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Forum
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RE: Grizzly RV vs. Wagon Wheel in West Yellowstone
Got my confirmation for july in grizzley rv park. Is this a driveable distance for day trip to tetons park? It looks it on the map.
Yes, but if you plan to spend some time hiking, rafting or horseback riding in the Tetons, I'd advise camping down that direction for a few nights. Brirene is right, driving time in YNP is much longer than you'd expect from the mileage numbers on the map. It will take AT LEAST 2 hours from West Yellowstone to the north end of GTNP alone, and that's if you don't stop anywhere on the way. It's all scenic, so it's not a boring drive. It's at least another hour - probably more like 2 or 3, allowing for plenty of gawking time and photo ops - from the north end of GTNP to the town of Jackson, at the south end of Jackson Hole. Those mountains are simply amazing. I've seen them hundreds of times over the years and I still can't believe they're real.
Driveby, your site at Grizzly was right next to the one we had when we were there. :)
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kknowlton
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03/12/10 09:30pm |
RV Parks, National Parks, State Campgrounds & More
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RE: Have seen S/D..would you now go to Yellowstone? 2200mi. trip
There is NOTHING like Yellowstone and nothing even close. Well said, by everyone! I love all those places too, but Yellowstone is very, very special. Absolutely nothing like it anywhere else - not even in Iceland, New Zealand, Glacier NP, etc. Well worth the trip - especially when you include the (next door) Tetons.
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kknowlton
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03/12/10 09:21pm |
RV Parks, National Parks, State Campgrounds & More
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RE: Taking a step up
Congratulations! You'll find the move from tent to PUP to be a big one - MUCH more comfortable, even though you're still sleeping under canvas.
If you intend to take the camper into mountains, you may find yourself wishing you had trailer brakes. Otherwise, you should be fine - just make sure to allow more time for slowing & stopping than with just the vehicle alone, and drive slower when towing than you would without the camper too. Most trailer tires, including the little PUP tires, are rated for 65 mph max. Be sure to keep the tires fully inflated (based on the maximum pressure listed on the tire's sidewall) - they will be much more likely to overheat if they aren't fully inflated. (Speaking from experience...) Good point made by Wildcat about sidewall cracks. Keep your tires covered when the trailer's not in use; it will probably help extend the life of the tires - UV rays can do damage even if you have very few miles on the tires.
You can probably pull the camper without sway control or a weight-distributing hitch. If the camper is taller than your vehicle, you may find you'll need sway control, but try it without first. We never needed it with ours, but our vehicle was taller than the camper (we could see over it through the back window of the minivan or SUV.)
If you cannot see over yours through the back window, then get towing mirrors - you can buy a good pair that attach to the SUV's mirrors or doors for about $100.
Have fun!
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kknowlton
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03/12/10 09:18pm |
Folding Trailers
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RE: A bitter sweet day
Well said!
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kknowlton
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03/12/10 06:48pm |
Folding Trailers
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RE: Where are we?
Or is that kitchen in the Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn, MI?
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kknowlton
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03/12/10 06:44pm |
RV Parks, National Parks, State Campgrounds & More
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RE: Ok now i'm worried, should i be?
who would i call about by laws on trailers?? non-emergency police line?
Not being Canadian, I don't know, but I would call your province's motor vehicle dept (assuming there is one). Or the non-emergency police line might be helpful too.
I would not want to tow that size trailer with a Durango w/o trailer brakes. Nor would I want to be driving downhill ahead of you if you don't have them.
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kknowlton
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03/12/10 12:23pm |
Travel Trailers
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RE: Ok now i'm worried, should i be?
Agreed on the brakes; no way a 5000-lb GVWR TT should not have trailer brakes. Have the trailer checked for them - and get yourself a good brake controller. You WILL need them.
Otherwise, you should still be ok, though you won't be happy with the towing performance unless you pack really light.
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kknowlton
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03/12/10 12:19pm |
Travel Trailers
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RE: Please be my travel agent!
For 2 weeks from Wisconsin, I definitely recommend doing EITHER Yellowstone & Tetons OR the "canyon lands" (I presume Grand Canyon, Zion, Bryce, Canyonlands, etc.) Even then, your time will be very tight. Check for info on nps.gov; I suspect you will run into difficulties taking dogs on many of these national parks' trails. For sure it's not recommended in Yellowstone, at least in part because of bears. Dogs and bears do NOT mix.
We live just south of the WI border and have made many camping trips to Yellowstone. We usually plan at least 2 1/2 weeks, spend 4-5 days in YNP and 2-3 days somewhere else on the way, either in SLC area or the Black Hills. We travel about 300 miles a day, give or take about 50 miles, and even then get pretty tired on the travel days.
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kknowlton
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03/11/10 04:11pm |
RV Parks, National Parks, State Campgrounds & More
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RE: Would you buy a Tundra
We're still glad we bought one. It's worked well. If you want to buy one to tow a 10,000-lb TT or a large 5er, though, I'd recommend against it. Get a 3/4 or 1-ton instead.
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kknowlton
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03/11/10 04:05pm |
Tow Vehicles
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RE: Reserve America Beware
The actual amounts vary depending on the state or other entity involved, but that is a standard cancellation policy RA uses. Wisconsin's had it for a number of years now. Actually, unless an emergency keeps someone from using their reservation, I think this is fair. Reserved sites are not let out again, and I have seen campers turned away even when reserved sites go vacant all weekend.
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kknowlton
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03/11/10 04:03pm |
General RVing Issues
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RE: racoons and pop ups
If you leave much food out, they could certainly get into your trailer if they really want to. We PUP-camped for 17 seasons, though, and never had one get in - nor any signs that they tried. We always stored our cooler in the locked car at night, and other food was kept inside the trailer. I'm sure they could have smelled bread and other things we kept in bags, though. Like all wild animals, they're drawn to the easy pickin's - chances are if you keep a clean camp (outside the camper) you'll be fine.
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kknowlton
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03/11/10 11:04am |
Folding Trailers
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RE: tandem towing
Joe, did you try googling for SC, GA and FL state laws? Many states this would be illegal, and a few wouldn't even allow it if the trailer was a 5th wheel. Not very safe either, IMO.
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kknowlton
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03/11/10 10:58am |
Towing
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RE: Where are we?
Another hint: It is an inland freshwater lake.
Pasusan: Lake Champlain?
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kknowlton
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03/11/10 10:55am |
RV Parks, National Parks, State Campgrounds & More
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RE: Need a campground near the grand tetons park
I second both suggestions. Just depends whether you need hookups or not.
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kknowlton
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03/10/10 08:59pm |
RV Parks, National Parks, State Campgrounds & More
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RE: Looking for Adirondack ideas
Another vote for the Lake Placid KOA as a base camp. Beautiful CG. Nice drive from there to Lake Placid, Saranac Lake & other locations. (The CG is actually close to the town of Wilmington.)
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kknowlton
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03/10/10 07:05pm |
RV Parks, National Parks, State Campgrounds & More
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RE: Midwest in March & April
Agreed - where in the Midwest? If you're thinking of the I-70 corridor, it's hit or miss, weather-wise. Some CGs will be open by then, many will not. If you're talking about the I-80 corridor, I'd wait at least another month. Most CGs are closed, and winter drags on here well into March.
As an example: rather typical of early/mid-March here north of Chicago, it's 40-some degrees, foggy, occasionally rainy, and the 12" of snow on the ground has melted down to 6".
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kknowlton
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03/10/10 06:58pm |
Roads and Routes
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RE: Black Hills, Need Reservations for July?
Depending on what you want to see, I'd recommend a minimum of 2 days between the Black Hills and Yellowstone. I'd also recommend staying at a CG IN the Black Hills, not in Rapid City (which is a good long climb into the hills).
Between the Hills and YNP there are Devils Tower, Little Bighorn National Battlefield (both along or not far off I-90), or the Bighorn Mountains themselves. Rte 16 is generally accepted as the better choice for RVs, over Rte 14. 14A is not recommended for RVers unless they love thrill rides.
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kknowlton
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03/10/10 06:55pm |
RV Parks, National Parks, State Campgrounds & More
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RE: Grizzly RV vs. Wagon Wheel in West Yellowstone
Haven't been to the Wagon Wheel, but the place has been there forever (at least 40 years). More shade than Grizzly, which is too new to have big trees.
Grizzly is very nice, despite the lack of shade. Sites around the edges back up to woods or to a meadow - some sites there have a view of the Yellowstone plateau a few miles away. A few sites back up to parking lots, hotels or the backs of shops. FHUs, pullthru sites for big rigs, lots of smaller bathhouses (very clean) with laundry facilities (ditto). Walkable to all town amenities (shops, restaurants, etc.) - but then, so is Wagon Wheel.
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kknowlton
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03/10/10 06:48pm |
RV Parks, National Parks, State Campgrounds & More
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RE: New kid in the neighborhood :D
Welcome to a fellow old Comet owner! :) Enjoy the new rig!
Incidentally, if you want to post pictures, you'll need to host them at a site that allows you to share them. Seems the site where you have them will not allow this.
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kknowlton
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03/10/10 02:31pm |
Travel Trailers
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RE: Soap in St. Park Restooms
As alluded to, the reason is plain & simple: money. It costs the state for every little thing they provide. Tradition from years of tent campers holds that campers can provide their own toiletries (and may prefer to use them anyway.) I personally like it when I find soap and paper towels in a CG bathroom, but I do not expect them. Thank you for your generosity, darrentonya, but likely those who take the soap you leave have concluded that another camper checked out and forgot it, so why not save their own money and add the soap to their own stuff. Thievery - technically yes, but perhaps not fully intended as such. In any case, there's a variety of amenities available at state parks, and I'd expect a lot less soap this year, due to budget restrictions, than in the past. We're indeed lucky if our state parks even stay open and allow camping, especially with whatever utilities they have offered in the past.
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kknowlton
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03/10/10 02:27pm |
General RVing Issues
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