DATES AND DEATH VALLEY — PART I

By Barry Zander, Edited by Monique Zander*, the Never-Bored RVers This is a two-part blog, beginning with our off-the-beaten path near Tecopa, California, in Death Valley (a mere 85 miles west of Las Vegas) to the China Ranch Date Farm in an oasis among America’s most arid tract of land.  I’ll post Part 2 in a couple of days, describing our return to the Death Valley 49ers Encampment, and I conclude with a golf tale, which I call “Why I’m glad I four-putted the 18th green.” PART 1, THE DATE FARM – For those of you who have never experienced the nothingness of the vast Western deserts, trekking across broad sandy basins lined with jagged mountains holds more interest than you might realize.  Last year we drove and hiked through several unique scenic venues, including the beautiful Artists Palette trail, the Devil’s Golf Course and the lowest point in North America. This year, we pulled out a day early from among the long lines of RVs parked at Furnace Creek for the 49ers Encampment heading for the legendary China Ranch date farm.  It was harvest time, the perfect time to visit.  “What have we gotten Is this really a road? ourselves into?” we wondered as we left the blacktop side road and urged our trailer onto a winding dirt road cut through steep cliffs and serrated hills.  Despite sharp turns on the narrow road, it looked worse than it was. Before long the labyrinth wound past acres of palm trees all dressed in the apparel of ghosts, white-robed spirits... Read more

RVs Pose Carbon Monoxide Dangers

Carbon monoxide (CO) is an odorless, colorless gas that is toxic and the number one cause of accidental poisoning deaths in the United States. Carbon monoxide can be particularly dangerous in recreational vehicles. The Associated Press recently reported that five people were found dead inside a rented camper at a Tennessee motorcycle festival that raised money for sick children. Investigators said the victims appeared to have been overcome by carbon monoxide fumes that leaked into the camper from a generator. Recreational vehicles are part of a broad spectrum of products called “after-market, modified, or incomplete vehicles,” which also includes limousines, ambulances, conversion vans, and handicapped-accessible vans, reports InjuryBoard.com. These vehicles are either purchased as an incomplete chassis from a major automaker and then assembled into a different finished product or cut apart and modified from their original factory configuration. Unlike original equipment manufacturers (OEM), these non-OEM manufacturers may not be held to the strict design and testing requirements to which original manufacturers are held. In fact, these manufacturers may not even be held to the minimum federal requirements under the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS). RV manufacturers may not properly seal or vent sources of carbon monoxide gas (either from the engine, exhaust, or generator). In other instances, the equipment may be installed, but a manufacturing defect (like a... Read more

Money Saving Tips: Extending Your RV Travel Dollars

The latest Campfire Canvass survey of RV owners conducted by Recreation Vehicle Industry Association (RVIA) revealed that 53% intend to use their RV more this spring and summer despite higher fuel prices, while 38% plan to use theirs the same amount and just 9% say they’ll use their RVs less. Of the respondents who plan to use their RVs more often, 65% said one of the reasons is to take more mini-vacations. A recent study indicates 53% intend to use their RV more this spring and summer despite higher fuel prices. Motorhome parked at Sliding Rock Overlook, Canyon de Chelly National Monument, Arizona. © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved Many RV owning families plan to take shorter but more frequent trips in their RVs. Sixty-three percent plan to spend five or more weekends in their RVs this spring/summer; 19% will reserve a seasonal site at a campground this summer and visit it on weekends. According to the report, 68% said they expect fuel prices to affect their spring/summer travel plans. Of those respondents, 61% said they’ll travel closer to home, 42% will travel fewer miles and 37% will stay longer in one place. These figures indicate that people are looking for inexpensive vacation options, and RVing leads the pack. RV owners love the RV lifestyle and rising gas prices won’t stop them from getting away. RV family vacations are, on average, 27% to 61% less expensive than other types of vacations, according to a study by international travel and tourism experts Collier’s... Read more

The Zen of Boondocking Part XIV – Camping along scenic byways

By Bob Difley National Scenic Byways, a program administered in part by the National Forest Service (FS), describes routes through some of the most scenic lands in the country, many through national forests where you can find FS campgrounds and scattered boondocking campsites along your route. You can find the nation’s byways on the America’s Byways website and order a free brochure listing all the byways. Some states also have scenic roads or byways that are not yet listed as “national” scenic byways. You can find these, and often more complete information on the state’s national scenic byways, at the individual state’s byways web page. Type the state name followed by scenic byways in the search box for your state. What fun it is to dawdle along these scenic roadways with no need to travel the entire route between RV resortss on either end, or even further away. When you’ve perfected your boondocking skills, you can find multiple dry-camping/boondocking camping possibilities along the byway enabling you to slow down to fully appreciate the area and to spend a few extra days enjoying the beauty of the byway and the nesty campsites or campgrounds you find along the way. Watch for marked FS roads or obtain a list of dispersed camping possibilities and primitive campgrounds from the byway, FS office, or online at sites like Forest Service Camping. National forests also surround many of our National Parks, where you can find FS campgrounds... Read more

The Zen of Boondocking Part XII – More public land camping options

By Bob Difley In last week’s post I wrote about camping on public lands other than the two big entities, the BLM and National Forest Service. This is a continuation, since I ran out of space last week. But it does indicate just how much area in this country is available for boondocking–if you know where to look. NATIONAL MONUMENTS In National Parks you can camp only in a designated campground. National Monuments are less restricted, have fewer facilities, and may allow boondocking in certain areas. Check at the visitor center or online whether the park allows dispersed camping before making camp. Many monuments also have primitive campgrounds (photo – Craters of the Moon, near Arco, ID). NATIONAL RECREATION AREA (NRA) Eighteen NRAs are managed by the NPS, with the FS managing several more and the BLM managing one. It depends on the NRA itself whether dispersed camping is allowed. Most have designated campgrounds, some with partial hook-ups, some without, but with amenities like dump stations and drinking water. NRAs are often found within National Forests and on large reservoirs with lots of recreation possibilities. One of my favorites, the Sawtooth NRA in central Idaho, has lots of dispersed campsites on the edge of the forests bordering the Salmon River that flows through the valley. East of the town of Stanley, the hub of the NRA, dispersed sites also lie along the Salmon River, several with hot springs bubbling and steaming into the cool river. HARBOR DISTRICTS Don’t... Read more

The Zen of Boondocking Part XI – Additional public lands camping options

By Bob Difley Now that we’ve looked at the responsibilities of a boondocker toward his campsite, as stated in last weeks Part X, let’s look at some often missed public lands and their boondocking possibilities. And in previous posts in this series I wrote mostly about boondocking on the public lands managed by the BLM, that manages the most land, and the forest service also with a large amount of land available for boondocking. But there are other public lands that are also open for boondocking, though with varying restrictions from one to the other. NATIONAL GRASSLANDS (NG) The 20 National Grasslands administered by the Forest Service cover nearly four million acres of waving fields and rolling hills of prairie grasses in thirteen states, with more than 82% of the total land area in nine of the NG located in the Great Plains states of Colorado, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wyoming. The largest is the sprawling one million plus acres of the Little Missouri NG in North Dakota and the smallest the 1,449-acre McClellan Creek in Texas. Camping and boondocking is limited on NG, though some do have primitive camping. If you are passing near a NG, check it out for recreational and camping possibilities. US ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS (USACE) The Corps manages and conserve the land and waters of several water resource projects and provides public recreation opportunities in all states. Recreation at Corps locations can include fishing, boating and water sports, and camping... Read more

The Zen of Boondocking Part IX – How to find boondocking campsites

By Bob Difley Just knowing that you can legally boondock almost anywhere on public lands, such as those managed by the forest service and BLM, as I wrote in last week’s post, does not tell you exactly how to find these dispersed campsites (meaning not within the confines of an organized campground). You won’t find any signs saying “Campsite Here” or numbered posts designating campsites.  No hosts in golf carts will lead you to an open site. No, you have to find them for yourself. Since finding dispersed campsites is more difficult than finding campgrounds, it is one of the features that makes boondocking attractive–there won’t be a lot of RVers competing for the same campsite. First, become alert so that you notice when you enter public lands. You will recognize national forests or national recreation areas by their familiar brown signs (photo below).  Seldom, however, will signs identify BLM lands. Much of the  land in the Southwest used by snowbirds in winter is BLM land. Maps are available from visitor centers in states that contain public lands and on the Public Lands website where shaded areas define lands managed by the BLM, Bureau of Reclamation, National and State Forest Services, Fish and Wildlife Service, Indian Reservations, etc.  However, the BLM and some other agencies do not necessarily post signs so you can determine when you enter and leave. Sometimes the only way you can recognize  when you are on public land is the... Read more

RV Navigation and Much, Much More

Lug_Nut’s view of a growing technology.  Earlier I wrote about the adaption of using an Apple iPad in an RV for its application of a glass dash. If you missed it here’s a link   In addition to using this for instrumentation and of course navigation, there are other great features that RVer’s might find of interest. There are times when we are exposed to harsh or adverse weather conditions from heavy rain, snow threats or even tornado activity.  In many cases our only window to the weather is what we can see while speeding along the highway.  Well, there is a way that we can really know what’s ahead, 5 miles, 50 or hundreds.  We are talking about weather radar.  A clear and easy way to view precipitation throughout the country, all in real time less, 10 minutes. This is a great iPad app (Application) that lends itself well to the RV traveller, and it is just one of what may be many.  The one-time cost of this application is $1.99.  This application requires WiFi to retrieve. Travelling with large class A coaches or RV tow combinations can present some challenges for stopping along the way.   Travelling on the interstate highways can provide the manoeuvring required a each rest stop.  These rest stops however, can be found at random distances making it difficult to determine how far you must travel to the next.  The iPad offers the answer with an app containing every rest stop in the U.S.  Using its built in GPS system, this program can instantly tell you... Read more

Utah and other states clarify rules for overnight sleeping in rest areas

By Bob Difley Officials from the Utah Department of Transportation and the Highway Patrol, in response to my questions and blog (Aug. 6th) about the rules for sleeping overnight in Utah rest areas, provided the following clarifications: David Moreno, Utah Highway Patrol: “There is no difference from overnight parking or overnight camping. Rest areas are designed for travelers to stop and rest for “short periods” It may include drinking water, toilets, tables and benches, telephones, information and other facilities for travelers. We don’t expect the travelers to stop, park and spend the night. This will be a violation and all rest stops have posted signs which indicate you can not spend the night. Of course we expect travelers to not drive fatigue and we encourage if they need to take a nap for a few minutes or even an hour or two to please do so, at least to allow the travelers to get the nearest town. Overnight parking is prohibited.” UDOT: I also spoke to Bill Juszcak, Facilities Maintenance Manager of the Utah Dept. of Transportation, who said that there was no law that specifically defined the question of rest area stays, and the state attorneys felt that the issue was not worth getting more specific. The following rules apply: * No slides out. * Don’t put anything outside on the lot (barbecue, chairs, etc.) * No unhitching unless in an emergency. * If the rest stop is quite full you maybe asked by attendants to move on after a few hours. *... Read more

Will you be a traffic ticket victim?

By Bob Difley I’ve received a couple emails from Rvers who have pulled into Utah rest stops and stayed overnight finding a ticket in excess of $400 on their windshield. Is this just in Utah, or is it happening in other states as well? I have no real evidence, but if any of you have any first hand experience with receiving  tickets while sleeping in rest stops, please add your comments below. With funds drying up and states desperate for money, is it possible that they are reaching for income wherever they can find it? If so, it would be good to alert RVers out there on the road. One source said that truckers were not being ticketed nor are people sleeping in cars. So do authorities feel that rich RVers with those big motorhomes and fifth wheels won’t complain,  or put up a stink about getting a ticket–and probably aren’t even voters in that state anyway. And if it is true, and we don’t react or try to do something about being singled out for ransom, than we deserve to be the hapless victims of extortion. Another RVer emailed me that he has run into several people that supposedly have lost their jobs and homes and are squatting out on public lands. I can understand their dilemma, and don’t begrudge them trying to survive. However, this RVer also said that one of them had thrown trash all over the campsite and was dumping his tanks right out on the ground. He took a video–which included their license plate and turned it over to a Ranger.... Read more

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