This will be my eighth year at Burning Man but my first year bringing a motorhome. I'm buying an older (1981) 21' motorhome and will have it for about a month before I head out to the desert. Of course I'll search through the forums but does anyone have any motorhome specific tips and tricks?
Since this is my first year in a motorhome, I thought I'd make it a trip full of firsts. I think I'm going to try that whole man it a t-shirt and no pants look - it seems that people really feel strongly about it. But seriously - any tips to make the best out of a motorhome?
Long Time Burner, First Time Motorhomer
We've been doing the old motorhome thing for years now. What brand is yours?
The best advice I can give is to triple check the systems. Your battery and its ability to hold a charge and keep things such as water pump going is essential. It doesn't do you any good to have a tank full of water with no way to extract it. A small solar trickle charger works well as a battery helper.
Figure out how your electrical system and converter work from each of the three power systems - shore electricity, generator and battery - and be sure you know how to switch between the three.
BE SURE YOU NEVER HOOK UP THE WATER SUPPLY TO A HOSE WITHOUT A PRESSURE REGULATOR !!!!! I have made that mistake and you will spring leaks in the damndest places....
Good Luck!! I have a collage of my old RV on a towtruck being hauled back to Fernley.
The best advice I can give is to triple check the systems. Your battery and its ability to hold a charge and keep things such as water pump going is essential. It doesn't do you any good to have a tank full of water with no way to extract it. A small solar trickle charger works well as a battery helper.
Figure out how your electrical system and converter work from each of the three power systems - shore electricity, generator and battery - and be sure you know how to switch between the three.
BE SURE YOU NEVER HOOK UP THE WATER SUPPLY TO A HOSE WITHOUT A PRESSURE REGULATOR !!!!! I have made that mistake and you will spring leaks in the damndest places....
Good Luck!! I have a collage of my old RV on a towtruck being hauled back to Fernley.
Cum catapulte proscripte erunt tum soli proscripti catapultus haebunt.
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robbidobbs
- Posts: 2825
- Joined: Fri Sep 05, 2003 1:07 pm
- Burning Since: 1999
- Camp Name: Pottie Central
- Location: LOS of the Pottie doors
Been doing the Playa RV for years also..
1. Take the rig to a good tire shop and have them read the sidewall codes.. You don't want tires on an Motorhome that are older than 5 years old 4 years is my cutoff cuz it's larger. seen lots of rigs with old tires blowing out from the age, weight, rotting sidewalls. Just don't think that you can fill every nook and cranny with stuff.. You just might overload the rig. When going down hills keep your speed in control. Don't ride the brakes, down shift early. That old of a rig might have drum brakes all the way around. Might be smart to have them checked at the same time while having the tires checked.
Have fun, Dave
1. Take the rig to a good tire shop and have them read the sidewall codes.. You don't want tires on an Motorhome that are older than 5 years old 4 years is my cutoff cuz it's larger. seen lots of rigs with old tires blowing out from the age, weight, rotting sidewalls. Just don't think that you can fill every nook and cranny with stuff.. You just might overload the rig. When going down hills keep your speed in control. Don't ride the brakes, down shift early. That old of a rig might have drum brakes all the way around. Might be smart to have them checked at the same time while having the tires checked.
Have fun, Dave
I was Born OK the 1st Time....
Don't bring defaultia to Burning Man, take Burning Man to defaultia...... graidawg
Don't bring defaultia to Burning Man, take Burning Man to defaultia...... graidawg
ibd - good thought. If it is one of the old rigs with dual wheels on the back, like mine was, while you are at the tire shop, have them check to see if the rear tires are on "split rims". If so, you may need to change these out as most all tire shops refuse to work on split rims anymore - it's too dangerous for the workers. We found this one out the hard way too - at Donner Pass.
Cum catapulte proscripte erunt tum soli proscripti catapultus haebunt.
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safetythird
- Posts: 187
- Joined: Wed Jun 23, 2004 1:10 pm
- Location: Grover Beach, CA
- Contact:
I've received some great advice on these boards a couple of years ago. Try searching for RV tips.
Some immediate things that come to mind.
1) Tires. Yes the tread looks good but UV and age do more damage to tires that sit most of the year. Even though mine are less than 5 years old I've blown a tire each of the past 2 years. Last year's tire separated and bounced up slicing a nice hole in bottom of the black water tank. Good thing we dumped it earlier. This year we will be putting on all new rubber (6 of them) to avoid that inconvenience.
2) Good Sam RV Emergency Roadside Service. $100 per year well invested. 2 years ago they helped us find tire shop in Fernely (closer, faster than waiting for the truck out of Reno) and last year we waited for them to change our blow out. Paid for itself each year.
3) Batteries. If yours is similar to mine you may have 2 coach batteries and 1 chassis battery. Replace the coach batteries with new marine deep cycle ones before you go. I seem to have to replace mine every year but haven't had to replace the chassis one. YMMV. I still need to work on my battery situation, perhaps going with 2 6volt golf cart batteries in the future.
4) Cooling System. Get it flushed and check all the hoses. You'll be asking a lot of the cooling system and the drive to BRC will expose any weak points. Even if the system is working properly it still may not offer enough cooling. I just replaced my monster radiator with an even monsterier one for this years trek. New thermostat, hoses and coolant, yippee. I really don't like driving with the heater on.
5) Foil backed bubble wrap. While replacing the radiator (and fixing all the other stuff that breaks) I got tired of working in an oven. I spent about $70 on the foil backed bubble wrap insulation and cut to fit it for each window. Cut to the right size and shape it just sits in the window sill, tight up against the window. Wow! Huge difference in inside temps. Way better than my previous space blanket on the outside of the windows. My local Ace hardware had 2' wide for $1.50 a foot and 4' wide for $2.50 per foot. I used the 4' for the large front windows of my Class A MH. Tested it a couple weeks ago at a local lake with high temps. Not only does it keep it cool but it blacks out the windows for privacy and daytime sleep.
6) Refrigerator. Older fridges are a bit flaky but I've run mine on propane for the entire week and barely put a dent in the propane tank. You may want to consider a thermostatic fan for the backside compartment of the fridge. When it gets hot (100F) it turns on and helps remove that hot air from the compartment. We still bring and keep most things in ice chests just in case the fridge goes south. Only put things used rarely in the fridge. The longer you can keep it closed the colder it will keep.
7)Fresh Water Tank. Unless you want to sterilize your fresh water tank keep using the suitcase or gallon jugs for drinking/cooking water. We only use the onboard water for washing and flushing.
8) Black water Tank. Use twice the recommended amount of black water tank enzymes and keep plenty of water in the tank, 1 gallon minimum. We typically don't use the RV toilet except for middle of the night and the last couple days of the event. Then again we've been lucky to be spotted right across from port-o-potties. If you find yourself running out of grey water space you can dump dishwater and the like down the toilet if you follow this advice.
9) Keep your fluids to yourself. Older RV's leak fluids of one type or another. Consider placing something under your RV to catch these fluids and keep them off the playa.
10) Carpet Barrier for Protection. We've used this the last couple of years to cover everything from the carpet to the seats to other fabric (and hard to de-playafy surfaces) and it saves tons of cleanup time after the burn. A sheet or blanket draped over the carpet barrier keeps the furniture comfy. It's a roll of self adhesive clear plastic but with a weak glue that doesn't leave residue. Sort of like post-it notes but better.
There's a million other things I've learned over the past 3 years of RV ownership. rv.net has loads of good rv info too.
I keep saying I'll create an RV survival guide .. but I keep slacking on it as well. At least I'm consistant.
Have fun discovering your new RV.
S3
Some immediate things that come to mind.
1) Tires. Yes the tread looks good but UV and age do more damage to tires that sit most of the year. Even though mine are less than 5 years old I've blown a tire each of the past 2 years. Last year's tire separated and bounced up slicing a nice hole in bottom of the black water tank. Good thing we dumped it earlier. This year we will be putting on all new rubber (6 of them) to avoid that inconvenience.
2) Good Sam RV Emergency Roadside Service. $100 per year well invested. 2 years ago they helped us find tire shop in Fernely (closer, faster than waiting for the truck out of Reno) and last year we waited for them to change our blow out. Paid for itself each year.
3) Batteries. If yours is similar to mine you may have 2 coach batteries and 1 chassis battery. Replace the coach batteries with new marine deep cycle ones before you go. I seem to have to replace mine every year but haven't had to replace the chassis one. YMMV. I still need to work on my battery situation, perhaps going with 2 6volt golf cart batteries in the future.
4) Cooling System. Get it flushed and check all the hoses. You'll be asking a lot of the cooling system and the drive to BRC will expose any weak points. Even if the system is working properly it still may not offer enough cooling. I just replaced my monster radiator with an even monsterier one for this years trek. New thermostat, hoses and coolant, yippee. I really don't like driving with the heater on.
5) Foil backed bubble wrap. While replacing the radiator (and fixing all the other stuff that breaks) I got tired of working in an oven. I spent about $70 on the foil backed bubble wrap insulation and cut to fit it for each window. Cut to the right size and shape it just sits in the window sill, tight up against the window. Wow! Huge difference in inside temps. Way better than my previous space blanket on the outside of the windows. My local Ace hardware had 2' wide for $1.50 a foot and 4' wide for $2.50 per foot. I used the 4' for the large front windows of my Class A MH. Tested it a couple weeks ago at a local lake with high temps. Not only does it keep it cool but it blacks out the windows for privacy and daytime sleep.
6) Refrigerator. Older fridges are a bit flaky but I've run mine on propane for the entire week and barely put a dent in the propane tank. You may want to consider a thermostatic fan for the backside compartment of the fridge. When it gets hot (100F) it turns on and helps remove that hot air from the compartment. We still bring and keep most things in ice chests just in case the fridge goes south. Only put things used rarely in the fridge. The longer you can keep it closed the colder it will keep.
7)Fresh Water Tank. Unless you want to sterilize your fresh water tank keep using the suitcase or gallon jugs for drinking/cooking water. We only use the onboard water for washing and flushing.
8) Black water Tank. Use twice the recommended amount of black water tank enzymes and keep plenty of water in the tank, 1 gallon minimum. We typically don't use the RV toilet except for middle of the night and the last couple days of the event. Then again we've been lucky to be spotted right across from port-o-potties. If you find yourself running out of grey water space you can dump dishwater and the like down the toilet if you follow this advice.
9) Keep your fluids to yourself. Older RV's leak fluids of one type or another. Consider placing something under your RV to catch these fluids and keep them off the playa.
10) Carpet Barrier for Protection. We've used this the last couple of years to cover everything from the carpet to the seats to other fabric (and hard to de-playafy surfaces) and it saves tons of cleanup time after the burn. A sheet or blanket draped over the carpet barrier keeps the furniture comfy. It's a roll of self adhesive clear plastic but with a weak glue that doesn't leave residue. Sort of like post-it notes but better.
There's a million other things I've learned over the past 3 years of RV ownership. rv.net has loads of good rv info too.
I keep saying I'll create an RV survival guide .. but I keep slacking on it as well. At least I'm consistant.
Have fun discovering your new RV.
S3
S3's just about got it nailed. I'll add only a few bits that I've learned over the years...
A good friend of mine lets me borrow her RV to take to the burn each year, with the proviso that I return it to her in the same shape I took it from her. That's damn hard when going to the playa for 10 to 14 days. Here's what I've learned so far:
Institute a no shoes in the RV policy. Man does this ever help. Your friends may or may not give you some shit about it but if you can be consistent with it you'll cut hours off your clean up time and effort. Dust each other off before going in and you'll be much happier.
Cover your carpets, floor, and furniture with the clear plastic floor runner stuff you can get at any RV supply store, just as S3 says. Go right up to the edges of the wall and up them by an inch or so. Wrap around the back of the couch cushions and cover as much fabric as possible. If you're up for replacing any fabric curtains in the thing with cheap alternatives for the trip, you'll be thanking yourself later.
Sanitize that water tank (even if you're not going to be drinking out of it to cut down on order sources), make sure you don't have any leaks, and bring a competent tool kit with you for when things go wrong. Last year I had the pressure valve on the hot water tank go out on me and was jury rigging a leak fix with shop rags, twist ties, and duct tape. Worked like a charm. :)
Don't short yourself on chemical toilet deodorizers. There are folk who insist on organic versions of this stuff but the only one I've found that will do the trick on playa is coconut based and I haven't seen it in the stores recently. Make sure your black water tank is charged with this stuff before you drop any pee or poo into it and you, and your neighbors, will be thankful.
Plan on not being able to have your tanks serviced while on the playa. This may or may not actually be the case, but you're better off planning on it than not.
And prepare for the folk who, early in the week, will give you shit about bringing an RV to the burn. Later in the week they'll be asking if they can use your shower, shade, AC, freezer, lockable storage, or so on. Try to be nice about it, if you can. :)
Ron
A good friend of mine lets me borrow her RV to take to the burn each year, with the proviso that I return it to her in the same shape I took it from her. That's damn hard when going to the playa for 10 to 14 days. Here's what I've learned so far:
Institute a no shoes in the RV policy. Man does this ever help. Your friends may or may not give you some shit about it but if you can be consistent with it you'll cut hours off your clean up time and effort. Dust each other off before going in and you'll be much happier.
Cover your carpets, floor, and furniture with the clear plastic floor runner stuff you can get at any RV supply store, just as S3 says. Go right up to the edges of the wall and up them by an inch or so. Wrap around the back of the couch cushions and cover as much fabric as possible. If you're up for replacing any fabric curtains in the thing with cheap alternatives for the trip, you'll be thanking yourself later.
Sanitize that water tank (even if you're not going to be drinking out of it to cut down on order sources), make sure you don't have any leaks, and bring a competent tool kit with you for when things go wrong. Last year I had the pressure valve on the hot water tank go out on me and was jury rigging a leak fix with shop rags, twist ties, and duct tape. Worked like a charm. :)
Don't short yourself on chemical toilet deodorizers. There are folk who insist on organic versions of this stuff but the only one I've found that will do the trick on playa is coconut based and I haven't seen it in the stores recently. Make sure your black water tank is charged with this stuff before you drop any pee or poo into it and you, and your neighbors, will be thankful.
Plan on not being able to have your tanks serviced while on the playa. This may or may not actually be the case, but you're better off planning on it than not.
And prepare for the folk who, early in the week, will give you shit about bringing an RV to the burn. Later in the week they'll be asking if they can use your shower, shade, AC, freezer, lockable storage, or so on. Try to be nice about it, if you can. :)
Ron
Ron wrote:S3's just about got it nailed. I'll add only a few bits that I've learned over the years...
Don't short yourself on chemical toilet deodorizers.
Plan on not being able to have your tanks serviced while on the playa. This may or may not actually be the case, but you're better off planning on it than not.
Ron
Drop in the deodorzers a couple of times during the week.
If you need JOTS to do a mid/late week pumping of your tanks you need to be no more than 50 feet from the road OR have an access road back to your rig.. Don't make JOTS wait for you to find someone to move a car ect..
I was Born OK the 1st Time....
Don't bring defaultia to Burning Man, take Burning Man to defaultia...... graidawg
Don't bring defaultia to Burning Man, take Burning Man to defaultia...... graidawg