RV trip from LV to SF
 

We are planning our first :)) RV road trip from Las Vegas to San Francisco from March 31 to April 7 and we are planning to visit 3-4 National Parks during our travel. I think we shall start with the Grand Canyon for a day or two, then drive through The Death Valley, then get to Sequoia Park for 2 days and then head to Yosemite for 2-3 days. I would really appreciate some tips about the best campsits to chose from to make RSVP and the timing to arrive to and take off from them before heading to the next stop.

Vegas > the GC > DV > Sequoia > YNP > SF in 8 days would be <i>barely</i> doable in a car - and pretty much impossible via motor home.

That is nearly 1500 miles and 30 hours behind the wheel. So even if you average 55 MPH you are talking 4+ hours every single day. When you add in the setting up/packing/tearing down . . . you are talking 6+ hours in transit every single day.

But . . . you can't average 55 because in many of the parks the strictly enforced speed limit is 25 mph give or take.

Have you ever driven a motorhome in the mountains, in snow, etc?

IMO this is biting off waaaaaaaay too much for a first RV trip. Do you own this RV -- or are you renting? Because if you are renting -- it will be cheaper and MUCH easier in a car staying in motels.

I agree - this is too big of a trip to take in an RV, especially in early spring when it may very well be rainy and snowy in the places you are planning to go.

Wow! Thank you so much for your input!
We are renting an RV for the first time and consider ourselves experienced drivers :) we have 3 driving adults and 4 kids so we thought we would kill 2 birds by saving on rooms and driving altogether.
Maybe we should reconsider the direction and go south-east?

>>We are renting an RV for the first time and consider ourselves experienced drivers <<

If this is your first time, how experienced can you be? If you mean experience driving a car - that's a whole different thing. Driving a motorhome is different/slower/less maneuverable/ . . . especially in mountains and possibly in snow. ESPECIALLY a motorhome large enough for seven people.

With 7-8 days and given the time of year, I would stick to Las Vegas, Grand Canyon and Death Valley (or maybe visit Zion).
There is no entrance to SEKI from the east, and Yosemite it is possible to have snow. I'm not sure how hard it is to put snow chains on a RV or if the RV company even allows it.
Also how old are your children? If any of them need to use a car seat, look into how to secure them in an RV (there does not seem to be a good way).

Having RV'd for four years full time, I assure you an RV is not a car.

I >> fully support << the use of a Class A RV with 4 kids. Packing and unpacking daily with 4 kids is terrifying and extremely time consuming. Also feeding them constantly.

Will the rental agency allow you to drive it for a couple of days first? Drive into a city and on a high speed freeway.

The most important element of RV driving are mirrors and more mirrors. Newer ones have a video camera in the back that is highly recommended, although I did not have one.

While the urge to rent a large RV is luring, small is vastly easier to drive and back up and park. Some parks like Capitol Reef restrict vehicle size on some of their roads. Ideal size is 27-feet which is not practical with 4 kids.

Vaga

Thank you so much for your advices! We made up our minds to stay for 2 days in DV, SNP and Yosemite ( I’m dying to visit that one for years!)
I’m crazy stubborn Russian, my BF is even crazier Brazilian and we are from New York, looking for some road adventures!

>>DV, SNP and Yosemite <<

That simply doesn't work -- and definitely not in a large Motorhome.

They are essentially a day's drive apart so to have 2 days IN each one would require 3 days each. Plus there will likely be snow in Yosemite and probably Sequoia.

Just how stubborn <i>are</i> you????? ;)

Death Valley to thd middle of Sequoia NP is about a 6 hour drive in a car - it will take longer in an RV and if there is any weather. Sequoia to Yosemite Valley is another 4 hours - again, in a car without weather. In an RV, it will take a lot longer because much of the route is on curvy roads. And as mentioned, snow is still a possibilty that time of year. It's important to know what you are getting into on this adventure and make sure it is something you are up for.

Stubborn Russian?
We spent 3 weeks in Russia last year at St. Petersurg and Moscow
Never experience more friendly and cooperative people anywhere.
Surprised how many people spoke Russian. Often they stopped and asked if we need help.

One time a police man stopped all traffic on a major intersection so that my elderly wife could get across.

Note: We were in SP when it was USSR. Today St. Pete is an amazing thriving city. Ditto with Moscow. Bullet trains exceptionally comfortable. Also every street is absolute clean, clean and clean. Zero problems

Highly recommend visiting the un-stubborn Russia

Vaga

OOOOPPPSSS
Surprised how many people spoke Russian

Make that speaking American English and very proficiently

Vaga

I guess the up side to having an RV is if you don't make it to your destination you can pull off somewhere and call it a day. Do Walmarts still allow overnight parking? But a Walmart is likely not what you envisioned for your western vacation.

No, you can't really pull off somewhere and call it a day. You've got to be in a campground of some sort - otherwise the police will roust you if they find you, and may issue a ticket.

Rest stops and truck stops allow parking for some hours to allow drivers to get some sleep - truck stops and rest stops are usually along major interstates though, so there may or may not be many on the proposed route.

Some Walmart stores do allow overnight parking, but local laws prevail and in most of California, camping in parking lots is banned. Plus, you'd have to find a Walmart anyway, which aren't very common in California.

"No, you can't really pull off somewhere and call it a day."

No, yourself. I meant just that..."somewhere"...not just anywhere. I know perfectly well you need to find an appropriate spot, and now if there was doubt, we all do. Thanks for sharing.

Well even to pull over "somewhere" that is an "appropriate spot" you need a plan.

I'm sorry Mme, I didn't mean to upset you with my response. I just wanted to avoid a misunderstanding should the OP think that boondocking could be part of this "adventure" they are planning. Plenty of visitors to CA have the mistaken idea that this is the wild west where you can stop anywhere and camp. You may know what an appropriate spot is, but the OP probably doesn't - being that this will be the 1st time they have traveled in an RV and their lack of familiarity with this area.

As for sharing, I thought this was the whole point of a travel forum - to share what we know :)

N_M, sharing is indeed what we often do, though I wish it was always that. No names. Sorry I read you in a more severe light than you meant.

There is the issue of national forest land. When I was in camping mode with my son, campers did have the opportunity, if I recall correctly, of pulling off onto NF land and camping anywhere. I don't know if this is still the case but it would be worth investigating. Much of the NF land picks up where national park land stops and there's a lot of it.

But it seems to me that the op needs to make 1 of 2 changes, shorten the trip or lose the RV. I was only half serious with my first comment above.

Yes, you can camp on national forest land with some restrictions - there are rules about how far you have to be from highways, water sources, etc. This is a lot easier with car camping than with an RV, of course, especially an RV that sleeps 7. Forest service roads are often unpaved, so getting an RV to the point off the highway where you can camp can be a challenge.

Walmart camping
Use this web site

http://www.walmartlocator.com/no-park-walmarts/

"...there are more than 900 Walmart stores nationwide where overnight RV parking is prohibited? That’s about 23 percent of all Walmart and Walmart Supercenter stores in the United States! "

California has almost 200 sites.

There is a phone number next to each WM - call ahead to insure that some local whacko government has not prohibited camping there. Government love to meddle.

Camp at far end of their parking lot. Basically, where the other RVs are located. Do not make a mess and insure children are tamed by 9 PM

Yes, BLM and National Forest camping is allowed and FREE. Basic rules are to use exiting site if possible. DO NOT drive off the main road. Leave the site spotless when you leave. Do not dump waste water on the ground.

Example: There is a National Forest a few miles west of Bryce that offers free camping. Also east of Zion. Etc.

No off road parking at any national/state park or monument.

Vaga