2015 Burning Man festival, located in Black Rock City, Nevada, has come and gone. The annual festival can be described as an experiment in community, art and music. This last year, over 66,000 people attended the event. Since the thrilling festival keeps people coming back year after year, many seasoned Burning Man goers agree that taking a motorhome or RV is the way to go!
Having excellent shelter out in the hot dusty desert with running water and air conditioning is priceless. However, it can be an overwhelming cleanup process if you are ill prepared.
Below are a few tips to help you successfully ‘burn’ in your camper van or RV. If this is your first time venturing to the festival, make sure to do your research and go on the Burning Man website as well as many other blogs and forums dedicated to preparing for the week long outing.
1. Embrace the Dust! No matter how well you plan, prepare to spend some extensive time cleaning up the dust after the festival. Desert dust leaves a thick film that is difficult to clean up.
2. Tape Over Switches and Seams! Put some tape over any external switches and seams with potential openings (windows, poor sealing’s etc.) This will help electronics from filling up with dust and locking up.
3. Cover Vent Openings! Get some cheap AC filters, cut them up and place them over all external vents. You will need a solution such as Goof Off to remove the adhesive, but this is far less of a hassle than a lot of fine detailed cleaning and electronic failure.
4. Wax! Wax! Wax! A good application of wax will help prevent dust from sticking to your motorhome’s exterior.
5. Pay Attention to Prevailing Winds! When picking your spot to park, pay attention to the prevailing winds and park so your door isn’t opening directly into it.
6. Protect the Interior! Be sure to always cover your upholstery with sheets or spare fabric. This will keep your coverings as dust-free as possible.
7. Fresh Sheets! Include an extra set of sheets and keep them someplace away from the dust. To minimize dust entry as much as possible, keeping a routine such as rinsing off before bed or using baby wipes may help.
8. Close it Up! Make sure when entering or exiting your motorhome that you close the doors and windows tightly! An unexpected gust of wind can leave your interior a whole lot dustier than necessary.
9. Minimize Electrical Usage! Use your best boon docking skills in order to minimize the need to run your generator as much as possible. LED lights are great and reduce reliance on other lights. Also, remove any parasitic loads (unplugging something such as a microwave when not in use can give you an extra hour of battery capacity per day!)
10. Save Engine Maintenance for After Your Trip! If you can safely wait a few weeks for routine maintenance work, wait till after the festival. Your just going to have to change out filters anyway.
Once you have experienced Burning Man within the comfort of your motorhome, conversion van or RV, you will never want to do it without. If you’re looking for the perfect van for Burning Man 2016, come check out our inventory at Classic Vans. We have a huge selection of quality new and used conversion vans and class B motorhomes.
We can outfit you with the perfect van for any festival, campout or road trip!