Traveling in Wyoming for Photographers - Part 3

We've started to narrow down some of the suggestions for effective ways to travel as a photographer in Wyoming. Have you got some ideas yet? Well here are a couple of more options to consider. Don't buy anything just yet.

In part 2 of this article I left off with the idea of considering a travel trailer – a good and effective option for some. After some trial and error I found that for my type of work there were just too many limitations, so here is another good option. A motor home is a great choice, especially if you make one addition that creates a wonderful travel combination, but before I get to that, lets look at some of the major benefits.

First, you are driving one vehicle. It makes maneuvering in tight quarters a whole lot easier, but you have all the benefits of a trailer. These type of units can have all the amenities and sometimes more luxury than the finest motel rooms. Sizes can rage from small to outfits that exceed 40' in length. That is approaching the size of a small mobile home, and they can have things like washers and driers, large screen televisions, recliners, etc. - you name it. Does a working photographer need all of that? How nice to think about the luxury, but remember we are here to work, not lounge around in the lap of luxury.

Motor homes come in two basic flavors – Class A and Class C. The Class A motor homes are the units that look like a small Greyhound buses. They often do not have a door that the driver can exit from, but use a side entrance just like a passenger bus. This feature alone greatly reduces egress from the vehicle when unplanned circumstances and opportunities arise. Not only that, their shear size necessitates special consideration for parking. You can't just pull off the side of a busy road, hop out and make some images. They require large parking spaces and are not suitable for off road travel. Almost all of the Class A motor homes available now are diesel pushers. Diesels are much more costly to feed this day and age. I've seen these large motor homes get severely stuck just trying to make a turn and getting slightly off the shoulder of a paved road. These units are great for very extended travels as the large living space provides some space to move around, and that can be very important during long stays away from home. Would I consider these a truly practical way for a working photographer to travel in our state? Probably not.

The Class C motor home is much more adaptable to some of the variables we may encounter. First, they are usually built on a van body and thus have an individual driver side door. You can get in and out much more easily. These units are usually much smaller, though I've seen some pretty large units. These big Class C's have some of the same problems as the large Class A's. My comments in the remainder of this article is to the small and medium size Class C motor homes. They have all the amenities, are quite secure, can be used in colder climates with minimal concern, and are the perfect balance between the comfort of motel rooms and accessibility to the remote areas we like to work in. You can get them with generators, tubs and showers, televisions, if you think that is necessary, and cooking conveniences like microwave ovens. Just about anything you can imagine (and afford) is available. Well that all sounds just about perfect, don't you think? Are there some downsides? Yes, I think a few.

First of all, these units, even the smaller ones are low slung and fairly long, so true off road travel has to be tempered with some sound judgment. Van chassis' are not as durable as truck chassis so continued hard use in the back country will greatly reduce the life expectancy of a motor home. If you stick to more developed areas, then these limitations are mitigated. Motor homes, at least none that I've ever seen, are available in 4WD, so extreme weather conditions and off road travel is not recommended. Of course there are some who will try anything. Be prepared for a very expensive towing charge if you are one of those individuals. If this is your sole vehicle, the problem of getting around to areas apart from your campsite is a very expensive proposition and parking the beast is always a more difficult task. Spontaneous opportunities can pretty much be discounted. But there is a great workaround for photographers who like the idea of a motor home and here it is.

Add a tow vehicle behind the rig and you've got a near perfect outfit. It can be a jeep type vehicle for true off road capability or if you don't need that, a smaller economy vehicle might be ideal. It would sure reduce some of the fuel expenses we face now. Unfortunately, you have to deal with an even longer rig than the already long motor home. I've seen outfits that run well over 60' long. That can be a logistical nightmare. You almost need the experience of a commercial driver to handle outfits this large. It is like driving a semi. Is that what you want to deal with? Of course if you opt for one of the smaller Class C's the rig would be much easier to handle. You have all the benefits of a base to operate from plus all the benefits of towing a second vehicle that will get you to those remote locations. It could even be a 4 wheeler instead of another car. Another option for photographers is towing a boat. A boat? Yes, consider some of the amazing places you could only get to via watercraft. Ever seen Bighorn National Recreation Area - the Bighorn Canyon north of Yellowtail Reservoir? It is a truly remarkable area only accessible via boat. How about other places like Flaming Gorge or Yellowstone Lake. A boat could give you access to areas inaccessible any other way unless you can carry a very heavy pack and have unlimited amounts of time. Any kind of vehicle that affords you more flexibility is a great addition to a base camp consisting of a motor home. Sounds pretty neat, huh?

This outfit is starting to sound like just the ticket in my mind, but I still have some other ideas that we'll consider next time. Then I'll share my ideal rig, at least the one I'm currently using. I think there may still be one more incarnation before I finally arrive at my dream vehicle, but I'm getting close. Keep thinking about what will work best for you and we'll see if we are both on the same page. If this outfit sounds just right for you, go ahead and rent one and give it a try. There are places like RV4rent and RV America which have all kinds of rigs to try. Here's another benefit to those considering a purchase in this economy. If you think this is the best way to go, many folks are getting rid of their RV's at bargain basement prices. Just spend a little time shopping and you can get a real deal. For photograhers the purchase price is tax deductible. Let me know what you think. Until the final installment – Jerry