Just got back from a 2 week trip to the Grand Canyon and Moab, UT for our 30th wedding anniversary. What a great trip!
We towed the camper a little over 5,000 miles and the Ram 1500 and Camplite 21BHS were perfect. We towed in rain, and the leak in the roof I had experienced is defintely fixed, although we did have some water on the floor. However we did identify the source of the leak, some missing sealant in the wheel well on the slide side. That is now fixed. We also towed in some heavy cross winds of over 35MPH and the Andersen Hitch did a great job of controlling sway. We had another camper pass us in strong crosswinds, and that trailer was all over the road. The Camplite with the Andersen hitch would sway in one direction slightly and settle right back in. Passing 18 wheelers had little effect on us. While maintaining a speed of about 65MPH, we averaged about 11 MPG over the 5000 miles, even with some pretty good grades in parts. I was very happy with that.
Here are a few things I learned:
1) Louisiana has the roughest Interstate roads.
2) Texas has more crosses, American flags and pro-gun signs/stickers than any other state (and were very friendly).
3) The gas in Southeast Utah is not as expensive as people were warning me, although don't get gas at the Desert View section of the Grand Canyon National Park.
4) Mississippi, New Mexico and Texas have some pretty smooth roads, as does Florida.
5) Staying at the rest stops overnight went well.
6) The Pilot/Flying J charge card available through Good Sam saves you 5 cents a gallon and with all but one location, their regular price was already the cheapest. The card saved us a lot.
7) Remember that showers will fill the grey tank a lot faster than you may be used to.
We stayed at Trailer Village in the Grand Canyon. It was excellent. The location was great. The best was the Elk that would roam the park. Also, you could just get on the bus a short walk from your camper and go anywhere in the park. In the six days we were there, we hiked about 24 miles, including three miles down Bright Angel Trail (about a 2,000 ft descent) and then back up (the tough part).
(http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h197/djsamuel121859/IMAG1686_zps8e4f98e4.jpg)
(http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h197/djsamuel121859/10552407_964363600257337_5445133975902947211_n_zps3d47388b.jpg)
(http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h197/djsamuel121859/10696397_967871059906591_8100786628207340624_n_zps3c00d053.jpg)
(http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h197/djsamuel121859/10665824_968561876504176_147932804559021744_n_zps1858897b.jpg)
Sounds like a great trip!
Love the pictures!
What'd he dress out at ?
Quote from: @pinstriper" source="/post/3926/thread" timestamp="1412000662What'd he dress out at ?
If I get a chance, I'll have to post a video my wife took of a guy who thought he could closely approach a bull elk, during mating season. Good thing the guy could run! An attendant at the campground told us that a few days prior, a family tried to put their children on the back of a bull elk to ride it. :o
[quote source="/post/3948/thread" timestamp="1412082893" author="@djsamuel"][quote source="/post/3926/thread" timestamp="1412000662" author="@pinstriper"]What'd he dress out at ?
[/quote]If I get a chance, I'll have to post a video my wife took of a guy who thought he could closely approach a bull elk, during mating season. Good thing the guy could run! An attendant at the campground told us that a few days prior, a family tried to put their children on the back of a bull elk to ride it. :o
[/quote]Somewhere, Darwin is clenching his fists and gnashing his teeth.
Quote from: @pinstriper" source="/post/3950/thread" timestamp="1412089529[quote source="/post/3948/thread" timestamp="1412082893" author="@djsamuel"]If I get a chance, I'll have to post a video my wife took of a guy who thought he could closely approach a bull elk, during mating season. Good thing the guy could run! An attendant at the campground told us that a few days prior, a family tried to put their children on the back of a bull elk to ride it. :o
Somewhere, Darwin is clenching his fists and gnashing his teeth.
[/quote]
No, this is natural selection at work. Feel sorry for the kids.
Thank you for posting your trip report, enjoyed the pictures. I have elk in my front yard in Payson, Arizona including one with an impressive 6x6 rack. If you enjoyed Arches then a good book is Desert Solitaire by Edward Abbey. For hiking Arizona visit [a href="http://www.hikearizona.com"]www.hikearizona.com[/a]
Here are some more Grand Canyon Pictures:
[a href="https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.977830778910619.1073741831.100000511177427&type=1&l=b8b0e9fdae"]Click HERE[/a]
Here are some more pictures as I upload them:
[a href="https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.979096765450687.1073741835.100000511177427&type=1&l=1c28bb9f93"]Arches National Park, Moab Utah[/a]
Thank you for sharing and we enjoyed the pictures.
Enjoyed the photos & trip report!!!!
[font size="3"]Fabulous! We've traveled to southern Utah and the canyons, etc., many times and keep going back. In fact we're heading there again this spring. Doesn't Grand Canyon just knock your socks off??! And Bryce Canyon....no words! Moab is our favorite town. There is nowhere like that part of the world and we keep finding new treasures there. If you go back, you've got to check out Mesa and Corona arches, Little Wild Horse slot canyon, Goblin Valley, and oh!...hike the Narrows and Angels Landing in Zion Park! Then there's Mesa Verde in Colorado...a must see. So much to see and do!
We plan to explore Chaco Canyon in New Mexico next. Massive Anasazi ruins!
Great pics! Thanks![/font]
Awesome pictures, thanks for the ride report and the inspiration!
[quote source="/post/6371/thread" timestamp="1422799884" author="@brenda"][font size="3"]Fabulous! We've traveled to southern Utah and the canyons, etc., many times and keep going back. In fact we're heading there again this spring. Doesn't Grand Canyon just knock your socks off??! And Bryce Canyon....no words! Moab is our favorite town. There is nowhere like that part of the world and we keep finding new treasures there. If you go back, you've got to check out Mesa and Corona arches, Little Wild Horse slot canyon, Goblin Valley, and oh!...hike the Narrows and Angels Landing in Zion Park! Then there's Mesa Verde in Colorado...a must see. So much to see and do!
We plan to explore Chaco Canyon in New Mexico next. Massive Anasazi ruins!
Great pics! Thanks![/font][/quote]We've been to Bryce Canyon, Zion and Mesa Verde on previous trips (as well as Durango, CO, Painmted Desert/Petrified Forest, Meteor Crater, Sedona and more).
This was our third trip to the Grand Canyon, twice to the south rim and once to the North rim. You're right. Just can't get enough. Longer trip this year is planned for the Smoky Mountains, but then will head back out west. We hit the three mile mark on Bright Angel Trail. We didn't go further because of the time of day. Now we want to go back and get to the 4.5 mile point. It is all such a beautiful area.
Glad you enjoyed the pictures.
Just realized I never posted links to the rest of the pictures.
[a href="https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.973915992635431.1073741829.100000511177427&type=1&l=41803d421d"]Grand Canyon - Bright Angel Trail[/a]
[a href="https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.984450708248626.1073741836.100000511177427&type=1&l=4a27856d4b"]Canyonlands National Park[/a]
[a href="https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.974022875958076.1073741830.100000511177427&type=1&l=8f6d2912cd"]Grand Canyon Sunset[/a]
[a href="https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.978866685473695.1073741834.100000511177427&type=1&l=749989d6fe"]Drive from Grand Canyon to Moab - Monument Valley[/a]
[font size="3"]Djsamuel, I also have hiked down a few miles into the Grand Canyon on that same trail, and remember it being difficult because the logs, or railroad ties, or whatever those were that were put there to make steps, but due to high traffic wearing away the path, they are now more like obstacles to step over. I've heard that other trails are better. As GRAND as the Grand Canyon is, we enjoyed hiking in Zion better. The two hikes I mentioned above, Angel's Landing and The Narrows, are amazing.
That said, backpacking into the Grand Canyon is on my bucket list. :)[/font]
[quote source="/post/6455/thread" timestamp="1422892066" author="@brenda"][font size="3"]Djsamuel, I also have hiked down a few miles into the Grand Canyon on that same trail, and remember it being difficult because the logs, or railroad ties, or whatever those were that were put there to make steps, but due to high traffic wearing away the path, they are now more like obstacles to step over. I've heard that other trails are better. As GRAND as the Grand Canyon is, we enjoyed hiking in Zion better. The two hikes I mentioned above, Angel's Landing and The Narrows, are amazing.
That said, backpacking into the Grand Canyon is on my bucket list. :)[/font][/quote]Agree on those trails. We loved Angel's Landing, and wish we went further up the Narrows. Of course our daughter was a teen when we were there and not "into" hiking too much. She's 26 now and wished she enjoyed the National Parks more instead of complaining, so it was worth it. :D