Boondocking Experience in Utah: Part I Of Our Mini Test Run Nomad Adventure
Our goal: head up to Steamboat Springs from Arizona via Utah while pulling our 26-foot trailer (overall length). A trailer we had previously lived full-time in, for about 3 years, so we thought we were familiar with all it's quarks.
Why? My partner was signed up for Run Rabbit Run. A race he originally signed up for in late 2019 when we were living in Colorado, but due to COVID, it had been pushed out to 2022. So, we decided this would be a great test run for us to see if we can pull off our major road trip next year and what we need to pay attention to. This actually turned out to be a great learning experience for me as I hit the road nomad style. More on that later. But the purpose of this blog is, I would like to share what I have learn for those who are considering hitting the road as well.
Let the Adventures Begin
The first night, we stayed at a disperse camping site close to Moab, Utah which I believe came from this website, but not positive about that. The dispersed camping was Yellow Circle Road and true to the article, you need to drive in .6 miles before you can camp. The first area is definitely large enough for trailers or RVs. In the article, he mentions smaller place to camp as you went on, but since we were towing our trailer, we stayed at the bottom so can’t attest to that. The area was nice, and where we were at, we had a good view of a distance peak (towards Colorado) and at night, the lack of pollution light led to the sight of a beautiful stary sky.
However, here is what we learned about the spot which was not in the article. In the bottom parking area, you need to pay attention to where you park as parts of it appeared to be sort of like a river bed, drainage system from the hills around.
When we first set up, we saw evidence of where water had left it mark, but didn’t think much of it as we were not the only ones in the area, so we set up. Side note, as we were setting up, we found a little scorpion in the tire covers in storage. Gotta love Arizona! So, if you are camping or storing your rig in the Sonoran Desert, stay alert for those little critters.
Anyways, the next morning around 6 am, it started to rain slowly. We got up, closed the windows, then my partner realized the potential hazard of where we were park. He went out to bring up the stabilizers and get the truck ready to head out just in case. Two minutes later, he advised me of the mud on his shoes so we decided to bring the slide in and take off.
As we took off, we were doing some slipping and sliding till we got to the more packed road. By the time we got out to the major road, the rain really started coming down and it came down in heavy waves. If we had decided to wait out the rain, we may have been stuck there for quite a bit.
Thus, our quote of the day was:
“I’m happy with our life choices this morning”
Here is what we learned overall on the first day (Or remembered from past experiences):
Gas milage per hour is lower at 72 than at 60 mph.
Don’t expect to rush through the reservation, it’s pretty chill. They have their own time so just go with it, don’t sweat it, enjoy it.
Gas stations on the res are on the smaller side, tend to be busy, and a little tight if pulling a trailer.
I am amazing at keeping the truck centered on the road as evidence of lack of scrapes on the side of trailer as we drove through tight construction zones with cement barriers on each side.
Use a good ice chest for your cold foods just in case the fridge takes a long time to get to temperature. Yes, we had issues with ours for some reason, not sure why. Had to put most food in the freezer the first night. No, didn’t really freeze but was way colder than the fridge part.
Check your rig for unsavory critters as you are prepping it, this is if you have had it stored for a few months or more.
Stay tuned for Part II of our nomad test run adventure.