Boondocking restrictions? where can't i go in CA?!

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Tom said:
Wait while I get my towel out and cry boyo.
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Very good on the sarcasm, you guys have it over there too?.

Carl L said:
I find that a 40 gallon black tank goes for about 5 days with two adults.  Grey and fresh water are completely dependent on your habits.

Thats some handy info, thanks.
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$1.06 per liter!?  That'll do nicely! It hit ?1.22 ($2.30) here a month ago.

Oh yeah, i was going to ask, roughly how far will you get in a Moturis R25 with a 210ltr Gas tank? i have no idea about the economy on these things.

Regarding the campsites, i'm perfectly happy to pay for whatever is needed, although i was hoping to 'rough it' perhaps a little more. No problem though, i think we'll do as suggested and just see what we find on the map as we go in between the stops we have already booked. i need to read up on the conditions around Big SUr to guage availability/access mid September.

Thanks for the advice

Mike
 
Very good on the sarcasm, you guys have it over there too?.
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Just a little Welsh humour.

how far will you get in a Moturis R25 with a 210ltr Gas tank?
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Depends on how much fuel is in the tank when you start off. According to this rental company, fuel consumption on the Moturis would be around 7-10mpg. Those would be US gallons. If you do any boondocking, the generator will consume some additional fuel.

Reminds me I should mention that, when the fuel drops below a third or maybe a quarter of a tank, the generator will quit working (by design).
 
Mike,

If I'm reading your message correctly you will be traveling during our "Labor Day" holiday.  I also live in California and that's a very busy camping time for us, so be sure and make reservations, at least for that specific weekend.  If you have never been to San Francisco or LA, I think you are going to be surprised at how crowded we are, especially at the "scenic" areas.  ;D

There are a great many places to pull over and take pictures, though; even stay a few hours.  If you are looking for an uncrowded campground on the beach, there is San Simeon Campground near Hearst Castle between San Francisco and LA.  I believe it's a first come/first serve campground.  It's in an uncrowded area.  The suggestion for using CA state campground is a good one.  You can view campsites; and make reservations at the State Website. 

Are your plans to travel along the coast coming down to LA?  Or do you plan to head inland?

Marsha~



 
San Simeon is on the reservation system, just not site-specific. I think most of the California parks are on the reservation system now. Looks like Labor Day weekend is pretty full up just about everywhere but the week after is wide open.

Wendy
 
Wendy,

I've been doing some checking into the Calif State Park system as Tim and I are taking off right after Labor DAy.  WE are going to Bodega Bay then heading up the coast toward Oregon.  I've been noticing in the CA State park system some campgrounds have specific sites which are reserveable, with the other remaining sites being first come/first served.  I was surprised at that; but it does make sense.  Nice for those of us who like to reserve a spot.  Plus now they have put photos of the sites, which is really nice.

Marsha~
 
MikeFisher said:
Very good on the sarcasm, you guys have it over there too?.
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Nope.  We have to import it.   Tom is our resident Taff.

$1.06 per liter!?  That'll do nicely! It hit ?1.22 ($2.30) here a month ago.
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I knew that would make you feel better.

Oh yeah, i was going to ask, roughly how far will you get in a Moturis R25 with a 210ltr Gas tank? i have no idea about the economy on these things.
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Misnomer.  We do not use the word "economy" in connection with RVs, we use "mileage":  10 miles per gallon is  good planning estimate.  Could be as bad as 8, as good as 12.  The Lord giveth, the Lord taketh away....   :(

Regarding the campsites, i'm perfectly happy to pay for whatever is needed, although i was hoping to 'rough it' perhaps a little more. No problem though, i think we'll do as suggested and just see what we find on the map as we go in between the stops we have already booked. i need to read up on the conditions around Big SUr to guage availability/access mid September.
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When you land in the USA, get yourselves a copy of either the Trailer Life Campground Directory or Woodall's.  Use on of those books and a cell phone to call ahead.  Big Sur is a particular problem.  It was the site of a major forest fire in June this year -- call aheads are particularly recommended.
 
Tom said:
when the fuel drops below a third or maybe a quarter of a tank, the generator will quit working (by design).
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I hope thats the sort of thing they tell you when you pick it up but either way, that sort of info should prevent a bit of panicking, thanks!

Marsha,
Thanks for the stuff on San Simeon.
Labor day is 1st September yes? we don't pick up the RV until the 9th after San Francisco so that week should be fairly clear then you think?

Our plan is:  San Francisco, Yosemite, Back to the coast at Santa Cruz, monterey bay area, down past Big Sur, Morro Bay/san simeon etc. head inland around san luis obispo for some winery! then we have a 2 day buffer to decide what to do. Probably kings Canyon national park or maybe stick by the coastal region and explore a bit before handing the RV back in LA on the 19th.

That book looks pretty comprehensive, if you think that getting it in the US won't be too late to book ahead then thats what i'll do although its only ?11 from amazon here.....

Thanks again, any further advice much appreciated. the plan is coming together


Mike

 
Marsha - We're thinking of spending a big part of the winter in California, going from one state park to another. Where are the pictures of campsites...on the CA parks page or reserveamerica? We spent a lot of time in state parks last year without making reservations but may do some on reservations this winter.

Mike - That's a pretty busy schedule for 10 days. It's doable but busy. You might skip Kings Canyon and move slower through the rest of California? Yosemite deserves a couple of days (well, really, it deserves a couple of weeks). Hearst Castle is well worth the price of the ticket. Touring the wineries around SLO is a fun day. If you find yourself near Buellton, and you like split pea soup, stop at Anderson's for lunch.

You might get enough info online to make your plans and book campsites rather than buying a big campbook that covers all of the US. You might instead think of joining the AAA (American Automobile Association) - I think it's $35/year and you can pick up some fabulous maps, TourBooks, and CampBooks for free as a member.

Wendy
 
... head inland around san luis obispo for some winery!
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Try a bit further south around Buellton or Solvang.  That is Sideways country and the site of a number of very interesting vineyards and wineries -- Sanford, Foxen, Gainey, and La Fond for a few.  The Flying Flags RV park in Buellton is not a bad pied-a-terre.  Google Santa Y?ez Valley.

 
Yes.  Wendy is correct.  The AAA maps and books are really good.  I prefer them to most others.

ArdraF
 
If you want a real taste of wineries, cross the Golden Gate bridge and head over to the Napa Valley, California's #1 wine area. Lots of vineyards, several hundred wineries, free tours and wine tasting. The vino eqivalent of a pub crawl.
 
When we lived in Sebastopol (Sonoma County) one of our favorite Napa Valley wineries to take visitors to was Berringer Brothers.  Their wine is delicious, but the main attraction was the limestone caves, hollowed out years ago by Chinese workers, which maintain a constant temperature year round for storage of the wine in oak casks. 

Margi
 
Mike
If heading south down 101 from the Santa Cruz area, then (as others have suggested) the Santa Ynez area should not be missed, especially Solvang. It's a Danish village in the middle of California.  A decent place to camp in the area is at Lake Cachuma, a few miles south, runs around $28 a night for full hook-ups.  Flying Flags at Buellton OTH (about 15 miles away) is around $60 - depending on services.  I  expect to be there myself sometime next week.

BT
 
Good suggestion re Solvang. We've taken many visitors there and they always enjoy walking around the numerous small shops where many of the shopkeepers are dressed in the Danish national costume.
 
Wendy,

I forgot to answer you.  I got on the Cal State website for parks; but to find out about the reservations with photos, it was ReserveAmerica.

We'll be here in Kernville all winter except for a trip to QZ and Palm Springs in January.  We'd love to get together with you guys.  We are right on the boundary for the Sequoia National Forest and there are several campgrounds that are either free or very resonable; but they are dry camping.  We also have other campgrounds with full hook ups.  It does gets cold up here in the winter, with an occasional snowfall.  The backyard is fenced so the canine "boys" can play to their heart's content.

Marsha~
 
where can't i go in CA?!
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Tall order, I believe the previous posts pretty well covered it. Now for just about a full coverage and where you can overnight in CA, I suggest you join the group in this link.
http://autos.groups.yahoo.com/group/OvernightRVParking/
When you get notification of acceptance, log on to to the site, click on "FILES" (left column)  then scroll down to "RV Parking & No Parking Locations " and you'll find all the Calif. locations. notes and location  directions. Locations in all other States and Can Prov are also available. For tank dumping you might find this site helpful http://www.sanidumps.com/

Cheers
Willey

My gosh! a Sept thread, sorry folks guess I'll have to click on that Mark all threads read button so this doesn't happen again.
Sorry  :-[
Willey
 
"Highway rest areas are posted against it as being just plain dangerous as well as being illegal. "

Is this something new?

The last I heard is that rest areas in CA are legal for RV's  as long as the max hours are not exceeded. The "no camping" signs only means no camping outside your vehicle, such as in a tent or sleeping bag outside.

And what makes them dangerous? I've used them countless times all over CA and other states, with no hassles.

-Don- San Francisco, CA
 
Hi, We live in Santa Cruz...Signs are posted for parking restrictions. There are a few side streets with no postings on parking. I've noticed a trailer parked on Portola Drive in Capitola/Santa Cruz, just 2 blocks from the ocean in a Surfer paradise (over 1 year). This RV gets moved back and forth. I'm sure he is Boondocking. There are some problems with camping on the streets so be sure you read the street signs before you stay the night....I hope you have a nice trip.
FYI
Campgrounds at the ocean=New Brighton State Park, Seacliff Beach, Sunset Beach...enjoy :)
 
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