Camping season!

• Camping season! by jbald on 28 Mar, 2011 18:22
• In less than a week I'll be able to get my camper out of storage and I can't wait!!  This has probably been discussed before but it bears repeating. Anybody else all jazzed about it?  Is dutch oven cooking popular with anyone else?  Our family purchased our camper back in 2008 when $4.00 gas presented opportunites in the RV line that didn't exist before.  It is a  28' with quad bunks for the boys and a front bedroom for the mrs and me.  After many years of tent camping, this doesn't seem like roughing it but hey, time changes all things.  Our family's favorite place to camp is the north shore of Lake Superior.  Where does everybody else enjoy going?
• #1 by customdoors1 on 28 Mar, 2011 18:53
• Hey J very excited about camping season just went and took our trailer out of storage Friday washed and aired up the tires we have a 32 foot Jayco . We are from Pa so we do alot of our camping in Lancaster Co .
• #2 by Mikekoz13 on 29 Mar, 2011 05:08
• I'm another PA. guy. We have a 28 foot Springdale. As soon as we get a warm weekend I'll be cleaning the exterior, de-winterizing, and doing general cleanup and maintenance checks on the inside.
  We love camping in the surrounding mountain areas. This year it looks like we'll be making a trip to the previously mentioned Lancaster area.
• #3 by KC on 29 Mar, 2011 05:48
• I make a lot of day trips to Bainbridge in Lancaster County to go diving.  As much as I'd enjoy to make a weekend out of it and camp overnight, I think my poor dog would object; however, I will probably have at least one overnight there this summer and hire a dog sitter.  I love that area and it is not that far from D.C.
• #4 by buddha on 29 Mar, 2011 07:14
• For the last couple of years I've been making occasional day trips/hikes to the Porcupine Mountains in the UP. We used to have a Starcraft Pop-up but sold it years ago. For me, now, camping is in my Eureka Timberlite. This was my preferred lodging during all my Sturgis trips. I've been camping up around the treeline in a few places in the CO rockies but would really like to make a 3 or 4 day trip to the Porkies. Beautiful place with a view of Lake Superior's south shore.
  Up in northern WI there are no shortage of places to camp.
• #5 by jbald on 29 Mar, 2011 19:38
• Wow Buddha, sounds like you're well traveled.  Do you still go out to Sturgis?  Co-workers and friends always come back with lurid tales, never been there during biker week though.  Back when I worked in Mitchell, it was a continuous roar for a week and a half.  Back to the thread, where is the best place to camp on the south shore of Superior?  We're hoping to make it to the Soo someday.
• #6 by buddha on 30 Mar, 2011 00:54
• The Porkies are really beautiful. A lot of primitive campsites, though. I don't remember ever seeing pull-throughs.
  Haven't been to Sturgis since '04. I sold my scoot the next year and haven't ridden since. But Sturgis has become insanely crowded during trailer week, oops, I mean bike week. The first time I went the estimate was 1/4 million scoots and it was pretty crowded. The last time the estimate was 1.5 million bikes and gridlock was everywhere. Took me 2 hours to ride from one end of DuVall to the other.
• #7 by jbald on 31 Mar, 2011 20:23
• Buddha, thats a lot of the reason we avoid the hills during biker week.  Grid lock and insane prices on any accomodations.  Some of our friends have rented out their house and made huge money during that week.  They say the majority of people that come out for it are decent upstanding people, plus the crowded as aged and mellowed.  The Buffalo Chip in Wy, now that's the old Sturgis, at least to my understanding.  Our church camp is by Rapid City and is a very nice place to stay.  Quiet, secluded.  Just what you want for a campout.
• #8 by customdoors1 on 01 Apr, 2011 05:31
• Hey Mike
  any info you winterizing and dewinterizing the trailer. I always pay someone to do just never learned how. Thanks
• #9 by Mikekoz13 on 01 Apr, 2011 06:15
• Quote from: customdoors1 on 01 Apr, 2011 05:31

  Hey Mike
  any info you winterizing and dewinterizing the trailer. I always pay someone to do just never learned how. Thanks
  

  
  Dewinterizing is simple. 
  
  Connect a water source to the trailer and open all your faucets and let them run for a minute until the water is clear and not foamy. Also on the outside of your trailer, near the back end, up underneath, usually on the side the trailer door is on, there is a small screw on cap that is attached to a clear hose. You can unscrew this cap and then flush the system in the manner mentioned above just to be sure you got all the antifreeze out. I'm not even sure this is necessary but I do it anyway. I'm not even sure all trailers have this cap but many do. It will be easy to find if it's there.
  Once all the antifreeze is flushed turn off your faucets and screw the cap back on the outside rear hose. Don't forget to flush the toilet in order to clear the antifreeze out of it.
  
  Whoever winterized your trailer should have removed the anode from the hot water heater. Re-install the anode (a little lube may be needed on the threads). This is done by opening the door on the outside of the trailer that hides the hot water heater. Open the door and it will be obvious where that anode goes. By the way, if the anode is in rough shape, get a new one. They're only about $12.
  
  Once the anode is reinstalled go into the trailer and open the cabinet door that will give you access to the area under the kitchen sink. Under there you will find a valve, the flip type which is eitheer open or closed. Flip it 180 degrees. This will allow water to flow in to the hot water heater.
  You're done!
  
  This should take all of 10-15 minutes.
  
  If you find out the anode wasn't removed from the hot water heater PM me because things will be a bit different.
  
  Winterizing is slightly different. You reverse the above process but you also have to access the pump in order to fill the system with antifreeze. We'll worry about that in the Fall.
  
  What do they charge to winterize for you?
• #10 by buddha on 01 Apr, 2011 08:51
• Quote from: jbald on 31 Mar, 2011 20:23

  The Buffalo Chip in Wy, now that's the old Sturgis, at least to my understanding.  Our church camp is by Rapid City and is a very nice place to stay.  Quiet, secluded.  Just what you want for a campout.
  

  The town you're thinking of is Hulett, WY. Nudity, public drunkenness, and fighting are encouraged (if not mandatory). The rally in Hulett runs concurrent with Sturgis but not as long, maybe only 3 days with one day of total debauchery allowed. Buffalo Chip is a campground in Sturgis or just outside of town. Never been to it, although a buddy of mine used to camp there every year. The place is 24 hour noise but the best bands always play Buffalo Chip: George Thorogood, Steppenwolf, etc, have headlined the place during some of my trips.
  
• #11 by jbald on 02 Apr, 2011 22:00
• Yup, you're right Buddha, I was thinking of Hulett.  A co-worker's daughter worked out there at a concert passing out fliers, said she saw more junk and ta-tas then she ever cared to.
• #12 by sailor61 on 10 Apr, 2011 10:16
• A boat winterizing trick that leads to NO anti freeze residue or off taste in the spring.....it costs a bit more but saves time in the spring when cleaning tankage.  And makes for a good reason to get on board in winter to make sure the pump seals don;t dry out....
  
  Instead of anti freeze, drain the tanks as well as possible and then dump inthe cheapest vodka you can get.  Pump it through the lines until you get a return at the faucets.  In the spring fill your tanks about 1/2 half full and drain.  There is none of the residual taste or odor you can get with anti-freeze. 
  
  
• #13 by D.A.L.U.I. on 10 Apr, 2011 12:41
• Quote from: sailor61 on 10 Apr, 2011 10:16

  In the spring fill your tanks about 1/2 half full and drain.  There is none of the residual taste or odor you can get with anti-freeze. 
  

  
  No problem getting your buds to help you drain I guess either.  How many martinis does it take to do this?
• #14 by sailor61 on 10 Apr, 2011 13:45
• depends on how big the tankage - works even better in a trailer where you can easily fire up the heat when checkingon the tanks.... boats take forever to warm up in  off season.   only problem with this method is if you've got sons around high school age......growing up we all knew whose Dad used antifreeze and whose used the potable stuff.