Caravan Rant

[kedanie]

Just need to vent a little.

All these caravans marching around Alaska are starting to really agrivate me. They come into campgrounds and make it difficult for those of us with the gumption of going alone to find a camp site.

When they come in it's like watching the parade of circus elephants. They clog up the entrances with everyone in line. What really gets me is that they don't seem to care about anyone else. All there folks being hearded around like sheep!

OK, I feel better now!

Keith

[Goldencrazy]

I have not been to Alaska since 2009. In that trip there were a few caravans. Looked like they were having fun. They spaced their travel well and were ready to help non-caravan folks with a problem. I understand the problems of groups but generally they were not a problem.

[Greyghost]

We are 80 days into our 6 month trip to Alaska. We never make reservations in advance because we never know where we will be on any given date. We left AZ on April 28 and due to unforeseen circumstances our first major stop was Valdez. We never encountered any caravans until yesterday when we started seeing them on the Alaska Hwy when we left Skagway. We have not been inconvenienced by caravans until this AM when 4 coaches traveling together as a caravan had the nerve to get to the CG before us. We had to wait 15 whole minutes for them to complete their sign ins at the park.:W We are currently at Bear River Rv Park in Stewart BC and will be heading south tomorrow. Like others on this thread we use CGs once a week for laundry, otherwise we use state or provincial parks or pullouts/rest areas. We have adequate solar and batteries to get us through the night unless its been overcast(like it has been this whole trip).

The only inconvenience I expect will be the rerouting due to the fires. We have met some very apprehensive slow drivers in rentals that should never have rented an RV, but what the heck, we all started some way or another. I just wish that the rental agencies would educated them about turn-outs or pull-outs.

[suprz]

We browsed the $$ for caravans and were shocked! We are pretty much not into groups so it isn't for us.. Biggest plus I can see is a onsite mechanic. But after seeing what they charge, I can almost understand why some people would think that they deserved a more privileged experience....

[Veebyes]

Avoiding caravans is not difficult. Stay away from FHU CGs. Seems most caravan people cannot go without all of the conveniences of home. Avoid travel at the peak caravan activity time. Go ahead of the wave or follow behind.

In 3 Alaska trips we have only shared a CG with a caravan a very few times. Watched one pull into Palmer for a 4th of July. Amusing to watch as they all pulled in, set up their flags, banners, all the usual 'stuff' that gets put out, wandered into the conference hall for the days debriefing, then disappeared to dinner somewhere. By 9:00 the next morning they were all gone. Rushed off to the next stop who knows where.

[TxGearhead]

Scottiemom wrote:

TxGearhead wrote:

Scottiemom wrote:
When we went to Alaska, we were repeatedly told we were about 2 weeks ahead of the caravans. Didn't realize this when we started out but it was a good thing!

Dale

Tell us more.
About what time of year was that?

We were at Mile "0" on June 3. We had left northern Indiana around May 18. We followed the "Grand Tour" as outlined in Mike and TErri Church's Alaska Camping book. To be honest, we never saw any caravans.

Dale

Thanks. I'm thinking leave Houston early May. Covering ground fast. Maybe a couple days in Yellowstone. Otherwise boogity boogity boogity to Glacier NP. From there play it by ear.

[tony_lee]

but I don't speak any Spanish

Not necessary. We have spent some years driving around in Spanish and Portuguese-speaking countries (in Europe and the Americas) and don't speak either language.

[Veebyes]

No different than cruise ship people. The cruise directors keep them moooooving along. Cattle boats.

[cpurves]

We encounter it every year. Some RVers are unsure of their ability to pilot their rigs. Especially the rental crowd. We drive the Icefields Parkway four or five times a year. Lots of rentals there. I think a lot of them are intimidated by the size and seem to think that driving slowly is safer. Lots of time they are driving 40 to 45 MPH and never pull over to let anyone by. I blame the rental companies for improper instruction when the unit is picked up.

Every year at least once there are lots of vehicles stopped to see wildlife on the side of the road. Inevitably an rv won't pull over to the side of the road. Last summer not only did they stop in the middle of the road but they all got out with cameras to take pictures. I knew that if I honked my horn I would be flipped off so we waited almost 10 minutes, I counted 21 others behind him. So inconsiderate.

Most of us have a couple of horror stories about this type of driver. Too bad we can't do anything about it.

[colliehauler]

profdant139 wrote:
Well, this is a useful thread. I think that when I plan my Yukon and Alaska trip (next year??), I will plan to do it after caravan season. I assume that's after Labour Day, right?

(And yes, we carry chains for both the truck and the trailer, in case of a September snowstorm.)

I can understand the desire for a caravan, even though it is not for me. If I were to go back to Baja, that is what I would do, even though I speak Spanish well. It helps to have someone who knows the local customs.

I would like to do Baja some day as well but I don't speak any Spanish. If I do I will go with a caravan for the security (safety in numbers).

[Scottiemom]

TxGearhead wrote:

Scottiemom wrote:
When we went to Alaska, we were repeatedly told we were about 2 weeks ahead of the caravans. Didn't realize this when we started out but it was a good thing!

Dale

Tell us more.
About what time of year was that?

We were at Mile "0" on June 3. We had left northern Indiana around May 18. We followed the "Grand Tour" as outlined in Mike and TErri Church's Alaska Camping book. To be honest, we never saw any caravans.

Dale

[jdealcpa]

I have gone on several caravans. I am hardly a sheepie. I can and do plan most of our trips and purposely move out of our comfort zone. We enjoy caravans in part because they can get us into a lot of venues and tours we would not otherwise be able to enjoy. We also enjoy the comrodery. Although we have no problem making friends in campgrounds. And have sat around many a campfire with our new friends. As to a caravan clogging up registration most caravans have preregistered us and we get in quickly. Most caravans travel pell mell so there should not be several rigs in a row and of course normal courtesy and laws do apply. The only true criticism I have of a caravan is that we/they tend to not socialize with others while on a caravan. As others have said to each his own.

[profdant139]

Well, this is a useful thread. I think that when I plan my Yukon and Alaska trip (next year??), I will plan to do it after caravan season. I assume that's after Labour Day, right?

(And yes, we carry chains for both the truck and the trailer, in case of a September snowstorm.)

I can understand the desire for a caravan, even though it is not for me. If I were to go back to Baja, that is what I would do, even though I speak Spanish well. It helps to have someone who knows the local customs.

[c_traveler2]

kedanie wrote:
Just need to vent a little.

All these caravans marching around Alaska are starting to really agrivate me. They come into campgrounds and make it difficult for those of us with the gumption of going alone to find a camp site.

When they come in it's like watching the parade of circus elephants. They clog up the entrances with everyone in line. What really gets me is that they don't seem to care about anyone else. All there folks being hearded around like sheep!

OK, I feel better now!

Keith

Yea its fun to watch them have fit when the electrical goes out.We used RV parks for showers, laundry and internet, this is what happen at one of the RV park we used and a large group was there, power dropped out for about 1-1/2 hour. The group leader was on the phone within 10 minutes complaining to the power company that his coach was getting hot. Everyone of those coaches had generators and house battery banks!

[danrclem]

icanon wrote:


Last year I ran into a group of cavaners and said the same thing but I never got upset when they hogged the landry room and when machine were free they put there clothes on top to reseve for their friends or at night passed 'fire out, quite time' they're still up laughing out loud till 2am many of us respects the rules and some campers complained to deafening ears.

Now if they hold the laundry washers and dryers for their friends and other people were there before their friends then that is rude. Being obnoxiously noisy after quiet hour is also rude.

Are these things the exception or the rule. I haven't ever been camping where there are caravans but plan on doing so next year.