Arizona Trip Feb 2020

tedontario · 09-13-2019, 11:57 AM

Hello everyone, It has been a long time since I have been on here but I felt this would be a good place to find good advice. I am trying to put together a big trip from Windsor ON. to Flagstaff or Phoenix Arizona. I can see about 5 days to drive each way there and back and while there we want to visit places like the Grand Canyon, Tucson and other places of interest.
We plan on picking a campsite area and then do day trips. After a week or so there we plan to drive to San Diego CA and explore up to San Francisco. This is a BIG trip so I just wonder if some people can give me some advice.
I see on the weather networks that Flagstaff may be too cold some nights for water in the trailer so that's why I include Phoenix. On the way there and back since it maybe too cold for camping I was thinking of stopping over night at Flying J or Pilot truck stops. Has anyone else done that?
So that is what I am up to and look forward to any information I can get.
Thank you very much and I pray safe travels for everyone.
Ted Wheeler
Windsor ON

**JohnB** · 09-13-2019, 07:20 PM

Hi Ted,

Glad to see you posting with us again. I see a new truck too!! Congrats!

I myself have not made the trip with the camper, others here have and may help on the travel logistics. But I have flown many times to Phoenix and use to do work in one of our plants in the Casa Grande area. (Between Phoenix and Tucson)

That whole lower southern area of AZ is snowbird camper country. RV parks fill up quick with folks seeking warmer winter weather. Getting into a camping park may be a challenge, point being, plan in advance to get a site at a park of your choice.

AZ is a unique state of major temperature swings only 3 to 4 hours drive apart. The Grand Canyon and Flagstaff of the north may be into snow in February while Phoenix in the south is very nice and warm. That much I know. This is why the rush of snowbird campers invade the place.

We have a fellow Sunline club member who was MI home based and is now retired and has spent several winters in the Tucson area. I will reach out to them to see your post and add what they have experienced.

Have a safe trip.

John

apackoftwo · 09-15-2019, 05:51 PM

Hello,

I Winter in Tucson. There is a very nice County campground in Tucson Mountain Park right by Saguaro National Park and the Desert Museum ( both must see)
Its called Gilbert Ray.
W/E and I think a minimum of one week

Also just north of Tucson is Catalina State Park

I stay in the SW desert and nothing really special at this park in the way of
amenities however you can hike for miles in the Sonoran desert right from the Park.

I would NOT stay at Desert Trails RV Park next door, packed in like sardines!!

If you have any questions feel free to message me here
Lots of other things to see and do I can suggest however I do not know how long you plan to be in the area

Joan

Quote:

Originally Posted by tedontario

Hello everyone, It has been a long time since I have been on here but I felt this would be a good place to find good advice. I am trying to put together a big trip from Windsor ON. to Flagstaff or Phoenix Arizona. I can see about 5 days to drive each way there and back and while there we want to visit places like the Grand Canyon, Tucson and other places of interest.
We plan on picking a campsite area and then do day trips. After a week or so there we plan to drive to San Diego CA and explore up to San Francisco. This is a BIG trip so I just wonder if some people can give me some advice.
I see on the weather networks that Flagstaff may be too cold some nights for water in the trailer so that's why I include Phoenix. On the way there and back since it maybe too cold for camping I was thinking of stopping over night at Flying J or Pilot truck stops. Has anyone else done that?
So that is what I am up to and look forward to any information I can get.
Thank you very much and I pray safe travels for everyone.
Ted Wheeler
Windsor ON

tedontario · 09-19-2019, 12:49 PM

Thank you very much Joan,
We have a lot of planning to do and are planning a trip to Vegas to get a tour of the Grand Canyon. We understand there are bus tours from there. So we will set up the trailer and use it as a jumping off spot for trips around. We then plan to go to the coast and tour some of California.
For now we are just trying to get some pointers on campsites as you have offered. So thank you very much.
Ted

tedontario · 09-19-2019, 12:56 PM

Yes it has been a while John. My wife died Dec 2017 and I am traveling with a very nice Girlfriend who lost her husband 5 years ago. They had a trailer stationary at a local campground. She has a sister in Arizona she hasn't seen in a long time so we will try to catch up with her as well. My brother lives in Surry BC and says if we keep in touch he may come down with his 34' Airstream and meet us in California so we will plan and see how it goes.
Ted

Wannabes · 09-24-2019, 08:25 PM

Ted,

In May 2017, we took a pop-up for a three-week trip to the Four Corners area. One night in Grants, NM, it got down to 37 degrees and snow the next day over 7000 ft. That’s to be expected in northern NM & AZ and it helps that we were prepared for it. The pop-up had a furnace but no AC. Otherwise, temps in the areas we camped were comfortable. (These days with the Internet, it’s easy to find out temps/weather in different regions.) We made reservations at campgrounds only on the weekends, taking our chances on the weekdays and about every third night we stayed at a hotel. As John noted, the warmer areas of AZ, NM, CA are snowbird country and I’m sure that’s makes it more difficult to get campsites in the winter. It was an enjoyable trip and we’d do it again.

Happy camping!