12 replies to this topic

[Bamps]

When i can i like to take just the NV and leave the travel trailer home. It allows me to manufer to places sort of off grid/off beaten path. Not bad for a 2wd
Two nights ago  IMG_9042.jpg   113.38KB   1 downloads

Tonight  IMG_7225.JPG   195.74KB   1 downloads

Tomorrow we heat up and will head in home.

[radin2son]

Like photo #1.

Is that a sun, bug or privacy screen in the passenger window?

You are right about it heating up. Hope they are wrong about 116*.

Hookups or not? With it being super crowded in campgrounds along with the need to make reservations, particularly if you want electric/water (forget sewer and cable; no bathroom and tv anyway), it looks like dispersed camping is the only way to go. Forest service web sites provide great information. BLM is just too slow, to the point of being useless. Interagency offices, like the one in Lone Pine, CA are great resource.

Edited by radin2son, 14 June 2017 - 11:04 PM.

[Bamps]

The sun was shining in on the cooler inside so it was a fancy shade

[TanStewie]

Love the NV in the pines photo.  I tend to enjoy dispersed camping on national forest or BLM land & remote areas, more than campgrounds.

 

As long as its not muddy I haven't had a problem with 2wd only.  I'm loading the dirtbike up and headed to the mountains this weekend for some dispersed camping and trail riding.  

[DesertTed]

First trip! I just spent two nights in Spencer Canyon (at 8000 ft just north of Tucson). I needed a second blanket that I didn't bring. No hook up, but we have 445 watts solar without the portable. I can't see ever needing hookups except maybe for an electric heater in the winter.

If it's 116F forecast, it'll be 118-119 at our house on the West side. This time I'll take Hub for three nights next week, until the temps go down to a frigid 111F.

[radin2son]

Another possible reason to utilize forest service and BLM land: The secretary of the interior is considering privatization of national park campgrounds. He feels they can do a better job than park personnel. Our experience has been that "resort" run campgrounds cost more, discount less and seasonal staff know much less than park service seasonal staff. One is a summer job and the other a career.

[Bamps]

First trip! I just spent two nights in Spencer Canyon (at 8000 ft just north of Tucson). I needed a second blanket that I didn't bring. No hook up, but we have 445 watts solar without the portable. I can't see ever needing hookups except maybe for an electric heater in the winter.
If it's 116F forecast, it'll be 118-119 at our house on the West side. This time I'll take Hub for three nights next week, until the temps go down to a frigid 111F.

I only have 200w system. I want to pull the frig from my travel trailer too and add a 12v cooler with the 200+watt system there too.

[radin2son]

We are planning a trip to southern Colorado that we were unable to do last summer. To our surprise, many of the established forest service campgrounds along CO 145 from Cortez to Telluride have hookups, 36-50' sites and reservations, not all sites. Room for 2 NVs... Plus, these campgrounds are concession run.

The National Geographic map for Telluride, Silverton, Ouray and Lake City show many other campgrounds and the fs web site mentions dispersed camping as well. Anyone have knowledge of this area? We would like to stay away from atv areas, which the map clearly shows. Nothing against atvs...

We may end up heading north to Dinosaur NM as well.

Edited by radin2son, 20 June 2017 - 09:25 PM.

[Small Factory]

Excited to read all this. I've yet to camp in the NV and plan on doing it soon. I have a few basics. In the Northeast, it's hard to find out of the way places to camp...

[DesertTed]

Hey Bamps,
200watts should be able to run a fridge and cooler and all your electronics and a fan or two,easily. We have more because,once we sell the house, we'll be homeless and living in the van. And great deprivation is not on our horizon. We're running the 4cu ft fridge, cook with electric, 5 hours of 24" tv last night for Hub and 2 electric fans for me. And 6 USB devices.

A couple days of shade might make a difference, but we then could just go for a drive (morning is best for the batteries, when they are the most hungry.) We plan on not moving for at least a week at a time, so we need more power on reserve. We've been up at Spencer Canyon, this time for the last three days and this is our first cloudy day and we're still pulling in 5 amps with good cloud cover. And we don't even have the 165 watt solar "awning" up.

Originally we planned for just 100 watts solar from a portable panel because we didn't want to drill into the brand new roof. We got over that fear in a hurry. Then the desire for more electricity just kept growing. We'll be bringing the portable just in case.

Ted

[Bamps]

Hey Bamps,
200watts should be able to run a fridge and cooler and all your electronics and a fan or two,easily. We have more because,once we sell the house, we'll be homeless and living in the van. And great deprivation is not on our horizon. We're running the 4cu ft fridge, cook with electric, 5 hours of 24" tv last night for Hub and 2 electric fans for me. And 6 USB devices.
A couple days of shade might make a difference, but we then could just go for a drive (morning is best for the batteries, when they are the most hungry.) We plan on not moving for at least a week at a time, so we need more power on reserve. We've been up at Spencer Canyon, this time for the last three days and this is our first cloudy day and we're still pulling in 5 amps with good cloud cover. And we don't even have the 165 watt solar "awning" up.
Originally we planned for just 100 watts solar from a portable panel because we didn't want to drill into the brand new roof. We got over that fear in a hurry. Then the desire for more electricity just kept growing. We'll be bringing the portable just in case.
Ted

Thats awesome. We only go a few days at a time without our trailer and hook ups. When we go without it, we take small precooked meals like burritos, samdwiches, etc., and warm them up in one of those lunchbox stoves. They use only 10 amps. We are 100% 12v and I have no intention of installing an inverter. My van is a very cheap build. We bought the 6 cyl S version and didnt have a whole lot to play with setting it up.

[radin2son]

Heard something interesting on the radio regarding the forest service and their campgrounds. 70% of their budget now goes to fighting fires. Plus they are looking at a 15% cut in their budget. $20 fees and privatized campgrounds are here to stay. In true government fashion, the concessionaires keep $18 and the government gets $2, down from the $5 we used to pay to camp.

In AZ, there is talk of privatizing state campgrounds. Currently, the fee is around $25 with electric/water and there are showers. Some state parks, Dead Horse Ranch in Clarkdale for one, also have non-hook up sites as well.

[Bamps]

Tried to post, screwed it up, tried to edit, screwed that up, became fustrated and tried to delete. Could get that either

Edited by Bamps, 26 April 2018 - 04:12 PM.