First Big Trip Planning Jitters

[NeedToRetire]

Originally Posted by ppine

Okay you have done some shorter trips to test out your rig and get familiar with it.
Do your maintenance. Come up with a schedule that is not demanding.
Follow the 300 mile, 3 o'clock rule.
Think of a 3 week trip as a series of 4 day trips tied together.
Relax you can't see it all. Do not worry about "missing something." You will go back to the places you like.

Yes, the short trips out have taught us a bunch.

I want to remove myself from a demanding schedule completely. I have spent a lifetime fitting getaways into being back to work on Monday. I am so over that. This trip to Ystone will be our very first without a set schedule to be back.

I like the 300/3 idea.

[ppine]

I have been a Road Warrior since the 1960s. We used to drive across the US just for something to do. I have always liked to just travel around without a schedule. But now campgrounds have become more crowded and require some advanced planning. It does not sit well with me. Now we have a bigger trailer that is a little harder to find space for. I still like the off season and mostly avoid National Parks. I find that except for really popular places it is possible to reserve space often by calling ahead a day or two. Best of luck in your adventures. Relax and have fun. When in doubt just pull over and rest for a couple of days.

[NeedToRetire]

Originally Posted by ppine

Best of luck in your adventures. Relax and have fun. When in doubt just pull over and rest for a couple of days.

Thanks, I like the "When in doubt just pull over and rest for a couple of days"
I will utilize the concept while we travel.

[NeedToRetire]

I have been wondering what people who have been, suggest for the number of days at Yellowstone. I’ve done some reading and see 3-4 without any big hiking adventures. Right now I have around 6-7 days available. I read there’s two separate loops “Northern & Southern” our only reserved days are at Fishing Bridge CG, So I thought do the southern end from there and then move to Gardener area and do the North for 2-3 days.

[CharlesinGA]

Here's what I need from the forum. I want to leave PA the beginning of September and return sometime in October “5-6 weeks” with the main goal of experiencing Yellowstone and the Black Hills in that time frame and anything else along the way that time allows. The concept would be to hopefully make an interesting loop there & back and not retrace any path if possible. Here are my questions.

I stopped reading at this point. You won't enjoy the trip, way too fast. Plan on AT LEAST one week in the Black Hills, a week near Yellowstone, and a week in Grand Teton. Then there is travel time and other stops.

Many campgrounds close by the end of September. Plan on arrival at the Black Hills (and Badlands) a day or two after the bike rally at Sturgis ends. Virtually everyone will be gone and the tourist are afraid to come, thinking there will be too many hanger-on bikers. They will all be heading out by the last day, they do not hang around. You will have the Black Hills to yourself

While a little dated, here is my post from my (too quick) Badlands and Black Hills visit during the 2017 solar eclipse.

https://www.irv2.com/forums/f38/my-b...-a-374375.html

I returned in Sept 2022 for a BigfootRV rally and was able to visit some stuff I missed the first time around, and still have things I want to see.

Sturgis is August 1st to the 10th, get there about the 12th. You will be heading Westbound on I-90 and watching all kinds of motorhomes pulling trailers heading east, bikers on their way home.

I will recommend the Sturgis Downtown RV Park. That is where our 2022 rally was and while it is all gravel with a few trees and concrete pads, the new owners have replaced all of the power to pedestals, and they have excellent laundry, and showers. It is a great place to base out of to visit the northern part of the hills. The Hills are rather small, about 60 miles north to south and with excellent roads, so you can day trip all over the place.

Staying in the hills, I'm going to suggest the Broken Arrow Horse Camp as it is well situated close to Custer and other sights in the area.

Charles

[CharlesinGA]

The Youtubers Long Long Honeymoon have done hundreds of videos since 2007 and they have many videos on Yellowstone and Grand Teton.

Follow this link for their many Yellowstone videos

From their Youtube homepage find the search magnifier symbol and click it and do various searches and watch some of their videos. They are the longest running RV channel on Youtube, and have traveled with the same F250 and 25 ft Airstream since the beginning. Lots of info in their videos.

Speaking of trucks, what do you have? I ask only to know, if its diesel or gas largely, as many places out west have steep, long grades and may require some planning or avoiding.

Charles

[hamm2018]

Originally Posted by NeedToRetire

I have been wondering what people who have been, suggest for the number of days at Yellowstone. I’ve done some reading and see 3-4 without any big hiking adventures. Right now I have around 6-7 days available. I read there’s two separate loops “Northern & Southern” our only reserved days are at Fishing Bridge CG, So I thought do the southern end from there and then move to Gardener area and do the North for 2-3 days.

If us, I would stay in Fishing Bridge the whole time. The drive from FB to Canyon Village to start the north loop is not very long, 16 miles. But you will go thru Hayden Valley each day, great animal viewing area.
Doing the North or South Loop, to make a circle, you will drive the road from Norris Geyser Basin to Canyon Village each time, 12 miles.

https://www.nps.gov/yell/planyourvis...p-2023-web.pdf

[NeedToRetire]

Originally Posted by CharlesinGA

You won't enjoy the trip, way too fast. Plan on AT LEAST one week in the Black Hills, a week near Yellowstone, and a week in Grand Teton. Then there is travel time and other stops.

I am on track to be able to accommodate that much time at each, thanks for the input.

[NeedToRetire]

Originally Posted by CharlesinGA

The Youtubers LongLongHoneymooners

Speaking of trucks, what do you have? I ask only to know, if its diesel or gas largely, as many places out west have steep, long grades and may require some planning or avoiding.

Charles

I’ll have to check out the youtube channel, thanks.

The Truck: I was very fortunate to have scored a reasonable deal on a new/leftover F250 SD with the 6.7L diesel and the 5th wheel package. I had been shopping for months for a gasser 7.3L F250. I didn’t want to spring the extra $12k for the diesel. Then I found this truck and I was able to get it at $12.5 under sticker and because it was a stripped down base model, that made it less than the Gassers I was shopping.

Now that I have the diesel, I can’t imagine towing a 10k + pound camper with less. We live in the very hilly/mountainous state of PA and have made 2 trips across I80 this year towing the camper to see family in NJ, I love having that 10 speed and the diesel torque. It’s very impressive. I am now almost looking forward to the mountainous west.

[NeedToRetire]

Originally Posted by hamm2018

If us, I would stay in Fishing Bridge the whole time.

We have been trying to secure more time at Fishing bridge because of the centralized location, but its nearly completely booked for any thing above 30’ for the entire month of September.

On that, the only spot free for us was a 40’ spot and I reserved it for 3 days. I had a back & forth email exchange for days with the booking company quizzing me on our EXACT dimensions of trailer & then truck?

On that, do they take a tape measure out & measure each rig as they come in??? How anal are they about size? My TT measure 31.5’ from rear bumper to the ball hitch. There is 30’ spaces still available at FB, but I’m concerned the extra 18” might get me expelled by the man/tape measure police?

[ppine]

I have been going to Yellowstone since 1955. My Dad first went in 1938. I have always been in love with the place. I will be going there soon, and plan at least around 5 days. For some people, taking a picture at the entrance sign, seeing Old Faithful , buying a tee shirt and driving around is all they are really interested in. that takes Maybe 2 days or as the fast drivers say, 1 and 1/2 full days.

Yellowstone is the kind of Park that you have to invest some time in. To see the wildlife it is best to get up early and stay out late, at least some of the time. I like to pack a tailgate dinner and go out to Lamar and stay out past dark. I like to drive the dirt roads and then get out and walk. That is how you see all the critters. It takes some time and patience.

[NeedToRetire]

Originally Posted by ppine

Yellowstone is the kind of Park that you have to invest some time in. To see the wildlife it is best to get up early and stay out late, at least some of the time. I like to pack a tailgate dinner and go out to Lamar and stay out past dark. I like to drive the dirt roads and then get out and walk. That is how you see all the critters. It takes some time and patience.

I am in for all of that, I really want to experience it.

[twogypsies]

Originally Posted by NeedToRetire

On that, do they take a tape measure out & measure each rig as they come in??? How anal are they about size? My TT measure 31.5’ from rear bumper to the ball hitch. There is 30’ spaces still available at FB, but I’m concerned the extra 18” might get me expelled by the man/tape measure police?

No... they don't use tape measures!

You would fit just fine in a 30' space if there's a 18" difference. However, how do they take into account for your truck? Is it side-by-side parking?

We once volunteered at Rocky Mtn. Nat'l Park and one of our gigs was assigning sites in the morning for incoming RVs for that day. We found we soon ran out of bigger sites however when walking the campground we noticed a lot more bigger sites than we had on our assigning list. We asked the ranger if we could make a new campground list which we did. They are amazed at how many more large sites we found than on the old list.

I really doubt that whoever created the site list for Fishing Bridge actually measured to the inch or even owned a RV!

[NeedToRetire]

Originally Posted by twogypsies

No... they don't use tape measures!

You would fit just fine in a 30' space if there's a 18" difference. However, how do they take into account for your truck? Is it side-by-side parking?

Here’s the site description.