Heading over for Speedweek this August, and want to know where people stay who have motor homes. do you just pull off the salt, or must you book at a 'park'? We have booked a motorhome out of SLC, and will be heading over for 5 days from the 14th. Appreciate any help/advice with this. Cheers J
Do some searches for the bend in the road that leads out to the salt. There is free camping there all the time.
Plan on spending time cleaning before you return it, if it comes back with salt under it or inside it there is usually a pretty stiff penalty. Also I would not recommending telling the rental company you are taking their vehicle to the salt as they may refuse to rent it to you. Don't wear race oriented clothes when you pick it up and have a "vacation destination" ready when they ask you where you are going. This advice is based on over 25 years of experience on the salt.
Saltracer219 has hit the nail on the head. I'm ***uming you are using a credit card for the rental fee. They will have your number and if they find salt in it or on it they will hit you for a hefty cleaning fee. At World Finals last year the salt was so good and dry very little got on my RV. But at SpeedWeek in 2007 I must have taken about 80 or so pounds of salt with me. Inside and out. I would recommend you line the floor with plastic and give it a super good cleaning especially underneath before you return it. When I was there I saw a number of rented Rvs running around the salt so don't let the warnings put you off. Its the old adage "Forewarned is forearmed". Stay at Bend in the Road. Its free but it has no hook ups or facilities of any sort except for some portapotties. But it does have a great bunch of like minded people. And some great fireworks displays! There is a KOA site somewhere nearby. Never been there so I don't know. I also heard one of the casinos has RV parking with hook ups. Again I can't confirm that. A word of warning. The salt carries a very infectious disease. Its incurable. My first visit was on very wet salt. I swore I woud never go back to that misearble hole. But I did and I'm planning (God willin' and finances permittin') to be back there again this year.
There is a KOA in Wendover that a lot of guys stay at but it books up pretty quick. From seeing guys with bigger rigs get stuck out on the salt I wouldn't want to take one out on the salt it's self. And as Saltracer 219 said the rental companies nail you with a stiff cleanup fee if they see any salt on the rigs when you take them back. You could pick up a couple of bicycles to get around out on the salt but at times the course is several miles from end of the road out across the salt.
Bewarned the Salt gets everywhere no matter how careful you try to be, get a lift onto the salt and leave the RV at camp. The folks at Bonneville are the freindliest bunch of people you will ever meet. Got any room left I cant wait to get back!!!!!!!!
Somebody will give you a ride from the Bend to the flats..I wouldn't take the RV onto the salt.. Duane.
My pic would be the 'bend in the road', but, later in the week I'd shift to the KOA (we did both). Reason for that would be to allow you to 'use the facilities' (laundry and drain the tanks etc). Follow the advice of saltracer219 & firingorder1 and you'll be set. Mixed feelings about driving on the salt, however, when you get there and see all the very big heavy trucks that people take to the pits, you will end up driving out there. Like everyone has mentioned, the salt is not a good thing for vehicles, and certainly not appreciated by rental crowds, keep that in mind. There is a carwash facility in Wendover, to allow you to go and remove all the salt (and they will actually return it I seem to remember), spend the money and go there after you're done. You will meet alot of great people, and come home with salt fever.....Lake Gairdner will tease you after you've done B'ville. Call me if you want some finer detail... Cheers, Drewfus
Jimbob, All info given is good advice. Couple of additional items: Buy/bring a small,cheap rug to use as a doormat to your RV. Plan to take your shoes off prior to entering your RV. Clean off the bottom of coolers, chair legs etc prior to reloading into RV. Bring a small whisk broom. The salt is unique stuff that can be described as co**** sand mixed with molasis-not nice stuff.The local high school sports teams set up a high pressure car/trailer/RV wash in the parking lot of the Mandolay Bay (maybe the Montigo Bay- I can't remember. It's the first casino in Nevada on the North side of Wendover Blvd) casino starting Wednesday or so. They do an excellent job including the underside of the vehicle. They accept a donation of whatever you think is fair. You can shower at the truck stop at the I80 exit. The crowd seems to be biggest at the beginning of the week and thins out as the week progresses. You may be able to get into the RV park in Wendover later in the week if they are full at the beginning. Good luck
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