Tag camping tips

If you have followed us for a while, you know the story of how our RV Rental business started. It wasn’t money from an angel investor or living out a lifelong dream. It was a 1982 Bethany pop up camper. Horrific little thing it was, but it deserves all of the thanks for getting this started. We are bargain hunters, you see. Always in for a deal using the coupons and the codes, scouring auctions and marketplace. 90% of the time, we get winners. 10% of the time, leaky $300 hot tubs and that darn Bethany trailer. We had all 4 kids at the time, they were 1, 3, 5, and 6. Destination: Glacier National Park. Outcome: We lived, and we sold that little nightmare as fast as we possibly could.

Not wanting to give up on our love for camping, we started to shop for an RV. We really had no idea what we wanted or what to look for, just wanted a good deal (of course-Kohl’s cash never dies). I stumbled upon Josh the RV Nerd on YouTube and the rest was history. We found our dream floor plan. It had a separate sleeping area for us and the kids but was only 23′ total length. Enter: The Bear’s Den – a Forest River Salem FSX 169RSK. What floor plan is best for you? That is a loaded question. The number of people in your group is a big factor. Keep in mind that the number of people listed on the floorplan does not mean how many it can sleep comfortably. Especially if you have teens or taller people; it is important to go to dealers and RV shows and get in the units to see if it feels right for you.

Found the perfect floor plan, now what? One big thing that I have learned after purchasing a lot of RVs: a good dealer is key. We love family owned and operated dealers. If they are down to earth and low pressure, you have found a winner. If they are high pressure and have a bunch of hidden fees and charge you less for the camper to finance than to pay cash? Won’t give you a line-by-line quote on the unit you are looking at? Run. As for us, being forever frugal, I found our dream floorplan during a “Hail Sale,” so it was discounted, but didn’t have a lick of damage because (duh duh duh…) it was a floor model stored inside. Score.

We went through it with a fine-tooth comb at the dealer, everything looked great. Most (good) dealers will set aside time (up to 90 minutes) to do a thorough walk through with you. Everything was sunshine and rainbows…until our first trip. Yeah, it didn’t take long. Mother’s Day weekend at Long Lake. We go to move the slide and hear a crash. The slide went in crooked and started to demolish the bathroom wall. Schwintech. It’s a name you will learn once you start looking at campers with slides. Some people avoid them like the plague, I will let you decide (we bought 7 more with the same system). Insert point from before, having a good RV dealer is KEY. We took it back to Roth RV, and they had it all fixed up and perfect for us before our next big trip. We did not pay a dime, they dealt with all of the paperwork, and we were happy campers.

So there, according to many experts, we did two things wrong. We bought a camper (*cough* I mean 7) with a Schwintech slide and we bought a dreaded “COVID camper.” What’s that rabbit hole, you ask? Well, many feel that all RV’s made between 2020 and 2023 are bad because camper companies were understaffed, products weren’t coming in or as high quality, and campers were being pumped out at a drastically high pace. I am going to give you a news flash, Denise, campers are not built like your grandpa’s house in 1950. Many brands are cheap because they are made cheap. They have lightweight, not heavy-duty materials so that Suburban Shelly can tow them will her 5000 lb tow capacity Grand Cherokee. Yes, COVID did have a big impact, but it is not the only reason things from that era break. Another notable point is that manufacture dates to not align with sale dates. Your 2020 camper was likely manufactured in 2019, so it felt none of the aforementioned effects. Want a camper that is built a little stronger? Look into Brinkley, Grand Design, or Lance- to name a few. If you are one of those “I am selling it all and going full time RV folks”, I would seriously consider a higher end build. Most RVs weren’t built to be lived in full-time, so get something with high quality. You deserve it, Janet.

Alright, we talked floor plan, we talked about the ever controversial COVID campers, we talked about being picky about dealers. Now what? I will give you my best advice, based on both personal and RV Rental business experience.

1. When choosing a floorplan, think two years down the road. Do you have kids or are planning a family? Don’t picture them as 3′ tall tumbling toddlers, they will grow and so will your need for more room and privacy. Maybe you travel with pets? Same idea. Make sure you have suitable space that is comfortable for both of you with room to grow. Remember, RVs depreciate like rocks, so you do not want to be trading them in for new ones every couple of years, unless you like throwing away money, that is.
2. What can your vehicle tow? Yeah, those 35′ bunkhouses have lots of room, but don’t be towing that beast with your Honda Odyssey, Alberto. There is so much beyond the weight of what you tow and what your vehicle can and should tow. Sure, it can pull the rig down the road, but can it stop it going 60 mph? Lots to consider here. My buddy Josh (we aren’t really buddies in real life, but he seems super cool) has a great video on this here.
3. Do you have a specific place in mind to camp? Maybe you want to park a camper on a seasonal site and never move it? Well, then get that beast of a Park Model whatever it is you want. Shoot, have them deliver and set it up while you’re at it. Maybe you want to take a few epic road trips? My advice there is to keep it smaller (like under 30 feet) if you can. A lot of the big parks will have strict length restrictions so keep that in mind. Plus, if you are driving cross country with a big ol’ rig it is going to be stressful, and your gas mileage is going to be straight up terrible. In this situation, think of a camper more for sleeping space. Can you sit inside if it rains without being on Aunt Josephine’s lap? Then go for it. One of our favorite rigs was our NoBo 10.7. It was only 15 feet and 2000 lbs and had a rooftop tent that could sleep all 4 kids. If you have an adventurous bunch and want something to take off road, check them out, all kinds of brands make them now.
4. This one is for you to take with a grain of salt. Buy used. RVs are like cars; they depreciate fast. If you can buy one a couple of years old that was maybe only used once or twice, you are in good shape. Most of the kinks are worked out, and you will save a boat load for the most part. I understand that the idea of sleeping where someone else slept is gross, but many dealers replace the mattress or you can do it yourself for a few hundred bucks-and if it is a factory mattress, you’ll want to replace it anyway–because they suck.

Well, there’s a start for ya anyway. I am not trying to toot my own horn here, but a good way to test out a rig is to rent one. We get a lot of renters this way, and honestly, it’s super smart. I cannot tell you the people that said “Oh I am so glad we did this because we decided we liked/disliked xyz.” Try before you buy and trust the experts, folks! Whatever you do, enjoy the journey! Happy Camping!

Let me preface by saying this: we love campgrounds, especially those of the local and family-owned variety. Sometimes, however, a person just needs to escape. No playing roulette on whether your camp neighbors will be participating in drunk shenanigans at 3 am or have a teething toddler that screams all hours of the night (God bless you, mama, I have been there! ha) Enter: Boondocking. AKA our favorite way to camp.

What is Boondocking? Well, trendy as it has become, it is way folks have been camping before RV Resorts became a thing. It means no hook ups of any kind, no electric pole, no water hose, and certainly no sewer connection. Where? Well that’s the beauty of it! Pretty much anywhere! National forests, state land, federal land, aunt Jenny’s alpaca farm, you name it.

What are the sites like? Boondocking campsites come in a variety of shapes and sizes. Some might be actual campsites that even have a fire ring or picnic table, they are just “rustic” meaning no hook ups. Others are not camp sites at all. You just roll up in a clearing and set up shop. One guaranteed feature, Boondocking sites are going to be scenic and quiet.

How do I find a site? Well if you are renting with us, ask me. Other sources are recreation.gov or national forest pages-for established sites with no hookups. If you want to find something totally off the beaten path on public land, OnX is a great app to use. It shows real time property boundaries and who owns what so that you don’t accidentally set up shop on angry uncle Bill’s off grid cabin land. If you are a hunter, or have one in your life, they probably know, and love, OnX. You can even hook it up to your maps in your vehicle. If you are in to the socials, Facebook and YouTube have a lot of great resources too-with GPS coordinates to boot.

So, there are no hook ups, does that mean I have to camp in the dark? Absolutely not! All of our RV Rental units are equipped with solar panels and batteries and we send our Boondockers with our super quiet generators to keep things charged. Our Class C Rental, Kodi, already has a propane generator built in and that will run everything, including AC, when you are not plugged in. Kodi is also equipped with an AC TV so that will also run off just battery. 

Will you have to run a generator all day? No, and in some sites, you can’t. What runs without a generator? Heat, USB, stove and griddles (propane), lights, and water. Therefore, all you need a generator for is the microwave (cook over the fire), the AC (open some windows), and outlets (TV’s). In our case, we like to Boondock in the mountains, so AC is never an issue.

Time to spill the beans. Our favorite Boondocking spots? Okay, twist my arm. Locally, I love the National Forest Campgrounds. Our property is located within the Paul Bunyan State Forest which holds two actual campgrounds where you can Boondock, Gulch (9 sites) and Mantrap (36 sites). Gulch is located on super secluded and beautiful Lake 21 and Mantrap is located on, you guessed it, Mantrap Lake, a mecca for fisherman and a gorgeous place to site see.

Out of state, we love the Bighorns and pretty much anywhere else in between here and Montana. The Bighorns have a ton of sites to choose from, and some actually do have electricity-but they’re also jam packed on the weekends. Prune Creek is one of my absolute favorites, but you really cannot go wrong in that area. A note for those camping with littles, Prune Creek and many of the others on the creek might not be the best choice. Prune Creek can be more like Prune raging river, especially in the Spring and the sites are close to and on the water. Otherwise, it is beautiful to look at, fun to fish, and amazing to listen to. While visiting the Bighorns, be sure to check out Shell Falls, try your hand at trout fishing in Sibley Lake, and visit the local communities. Greybull is a favorite of ours for antiquing and lunch on the patio at Lisa’s is hard to beat. More guides to come, thanks for reading and stay tuned!

Source: Amanda’s Itasca Adventures RV Rentals Blog