Do you like camping off the beaten path? Or do you prefer more civilized places to stay with your RV, perhaps near a small town?
That’s our question today. Specifically, how inclined would you be to drive 3 miles on a dirt road to get to where you will camp? Is that par for the course, or is it something you are not inclined to do?
Let’s assume that the dirt road is in okay condition, not one that requires a four-wheel drive or other off-road vehicle to negotiate easily—so most RVs wouldn’t have a big problem.
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We hope you are having a wonderful day!
Wow! I’m proud of us. Knowing that many, many RV Travel readers are “old folks” like me, I’m glad to see the majority of us haven’t lost our spirit of adventure and our determination to experience the best of life. But the key here IS that they are good dirt roads. Let’s all play safe and don’t be too proud to say “Not this time” when appropriate.
Especially during and right after the torrential downpours that are so common nowadays. That helps keep the crowding down. Except, you know, on those “good” dirt roads. They can get quite crowded.
Depends on the Campground and if it has room and electricity for my 34′ Class A. I love being off the beaten path, but we now need electricity for our CPap machines and there is no room to increase the battery bank.
Ed, we installed two 400 Ah LifePo4 batteries in the same footprint as the 4 OEM FLA batteries that came with our coach. Having 800 Ah of power was a great upgrade. We recharge with the generator for a couple hours each day to make up what solar couldn’t and it’s quite liberating, even with a power hungry rig like ours.
I use a 1000w electric generator. I can get 4 full nights out of it. You can recharge it via 12v or use the solar panels (extra cost). I use the solar panels, usually can get a full recharge on it with in an 8 hr day with the panels. Works awesome, no worries on using the rig to power my cpap for days. It can also be used for various other things being so small and portable. Safe travels.
Well, I boondock a couple of times a year. One over a 10 mile rough dirt road, so 3 miles would not be a challenge
Sounds good to me. Perhaps a nicer class of people RVing there.
You did say the road is in good condition with easy passage? No problem with being unpaved so long as I know that. The far bigger question for me is what I can expect at the RV park.
I don’t mind driving down a dirt road to find a nice camp spot. I did that on my second trip with my , then new to me toy hauler, the road was not just dirt but filled with washboard sections and lots, and I mean lots, of holes. and bumps. Got to the destination and did the self check-in and had the whole campground to ourselves for the weekend. Pretty da*n nice.
Here in the Adirondack Park some of the roads are graded dirt roads with patches of washboard. If the road’s well maintained I have no problem towing our camper trailer to a campground. I just slow down and take it easy.
If the road is relatively smooth without a bunch of overgrowth, it’s no big deal to me. A thin layer of road dust requires the same washing effort from me as a thick layer. Uneven or washboarded roads that try to empty my cupboards or cause tank straps to fail, I’ll surrender to though.
I’ve often wondered what’s at the end of the road.
In Wisconsin there are federal campgrounds and a sign saying so many miles away. Only once did I travel 10/15 miles down an unpaved road to find a situation where I didn’t want to be. Besides bad roads, undesirable squatters.
Couldn’t get out of there fast enough
I have been to National Forest campgrounds in past years and wonder how some can get those giant land yachts in such a place when even a smaller trailer is a tight fit. Or one of those silly toy haulers with a few hot rod ATV’s in them. I believe it is past time to outlaw the ATV’s in National Forests as so many of the ding dongs riding them have caused accidents with their maniac use. Like it or not.
Thank you, RV Travel! 🙂 I said yes, if it is a special place. By that I mean if DW really, really wants to go there, then it becomes “special” and worth the trouble. 😉 Thanks again, safe travels, and safe stays! 🙂
The best thing we have found about dirt roads is the lack of noise you hear after you are set up and relaxing around the campsite. Most of the popular rv parks seem to be located along a busy highway.
Been there done that. South side of Eleven Mile Reservoir in Colorado, just over 3 miles on a washboard dirt road. It DESTROYED my slide out mechanism. I’ll never do that again…
Depends on condition of road.
Right. Should have been specified in the poll.
“Let’s assume that the dirt road is in okay condition, not one that requires a four-wheel drive or other off-road vehicle to negotiate easily—so most RVs wouldn’t have a big problem.”
It depends on the condition of the dirt road. Rutted? Not a chance. Otherwise we likely would go.
We will not take our 40 footer on dirt roads, but we do take our 24 footer occasionally on a dirt road if it is a special place.
Since we mostly boondock this would be preferable. 3 miles would be short compared to what we usually drive. We don’t concrete camp.
When you’re in a motorhome, you feel & hear all the rattling, bouncing and other “cringey” sounds of what’s happening to your rig & its contents. So, dirt roads mean it has to be a very special place for us.
Agreed, especially with the toad behind us.
When we tent camped, and even with the pop-up trailer we would drive dirt roads in National forests to a nice camping area. Now with our 40′ trailer that’s not happening.
Dirt roads are more likely to have branches hanging down. I like my stuff on the roof to stay there plus I like my paint as well. Then there is the dirt and dust in the radiator. I won’t even park on grass. If it rains, then dirt becomes mud quickly.
Kissimmee Prairie State Park in FL has a L-O-N-G dirt road entrance that is well maintained & out in the open (so no forest to drive thru). At the right time of year it is fantastic as it is a dark sky campground & red lights only allowed after dark. Have only gone once and is on my list to try to go again. Dark sky campgrounds bring me back to the kid years when starlight was enough to light up the space around you….
Our son used to live 2 miles up a VA mountain dirt road. We never thought twice about taking our 36′ up that to camp next their house. There is good dirt and bad and we have been on good and medium quality dirt many times in our coach. His current house is 3/4 mile back from the road on a dirt driveway. Bring it on!
Answered, ‘Sounds good to me’. As long as the road isn’t powdery dirt. Gravel road, as shown in the photo above, would be of no concern to me or my wife.
As I’ve said before: “Take me home country road Take me back to where I belong.” Right “Mountain Momma”?
Hi, Kelly. Yep. That’s where I got my nickname, Mountain Mama, from (in 1971). (Thank you, John Denver!) My car’s license plate is MTNMAMA and my Suburban’s plate is MTNMOMA. Both plate holders say, “I’d rather be in the mountains.” Hmmm. I just thought of something. I should update them to say, “I’d rather be at my mountain property.” I’ll have to look into that.🤔 Have a good night, Kelly.🤗 –Diane aka Mountain Mama
Well I grew up watching Star Trek so I say aye aye Cap’n !!!! Although did get stuck in soft sand in Anza Borego and thankfully rescued within an hour thank you folks and also the same day scratch the heck out of my Winnebago view driving up the side of a mountain on a narrow rutted sand dirt road that had ocotillo cactus taller than my RV on each side, thankfully I was able to buff them out. Most amazing 4 nights tho looking out over Blair Valley with no one around except a couple of campers in the valley. Absolutely awesome
Depends on the road but after camping around Mount Baker, some dirt roads look much better. So many potholes!