Canyonlands with a 1000lb camper

I’m doing a lengthy road trip with a new slide in camper. Currently running 30psi in both Firestone Riderite bags.
Just swapped on MY17 TRD off-road shocks with under 10 miles on them. Also has a MY17 leaf pack (previous MY13 OR spring was a 2+1 leaf pack)

Camper is ~1050 dry. Fully loaded is likely “maxxed out” / well north of that number.

Getting ~15mpg highway thus far.

Anybody been out there? Shooting for 3 nights in the park.

 

Canyon Lands is beautiful. There are three sections to the park.
1) Island in the Sky is the most touristy area. Its still worth the drive in and spend some time in there.
2) The Needles is another great section. its south of Moab on 191 maybe 70 miles? Its more remote and has some great hiking.
3) The Maze is the last section of the park. I haven't been there but I think you need permits to even go in the area.

I would try and spend the night in the Needles and Island in the sky.

Arches National Park is close by too and easily worth the drive in.
Great food truck in Moab called Quesadilla Mobilla.
Just bring some extra fuel/make sure you top off the tank before getting into the park.
You should be able to get water at the ranger stations in both the needles and island in the sky. Just call ahead to make sure.
Yes its the desert but it does snow and get cold. So pack accordingly.

 

I love the way RV manufacturers use names like Real- Lite, Feather-Lite, and Ultra- Lite to sell us the same old stuff. All the Uber-Lite campers today were just called "campers" 30 years ago, and they weighed the same.

 

I scored 4 days of Maze District backcountry permits so we’re all legal.
Woke up Sunday at a hot spring in the Steens Wilderness / Alvord Desert of SE Oregon.


Pushed into N. Central NV and made camp at another hot spring Sunday night.

 

sick setup!!

things like these slide in campers sometimes make me wish i bought an AC instead of the DCSB.

 

Awesome I cant wait to hear how the maze is post up some pics!

 

Monday night’s camp. ~45 minutes south of Cedar City, UT. A little under 1200 mi. traveled since leaving WA on Saturday.

 

Are you wishing for a super charger?

 

I've been to canyonlands 4 times this year, drove from IL each time

 

I do wish I had a supercharger for daily driving for sure! I tow and haul a ton of shit throughout the year and anticipate that this camper set up will be used extensively this spring for fishing trips, which means I'll be pulling my 1,000 lb raft trailer and raft (probably north of 800 lbs fully loaded with two humans and a dog).
The 1GR-FE did fine with the WAY OVERLOADED camper. I stayed out of 6'th unless we were running across flat desert or down hill. Mileage varied from a worst tank of 14.5 mpg to a best tank of 17.1 mpg.

To update the thread:
I wrapped up my road trip last week. I'd go into great depth of the beauty and splendor of the Maze District but I just plainly don't want to out of fear of spoiling it.
In terms of a trip report I made the trek from the Hans Flat Ranger Station at the Glen Canyon Nat. Rec. Area boundary after picking up the permits. The drive to and then down the Flint Trail was pretty fucking rowdy. Considering I did this with a truck that had a scale weight of 6,400 lbs I was puckered to say the least. My wife actually walked the first bit of it until she discovered the fact that saying Toyota power shuns the fear accompanying the sound of smashing on the skids.
There are a few hairpins that required some Austin Powers like turning skills. I would NOT recommend a wheel base much longer than the AC Tacoma to take the Flint Trail for this fact alone. That being said my suspension is "stock-ish" with a MY17 TRD OR leaf pack (not sure if they vary by trim in the 3'rd gens) and MY17 shocks on all 4 corners.
My beat up 10-ply studded winter tires did me solid though and I'm leaning more and more towards running E-rated tires year round.
We spent 3 nights in the Maze and drove out to meet blacktop on HWY 93.
Pretty happy I was able to make it in an out of there with no issues. Looking back at it I do wish I had a "fresher" set of rubber for the trip considering the extensive amount of rough terrain we traversed. All in all the taco did a bang up job. We were WAY FUCKING OVERLOADED but I was able to descend and ascend tricky sections in 4LO with no issues.
My RideRite airbags were awesome at keeping the load in the air but I definitely had some lack of articulation on trickier sections of trail.

Hopefully will be able to return next fall, or shortly thereafter, to basecamp for an extended amount of time.

 

Sounds like a great trip, surely there are more pics to come?

 

Naw dog. Gonna keep the pics to a minimum and for the record the place sucks. Smells like coal dust and looks like a strip mine.

 

That's how I refer people to Scottsdale. Only time you should visit is in July or August, don't waste your time here Dec-April...

 

Did 18 days in Preskit and Mesa late June into July this past fire season. I do not miss living in that AZ heat!

 

6,400lbs!!!! JFC! Badass

I did most of flint trail first week of October, parts were kind of hairy with a stock taco.

 

Utah is great.....

just don't tell everyone...................

nice pics.......

 

Didn’t have any issues running that heavy, except all the eye rolling from members on the board here!
Did you come up from Hite or down from Hans Flat?

I agree about both your statements here!

 

Hans Flat station, spent the night about 40mi north at the Horseshoe Canyon district, then made it to Hite by the end of the next day, didn't overnight in the Maze, next time!