Cross-Country Family Trip (input requested!)

[canyonrider]

1. There is a statewide fire ban in CO right now for at least the next month. We have 4 major fires burning right now, so please plan accordingly.

Definitely pay attention to the fire situation, lots of smoke in much of CO and some road/national forest closures (including a key stretch of I-70). Most of the current fire activity is north of where it looks like you are planning to go, but if we don't get some more rain pretty soon that could change.

 

[canyonrider]

Bring extra blankets and such, even if you intend to run the heat. I remember waking up to 38F temps outside in August in Yellowstone at 9000'. Good call... I keep thinking we are going to be hot. But towards to the second half coming back we might actually get chilly weather in UT and CO.

I just realized you are going to be in CO in October(?). Hopefully fire danger will subside by then. Either way you can almost certainly count on cold nights, though, especially around Telluride/Ouray/Lake City. Occasional snowfall not unusual in October, but generally a great time to be in the mountains without a lot of other people.

 

[Chewbacca]

I just realized you are going to be in CO in October(?). Hopefully fire danger will subside by then. Either way you can almost certainly count on cold nights, though, especially around Telluride/Ouray/Lake City. Occasional snowfall not unusual in October, but generally a great time to be in the mountains without a lot of other people.

Yeah, I've gone camping in October and woke up to 10 inches of snow. It probably won't happen, but it certainly can. At a minimum, bring extra blankets.

 

[BigBlueTLC]

We stayed in Target Tree Campground, which was about 15 minutes west of Mesa Verde, a couple years back. Try there, it was nice and pretty quiet (except for the occasional 18 wheeler downshifting on the highway far off in the distance)

Ahhh thank you. Will look into this.

 

[BigBlueTLC]

I just realized you are going to be in CO in October(?). Hopefully fire danger will subside by then. Either way you can almost certainly count on cold nights, though, especially around Telluride/Ouray/Lake City. Occasional snowfall not unusual in October, but generally a great time to be in the mountains without a lot of other people.

Actually looking forward to cold nights... hoping the snow holds off. Probably don't need more excitement in my life driving with the family and camper.

 

[BigBlueTLC]

Definitely pay attention to the fire situation, lots of smoke in much of CO and some road/national forest closures (including a key stretch of I-70). Most of the current fire activity is north of where it looks like you are planning to go, but if we don't get some more rain pretty soon that could change.

Good to know.... crazy how much fire there is in the west.

 

[pwag]

Glad to hear you're doing this in Oct. It has been absolutely bonkers here in CO and up north this summer. Most of the crowds will be subsiding with kids back to school in next couple of wks. T-ride is still gorgeous with fall foliage/light snow crusted peaks in early Oct. It will be 20-35F at night. At 10.5k other night, we touched 40F while 75F during day and near 100F back in Denver. Not sure what your experience is with the 2yr old, but keep the infant hydrated with lots of breast milk up high. They lose body heat very easily sub-6 months. Bring your favorite ear-plugs...if Mom & baby don't sleep well, esp initial nights at higher altitude, you should at least be well rested to handle the trailer/long days of driving.

T-ride/Ouray/Silverton corridor... given your trailer, I'd consider Ridgeway State Park (Elk Campground) as at least a backup location. Its about 55-mins to T-ride, 20min Ouray, 1hr to Silverton from this location. There are not a great deal of RV camping options in immediate T-ride vicinity. We live in Denver, have 3yr and 6 month old, often leave house late afternoon so kids sleep most of trip to T-ride, arrive 10pm'ish. We stay at the Ridgeway state park campground (Elk). It's very easy for late afterhours arrival if your itinerary has you running late. Pre-pay online here: Campgrounds and Camping Reservations - Colorado Parks and Wildlife IPAWS. We then go dispersed camping following days in National Forest. The campground is a very nice well kept location and would recommend for your trailer. Get a lake view spot if possible (you can choose sites, see map).

I'm not an RV guy, so not sure what you're capable of with a 24'. If you do Ridgeway campground & can leave trailer for the day, then this opens up the option to do entire famous Last Dollar Rd from Ridgeway side. It is beginner level, so this may be ok with your infant. Your wife will have to support their neck in the car seat at some sections, air down to ~18PSI on K02s. It's about 2hrs/18 miles from entrance to exit near T-ride private airport. Pack a picnic for summit area, then spend day in T-ride, drive back to Ridgeway campsite via pavement (55mins). Will be a good introductory off-road Colorado high mt pass experience. If it is raining hard or recent accumulated snow, consider avoiding due to mud.



Then Silverton Molas Lake Campground. Another strong consideration for RV. Alot of people feel this is a top 5 visually stunning established campgrounds in the state. Molas Lake Campground Park :: Town Silverton Colorado :: Camping and Campsites

Sunshine Campground just outside T-ride another nice one, first come first serve if memory serves.

Alta Lakes Campground...have not seen a large trailer up here, would avoid if you have it hitched. Bit rougher than Last Dollar, a potential option if you want some 4x4 action. But again, head bob of infant has to be considered. About 3-4miles to the lakes, pass through abandoned ghost town. Another picnic type spot.

Don't overpack/overcomplicate, esp with such a young kids. Most parents on these initial big trips (ourselves included) are inherently nervous as you want to have "everything available," but it ends up inhibiting the relaxed flow of the trip. Mom will be often handling children while most of camp setup/breakdown is left to you. Trailer takes a load off, but you still have stuff to manage. Remember, you are fiscally well off, you're not driving through the uninhabited Baja/central Alaska...you can break out the credit card in a pinch for something you forgot. And don't be shy of booking those $15-30 campsites to ensure you have at least something to fall-back on in heavily traffic'd areas, then changing plans, and burning the fee. I'd plan to burn a few hundred in reservation fees in the name of enhancing the trip experience.

If you have sidearms, and are concerned about lion/griz, carry at least .45 ACP. If you're going into areas where bears are prepping for hibernation, older near death bears often don't put on enough weight and those are the desperate ones that need an extra eye. You are more likely to be hit by lightning twice, but if by some miracle you find yourself in a tough situation in ID/WY, and you're not a *great* shot, pull out bear spray first. Be smart with food prep in known active bear areas. Think like a backpacker, not the greenhorn overland goonsquad in very active bear country.

Have a great trip, enjoy. You'll have a blast even if the kids don't remember it. You and your wife will cherish them. By the time you get back, you'll have a routine and probably can't wait to discard about 10-20% of the stuff you didn't originally need.

 

[BigBlueTLC]

Glad to hear you're doing this in Oct. It has been absolutely bonkers here in CO and up north this summer. Most of the crowds will be subsiding with kids back to school in next couple of wks. T-ride is still gorgeous with fall foliage/light snow crusted peaks in early Oct. It will be 20-35F at night. At 10.5k other night, we touched 40F while 75F during day and near 100F back in Denver. Not sure what your experience is with the 2yr old, but keep the infant hydrated with lots of breast milk up high. They lose body heat very easily sub-6 months. Bring your favorite ear-plugs...if Mom & baby don't sleep well, esp initial nights at higher altitude, you should at least be well rested to handle the trailer/long days of driving.

T-ride/Ouray/Silverton corridor... given your trailer, I'd consider Ridgeway State Park (Elk Campground) as at least a backup location. Its about 55-mins to T-ride, 20min Ouray, 1hr to Silverton from this location. There are not a great deal of RV camping options in immediate T-ride vicinity. We live in Denver, have 3yr and 6 month old, often leave house late afternoon so kids sleep most of trip to T-ride, arrive 10pm'ish. We stay at the Ridgeway state park campground (Elk). It's very easy for late afterhours arrival if your itinerary has you running late. Pre-pay online here: Campgrounds and Camping Reservations - Colorado Parks and Wildlife IPAWS. We then go dispersed camping following days in National Forest. The campground is a very nice well kept location and would recommend for your trailer. Get a lake view spot if possible (you can choose sites, see map).

I'm not an RV guy, so not sure what you're capable of with a 24'. If you do Ridgeway campground & can leave trailer for the day, then this opens up the option to do entire famous Last Dollar Rd from Ridgeway side. It is beginner level, so this may be ok with your infant. Your wife will have to support their neck in the car seat at some sections, air down to ~18PSI on K02s. It's about 2hrs/18 miles from entrance to exit near T-ride private airport. Pack a picnic for summit area, then spend day in T-ride, drive back to Ridgeway campsite via pavement (55mins). Will be a good introductory off-road Colorado high mt pass experience. If it is raining hard or recent accumulated snow, consider avoiding due to mud.



Then Silverton Molas Lake Campground. Another strong consideration for RV. Alot of people feel this is a top 5 visually stunning established campgrounds in the state. Molas Lake Campground Park :: Town Silverton Colorado :: Camping and Campsites

Sunshine Campground just outside T-ride another nice one, first come first serve if memory serves.

Alta Lakes Campground...have not seen a large trailer up here, would avoid if you have it hitched. Bit rougher than Last Dollar, a potential option if you want some 4x4 action. But again, head bob of infant has to be considered. About 3-4miles to the lakes, pass through abandoned ghost town. Another picnic type spot.

Don't overpack/overcomplicate, esp with such a young kids. Most parents on these initial big trips (ourselves included) are inherently nervous as you want to have "everything available," but it ends up inhibiting the relaxed flow of the trip. Mom will be often handling children while most of camp setup/breakdown is left to you. Trailer takes a load off, but you still have stuff to manage. Remember, you are fiscally well off, you're not driving through the uninhabited Baja/central Alaska...you can break out the credit card in a pinch for something you forgot. And don't be shy of booking those $15-30 campsites to ensure you have at least something to fall-back on in heavily traffic'd areas, then changing plans, and burning the fee. I'd plan to burn a few hundred in reservation fees in the name of enhancing the trip experience.

If you have sidearms, and are concerned about lion/griz, carry at least .45 ACP. If you're going into areas where bears are prepping for hibernation, older near death bears often don't put on enough weight and those are the desperate ones that need an extra eye. You are more likely to be hit by lightning twice, but if by some miracle you find yourself in a tough situation in ID/WY, and you're not a *great* shot, pull out bear spray first. Be smart with food prep in known active bear areas. Think like a backpacker, not the greenhorn overland goonsquad in very active bear country.

Have a great trip, enjoy. You'll have a blast even if the kids don't remember it. You and your wife will cherish them. By the time you get back, you'll have a routine and probably can't wait to discard about 10-20% of the stuff you didn't originally need.

You are the man. Super informative... going to reread again in the morning so I don’t missing anything. Appreciate you taking the time!

 

[BigBlueTLC]

Had the welder add a new back bumper and a generator mount. 3 more days until we take off!

 

[linuxgod]

Can you easily get the propane cover off with the generator attached? I find I go 8-10 days on a 20# cylinder before it runs out... sometimes less if I run the heat.

 

[BigBlueTLC]

Can you easily get the propane cover off with the generator attached? I find I go 8-10 days on a 20# cylinder before it runs out... sometimes less if I run the heat.

Good to know. I have double 30s so will need a refill mid trip. I have access from the top latch and if I need to I unbolt the front half of the cover... not the easiest solution.

 

[linuxgod]

Good to know. I have double 30s so will need a refill mid trip. I have access from the top latch and if I need to I unbolt the front half of the cover... not the easiest solution.

My old trailer had 30# tanks. I actually like the 20# better - they need to be refilled more often but it's easy to find a place that does a 20# cylinder swap but harder sometimes to find a place that will do a propane refill of your tank. Not impossible, just more difficult.

If your regulator has an auto changeover, I recommend leaving the second cylinder off. Yes you'll run out of propane and need to manually swap it, but then you'll *know* it's out of propane. Otherwise you might burn through both tanks and then find yourself out in the middle of the night.

Unfortunately most places that refill propane will need the tank(s) removed from the trailer to do it, so the top access is fine for switching between tanks but likely won't help for refilling.

 

[kcruiser200]

Getting closer. Got a few things done to the rig:
1) added llumar paint protection to front end
2) ceramic coating
3) rock warriors with the KO2s
4) wired a yeti goal zero charger to the alternator for fast charging during drives

Also received my first cancellation notice due to covid. Mesa Verde has officially cancelled overnight camping reservations. This means a long stay in telluride/ouray/lake area (5-6 nights).

View attachment 2401181

this pic just about reaffirmed my choice on the color I want for my 200 - silver on the truck with the original gray with polished lip on the RWs ..... this just looks beautiful!!!

 

[BigBlueTLC]

My old trailer had 30# tanks. I actually like the 20# better - they need to be refilled more often but it's easy to find a place that does a 20# cylinder swap but harder sometimes to find a place that will do a propane refill of your tank. Not impossible, just more difficult.

If your regulator has an auto changeover, I recommend leaving the second cylinder off. Yes you'll run out of propane and need to manually swap it, but then you'll *know* it's out of propane. Otherwise you might burn through both tanks and then find yourself out in the middle of the night.

Unfortunately most places that refill propane will need the tank(s) removed from the trailer to do it, so the top access is fine for switching between tanks but likely won't help for refilling.

Thanks for this. Super helpful! Just added the tools to remove the cover when we need to fill. Actually going tomorrow to get them filled up!

 

[BigBlueTLC]

this pic just about reaffirmed my choice on the color I want for my 200 - silver on the truck with the original gray with polished lip on the RWs ..... this just looks beautiful!!!

Thank you! I’m a big fan of the silver so far. Cleans up nice too.

 

[radman]

How was the trip?

 

[4wheelgreg]

Wow looked like a great adventure and a good run for the family Truck-stir ... Hope you got to stop at Wally World ... LOL
Look like a Amazing trip !