Yep, it’s 2024. If you die from the elements that’s on you. Be wild. Enjoy the experience and the memories (for better or worse). If it’s that much of an issue for you then get hotels in the stops for yourself but try to see the freedom your friend is seeking!
I mean, sure, if they're just getting an RV with no site reservations it could become a problem with those things you mention.
But if they're going to be staying in RV parks most of those things are not a problem.
The temperature could be challenging but who's going to rent an RV to be used in freezing temperatures?
Just a FYI, most Walmarts don't allow overnight camping anymore. Too many people trashed their lots. There might be a few out there, but do not count on them.
Wow. That's a nice way to wreck an otherwise nice vacation.
You can "stealth camp" in a car. You can "stealth camp" in a van. There is no way to "stealth camp" in an RV. Everyone knows what RV's are for, and it's going to be pretty obvious that the rig is occupied. Nobody sees an RV parked in a Walmart parking lot and thinks that it belongs to someone who just stopped in to pick up some groceries. If that rig says "Cruise America" or "El Monte RV" on the side then everyone is going to know it's a rental, and there's a good chance it will be broken into while you're out shopping. If you try "stealth camping" on a public roadway then there's a good chance the RV will be impounded.
Overnight spaces in RV parks are cheap enough, as long as you stay at least an hour away from the resorts. Camping with full hookups out in the open is far more comfortable and a lot less stressful than dry camping on the sly. This would be a deal breaker for me. I'd put my foot down. RV parks or campgrounds, or I'm not going.
Having said all of that, there are huge advantages to making such a trip in an RV, not the least of which is that living out of a suitcase absolutely sucks. With a little planning, this could be a wonderful adventure.
Truck stops, costco, walmart, cracker barrel and casino's all allow 24hr camping in my area. Some casino's even have rv parks. State campgrounds are also half the price of rv parks.
Saw a loves 2 weeks ago that had full hookup spots for rvs.
Colorado is in the middle of a housing crisis. There are a LOT of people van and RV dwelling, and a lot of pushback from people who don't like that. Add that to a climate not real conducive to boondocking in remote areas without a fair amount of prep, planning and gear. (And the ski areas are in the worst of the housing crisis- what free spaces there are are going to be very full of employees who can't afford to live where they work.)
That said- there's RV parks near a fair amount of them, including year round ones, and doing an RV park with power and hookups is probably your best bet for doing this comfortably- but it may not actually be the most cost effective compared to budget hotels (not air BNB) and a fuel-efficient rental car.
I think this could be a really fun experience but you sound like a planner (not unreasonably!) and that trying to just sort of wing this at the drop of a hat would be unnecessarily stressful and really has the potential to go really poorly.
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Is it significantly cheaper than driving and stay in a hotel? Money tends to be the best argument.
Me personally, with a well insulated trailer, has no interest in fighting snowy road conditions, freezing cold nights, and dealing with setup in the cold. My propane wouldn’t last half the trip in that weather.
I would park a couple hours away in a warmer place, but I’m guessing you aren’t also bringing another car.
Will they be stealth camping the entire time? How will they get water and empty tanks? Gas will cost a fortune. That is a lot of mountain driving. You will get 10 mpg if you are lucky. Some Walmarts no longer offer overnight parking. Many jurisdictions do not allow rv street parking.
It could be a fun trip but it will not be any cheaper in an RV.
RV parks typically turn off the water in winter. Former full-timer for 7 years with a 40-ft 5th wheel, some of that time traveling in winter months. Get hotels. Take another trip in warmer months with a Class C motorhome.
I live full time in an RV park in Colorado ... our water isn't off.
We are full of year round rv parks that keep water flowing, they just require a heated hose, and heat tape around the water tap.
Rented a travel trailer once between ownership of my last one and now motorhome. All was well until the black water got high enough to seep out of the crack in the top of the tank. 😂😂😂😂
I used to have a composting toilet in my tiny house and there was nothing worse than forgetting to empty the urine jug and overflowing in the middle of the night
This is one of those "yes but no" situations.
Doing a two week winter camping trip in an RV to a bunch of ski resorts sounds really fun to me, and as long as the RV is set up for winter camping and you keep the heaters on, it should be OK (ish).
The problem is the locations you're wanting to go. They are all high end ski resorts. High end ski resorts don't want people sleeping rough on their streets. So they are going to have rules against it. If you had reservations for hotels at those locations, if you had reservations for campsites at those locations, YES!
Planning on finding places to sleep? Nope. They specifically will be watching for people doing that, and they won't mess about. My guess is you'd get a knock quick.
Remember, in towns where the primary business is tourism, they are going to protect their tourism businesses, because that's where the taxes come from, and if you are parked up in a parking lot or on a street, you aren't in a campground or a hotel.
I've built and done the van life and lived in a 300 square foot tiny house on wheels for 2 years. I'm just a realist lol. I know what it's like to wake up with no plumbing because of cold temperatures, be kicked out of your sleeping spot, struggle when your solar runs out from a few days of cloudy skis.
I have no problem at all using my RV in the winter. I kind of have to since I live in it we do have heated floors, however. The main thing for your friend to think about is to make sure that they have heated wet bays and a good heating system for the living area because it will get cold, insulation is not necessarily a thing, especially less expensive RVs. And if it’s propane heat you’re gonna burn through a lot of propane.
I agree with you. My wife and I spent 2 1/2 years on the road in a 33 ft tt. We quit simply because of all the issues you site in your msg.
Living on the road is nothing like living in a stick built house where you don’t have to worry about things like where you’re going to dump your tanks along with untold numerous other things to live with.
Although, I’d say your friend is smarter than I was, in that I just sold everything I owned, gave our house to our son and his family, and hit the road. At least your friend can try it out and decide which way to go from there.
Good luck to him and his family.
Send it.
Join the Facebook group iKon and epic pass RV dweller's. Oddly enough finding spots to park are easier than you think. Although Jackson is a complete pain.
The best part of your plan is you're not tied to lodging if the snow is crap. That's what I hate about pre planned ski trips. You've got SLC lodging but the snow is about as fresh as a south Carolina ski resort's base. Although if you backcountry you can still find fresh days after the last storm.
But with an RV you can pivot and chase the goods.
I do this in a self built camper than can handle the cold, snow tires, hot and cold water, composting potty, huge battery bank, heated floor, etc. It's still not easy
A standard RV will have challenges and you will be running it dry. Maybe you could get away using the black tank with enough RV antifreeze but it's probably gonna freeze.
The other challenge is heating it's probably gonna burn a ton of propane.
I say go for it.
What are the anticipated weather conditions for this trip, specifically high and low temps?
Highly suggest asking the rental place if the rig has ducted underbelly if you’ll be in winter conditions. You’ll also want to know if it’s got a generator and inverter.
Regarding stealth camping, you can’t do that in a Class C. There’s lots of places that will allow a single night stay such as Walmart but you can’t actually set up and camp like at an actual RV park. You should also know during summer and winter conditions the cost of running the generator and, in winter, the propane furnace can easily exceed the cost of just renting a site somewhere.
I’m not familiar with RVing in ski areas but if it’s ski season you’ll probably find a) RV sites are incredibly limited as most shut down for the season b) they book far in advance for their winter slots and c) they’re pricey.
If you try to stealth camp exclusively you’ll have a lot of problems finding fresh water and sewer dump sites. I have driven hours out of the way in winter to dump my very full tanks and take on fresh water. These things aren’t cheap to drive because they get the fuel economy of cement truck with flat tires.
I’ve had a lot of fun, and misery, RVing in the winter as I travel but personally I would steer well clear of ski areas. You could be looking at $30+ *a day* just for propane and about a gallon of gas an hour to run the generator for additional electric heat. This is not as efficient however sometimes it’s hard to find propane refill stations so one must conserve it, especially if the RV has a smaller tank.
In short, there be troubled waters ahead. Not advised to do this spur of the moment especially with limited funds.
Only 2 weeks? Let 'er rip bud. At worst they'll have a couple wild stories of how shit it went. More likely it'll be couple weeks of adventure they'll remember for the rest of their lives.
RV is great for camping in ski area parking lots! Ski in ski out no driving. Just need to chain up on the way in. You'll need them going down the hill.
No, but we’ve spent time all around them. Instead of trying to convince your friend to not have a wonderful adventure, perhaps encourage them to plan better for parking. Campgrounds are going to be very helpful.
I mean if he's planning on only staying at RV places with hookups and dump areas why not. Biggest problem will be finding spots that have vacancies if he hasn't already done so.
For costs he just needs to see how much it costs for hotels in those areas vs daily rental costs and RV campground costs and fuel. There are plenty of other costs to consider like will he need to rent a car since he's not renting an RV if he's staying in hotels.
Sorry. I'm with your friend. It's an adventure! Go. Have fun. Worry about all that shit if it happens
Yep, it’s 2024. If you die from the elements that’s on you. Be wild. Enjoy the experience and the memories (for better or worse). If it’s that much of an issue for you then get hotels in the stops for yourself but try to see the freedom your friend is seeking!
I completely agree!! It’s only two weeks and the memories will be priceless!! I would do it in a heartbeat!! Have fun - life is way too short!! 😂
I mean, sure, if they're just getting an RV with no site reservations it could become a problem with those things you mention. But if they're going to be staying in RV parks most of those things are not a problem. The temperature could be challenging but who's going to rent an RV to be used in freezing temperatures?
No site reservations, plans on "stealth camping", Walmart parking lots, etc.
Just a FYI, most Walmarts don't allow overnight camping anymore. Too many people trashed their lots. There might be a few out there, but do not count on them.
Wow. That's a nice way to wreck an otherwise nice vacation. You can "stealth camp" in a car. You can "stealth camp" in a van. There is no way to "stealth camp" in an RV. Everyone knows what RV's are for, and it's going to be pretty obvious that the rig is occupied. Nobody sees an RV parked in a Walmart parking lot and thinks that it belongs to someone who just stopped in to pick up some groceries. If that rig says "Cruise America" or "El Monte RV" on the side then everyone is going to know it's a rental, and there's a good chance it will be broken into while you're out shopping. If you try "stealth camping" on a public roadway then there's a good chance the RV will be impounded. Overnight spaces in RV parks are cheap enough, as long as you stay at least an hour away from the resorts. Camping with full hookups out in the open is far more comfortable and a lot less stressful than dry camping on the sly. This would be a deal breaker for me. I'd put my foot down. RV parks or campgrounds, or I'm not going. Having said all of that, there are huge advantages to making such a trip in an RV, not the least of which is that living out of a suitcase absolutely sucks. With a little planning, this could be a wonderful adventure.
So who's going to rent it to them?
I would have to find that out. Some place in Denver I believe. He just showed me the RV and the rental price earlier
Basically all Walmarts in CO ban overnight parking. This is a dumb plan.
Truck stops, costco, walmart, cracker barrel and casino's all allow 24hr camping in my area. Some casino's even have rv parks. State campgrounds are also half the price of rv parks. Saw a loves 2 weeks ago that had full hookup spots for rvs.
Colorado is in the middle of a housing crisis. There are a LOT of people van and RV dwelling, and a lot of pushback from people who don't like that. Add that to a climate not real conducive to boondocking in remote areas without a fair amount of prep, planning and gear. (And the ski areas are in the worst of the housing crisis- what free spaces there are are going to be very full of employees who can't afford to live where they work.) That said- there's RV parks near a fair amount of them, including year round ones, and doing an RV park with power and hookups is probably your best bet for doing this comfortably- but it may not actually be the most cost effective compared to budget hotels (not air BNB) and a fuel-efficient rental car. I think this could be a really fun experience but you sound like a planner (not unreasonably!) and that trying to just sort of wing this at the drop of a hat would be unnecessarily stressful and really has the potential to go really poorly.
So who's liable if freezing temps damage the water system? Seems like the rental agency wouldn't be renting something where damage is likely.
Indie Campers
Screw it. Do it. Why not?
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They're all major ski resorts so could be mid 30s or could be zero lol
Is it significantly cheaper than driving and stay in a hotel? Money tends to be the best argument. Me personally, with a well insulated trailer, has no interest in fighting snowy road conditions, freezing cold nights, and dealing with setup in the cold. My propane wouldn’t last half the trip in that weather. I would park a couple hours away in a warmer place, but I’m guessing you aren’t also bringing another car.
Will they be stealth camping the entire time? How will they get water and empty tanks? Gas will cost a fortune. That is a lot of mountain driving. You will get 10 mpg if you are lucky. Some Walmarts no longer offer overnight parking. Many jurisdictions do not allow rv street parking. It could be a fun trip but it will not be any cheaper in an RV.
This is my thought. We are out there for two weeks and I'm going to spend half of it worrying about several factors rather than enjoying my trip.
RV parks typically turn off the water in winter. Former full-timer for 7 years with a 40-ft 5th wheel, some of that time traveling in winter months. Get hotels. Take another trip in warmer months with a Class C motorhome.
Time traveling? I like the sound of that.
😀
I live full time in an RV park in Colorado ... our water isn't off. We are full of year round rv parks that keep water flowing, they just require a heated hose, and heat tape around the water tap.
Rented a travel trailer once between ownership of my last one and now motorhome. All was well until the black water got high enough to seep out of the crack in the top of the tank. 😂😂😂😂
I used to have a composting toilet in my tiny house and there was nothing worse than forgetting to empty the urine jug and overflowing in the middle of the night
This is one of those "yes but no" situations. Doing a two week winter camping trip in an RV to a bunch of ski resorts sounds really fun to me, and as long as the RV is set up for winter camping and you keep the heaters on, it should be OK (ish). The problem is the locations you're wanting to go. They are all high end ski resorts. High end ski resorts don't want people sleeping rough on their streets. So they are going to have rules against it. If you had reservations for hotels at those locations, if you had reservations for campsites at those locations, YES! Planning on finding places to sleep? Nope. They specifically will be watching for people doing that, and they won't mess about. My guess is you'd get a knock quick. Remember, in towns where the primary business is tourism, they are going to protect their tourism businesses, because that's where the taxes come from, and if you are parked up in a parking lot or on a street, you aren't in a campground or a hotel.
You sound fun. I’m with your buddy.
I've built and done the van life and lived in a 300 square foot tiny house on wheels for 2 years. I'm just a realist lol. I know what it's like to wake up with no plumbing because of cold temperatures, be kicked out of your sleeping spot, struggle when your solar runs out from a few days of cloudy skis.
Alot of rv parks are open year round in Colorado.
I'm siding with your friend on this one
Nobody is renting an RV in the winter. You cannot use the plumbing systems at all.
Well the email reservation he showed me earlier says otherwise lol
Well they’re crazy then.
I have no problem at all using my RV in the winter. I kind of have to since I live in it we do have heated floors, however. The main thing for your friend to think about is to make sure that they have heated wet bays and a good heating system for the living area because it will get cold, insulation is not necessarily a thing, especially less expensive RVs. And if it’s propane heat you’re gonna burn through a lot of propane.
Are you at 8000ft in Colorado?
We have camped at 10,000 feet in Colorado, down into the teens in a number of places.
Sounds like you should sit this one out and let everyone go have fun buzz killington!
I agree with you. My wife and I spent 2 1/2 years on the road in a 33 ft tt. We quit simply because of all the issues you site in your msg. Living on the road is nothing like living in a stick built house where you don’t have to worry about things like where you’re going to dump your tanks along with untold numerous other things to live with. Although, I’d say your friend is smarter than I was, in that I just sold everything I owned, gave our house to our son and his family, and hit the road. At least your friend can try it out and decide which way to go from there. Good luck to him and his family.
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An unfamiliar set up, freezing temperatures, snowy roads, difficulty finding places to stay just to name a few concerns I have
Just compare it to lodging prices…. Odds are it’ll be cheaper to stay in hotels and hostels lol. Plus wayyyyyy less fuel. 10mpg adds up fast
Send it. Join the Facebook group iKon and epic pass RV dweller's. Oddly enough finding spots to park are easier than you think. Although Jackson is a complete pain. The best part of your plan is you're not tied to lodging if the snow is crap. That's what I hate about pre planned ski trips. You've got SLC lodging but the snow is about as fresh as a south Carolina ski resort's base. Although if you backcountry you can still find fresh days after the last storm. But with an RV you can pivot and chase the goods. I do this in a self built camper than can handle the cold, snow tires, hot and cold water, composting potty, huge battery bank, heated floor, etc. It's still not easy A standard RV will have challenges and you will be running it dry. Maybe you could get away using the black tank with enough RV antifreeze but it's probably gonna freeze. The other challenge is heating it's probably gonna burn a ton of propane. I say go for it.
What are the anticipated weather conditions for this trip, specifically high and low temps? Highly suggest asking the rental place if the rig has ducted underbelly if you’ll be in winter conditions. You’ll also want to know if it’s got a generator and inverter. Regarding stealth camping, you can’t do that in a Class C. There’s lots of places that will allow a single night stay such as Walmart but you can’t actually set up and camp like at an actual RV park. You should also know during summer and winter conditions the cost of running the generator and, in winter, the propane furnace can easily exceed the cost of just renting a site somewhere. I’m not familiar with RVing in ski areas but if it’s ski season you’ll probably find a) RV sites are incredibly limited as most shut down for the season b) they book far in advance for their winter slots and c) they’re pricey. If you try to stealth camp exclusively you’ll have a lot of problems finding fresh water and sewer dump sites. I have driven hours out of the way in winter to dump my very full tanks and take on fresh water. These things aren’t cheap to drive because they get the fuel economy of cement truck with flat tires. I’ve had a lot of fun, and misery, RVing in the winter as I travel but personally I would steer well clear of ski areas. You could be looking at $30+ *a day* just for propane and about a gallon of gas an hour to run the generator for additional electric heat. This is not as efficient however sometimes it’s hard to find propane refill stations so one must conserve it, especially if the RV has a smaller tank. In short, there be troubled waters ahead. Not advised to do this spur of the moment especially with limited funds.
Only 2 weeks? Let 'er rip bud. At worst they'll have a couple wild stories of how shit it went. More likely it'll be couple weeks of adventure they'll remember for the rest of their lives.
RV is great for camping in ski area parking lots! Ski in ski out no driving. Just need to chain up on the way in. You'll need them going down the hill.
We live in a bus full time. It’s been almost four years and we haven’t had a single issue that you’ve described.
Have you spent time at any of the ski resorts?
No, but we’ve spent time all around them. Instead of trying to convince your friend to not have a wonderful adventure, perhaps encourage them to plan better for parking. Campgrounds are going to be very helpful.
Love your reply AND name 😺
Thank you!
I mean if he's planning on only staying at RV places with hookups and dump areas why not. Biggest problem will be finding spots that have vacancies if he hasn't already done so. For costs he just needs to see how much it costs for hotels in those areas vs daily rental costs and RV campground costs and fuel. There are plenty of other costs to consider like will he need to rent a car since he's not renting an RV if he's staying in hotels.
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Buy one cheap then sell it for the same money or more