Cross country drive for elk...Mini-Van?

[rayporter]

arkansas and ohio are 2 states
oiioj states that if you are traveling through and dont unload you can possess a carcass from a CWD state.

 

[StrutNut]

If I was going to rent a vehicle for a 24 hour drive, I would opt for a long wheel base vehicle as it will give you a much better ride. I would easily take a pickup or full size conversion van over a mini van. I also do like suburbans for long runs. I have made several 20+ hour drives, mostly pushing straight through. I loved the old 40 gallon tanks my old Chevy used to have. I wished they wouldnt have changed the suburban into a soccer mom rig. With the cost of gas being affordable, go big. Currently I am running a 2002 Avalanche so I guess I am a bit partial to full size.

 

[Finch]

Did you ever decide if/where you would stop on your way? We'll be leaving from about the same area (as you know) and I'm hoping to make it to Kansas and get a good nights sleep there. Then make the remaining 9 hour drive to our destination (somewhere in CO).

As of right now, I'm taking my 06 Tacoma that just hit 160K miles. I'm hoping we don't have any issues that would "eat" into our hunting time. Contingencies will be in place if my truck gives me issues though.

 

[DWinVA]

We will definetly be checking on larger vehicle options. Thanks.

God Bless.

 

[DWinVA]

There is a Hampton Inn I stayed at in Colby, KS on a summer trip a few years ago but that was on night 2 of the trip. There is a Cabela's in Kansas City, with plenty of hotels since it's close to the NASCAR track. We may not decide until we're well down the road and see how we feel. I have a '07 FJ that would be an option, not really a good cross country traveling vehicle. My cousin has a GMC 1500 but he is currently having engine issues.

God Bless.

 

[Shrek]

You guys are funny ! Front seat and a pillow in my ranger while parked in a church parking lot for a couple of hours. If there is two licensed drivers why are you stopping at all ? One drives while the other naps.

 

[colonel00]

Plenty of places to stay in Kansas. Just make sure to check if there is a race or sporting event the time you are coming through.

I just kind of glanced through this thread but I will add my 2 cents. Just about every trip we make up to Alaska for fishing or hunting, we rent a minivan. Usually we have 4 guys and gear and the minivan is great for room. Especially if we are fishing hard for a week and have a hundred pounds of fish in fish boxes per person. Minivans are usually cheaper than a full size SUV or pickup but that can vary. On my Alaska trip last August with my girlfriend, I drove somewhere close to 3000 miles in a week in a minivan and it was pretty nice overall. If you have the choice, see if you can get the ones that have the fold flat seats or even removable row(s).

 

[DWinVA]

Our initial plan is to drive straight through. If we become too tired we'll stop for a rest. I just don't want to arrive for the hunt and start off feeling horrible. It's going to be bad enough adjusting to the thin air without sleep deprivation thrown in.

We traveled to the Grand Canyon a few years ago in a rented Sienna and it was a good balance of economy, size, comfort, etc. I just wasn't sure how it would handle to weight of 2 elk. Obviously, that would be a nice problem to deal with considering one of both of us could just as easily be bringing home tag soup, which I know the van could haul ok.

God Bless.

 

[StrutNut]

We always drove straight through. Mtn dew helps! Best part of night driving on the interstate is that if you gotta take a leak, just stop and take a leak. No nead to pull over. Your the only one on the road!

 

[bz_711]

Will the guide be driving you around once you are there, or have to take your vehicle?
Reason I ask - I was surprised how terrible the gravel roads are that we elk hunt on. We have always taken my suburban (which is hard to beat for cross country travel)...and I cannot believe how hard those roads are on a vehicle...they will almost rattle your teeth loose. I would not want anything with car sized tires on those roads, especially a rental that I may be subject to paying for.

But - any vehicle that can run for 24 straight hours will get you there, and could even work in our camp...it would just highly limit which roads you could go up to start hunting.

I also agree with others - no reason to get a hotel. Personally we are so jacked up and excited when we go nobody wants to stop...if it gets bad, just pull into a rest stop for couple hour nap. I usually sleep about and hour and half on our overnight drive...kind of like Disney for a kid...I'm too excited to sleep

...Or you could scrap the outfitter fees, put those $ toward a vehicle, and still hunt the 100,000's of public acres CO has and have just as much fun like we do...

Have fun - good luck!

 

[DWinVA]

The guide will pick us up and we pack into the high country on horseback. The next trip will be DYI so that will definitely take a differnt vehicle.

God Bless.

 

[rayporter]

i would be willing to bet that right now logic is ruling [ take a break- get a room ]


but the day before you leave..... all bets are off.

my buddy left work in ohio and drove all night to get to arkansas. then i drove all day while he slept. then he drove all night again while i snoozed. them mules were ready to roll about the time we hit colorado.

 

[DWinVA]

Going out will probably go by fast with the excitement of the hunt ahead. Coming home may be a different story.

God Bless.

 

[Ghost]

My dad and I drove out to idaho in my mini van with all our camping and hunting gear, shot 2 bulls and then came back, we had plenty of room in it. We didnt use coolers, we put the each elk quarter in drum liners (extra heavy duty garbage bags) with a bag of ice, rolled them up in our zero degree sleeping bags and then wrapped our sleeping pads around them. Nothing leaked and we still had lots of ice when we got home to PA, even with stopping for the night. We did crack the windows about an inch at when we stopped for the night.

 

[danarnold]

took us 30 hours to get to our camp in Mt last year (don't ask why) 2 trucks with trailers, 2 drivers in each... drove straight thru then set up camp in a thunderstorm and ate dinner, got up in the am ready to rock!

 

[DWinVA]

Thanks. Good to hear from someone how it works in a mini-van. Do you think you would had room to use coolers? We won't have a ton of gear, just bows, packs and a few other things.

God Bless.

 

[Ghost]

Oh yeah, we could have easily fit several coolers in it. For the life of me the only coolers we brought was the one for beer and food, guess we didnt think we were going to get an elk. Mine was a Plymouth Voyager, we took out both rear seats, once you do that, the room in them is amazing.

 

[xziang]

As someone else said if you rent a van take out the seats for cargo and maybe even a place to sleep. (Might not be the safest though) I don't have a huge cooler but always figured in a pinch I can use my heavy plastic cargo box as a makeshift cooler until I got a real one at wallyworld if needed.

I'm one for renting and beating the crap out of it vs own vehicle if I don't need 4x4 and I'll be racking up a ton of miles which I've done on scouting trips. Not to mention better fuel economy too.

On a side note I seemed to find better rental prices going through Costco travel if you have a membership with them. Good luck with your trip and hunt.

 

[johnnylaw]

driven out twice from baltimore MD to pinedale wyoming straight through. 1st time by myself in a honda civic ($500 round trip with tolls) 2nd time with the girlfriend in her VW Jetta ($650). even by myself i didnt sleep. roughly 30 hours. always pumped on the way out but the way back can be rough...especially if your by yourself

 

[Bugln in pa]

Did the drive last year from Pa to Rifle Co. Drove my Ford f150 supercrew, and had plenty of room for meat and equipment. I also own a mini van, and in certain circumstances, like it better for hauling fairly big loads. Whats nice about the mini van is there is no climbing and crawling into the bed to retrieve something you need. With the van, just open the side doors, or the hatch and get what you need. As far as renting a minivan, make sure your get one with the stow and go seating, that way if you need the seats so somebody can stretch out and sleep, you have them, if not, they fold into the floor. We brought back two cow elk, so you should be able to fit what coolers you need into the back along with your gear. As far as a trailer hitch goes, I doubt you will find one from a rental company that has one. Good luck, and like everyone else says, its not the trip out that gets long its the trip back. I swear Kansas doubled in size from the trip out to the trip back!!!!