MarylandDave

Same! Purchased the TT600/6. Will report back with impressions.

Thanks @routlaw. So much goodness there for me to chew on. I didn't realize that the Utah parks were so elevation variable, and if seeing "lesser" parks helps us circumvent the campsite booking problem then so be it. CS route was about showing my wife two places I think are cool: Garden of the Gods and Manitou Springs/dwellings, but you have me thinking it isn't worth the long detour; probably just a taste of what awaits in greater measure in Utah. Much obliged for your thoughts.

Another 6'5" checking in. Bed length in our twin model isn't a problem for me but I'm not a busy sleeper so your mileage may vary. I will probably look to add a filler to create a little extra legroom for longer trips. Foy makes a nice kit for that. Bathroom height isn't great but I'll just sit on the can while showering. Sometimes I just use the bathroom sink while standing outside the bathroom. Beats all the crouching. I've taken advantage of the front door skull cushion but I don't hit my head on the AC unit. Wait, am I shrinking???

Thanks all for the thoughtful replies. Didn't take looking at those fire and smoke maps very long before we became convinced on the southern route, which shouldn't be too terribly hot by September. Our plan is to chug down 70W to Colorado Springs and then through Utah. With an eye toward breaking this up into even chunks of driving, here's a draft itinerary. Our hope is that someone will have ideas for places to stay, especially at or near each of the semi-arbitrary early milestones. (Salina Kansas???) We are just blasting through until we get to Colorado, but if there's a small detour off of I70 that you think is worth it we're game. Moving truck arrival uncertainty forces us to plan for as little as 9 or 10 days, but with a little luck we could set a somewhat more leisurely 2-week pace. So yes, we know we SHOULD take more time but unfortunately we can't. MD to Columbus, OH to visit daughter at OSU. St. Louis, MO. Salina, KS. Colorado Springs, CO. Arches National Park, UT. Bryce Canyon National Park, UT. Sedona, AZ. ?? San Diego. Make any sense? Yes, we get that finding RV spots could be a challenge but we'd like to start with an itinerary we like and see if we can find something. Thanks again! Dave

Thanks John. Appreciate the tough love. Time is constrained so we're gonna have to make do. It will be early September by the time we take off so maybe we'll have luck with finding some spots.

My wife and I bought our Ollie (Hull 801) and then - oops! - job moved to California. So we're driving our new rig from Maryland to San Diego in early September. I think we'll take a northern route to avoid the worst of the heat. What route would you choose and what sights are can't-miss if you had 2 weeks to get there?

Didn’t see anyone mention it here but apologies if I missed it. Anyone use a GUTA TPMS? Amazon sale looks like a good deal: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08DTTV7BC/ref=cm_sw_r_sm_apa_fabc_RW61J3DPPC2TZDF3MC6E?pldnSite=1

Welcome! We’re not-so-distant neighbors in Ellicott City and love your town. We’re also a little jealous of your March date. We are May. Looking forward to reading about your adventures here.

PickupTruckDave.

We have finally given up our resistance to a pickup truck and are buying a 2018 Ford F-150 with the 3.5L EB and max trailer package. I’m sure we could’ve managed with the Touareg but we have big aspirations for long, mountain-heavy trips and the greater capability and storage margins give us comfort. Funny, I never used to notice these things and now they are every third vehicle I see.

Thanks Bill. I guess the capacity number is less important than the other max tow features like rear diff, brake controller, and engine/trans. coolers. I can feel myself getting carried away with seeking the max tow rating. Last week I was fine with a Touareg...

@topgun2, does your F150/3.5EB/MTT rig have 20" wheels? If I'm reading the Ford chart correctly that 13.2k figure is only achievable with the big rims, dropping to 10.5k without. Thanks!

Turns out we’re at a 148 index so we’ve been getting slaughtered all this time without knowing it!

Thanks @Mike and Carol! If we find ourselves drawn to really small towns we’ll have to check out those too.

A friend mentioned Sedona and Prescott, AZ as two nice towns that are convenient to some great camping areas. Thoughts from the Ollie crew?

Adding Oregon coast to my must-see list... @BackofBeyond, so true regarding comfortable temps! My wife is always cold and we’ve learned not to ask her how it feels outside.

Thanks @DavidS! I have spent time in SLC and think the town is awesome, though I never considered it as a place to live because of the enormous influence of the LDS. Not a criticism, just not my thing. My understanding from a friend who lived there (and loved it) is that there is a clear-cut social divide between those in the inside and those on the outside. Maybe I’m more a Park City guy? Nevertheless, you make a great case - every place you mention is on my short list. Big fan of your photography, by the way. Your Sedona pictures had me ready to move there!

Thanks @Jim_Oker, and completely agree. I am glad I worded my post the way I did as it generated some fascinating discussion. But if I had to re-word it I would write: name a town or small city where you would choose to live as a convenient base to explore your favorite places in the west. Something with enough downtown to have a restaurant scene, neighborhoods near enough to be walkable, hiking and biking and a nice climate.

I’ve very much enjoyed all of the posts here. Though my wife and I have the great parks and sights of UT/WY/MT on our bucket list, the comments regarding seasons and efforts to follow the best weather have provoked thoughts regarding our possibilities from home. It’s 11 hours north to Acadia and about the same south to St. Augustine. We should be able to find the weather we like between those two poles.

Following this for sure. One comment/question: I browse Campendium and I’m surprised how many negative reviews so many campgrounds receive. Are campers grumpy and unfair or are there that many lousy campgrounds?

Happy Friday, gang. (Oh sorry, forgot that very few of you track actual days of the week.) Just a fun exercise, really. We have long contemplated a move out west and look forward to using our as-yet-unbuilt Ollie to conduct the search. Recognizing that everyone has their own preferences for town size, climate, and camping destinations, what would you consider the best place to live if the goal was centrality/convenience to your favorite outdoor attractions out west? For instance the front range towns of Colorado seem awesome, but travel to so many of the cool destinations starts with a schlep over the mountains. So maybe some place like Grand Junction is better for that reason. Anyway you talk, I’ll listen. Thanks!

@DCdude, are you from the DC area or does the name mean something else?

Now you guys are just torturing me.

My wife and I look through here and on the FB page and at least twice a day turn our phone to the other and say “ooh, don’t you wish we were here?” before jumping on some dull conference call or other. Trying not to wish my life away but can’t wait to have the freedom to head for the hills whenever the urge strikes. Thanks for the vicarious thrills. 194 days until May, our Ollie birth month.

Wow, this thread is everything we are buying an Oliver for. We will take delivery next May and hope to spend a year gaining enough experience to tackle a 2022 summer trip to MT, WY, ID. (I’ll bug you all about the details of that itinerary later.) I feel very privileged to have access to such expertise. Thanks to everyone here who so selflessly offers their wisdom and guidance. Quick question: how many hours a day of travel do you consider a reasonable and sustainable number? We are hoping to blast through the Midwest and plains so that we can get to big sky country, but want to be realistic about budgeting that time. We are fairly hardy road warriors and did the Hohenwald to MD route 11 hours straight through, though it’s undoubtedly less stressful in a small car than in a truck with a trailer. I realize that everyone will have their own answer but hoping for a survey. TIA! Dave