Help with departure

[Skuzzy61]

Not sure if this is the right place for this, but it seems close. If not, would a kind moderator please relocate me (birgins,...what are ya gonna do?)? Thank you.

Ok folks, we have a very tight schedule to get the RV back to the RV rental place. I just have one question.

There is a Shell station in Gerlach. What time (yes, your best guess) would you think we need to leave on Monday to reach that station no later than noon? Of course, the line at that station may be really long, which is fine. If things go well, I should be able to make it to Fernley without filling up at Gerlach. I just know getting out of BRC will be the longest stall of that trip to Vegas that day.

I know it is crap shoot and you best guess will be better than what I have right now. I am also trying to stay as long as we can so I can help with camp tear down.

[Captain Goddammit]

If you have to reach that station by noon I'd say the only safe time to leave BRC is 12:01 AM.
Waiting until 6:00 AM isn't a safe bet.

[Skuzzy61]

Well, I am trying to reserve our camp sites for the trip home and as we will be arriving after normal hours, I am doing my best to let them know what time we will arrive so that poor person who has to meet us there to sign us in and hook us up is not there all night.

I figure after we reach Gerlach, travel times should be fairly normal. However, that may be a bad assumption as well. I figure once we hit Gerlach we should be able to get to Vegas by 10:00pm, or so.

I could be all wrong here. Any help would be beneficial.

Leaving at midnight would suck. Pretty sure we would both be too tired to safely make that happen.

My next option would be to leave late Monday, and drive straight through to Albuquerque. Not sure if that would be any safer.

[AntiM]

I figure after we reach Gerlach, travel times should be fairly normal. However, that may be a bad assumption as well. I figure once we hit Gerlach we should be able to get to Vegas by 10:00pm, or so.

You'd think, but this is not necessarily so. Every few years there's a bad wreck on 447, and it can take a while to clear. Bumper to bumper on a two lane, with idiots passing ten vehicles at a shot.

Still, make your reservations and do your best. It is beyond your complete control.

Also, traffic immediately after the Temple Burn has become insane. We did that once to accommodate carpoolers, and will never do that again, took seven hours to Gerlach. We left in the morning the next year and there was no waiting in an Exodus line at all that Monday. It really does vary wildly.

[Leap]

I have a similar question I'll ask here rather than start a new thread.

I am skipping the man burn and taking a Sunday 12:45 am red eye back to the East Coast. I was thinking of either driving out or taking the Burner Express (still haven't decided) at noon on Saturday. This would give me 11 hours to get to Reno, shower at a friend's place, eat a nice dinner and get to the airport. Of course I would monitor the weather/BMIR and leave earlier if there might be weather. Does that sound about right?

[Dr. Pyro]

Skuzzy, you're over-thinking this. If you fill up in Wadsworth coming in on 447 as you depart I-80 (or in Fallon or Fernley) you'll have plenty of gas to get back. We fill up at NV exit 32 (11 miles west of Wadsworth) at the USA Parkway station and have never even come close to running out before we got back. I would avoid Gerlach like the plague. Murphy's Law is a law for a reason.

[ygmir]

bet on nothing, until you hit I80.
We hear of wrecks and delays on the radio, starting Saturday (Burn night) and random traffic issues.
Captain GD has it correct. If timing is that important, it's better to take a 3 hour nap somewhere, than to plan on a timeline BRC to I80.
Every year, and every day, is different during Exodus.
There are updates on BRC info radio, which help, but, they can't account for what happens, once you commit to Gate road. From there out, it's random chance.

[FIGJAM]

Last year I left camp at about 5 AM Monday morning.

I got to the pavement in 30 minutes, and was past Gerlach in another 30.

I think the mass exodus right after the Man burn peters out, and the "I'll leave early tomorrow" planners either oversleep, are late with last minute packing, or party to hard to keep to their plan! (playa time)

Make sure EVERYTHING is done before the Man burns, so that all you have to do is get in the RV and sleep.

Rise early and get right behind the wheel!!!

[Captain Goddammit]

As an in-general bit of Burning Man advice, I highly recommend scheduling plenty of extra time after Burning Man. We've learned to take the entire week afterwards off.
As people are saying, you can't predict exit wait times and travel times. And yeah, I never go to Gerlach either. It's a tiny town and eleventy zillion people are coming through.
Figuring on a long drive straight off the playa is the worst possible plan. You won't have had enough sleep, you will be too tired. Things will come up and you won't be all turn-key set to go when you think you will.
I watched my buddy veer right off the road behind me falling asleep at the wheel trying this. I nearly did the same thing and was lucky not to crash before I found the first possible place to stop and sleep.
That rental RV is going to need a very labor intensive clean up.

Rush like mad and drive long hours coming TO Burning Man, and plan yourself tons of extra time getting back!

I know, you're gonna say you can't, schedule won't allow, reservations are made, etc.
You'll see. You'll do it right next time. A really tight after-BM schedule really sucks.

[Ratty]

Last year I drove out all gung ho to get on the road. 20 miles later I pulled over to take a little nap. You are NOT going to drive straight through to anywhere. This is why people reserve a room at the Sands in Reno.

[Skuzzy61]

Skuzzy, you're over-thinking this. If you fill up in Wadsworth coming in on 447 as you depart I-80 (or in Fallon or Fernley) you'll have plenty of gas to get back. We fill up at NV exit 32 (11 miles west of Wadsworth) at the USA Parkway station and have never even come close to running out before we got back. I would avoid Gerlach like the plague. Murphy's Law is a law for a reason.

Well of course I am over-thinking it.

Filling up in Gerlach is the worst case scenario. I have alternate plans to fill up in Wadsworth/Fernley. I hope the Fernley plan is the primary. We will know the day of departure. I have to pick a reliable point to start from so I can plan arrival at the camp in Vegas.

Ok, I added an extra day to the return trip so we can leave Tuesday. That should work better? Yes?

By the way folks, Reno is little out of my way. I am heading to Fort Worth, TX.

[lucky420]

Skuzzy, you're over-thinking this. If you fill up in Wadsworth coming in on 447 as you depart I-80 (or in Fallon or Fernley) you'll have plenty of gas to get back. We fill up at NV exit 32 (11 miles west of Wadsworth) at the USA Parkway station and have never even come close to running out before we got back. I would avoid Gerlach like the plague. Murphy's Law is a law for a reason.

Well of course I am over-thinking it.

Filling up in Gerlach is the worst case scenario. I have alternate plans to fill up in Wadsworth/Fernley. I hope the Fernley plan is the primary. We will know the day of departure. I have to pick a reliable point to start from so I can plan arrival at the camp in Vegas.

Ok, I added an extra day to the return trip so we can leave Tuesday. That should work better? Yes?

By the way folks, Reno is little out of my way. I am heading to Fort Worth, TX.

Not that much out of the way, 20 minutes from Wadsworth but yes not on your route.

[Skuzzy61]

Should leaving Tuesday pose any issues? I mean, if we wanted to leave at around 11:00 am? Or would it be better to leave early?

Of course there is the option of leaving Monday and take 4 days to drive back, instead of leaving Tuesday and taking 3 days to drive back.

[Captain Goddammit]

Later is better, crowds have cleared out more and it's good form to help get the camp torn down and the area mooped. It's always much less cool - no matter what people say - to cut out before camp is packed and mooped.

[burner von braun]

Ok, I added an extra day to the return trip so we can leave Tuesday. That should work better? Yes?

Good decision Skuzzy, you'll be thanking yourself later!

[Skuzzy61]

Later is better, crowds have cleared out more and it's good form to help get the camp torn down and the area mooped. It's always much less cool - no matter what people say - to cut out before camp is packed and mooped.

We absolutely want to help with tear down and clean up.

Ok, I added an extra day to the return trip so we can leave Tuesday. That should work better? Yes?

Good decision Skuzzy, you'll be thanking yourself later!

Thank you. Thank all of you. It is not a perfect situation, but it could be worse.

[Meat Hunter]

Tuesday Departure:

For the last two years, I have departed Tuesday morning and the playa exit road and all the highway(s) have been clear and the driving easy sailing.

You will be thanking yourself many times over for making this change in your plans.

[burner von braun]

@Leap.. as you can see, there is a lot of advocacy for building a buffer into your exodus, especially when you're facing a hard deadline in the default world. Striking camp can take longer than you expect, especially during whiteout, and you never know if there will be a problem on the main road. Still, I get it that you don't want to overcompensate. Ask yourself what would happen if you missed your flight. How bad would that be, and adjust accordingly.

[BBadger]

Leap: Still, that is a pretty good time to leave, if you can manage it. The exodus line shouldn't be long. I would analyze the facts on the ground while you're there though, and adjust accordingly.

[trilobyte]

There are a number of things to consider....

Exodus times can (and do) vary widely from year to year. Things that are completely out of Burning Man's control, ranging from accidents on the 447 and even I-80) to white-outs (dust storms have been known to happen at night) have all caused road closures and delays of many many hours in recent years... in fact it happens with such regularity that if you've got a hard deadline, you really should just pad your schedule by as much as a full day. Especially when you're talking about an RV return, since if you run short on time you'd potentially face cleaning fees that are more expensive than a late return fee.

Another thing to consider is the point you're trying to get to. Unless that gas station in Gerlach is your vehicle return point (which seems unlikely, as it will be a huge mess during exodus), you may not want to think in terms of that gas station as a waypoint. Aside from big traffic delays in getting off the playa, you could still be facing massive traffic or even road closure delays getting from Gerlach back to I-80 (or wherever you're headed). I recommend looking at the whole distance from camp to the interstate... and that can vary from just 3-4 hours to 8-12 hours.

And finally, a major consideration is proper cleaning of the vehicle before it's returned. Even if money is no object to you, PLEASE invest the time and energy that it takes to properly clean the vehicle. The more trashed vehicles that rental companies get back, the higher the rates and the cleaning fees are for everyone in subsequent years. Do your future selves (and the burner community at large) a favor and give yourselves plenty of time to do a great job.... and as a rule, it always takes more time than you might think - some seasoned vets can get 'er done quickly, but that's with years of experience.

Good luck!

[Dr. Pyro]

And finally, a major consideration is proper cleaning of the vehicle before it's returned. Even if money is no object to you, PLEASE invest the time and energy that it takes to properly clean the vehicle. The more trashed vehicles that rental companies get back, the higher the rates and the cleaning fees are for everyone in subsequent years. Do your future selves (and the burner community at large) a favor and give yourselves plenty of time to do a great job.... and as a rule, it always takes more time than you might think - some seasoned vets can get 'er done quickly, but that's with years of experience.

Good luck!

I agree with Trilo completely. When we rented RVs (usually 32' or thereabouts) it took three of us seven hours to get the thing as clean as we would want had we been the RV company. We even shampoo the carpets (even though they're covered with plastic). The dust is omnipresent and even when you've "cleaned" it, somehow it reappears. Good luck.

[BBadger]

I can only imagine how much time it takes for the RV. It took us about 2-3 hours with three people and multiple shop vacs, etc. to just clean out a rented minivan in our first trip.

[Savannah]

Should leaving Tuesday pose any issues? I mean, if we wanted to leave at around 11:00 am? Or would it be better to leave early?

Of course there is the option of leaving Monday and take 4 days to drive back, instead of leaving Tuesday and taking 3 days to drive back.

Leaving Tuesday is a much better plan . . . & leaving earlier than 11:00am is good if you've had enough rest.

[tamarakay]

We leave Tuesday or Wednesday and stay in fernley. A couple nice rv places that are very burner friendly there and such a nice hard sleep. Then, depending on time we stop in kingman or flagstaff, Then Santa Rosa or home. We avoid Lubbock or Amarillo at all costs.

[Skuzzy61]

And finally, a major consideration is proper cleaning of the vehicle before it's returned. Even if money is no object to you, PLEASE invest the time and energy that it takes to properly clean the vehicle. The more trashed vehicles that rental companies get back, the higher the rates and the cleaning fees are for everyone in subsequent years. Do your future selves (and the burner community at large) a favor and give yourselves plenty of time to do a great job.... and as a rule, it always takes more time than you might think - some seasoned vets can get 'er done quickly, but that's with years of experience.

Good luck!

I agree with Trilo completely. When we rented RVs (usually 32' or thereabouts) it took three of us seven hours to get the thing as clean as we would want had we been the RV company. We even shampoo the carpets (even though they're covered with plastic). The dust is omnipresent and even when you've "cleaned" it, somehow it reappears. Good luck.

I have allocated a full day for cleaning the RV before return. In a (I hope) a worse case scenario, I can use part of that day for travel. Not ideal, but I am doing the best I can to cover the bases.

I have every intention of returning the RV as clean as they gave it to me. If I have to keep it another day, I will. I will not burn that bridge. Not my style.

I can only imagine how much time it takes for the RV. It took us about 2-3 hours with three people and multiple shop vacs, etc. to just clean out a rented minivan in our first trip.

I have 4 people helping me clean it. As I do professional automotive detailing on the side, I have pretty good skills in cleaning vehicles and pretty good tools as well.

Should leaving Tuesday pose any issues? I mean, if we wanted to leave at around 11:00 am? Or would it be better to leave early?

Of course there is the option of leaving Monday and take 4 days to drive back, instead of leaving Tuesday and taking 3 days to drive back.

Leaving Tuesday is a much better plan . . . & leaving earlier than 11:00am is good if you've had enough rest.

11:00 to 11:30 is the latest we would like to leave. The earlier the better. If we roll out by 9:00am and have a clear shot, then all the better.

We leave Tuesday or Wednesday and stay in fernley. A couple nice rv places that are very burner friendly there and such a nice hard sleep. Then, depending on time we stop in kingman or flagstaff, Then Santa Rosa or home. We avoid Lubbock or Amarillo at all costs.

Wish we could stay in Fernley, but that would require 4 days of driving, instead of 3. Yes, we are avoiding Lubbock and Amarillo as well. We do plan on going through Albuquerque. Of course, that could change. I am still dragging routes around in the software.


I would like to thank everyone for their input. It is immensely helpful. I am glad we decided to add some time to the trip. I hated leaving before camp was wrapped up. I feel much better about this now. I already signed up for all the chores I could for Monday.

[LowePro]

One more commentary: Don't leave late at night after a burn. You are more tired than you realize and it's a dark sketchy road to try to drive all night. Did it once accidentally, never again. It wasn't crowded but was super unsafe and everyone was swerving and nodding off. Scary. Last year left very early Monday am (like 7am) and had a 2hour exodus (which was a breeeeeeeeeeze!). But we got lucky. It varies. Early morning is probably your best bet but no guarantee.

Cleaning an RV is a half-day affair, minimum. The inside needs sorting, unpacking, vacuuming and scrubbing down everything. Plus laundry. For the exterior, do yourself a favor and go to a real carwash with $20 in quarters. Scrub and powerwash the whole outside and wheel wells and window sills.

[Meat Hunter]

I cannot (even in my wildest dreams) imagine cleaning a RV to the level that you received it in just one day.

It takes me two full days to just clean my car and then it takes another day to go back over and clean what I missed the first go around. And, I still find dust seeping out all doing the year.

A year ago, someone wrote here on e-playa and suggested that as "insurance" against a future claim from the rental company that a date/time photo be taken of the renter and the rental rep. in front of the clean vehicle when you return it to the company.

I do not know how much credibility this could have against a future cleaning bill, but at least you could show the photo with all parties smiling and apparently in agreement.

Do the best cleaning job that you can so that you can feel good about yourself.

[Captain Goddammit]

Yeah Skuzzy I'm not sure if you know, but being out in Black Rock Desert really trashes the hell out of everything. Even if you're a clean careful person, that big RV is gonna be a mess. You're gonna need time to fix it back up.
I put painters tape on EVERYTHING on mine that can leak ultra fine blowing dust. I tape all the access hatch doors, window seams, any place that dust could go.
I keep the whole thing shut tight at all times.
If it's hot I run the A/C. You'll probably need extra fuel for that. I bring Honda generators for a bunch of reasons, one of them is fuel economy - since you need to bring all the fuel you'll need and the rental RV won't have enough to run A/C all day every day for a week.

[Skuzzy61]

Yes, cleaning will be a challenge. Starting with a power wash at a truck stop for the exterior. Three of the people helping me clean it will not have been at BM, so they will have an edge over me. They are also much younger. It is my detailing crew, who are all well versed at cleaning a vehicle.

I am not fooling myself. I know all I can do it to try and control the amount of dust getting into the RV and am prepared to note that as being a fruitless endeavor.

Also putting a poly sealer over the RV before we leave. It should help with cleaning the exterior. Also have some rubber treatment (water based) which should make cleaning the seals easier. When I want to have some fun, I'll cover the Mini Cooper's tire tread with it and go slip-n-slidin around in a huge parking lot.

Yep Captain, already got 25 rolls of 3" wide painters tape ready to go,...well...maybe not 25, but certainly enough to cover the entire exterior. Been considering a tarp diaper as well. Drive over it and fold it up to the sides of the RV and tape it on. Extreme?

Doing a Figjam (tm) cooler. The hope is to minimize A/C time. Still trying to figure out how to shade the RV without attaching anything to it. The WIfe thinks I am going overboard. I could be. Nothing more insane than an open-ended engineer with problems to solve and a never ending supply of solutions.

Going to check the RV this weekend just to get some measurements for the windows, grill opening, and cockpit opening.

For insurance, I am already pre-paying a cleaning fee to the RV rental place. Just building goodwill for future burners.

I figure for leaving Tuesday morning we will wing it. If we can get passed Gerlach by about 11:00am to 11:30am, then we should be golden. I use Gerlach as a reference point. If I use Fernley, then as long as we can get there before 2:30pm, we should be golden.

This all assumes no problems with the RV (tires, overheating....), as well. Hey, all you can do is try to make a plan and execute it. If it works, it works, if it don't, it don't. Yeah, I can be a philosophical moron at times.

[Captain Goddammit]

Wow you're much more prepared than I could have guessed!
The only thing I see wrong with your impressive plan is the FIGJAM cooler.
Unless it's a really huge oversize version, it won't cool an RV, but the biggest problem is you have to have an open window or roof hatch for it to operate.
That completely ruins all your efforts with the tape etc. to seal out dust.
That open hatch or window will be your undoing.
Everyone says a dust free home at Burning Man is impossible. I'm here to tell you it isn't, I'll invite you to my place to show ya! I'll PM you my best kept secret (only secret so that I don't ruin affordable availability of the certain device!)