I've tented at swimstart on several occations- great experience!👍👍

Planning to camp in my travel trailer before IMLP this year, and making a vacation of it.

Not so much for the $ factor of it, but really just because that's how we like to travel/vacation.

Ive got a small box van I used for motocross racing. Im currently setting it up for tri's . I currently am not doing any races over 5 hrs from home and all short course, so I plan on just arriving at the event around bed time and crashing out as soon as I get there. Some places dont allow over night camping So Im gonna make her a little more incognito. I pulled the graphics off the side and the generator off the back. Its super nice to be able to pit right at an event. Usually get good parking spots , Ive got a place to eat , my own personal dressing room and can wait to change into my kit until right before the start. AND MY OWN SHITTER !! Which makes it all worth it.

Dirt fighter wrote:

Ive got a small box van I used for motocross racing. Im currently setting it up for tri's . I currently am not doing any races over 5 hrs from home and all short course, so I plan on just arriving at the event around bed time and crashing out as soon as I get there. Some places dont allow over night camping So Im gonna make her a little more incognito. I pulled the graphics off the side and the generator off the back. Its super nice to be able to pit right at an event. Usually get good parking spots , Ive got a place to eat , my own personal dressing room and can wait to change into my kit until right before the start. AND MY OWN SHITTER !! Which makes it all worth it.

We've been RVing it to races since 2013 and it has been a bunch of fun! The primary reason to jump in was so we could bring our dogs with us.

Did a soft start by getting a used Class C shorty (21ft) and put about 20k miles on it over the past three years. Just recently upgraded to a Sprinter B van to be more stealth - took that to IMAZ in November and we're road tripping to IMTX next month.

Would definitely recommend renting an RV first, drive it to a race and see how it works out for you. If it does, do a little more research on what you want/what to look for, hit craigslist and find a decent used model.

Like one of the posters said above, nothing beats having your own loo on race morning next to transition.

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Where are you planning to park once you get here? There's not much in the way of RV spots close to the race area.

I've done some tent camping for races; including IMLP. If a person goes this route, think the key is having the right gear/space to ensure that you get a good night's sleep. My endeavors have had mixed results.

I would have no problem staying in a van... the family is a whole other story. Since i want my marriage to last beyond a single race, we make small race-cations out of the trips. We stayed at the Lake Placid (Wilmington) KOA twice. Once was tenting and the other was in one of their little cabins. The cabin was better for potential rainy conditions and added a bit more comfort for my wife.

Good question - still researching it. At first pass from google maps, looks like there's a Walmart about 3.5 miles or so from the swim start at the NW corner of the 242/I45 intersection. That would be the fallback for overnight parking.

Will give the Wholefoods a call also to see what their policy is. That would be a great location.

Did read the Woodlands CC&Rs, more rules than Boulder!

If you have any suggestions, would surely appreciate it.

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I slept in my car for HIM Lake Stevens. Parked a block from the start on a side street next a green space. Had an air mattress and a sleeping bag. It was great being only a 1 minute walk to the start. The only thing that I did not consider was the music they started blaring at 5am. Maybe that is why all of the locals hated the event. I did this to keep cost down, for the sense of adventure and because the closest hotel was about 30 minutes away IIRC. I've also done it for a RNR marathon that required day before packet pickup. The Best in the West Tri Race takes over the campground at the lake, but there is no hotel within 30 minutes either, so options are limited.

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Oui, mais pas de femme toute de suite (yes, but I am not ready for a woman straight away) -Stephen Roche's reply when asked whether he was okay after collapsing at the finish in the La Plagne stage of the 1987 Tour

That wouldn't be too bad. There's another Walmart 3-4 miles or so South off Rayford-Sawdust. It's be a slightly "nicer" location and experience there. But, the trade-off would be it's no quite as easy to get to the main race areas from there as lots of traffic and weird street configurations in that area.


It would be I'd be stunned if it would be allowed in that location or for that matter anywhere within The Woodlands. FWIW, Whole Foods will likely have no say in the decision at all. It will be a Township policy.


Indeed there are. Here's the one applicable to your situation.


But for that I might offer you my driveway as an option. I'm less than 0.5 miles from swim start.


I don't specifically know anything about it but have driven past Woodland Lakes RV Park a number of times to know it's there. It's east of the I45/242 intersection off 242. Looks like it could be an option.

Good luck.

Thanks for the pointers and the potential driveway offer - will shoot you a PM!

In general, I've found one just needs to be mindful of the local rules/regulations in regards to parking the RV - one doesn't want to make it harder for the next person.

Plus, from google mapping it, most of the homes in the vicinity of the lake look pretty substantial, so a healthy respect is probably warranted. Since it is Texas, I presume most of these folks in these substantial homes have guns. :)

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