RVing via Death Valley

[Mitch]

Has anybody ever driven an RV through Death Valley? I rent in Las Vegas, and for the last two years I just went straight up route 95 until I hit 80, then over to Reno (it's a fun stop) then back and up to BRC. On the way back, I just shot down 95.

This year, I'm planning what looks like a much more fun route: Leave Vegas, drive into California, through Death Valley, then up US 395 to Reno. This has the advantage of not back-tracking on Route 80 and also of providing a different and hopefully interesting drive up from the one back.

What I wonder about is how mountainous that route is going to be. Depending on how many people I'm coming with, we'll either have a big class C RV or a VERY big (slideout) class C. I don't think they'll have any problems with steep grades, but I'm curious if any body has ever tried this. Also, what kind of services can we expect on the way? I get the impression that only maniacal Europeans RV into Death Valley at this time of year, but that there are enough places open for them to get supplies. I'm only talking about RV supplies here, we'll get our Burning Man supplies in Reno.

By the way, we're coming from New York and we LIKE RVs and having the trip start and end in Vegas. So the only question is the route.

Thanks.

[Icepack]

Has anybody ever driven an RV through Death Valley? I rent in Las Vegas, and for the last two years I just went straight up route 95 until I hit 80, then over to Reno (it's a fun stop) then back and up to BRC. On the way back, I just shot down 95.

This year, I'm planning what looks like a much more fun route: Leave Vegas, drive into California, through Death Valley, then up US 395 to Reno. This has the advantage of not back-tracking on Route 80 and also of providing a different and hopefully interesting drive up from the one back.

What I wonder about is how mountainous that route is going to be. Depending on how many people I'm coming with, we'll either have a big class C RV or a VERY big (slideout) class C. I don't think they'll have any problems with steep grades, but I'm curious if any body has ever tried this. Also, what kind of services can we expect on the way? I get the impression that only maniacal Europeans RV into Death Valley at this time of year, but that there are enough places open for them to get supplies. I'm only talking about RV supplies here, we'll get our Burning Man supplies in Reno.

By the way, we're coming from New York and we LIKE RVs and having the trip start and end in Vegas. So the only question is the route.

Thanks.

We didn't have an RV, but we did drive from Massachusetts, to Las Vegas, and then up to Reno, and on to Burning Man. On the way home we stopped at Winnemucca and then drove straight back on I-80 and I-90 to home.
What I can tell you about the Vegas to Reno stretch is that we took Route 95 to Fallon, and then took Route 50 to Fernley, and then I-80 over to Reno. We left Vegas around 11am and got to Reno about 7-8pm I guess. We really took our time too. A great stop was the town of Beatty. There were signs there advertising it as the "Gateway to Death Valley" and there were lots of RVs and touristy people there. We stopped to get gas and ice cream and snacks at the Death Valley Candy Store or something like that. Was a great stop, and my 3 scoop ice cream dish was breakfast and lunch all in one. It was a pretty hilly drive, but the scenery was great going through old towns, like Goldfield and a few others. Also lots of military areas and at least one really cool lake with nice views. A lot of the drive was rather unpopulated, so get gas whereever you can so you don't run out. From Fallon to Reno it was more populated, and went pretty quickly. I may still have notes kicking around somewhere if you want more details.

[III]

>>straight up route 95 until I hit 80, then over to Reno

heh. that's the opposite of how i go:

i take 395 up to bishop, and then cross over to the 95 via s6, and take the alt 95 up through yerington and winnemuca. you miss a huge amount of mountain driving that way.

(part of the reason i do it is to avoid reno, though - i do my shopping in yerington, and drinking/gambling in silver springs)

if you do go through reno, the two routes are probably within 1/2 hour of each other, timewise, but with a lot less mountain driving and traffic if you go take the eastern route.

[Icepack]

>>straight up route 95 until I hit 80, then over to Reno

heh. that's the opposite of how i go:

i take 395 up to bishop, and then cross over to the 95 via s6, and take the alt 95 up through yerington and winnemuca. you miss a huge amount of mountain driving that way.

(part of the reason i do it is to avoid reno, though - i do my shopping in yerington, and drinking/gambling in silver springs)

if you do go through reno, the two routes are probably within 1/2 hour of each other, timewise, but with a lot less mountain driving and traffic if you go take the eastern route.

I think this year we are going to skip Vegas since we don't have as much time off from work to do the trip. Will probably stay in Winnemucca, and try to avoid Reno if possible. Still trying to find a place other than Reno to buy water though.

[Mitch]

Thanks for that guys.

III -- I'm trying to avoid 95 on the northward leg so that we can make a circle. Do you start your trip in LV? I'm curious what the roads are like into Death Valley: routes 178 and 190 in Calif and 160 and 372 in Nevada.
Your route makes geographic sense, but we like to stop in Reno (I get a buzz when I see Burners in the parking lots of the Kmart and the Keystone shopping center, you feel as if you're already home in a way). Also, I'm trying my best to do a complete circle, so that we won't take any of the same roads except for the last bit north of route 80.

Icepak: I LOVE Beatty! Stayed there the past two years on the way back to LV. I'm familiar with the 95 (and alt 95) route, I've gone up and down that way twice, so what I'm now looking to do is have a different route on the way up than on the way down. In fact, it's the desire to stay in Beatty on the first post-playa night that dictates that the California leg will be the northbound route.

The desert road trip really is part of the fun for me. Amazing change of pace from New York.

Thanks again.

[III]

>> Do you start your trip in LV?

i start in so cal (either san diego, or los angeles). so i end up going past the west side of death valley - there are a number roads from ridgecrest through south owens valley that lead over there.

i understand the wanting to avoid the same trip back, so just be prepared to take it slow through the sierras and you should be fine.

for me, burning man is as much about getting away from mainstream civilization as it is getting together with freaks, so getting away from the big cities was a much better way to get ready for the event than trying to see the occaisional burner in reno...

[Mitch]

>> Do you start your trip in LV?

for me, burning man is as much about getting away from mainstream civilization as it is getting together with freaks, so getting away from the big cities was a much better way to get ready for the event than trying to see the occaisional burner in reno...

My friend, those are exactly my sentiments. The difference, I think, is where you're coming from. In this New Yorker's eyes, Reno is small, quaint, quiet, peaceful, clean, wholesome, middle America with a 1950s patina. (Vegas is another story, but that's where the El Monte office is, and it's a cheap flight).

[Icepack]

>> Do you start your trip in LV?

for me, burning man is as much about getting away from mainstream civilization as it is getting together with freaks, so getting away from the big cities was a much better way to get ready for the event than trying to see the occaisional burner in reno...

My friend, those are exactly my sentiments. The difference, I think, is where you're coming from. In this New Yorker's eyes, Reno is small, quaint, quiet, peaceful, clean, wholesome, middle America with a 1950s patina. (Vegas is another story, but that's where the El Monte office is, and it's a cheap flight).

Oh, everyone is entitled to an opinion I suppose.... coming from the East Coast, we detoured to Vegas before coming north to Reno. I did not like Reno one bit. I got lost trying to find Walmart, and found the many one way streets very confusing. Vegas was easy to navigate in spite of the traffic, and we had no troubles driving there at all. I'm hoping we can skip Reno this year, and just get everything in Winnemucca. Hoping, but not counting on it.

[III]

i believe fallon has a walmart, and you'll be coming through there if you're not prepared to handle jungo road.

[Mitch]

Yup, Fallon has a fine Wal Mart, and there's essentially only one street, so you won't have any trouble finding it. We had breakfast at a casino there on the way back home, something that resembled the Leaning Tower of Pisa, only taller and made out of pancakes and whipped cream.

[Jean]

If you're stopping in Fallon, I can recommend the breakfasts at Heidi's in the Bonanza Casino. We've eaten there several times and it's always been good.

[Icepack]

i believe fallon has a walmart, and you'll be coming through there if you're not prepared to handle jungo road.

Getting off topic I guess. I checked the map, and I will not be coming through Fallon, although some others may be. I will be coming through Fernley and Winnemucca though. Basically, I'll be on I-80. I've heard that Winnemucca has a Walmart that gets some Burner customers. Guess I will have to check that out.