kelpiegirl Posted July 3, 2007 Report Share Posted July 3, 2007 Well, I don't know where to put this, so here goes. There is going to *finally* be a national Kelpie event (stockdog) next year out west- I believe in Washington. It will be in October. Now, I am GOING to be there, God willin' and the creek don't rise.. But I need to plan now how to get there. I will be driving something. I would like to a) rent a car and hotel it, or rent an rv. Gut says RV will be way too much gas for the savings, so, brain says- what sort of car would be most comfortable. There will most likely be more than one human and multiple dogs going. Any suggestions? Thanks Julie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stockdogranch Posted July 4, 2007 Report Share Posted July 4, 2007 I'd say go for the RV--they have nice small ones. If you book in advance, you can get a decent price, I hear. Yes, you'll spend more on fuel, but you'll save on the motels AND you don't have to buy every meal on the road. That's a HUGE savings, plus you'll eat much healthier. And you don't have to spend the $$ for an RV park every night. I look for nice quiet places out in the middle of nowhere (I am looking for places to run dogs, since I usually have 4 or so travelling with me) to spend the night, and most Flying J's and some rest stops have free dumps, so you can really do it on the cheap. I used to travel doing the motel thing, but it's always a drag finding one that takes dogs, and many charge extra for the dog(s), and they usually don't have a nice area (or any area at all) for the dogs to run around at all. Since I've had my trailer, I like travelling with dogs WAY better. AND, you don't have to find a place to pee--you have your bathroom right there with you anytime you need it Anna Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jdarling Posted July 4, 2007 Report Share Posted July 4, 2007 Julie - Who is it sanctioned by? Any idea where in Washington it will be held? Jodi Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RaisingRiver Posted July 4, 2007 Report Share Posted July 4, 2007 And where are you coming from (ie. how far are you travelling?) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sue R Posted July 4, 2007 Report Share Posted July 4, 2007 How about flying and renting a car/RV out there? Flying can be less expensive and a lot more convenient (not to mention time-saving) when you consider the true costs of driving a distance. Of course, booking in advance to get good prices can be dicey if you can't cancel/change if something comes up. Best wishes in getting there affordably! Edited to add: Whoops, didn't notice you were taking dogs, so flying is out and/or not affordable. Anna's comments about the RV idea sound great! I understand that Wal-Marts don't mind RV parking overnight (and you can use their toilets) among other options for cheap overnighting. Using travel places that allow free dumping is even better. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Fosher Posted July 5, 2007 Report Share Posted July 5, 2007 One site I looked at the RV rental and milage would probably run you about $4,500. Plus fuel, figure 600 gallons at $3 per gallon is another $1,800. I didn't look around for a policy on dogs -- I wonder what they would think about four dogs riding in the rented RV? You really gotta wanna go for that sort of money. You can get a rental car for a month with unlimited milage for under $1,000 last time I looked. $3,500 will buy quite a few meals on the road and motel rooms. Plus you'll get better gas milage. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stockdogranch Posted July 5, 2007 Report Share Posted July 5, 2007 Some friends rented a nice little toy hauler to take to the cattle finals, complete with generator, for $600 for the week (and I believe they said unlimited mileage. They were travelling from southen Ca to eastern Wy). And I asked if the rental compnay knew they were travelling with dogs, and they said that they had told them so, and they were cool with it. These 2 guys had probably 4-5 adult dogs, and an X pen with a littler of 6 week old pups. Anna Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Allie Oop Posted July 5, 2007 Report Share Posted July 5, 2007 I think I would sign up for all of the special deals offered via e-mail for all of the car rental companies. Someone will offer a great deal on a van, most likely. The weekly rates are usually without a mileage limitation and I always vacuum the car well so they don't know I had dogs. It's usually cheaper than putting miles on your own vehicle. I don't know where you're coming from, Kelpie Girl, but there are a lot of great places to stay in Washington. When you find out where, let me know and I will check with my relatives in Washington State (some inland, some coast) and maybe you can find a great spot. We stayed at some killer campgrounds in Washington when we have traveled up there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pipedream Farm Posted July 5, 2007 Report Share Posted July 5, 2007 When looking at renting an RV make sure they will allow pets. I would not be surpised it most do not allow pets. When I took Jody to the finals in Klamath Falls is was cheaper (by far) to fly and rent a minivan than it was to take our van & trailer. For your calculations, I believe most Class Cs get 9-12mpg. Mark Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kelpiegirl Posted July 5, 2007 Author Report Share Posted July 5, 2007 Hi guys THanks for the input- coming from NY. A LONG haul. I have thought about a conversion van, or the like- those have some creature comforts, but better gas mileage. The gas $$$$ is what worries me. I already priced some decent campers (they allow dogs with deposit, just like a hotel), and they come in around $1200/$1500.00. I would actually prefer this, but the gas, PLUS the camper would make this a several thousand $$ trip. I am going to see about the conversion van thing, and go from there. All options are open- even buying a camper.... What a good excuse eh? Julie ps: when I get details on the dates/times/runs, I will let those interested know It is being put on by the Working Kelpie Inc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest pax Posted July 5, 2007 Report Share Posted July 5, 2007 If you have a good road buddy friend, I can totally see making a party out of the whole trip in a camper. That could be a lot of fun and you could do some sight seeing, too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stockdogranch Posted July 5, 2007 Report Share Posted July 5, 2007 ...would make this a several thousand $$ trip Travelling that distance with dogs, kinda no matter how you do it, is probably gonna end up being a couple thousand dollar trip, unfortunately. How long do you figure to be gone? I'd call around, get some quotes, run some numbers, and see where you end up with the various alternatives. Keep us posted, Anna Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kelpiegirl Posted July 5, 2007 Author Report Share Posted July 5, 2007 That's sort of the plan- make it an extended vacation- haven't been west of Colorado. I will continue looking into deals.... I am really looking forward to it Julie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Allie Oop Posted July 5, 2007 Report Share Posted July 5, 2007 I should have noted, most car rental companies don't care if you have a dog in the vehicle, they just don't want to see evidence of it. We have a VW Eurovan camper and it sleeps 4 adults and 2 BCs, has a stove, refrigerator and sink (no bathroom facilities, but a shower off of the back). It also gets pretty good mileage (around 21 mpg.) My DH belongs to several VW boards, I can check and see if there are any rentals available in your area. Unfortunately, the old ones (which are way cool) are also kind of unreliable and the ones around the age of our van are kind of rare. You might have the best luck trying to locate the smallest size Class C motor home you can find, if that's the way you decide to go. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marilyn T Posted July 5, 2007 Report Share Posted July 5, 2007 Okay... I drove to Oregon twice from Michigan for finals. In 97, the gas was way cheaper, and I owned a full size van conversion that got over 20 mpg. I stayed in the converta bed in the back, and put the dogs (2) in the middle. I fit in everything I needed, and was comfortable until it got down to 30 at night, or rained. I think my trip was about 700 for everything...gas and food. I opted for a motel one or two nights of the week and a half. It was inconvenient since I needed to stop where there was a bathroom (rest area) or port-a john. It is difficult to wash up, etc. But... I did it. I actually trialed that way for a couple of years. In 2001 I towed a 21 foot travel trailer. More expensive but more comfortable. Could stop overnight anywhere. You could probably BUY a decent pop-up for the cost of renting the RV and have it for all your other trials. Friends here found one on Craigs list/e-bay for cheap....(under 2000) and have towed it with a Ford Escape. It barely changes their gas milage. It would be harder for a multiple day drive, but at normal trials, it works great, and gives them a place to get away from rain. I remember Amanda flew out west, then rented a motorhome out there. If you get friends to share, that might be the cheapest way to go. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caroline Posted July 7, 2007 Report Share Posted July 7, 2007 I heard that the Kelpie event is being held at Jan Wesen's in Bow Washington. About 1 hr south of the Canadian border along Interstate 5. An acquaintance mentioned it to me, I don't know for sure. There is nothing on Jan's website about it currently. Maybe if you are interested, you can email her. http://www.janwesen.com/ Caroline Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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