Campgrounds with electrical outlets

[motoproponent]

So I am thinking about ways to keep my road trip thirst satiated that's a little easier on the wallet. I have been motocamping exactly once and it wasn't horrible. I'm thinking that since I have a pretty OK set up I should get my money's worth out of the gear I have. And moto camping will probably get easier and more enjoyable the more I do it. Having a night of camping here or there will save some beer money.

Ideally I would like to practice camping in a place that has electricity. Namely because my motorcycle can recharge and my morning coffee is easier with an electric kettle. I think KOA is a solid bet but it's $55 for a tent site with an outlet in the ones I've checked on. That's dangerously close to hotel prices, or at least KOA Cabin prices. As I scour the interwebz I'm thinking there has to be a better way.....you're it. You're the better way.

There are motocamping enthusiasts here on teh BARFs. I know most of you prefer free dispersed camping, but do you remember that one place that was OK but it had outlets?

I know I could "practice" camping in my back yard but...
A) it's not the same as loading up and going somewhere
B) 100% my tent will get sprayed by the neighborhood cats


Any place come to mind?

 

[Dmitriy]

Any place with Hookups (electrical only &/or water &/or sewer) will always cost more then the $10 Hollister Charges

Maybe try couch-surfing (like camp in peoples yard kinda thing, some are pretty nice apparently) or cheaper AirB n B's ?

'Camping' at least in California has unfortunately gotten very expensive recently.

 

[motoproponent]

Usually "hookups" are RV outlets. NEMA 14-50 or TT-30.

I'm looking for a $20-$35 tent spot with a picnic table and the single duplex 120volt outlet where they used to plug in the lights and radio when mom and dad bring the kids out car camping.

 

[stangmx13]

I've been to campsites all over CA and some in NV, UT, & OR. I've never seen what you are looking for. I think you are ahead of the curve here. CA Parks mentions charging for e-bikes which would provide what you want, but that type of amenity isn't listed when searching for a site. And using e-bikes in parks is a touchy subject, so it may never happen.

Campers looking to charge a phone generally take a battery bank these days, maybe with a solar panel. You are probably stuck with EV charging stations or RV hookups. Here's a list of CA parks with EV chargers https://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=30920

Standard camping practice these days for boiling water, lights, and music: a Jetboil, a battery-powered headlamp and tent light, and your phone with a portable speaker. Theres little need to pay more for a site with an outlet, at least for most campers.

 

[ThumperX]

How long does it take your beast to charge?

 

[HadesOmega]

It is a beast he's got the Experia so it's got a 22kwh pack. So from a 110 outlet it'd take like 20 hours to charge if it's empty. Half that from 240V. Good thing is it's got DC Fastcharging but it's super expensive.

I got to ride one and it's a great bike, can probably do some light adv riding with it it'd make an excellent sport tourer. If I had the monies...

Anyway you'll have to camp at RV campsites that have NEMA 14-50 outlets. I know some race tracks have RV campsites like Buttonwillow and Thunderhill. So some race tracks you can. I know Laguna Seca has Tesla Superchargers. Not sure if anybody has gotten an Energica to work with the supercharger since they opened them up to everyone else.

ADV riding with electric bike not ideal yet so I still riding the old DR650 and KLR650. My best suggestion is to charge at a fast charger before you head to the campsite.

I know some OHV parks have EVSE. When I had my Empulse I would charge at the entrance of Carnegie. They have camping there also. But it's not at the site you'd have to set your camp up then ride your bike to the charger and have it charge then walk back to your camp while it's charging.

This is the most adventure I have done on an electric bike is to tow your dirt bike to the trail head and ride and come back and swap a battery or recharge with a generator. TOP OF THE WORLD

Poison Spider Trailhead

Sand Flats Recreation Area - Moab, Utah

 

[HadesOmega]

Also check this guys playlist out, I saw this a while back when I had my Empulse. This dude rode to 4 corners of the United States on his Zero SR in 2016. He used an app called RV Parky and plugshare to help map out his journey. It tells where all the RV parks are and he would use them as his gas station or camp at them. This was before Energicas were around too I'd imagine in an Energica it's much easier to motocamp. Also when he did this there were less EVs on the road. Now there are tons on the road and these RV parks know people are going to want to charge their EVs so they'll probably charge your more!

2016 ElMoto 4 Corners

Share your videos with friends, family, and the world

www.youtube.com

 

[deathbug74]

Usually "hookups" are RV outlets. NEMA 14-50 or TT-30.

I'm looking for a $20-$35 tent spot with a picnic table and the single duplex 120volt outlet where they used to plug in the lights and radio when mom and dad bring the kids out car camping.

So....did some poking at recreation.gov, and found 2 campgrounds listed with 15a or 20a service, which is my best guess for finding "standard" outlets.

Bushytail, in Shasta Trinity NF - https://www.recreation.gov/camping/campgrounds/232363

BushayRecreation Area, at Lake Mendocino - https://www.recreation.gov/camping/campgrounds/233437

 

[jbawden]

As a side note on EV charging, I noticed Thunderhill has a couple of 240v J1772 (not Telsa) style chargers on the south end of the paddock. If there is an event going on that allows camping, then you might be able to make camp there one night.

 

[motoproponent]

I think @stangmx13 is right. I'm going to have to camp and charge as separate activities unless I want to pay for something with an RV site.

I guess camping isnt what I remembered........because I was remembering camping with my family 35-40 years ago in the midwest and southeast.


Lol.

 

[CDONA]

Very few RV parks allow tent campers, they are out there.
Most of the power boxes have a 15/20 amp outlet, (standard house plug)
Some are dedicated to the park use only.
Don't some forest service campgrounds have a power outlet @ the restrooms?

 

[motoproponent]

It is a beast he's got the Experia so it's got a 22kwh pack. So from a 110 outlet it'd take like 20 hours to charge if it's empty. Half that from 240V. Good thing is it's got DC Fastcharging but it's super expensive.

Yeah, when I plug into a normal 110 outlet I limit the charge current to 10 amps so it pulls 1.2kw. The nominal (useable) amount of the battery is 19.3 kwh and I rarely run it down to empty so yeah it's 16 to 18 hours from a regular outlet.

From a 240 volt outlet I can set it for the max draw of 15 amps so I get 3.6kw, which is more like three times faster. So from a J1772, Destination Charger, or an RV plug it's like 5 or 6 hours to "fill the tank".

DC Fast Charging can be expensive. I commonly pay ~50 cents per kwh when I'm on a road trip. Usually $6 or $7. But the prices are not tied to anything and rates are set by the station owner. Frequently it will be free from chargers installed by municipalities or agencies funded with federal incentives. Other times it's 70 cents a kwh with a "connection fee" so it can be as much as $10 or $12 to charge. Some chargers are slow and charge by the time hooked up to the charger so it can get pretty ridiculous.

*edit* Also the only Superchargers that are open to everyone are the ones equipped with Magic Dock (Tesla's built in NACS to CCS1 adapter). I have charged at those and it's not only better and faster than other CCS1 chargers I paid an average of 44 cents per kwh, so one of the least expensive too. Tesla is rolling out access to the greater Supercharger network one manufacturer at a time based on the order of their fealty to the NACS port. Ford and Rivian were first. Now GM, KIA, and Hyundai. Energica is NACS compliant but with a CCS1 port and they will get it when/if it's open generally to be used with an approved adapter.

 

[NorCal Factory]

Call the campground to be sure they allow tents on electrical sites. I just stayed at a State campground in Ave of the Giants. The booking filters allow you to book a RV site or one with electricity that seems like RV or tent, but the campground rangers said tents are not allowed on those sites. Maybe a private campground will, but then it’s often like being in a parking lot with RVs side to side. Ugh