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Forum
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RE: The Emotions in a TC

That's a very good point about using the TC as a spontaneous "day lodge" at soccer games or the beach or whatever. We can't use our TT on the spur of the moment -- it is a bit of a process to hitch up and so forth.
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profdant139
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06/18/13 05:41pm |
Truck Campers
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RE: Trip Report: a man, his dog, fly rod and TC in the Sierras

Great report! That Sierra granite sure is slick, though -- no matter what kind of soles I am wearing (even really fancy Vibram stuff from REI), I always feel uneasy when I have to traverse that smooth stuff. Add water or ice, and things get even worse. Thank goodness for that Camelback -- sort of like an airbag for hikers!!
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profdant139
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06/18/13 05:33pm |
Truck Campers
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RE: Oregon between Westfir and McKenzie Bridge

When you get to the McKenzie Bridge area, spend some time there -- great area. Paradise Campground was aptly named:
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-M8Iu2xFx_CY/UIrcXlRZWuI/AAAAAAAAEGA/Pd3vCzJ2t2k/s640/IMGP9630.JPG height=400 width=600
And there is a great mtn bike trail along the river -- it goes all the way to the falls:
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-TdgLPz3y2wo/UIrcMmnqJXI/AAAAAAAAEF4/YOcOiweEdyQ/s640/IMGP9624.JPG height=500 width=300
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profdant139
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06/18/13 05:14pm |
Roads and Routes
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RE: Brrr.

Generators and heaters and movies?? That's sounds good! But it's a matter of personal preference. With enough warm clothing (check out the Russian lamb's wool hat in the photo below), we have often enjoyed sitting in our trailer, with the interior in the low 40s, with hot drinks and a good book, listening to the wind in the trees and the coyotes howling in the canyon. This photo was taken one very cold morning in the Tetons in late October -- the window behind DW is coated in ice -- and all night long we could hear the drumming of the ruffled grouse in the sagebrush, sounding like a distant motorcycle that wouldn't start (BRMM-Brm-brmm . . . . )
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_dtW7wd3cENA/TNiZHe1ca2I/AAAAAAAACbY/A9IqlgMAaRA/s400/2010+10+17.JPG height=300 width=400
But I would guess that if it ever gets down below zero, we would be very glad to have that generator!
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profdant139
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06/18/13 04:34pm |
Public Lands, Boondocking and Dry Camping
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RE: Boondocking along Left Coast?

Mattole Beach Campground is right on the beach and is pretty close to boondocking. Long drive to get there, but worth it, I think.
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profdant139
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06/18/13 12:23pm |
Roads and Routes
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RE: Brrr.

We were in West Yellowstone in mid-October and it hit 10 degrees. We did not run the heater at night -- hurray for the down comforter! But when we took the coffee-maker out, the cord was frozen -- this is not a trick shot:
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_dtW7wd3cENA/TNiQhFnDiZI/AAAAAAAACYA/ZYvj4QMLTHI/s400/2010+10+12.JPG height=400 width=400
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profdant139
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06/18/13 09:35am |
Public Lands, Boondocking and Dry Camping
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RE: SF Bay Area to Bridgeport, CA

Mark, what's your tow vehicle? I have done 120 (Tioga), Monitor Pass, and 50 with no problem, using a Pathfinder to tow a small trailer. Do not take 4 or Sonora Pass. Sonora has some 25 percent grades -- amazing in a passenger car. Downshifting is your best friend.
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profdant139
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06/17/13 12:08pm |
Roads and Routes
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RE: Tetons In Late September

We were there in October of 2010 -- just phenomenal. Here is our blog entry -- lots of photos:
Yellowstone and Tetons in October
Bring warm clothing and a camera:
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_dtW7wd3cENA/TNjas1YCeZI/AAAAAAAACdo/VSPIzEUhoK4/s640/2010%2B10%2B19%2B%25289%2529%2Bfall%2Bcolor.JPG height=600 width=400
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profdant139
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06/17/13 12:02pm |
Truck Campers
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RE: Problems with bears and cougars....

Add this to your list of things not to do:
Man feeds meat to bear, ends up as dessert
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profdant139
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06/17/13 11:51am |
Public Lands, Boondocking and Dry Camping
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RE: Trip Report: Kodachrome Basin State Park, Utah

Great report, Mike! Those sand pipes are pretty weird -- my DW was just fascinated by them, for some reason -- that's her standing at the base:
https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-AhgEF9XgabY/T8AySpEvDnI/AAAAAAAADb8/Arv1yIdG8fs/s512/sandpipe2.jpg height=600 width=400
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profdant139
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06/17/13 11:48am |
Truck Campers
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RE: Problems with bears and cougars....

Ideally, take it with you each day as you roam around and then throw it in a trash can. Some items (like paper plates) can be burned in a campfire -- I have never done that. Or, as a last resort, hang the stuff from a tree branch, far from the ground and from the trunk:
http://bp2.blogger.com/_TCAlCgExYHQ/SEi4xR6TlaI/AAAAAAAAAXE/iRcyZva7fsM/s320/Keeping+trash+away+from+animals.JPG height=400 width=400
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profdant139
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06/16/13 08:19pm |
Public Lands, Boondocking and Dry Camping
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RE: Heavy Duty Trailer Jack Caster Wheel

Airstreamer, a pneumatic tire would be perfect -- is there a "swivel caster" mount for such a tire, with a thousand pound capacity?? Small aircraft have them, so they must exist -- probably pretty expensive. I wonder if there is a "small airplane junkyard" where you could get one?
Here is one with 250 lb. capacity:
250 lb. 8 inch pneumatic tire
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profdant139
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06/15/13 08:41am |
Do It Yourself Modifications and Upgrades (DIY)
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RE: Heavy Duty Trailer Jack Caster Wheel

It's easy to remove the wheel! For example, let's say you bring some blocks of wood (which I always do, in case I have to fill in a deep rut in a dirt road). You pile up the blocks under the tongue, lower the tongue till the frame rests on the blocks and the wheel comes off the ground, take off the wheel, install the foot, and crank the foot down so that the tongue lifts off the blocks.
The whole thing takes five minutes, maybe less.
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profdant139
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06/14/13 08:06pm |
Do It Yourself Modifications and Upgrades (DIY)
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RE: Heavy Duty Trailer Jack Caster Wheel

Len -- must everything have "at least one other use?" Well, maybe I could use my new big heavy wheel to crack walnuts? Iron my socks? Training wheel for a unicycle?
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profdant139
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06/14/13 04:05pm |
Do It Yourself Modifications and Upgrades (DIY)
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RE: Heavy Duty Trailer Jack Caster Wheel

Barney, yes, I do move the trailer by hand -- on a level campsite, I sometimes move the trailer as much as ninety degrees to take advantage of a better view or a breeze or to improve privacy (in campground).
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profdant139
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06/14/13 03:10pm |
Do It Yourself Modifications and Upgrades (DIY)
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Heavy Duty Trailer Jack Caster Wheel

The little stock plastic wheel was not doing the job for me -- we camp on soft dirt and rocky soil, and the wheel would either sink in or would be unable to roll over pebbles. So I decided to make my own -- here is the final product:
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-1s9qeY9-Gic/Ubtlz-yXKfI/AAAAAAAAEh0/YawxcaC3ojk/s400/IMG_5494.JPG height=400 width=400
And here is a blog entry with more details:
Blog Entry: Custom-Made "Boondock Style" Heavy Duty Jack Caster Wheel
We'll see if this "improvement" is really an improvement, but I had fun doing the project, anyway.
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profdant139
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06/14/13 01:08pm |
Do It Yourself Modifications and Upgrades (DIY)
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RE: Wanted: CA 190 information

We were in Stovepipe a few days after a rental motorhome had burned up in front of the general store -- apparently, the person renting it did not know about downshifting and had ridden his brakes on the long hill over Towne Pass. Uh-oh.
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profdant139
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06/11/13 12:37pm |
Roads and Routes
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RE: Hwy 50 across Nevada

Not bumpy. Wide two lane road. Not too twisty, but it goes up and down and up and down over the mountain ranges -- the road runs east and west, and the mountains run north and south. No problem -- the grades are not steep at all -- but your mpg will suffer a little.
I liked that road. Desolate valleys, green mountains in the distance, great views of the countryside. Almost zero traffic. No radio reception -- few gas stations.
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profdant139
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06/11/13 12:34pm |
Roads and Routes
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RE: Boondock Location Search tool

Also, I recently discovered that forestcamping.com has just added user reviews. It'll be interesting to see if folks are willing to post -- the format of the reviews is very limited, though. If the reviews start flowing in, this would fill a big gap -- rvparkreviews is great when it comes to RV parks, but the coverage of Forest Service campgrounds is pretty spotty. The forestcamping people have visited hundreds, maybe thousands, of campgrounds, and their info is very valuable.
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profdant139
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06/10/13 05:30pm |
Public Lands, Boondocking and Dry Camping
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RE: Trip Report: The Burr Trail, Utah Scenic Backway

Great blog entry, Mike!! You probably already know this, but those shots of the Navajo Sandstone also captured "fossil dune" formations, much like the one at Checkerboard Mesa in Zion. Very cool!
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profdant139
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06/08/13 11:41am |
Truck Campers
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