Camping On Hawaii - Big Island - (HI) -The Island of Hawaii - Page 2 - City-Data Forum

cagary · 07-20-2012, 05:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by robertlsimmonsjr

You can ship a Toyota micro-mini motorhome with a short roof or a camper-conversion van for about $1000 at Pasha Hawaii, I believe the size limits for that rate are 21.5'L x 8'W x 7'H.
And the advantage of a small motorhome or campervan is that one can park overnight in so many places without hassle, nice neighborhoods, county parks, free spaces in the multitude of little-known areas one finds exploring the Big Island. You find a bad road to a beach, go very slow, but keep going if possible and you'll probably find a unique camping spot. I have.

What do you do with it when your vacation is over? Ship in back for another $1000. ?

Harper's Motorhome, $200.00 a night. Free waste disposal. Turn it back in, get on your flight back to the mainland and go home. No Pasha shipping hassles.

OpenD · 07-20-2012, 09:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cagary

What do you do with it when your vacation is over? Ship in back for another $1000. ?

See post #6. The OP clarified that he wasn't talking about shipping it back at the end of a vacation, but parking it in a carport once he has a home on the island.

hotzcatz · 07-20-2012, 11:44 PM

Hmm, then he will have to find a place and a way to empty it, I guess. I'm not sure where Harper's empties theirs, none of the state parks have any waste emptying facilities or hookups.

OpenD · 07-21-2012, 01:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hotzcatz

Hmm, then he will have to find a place and a way to empty it, I guess. I'm not sure where Harper's empties theirs, none of the state parks have any waste emptying facilities or hookups.

Well that's my point. There isn't really an infrastructure to support RV's in Hawai'i the way there is on the mainland. You can find a way to fill the water tanks, and change propane tanks yourself, and crank up a generator in place of plugging in, but emptying the waste tank? That's hard to improvise.

HiloDiver · 07-21-2012, 07:40 AM

I suppose they will just have to use the campground's toilets then.

hotzcatz · 07-21-2012, 12:55 PM

Hawaii doesn't have campgrounds in the same manner as the mainland. There are a few parks around, but their main reason is to be a daytime picnic or beach park, not a campground. Some folks do camp there, but the bathrooms are minimal, showers sometimes non-existent, nor are there any fireplaces, activity centers, etc. A covered pavilion is about all you're going to find for amenities. The camping is almost all tent camping there aren't any sites for RVs so you end up in a parking lot if you have an RV. If the OP wants to ship an RV for that level of use, then it's the OPs choice. We are just trying to educate the OP and anyone else interested in the difference between what they are expecting and what is actually here.

oregonwoodsmoke · 07-21-2012, 01:07 PM

That's exactly what I wanted to know. Whether or not there would be places to use a small travel trailer. There is no point in bringing it if there is no place to use it.

I am capable of tent camping. It's just not as convenient.

As to emptying the holding tank: if you live in a house that has a septic tank, you put the right plumbing into the drain line and you simply empty your holding tank into the septic. It's a non-issue. However, no RV camp sites is not a non-issue.

Thanks, everyone. I really appreciate the help.

HiloDiver · 07-21-2012, 01:10 PM

As an avid camper, I learned a lot too. Great thread.

I can't find anywhere on Big Island that lets you camp with dogs. That saddens me, I loved camping with my dogs when I lived on the mainland.

hotzcatz · 07-21-2012, 01:20 PM

Visit all the beach parks and areas on the island before shipping the RV. Perhaps you'd be able to figure out a way to make it work but it would be best to see what's available before going to the expense of shipping. Plus, when you go on vacation to the mainland, it might be nicer to have the RV there. I have several friends who have RVs but they keep them on the mainland and go on extended camping trips on their vacations. When vacationing from Hawaii, we have a lot of the same problems as people who vacation to Hawaii. No transportation unless we use public transit or rent a car and nowhere to stay unless we rent a hotel room. Although the mainland at least has cheaper hotels.