Taking RV to Oshkosh

Ben2k9

Pre-takeoff checklist
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Ben2k9
this will be my first time to attend Oshkosh and will be renting an RV and driving up from Nashville with my family.

Any good pointers from those with experience? Arriving Sat afternoon / evening. Had not planned on getting a space with electric/water hookups.

Thanks!
 
After 30 trips to OSH, the big question for me each year is deciding on the 24 hour generator area. I always stay there just in case I need to run it at night, but rarely have I had to. Good luck.
 
I have done Oshkosh twice in an RV. Arriving on Saturday afternoon / evening should give you plenty of choices on where to park. I recommend just finding one that looks somewhat decent, parking, and then walking around the grounds to see if there is anything better. A few tips that I can think of is to make sure you have some pieces of wood to put under the levelers if your RV is equipped with them. The ground can get very soft. Bring some rope to mark out your campsite. It's no fun to come back at the end of the day to find someone parked so close to you that you can't open your canopy anymore. Also, don't leave the canopy open while you are gone. The winds can come up quick and rip the canopy off the RV. I have seen many with damaged canopies after a thunderstorm rolled through. Check to see where the generator is and where its exhaust comes out. Try to be courteous and park facing a direction so that it isn't blowing next to someones tent or next to another RV's window. Keep an eye on your fresh and waste water. There is a dump/fill station down on one end of Scholler but if you need it done during the week there is a truck that comes around. I think you either call them or sign up for the service at the camp store. There should be fliers. The cost was reasonable for not having to break down and re-setup camp. Is this your first camping trip to Oshkosh or just the first one in an RV? If its the first time camping in Scholler let us know as there are alot of other general tips I'm sure we could share.

Keith
Sonex #554
 
I agree 100% WITH Keith's statement. Note that you won't get a space with water/electric hookups at that point (unless you've got it reserved... $$$$).
 
I have done Oshkosh twice in an RV. Arriving on Saturday afternoon / evening should give you plenty of choices on where to park. I recommend just finding one that looks somewhat decent, parking, and then walking around the grounds to see if there is anything better. A few tips that I can think of is to make sure you have some pieces of wood to put under the levelers if your RV is equipped with them. The ground can get very soft. Bring some rope to mark out your campsite. It's no fun to come back at the end of the day to find someone parked so close to you that you can't open your canopy anymore. Also, don't leave the canopy open while you are gone. The winds can come up quick and rip the canopy off the RV. I have seen many with damaged canopies after a thunderstorm rolled through. Check to see where the generator is and where its exhaust comes out. Try to be courteous and park facing a direction so that it isn't blowing next to someones tent or next to another RV's window. Keep an eye on your fresh and waste water. There is a dump/fill station down on one end of Scholler but if you need it done during the week there is a truck that comes around. I think you either call them or sign up for the service at the camp store. There should be fliers. The cost was reasonable for not having to break down and re-setup camp. Is this your first camping trip to Oshkosh or just the first one in an RV? If its the first time camping in Scholler let us know as there are alot of other general tips I'm sure we could share.

Keith
Sonex #554
Thanks and yes this is my first time to attend period!
 
I flew in, but we had someone drive an RV up for us. We had a corner spot on 19th street between Lindbergh and Elm. Being in close proximity to the shower/bathroom is nice
 
Really happy to see this post and some great information in the replies. Same here, but I own an RV that I'm driving up. It'll be my first time to Oshkosh as well! I'm driving up from Louisville, KY and will spend all week there.

What do you guys rope your site off with? I mean, obviously rope, but what do you stake it with? Something available at Lowe's/HD or?
 
What do you do at OSH if tent camping and there’s serious weather. Nearby lightning or tornado activity?

Thinking scarier at night, but might go with my 12 year old son for the first time this Summer. Not much camping experience.
 
What do you do at OSH if tent camping and there’s serious weather. Nearby lightning or tornado activity?

Thinking scarier at night, but might go with my 12 year old son for the first time this Summer. Not much camping experience.

Get in your vehicle is the best bet. I've also ridden out a big storm in the shower huts in the North 40 before.
 
What do you do at OSH if tent camping and there’s serious weather. Nearby lightning or tornado activity?

Thinking scarier at night, but might go with my 12 year old son for the first time this Summer. Not much camping experience.

Buy a proper tent. Mine is a Marmot Tungsten 3p, and has been through a couple big storms, dry on the inside. Set it up properly before a couple times, so you know how. Get something to keep you off the floor, a plug in air mattress is not out of the question, you just look goofy once walking from the outlet to the tent at OSH, BTDT.
 
I thought about taking the camper up but the camp ground seems like a free for all with no organization. Maybe I'm wrong but it sounds chaotic driving in and staking a claim to a spot.
 
I'll be bringing my new (to me) Clarion "Clara" with my new trailer.

Right now I have to get the engine A/C and the generator serviced, along with fun stuff like shocks and the steering damper. We made a 1400 mile shakedown trip and survived.

I decided to calm down and go with the flow. I will reserve a full hook-up spot for a sane time arrival during the week before, but if I can't get one I will be ready to go self-contained at a generator allowed spot. The worst event will be if I have to sweat all night without A/C.

Is it just me who is picking up a more nasty vibe from the constantly tighter new rules? I'm beginning to feel I'm not welcome after I've been going to Oshkosh since the 1980s.IMG_20190504_144412 (1).jpg

 
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Is it just me who is picking up a more nasty vibe from the constantly tighter new rules? I'm beginning to feel I'm not welcome after I've been going to Oshkosh since the 1980s.
Nice looking rig Mike. Care to elaborate about he rules thing? Only new ones I've seen are directly related to safety.
 
Is it hot at night in Wisconsin? I have never visited the state, and was under the impression that I could sleep comfortably in my RV with windows open and maybe a fan at night.


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What do you do at OSH if tent camping and there’s serious weather. Nearby lightning or tornado activity?

Thinking scarier at night, but might go with my 12 year old son for the first time this Summer. Not much camping experience.

I've tented at Camp Scholler a few times now, and have been camping for a LONG time.

First things first: prep your tent. Weeks before you actually come here. Like... maybe this weekend, weather permitting. The first thing you will want to do is thoroughly weatherproof it. Go to your nearest REI or other such camp store (or use Amazon) and get some seam sealant. It's a thick goop that you apply to both sides of every single seam in your tent. I neglected to do this one year and deeply regretted it. This is a critical step in keeping you and your stuff dry. You can also get some sprays that will create/maintain weatherproofing on the tent material itself. But the seam sealant is critical. Get a few tubes of it.

Next, learn how to not just set up your tent, but set it up TIGHT. If you don't get it staked down tight, there's a better than good chance that you'll experience at least one or two stakes pulling out, or if you are exceptionally unlucky, your tent will discover that it was really meant to be a tumbleweed, gracefully rolling down the street until it meets the side of a camper. THe stakes that are included with most tents (the metal rods with an inch or so bent at the end) are not sufficient. Again, head to REI or Amazon and get GOOD tent stakes. I got these https://www.rei.com/product/829838/msr-mini-ground-hog-stake and they are amazing. They weigh next to nothing and hold TIGHT. Way tighter than you'd think a little piece of aluminum would hold, and FAR better than those cheap bent metal rods. I picked up a dozen of them for various tie down purposes. Highly recommended.

As someone mentioned, you WILL experience at least one weather "event." As long as you are prepared, it's really no big deal. Bring ear plugs in case your neighbor decides to ignore the generator quiet hours (I had TERRIBLE neighbors in 2017, but otherwise it's been fine). I've always ridden out the storms, including the year 3/4 of my tent stakes pulled out of the ground and I was the only thing holding it down (this was before I got the good stakes). Fun? Not really. But since then it's been fine.

I have LOADS of other camp tips (pre-prepping meals, site setup, etc), but this wall of text should get you started ;)

Despite all I said above... it's truly a GREAT experience! Your son will NEVER forget this. Ever. Chances are, this will become something you'll want to do every year. I missed last year due to a new job and was completely heartbroken.

If you (or anyone else) is walking around Scholler and sees a blue Ram pickup with MO plates in front of a Coleman popup, with a windsock flapping in the breeze, and either the smell of bacon or a hint of bourbon wafting in the breeze, stop by and say hi!
 
Is it hot at night in Wisconsin? I have never visited the state, and was under the impression that I could sleep comfortably in my RV with windows open and maybe a fan at night.

It can get a little stuffy, but otherwise it's usually fine. I've tented the past several year with no cooling at all and it's been okay. I'm renting a popup this year, so I'm bringing a battery-operated fan (the one from Ridgid, since I'm already bought into their battery-operated tools).
 
It can get a little stuffy, but otherwise it's usually fine. I've tented the past several year with no cooling at all and it's been okay. I'm renting a popup this year, so I'm bringing a battery-operated fan (the one from Ridgid, since I'm already bought into their battery-operated tools).

I guess it's all about perspective -- for us it can be downright chilly at night!
 
Nice looking rig Mike. Care to elaborate about he rules thing? Only new ones I've seen are directly related to safety.
The only rule change so far is the one related to site size. It's really ambiguous now, which... well, it will be interesting to see how people take it. It's either going to be great, or an utter **** fest with people doing mass land grabs. Enforcement should be interesting.

Otherwise, I'm not sure what Mike is referring to. The rest of the rules are either about safety (no unlicensed drivers of vehicles AHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAAHAHAH!!!!! Oh man... if only..), taking care of your fires, or rules about courtesy, especially in terms of noise (people... turn off your damned generators when you are supposed to, FFS. And be conscious of where you point your smoke belching beast of an exhaust... your blue smoke makes my bacon taste like crap.)
 
I guess it's all about perspective -- for us it can be downright chilly at night!
I come prepared for both... because, as you know, Tuesday you might fall asleep in your own pool of sweat, and Wednesday you are wondering just how unsafe it is to start a fire in your tent o_O
 
It can get a little stuffy, but otherwise it's usually fine. I've tented the past several year with no cooling at all and it's been okay. I'm renting a popup this year, so I'm bringing a battery-operated fan (the one from Ridgid, since I'm already bought into their battery-operated tools).

Sounds good, thanks for the reply. I plan to run on house batteries at night, already have a CPAP that will run on 12V. I plan to charge the batteries in the daytime with the generator. That way I’m quiet and a good neighbor at night.


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After 30 trips to OSH, the big question for me each year is deciding on the 24 hour generator area. I always stay there just in case I need to run it at night, but rarely have I had to. Good luck.

I agree 100% WITH Keith's statement. Note that you won't get a space with water/electric hookups at that point (unless you've got it reserved... $$$$).

Really happy to see this post and some great information in the replies. Same here, but I own an RV that I'm driving up. It'll be my first time to Oshkosh as well! I'm driving up from Louisville, KY and will spend all week there.

What do you guys rope your site off with? I mean, obviously rope, but what do you stake it with? Something available at Lowe's/HD or?

It'll be my first RV stay, so...question:

I gotta figure that the hookup sites are defined due to the electric/water pedestals, right?

I picked up some rope and posts just in case. I can use the generator allowed spaces otherwise and be self-contained.

I was thinking that I need to arrive early the week before just to get the hookup spot, or at least reserve one and *sigh* pay.
 
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Sounds good, thanks for the reply. I plan to run on house batteries at night, already have a CPAP that will run on 12V. I plan to charge the batteries in the daytime with the generator. That way I’m quiet and a good neighbor at night.

Ditto here. If the planets align I'll have my 100watt solar panel mounted to keep the batteries topped off. I mainly need it now because some phantom load is draining the engine battery. I hope I can find that. Working on it now. The coach batteries have been holding up well, so I can use those for emergency start.
 
Nice looking rig Mike. Care to elaborate about he rules thing? Only new ones I've seen are directly related to safety.

The only rule change so far is the one related to site size. It's really ambiguous now, which... well, it will be interesting to see how people take it. It's either going to be great, or an utter **** fest with people doing mass land grabs. Enforcement should be interesting.

Otherwise, I'm not sure what Mike is referring to. The rest of the rules are either about safety (no unlicensed drivers of vehicles AHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAAHAHAH!!!!! Oh man... if only..), taking care of your fires, or rules about courtesy, especially in terms of noise (people... turn off your damned generators when you are supposed to, FFS. And be conscious of where you point your smoke belching beast of an exhaust... your blue smoke makes my bacon taste like crap.)

I'm miffed mainly by the rule that you pay for an RV hookup site from the moment you reserve it:
Camp Scholler said:
https://www.eaa.org/airventure/plan-your-eaa-airventure-trip/eaa-camping-and-lodging/camp-scholler

The water and electric site process is an online system. The online process will allow you to view how many water and electric sites are available and book a site 24/7 beginning on Camp Scholler’s opening day, Friday, June 28, 2019. Additionally, a map of the water and electric site section of Camp Scholler will display the sites already secured and those still available, as well as the cost to secure a site that day.

When you secure a water and electric site, you are paying for it from the date of purchase through the end of AirVenture at the daily rate. The price of is reduced each day by the daily rate, so most members wait to secure an site. Additionally, we cannot take a reservation for a future date. When the price starts dropping, so does the site availability so we encourage you to keep checking website.

So the mele starts on June 28th with some paying $67 night until the end on Sunday July 28th. That's 30 (31?) days @ $67 = $2077.
I see that they will give a refund to those who leave early, if that includes RV hookup sites.

The other minor thing is the admission policy. I'm amused that they decided there was a need to do something about all of the non-member non-pilots who disrespected the planes and the required etiquette so the answer was to raise the non-member admission rate and throw in a 6 month membership so they all became members.

Whatevah. I respect that Airventure is a huge logistic and management undertaking and EAA does a terrific job with it.[/QUOTE]
 
this will be my first time to attend Oshkosh and will be renting an RV and driving up from Nashville with my family.

Any good pointers from those with experience? Arriving Sat afternoon / evening. Had not planned on getting a space with electric/water hookups.

Thanks!


Before you drive off the pavement to find a spot, get out and walk that spot and the lane to make sure you are not going into a soft ground spot, you will sink before you know it, put some boards under the wheels to keep from sinking, and use that pink surveyor tape to mark off your spot, bring some small stakes to hold the tape. If you are level you do not need the jacks down they will push into the ground, bring boards the jack to rest on, even then the soil is so soft I pushed one 2x6 right in the ground about 6 inches with a jack

Forget the water and electric sites, they are a fortune to pay for and you pay for the whole week even if you leave.

Someone asked about cold at night, it can get cool if you are lucky at night to sleep, but not cold, I have been up there every year since 1970, I have seen rain all week, and at some point it will rain, hot as 106 miserable for sure, tornadoes and bad T storms, be ready for anything.

Try to park near the end of a lane so you can get out if it get too muddy

Bring a bike to get around the campground.

The campground is a circus of people and conveyances that people bring

bring $$$$$$$$$$, You are going to need it.
 
I thought about taking the camper up but the camp ground seems like a free for all with no organization. Maybe I'm wrong but it sounds chaotic driving in and staking a claim to a spot.

The campground is a total free for all, typical idiots that bring the farm and take up three spots, RV,truck and the big trailer to haul all the junk they brought with, a real redneck convention in spots
One guy had a 45 ft RV and a 50 ft trailer he was close to 95 ft long, you see will it all
 
The campground is a total free for all, typical idiots that bring the farm and take up three spots, RV,truck and the big trailer to haul all the junk they brought with, a real redneck convention in spots
One guy had a 45 ft RV and a 50 ft trailer he was close to 95 ft long, you see will it all

IMHO, The Scholler RV Meet-up is a destination for some who own RVs and need to take it somewhere to justify owning it. They are not aviation people and might wander into the grounds for an airshow one afternoon. The rest of the time they're sitting around, talking with friends and letting their kids race ATVs, scooters, mopeds, go-karts, and other motorized contraptions wildly around the grounds.

However, there are some great parties out there!
 
The other minor thing is the admission policy. I'm amused that they decided there was a need to do something about all of the non-member non-pilots who disrespected the planes and the required etiquette so the answer was to raise the non-member admission rate and throw in a 6 month membership so they all became members.

It was NEVER the case that you had to be a member of the EAA to get in the show or even (back when they had a separate admission) the flight line. Yes, they did throw in a 3 month membership one year, but that was kind of a short-lived experiment. The problem with the old flight line qualification was it's a pain having TWO admission gates: one for the regular "riff-raff" and then one at the flight line. Second, being flight line qualified wasn't weeding out the "riff-raff" that was doing things unnice around planes.
 
IMHO, The Scholler RV Meet-up is a destination for some who own RVs and need to take it somewhere to justify owning it. They are not aviation people and might wander into the grounds for an airshow one afternoon. The rest of the time they're sitting around, talking with friends and letting their kids race ATVs, scooters, mopeds, go-karts, and other motorized contraptions wildly around the grounds.

However, there are some great parties out there!
Ahhh....that explains a bit.

In my short time in the RV community I learn that they think $29 a night is robbery. $67 has to weed out the riff-raff but it also filters to select the RV'ers with the 4 bedroom
45 foot $500K buses.

I'm amazed there are so many with those land yachts. My theory is a lot of folks sold the house and bought one for the road.

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