3,343 miles- One Month Some Stats and thoughts

[4X4Dodger]

Here are some statistics and thoughts on some of the RV Parks we stayed at on our journey so far from Minot ND to Arizona. We left Minot on the 30th of Aug and arrived in Phoenix on the 30th of September.

We traveled from Minot to Bismarck then to Spearfish SD then up to Cody WY on to Yellowstone National Park, Livingston MT then down to West Yellowstone through Grand Teton Natl Park, Jackson WY and then cut down through Utah to Capitol Reef Natl Park on to Monument valley, Flagstaff and now Phoenix via 89a and Jerome AZ.

For those of you not consulting a map by now it’s a lot of mountains with many long steep grades almost no Interstate driving (except in Utah) and lots of Roller Coaster roads.

Here are some stats you might find interesting:

Total Mileage to arriving in Phoenix: 3,343.5

AVG MPG: 9.44

Fuel Quantity: 334.8 gallons

Total Fuel Cost $ 908.32

AVG cost per Gallon: $2.745

My truck is a 2014 Dodge Ram 2500 4x4 5.7L Hemi my trailer is 33ft overall and weighed in at 8320 with one propane tank empty. This is with everything we needed packed in the trailer. (The trailers GVWR is 10,720 lbs.)

The entire rig with my truck, 2 pass, 2 dogs, generator (in the truck) et al weighed in at 16,300 lbs. My truck was nowhere near its capacity or its towing limits.

For most of this trip we have concentrated on staying in National Parks or USFS campgrounds. We have stayed at only 4 Commercial RV parks. Here are some thoughts on those.

Standing out as the WORST RV park we stayed in is OSENS RV Park in Livingston MT (a Good Sam Park). Facilities were a bit rundown and there were more rules than the East German Stasi had but even sillier. B ut there was nothing glaringly bad except the owners who had this surface friendliness backed by this creepy intrusiveness. We talked to some other people in the park who felt the same. I would not stay there again unless it was the last choice and I didn’t have enough gas to get me to the Bozeman Wal Mart parking lot.

The next park we stayed in was the Gouldings RV Park in Monument Valley. We were here this Spring also and loved it. The staff is responsive…truly friendly and helpful it is set in a beautiful canyon with views over MV. There is a complete supermarket ½ mile down the road with everything you need at normal prices.

Woody Mountain RV Park in Flagstaff was our next Commercial Park and while the facilities were run down, the restrooms needed a good deep cleaning and falling apart but the setting was so serene and beautiful that you could forget all of that. The staff was friendly and not intrusive.

We are now in the Destiny Phoenix RV Park in Goodyear AZ. Their website oversells the place a bit but it is very pleasant with orange and grapefruit trees and some shade at almost every site. The facilities ar good and clean. It is convenient to a million stores of every description yet out alone by itself and very quiet. The only real irritating thing about this place is that they demand FULL payment when you make a reservation.

Among the National Parks that we stayed in our favorite CG was at Fruita in Capitol reef. Large sites in a stand of huge elm and cottonwood trees surrounded by fruit orchards. It’s truly a great place to stay.

At Grand Teton we stayed at Colter Bay CG (not the RV park) and had an electrical hookup. Great sites. Great restrooms and showers and a friendly staff. There are some wonderful hikes from there around the peninsula with stunning views of the mountains.

We leave Phoenix soon to spend a month in Tucson and then we are off to the Baja for the rest of the winter. More on that later.

[petrel]

That is a great schedule. Definitely MY kind of traveling. Thanks for the report!

[4X4Dodger]

TechWriter wrote:
I guess you like driving . . . that's 3,343 miles in 30 days -- 111 miles/day average.

Our 1st full timing year was 5,068 miles in 261 days (19 miles/day average) . . . and we thought we were going fast.

Actually we spent multiple days in most spots. 7 days in Theodore Rooselvelt National Park

2 Days in Spearfish
2 nights in Livingston (waiting for a campsite in YSNP)
2 days in USFS park near Yellowstone (quake Lake)
3 days in Yellowstone
3 days in Grand Teton
3 nights 4 days at Capitol Reef NP
4 days at Monument valley
4 days in Flagstaff

We have been in Phoenix for a week and we will go from here to Picacho Peak state park for a few days then on to Tucson for a month before going to Baja for a reservation at San Felipe. We will end up down in La Paz area.

The difference is this. While we didnt have a real schedule we did have certain reservations made in advance. We just used the time to see some parks at our leisure along the way.

And yes I do like to drive but that wasnt the motivation. We simply picked our next place and went there. There were only two what I would consider longer drives...one from Spearfish Through Yellowstone park to Livingston (all CG's were full even in Gardiner) and the next was Grand Teton to Capitol Reef NP in Southern Utah about 500 miles. Here I wanted to be in striking distance of the park for an early am arrival to get a campsite.

I tend to do this in a more goal oriented way rather than just wandering. I decide where I want to get to then plan a route that gets me there the most interesting way.

Also over 800 miles of that total mileage was without my trailer. Driving in my truck to local places, sights and running errands and such.

Our usual run is about 200 miles.

Having been to all 50 states many times over in my life and seen most of the great sights I dont feel the need to stop at every little roadside attraction. Some states I would just ignore altogether.

My tentative plan when leaving the Baja this coming spring is to head to Alaska by driving the west coast. Now I grew up in S. Cal and lived in Seattle for some time so there are things I will simply give a miss to because I have been there so many times, others I want to re visit and a few will be the first time.

So my style of travel differs from many because of my past experience and extensive travels. And I do like driving, especially with my trailer. 🙂

[JAXFL]

Actually 111 miles a day is not too bad, if you are in a rush or on a schedule. Only about 2 hours... Leave a campground at 10am... drive and check into the next at 12:30 for lunch and sightsee after your nap, from 3pm - 8pm...eat, drink and be merry... then do it again the next day.

[TechWriter]

I guess you like driving . . . that's 3,343 miles in 30 days -- 111 miles/day average.

Our 1st full timing year was 5,068 miles in 261 days (19 miles/day average) . . . and we thought we were going fast.

[carl2591]

I know i was just messing wid ua..;) long and strong DIESEL.. 7.3L for now.

4X4Dodger wrote:

carl2591 wrote:
nice trip that a lot of miles for sure and over some steep, terrain. sounds like the 5.7 was doing a good job for you.

have fun.

Ps bet you want a diesel now?? LOL 🙂

Actually no, I dont want a diesel. In fact if anything I am more convinced that the pulling power of the 5.7 is up to just about anything you can throw at it.

The 5.7 has plenty of reserve power on short steep hills like the road to Jerome AZ (one of the steepest in the country) and on those long steep grades of the Rockies.

[4X4Dodger]

2edgesword wrote:
Thanks for the detailed report. Not terrible mileage given the rolling hills and little interstate travel. Someday we hope to make it out there but it looks like it won't happen until retirement since our starting point is eastern NYS.

Just to clarify these "rolling hills" are mountain passes of up to 11,000 feet most in the 8,000 range and the majority on the 6-7 thousand height. The roads up these passes can often start at 2 or 3 thousand foot elevation and rise to over 8,000 in a few miles of long curvy steep roads.

I like driving these roads, they are scenic and fun. Especially the Jerome AZ road, the south eastern approach to Yellowstone, The climb out of Jackson WY and the stretch of Utah 95 going thru Glen Canyon. All Great roads very scenic and a bit of history along the way.

[4X4Dodger]

carl2591 wrote:
nice trip that a lot of miles for sure and over some steep, terrain. sounds like the 5.7 was doing a good job for you.

have fun.

Ps bet you want a diesel now?? LOL 🙂

Actually no, I dont want a diesel. In fact if anything I am more convinced that the pulling power of the 5.7 is up to just about anything you can throw at it.

The 5.7 has plenty of reserve power on short steep hills like the road to Jerome AZ (one of the steepest in the country) and on those long steep grades of the Rockies.

[hl_remington]

Thank you for trip report

[carl2591]

nice trip that a lot of miles for sure and over some steep, terrain. sounds like the 5.7 was doing a good job for you.

have fun.

Ps bet you want a diesel now?? LOL 🙂

[2edgesword]

Thanks for the detailed report. Not terrible mileage given the rolling hills and little interstate travel. Someday we hope to make it out there but it looks like it won't happen until retirement since our starting point is eastern NYS.

[missourijan]

You might want to post your reviews of campgrounds on www.rvparkreviews.com, a lot more people will see them.

[gbopp]

Great report on your trip. Thanks for sharing.