Looking for some caravan-ing feedback please.

[Brightly]

I'm hoping to get some advice. My Hubby and I are going to Burning Man next year and we're currently researching some ways of getting us and all of our stuff there. We've pretty much figured that part out but we were hoping to share the travel with others and we wanted to get advice on whether it's a good idea, bad idea, already done and perfected or already done and sucks. (Also let me add that we don't fly so roadtripping is our only sane option).

We have a 4 door sedan and I work for Uhaul which means I get a discount on rentals. Originally we were going to rent a 10' truck just big enough for us and our stuff but we thought that if we rented a larger truck we can accommodate more stuff and more people.

So here's the idea.
1. We rent a 26 foot truck (which is large enough to accommodate the belongings of an 8 room house).
2. We will also take our car which can fit myself and the Hubby plus 2 others. So we will be caravan-ing with the truck.
3. Everyone pays a portion of the rental fee and gas for the trip and in exchange they get a ride to and from Burning Man '16 and a truck to haul their stuff.
4. If we find 2 burners with experience driving large vehicles or they have a CDL we offer them the opportunity to drive the truck there in exchange for having their portion of the gas and rental waived.

So there you have it. Feedback, questions, etc would be appreciated. Thanks!

[FIGJAM]

Sounds good as long as you vet the riders.

[Ratty]

Look into how the insurance works for multiple drivers. Sounds great and good luck.

[Rice]

Hi Brightly,

Welcome to ePlaya!

Sounds like you have the beginnings of a plan.

Make sure everyone you are travelling with actually has a ticket. If anyone in your group is getting their ticket from Will Call, make sure that both vehicles exit the Gate line and stop at Will Call - so that you are less likely to get separated. (maybe get a set of FRS radios?) Have a plan to meet back up with the other vehicle for the inevitable separation that will occur! (You will probably get separated anyhow, as the Gate line is a fluid, dynamic thing that may not work as you think is will.) Oh, once you are through the gate you CANNOT stop and wait for your other vehicle - doing so will at minimum get the Perimeter crew on your case and possible law enforcement as well - just keep moving and meet up once you are through greeters!!

Get to know everyone you are travelling with. Make sure that you have no surprises when stopping at the gate. All vehicles get searched (anticipate this, and pack the both vehicles to make it easy to be searched). Remember, the Gate volunteers want to get you into BRC as fast as possible - if you make it difficult to search, you might end up in D-Lot - which is the penalty box of Gate.

All vehicles will require a Vehicle Pass and everyone you are bringing needs to have their tickets in-hand when you get to the gate. (Have some water and snacks available to everyone for the possibly slow drive in on Gate road.

Question: Where are you travelling from? When I make the drive, it is 3600KM one way from Canada

Hope this helps.

Rice

[Brightly]

Look into how the insurance works for multiple drivers. Sounds great and good luck.

Thankfully Uhaul's policy for other drivers is very liberal. Basically anyone with a valid drivers licence can drive your truck. You don't need to sign them up or pay extra fees. Plus I will also sign up for our Safemove coverage which would cover the truck, the stuff in the truck, the driver and passenger in case something happens.

[Brightly]

hi Rice,
Thank you for the awesome feedback (especially about gate).

We're coming from Florida so roundtrip is going to be 3,600 miles also. I'm grateful that we have a pretty active Burner community here. We have 3 pre- and post-Burn events (PreBurn, AfterBurn and LoveBurn) and being Pagan we have Burners in that community as well so my hope in that we will get to know our travelling companions more as the year goes on.

[Meat Hunter]

Brightly,

You wrote that you were traveling from Florida and that it is 3,600 miles round trip.

You might wish to re-calculate the distance that you will be driving.

From Jackson, MS to Gerlach, NV it is 2,300 miles One Way -- 4,600 miles round trip.

[some seeing eye]

With a truck that large, you can carry quite a bit more than 6 persons worth of stuff. Burners flying from Florida may offset your costs in exchange for transporting stuff, or maybe you will find more cars to join your caravan. More established camps may tend to have more stuff they would like to bring. It will be much easier to deliver the cargo on playa to a single camp, than delivering it and picking it up from 2 or more camps. Given how there are many more burners than tickets, a plan to get your tickets might include teaming with a camp with access to the directed group sale. And if you are bringing all the stuff, you might be part of early entry, but maybe not both vehicles. In addition to your mobile phones, getting a pair MURS radios might be fun to play with on the trip and on the playa.

Sounds like a great adventure!

[Brightly]

Brightly,

You wrote that you were traveling from Florida and that it is 3,600 miles round trip.

You might wish to re-calculate the distance that you will be driving.

From Jackson, MS to Gerlach, NV it is 2,300 miles One Way -- 4,600 miles round trip.

I just double checked. Google Maps done lied to my ass lol.

[Brightly]

With a truck that large, you can carry quite a bit more than 6 persons worth of stuff. Burners flying from Florida may offset your costs in exchange for transporting stuff, or maybe you will find more cars to join your caravan. More established camps may tend to have more stuff they would like to bring. It will be much easier to deliver the cargo on playa to a single camp, than delivering it and picking it up from 2 or more camps. Given how there are many more burners than tickets, a plan to get your tickets might include teaming with a camp with access to the directed group sale. And if you are bringing all the stuff, you might be part of early entry, but maybe not both vehicles. In addition to your mobile phones, getting a pair MURS radios might be fun to play with on the trip and on the playa.

Sounds like a great adventure!

I figured we'd be selling the extra space in the truck but I love the idea of teaming up with a camp to help out. Thanks for the feedback.

[trilobyte]

I think your plan makes a whole lot of sense!

You can post about either looking for people to help with the rideshare or to post your gear haulage share next year, on both the main rideshare board and the 2016 Share Resources board (once that opens up). You could also reach out to and connect with a nearby regional group. Since you're starting to think about the logistics this far out (bonus points for that), you have plenty of time to meet and connect with either other burners or camps coming from your neck of the woods. Even if you don't end up camping together, sharing in the cost/driving would be a great way to pool resources.

MURS radios are another great idea, they've got a better range than your typical walkie talkie and you should easily be able to stay in touch while you're on the road.

[Brightly]

I think your plan makes a whole lot of sense!

You can post about either looking for people to help with the rideshare or to post your gear haulage share next year, on both the main rideshare board and the 2016 Share Resources board (once that opens up). You could also reach out to and connect with a nearby regional group. Since you're starting to think about the logistics this far out (bonus points for that), you have plenty of time to meet and connect with either other burners or camps coming from your neck of the woods. Even if you don't end up camping together, sharing in the cost/driving would be a great way to pool resources.

MURS radios are another great idea, they've got a better range than your typical walkie talkie and you should easily be able to stay in touch while you're on the road.

I really dig the Rideshare board. That was a great idea, whoever thought of that! My hope is to connect at the regional events and try to make this do-able (which would mean making it affordable.

If it turns out to not be a thing then the least we can do is pick someone up on the way and offer them a ride.

[trilobyte]

I agree, they really did a great job with the new rideshare board.

Another tip that might work if you're in a less populated area... check your intended route, and look for a larger metro area along the way. You might find a camp or group there that would be interested in a share. Then you load your stuff up, drive to that town, meet and get them loaded up, and off you go.