Bugs in Alaska

[WaltP]

With a little ingenuity the panels designed for the First Up (Now Ozark) 10x10 canopy (available at Walmart) can be configured to enclose the awning area of many MFG trailers up to 17'. I do that with my 17' Bigfoot. I haven't gone to the extra work to make it totally Skeeter proof but it helps quite a bit.

Walt

[Glenn Baglo]

I find it much easier to swat insects that are inside the screen room than those outside. They get trapped against the mesh as they try to escape.

[Darral T.]

Ok Glenno! Spit it out...where did you get those screen panels?? WaltP, if you ever see some of my mods, https://www.flickr.com/photos/50351683@N08/albums

....you will understand that the "ingenuity" side WONT be a problem.

Yall are SPOT-ON for what I'm wanting to consider instead of a separate "room"....to at LEAST experiment with. I'll be looking at the Ozark panels Walt...until Glenn coughs up his whereabouts .

EDIT:
Hmmm...looks like something like this may be modifiable. The only Ozark "walls" I see are solid "wind panels". One of those would be nice too as we've wished for a wind-blocker at times when sitting outside our Scamp in cool weather.

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Wenzel-Sm...-x-10/19716951

Darral

Originally Posted by Glenn Baglo

I find it much easier to swat insects that are inside the screen room than those outside. They get trapped against the mesh as they try to escape.

[Jim Bennett]

While there are definite advantages to a screen room that attaches to the awning, like having it be like a screened vestibule, I like to be able to set it up over the picnic table which often can't be moved under the awning. Plus, I like the quick setup of the stand alone.Pros and cons to the setup, for sure.

Besides, with the new awnings on Escape trailers, there is no way to use a screen room now.

[Glenn Baglo]

My screen room was an option at the time that I bought the trailer.
I've only used it a couple times in eight years.

[WaltP]

Darral: They used to have both screen and solid panels. I'll try to find time to look for them.
Jim: I know, I'm struggling with the thought of that electric awning for just that reason. They do offer a manual awning option with arms, but it's so flimsy I wouldn't even consider it. I sure wish they had left well enough alone with the best, most rugged manual awning in the industry.

Walt

[Jim Bennett]

Originally Posted by WaltP

Jim: I know, I'm struggling with the thought of that electric awning for just that reason. They do offer a manual awning option with arms, but it's so flimsy I wouldn't even consider it. I sure wish they had left well enough alone with the best, most rugged manual awning in the industry.

Walt

Walt, I love the new awning, though have yet to give it a good workout. It is solidly built, and looks fantastic with no arms coming down. It was always my job to deploy the awning before, but now my wife hogs the remote.

The Carefree that Escape previously used a solid awning, but was far form the most rugged in the industry. Some of the pot metal aluminum fittings were cracking and bending after lots of use. There are other brands that are built a bit stronger. We did use ours lots though, almost every night we camped in the trailer, and even replaced the fabric once in the 6+ years we had it.

[WaltP]

Jim
I believe before the Carefree they used an A&E similar to the one on my Bigfoot and that's the one I meant. The Current manual optional one is also a Carefeee which looks to be unacceptably flimsy.

Walt

[tractors1]

A plain old fan is a huge help with mosquitos if it blows hard enough; clears out a picnic table or sitting area pretty well. We have both 120 AC and 12V outlets outside for fans (and extensions cords for both) and place them wherever we want them.

[Ian G.]

We were through the Yukon and Alaska in the 2nd to 4th weeks in June. we were prepared fearing being eaten alive but we never used insect repellent once, I don't even think we got a bit. We were totally shocked that there was a complete absence of mosquitoes and black flies.

[Jann Todd]

Originally Posted by BarbinBC

Spent May, June, July and part of August up there in 2015. Lifesaver was an instant-up screen tent. Lots of mosquitoes and blackflies, but the mossies were the worst. We ate and cooked in the tent. It was big enough to fit over a picnic table when we had a site with one, otherwise we had our own folding aluminum table. Half the length of a Clam when folded. Coleman makes a variety of sizes and styles. Ours was just a screen tent but I had a lightweight silicone/nylon tarp that we threw over top if it rained. Slept in it some nights. Some have floors, some not. Very easy up and down. Take a couple of flyswatters for inside the trailer too....!

We spent June and July up there in 2015 and had no problems with mosquitoes at all. Maybe some areas are worse than others.