I haven't been to Rocky Mountain Star Stare but have been to several other large star parties. I also tow a travel trailer to the ones I go to.
To prevent the mirror and rocker boxes from bouncing you could lay a softside bag in them and then bungee them down. I do recommend enclosing them in a heavy duty trash bag to protect them from rain. In fact enclose anything in the bed that you do not want to get wet in heavy duty trash bags.
I recommend a Telegizmos telescope cover to protect your scope when not in use. I personally use the 365 covers. I use tent stakes tied to spring clamps to hold the cover down in case of wind. If the site has high winds you will need to tie the scope down when not in use or pack it up.
I don't know what all an all-inclusive rv rental includes. I would check if towels and bedding are included. I recommend taking your pillows and extra blankets even if it includes them. Take some rubber gloves as you will be responsible for emptying the grey and black water holding tanks. Make sure they are empty when you pick up the rv and make sure the freshwater tank is full. Buy bottled water for drinking. Make sure the propane tanks are full.
If you have little experience with rv's have someone walk you through:
- connecting the power connection if you will have electrical hookup at the site.
- turning on/off the propane tanks and turning on the refrigerator, hot water heater, etc.
Important: when turning on a propane tank turn the knob slowly. If you open it too fast a safety valve can trip closing
the tank off. After turning on the tank you will have to flush air out of the line. Do this by lighting a stove eye.
Use a long neck lighter because it will take a while to light as the air is pushed out. once one eye is lit you light the
others and let them burn for a couple minutes. Turn them off and then you can light the other appliances that run on
propane.
- how to dump the black and grey water tanks Always dump the black tank first and then the grey tank to wash out the
sewer hose. Be sure to put a weight on the elbow into the sewer pipe or it might jump out. Not good.
- how to level the trailer. There should be leveling blocks or wedges included for side-to-side leveling. Do not use
stabilizing jacks to try to level the RV. They are not made for that.
Will you have an electrical hookup at the star party? If not, how will you recharge the rv battery? If you will use a generator make sure you understand how to use it safely and the rules for using it at the star party. If the trailer only has solar panels cloudy skies will reduce drastically the ability to recharge the batteries.
You must adapt to rv living. Use water sparingly. If you do not have a water hookup at the site then that tank has to last you unless you can refill it some way. Even if you have a water connection you have limited black and grey water sewer tank capacity. Hopefully there are showers and toilets available at the star party. If so, use them. When taking a shower in the rv use as little water as possible and shut the shower off using the button on the shower head after wetting yourself. Then soap up and turn the shower head on just long enough to rinse. Use as little water as possible. Washing dishes is a big water consumer. Use paper plates and cups. If you fill one or both the grey and black water sewer tanks you will have to tow to a drop site. Black water is from the toilet. Grey water is from the sinks and shower.
If the rv has an awning be prepared to roll it up if there is a possibility of more than a light breeze. It woould be very expensive to have to replace the awning. Take some folding chairs for sitting outside.
When you pick up the rv be aware that it will likely be overnight before the refrigerator gets cold when you turn it on. If the rv contains a 12 volt only refrigerator be aware that it is a big load on the battery if you are not plugged into external power.
After you pick up the camper take stock of what you have and what you don't. Then go buy what you need.
If you do not have experience towing an rv be aware that a lot of weight behind you will increase stopping distance. You can't do anything in a hurry. Keep your speed down. Meeting big vehicles or being passed by them will push your vehicle and rv around.
I'll leave the things unique to the Rocky Mountain Star Stare to folks who have been. However, if you are going to set up the rv on the field or next to it you need to take measures to cover the windows so light does not leak out at night. Aluminum foil works well. Make sure you have red lights to get around outside at night. Always point them down and not at anyone or any equipment. Please don't use a head light. It is almost impossible not to shine it into someone's eyes.
Most of all, have fun! Mingle and take advantage of the chance to look through even larger scopes than your own.
