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RE: Snow in the Tetons
The problem seems to be that the Teton peaks don't show a lot of snow until it gets really deep. I've been there several times in the fall and never seen much snow on them at that time of the year. Early spring would seem to be a better time if it's snow on the peaks that you're after. Good luck.
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newk
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08/08/09 09:36pm |
RV Parks, National Parks, State Campgrounds & More
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RE: Mount Rushmore in second week of September.
Later September is great for both Yellowstone and the Hills; just be ready for cool weather and possible snow, especially in Yellowstone.
I like to hit Custer State Park around Oct. 1 for bighorn rams. They come down to the lower elevations and butt heads. Got this one right alongside the road from Custer a few years ago.
http://www.photoz.net/nature/rams.jpg
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newk
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08/08/09 03:58pm |
RV Parks, National Parks, State Campgrounds & More
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RE: Cross Country, CA to NJ - Best route with kids?
For an August trip, I'd hightail it out of the hottest parts of the country just as fast as I could. Colorado has lots of interesting places to see and plenty for kids to do. So does Missouri with the Ozarks -- not that it'll be cool, but by the end of August it should be almost tolerable.
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newk
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08/07/09 10:54pm |
Roads and Routes
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RE: Highway help: So Cal to Mt. Rushmore to Yellowstone
If you're going for your 6-year-old, the Black Hills has more to entertain him than Yellowstone. I'd take the camper and spend an equal time in and around the Hills.
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newk
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07/30/09 11:07pm |
Roads and Routes
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RE: how many don't argue
We use hand signals only and my wife is the best I've seen in providing backup assistance.
We're working up to the hand signals. We have the finger signals down to a science. ;)
My wife and I learned very early in our relationship all about signals and backing. I think she'd been moved in for about a week when I asked her to watch as I backed the camper out of the back yard (with mirrors folded flat for clearance). She backed me into the side of my prized Saab. :S
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newk
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07/25/09 07:17pm |
General RVing Issues
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RE: Filling Propane
I have mine refilled at three different places in town -- Flying J or one of two different Farmer's Co-ops. Each one always uses a scale. On the small bottles for the grill they charge a flat fee; for the larger bottles they charge by the gallon. I've been getting bottles refilled for 40 years and have never seen one filled without a scale.
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newk
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07/25/09 06:54pm |
Fifth-Wheels
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RE: Tires and Speed
I blew a tire on my 5er's maiden voyage. It had the D load ST tires. I immediately switched all of them to a size larger E load tires and haven't had a problem now in 3+ years, but I haven't towed it much in that time -- probably 3,000 miles. I was driving at 75 mph when the tire blew. Also since then I normally drive at 65, but on cooler days I'll sometimes push it up to 70.
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newk
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07/25/09 06:19pm |
Fifth-Wheels
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RE: Fresh water capaicity question.
Adding in the HW tank is not the correct way to do your total capacity.
You will never be able to get any of the HW tanks galonage out of your unit because when you run out of water in the tank, the pump will not pump any more out of the tank.
Therefore your tank capacity alone would be your total water capacity.
Of course it is; that's how most, if not all, manufacturers calculate water capacity. What you're expecting to see published is the "useable water capacity." Aircraft will list both total fuel capacity and "useable fuel". That's a safety issue or you likely wouldn't see it listed.
I agree they should list useable water capacity, but I've never seen it listed that way. I do often see statements to the effect that there's "76 gallons of fresh water capacity -- a 70-gallon fresh water tank plus a 6-gallon water heater."
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newk
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07/25/09 05:12pm |
Fifth-Wheels
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RE: Best route from Golden, CO to Custer, SD
If we go to Devil's Tower, is Hwy 14 and the area for Devil's Tower friendly for travel trailer to be towed through? We have a 26 ft. TT.
Yes, it's fine. There's a fairly long, steep hill you'll descend just before the Devil's Tower entrance. It's nothing to be concerned about, but you'll have to be slowed to 20 mph or so at the bottom to make the turn off the main highway.
Devil's Tower has a parking spot just past the prairie dog town, at the entrance to the campground, where (I think) you'll have to unhook your camper if you want to drive to the visitor center. You can ask at the entrance gate, but I'm pretty sure you're not allowed to pull your camper to the visitor center.
We like to camp at the campground inside the monument area, and we see BIG 5ers and motorhomes camped there every time.
EDIT: There's a big truck stop in Moorcroft that you'll pass just as you come into town from Custer/Newcastle. They have ample space for parking big rigs, and I'm sure you'd be welcome to unhook your trailer and leave it there while you make the run to Devils Tower, but the road's not bad if you want to tow it along. It's two lane with its share of hills and curves, but none of them are severe.
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newk
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07/23/09 08:55pm |
Roads and Routes
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RE: best route into Yellowstone/Grand Tetons from the east
... If you wanted to eliminate mountain driving even more, you could just take Hwy. 18 out of Hot Springs to Lusk, then 20 east to I-90 and take it through Douglas and Casper....
Uhhhhhhh... I just re-read this and noticed a boo-boo. Should have read, "... Lusk, then 20 east to I-25...."
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newk
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07/21/09 12:14pm |
Roads and Routes
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RE: best route into Yellowstone/Grand Tetons from the east
I'd normally tell travelers to take Hwy 16 across the Bighorns, then 20 through Cody to the East Gate, but I've come back from Yellowstone through Dubois many times. It's an easier grade than East Yellowstone but a little longer. Since you're planning to stop in Dubois, here's the question: do you want simple, easy driving or scenic, mountainous driving?
If you wanted to eliminate mountain driving even more, you could just take Hwy. 18 out of Hot Springs to Lusk, then 20 east to I-90 and take it through Douglas and Casper, exiting at the west end of Casper onto Hwy 26 and take it through Riverton and all the way to Dubois. No mountains, just rolling hills and boring prairie the whole way.
The drive from Hot Springs through Custer State Park and up to I-90 would be more interesting however you take it, and the Bighorns are beautiful, but you're going to be rushed going that way to get to Dubois by a reasonable time. I assume you've already seen Custer State Park and much of the Black Hills, so I'd have to recommend just taking the short and ugly drive through Lusk and Casper.
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newk
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07/20/09 08:46pm |
Roads and Routes
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RE: KOAs
Never had a problem at a KOA. Thinking back, I can only recall one campground (not KOA) where the check-in gal was rude. Whew! She was hung up on lecturing to us what would happen if our 5-lb. Yorkie was caught outside the camper without a leash, or if I didn't pickup after her.
My wife and I just nodded and nodded, and after we left the office we broke down in laughter.
Aside from that, it was one of the nicest campgrounds we've ever visited, and we had a great time -- with our invisible dog leash.
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newk
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07/20/09 10:46am |
RV Parks, National Parks, State Campgrounds & More
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RE: Best route from Golden, CO to Custer, SD
The route you named from Custer to Yellowstone would be my pick. If you can take to days at it, so much the better. It would be tough to do it in under 8 hours towing, and 9 or 10 might be more realistic.
I'd suggest you take Hwy 16 to Moorcroft, but then continue on Hwy 14 to Devils Tower. Spend a couple hours there, then head for a USFS campground in the Bighorns above Buffalo. Tie Hack is a spacious campground about 20 miles west of Buffalo, and it usually has a few open spots. Nearby Middle Fork is actually our favorite campground in the Bighorns, but it fills up fast. There are dozens of others. That'll give you a cool night, even without A.C., and you can get an early start for Yellowstone in the morning -- probably a 5 or 6-hour drive.
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newk
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07/19/09 10:22pm |
Roads and Routes
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RE: If it were your last RV trip, where would you go?
For me it would be to Alaska. Between the Rockies and the Redwoods -- whew! That's a tough one. Right now it would probably be the Redwoods AND the Oregon Pacific Coast.
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newk
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07/18/09 07:53pm |
RV Parks, National Parks, State Campgrounds & More
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RE: Two questions in One Please help!!!!!!!!
5ers have too much weight on their pins for 1/2-ton pickups. You could find a few very small 5ers that would work (if not new, then used), but not in the size you'd want. The 5er in my sig is probably about as light as any with a slide-out (no bunks). My F250 psd pulls it GREAT, but I sure wouldn't want to pull it with a 1/2-ton. I'd stick with a TT until you can trade for a bigger pickup.
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newk
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07/17/09 10:15pm |
Fifth-Wheels
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RE: I-90 Sioux Falls to Rapid City
I've driven that route multiple times every year for the last 38 years, so I've seen lots of road construction (every summer). I can't recall ever picking up tar, if that's your concern.
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newk
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07/16/09 06:29pm |
Roads and Routes
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RE: RV Parks, Rapid City, SD area ?
I can't think of any RV parks south on #79, but if you'll get over to Hwy 16 (I think it's Elk Valley Road that's the truck by-pass), you'll have a good selection and it just depends on what you want and where you'd like to be. Just south of Rapid City off 16 is a nice resort, Hart Ranch. (It's across the highway from Reptile Gardens and down a little road.) A couple miles sw of that, also on Hwy 16, is Rushmore Shadows Resort -- a little more rustic but still has plenty to offer. You'll want to turn right just at (before) the petting zoo. And from there you're deep into the Black Hills and have a huge selection.
Now if it was me, I'd just continue south from where you are until you can pick up Hwy 36 into Custer State Park. Most of the campgrounds inside the park don't have hookups, but there are several RV parks in the Custer area.
You'll probably want to also see Devils Tower. There's a nice KOA just outside the National Monument, or there's a great campground inside the monument with no hookups.
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newk
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07/15/09 09:47pm |
RV Parks, National Parks, State Campgrounds & More
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RE: Scenic route from Tulsa, OK to Rapid City, SD?
I'd start out like Dave suggests, but continue north on Hwy 75 almost all the way to Omaha. I think it's Plattsmouth, NE where you can cross over the Missouri and pick up I-29. Take it all the way to Sioux Falls, SD, then pick up I-90 across the state to Rapid City.
Eastern Kansas and Nebraska are both scenic, and I-29 isn't ugly. (It'll be flat all the way to SD as it follows the Missouri Valley.) South Dakota scenery changes from farm land "east river" to semi-arid ranch land "west river". Some call it boring, but I think it's scenic. There are a few interesting stops along the way on I-90 if you need a break from highway driving -- Corn Palace, etc. in Mitchell, auto museum in Murdo, Wall Drug and Badlands Nat'l Monument at Wall.
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newk
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07/15/09 09:10pm |
Roads and Routes
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RE: Mt. Rushmore/ Badlands Question for Photographers
You can leave your 28-80 and 28-200 at home. You should try to find a place for your 17-85 for some dramatic wide angles, and the 70-300 is a must-have for wildlife in Custer State Park. Your prime lenses would be nice for a little wider aperture and sharper glass, but if you don't have room for them.... Don't leave that 24-105 at home. I'd guess it would be your most used lens.
Here's a good representation of some Custer State Park pics from nearly a decade ago. If you notice, most of those were taken with a 400mm lens on a film body. That would be comparable to your 70-300.
I do remember that I used a 70-200 (on film body) to get a well-framed shot of Rushmore, but I don't remember where I had the lens set.
With my EOS-1 I normally pack along 17-35, 50mm, 85mm, 70-200 and 400mm with 1.4 extender. If I had to leave one at home, it would be the 85, as it can be duplicated (somewhat) with the 70-200.
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newk
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07/13/09 09:18pm |
RV Parks, National Parks, State Campgrounds & More
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RE: Wyoming Routes
If you can catch Hwy. 50 off of 387, it'll take you to Gillette quicker than Hwy. 59 with less traffic. If you miss the intersection (it's not marked well), don't worry about it. Hwy. 59 from Wright to Gillette is a good road; it's just too busy and has lots of accidents on it. The bison mentioned above would be a few miles north of Wright on Hwy 59. It's a commercial operation that runs about 2000 head -- both sides of the highway.
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newk
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07/13/09 08:09pm |
Roads and Routes
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