything important could be done with a credit card.
• West Coast fires torpedoed our Yosemite visit and lack of pre-scheduling of RV parks torpedoed out Grand Canyon visit. Travelling when the kids are out of school is likely a bad plan for folks who don’t like to schedule everything in advance. Our motto was “we’ve got no schedule, and we’re sticking to it!” Other than that a few days’ notice and we had no problem scheduling RV parks everywhere else. We can run on 30AMP and we don’t mind back-ins so we’re pretty flexible.
• We bought the “Western Mountain Directory” which is a PDF file managed by the Javelin 3 PDF reader which points out, on state maps, where the steep inclines are and links to text describing the descents. The material was very useful, but the presentation was horrible and difficult to use IMHO.
• Navigation is critical and the software must carry its own cartography because in some places there is no internet. I use Co-Pilot from ALK Technologies on my Android phone and my Windows 10 laptop. You can set up an RV profile with air draft (how tall your rig is), highway preferences and speeds which lets you “strongly favor” to “strongly avoid” types of roads and it will route you around propane restricted tunnels. Carolyn uses Google Maps and WAZE which are helpful (sometimes), but don’t differentiate between cars and space shuttles being towed.
• Having a backup for everything electronic is a good policy. My navigation computer is a Windows 10 Netbook and my primary machine is a large Windows 10 ACER laptop. I have both Streets & Trips 2013 and Co-Pilot on both machines and I still find the old Streets & Trips useful for planning. We have a spare GPS, a spare inverter, and back up the primary laptop’s critical data to big thumb drives every weekend after I publish my “driver’s log”. Carolyn’s I-Phone hotspot backs up the sometimes flakey and slow WiFi found at RV parks and my Alfa 36 repeater can clone campsite WiFi networks to improve access and make our Lacrosse temperature monitor available to the internet while the dog is “home alone”.
• Since flat tires are a paradox with Dexter axles, we bought a Camco Tire Changer Helper for $20 which allows you to back up the good tire on to the helper and it will also raise the bad tire high enough to change it, all without jacks. Dexter folks warn “Do not lift or support the trailer on any part of the axle or suspension system”, and Forest River says the same thing about their frame. I used it when I replaced my OEM load range C “China Bombs” with load range “E” 10 ply tires, and we used it again on our trip when one of the new load range E tires turned out to be defective.
• Carolyn may take over 400 pictures a day documenting our “Walk-Abouts” so an important addition to inventory is either a 3 step “step-stool” to be able to frequently clean windshields or a very long stick on your windshield washer like the ones truck stops provide.
• We use a 64GB Thumb drive which plugs into Carolyn’s I-Phone and downloads all of her pictures. We do this periodically, and then I use the same thumb drive to load them onto my computer for additional backup. I retain Apple’s “.HEIC” format to save space and I have a HEIC to JPG converter on my Windows machines.
• Staying hydrated at high altitudes helps to stave off altitude sickness. Jennifer (Montana girl daughter) gave us 36 oz. thermoses which have a built in straw which draws from the bottom which means you don’t need to tilt it up to drink—handy while driving. I like Propel because it has electrolytes.
• Our little counter-top Igloo $89 ice maker is perfect for an RV and I calculated the “break-even” as 28 days which we’ve long since passed. It makes 9 thumb sized ice cubes every 10 minutes and the size is perfect for our insulated thermoses as well as cooling the adult beverages in the big cooler.
• There are arguments pro and con on the advisability of using the automatic change-over for the two 30 pound propane tanks. I use it because 60 lbs. of propane goes a long, long way unless you are boondocking in the winter and every once in a while we top the tanks off if the RV Resort has convenient propane at a per gallon price.
• We use a Black & Decker insulated carafe coffee maker. It is efficient when boondocking and it doesn’t matter when we aren’t.
• We installed a “paper plate dispenser” under the cabinet adjacent to the stove. It takes a whole bundle of up to 9” paper plates and dispenses them easily.
• Carolyn uses “industrial strength” Velcro for almost everything she wants to keep on the wall or counter for that matter. We have been over some very crappy roads and nothing has fallen off.
• If your Forest River RV has “slam shut doors” and the base plates are held on by two minute screws, an “engineering change” is required. My first test is to bed the base plate in contact cement and use slightly larger screws. I lost one screw holding the base plate in place and the door was at risk of opening on a nasty bump.
• Another required Forest River modification is the shelving in the “pantry”. Both the carrying rails and the shelves themselves are fastened with long skinny staples. An entire lower shelf collapsed under a fairly light load. My plan is to try contact cement again because it will spread out the compression loads. Carolyn also wants more shelves added in some of the cabinets with retainers.
• Conventional wisdom says the Rockies are more dangerous in terms of steep inclines than the east coast mountain ranges because they are much higher. The fact is mountain height has nothing to do with it. The steepness of the incline and the drop in feet are the drivers of brake failures and “white knuckle” adventures. If you go from 12,000 feet to 10,000 feet you have descended 2,000 feet. In the east if you go from 4,000 feet to 2,000 feet, your drop is also 2,000 feet so it is moot how high the mountain is. The only advertised 9% incline we saw was in Lake Tahoe and it wasn’t very long. I think the Rockies road builders had more room to make inclines more reasonable than their eastern counterparts who have to manage much older roads.
• We mounted a wireless Furrion camera on the back of the 5th wheel which serves as a “rear mirror” when on the road and avoids screaming matches when right side backing in to an RV park “back-in”. I tied its power to the parking lights and leave them on at all times when driving.
• Our table with 4 chairs was configured perpendicular to the outside wall of the slide out. Since there are only 2 of us we rotated it parallel to the slider wall, left 2 chairs home, and gained a lot of space. If we travel with another couple, we can easily switch it back. Similarly, we don’t need two recliners since Carolyn is a sofa person so we removed one of the lazy-boy recliners before we left.
• We bought a Predator 3500 watt inverter generator to handle our boondocking needs. The specs were comparable to Honda and the price was about 25% of Honda’s price. It runs 11 hours on a 2.6 gallon tank and puts out a pure sine wave. I leave it in the bed of the truck and move the truck parallel to the RV when we are boondocking. We can’t even hear it running from inside the RV. It won’t drive both AC units, but it will drive the larger unit and all the other electrical needs if used thoughtfully.
• At home, I have a mirror stuck to the shower wall so I can shave in the shower. This isn’t practical in the 5er so I bought a battery powered Norelco shaver which can literally be washed out with water and I charge it about once a week. It also has a trimmer built in for mangy sideburns and “Spock” eyebrows.
• We noticed regular gas was 85 octane in higher elevations rather than the 87 we’re used to in North Carolina. Octane measures resistance to knocking, ergo, higher altitude means you can use lower octane. If your car runs fine on Regular (87) at sea level, it should run fine on Regular (85) at high altitudes. It's not an exact equivalence, but its good enough not to worry about it or spring for mid-range fuel.
• When we left, gasoline in North Carolina was $2.19 per gallon; the worst price was California at $4.49 with Montana around $2.99, Oregon, Nevada and Utah around $3.29. Colorado was $2.82. Mississippi was the lowest at $2.41.
• My lifetime senior “America the Beautiful” pass saved us around $35 at every national park. Don’t leave home without one if you are at least 62!
• California law says the maximum speed limit for “anything towing anything” is 55MPH on all highways regardless of speed limit. They also confiscated our Oregon cherries and a lime bought in Oregon at their state entrance checking station. I won’t even pretend to understand this.
• Speed limits in Montana appear to be “advice” except through towns; other western states have up to 80MPH speed limits. We stayed at 60MPH or below even though we are easily capable of 75 or greater speed because the Tundra will pass anything but a gas station.
• If you carry any weapons or have a concealed carry permit, check each states requirements and reciprocity agreements with your home state. Sometimes you have to lock them up.
• All the camping stores want to sell you “special” toilet paper at a premium price. Admittedly, some toilet tissue is NOT RV friendly, but there is an easy test to figure out which ones are. Tear off a few sheets and put them in a glass of water. Swish the water around and if the toilet tissue comes apart, you are good to go. We use the cheapest Scott tissue we can find and have never had problems with the blackwater tank.
• Consider provisioning items which may be hard to get before you leave. For example, we brought 4 jars of Dukes Mayonnaise (a southern thing) and said we’d go home when it ran out. Guinness beer was also hard to find for some reason as were Le Seur peas.
• Make sure you carry good quality duct tape. We had a tempered glass window shatter thanks to Denver’s poor roads and had to make a temporary replacement with “100 MPH Duct Tape”. It held all the way back to Aurora, NC.

[GrandpaPaul]

Hope you folks have a great time on your trip, that's what they make Travel Trailers for, enjoyment!!

Have a bunch of quarters with you. You will find them handy when you go to do the laundry or knock the mud off the rig at a car wash. Also, have your own laundry detergent and dryer sheets with you.

Make sure you ask about the showers at the front desk when you go into a campground. Some places, you need quarters to take a shower and you don't want to find that out when you get into the shower stall. Just sharing the voice of experience.

We always carry an assortment of small bills $$ with us, comes in handy when you visit a campground where there's no host or office. Learned that once when we stopped at a USFS campground and the site cost $8.00 a night and all we had were $20's!

If you bank with two banks, good. Having credit cards from more than one bank is handy when something happens and the bank shuts off your card. We're from California and we were heading east through Nebraska once, stopped for fuel and found that the bank had shut off our card. Never could find out why they shut it off, but it was nice having a second card to back us up. And as already mentioned, make sure you let the bank know you are traveling so they don't think someone stole your card.

Be flexible, tell yourselves "it's o.k. to not have a rigid schedule", some of our most enjoyable experiences have been things we hadn't planned on. I think our most fun few days on the road was when we were going to Illinois for two weeks on our honeymoon and lost an axle in Ely, Nevada. Spent most of the week waiting for a new axle and had a blast there!

Enjoy yourselves!