Community Forums

bgholson · 03-06-2014, 07:52 PM

Moving from Texas to Pittsburgh, Pa for a 6 month job that I can start ASAP. I'm thinking middle of April should be reasonably warm enough for my coach according to "average" temperature charts. Anyone from that area with any suggestions as to my timing?

linnemj · 03-06-2014, 08:52 PM

You may have some colder nights in August but you will survive. The bigger problem you may have is finding a RV park to stay at. We lived there for 15 years and there is a lack of good RV parks in the area. Let us know where you end up.

There is some great ethnic food in the area and Pittsburgh is a great place to explore. You will get lost many times due to all of the hills, bridges, and tunnels. The good news is that Pittsburgh drivers are very friendly.

cj23andout · 03-06-2014, 08:57 PM

That should be about the time we say goodbye to hard freezes, I hope.

We are using our MH next week and will de-winterize for the trip. I will then use a trouble light in the wet bay and small electric heater in the house if the temps are to drop below freezing after that.

Its kind of a pain to watch the weather every night, but I've already gone through the winterization process twice this year.

If you are full timing in your rig, you will be fine.

Jwhines · 03-07-2014, 02:30 PM

I live about 25 miles south of Pittsburgh. It starts to warm up mid April and if your going to be here for 6 months, you'll be OK throughout the summer. While I haven't camped at the local parks, I would try mountaintop campground. It's in Tarentum, about 20 miles east of Pittsburgh off Rt. 28. It seems nice from the website.

Oldrtrcr · 03-07-2014, 06:18 PM

Couple of campgrounds to look at. Both just a few minutes north of Pittsburgh.

Indian Brave Campground

Harts Content Campground LLC - Home

Frank P. Martin · 03-07-2014, 08:03 PM

The period of time you plan to be here should not be a problem weather-wise. However, like any place you go, there can be unusual weather and Pittsburgh is no exception. I once had a morning flight from here to Dallas on May 7th. We had three inches of snow that morning and the plane had to be de-iced before take off. Why do I remember the date? It was my birthday!

Your biggest challenge here will be the terrain. When navigating Pittsburgh's streets (and western PA in general), be sure you're armed with a GPS and a good street map. If you're a member, AAA has a good one. Our roads are not in a grid like you find in Texas. The terrain dictates the direction of our roads. A road that starts out going north, might take you in another direction and you could end up miles away from where you intended to go. Pittsburgh also has a lot of bridges. In fact, more bridges than Venice, Italy.

There's an old saying we have here in Pittsburgh that "the shortest distance between two points is usually... under construction".

Despite our quirky road system, there's so much to do and see here that I'm confident you'll never be bored.

If you haven't already done so, go to the Visit Pittsburgh website. The link's below.

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Tourism | Visit Pittsburgh

Enjoy your visit!

bgholson · 03-07-2014, 08:23 PM

Thanks for your responses. Would be interested in other campground suggestions. I'm surprised that there are not a lot of campgrounds near Pittsburg......or so it appears.

Starsekr · 03-07-2014, 09:44 PM

Hi BG,

You have to be a little more forthcoming. What side of Pittsburg are you working in? Or what town? how big is your rig? Do you need 50 Amps, do you want a full hookup?There aren't many Good Sam Parks around.
Look at Pennsylvania - Reviews of RV Parks and Campgrounds - RV Park Reviews it is sort of a trip advisor for RV parks. Take it with a grain of salt, but several negative reviews in a row usually mean its not a nice place.
She who must be obeyed and I are heading there first of April for a 6 week job, out on the Northwest side near the OH, PA and WV border. We found what sounds like a good place with a little net surfing.
I noticed that a lot of parks are seasonal, and bill themselves as "resorts". They will rent the most desirable spaces for all "season", allowing extra things like sheds to be put up for the season. And they also charge extra if someone wants to drive in to visit, a "resort" use fee.
good luck on your search.

paz · 03-08-2014, 06:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bgholson

Thanks for your responses. Would be interested in other campground suggestions. I'm surprised that there are not a lot of campgrounds near Pittsburg......or so it appears.

Having been born and raised in Pittsburgh, we know how few campgrounds there are anywhere near the city. As Starsekr says, it would be helpful to know what part of town you will be working in.

There are a few campgrounds to the north that are not bad. Access into the city from the north is probably easier than from any other direction. There is a KOA in Washington, PA south of Pittsburgh, but it is at the junction of I-70 and I-79, so it tends to have a lot of traffic noise.

townsendr · 03-08-2014, 07:13 AM

We have stayed at the KOA near Washington, PA. We enjoyed our stay there and will go back again.

Frank P. Martin · 03-08-2014, 09:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bgholson

Thanks for your responses. Would be interested in other campground suggestions. I'm surprised that there are not a lot of campgrounds near Pittsburg......or so it appears.

Obviously, you've already done some "homework" and you're right, there are not a lot of camping opportunities here and the majority of the ones we have are 25+ miles from the city. Forget about any of the PA State parks with camping, the closest being Keystone (east), Raccoon Creek (west), Ryerson Station (south) and Pymatuning (north), as they are too far out and the only hookups are electric. In the north there are two state parks that are closer than Pymatuning, Moraine and Maurice K. Goddard, but they don't have camping. However there are private campgrounds close by- Vacationland Campground, index <-- (Camp Wilhelm) and Bear Run Campground - Family Vacations in Western Pennsylvania.

You might also want to the visit the Pennsylvania Campground Owners Association's (PCOA) website PA Campgrounds, Camping Resorts & RV Parks :: Pennsylvania Campground Owners Association and look for a suitable campground there too.

Like some previous posters have already said, if you can provide a general location as to where you'll be working, some better recommendations could possibly be made. The campground mentioned off of PA-28 near Tarentum is a good choice if you're going to be working downtown or north/northeast/east of the city, but could be a terrible location if your workplace is in any other direction.

bgholson · 03-08-2014, 12:11 PM

Most of my work will involve travel north of Pittsburgh, but some south as well....so sounds like I need to be North of Pittsburgh. Will require full hookups and monthly stays. Mountain Top park in Tanenden appears to be the closest. Really prefer to avoid "vacation" parks.......don't need a pool and scheduled activities.

Thanks for the help

MoeBelly · 03-08-2014, 12:55 PM

If you plan on spending most of your time N of Pittsburgh, look at CGs around Zelienople, Harmony, and Portersville, PA. I-79/279 are good roads into the city (as long as no fenderbenders - we like to rubberneck!). Check out Woodalls for more info on CGs around here. I cannot comment on the best CG since I haven't stayed around here to camp.

You'll enjoy it up here!

paz · 03-08-2014, 03:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bgholson

Most of my work will involve travel north of Pittsburgh, but some south as well....so sounds like I need to be North of Pittsburgh. Will require full hookups and monthly stays. Mountain Top park in Tanenden appears to be the closest. Really prefer to avoid "vacation" parks.......don't need a pool and scheduled activities.

Thanks for the help

Does the 40 in your sig (in the PKDD 40) indicate a 40' rig? If so, you may have trouble getting up the steep hill to the campground.

Last I heard, Mountain Top does not have full hookups.

I recommend Rose Point north of Pittsburgh. As I said, getting into the city is easiest from the north. However, getting from the city south through the Ft. Pitt Tunnel or Liberty Tubes can be a PITA, depending on what time of day it is. However, you can go straight down I-79 and bypass the city to avoid a lot of traffic.