RVing versus hotels for a trip out west fromVA

When do you plan to leave? Going south from VA the first stops that occur to me are Shenandoah NP and Mammoth Caves NP if you haven't been to those sites. I'd take I-44 from St Louis down to I-40 and that to NM. New Mexico is full of places to go. Leaving NM north on I-25 thru CO will take you close to Great Sand Dunes and later Rocky Mountain NP. In WY you can take US20 west to Yellowstone and Grand Tetons. That brings you to the east side of ID. There are all sorts of small attractions and parks along these routes.

I'd take I-90 back which would bring you thru the Black Hills and pass close to Devils Tower in WY. Then Badlands NP.

What is the question? :B The camper allows you to stop and start as you please, take the road less traveled and enjoy the journey. Plus you always know what the bed is like and where the bathroom is.

Well either way you sound like you will be driving. So it must come down to RV or hotel room. Personally in the RV I don't have to drag luggage in and out. Can find locations with much better views in the RV. Eat my own food or eat out if I wish. Generally, you meet nicer people in a CG. The only perk to the hotel room over your slide in may be the shower but you can always use the CG shower or when the urge strikes get the hotel room for the night.

I use to travel for a living and I personally dislike most hotel rooms, bed bugs and all.

It's not the destination but the trip along the way that creates the experience. I'd rather remember the road and CG's than TSA pat downs and cramped airline seating.

Based on our experience with that type of trip, 8-10 weeks would be good without feeling rushed. We also like to drive 300 or less miles/day when enroute between destinations.

We drove fm VA to LA, a 7900+ mile tripe this time last year. We went south, stopping in Vicksburg, San Antonio, Fredsricksburg, TX, Carlsbad, NM, Tombstone & Tucson, AZ, Las Vegas, Death Valley, Los Angeles, back to Grand Canyon, then diagonally across the country to KC to visit son's in-laws, then on to Michigan to visit daughter then home.

The nice thing about the trailer we pulled was I got to sleep in my bed every night, not in a bed someone else slept in the night before.

dukenurse wrote:
Honey is having second thoughts about driving from VA to NM, ID then home with sightseeing along the way. We have a diesel truck with a self contained slide in. We don't have any time constraints and only want to drive 300 or les miles per day. Your suggestions are welcome.
Thanks,
Connie

Here is my take on it. You're going to be driving each option, so you're going to be sitting in the truck for the 4,000 odd miles of the round trip. That's around 60 hours, a week on the road each way. That's 14 nights in a hotel, eating out three meals a day, and I figure the cost difference between that and camping at $100 per night, so the hotel trip will cost around $1400 more than camping (including fuel difference for pulling the trailer). Plus you get to sleep in your own bed, eat your own food that you prepare, etc.

Downside of camping is that you need to tow the trailer, you need to do the housework of maintaining the trailer, making the bed, doing laundry, cooking, washing the dishes. Figure two hours a day on housework and taking care of the rig.

Other things - you can be equally "free" with either. I often stop for an over-night tucked in the back of a truck stop - free, use the truck stop facilities, have a meal in their restaurant, shop at their store, fill up with fuel. I stop at a "camp ground" maybe one night in three on a long trip. When I do a long trip with hotels, I pick up the State visitors guide at the visitors center when I enter each state. It has nothing in it but discount coupons to all of the hotels and motels along the interstate, exit numbers, other amenities, and I use that as a guide to where I plan to stop each night. Makes me equally free. So I've done trips each way, and enjoyed both. They are quite different, though, and I sure do get tired of hotels and restaurant food after a couple of days on the road.

Brian

Since you already have the truck camper, just take it. If the mood strikes, stay at a hotel or if the mood strikes stay at a campsite.

If you want to save a little money, make dinner. If you want to splurge go out to a restaurant.

You will spend a little more in fuel but I think if you run the numbers you will find it will easily be offset with the cost savings from days camping and eating in the RV.

Been there, done that twice. You'll love it.

You should check out the usual stops. Petrified Forest NP, Grand Canyon NP (both South and North, very different places), Bryce and Zion, Arches, Grand Teton, Yellowstone, Glacier, Death Valley. Heck, take the entire spring, summer, and fall, and you might scratch the surface.

We follow the 2,2,2 rule if possible. Drive 200 miles a day, arrive before 2 PM, and stay 2 days. If you insist on driving 300 miles, arrive when you get there, and move on the next day, you can get from West Virginia to Seattle in 2 weeks. Ditto Los Angeles to Virginia. But the real joy is taking your time and being able to see and explore the fabulous sights along the way. This is a great continent we share.

There is a book my daughter bought for us when we got our RV back in 2008: "Road Trip USA" by Jamie Jensen. It's about 900 pages detailing 11 different cross-country trips via 2-lane roads, mostly, with tips of where to stop and what to see on the way. So far we've managed hurried trips on 2 of them, can't wait for the DW to retire so we can take more.

Clicky

valhalla360 wrote:
Since you already have the truck camper, just take it. If the mood strikes, stay at a hotel or if the mood strikes stay at a campsite.

If you want to save a little money, make dinner. If you want to splurge go out to a restaurant.

You will spend a little more in fuel but I think if you run the numbers you will find it will easily be offset with the cost savings from days camping and eating in the RV.

Agree. Years ago had vw camper followed by a Rialta. Many times we wanted a break from the confines of the RV and stayed at a motel. Lots of options with a TC.

I'd also take the camper. Lots of great places out west where hotels are A) non-existent or B) If there are any, they'll be pricey.