RE: Grand Rapids MN
There is an Army Corp of Engineers campground called Pokegema Lake near Grand Rapids. If your interested in Minnesota State parks we have always had great experiences all over the state. Grand Rapids area is great and you so is the rest of the state. A couple of State Parks you may be interested in would be Itasca State Park (headwaters of the Mississippi River) McCarthy Beach State Park north of Hibbing. There are alot of state parks and other campgrounds along the north shore of Lake Superior. From Grand Marais there is the Gunflint Trail which has alot of Forest Service Campgrounds, also the Echo Trail going north from Ely.
Besides the MN state Parks website you can check out I think it is www.exploreminnesota.com or rec.gov for the corps of engineer and us forest service campgrounds.
Enjoy your trip, there is a lot to do and I believe the exploreminnesota web site also lists most county and city campgrounds along with private resorts and campgrounds.
Wildcat
RE: Our 30 year old cooler has finally died
While I am very happy with my coleman coolers I did find out that Igloo sells replacement parts like hinges, drains and such and they cover all or almost all of their old coolers. My 20 yr old Igloo uses the same drain as one today. FYI
Wildcat
RE: Don't Laugh, it really froze here
We're about 90 miles north of Tucson and it was 18 this morning.
Great sleeping weather.... if it gets seriously below zero you will be surprised how clean and fresh the air seems...
Wildcat
RE: Don't Laugh, it really froze here
Uhm.... look on your instrument panel specifically on the climate control section, unless your driving a car from the 50's or older where some cheapskate refused to pay the extra $30 for the heater option... you should see a symbol for the defroster and or it may say def... turn the knob to that setting and then go to the temp control and turn to the red or increase the temp to like 80 if you have a digital display. then turn the fan on to a higher speed.
Start your vehicle, let it run for a few minutes and the warm air out the defroster and a couple of squirts of washer fluid (don't dilute) and you will be good to go. and your car will be warmer even if your wearing flip flops and shorts. It's only in the 20's for petes sake...
1 degree last night on the car thermometer.... 20's is shirtsleeve weather
Wildcat
I have been resined to having ice on my windshield every morning in San Diego CA for the past 2 weeks. At least I can use the garden hose to thaw it out, and was away the ice. Kinda weird weather, not cold enough to damage the garden hose, but still bad enough to put 1/4" layer of ice on the windshield every morning.
By the way, if below 20F, don't try applying water, it can crack the glass. I only apply water to my work van, it already has a crack in it, not my personal car windshield. I normally use a gallon of water that is nearly freezing itself, and let the van heater warm and thaw the glass, yet I have to be on the road before the ice has a chance to melt recently, so I use the garden hose, or gallon water containers.
Fred.Huh, this is a foreign technique, to me. There is ice on my windshield for about 4 months out of the year and temps are much colder. Throwing water on a windshield, in most cases will only get more ice on the glass.
Don't they have windshield washer with alcohol in LA? I thought it was all blended that way.
RE: Are stabilizer bars necessary?
When I was a kid my family ( with me driving a lot of the trip) took a 1980 Chevy Citation (a car that could swap ends when you braked hard without a trailer) through the Canadian and US Rockies towing a pop up with a class 1 hitch with no problems in handling. I have towed much larger pop ups with a Chrysler Pacifica and a Ford Explorer. No anti-sway, no wd bars never felt the need for them and until the last pop up no trailer brakes either. True if you don't load your trailer correctly with more weight to the front vs the back you will have handling issues. But with a 3/4 ton pickup you should be good for may all but the largest of pop ups.
RE: Sales Tax on Used Trailers from private sale etc.
Another thought: In Montana, ALL trailers, regardless of size or type, have PERMANENT registration. You will never have to renew the registration as long as you own the trailer.
(Yes, we WANT you to buy and register here! We need the business!)
How do I explain to the Police my Ga. tag on pulling vehicle, my Ga. drivers License, and a Montana tag on the trailer?
Are you sure the Police will really care?
You have the registration for the trailer with you, right? It is registered to YOU, at a Montana address.
In order to write a ticket for a violation, the Police must enter the Code that was violated. Is there such a code in Georgia that forbids owning a trailer in another state? If so, please advise what the code is.
While in Minnesota there is no law forbidding you from owning a trailer in another state there are laws requiring you to have Minnesota Registration if the trailer or vehicle is in Minnesota. My best guess is Georgia has similar laws.
Wildcat
RE: "Pet Peeve"
And to add to all this....why do people insist on bringing unfriendly dogs to a campground? When walking my dog my kids will see a dog and ask if they can pet it. the owner will reply "oh he is not really friendly" really you are bringing a dangerous animal to a place that has alot of people and children?!! seems very stupid to do that. a
Again, leave the unfriendly dogs at home. if you don`t trust them that is an issue!
Hey that was probably me, I say that to kids all the time. Our dogs aren't used to kids and some kids don't know how to approach a dog. I find it easier and safer for all concerned if I just say no.
We have the same issue with our dogs, one isn't dangerous, he is actually a big scaredy cat and will bark and make a big show around strangers, the other two are too friendly and in dealing with strange people especially kids it is often easier to avoid even the allegation of a scratch or a misplaced lick. And leaving the dogs at home is an expensive proposition with boarding fees being more than we spend for campsites,
Wildcat
RE: "Pet Peeve"
OK.... Facts of life,
Dogs, kids, People, and even old people make noise, Dogs will bark, ours will if you walk by the campsite with another dog or enter our campsite and your a stranger. We don't let our dogs continually bark, that is wrong and rude. But they will and do bark, same as our kids have fun, yell, play, ride their bikes, make new friends and enjoy camping. To never be able to leave your pets unattended in your RV is impossible, (especially for those of us who don't have a bathroom in the RV) We don't leave them all day and never leave them tied up outside. I do my best to book camping sites with no one behind us so the dogs have a buffer between them and other campers but then we avoid private campgrounds where they cram you in like Sardines.
Some pet owners a not responsible, but some people have unrealistic expectations as to what they expect for a noise level when they are camping. We all have to get along.
RE: transporting pine firewood from Idaho to Utah and Arizona
To the OP....I applaud your decision to leave your firewood at home, I also like the way you were open to learn. So many of us here are so set in our ways, that an opposing view is automatically discarded.
Regards
Gemstone
I second this, some people try to look for any imagined loophole in regulations they can find to justify what they want to do. When it comes down to it, the cost of buying firewood is small compared to the cost of even a set of tires for an RV (and I have a pop up) I spent more this year on a new battery for my RV than I did for firewood for 10 nights of camping.
Wildcat
RE: Unplugging Camper While Sleeping?
Has anyone thought that Maybe she was going to ask for a discount on her camping rate because she wasn't wasteful with her electricity? every penny counts? ;)
Wildcat
RE: "Little Guy" type Trailer
Look at small pop ups, just so you know what you want, some people love something like a teardrop, If I was single and was basically doing sightseeing and wanted just a place to sleep and then head out each day a teardrop may just fit the bill, when you throw in kids, dogs and a few rainy days a Teardrop or an Aliner would lose over the space you can get with a pop up. Also look at small fiberglass rv's like Casita's or Scamps, again they all have advantages and drawbacks.
if your towing with a Gran Marquis you may be limited more by soft suspension than anything.
Wildcat
RE: Beware Michigan State Parks
One thing to remember about vehicle permit fees in state parks is generally when a State Park is formed it is about something not just hey this would be a nice place for a campground. There are hiking trails, fishing piers, in Minnesota some parks have equipment for Geocaching that you can borrow for free you don't need to camp in the State Parks to enjoy them. But you need to pay a fee. The vehicle fee in my mind is a fair one, if it has a motor it needs a permit, less to argue about with someone. As someone always has an excuse why they should be treated differently.
Wildcat
RE: Beware Michigan State Parks
I too don`t understand how they can charge you twice when you tow a car in with a Motor Home, yet when you tow a TT in there is no extra charge. once the MH gets parked it`s just like a TT. you`re just towing them in different order!
There is nothing that says a MH will stay parked. Concievably, the wife could go on a day trip in the toad and the husband take off in the MH, Both ARE motor vehicles. A trailer has no motor and is not a motor vehicle. If you tow a utility trailer behind the MH, there is no additional vehicle fee.
The permit fee is for the Vehicle. Each vehicle needs to have a permit. Our county parks also require a vehicle permit to have your vehicle in the park. In Minnesota you can get a second vehicle permit for $18.00 with the purchase of the first permit for the normal $25.00 fee.
Wildcat
RE: Beware Michigan State Parks
I recommend a letter writing campaign or simply contacting them and sharing your frustrations. Also get Good Sam involved as it directly impacts RVing. In these economic times, states should not be driving business away with inconsistent policies, poor fee systems, etc. Take the time to make our RVing voices heard. It would take less than one afternoon to slam the key Michigan offices with detailed complaints thanks to our computer age.
Here is the contact page for the Michigan Department of Tourism
http://www.michigan.org/Contact-Us/Default.aspx
Their mailing address
Michigan Economic Development Corporation. 300 N. Washington Sq., Lansing, MI 48913
Post on their Facebook wall too, as Facebook public comments can be a catalyst for action. http://www.facebook.com/PureMichigan.org
The Michigan State Parks have an online Report Card for your feedback
http://www.dnr.state.mi.us/ecommentcard/SelectLocation.aspx
The Good Sam Action Line has some clout too
http://blog.goodsamclub.com/tag/action-line/
Uh the same could be said for all the private campgrounds too. All their fees for a small patch of unshaded parking makes the State Parks seem like a bargain. When you wrap in the fees for vehicle permits into the nightly costs it still generally averages to be less than a weekend at a private campground and I for one would never not visit a State because I don't like their fees in a State Park.
Wildcat
RE: Beware Michigan State Parks
Private campgrounds sometimes get extremely nitpicky with their fees. Charging for each kid, each pet etc... and no matter what you post about fees someone thinks they are outrageous. I gladly paid $25.00 for a vehicle permit for MN State Parks we paid $7.00 for an online reservation fee and $16.00 a night for a our camping spot. The average cost of our week of camping was $22.00 I would hate to stay in a motel that only charges $22.00 a night. The permit is good for a year. Wisconsin charges extra for out of state residents and the permit is only good for the calendar year, not 12 months from time of issue like in Minnesota.
Camping costs money, some states feel that out of state residents should pay more than the local tax payers. It isn't to be "Unfriendly" if they wanted to be unfriendly towards rv's or tourists they would have closed the park period.
Wildcat
Camping isn't cheap
RE: Battery Life
I got 5 days plus with a water pump, propane detector, cassette toilet and being frugal with the lights.I was trying out a new solar panel also but even before that I had no problem running three to four days on a fully charged battery. Just remember of you have a fridge to have it on propane and don't forget and leave lights on when you don't need them.
Wildcat
RE: New Solar Panel
A follow up to my original post.
We just got back from a 5 night camping trip. I originally tried moving the panel around during the day and finally just put it on top of the bunk end where it seemed to get more sun than dealing with shadows from the trees and such. We were about as far north in the continental US as you can get so we had a late sunsets.
We never needed to use our furnace it only got into the low 50's at night, we used out water pump for dishes and running water for the dogs and hand washing, we had a propane detector, had the fridge and water heater running on propane, cassette toilet and lights at bed time and bunk fans. Also we have a small inverter which we use for charging up a dvd player for the kids.
I was cautious about the lights, if I wasn't my DS would have thought nothing of sitting in there an hour before dark with every light on, but the seat of my pants feeling I got was it extended the usefulness of my battery. This morning I was trying to kill it as I was starting to pack up, running the water pump, leaving multiple lights on and they didn't even start to dim.
No I didn't get out my volt meter and start figuring out what each item was drawing vs how much power the panel was adding but if it helps extend the battery and help keep it charged up while it is not being used the $40.00 I paid for it is worth it. On future trips I will probably rig up some straps to hold it on the roof. We tend to avoid unwooded campsites so the spot that would get the sun the most is the roof.
Thanks for all the input except maybe the generator I can't believe anytime I would need this with our Pop Up.
Wildcat
RE: New Solar Panel
Thanks for all the advice, I am not looking for keeping the battery fully charged the whole time I am camping just extend the life of it an extra night or two, we really don't use much electricity just the water pump, cassette toilet, and lights at bed time and if hot enough a bunk end fan or two. It would have to be almost snowing before I would think of using the furnace.
I always carry an extra battery in the storage trunk but I am hoping to avoid having to swap batteries in the dark like the last time. I mainly bought it to help keep up the battery on my old pickup I rarely drive but figured I would try it out with the pop up since I have it.
I will figure out a couple of Bungee cords to secure it on the roof with something to prop it up with. We will be about as far north in the continental US you can get so I doubt I could get an optimal angle without some sort of brackets.
Thanks for the input
Wildcat
New Solar Panel
Today I picked up a 5 watt Solar panel trickle charger It is weather proof and came with clamps for the battery posts or a cigarette lighter plug in. My big question is This week we are headed out for 4 days of dry camping and I am wondering if I could just leave the panel flat on the pop up's roof and if it would stay there without screwing in to the roof or if I would be better off just propping it up into the sun down at ground level.
My fears about just leaving it on the roof is it would blow off, my concern with it at ground level is someone may walk off with it. Would a bungee cord over it do the trick to keep it from blowing around?
Any ideas would be appreciated.
Wildcat
RE: Small cars and trailers
Our 2011 Kia Soul has no tow rating in the US. In the United Kingdom the same vehicle is rated at 2860 lbs (1600 Kilograms)so it should be able to tow our pop up. I was thinking maybe because of the warranty (100,000 mile powertrain) but the UK is unlimited mileage 5 years. So why the difference??????
Wildcat
