Frustrated Central California Newbie

kitehillmark · 05-15-2019, 05:35 PM

Bought our Adventurer 35U a few weeks back and have been going through it cleaning and doing some maintenance and LED light upgrades and such. Now we want to hit the road, but I am quickly finding it very hard to find a place to go..

The State parks in California are all booked and those that are not are "first come first serve" and I'm not confident traveling all that way and not having a place to park.

Is it just me or should I have more of an "Adventurer" spirit and just hit the road and see where I end up?? I am more than willing to boondock if necessary. I realize it's the beginning of summer and it will be very hard to find places but I am getting frustrated...

Looking for some veteran RV advice here!

Thanks in advance!

Mark

WinnieView · 05-15-2019, 05:43 PM

We prefer boondocking around AZ. We've had many motorhomes over the years and since they are self-contained we can go anywhere!

Ret.LEO · 05-15-2019, 05:48 PM

Hi Mark,
You bought it to use and enjoy. You never know where you might end up if there's a change in plans..........which to me is 1/2 the fun. If nothing else since you are willing to boondock there is always rest areas, City & County Parks, truck stops, Walmarts etc. At worse maybe a Cracker Barrel............darn the bad luck

With your willingness to be open minded about boondocking you have endless possibilities and adventures.
Main thing.............just get out and enjoy

rk911 · 05-15-2019, 06:21 PM

boondocking and overnight parking are two different things. i certainly would caution the OP and any other newbie against boondocking....living off the grid for multiple days...in rest areas, cracker barrel lots, truck stops, walmarts, etc. overnight parking...one night...MAY be possible WITH prior permission of the property owner. many states prohibit overnight parking in highway rest stop. safety in rest stops at night is of concern to us.

boondocking is appropriate and possible in city, county or state parks (that permit camping), national or state forest land, BLM land and so on.

privately owned RV parks is also a possibility.

Lakejumper · 05-16-2019, 10:19 AM

Are you just looking at State and National parks? Private RV parks typically have openings, even in popular areas, due to cancellations. If you get in a pinch, check out Casinocamper.com. We found several casinos on our trip to and from California to Arizona. We stayed in one in Tucson originally for one night while waiting to get into a first-come-first-serve site in a local county park. We ended up dry camping for 3 nights at the casino. There are reviews so you can see what they're like. We also camped on BLM land. Once you arrive at your destination, you can stay at a free overnight spot and explore the area in your toad to find another park if your flexible.

mcfflyer · 05-16-2019, 01:24 PM

Hello Mark, and welcome to the world of RVing.

Yeah, the California State Parks, as good as they are can be jammed with people trying to camp there. I’ve been back living in California since 1988 and go camping every year, sometimes during the winter. Takes planning and camping guidebooks!

Since you bought a full sized Class A (congrats!), that really limits where you can take it. I go camping in northeastern California, and I just bought a 24’ MW 22M, replacing my faithful 18.5’ 1978 Cruise Master. A small rig like that allowed me to camp in many forest service campgrounds, campgrounds that were designed and built before a lot of modern RVs were on the road. So finding a spot that’s long enough not to mention level enough, can be a challenge.

I’m curious what type of camping do you want to do? What do you expect to find and see? There are lots of commercial campgrounds that can easily handle a rig your size, campgrounds with a lot of amenities, not to mention full hookups.

Back to California State Parks, you might try going in the off season. Many of the state parks no longer take reservations outside of the peak summer period, becoming entirely first come, first served. We’ve gone camping at the California coast by Fort Bragg a couple of times over Thanksgiving, and had no problem getting a good campsite.

Good luck! Give yourself a couple of years and you’ll be an old pro at this!

Lee

kitehillmark · 05-16-2019, 02:41 PM

The RV Community Rocks!!

Thanks to all for your comments and advise!! I really appreciate all of your feedback, I guess I'm just a little gun shy as I had out on our adventures. I was looking for the type of boondocking where we would drive and just see a nice place off the roadway and pullover and camp for the night, but I have a feeling those days are gone.

I realize with a class A 35 footer I am limited where I can stay and perhaps I will have to explore the private RV parking spots, although I am really wanting to do the more of the "away from everyone" parking.

I think I am going to just have to see what it's like out there and get the old calendar out and do some long range planning.

Again, thanks so much everyone!!

Mark

4x4van · 05-17-2019, 10:20 AM

As has been said, CA state/county parks book up 4+ months in advance. However, keep checking; there are often cancellations. Otherwise, start checking private campgrounds. There's always room on BLM lands as well for those that can boondock.

BobC · 05-17-2019, 11:04 AM

I'm not sure what you mean by "Central California" but Lake McSwain, above Merced currently has sites available mid-week and is a nice destination:

https://reservations.lakemcclure.com...4-2ceb9c8f216c

Although I've never stayed there, Lake McClure is also operated by the Merced Irrigation District and is also a good destination.

mcfflyer · 05-17-2019, 11:25 AM

That’s a good point - where in Central California are you?

A couple of other locations northeast of Sacramento are Rollins Lake and Collins Reservoir, both have campgrounds.

Lee

BobC · 05-17-2019, 11:55 AM

I suggest you complete filling out your public profile with information that you a comfortable sharing, including an approximate location. Additionally it's a good idea to create a signature (see mine for example) that lists the particulars on your rig so you don't have to input it each time. Both of the above can be done via the User CP tab in the toolbar.

BobC · 05-17-2019, 12:00 PM

I almost forgot, this blog contains a lot of good CA options:

https://mobilemosers.com/category/rv-trips/

**macnut** · 05-18-2019, 08:49 AM

Checking reservecalifornia.com for cancellations is a good way to stay in state parks without planning too far ahead. Unfortunately, CA “upgraded” their system and did away with waitlists and generally just made it harder to book a site.

We usually try for the state parks first, and if they are full, we choose a private campground. Except for holiday weekends, you should be able to find a good place to stay.

We use the AllStays app and the RV Life app to find good campgrounds. Many times they will suggest a place we didn’t know about.

Best of luck to you in your new RV! Once you are out on the road it will all be worth it!

Al

Also, thanks BobC for the mention! :-)

**creativepart** · 05-18-2019, 10:25 AM

Weekends are the toughest to get reservations. Sometimes getting a reservation for a Sunday (as weekenders are leaving) or a Tuesday will place you in a campground first thing in the morning next day allowing you to claim one of those “first come” sites in the same park. Once in one of those sites you’ll be all set.

Don’t overlook National Forest Service campgrounds and Army Corps of Engineer (COE) campgrounds either.

BobC · 05-18-2019, 10:35 AM

"Destination camping" will be the toughest in that you'll be looking for a spot for several days. On the other hand, it can be fun to wander (or as you put it, have an "Adventurer" spirit), staying only a night or two at each stop and enjoying the sights along the way. We like to do this along the CA coast and up into Oregon and Washington. In most cases, the latter can be done without reservations. I didn't look at all the responses but Indian casinos are good places for last minute overnights.

If you don't already have a decent sized solar system, I highly recommend it to make "dry camping" more practical. Once you've educated yourself it's a relatively straight-forward DIY project and relatively inexpensive. Generators are handy for running microwaves and the like but I like the quiet of solar.

SLOweather · 05-18-2019, 11:54 AM

The OP's profile says he's in Clayton CA, in the bay are near Suisun bay. We just returned from a few days up at Lake Almanor, there are lots of National Forest camps opening up for the season up there, as well as several private camps and RV parks around the lake.

As far as state parks, I'll wager Montana De Oro outside Los Osos is not booked yet, nor Col. Allensworth SHP in the central valley near Earlimart.

If you belong to AAA, go pick up Public Lands Campgrounds maps for lots of state, county, and national park campgrounds, as well as BLM and National Forest.

mcfflyer · 05-18-2019, 12:14 PM

Here is something you should have in your RV library, these camping books by Tom Stienstra. The books list campsites all over the state of all types and also list the maximum RV lengths that they can handle. I’ve used his books for over 20 years and they are invaluable. The RV Camping books cover California, Oregon and Washington. The full camping books are Northern and Southern California, Oregon, Washington and other parts of the West.

TJFogelberg · 05-18-2019, 04:25 PM

Out here in MN there are some similarities and also some differences between us and CA. My understanding is that many CA municipalities restrict ONP. That is not true in MN, we can come up to the popular North Shore during prime time and park in rest areas, city streets, parking lots etc without any trouble if campgrounds are full. Best time to pull into a CG without a res is about 11-12. As others have said, sometimes there are cancellations, walk in sites available, etc. Also, another strategy is to use the day use areas in the popular parks and then look for a place to sleep outside the park. It is fun and truly an adventure to travel without reservations. You never know what is around the corner!

dhuse · 05-22-2019, 05:28 PM

There are so many free/cheap aps in the apple app store. Just plug in "RV Camping" and walah!

Deny · 05-22-2019, 05:31 PM

All good ideas, just keep plugging, something will show up. State, County, Federal parks are the best (for us). Weekends can be tough to find a spot..Might be a good idea to stay friday & saturday at the same spot, to avoid the anguish. If you don't have to run the A/C all night, ie, won't have to have electric.....you will be amazed at the beauty you can enjoy