Does anyone have recommendations or specific considerations for couples who want to RV in national parks while they do volunteer work for periods of 2 months or more? This couple has never RV'd before. They are venturesome and about 65 years old. They are nearly-retired professionals and have good financial resources but are still smart about not spending money on "needless" fancy extras i.e they want good utility basics. I know this is very broad in nature but welcome your thoughts. Thanks to all of you and happy Easter!

personal comfort is a very personal thing.we started with a 30+ ft MH and went up to a 38ft after a few short years. we wanted a bigger shower/bathroom on board and more storage for clothes and bigger pantry.we went from a booth dinette to a table with chairs...more comfortable for us.we went from a gas engine to a diesel for several reasons, but DH is a knowledgeable mechanic, so no worries for us.when you live in a MH for a couple months, comfort matters, and generally, the parks want you for at least 3 months nowadays.So.... they will probably be content with a MH close to 40feet IF they are comfortable driving it.

Do these people already have a position with a specific national park? If so, they need to check (with the specific national park and the concessionaire who would likely be the actual employer) and find out what constraints, if any, there might be for employees re: rig type or size. There's a *wide* variation in facilities available in national parks (and other venues)for park employee parking/living. I suggest that these people do a *lot* more research, particularly since they've never RVed, before making any decisions; try the Escapees forum (www.rvnetwork.com), Workamper News, and (do a search for) any of the dozens of 'fulltiming'/'working on the road' websites.

Most volunteers I see have Fifth Wheels. Next is Class A and within those, largely Diesel Pushers. Comfort and storage.We've done two two-month and one one-month volunteer stints in our 31-ft Class C and it was fine. Climate might be a factor, too, but YES be sure to check on size limitations. That said, many parks with frequent volunteers have "Volunteer Villages" and those generally have larger sites.

If the two months or more are in one place I would suggest a 3/4 ton pickup and a 30 foot TT. This is considering they have no camping experience and don't wish to toss $$$$$ to the 4-winds. I would never recommend a MH for a first time RV'er due to the upkeep, Insurance, etc.EDIT to add: I never liked to have either of my MH's to sit for two or three months due to them being gas models. I have never owned a diesel MH.

I agree with JT above, your friends need to do a lot of thinking about what type of work they want to do in the NP's and for how long (one year or many years). A nice used Class A or long Class C might just be the thing for them, but they need to get comfortable with driving a big unit and living in one for several months at a time. Then there is the insurance, licensing, storage costs that need to be considered. Another p;ossiblity is to get a smaller less expensive Class C, say 25 ft, and try that for their first year to see how their volunteer experience pans out and then go for a bigger unit if they're happy and want to volunteer for many seasons with the NPS.

Recommended RV for National Park Volunteer | Good Sam Community

14 Replies

Horizon170
Explorer
Apr 13, 2014
If the two months or more are in one place I would suggest a 3/4 ton pickup and a 30 foot TT. This is considering they have no camping experience and don't wish to toss $$$$$ to the 4-winds. I would never recommend a MH for a first time RV'er due to the upkeep, Insurance, etc.

EDIT to add: I never liked to have either of my MH's to sit for two or three months due to them being gas models. I have never owned a diesel MH.
j-d
Explorer II
Apr 13, 2014
Most volunteers I see have Fifth Wheels. Next is Class A and within those, largely Diesel Pushers. Comfort and storage.
We've done two two-month and one one-month volunteer stints in our 31-ft Class C and it was fine.
Climate might be a factor, too, but YES be sure to check on size limitations. That said, many parks with frequent volunteers have "Volunteer Villages" and those generally have larger sites.
JT
Explorer
Apr 13, 2014
Do these people already have a position with a specific national park? If so, they need to check (with the specific national park and the concessionaire who would likely be the actual employer) and find out what constraints, if any, there might be for employees re: rig type or size. There's a *wide* variation in facilities available in national parks (and other venues)for park employee parking/living.

I suggest that these people do a *lot* more research, particularly since they've never RVed, before making any decisions; try the Escapees forum (www.rvnetwork.com), Workamper News, and (do a search for) any of the dozens of 'fulltiming'/'working on the road' websites.
TexasShadow
Explorer II
Apr 13, 2014
personal comfort is a very personal thing.
we started with a 30+ ft MH and went up to a 38ft after a few short years. we wanted a bigger shower/bathroom on board and more storage for clothes and bigger pantry.
we went from a booth dinette to a table with chairs...more comfortable for us.
we went from a gas engine to a diesel for several reasons, but DH is a knowledgeable mechanic, so no worries for us.
when you live in a MH for a couple months, comfort matters, and generally, the parks want you for at least 3 months nowadays.
So.... they will probably be content with a MH close to 40feet IF they are comfortable driving it.

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Recommended RV for National Park Volunteer

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