Motorhome to Oshkosh tips?

[RickWoodall]

Looking at taking our Class C to Airventure this year. Ideally in on the Saturday and out by Wednesday of show week. We will be set up with solar and lithium so don't need power or water and ideally would like to be in the generator free area as that is soooo noisy. Just trying to see on camping maps and price guide...how that works for a 32' Rv. I know the power sites book up way early and you get stuck paying for a site weeks before the show starts if you want it reserved......and must pay for full week even if leaving early. Don't want that.

If we are in no power, and no generator areas...We dont need to book in advance do we? Still stuck paying full week or is it like plane camping where they refund you unused days if you leave early? Any tips welcome. Will be kind of nice to not be sleeping on the ground, not gonna lie. Just trying to make a plan so its easy and pireps welcome.

 

[Brantel]

Looking at taking our Class C to Airventure this year. Ideally in on the Saturday and out by Wednesday of show week. We will be set up with solar and lithium so don't need power or water and ideally would like to be in the generator free area as that is soooo noisy. Just trying to see on camping maps and price guide...how that works for a 32' Rv. I know the power sites book up way early and you get stuck paying for a site weeks before the show starts if you want it reserved......and must pay for full week even if leaving early. Don't want that.

If we are in no power, and no generator areas...We dont need to book in advance do we? Still stuck paying full week or is it like plane camping where they refund you unused days if you leave early? Any tips welcome. Will be kind of nice to not be sleeping on the ground, not gonna lie. Just trying to make a plan so its easy and pireps welcome.

Due to the increased popularity of Inverter Style generators, the noise in the 24hr generator area has been decreasing. There is still the random person that will show up with an 800 mega watt construction generator with no muffler so it is a crap shoot.

You pay from the time you claim a spot to the end of the show. 3 day minimum and you do get a refund for any remaining days after that when you check out.

The size of your rig does not matter. There will be everything there from teardrops to giant semi trucks. Some people really stretch the definition of a site if you know what I mean.

They will pump your tanks and fill your fresh water for a fee (sign up early or at least the day before you need it). You can also fill when you arrive and dump when you leave for a donation.

Not sure but the NO Generator area is likely to fill up fast since it is so small.

 

[GatorsR1]

I would doubt the "no gen" areas in Camp Scholler sell out by Saturday (but the camping crowd gets bigger & earlier every year so it's not a given).
There's no explicit need to pre-book basic camping - but depending on time of day, it can be a tedious affair at the Camper Registration Gate.
It is better to use Express Arrival (buy online) so you don't have to wait in line when arriving.
Then you'll have all your necessary credentials already in hand and get waved on in to go find a spot.
You can get refunds if you leave early (this doesn't apply to power/water sites).
We usually leave a day or two early but don't get a refund and consider it a tip/donation in appreciation to EAA for such a great event.

Read up on the rules at:
www.eaa.org/airventure/plan-your-eaa-airventure-trip/eaa-camping-and-lodging/camp-scholler/guidelines

 

[Blw2]

curious...are the genny area(s) all 24hr...or do they have limits such as quiet 11PM to 7AM or whatever?

I also have a class C motorhome. I've never done the motorhome or camper thing at Airventure but have many times at Sun n fun. Years past there are some areas where genny is allowed during the day but not night. Even there though, I have been surprised by folks literally running their genny all day nonstop. In the 24hour areas that I try to avoid, I'm pretty sure some folks have them running 24 hours! I just can't wrap my head around that unless it's 100°F out there. I'd start my genny for maybe 5 minutes in the morning to usemy keurig machine...maybe. Often I'll just use propane to make cowboy coffee to be a better neighbor. Then I may run the genny for a bit at lunch or later in the afternoon to recharge the battery or to get a little AC cool off time....but one things for sure I won't be running it all day and night. No need in that!

Suggest being a good neighbor and get a genturi if you don't have one. Get's the fumes and gasses away...and it does help with the noise ever so slightly.

I'm reminded of the first ever time I camped at sun n fun. I was tenting it, found a sweet spot against a tree line so it did get a little shade. It was also along a road so dusty and traffic, bu that part was ok. What was bad was that the 24 hour genny area was right across the street. Some guy with a gigantic construction genny running nearly non stop just down a few doors and across the street. Far enough away to not be so horrible, and thankfully I don't recall him running it all night. When it would shut down occasionally for refueling or whatever it was funny how physical the reaction of relief was. It was kinda like that feeling of kicking off your boots after a very long day on your feet. Ahhhh.... you could just feel relief from stress that you didn't even know was there!
Out by the road was a plywood signboard (two sheets with hinges at the top to fold out as an a-frame). at one point I moved that sign about 5 or 10ft so that it stood in-line between me and that genny. It made a difference! (The genturi is sort of like that with the motorhome's genny.)
Anyway, despite that experience It was on that trip, that I hatched a plan to go to Airventure that same year...my first time ever. Car camped up there for something like 8 or nine nights in that same tent!

 

[Cessnadog]

The “normal” areas allow generators until 10:00 (I think) and is a good compromise. You won’t have trouble finding a spot on Saturday. You might have trouble finding a spot close to the entrance on Saturday. They do run shuttles in the campground.

 

[RickWoodall]

Happy with a long walk, thats no issue. Put me in the sticks.
We would rather not run genie at all and enjoy some quiet to hear airplanes, so if we can find genie free that would be ideal and the plan. Will read what we can on here to be prepped for friday or sat arrival and bug out by mid week. Thanks for tips. 15 years ago when building, we used to pull a trailer from Canada, and rented a spot several years in a row at "sleepy hollow" a private campground right across from SOS brothers tent. It was awesome. had power and water and would run our AC all day. Mid day walk back to trailer, the ice cold air would hit you...a bunch of Leinenkugel and blue moons in fridge and a quick BBQ for lunch, and back to show for the aft. Amazing good times. Think it was $30 a night with water and power.

 

[Cessnadog]

Happy with a long walk, thats no issue. Put me in the sticks.
We would rather not run genie at all and enjoy some quiet to hear airplanes, so if we can find genie free that would be ideal and the plan. Will read what we can on here to be prepped for friday or sat arrival and bug out by mid week. Thanks for tips. 15 years ago when building, we used to pull a trailer from Canada, and rented a spot several years in a row at "sleepy hollow" a private campground right across from SOS brothers tent. It was awesome. had power and water and would run our AC all day. Mid day walk back to trailer, the ice cold air would hit you...a bunch of Leinenkugel and blue moons in fridge and a quick BBQ for lunch, and back to show for the aft. Amazing good times. Think it was $30 a night with water and power.

It is more than that now and there is a waiting list to get in. But it is nice to be close and have AC available all day long.