Box truck camping tips..

[DanLondon]

I like the wooden Pallet idea, also heavy enough and stackable.

If only i could get the tubes ripped down along their middle, they would be ideal, also, will Home Depot Reno run out?

[junglesmacks]

I just checked Home Depot's online inventory, and they show 60 available at the moment at 3 different Reno locations. I also just saw some pallets listed in the free section of the Reno Craigslist..

Yeah.. I'm thinking 2 of those 12" x 48" tubes ripped in half are going to be the ticket..

[captain mcguiver]

I just checked my reservation online and all my coupon codes and discounts have disappeared. Is this normal?
My old email confirmation and my current online reservation differ by over $100. Basically, per day and mileage are
normal vs. discounted.

Will call on Monday and figure this out, but has anyone else re-checked their original reservations?

[BoyScoutGirl]

I just checked my reservation online and all my coupon codes and discounts have disappeared. Is this normal?
My old email confirmation and my current online reservation differ by over $100. Basically, per day and mileage are normal vs. discounted.

Hrmmm... the website is showing my reservation as about $82 more, and the website says the listed price is before tax while the email is ambiguous.The deposit is also quite a bit more than in my reservation email. Definitely worth looking into. Nice catch, Captain!

[trilobyte]

As with any vehicle reservation, I'd recommend getting it all locked in and confirmed, either in writing or with an online form that you can print out and raise with the rental agency in the unlikely event that there's a discrepancy.

[junglesmacks]

I was directly told by Robert the office manager that irregardless of the discount code used or not used, that everyone is given a 20% discount at the time of rental which is a total of 20%. The coupon code was good for 15% but he kicks an additional 5%. If no code was used at all, then 20% total is given. Everyone pays the same.

I'll try calling him today and re-confirming..

[junglesmacks]

I just contacted Budget HQ directly, and they confirmed that a total of 20% discount has been applied to the reservation irregardless of what the site is saying. This brings the total rate to $26.63/day and $0.16/mile.

In fact, when I first called.. I told her the rate that I was getting was the $28.53/day rate as per the coupon code but she corrected me and told me that it was actually $26.63/day in the system. This coincides with what Robert promised on the phone with the 20% total discount.

tldr: Site is wrong. You'll get 20% off no matter what.

[captain mcguiver]

A lot of the responses regard the Gentry Way location. A lot of us rent outside Reno, like myself. Has anyone ever had issues with Budget OUTSIDE of Reno?

I used a 20% discount code in July and it's not showing up online. I'm calling Budget tomorrow to inquire about the real rate. I was getting quoted $35.22/day and .19/cents a mile. Online I was getting $41.43 /day and .22/ mile.

[lucky420]

I've used Budget truck rented from Fallon (Dave's Automotive) for burning man and Carson City Budget truck posted in cl that they want to rent to burners.

and there's a place in SAcramento

[theCryptofishist]

Hengehold is burner-friendly. I don't know if they have any trucks available.

[Ever]

[quote="theCryptofishist"]Hengehold is burner-friendly. I don't know if they have any trucks available.[/quote]

They were quick to reply to an email I sent regarding rentals. I missed the call but he sounded like a nice guy. Like most all other rental outfitters, they too don't allow towing.

[captain mcguiver]

So I called Budget, and their rates matched my original quotes with discounts. The online reservation checker is junk, and won't show you any discounts.

So new problem: I was planning on using a 4x8 sheet of 1-inch thick Rmax insulation foam as a door plug for my Rental Truck. Pull the truck door down a few feet, and wedge the Rmax plug into place. Then, cut a door out of that plug for quiet, easy in-and-outs.

The problem: This Rmax foam crumbles and becomes moop easy. I definitely have to Gaff-tape the heck out of any exposed foam. I'm more worried about cutting it, and installing hinges on it to make a door. Can I even bolt a hinge and expect this stuff to hold it? I don't think so. It's pretty Fragile.

So Dilemma- make an 2x4 actual hinged wooden door with frame around the Rmax or find some way to make a Duct dape or low impact doorway out of the Rmax that won't degrade into rubble.

I suck at carpentry and will basically have to hand-saw 2x4's, so I'd love to avoid the crazy frame.

Suggestions graciously accepted... I'm about to hit the road but I will make one stop at civilization before touching down on playa.

Heres the Idea for the back plug:

and the fragile Rmax:

[Bob]

Just hang a couple of moving blankets.

[captain mcguiver]

Great Idea, you mean for just the door though? I need holes for the swamp cooler intake and hot air exhaust.

[Canoe]

Not gaffer's, but foil tape on the exposed foam.

Should cut easier than that...

Thin plywood surface plates on the inside and outside allows you to put bolts through from one side to the other for mounting hinges.

google hexayurt photos to see examples of how doors in the stuff are handled

[RedHeaven]

No matter how nice not sleeping in a tent at Bman seems, there is nothing like laying on a cozy futon in my tent on a Black Rock morning staring out the window, and seeing a hot air balloon whizz right on by in the morning sun.
The one year I slept in a contained area, I missed the views from my tent and the breeze.

[dingokiller]

Hi All,

Have not been able to get the Gentry way fellows on the phone today but was told that they would be open on Sunday to make sure we can all pickup our rentals. Did anyone else get this guarantee? Their hours would say otherwise and this was definitely a handshake deal kind of situation.

We land in Reno at 11am and are hoping to pickup the truck at 12pm, fingers crossed I guess! Rented from them last year and it was the best way I have ever attended BM.

[lazerfox]

our reservation is also for tomorrow. We arrive at the Reno airport at 11am as well. Probably taking a cab to the Gentry location.

When we booked if there were hours the place was not going to be open the website said it and wouldn't let us reserve.

[dingokiller]

Website shows they close at 12pm on Sundays, so budgeting for a bit of flight delay we might not get there till 12:30 or so.

[SquirrelHead]

I picked up my truck from Gentry Budget and they were great! They aren't answering phones because they are swamped handling everyone picking up trucks. If they said they would be there then I believe they will be. They are very cool people.

[dingokiller]

Got through this morning and was given confirmation that they would be open for us to pickup our truck if we were at the office by 1pm (hour past their closing time). Love these guys, amazing service!

[BoyScoutGirl]

Box truck camping was sublime. Some of the easiest camping I've done in a while, no question. Sleeping in a hammock all week was great and having a make-shift curtain to separate my space was great. I also liked having a small throw rug just under the hammock so I had a place to set my bare feet and having some hanging shelves by the hammock to act as a bedstand. I kind of wish I'd had hooks to hang clothes on, but stuffing them into the guide rails worked okay.

The temperature in the truck was always bearable - I slept until 11 or noon on some days and even napped until 3pm once. Sound was something of a problem the first night even with earplugs but every night after that I was too exhausted to care.

A sixteen-foot truck was too big for just me and my small amount of stuff, though I did manage to have stuff strewn everywhere by the end of the week. I heard at Gentry that people who'd ordered ten footers were being bumped up to sixteen anyhow, so might as well pay the cheaper price.

The thing guzzled gas though. I probably paid about $110-120 in fuel alone. There's a gas station just across the street from the rental place to refill the truck before you return it.

Paying $100 to clean the vehicle was convenient but also a gouge. I watched the crew of two teenage girls cleaning the cab of a truck as I waited for the taxi - I could have done an equivalent job with baby wipes and vinegar easily. The guys have so many trucks coming in at the same time that they don't check super-thoroughly. I also asked the Budget guy about return times and he said an hour or two late isn't a big deal. I was more worried about returning on time than about cleaning the truck myself, but maybe next time I'll just clean it.

Because there definitely will be a next time. Box truck is absolutely the way to go.

[lazerfox]

Couldn't agree more with most of what you said BSG!

However, we got the 10ft and it was perfect. We covered the roof with a tarp over wooden planks on the edges and middle so there was an air channel to resist heat better and were able to sleep in it at any time of the day really.

I don't know about the gas as the BF paid for that portion but I do know they did not charge us $100 for the cleaning (only $75). Did you double check your receipt to make sure that is what they charged you? (Ours says $75).

[Drawingablank]

Hooks for hanging stuff - Black spring clamps attached to the wood tie down slats along the truck sides. We used these for holding laundry bags, hanging clothes, hanging lighting, etc...

Gas - we had a 16' truck and spent only 91.00 round trip on gas.

Cleaning Fee - There is more to this than wiping out the cab. Pressure washing the exterior, undercarriage, and engine compartment are part of the cleaning process as well and would cost about half of that 100.00 at a truck wash. Plus I'm sure they have to do more than just sweep out the box to make it rentable again also. On top of this they will dump your garbage as part of the fee (saved us 25.00 right there). Personally, considering how much time we spent cleaning our rental last year I consider the 100.00 quite a bargain - even more so when I am completely fried from being on the playa 12 days and in no mood to clean.

I have nothing but good things to say about Budget on gentry Way and their staff. It was a pleasant experience from beginning to end and worth every cent.

[BoyScoutGirl]

Clarification: the $115 or so I spent on gas includes driving all over the place in Reno for supplies before heading out.

Question: Do you guys think that a 10' truck heats up faster than a 16'? Because my conclusion after the burn was to not bother with a shade tarp as I was perfectly content this year. Though, this year wasn't as hot as it could have been, and next time I'll be going with a 10' truck...

[theCryptofishist]

A ten-footer would heat up faster because there's less of it to heat, and because it has a higher volume to surface surface to volume ratio.

actually, about the ratio... it could only matter about surfaces exposed to the sun. Actually, that might not make a difference because the roof (for instance) is still a larger surface to volume ratio on the 10'.

[junglesmacks]

First and foremost..

THANK YOU GENTRY WAY BUDGET FOR ANOTHER GREAT YEAR AND TAKING CARE OF OUR COMMUNITY!

Totally stellar service with a gracious smile. I noticed this year that the manager/owner of the franchise added a (slightly modified) Man insignia to his business card and everything.. and still had last years posterboard up with everyone's autograph. Needless to say.. (yet again..) these guys love us.



Just while I was there picking up my truck, I saw 2 different parties come in that had gotten screwed over by U-Haul at the last second and were stuck.. and totally taken care of by the guys @ Budget. Even though the online pricing was way high since it was last second, they pulled whatever strings they had to in order to get it at the discounted rate. True story: The day before we came on Thursday, the district manager of U-Haul stopped by to chat with the owner of Gentry Way. He was laughing about how he on purpose waited until the last minute to cancel everyone's reservation.. and how he couldn't believe that anyone would rent to "those people".. and left laughing.. and being booed all the way to the street by people waiting to reserve their trucks. FUCK U-HAUL.

Paying $100 to clean the vehicle was convenient but also a gouge.

Remember that the cleaning fee is 100% optional. Clean it yourself, no fee. However.. as DAB mentioned, they were graciously taking care of your trash as well. In fact.. I left it with a full queen sized mattress/box spring, sofa and full of trash and they had no problems with that. $100 to take care of all that PLUS not having to deal with a thing after 11 days at BM was worth it's weight in gold!

[Savannah]

Remember that the cleaning fee is 100% optional. Clean it yourself, no fee. However.. as DAB mentioned, they were graciously taking care of your trash as well. In fact.. I left it with a full queen sized mattress/box spring, sofa and full of trash and they had no problems with that. $100 to take care of all that PLUS not having to deal with a thing after 11 days at BM was worth it's weight in gold!

That is amazing.

[SquirrelHead]

The guys at the Gentry Way Budget were awesome! Thanks for letting us know about them junglesmacks! The 16 ft truck worked great for 2 of us and all our gear. I think next time I would use some hanging shelves for the sides to help us keep things more organized. Other than that it was cool enough to sleep until 10-11 easily and the dry ice kept things frozen in the cooler all week. PERFECT!

[sharpstick]

. . .

A sixteen-foot truck was too big for just me and my small amount of stuff, though I did manage to have stuff strewn everywhere by the end of the week. I heard at Gentry that people who'd ordered ten footers were being bumped up to sixteen anyhow, so might as well pay the cheaper price.

The thing guzzled gas though. I probably paid about $110-120 in fuel alone. There's a gas station just across the street from the rental place to refill the truck before you return it.

Paying $100 to clean the vehicle was convenient but also a gouge. I watched the crew of two teenage girls cleaning the cab of a truck as I waited for the taxi - I could have done an equivalent job with baby wipes and vinegar easily. The guys have so many trucks coming in at the same time that they don't check super-thoroughly. I also asked the Budget guy about return times and he said an hour or two late isn't a big deal. I was more worried about returning on time than about cleaning the truck myself, but maybe next time I'll just clean it.

Because there definitely will be a next time. Box truck is absolutely the way to go.

i've used budget for two years now. they are great. i ordered a ten foot and got a twelve this year. we have been using it for storage and kitchen, but plan to sleep in it next time. planning to build in a bed platform bridged across the oak rails and storage below. (my SO wants to put the bed on the uppr rail to make it easier to use the space below, but i suspect the air will be hotter at that level)

i think the cleaning fee($75 for the ten foot) is a bargain. we've paid almost that at a carwash just for a utility van. and they take all your garbage and recycling.