RV'ing the US West Coast

Peter &Ann Vander Sar

This article grew out of an email some years ago to friends who were RV'ing along the US West coast for the first time, and contains observations for folks traveling that route from Vancouver Island and area. We've traveled along the US West Coast eight or ten times over the last 25 years while living in California , southern Alberta and southern BC; by tent, by van and the last four times in a motorhome. Currently we own a 22 ft Class C Citation on a Ford chassis with a 460 ci engine and haul a little Toyota behind. We do not carry a generator, but installed an extra battery so we could be independent for longer periods of time.

Our personal likes and biases shape our travel directions and stops. We (Peter and my wife Ann) enjoy water in the shape of hot springs , oceans, and rivers, even swamps, and will go the long way around if it means we can take a ferry. We are interested in geology, history, architecture, railroads, gardens and gardening, watching birds and stars, and meeting up with the odd one-armed bandit (slot machine). We much prefer state and federal government parks to RV resorts, not needing, or wishing to pay for, the latter's facilities. We eat out very little, as Ann is a very good cook and enjoys it.

We love seafood. We always thermos morning tea and coffee to enjoy later, and for day trips we often make sandwiches ahead. Ideally, we like to camp within stumbling distance to a pub to have an evening refreshment and meet locals. Failing that, you can put most anything in a coffee mug as you walk around a campground and meet people that way - though usually not locals.

Planning before leaving

Identifcation:

Since 9/11, the US has become a lot more particular about identification when you cross the border. A valid driver's licence or birth certificates with other picture id are sufficient today. While a passport may not be required until 2007, if then, we have found that having one greatly simplifies crossing the border, not only from Canada but also coming back from Mexican shopping trips.

Medical Insurance

A must! Depending on your medical condition, it may be worth your while to shop around. This will take several weeks as companies today review applications rather than rubber-stamp them. Try for a large deductible: it will reduce costs significantly, and you should be able to absorb a $500 medical bill yourself.

Emergency Road Hazard Insurance

Another must. Get it from your provincial motor Association or a group like the Good Sam Travel Club. We changed to the latter as their rate for two adults, multiple vehicles, and an RV is significantly cheaper. We have had to call on Good Sam's Emergency Service for the RV in Phoenix and West Texas , and several times in BC for our regular vehicles, and have found service to be prompt.

Road and Campsite Info

If not a member, you have to pay about $4.00 apiece for the wonderful maps the American Automobile Association provides. However, the Wal-Mart Rand McNally Atlas, at $4.97 US half the price of the bookstore version is excellent value: very good state maps, and includes many city maps as well. For campground information, the Trailer Life Campground Directory is worth every penny it costs. (About $20 US - half price if you are a Good Sam Member and order direct.) We've found their system of rating facilities regarding cleanliness and visual appeal to be excellent, not to mention the directions, descriptions, rates, handicap and internet access info, and restrictions such as shared water connections or 15Amp only electrical connections to be superior. Even more important the guide also tells you when the campground is open and elevation is above 2500ft, both key concerns for spring and fall travel.

Many state campground sites provide water and electricity, and charge accordingly, typically $25 - $30. Some have inexpensive (around $10) camping or tenting areas, often in beautiful locations. They have no electricity and only the occasional water tap, but do give you access to showers and dump facilities. US federal parks typically lack site facilities, but the rate is at least $20.

Parking or boondocking without water, electrical, or sewer connections in primitive campsites, boat launch areas, or just on public land is usually a better experience during the week than weekends, as there are fewer people around. During weekends, state and federal parks near cities are often booked solid. Casinos on Fridays can be a bright spot as many have a seafood buffet that is good and reasonably priced, and most let you park overnight. We use Wal-Marts (listed in their Atlas) if we just want an overnight stopping place after driving all day: they are a real godsend if you run into bad weather. Within 20 or 30 miles from anywhere there is usually a Wal-Mart lot with good lighting, security, and over-the-air TV reception, and guaranteed to be plowed out by morning. We find that arranging to meet someone at the Wal-Mart in a town we are unfamiliar with is easier than trying to find an address.

A few communities prevent Wal-Mart from letting RVers Park overnight - we always check first.

Truck stops and rest areas are other alternative stopping places, but are mostly to Interstate routes so not as applicable along the coast.

Paying for stuff

Check before you go whether your credit card holder charges $2.50, or adds a one to two percent service charge on US dollar transactions as many do. It may be better to pay cash when possible. Many grocery stores have a lower local ATM charge and higher withdrawal limits than other places - we favour HEB in the Southwest. Your friendly Canadian bank will, of course, charge their $3 or so. Get customer cards for all the grocery chains and carry them with you as (often significant) discounts depend on having a customer card.

Communications with "home"

Many agree that the Telus cell phone plan of C$75.00 for 250 minutes/month from anywhere to anywhere in the US and Canada , anytime, fits the bill. While local cell phones rates are cheap in the US , the moment you go long distance, let alone out of country, forget it! Unfortunately Telus' US service provider, Verizon, seems to have poor or no coverage away from cities, but we hear Roger's coverage in the US can also be spotty .

Pocket mail uses a small unit that can use any phone and a 1-800 number to send and receive e-mail. Using a computer gives full access to the Internet including electronic banking, weather forecasts, etc. WiFi provided on new laptops, and available for about $100 on older ones, uses a wireless connection to the Internet available at many campgrounds, rest stops, and cafes. WiFi is becoming very common, and is rapidly replacing direct or cell phone connection.

Preparing the RV

There are a million recommendations in print and on the Internet on how to prepare your RV for the trip. Here are three major things we learned the hard way:

. Get a seal test done at your RV dealership - whether your RV is new or used, and has slide-outs or not. It will cost about $75. This is a deceptively simple procedure: they pressurize your RV with air and use soap bubbles to discover where air leaks out. Fix those spots and you avoid having water leak (or stream) in while you are on the road.

If you are towing a vehicle, do not hook up down the road, even if you are in a rush to get away to avoid doing the hook-up during a local rain or snow shower. You may find you are missing vital parts when you get around to doing it.

Some places require a rubber "doughnut" to bridge between your hose and the sewer drop, or a threaded connector. Having them along can avoid hassles.

If you have dual wheels on your truck or RV, have valve extenders installed before you leave home. That way, you can easily check the pressure instead of losing air each time you try it, not being able to add any, and having to limp to a tire dealer. A qualification: Smaller class C motor homes tend to have "standard" car-type valve stems. They do not stand up to the motion caused by extenders and break: either get valve stems holding brackets or get heavy duty valve stems installed.

Stuff to Take Along

For the RV

Being unable to water or electricity when planning to do so because facilities are too far away, and/or incompatible electrical connectors, can be very frustrating. (The Trailer Life listing should warn you). Being able to cross a 100 foot gap usually solves the problem. Electrically this means taking an additional 75" extension cord with converter plugs at either end of it for the 30 or 50 Amp service you are used to. For water an additional 75' hose, a Y connector, and a high pressure reducer should get you water.

Keep in mind that the size and length of extension cords will reduce capacity. Consider carrying the above list of items even if you have a generator, because you may arrive too late to run your generator or you may end up in the generator-restricted section of a government campground. Some places require a rubber "doughnut" to bridge between your hose and the sewer drop, or a threaded connector. Having them along can avoid hassles.

For People you meet

While many of your fellow campground residents will have travelled more than you, and can tell you things about roads in Northern BC you never knew, that is not usually true of the local folks you run into. For that reason we take along some BC postcards, Canadian flag pins, as souvenirs. Next time we plan to take small boxes of maple candy as well. They would have made the perfect gift for the hosts of a small town Thanksgiving dinner that would not accept a donation, and invite us to their home for breakfast the next day, as happened to us. That is one of the nicest parts of RV'ing - the friendly people you meet.

Destination

Washington State

The logical way to start a US west coast trip from Vancouver Island is to take the ferry to Port Angeles .If you just have to go through Vancouver on your way South you will start on Interstate 5, but you can avoid Seattle/Tacoma by taking the Washington ferry system to Port Townsend (which is worth a stop itself) instead. Either way you land on the US hwy 101 loop around the Olympic Peninsula.

We found the ocean part of that loop is quite far from the water, so we prefer to drive 101 on the picturesque west side of the Hood Canal , or the southeast arm on Highway 106.

It features a very nice lunch stop in a waterside park with old stone buildings constructed during the depression.106 is reached via Hwy 3 through Bremerton, which has a great Naval Museum - not to mention a whole row of small laid-up aircraft carriers.

Either way you will end up along a small stretch of 101 leading to highway 12, which takes you to the Pacific Ocean at Aberdeen . South along 101 there are many opportunities to buy the famous Willapa Bay oysters as you head for the Southwest tip of Washington at Seaview-Ilwaco. You want to go there to visit and probably stay at Fort Canby ( Washington ) State Park which is situated on the north side of the Columbia River mouth, opposite Astoria . Open all year, the park features tours of the lighthouse and spectacular beaches with large rock cliffs about a mile's saunter from the campground. It's extremely busy during the summer, but great during spring and fall - with cooler and perhaps darker weather of course.

The Island RV Guide would like to thank Peter & Ann Vander Sar for providing us with their RV story. Peter and Ann retired to a farm in the North Okanagan in 1999 after roughly 30 yrs of being married to each other, living in Toronto , Edmonton , San Jose , California , Vancouver and Calgary while Peter worked for IBM Canada. They did what many plan but few do - bought an RV and traveled around most of the Canada and the US . One project achieved, the next was for Peter to let his hair grow long, and he promises to show the result of that project in a picture of himself and Ann for his next article, in the July/August edition of The Island RV Guide.

Thanks Peter & Ann