Here are some tips from my several years of RVing in my truck camper. Nothing
earth shattering, but hopefully useful to some of you fellow RVers.
- Great website at USCampgrounds.info.
Zoom in on the map and pick your campground! Federal/State/Local
government ones only. GPS coordinates given. 10,000+ campgrounds
in the US and Canada. I didn't count them, however. :)
- There is a good series of books by Falcon Guide for non-commercial
campgrounds in various states. Look for "Camping
Montana", etc.
- I buy the Delorme Atlas/Gazetteer for states I frequently
visit. Shows all the backroads (Forest Svc, etc.) that
other maps don't.
- Only about once a year is my planned campground for the
night full when I get there. I usually stay at U.S. Forest
Service campgrounds and arrive between 4 and 5 p.m.. This
early arrival helps in finding an empty site. I never
make reservations. Note: Recently I've been encountering
campgrounds that are closed (refurb, early seasonal close, etc.).
Best to call the local Forest Service office to check
the status. Only works during business hours, however.
- Set your water heater temperature to what you like for a hot shower.
This way you won't have to mess around with getting the right cold/hot
"mix" and waste water. Just turn on the hot knob. Also
catch the initial water flow in a small container until the water gets hot.
If you're really frugal, pour it back into the fresh water tank. If
you're not, at least you've reduced the water going into the grey tank.
- Through experience, learn about how many days it takes to fill your
grey and black tanks. Those nifty little indicator lights aren't very
reliable. You'll notice they might show 1/3 or 2/3 full right after
you've dumped your tanks!
- I mark down the date each time I dump my tanks and fill my propane tank.
This way I know when I'm getting close to a full tank and need to find a
dump station. Also I keep track of the number of showers since
the last dump, since showers have the biggest impact on the tank filling.
I can usually go 6-7 days before the 14 gallon grey tank is full (taking
a shower every other day) and around 10-14 days on my 5 gallon propane
tank. My 14 gallon black tank is never near full when the grey needs
dumping.
- Check out thiese websites for good tips on RVing and truck campers.
I look at each daily.
TruckCamperMagazine.com RV.net
- Down John's Road:
A good book written by a guy that bought a truck camper
and spent 80 days and nearly 13K miles recreating John
Steinbecks's 1960 Travels With Charley trip around the
perimeter of the US.
- A good website for Wyoming National and State Parks is
here:
- Most important tip: HAVE FUN!
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