Tips for Traveling in a Rental Campervan
Introduction
Whether you are new to traveling in a campervan or a veteran adventurer, we invite you to read our tips on picking up your rental campervan and essential packing lists to our top safety tips and more.
Table of Contents
Campervan Travel Tips
Steps for Picking Up Your Campervan Rental in Salt Lake City
Essential Packing List for a Utah Road Trip
Cooking, Hygiene and Comfort When Traveling in a Campervan
Top Safety Tips for Traveling in a Rental Campervan
Basecamper Vans: The Best Campervan Rental in Salt Lake City
Van Builds and Custom Campervans: Why Basecamper Vans is Your Best Choice
Steps for Picking Up Your Campervan Rental in Salt Lake City
First off, welcome to Salt Lake City. It’s been our home for over 20 years and where we’ve made great friends, built a business, and learned how to ski, bike, climb, hunt, and fish. Most of our customers fly into Salt Lake International (KSLC). In recent years, depending on which carrier you use, there could be a 20 minute walk under the arrivals terminal before getting to baggage claim. From there, you can either hail a ride share (Uber or Lyft) or take the municipal Green Line train from terminal 1 straight to our depot (exit Central Pointe 2100 south). You can see our parking lot from the station. Public transportation is cheap, easy, and accepts payment at a kiosk with cash or credit card. The train routes through downtown Salt Lake City if you want to stop, take a look around, or grab a bite to eat.
From there, walk a block east (towards the mountains) and you will see our campervan depot (black building) on the south side of the road after Speeds Power Sports.
We will have your vehicle waiting and ready to go, but please contact us ahead of time to schedule your pick-up appointment.
You will have signed an electronic copy of our rental agreement ahead of time but we will also go over it in person. We will also send you photos of the vehicle you’re renting prior to your arrival. If you have any questions, feel free to email or call us ahead of time.
Essential Packing List for a Utah Road Trip
Be prepared for any season when you visit Utah on a campervan trip.
Keep in mind the elevation you visit. Moab is at around 4,000 feet but there are campsites in the LaSal mountains at over 10,000 feet. The temps and weather can be different in the same region. Be prepared for any season on any given day.
Bryce Canyon is the highest National Park of the Utah Mighty Five Parks Tour at around 8,000 feet. If you visit in the spring, there may still be road and trail closures.
Bring layers that wick moisture such as merino wool and a hard shell to make sure you stay warm on dry while on your trip.
We tend to see customers overpacking. I’m happiest when I see a customer arrive with a carry-on sized backpack. We provide or rent all of the bulky camping “gear” so you don’t have to.
If you plan on bringing toys like bikes, skis, or fishing poles, that’s great.
Cooking, Hygiene, and Comfort When Traveling in a Campervan
Cooking and Groceries
Our favorite grocery store, WinCo, is two blocks east from our Basecamper Vans Depot. It’s a big gray building and sells everything you can possibly want to buy for a camping trip. Otherwise, Salt Lake City is a full service, urban area.
We provide a camping stove. Fuel canisters are available for purchase at market rate which saves you a trip to the outdoor store.
It is possible to cook every meal yourself or eat every meal at restaurants. Most customers fall somewhere between. I personally enjoy cooking, so I fall in that category. I also try to stay away from town and keep enough supplies on hand to be self-sufficient for a few days at a time.
Hygiene
As far as getting cleaned up, you can always wash your hands and face as rest areas or visitor centers. Some of the bigger towns like St. George have excellent public recreation and aquatic centers where for a the low price of a day pass, you can grab shower, cool off in the pool, and even hit the weight room. Bike shops are also a good place to check for showers. If you’re at the end of your rope, hit a hotel, get cleaned up, catch up on internet, and prepare to head back out.
Comfort
My Number 1 tip for comfortably traveling in a campervan is finding a campsite before dark. It’s really that simple. For me, there’s nothing more stressful than driving around in the dark in an unfamiliar area looking for a place to sleep. Part of the camping experience is finding and setting up in a cool campsite. That means means different things to different people, but for me, somewhere perfectly flat with a huge, scenic view, preferably running water, and no other people so my dogs can run around off-leash without bothering anyone. That’s the gold standard. This almost categorically excludes sites in sanctioned parks but I invite you to give it a try because areas outside of Big Name Places are generally 98% as good and don’t have any red tape, fees, reservation requirements, or rules.
Top Safety Tips for Traveling in a Rental Campervan
I carry a Glock 19 loaded with 147 grain subsonic jacketed hollow points while personally traveling on my bucket list Utah campervan trips. Sometimes, I’ll throw in a suppressed Sig Sauer MPX carbine to stack the odds in my favor. Like always, I carry an IFAK with a tourniquet and quick clot. There’s a 50/50 split between animal risks and human risks while camping in backcountry, wild places. While I was charged by a bear once, I have been engaged in conversation by weirdos many times. Bear spray is suitable for those situations. We have a stash of bear spray you’re welcome to borrow. If you deploy it, we expect a good story, don’t worry about reimbursement.
I’m trying to make a funny intro into a serious topic, so let’s get into more of the details.
Cell phone reception -
Don’t count on having cell phone or internet reception while traveling in rural parts of Utah, Wyoming, Nevada, or Colorado. If you need to get a message out, whether it’s for safety, work, or just checking in with family and friends, look for a high point or an interstate highway. SMS messages work better than iMessages. Having a sat connector such as a Spot is best practice for rural travel. This might get dated but rumor has is, the new iPhone iOS will have off-network messaging features. That would be great. In the meanwhile, count on being off-grid. While you’re traveling in a campervan, take your phone out periodically and make a mental map of the last spot you had decent 5G or LTE in case something goes wrong and you need to backtrack and call for help.
Pack supplies -
You never know when you’ll unexpectedly get shut down due to weather, road conditions, or mechanicals. Bring enough food and water to wait it out for a few days. If you take critical medication, fill your prescription before you visit. Bring a good book to read to pass the time.
Know your surroundings -
Park in a sheltered place. Lock the doors. Use the sun visor to keep heat in or out depending on the season. Same with cracking the windows. Substrates change with temps. Frozen clay overnight is much different than clay soup at 2:00 p.m. in full sunlight. Keep a mental map of places to make a 3-point and turn around. Be prepared to use the backup camera and reverse. If you’re traveling in a group, use them to help you spot obstacles while driving. It’s much cheaper and easier to get out of the car and take in the lay of the land, make and execute a plan than just go for it. Ask our insurance company.
Have situational awareness -
While most people are good, assume the worst. If you roll into a campsite where there are a bunch of crushed beer cans and used condoms, it might be the local party spot. You don’t want to stay there. Gravitate towards areas that are clean and look like the land is respected. Do the same on the opposite end. Pack out all of your trash and leave the campsite better than you found it like a good Boy Scout.
Be polite -
If you’re going to engage with the locals, their politics might not be yours. Be respectful of their communities and rural, conservative values. You’re a guest. Be generous in stimulating the local economies and grateful for the services they provide.
Basecamper Vans: The Best Campervan Rental in Salt Lake City
We live here. And have lived here. We’re not carpet baggers like the national chains I would be happy to point out if you want to give me a call but don’t want to plug on my website. If you call us, you will get one of the owners on the phone 24/7. If there is a problem, we will make it right. If you want personalized, no nonsense service, make a reservation. We will take care of you.
Van Builds and Custom Campervans: Why
Basecamper Vans is Your Best Choice
Basecamper Builds specializes in taking your concept from an idea on a napkin to the campsite. Our niche is what’s known in experimental aviation as a “builder assist” process. We realize cutting a hole in your brand new Sprinter is scary. But we do it all the time. So let us help you get started with windows, ceiling fans, aux heaters and electrical systems — the infrastructure — instead of putting off the job while your van sits waiting to get worked on, while you watchDIY youtube videos. You could just pay us, get the project started, and go camping.
