Trip Summary, Lessons Learned

Our first long RV trip was everything we expected and more. The RV performed extremely well and our advance planning paid off. We arrived on the planned day at each stop-over point and, with a few exceptions, kept our driving time to within reasonable limits.

The RV is cleaned inside and out and put back in storage ready for the next trip. Planning starts soon. In the meantime, here is a summary of the trip along with some metrics to help future budgeting and planning.

Before we get to that, thanks to all who have followed our adventure and read along as we progressed on our trip. I'd love for you to leave a comment or two to let me know if you have questions, or just want to weigh in with your thoughts. Just scroll down to the bottom of any of the posts and you'll find a place to add a comment.

• We got our kicks on Route 66
• We stood on a corner in Winslow Arizona
• We visited 8 National Parks (Petrified Forest, Grand Canyon, Zion, Bryce Canyon, Capitol Reef, Canyonlands, Arches, Rocky Mountain ... 
• ... and 3 National Monuments (Pipe Springs, Grand Staircase Escalante, Cedar Breaks)
• Our elevation varied from about 300 feet to over 11,000 feet above sea level
• We camped in or visited 4 State Parks (Cedars of Lebanon, TN; Dead Horse Point, UT; Prairie Dog, KS; Chickasaw, TN)
• We found that the Army Corps of Engineers operates campgrounds across the country, most often by water. We stayed in two, both in Arkansas: Maumelle and Willow Beach
• The National Parks "Senior Access" Pass ($10 for lifetime) is a great deal. Get it soon, price escalates to $80 in August.

Total Trip duration: 51 days
Miles driven, in the RV: 6280
States visited: 11*
National Parks/National Monuments: 11
Average Fuel Consumption: 8.4 mpg
Average Fuel Cost: $2.10/gallon
Highest fuel cost: Utah, especially near the parks (as much as $2.79/gal)
Campgrounds Used:18 (12 commercial, 6 public)
Average Nightly campground cost: $34.39
Least costly: Willow Beach Park, Army Corps of Engineers in Tennessee $9.50
Most costly: Canyonlands RV Park, Moab, Utah
Favorite Commercial Campground: Willow Wind RV Park, Hurricane, UT
Favorite Public Campground: Maumelle, Army Corps of Engineers near Little Rock in Arkansas

Here are some lessons learned, in no particular order:

• Planning pays, but it does constrain, meaning there is a commitment to get to the next location on the day of the reservation. 
• Quality of the campground is not commensurate with price. The best campgrounds were often the least expensive. 
• Public campgrounds do not always have large sites. Some were just as jammed as the commercial properties. The largest sites were in the Corps of Engineer parks. They were also the prettiest - along a major waterway.
• 6 hours of planned driving is too long. We found that it takes about 2 hours additional for breaks including fuel and lunch. The trip planners are optimistic about time - and use a speed that is higher that we like to drive in a large RV. 4 hours were much more comfortable. 
• It's nice to arrive at the campground around 2 or 3 in the afternoon to allow time to set up and relax before dinner. 
• Build in an occasional rest day, especially if you plan on driving several days to reach a final destination.  Also, allow some time for sightseeing while on the way. We did a few of these, but would have liked to have had more leisure (i.e., non-driving time) while en route to GCNP.
• The National Parks are crowded. 
• WiFi in the commercial campgrounds was more than adequate for email and blogging. I never felt that it was too slow - but then I was not trying to stream video. 
• Don't rely on cell phone service in remote areas. Even the state parks that were not close to an Interstate highway had poor service. Any campground near an Interstate had great service.
• Using a rental car may be more cost effective than owning a special, towable vehicle and modifying it as a toad. Certainly it's not as convenient; but finding a rental outlet that picked us up at the campground was only a problem in Grand Canyon National Park. But then, we did not need a car there at all with the robust bus system in the park. 
• We took too much stuff; especially staple items for meals like spices and condiments. Good meal planning should identify what is needed - and only take those things. 
• RV air conditioners cannot keep up when the temperature is in the 90's or better and the sun is bright. Shade helps tremendously. 
• RVs tuned for sea level do not climb hills well at 8000+ feet. 
•  A collapsible wagon is handy for toting laundry to the laundromat. In GCNP, the laundromat was .7 miles from the Trailer Village - a long walk both ways carrying 4 loads of laundry. We found a nice wagon at Wal-Mart for $45. 
• If you are used to doing your laundry at home, be prepared for the challenges of a laundromat. Dryers don't dry your clothes in 30 minutes - save your quarters because you'll need lots of 'em. Take a good book and be prepared to set for a few hours while the machines do their thing. 
• Use as many on line tools as you can to check out a campground before making a reservation. Not all campgrounds are appropriate for all types of RVs. Some are old and in poor repair; others are brand new and have small trees with little shade. We were in several campgrounds that had no grass which can be a problem if you are traveling with a dog. Using the overhead or satellite view in your mapping apps can help ascertain the condition of the campground.

 We are planning now for a non-camping adventure. We have a good friend who lives on the path of totality for the August 21 total solar eclipse. So we'll be traveling back to Lenoir City for a short visit and a day in the sun. We already have our glasses.

*States in order of visit: Virginia, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, Utah, Colorado, Kansas, Missouri. We stopped in some of these twice, but only counted them once.