No 🚫 RV Camping in Washington • Olympic Peninsula by Airstream • Striking Out on Dispersed Camping!

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As we travel full-time in our RV through Washington, camping has been nearly impossible! Dispersed camping is rare, solar charging is difficult, cell service is spotty, and many campgrounds are too small for our 27FB Airstream travel trailer.
That said, there is incredible hiking, biking, and more throughout the Cascade Range, on the Pacific Coast, and in Olympic National Forest. The struggle is well worth it!
After our adventures-and misadventures-in Leavenworth, WA (check out our previous video!), we had a hard time finding camping. We repeatedly struck out: boondocking sites were either closed or down impassable roads, and we can’t fit our rig in many western Washington campgrounds.
We camped for a couple nights in Capitol State Forest at Porter Creek Campground, but no cell service (even with our WeBoost) and dense tree cover meant we couldn’t stay there long term.
Frustrated by our options, we headed for the coast!
Camping at South Beach Campground in Olympic National Park was an incredible experience. It is now one of our favorite campsites ever. We spent six nights on a cliff above the Pacific Ocean, watching the waves crash against the shore just below us.
While in the area, we hiked the Hoh River Trail in Olmpic National Park. The Hoh Rainforest is one of the wettest places in the United States, and is a sight to behold. Hiking there is an absolute must!
Chasing the sun to charge our batteries, we hurried through Port Angeles, scoped out camping at Salt Creek Recreation Area, and then headed for a one night stay at Oak Bay Campground.
Despite having two 100 Ah Battle Born lithium batteries and 800 W of solar panels, we just couldn’t keep our batteries charged. So we headed to the sunny side of the mountains, charting a course for Bend, Oregon.
We have a new video for you every Saturday! Make sure to Subscribe so that you can continue following our travels-to Bend and beyond! We also have lots of tips to share with you on full-time RV life and outdoor adventure.
Make sure to hit that Like button if you enjoyed this video, and let us know in the comments what we were doing wrong in Washington! Any recommendations for Bend recreation opportunities are welcome, too!
⛺️ Love camping? Check out three of our favorite FREE camping spots on our website bit.ly/3xtQrxZ
🎼 Like the music? Check out Artlist for royalty-free tracks: artlist.io/TWL...
❗Thinking of installing a solar system on your RV? Also watch our complete tour and explanation of our system. That video will help you select parts, determine the number of solar panels you need, choose battery type, decide on the right inverter for your needs, and more! • 🌞 RV Solar System Expl...
🌞 Also check out our free guide that goes into even greater depth on a HUGE range of RV solar system topics thiswyldelife....
For our installation, we bought a complete kit from AM Solar. The kit included the obvious components, plus all the small parts that you wouldn't think of. AM Solar also does an amazing job answering questions before and during your installation. Visit AM Solar online bit.ly/twlsolar and use code TWL5 for a ✋ 5% discount on your order!
Some things that make our life easier:
💧 Berkey Water Filter. Our water tastes great, and we know that it’s SAFE. Our Berkey filters out any hazardous chemicals from questionable water sources, and means our drinking water isn’t sitting in our Airstream’s 6 year old plastic holding tank! bit.ly/3hRXNoe
☀️ Breathable Outdoor Mat. Home is where you park it, and this mat keeps the dirt down without killing the grass. amzn.to/35Z4hvS
☎️ WeBoost RV 65 cell booster. This is how we work from the road. amzn.to/3crU7aT You can watch our review and setup tips here: • WeBoost RV 65 Cell Pho...
🎥 GoPro Hero 9 was used for most footage. amzn.to/3xmPHu5
📸 Canon 70D + 18-135mm lens (now replaced by the 90D) was used for additional shots. amzn.to/3gkJitx
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2 окт 2024

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Комментарии : 30

@tuckermcneese239 3 года назад

Forgive me if you have already said this in previous videos, but I just subscribed. What are you using for a tow vehicle? My wife are thinking about buying a 27 FB and I would like still use my 2015 Ford F150 4x4 (V8) and not buy an F250. All thoughts are appreciated! Thanks in advance.

@ThisWyldeLife 3 года назад

Hello, Tucker. Thanks for subscribing! Exciting that you're looking at Airstreams. We tow with a Chevy 2500 diesel. We didn't already have a truck, so when we sold our car we went for a truck that would have more than enough capability and provide a good safety margin. It hardly feels like we're pulling a trailer in our 2500, but many people do pull a 27FB with a 1/2 ton pickup. The key is to determine your payload capacity (driver's side door jamb sticker). Make sure that the total weight of your occupants and cargo, PLUS the tongue weight of the trailer, is comfortably below your truck's payload capacity. The 27FB has a pretty heavy tongue weight-about 1,100 pounds when packed for travel. That tongue weight alone is close to the payload capacity of many 1/2 ton pickups. You should also consider a weight distribution hitch (WDH). We use a Blue Ox ( amzn.to/2SXky1M ). A WDH will NOT reduce tongue weight, but it does distribute the tongue weight more evenly between the front and rear axles of the tow vehicle, improving handling and braking. Hope that helps! Let us know if you have other questions.

@rja12 3 года назад

You may know this already but in case you don't, you can take the tension off of those sway bars, before unhooking, by using the powered trailer dolly to partially lift the rear of the truck. The video I'll post below explains the best, and safest, way to couple and uncouple with sway bars. Not the same bars that you have but I believe this system would still work for you. But of course do your research to verify that. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-rq6jUpEMtmw.html

@ThisWyldeLife 3 года назад

Thanks for the video link… we’ll check that out!

@brianmoss5483 3 года назад

Run the jack all the way up while still hitched to the ball even if it stars to lift the truck, to release the tension. Ask me how I know. Also works for hitching up.

@ThisWyldeLife 3 года назад

Great tip, Brian! I actually tried that here, but there was still more tension in the bar than I bargained for. I think it was the crazy slope the truck was on!

@hannahcampas1751 3 года назад

Go paddle board camping at Sparks Lake. I used to live in Bend and it is the best.

@ThisWyldeLife 3 года назад

Thanks for the recommendation, Hannah! That sounds amazing!

@wanderingwanda9869 3 года назад

Have a Vlog on Blue Ox. You need to throw away the tool that comes with Blue Ox and replace with a Tire Iron.

@ThisWyldeLife 3 года назад

That’s a good tip! A longer wrench would be much easier to control. We do carry a break bar for an emergency flat change; putting the right socket on there and using it for the Blue Ox would be a good idea.

@lorilake7613 6 месяцев назад

I just watch your video. I live on the Olympic Peninsula. I use a propane/gas generator when camping off grid on the Peninsula. You need to make reservations a year in advance on the Peninsula. I just show up early on a week day and shoe horn my travel trailer into one of the first come, first served tent sites at one of the state parks. I cook outside on propane. I run fridge, hot water heater on propane to conserve battery power. My generator is used to charge my house batteries. They charge quickly, then I shut the generator down. I can go two days on house batteries before I have to charge them again. There just for lights, heater fan and water pump.

@Lollygagger-k4p 10 месяцев назад

You're trying to put a square peg into a round hole with that thing. That's why trailers in the 27ft range are the most common For Sale on C-list. The really nice places that offer a little privacy, no fee, that "wild" environment - are often not suited for huge RV's.

@Susan.I Год назад

Washington state is known for clouds and rain.

@markj10 3 года назад

Great story… And being honest about your travel adventure is a plus! Unfortunately gas generator is a simple solution as backup plan!

@ThisWyldeLife 3 года назад

Thanks for watching, Mark. Glad you enjoyed the video! We have been tempted to get a generator... the biggest problem is figuring out where to store it!

@toshlito 3 года назад

Before I release the WDH bars from the RV, I always put the RV jack down and raise the RV tongue and rear of the truck a bit to release the tension on the WDH bars. Don't raise too high as this is causing your RV jack to not only lift the RV but also the rear of the truck, so it is lifting up a larger load than just the RV. However, usually RV jacks are rated much higher than just the weight of the RV tongue. I do the same when reconnecting the WDH bars to the RV when it is time to go. Hopefully this will be an option for you, let me know if it works.

@ThisWyldeLife 3 года назад

Thank you for your comment. I should have mentioned in the video that this is my normal procedure. Before hitching or unhitching, I use the tongue jack to raise the trailer so essentially no weight from the trailer is on the truck. As you said, this makes it MUCH easier to connect or disconnect the WDH bars. At this site, even with the tongue jack extended, the angle between the truck and trailer was still causing a lot of flex in the bars. It later occurred to me that having the truck parked on a steep incline created the same truck/trailer angle that would be caused by full compression of the truck's rear suspension-which is what the spring force in the WDH is trying to counteract (more suspension compression = more tension in the spring bars). I should have noticed the extreme flex in the spring bar. Mistakes are always more probable when tired and/or hurried!

@BrokenDreamsReborn 3 года назад

Hey y'all, we are Shion and Matthew and just came across your channel! We just became full-time RVers back In March and are loving this lifestyle! We just got our solar installed so we want to do a lot of boondocking too! We hear you about the rain! 🌧 It has been raining here in Michigan for like 7 days straight. We would love to see some sunshine! 🌞 We enjoyed watching your video! 😀

@ThisWyldeLife 3 года назад

Boondocking is what we had in mind when we went full-time, and it's what we do 99% of the time. Sometimes it does get hard, but more often it's well worth any inconvenience. Being surrounded by nature, close to trails, without another RV 10' away is an amazing experience. When we upgraded from a solar suitcase to 600 W and lithium batteries, boondocking became even easier and more enjoyable. As of this moment, we are actually hooked up at an RV park outside Bend, Oregon so that we can get some relief from the 110º heat wave sweeping the west. Send some of that Michigan rain this way!

@BrokenDreamsReborn 3 года назад

@@ThisWyldeLife We have heard about the record heat out there! That is crazy! Hoping y'all get some relief soon! :-)

@ThisWyldeLife 3 года назад

@@BrokenDreamsReborn Thank you! Probably headed for elevation in Colorado soon!

@jmbcbataille9594 3 года назад

Thank you for your wonderful images ❤️it’s so extraordinary Nature is gorgeous in North America !!!

@ThisWyldeLife 3 года назад

Isn't our planet amazing?! We are continually awed by the diversity and beauty we see wherever we go.

@jmbcbataille9594 3 года назад

@@ThisWyldeLife yes for sure 😜

@yisimlampiris-tremba2247 3 года назад

That’s exactly how I feel about the Airstream’s, the views at Olympic are epic. My husband and I are in the process of selling most of our stuff and helping our girls to transition to their new places. Then we are buying an Airstream and traveling. You all have safe travels.

@ThisWyldeLife 3 года назад

Sounds like an exciting time! Wishing you safe travels and miles of smiles on your next journey!

@rja12 3 года назад

We almost bought an Airstream the other day but it's the worst possible time to buy right now. The RV market is crazy. Inventory is low and you'll pay top dollar for that Airstream....even used. Most of them are selling for more than they are worth due to the incredible high demand. We were looking at a 2013 International Signature 25FB and they wanted 70K for it, firm. That trailer would sell for around 55K-60K pre-pandemic. But if your willing to pay top dollar for one now, you have to be ready to jump on the one you want as soon as you see it posted. If you don't, someone else will. Many at the dealers are being sold sight unseen. Crazy times right now in the RV world. Also don't just rely on dealer sites, RVtrader, RVT.com, & Craigslist. For Airstreams, also use airstreammarketplace.com & airstreamclassifieds.com

@ThisWyldeLife 3 года назад

This is very true! It’s a challenging time to buy any RV due to a combination of huge demand and supply chain disruptions. Your best bet is to shop around and pit dealers against one another if you’re buying new. If buying used, those sites you mentioned are great places to look. Either way, if you have an opportunity to travel which you might not have in the future, it can make sense to just buy an RV and make it happen! Unfortunately we can’t time everything perfectly!