Driving a 27ft Class C in Mount Rainier NP
- Mark as New
- Bookmark
- Subscribe
- Mute
- Subscribe to RSS Feed
- Permalink
- Report Inappropriate Content
Jun-12-2014 11:12 AM
I am the designated driver :C . I've driven all over the place, including some of the more challenging mountain passes of the West, but this was all in a minivan. I've never driven an RV in my life, but we do have this fantasy/plan to buy an RV when we retire and travel some more in North and Central/South America (probably 10-15 years from today), so I'm looking forward to finally experiencing driving and living in an RV.
For the long term "plantasy" I have my sights set on a truck and a 5th wheeler. For now however, we're going to rent, and the only thing we can rent is a motorhome. I'm thinking 23-28 feet class C motorhome should be within our budget.
And now, to my current question. I was thinking of starting our trip with a visit to Mount Rainier. We've already visited Washington and spent time in Olympic NP and other wonderful places, but never in Rainier. Looking at the park map, looks like the Wonderland Trail (park road) is a winding road with lots of switchbacks. I would absolutely relish driving this in a minivan, but I'm not at all sure about a motorhome? What's mountain driving like with a motorhome of this size? Should I skip it and wait for when I've had more experience driving it?
- Labels:
-
Class C
- Mark as New
- Bookmark
- Subscribe
- Mute
- Subscribe to RSS Feed
- Permalink
- Report Inappropriate Content
Jun-26-2014 12:10 PM
pnichols wrote:
Were you going down in 1st gear and worrying about brakes?
It seems like it would take a pretty steep slope to in addition needing a lot of brakes in 1st gear given the 4:56 differential that's in an E450 Class C.
That sounds very technical :E I think once I know what kind of rental we'll have I may come back for more tips.
- Mark as New
- Bookmark
- Subscribe
- Mute
- Subscribe to RSS Feed
- Permalink
- Report Inappropriate Content
Jun-26-2014 11:56 AM
It seems like it would take a pretty steep slope to in addition needing a lot of brakes in 1st gear given the 4:56 differential that's in an E450 Class C.
- Mark as New
- Bookmark
- Subscribe
- Mute
- Subscribe to RSS Feed
- Permalink
- Report Inappropriate Content
Jun-26-2014 08:34 AM
This was totally our experience. No problem overall - ours is 28 ft. We stopped a couple times on the way down to make sure the brakes didn't overheat... It should be a fun trip for you!
- Mark as New
- Bookmark
- Subscribe
- Mute
- Subscribe to RSS Feed
- Permalink
- Report Inappropriate Content
Jun-14-2014 07:48 AM
- Mark as New
- Bookmark
- Subscribe
- Mute
- Subscribe to RSS Feed
- Permalink
- Report Inappropriate Content
Jun-13-2014 12:30 PM
You note that you are planning to travel in August. Will your trip carry over to September? Be advised that a number of campgrounds begin to close up in September in Canada and Alaska, and that winter can start about mid-September in various areas. Please, if you haven't done it yet, check out Roll Call Alaska 2013 and Roll Call Alaska 2014 in the Rving in Alaska and Canada forum for all kinds of important information to know. Best wishes for a successful trip. Bob
- Mark as New
- Bookmark
- Subscribe
- Mute
- Subscribe to RSS Feed
- Permalink
- Report Inappropriate Content
Jun-12-2014 09:55 PM
As for rental costs, no, they're not cheap. Including full insurance, renting a motorhome costs anything between $100 to $250 a day for a 25' vehicle. It depends on how far in advance you make the reservation. Right now, if I were to try and book one for August, it would be in the $250 range. Waaaay out of our budget. I talked to the local agent and she said she's hoping we could go under $100 a day for a long rental, if we book in September (for August 2015). $100 for the RV + $30 a night for campgrounds (we plan on sticking to provincial parks CG's in Canada, at $12-$15 a night, so I'm averaging). With a minivan, rental would be $45 and motels $80, so it's a little bit cheaper. However, those are the rates for the lower 48. From what I've seen, we'd be pressed to find accommodation in Alaska and in some areas of Canada for under $120, or even $150 a night, in the height of season. In which case, the RV option becomes the cheaper one. As for gas, from what I've seen it should be 2.5 times more expensive than a minivan, so an additional $1500 to the entire trip. Coming from Israel, gas prices seem very low to us (half of what we pay here), so that's ok 😉
Right now, I'm working on a detailed plan so I'll have our dates ready come September. Fingers crossed that we get a good quote on the rental making this plan come true.
- Mark as New
- Bookmark
- Subscribe
- Mute
- Subscribe to RSS Feed
- Permalink
- Report Inappropriate Content
Jun-12-2014 09:21 PM
Take a look at http://www.nps.gov/mora/planyourvisit/camping.htm, max RV lengths are 32' and 35'.
Look though the C forum for driving tips such as watching your tail swing with your mirrors. Every time I drive the 'C' today I automatically damp down my driving motions due to the larger size, larger turning radius and heavier weight...have fun...
Roadmaster Anti-Sway Bars, Blue Ox TigerTrak
- Mark as New
- Bookmark
- Subscribe
- Mute
- Subscribe to RSS Feed
- Permalink
- Report Inappropriate Content
Jun-12-2014 07:44 PM
Good luck!
- Mark as New
- Bookmark
- Subscribe
- Mute
- Subscribe to RSS Feed
- Permalink
- Report Inappropriate Content
Jun-12-2014 06:41 PM
- Mark as New
- Bookmark
- Subscribe
- Mute
- Subscribe to RSS Feed
- Permalink
- Report Inappropriate Content
Jun-12-2014 05:35 PM
"A beach house isn't just real estate. It's a state of mind." Pole Sitter in Douglas Adams MOSTLY HARMLESS
- Mark as New
- Bookmark
- Subscribe
- Mute
- Subscribe to RSS Feed
- Permalink
- Report Inappropriate Content
Jun-12-2014 01:27 PM
We made sure that we got to Paradise Lodge early in the morning because the parking lot fills up fast and you can't stop if the lot is full.
You could make a loop through Mt Rainier NP, then up through the North Cascades NP checking out some of the interesting little towns like Leavenworth, Lake Chelan, or Okanogan along the way.
Enjoy.
- Mark as New
- Bookmark
- Subscribe
- Mute
- Subscribe to RSS Feed
- Permalink
- Report Inappropriate Content
Jun-12-2014 01:19 PM
2000 Ford F250 7.3
- Mark as New
- Bookmark
- Subscribe
- Mute
- Subscribe to RSS Feed
- Permalink
- Report Inappropriate Content
Jun-12-2014 01:16 PM
Bob
- Mark as New
- Bookmark
- Subscribe
- Mute
- Subscribe to RSS Feed
- Permalink
- Report Inappropriate Content
Jun-12-2014 12:45 PM
2004 Fleetwood Tioga 22B - Chevy chassis
10' Wells cargo trailer
Gracie Mae - our 9 year old Papillon