Hi All
Found this old thread on internet.I will try pasting here and see how it looks.
Reading Thread How did you camp before your
Fiberglass RV?
Posted by Michael Sanders, webguy, 01-16-03 11:53:28
Location: Central Coast, California:
Quote:
How did you camp before your Fiberglass RV?
What types of RVs or styles of camping did you do prior to buying a FiberglassRV?
Many of us have tried one thing or another and ended up deciding “LESS IS MORE” or “FIBERGLASS IS BETTER”.
Don’t get me wrong, I have many, many wonderful memories of all of the previous styles of camping Lori and I have done. When I was a Scout Master, I canoe camped down the Kalamath River, camped on a 68’ squared rigged Baltic Catch, tent camped on sand dunes, and much more.
My favorite tent camping was in a 22’ tipi. Yes, a Tipi that was made in Oregon by the same company that made the Tipis for Dances with Wolves. The poles were 30’ long. I’ll see if I can find a photo.
So post photos of what you had before Fiberglass RV and your favorite to your previous Fiberglass RV. (Charles, this does not mean your previous Casitas, you know, before that.)
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Posted by: Suz, Moderator, 01-16-03 13:08:13
Location: North Texas:
Somewhere, buried in stuff from another lifetime, I have pictures of me hiking through the Wyoming Rockies with a 40 lb pack on my back. Not that heavy for a seasoned hiker, but I was new at it and had recently moved from sea level to 6,000 ft elev and was hiking above that. Unfortantely, I do not have a scanner, so even if I could find the pictures, I couldn't download them right now. I'll see what I can do.
I have driven in and hiked in, but always in a tent before now. From the shores of the Gulf Coast to the Mountains of Wyoming, it was all great fun, but just never enough of it. I went deer/antelope hunting on a friends sheep ranch around Devils Tower and remember that I had to break the ice apart in the water jug so I could make coffee that morning. And that was after getting the fire going. I also remember climbing atop a huge haystack waiting for the sun to rise. Before the sun rose, I had ice on my nose and rifle.
Always fun, but never enough of it. Now that I am a little older, the fact that I can crawl out of bed and just plug in my coffee sounds like a five star hotel.
I can still enjoy the things I use to: campfire biscuits, laying on my back watching the clouds float by, closing my eyes and listening to the waves or the lodge pole pines banging together. I can have everything I use to have.....only better!
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Suz
1989 Casita
16 ft Spirit Deluxe
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Posted by: Lex Meuldijk, Member, 01-16-03 14:22:56
Location: Holland
As a family (2 + 2) we started camping in 1975 with what the English call a trailer tent.
I've been a boy scout when I was young. So I didn't like caravans. The trailer tent was the first concession. Till I met the BIOD Extase. Eventually we bought one in 1978, which we sold in 1999 to a family as we were in 1978. I am convinced the Extase will last for at least another 20 years.
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Lex & Rita
1990 BIOD 400TL
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Posted by Chester Taje, Moderator, 01-17-03 01:22:15
Location: Hosmer, B. C. Canada:
My first camping experiance was in the Army (CDN). Thats what you call roughing it. After I got married moved up to a tent trailer.Found it hard with little kids.Moved up to a 24ft Terry, fully loaded,worked great.From there and after kids out of picture bought a old Motor home 24ft.I used it for about 2 years and then sold it due to super high gas prices(only got about 5miles to gallon).Was out of camping for a while then bought a small van motorhome. Got laid off from work and toys sold.Now bought a old Boler and fixed it up this last 5 months after using it this past summer.During summer on a few trips we decided to remodle to our liking. This next camping season we will see if our ideas worked and make ajustments as required.
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Ches & Marie
17Ft Boler Canadian In Use
13Ft Boler Canadian under Rebuild
Glass IS Class
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Posted by Michael Sanders, webguy, 01-17-03 12:41:47
Location: Central Coast, California:
Originally posted by Michael Sanders
My favorite tent caming was in a 22’ tipi. Yes, a Tipi that was made in Oregon by the same company that made the Tipis for Dances with Wolves. The poles were 30’ long. I’ll see if I can find a photo.
Owens Valley on the eastern side of the High Sierras in California on BLM land along the Owens River.
This doesn’t really show the perspective. The poles are 30’ long. The front smoke flap pole is 10’ tall. The inside has an Oak camp fire, double bed, kitchen, and two other single beds. I always wrapped the Sioux knot at the top with 4 wraps in the way of the sun. The tie down area always had something for contemplation. Great memories.
Don’t get me wrong, I now love my Casita. Fiberglass RV are right for me now.
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Enjoy your visit - Webguy
e-mail: Michael Sanders, Donations: Website Donations.
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Posted by Thomas and Janifer, Moderator, 01-17-03 14:52:59
Location: Northeast, Oklahoma:
Tipi
Wow, Michael, I hear the drums just looking at the picture. That's quite a treat to get to stay in one of those. I'll take that Casita off you hands if you feel the need to go back to that Tipi. I'll stay in the trailer. I haven't slept on the ground since I can't remember.
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Jana Journeycake
PullsButtercupwithYellaEscape
1975 Surfside TM-14 (ft)
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Posted by Suz, Moderator, 01-17-03 15:01:32
Location: North Texas:
Sleeping on the ground
Jana wrote>>I haven't slept on the ground since I can't remember
Boy, I remember the last time I slept on the ground...that's why I have a trailer now!
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Suz
1989 Casita
16 ft Spirit Deluxe
Posted by Rick, Moderator, 01-17-03 19:59:49
Location: Vancouver, BC Canada:
We slept on the ground...
until last year (not counting houseboating 9 times on the Shuswap) - about 35 years of tenting. Good excuse to snuggle up! Now we bought the Bigfoot and feel guilty having a bathroom and shower, etc...............lol
(but..........we''ll adjust real quick)
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Rick
*Leadfoot in a Bigfoot*
95 Bigfoot 25B21 (21.5FT)
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Posted by Dan Meyer, Member, 01-17-03 20:56:51
Location: Minnesota:
Before we got our
Scamp, my wife and I would travel long-distances on Amtrak, in a sleeping compartment. For shorter distances, we would drive and travel from Motel 6 to Super 8.....
I Camped as a kid with my family. We started with a tent, then transitioned to a pink 1970 Bethany tent trailer. Then Dad just had to have a Motorhome, and we bought a '72 25 foot Executive motorhome. After a couple years, Dad decided he needed a cool motorhome, and traded up to a '76 GMC Motorhome. By that time I had moved out of my parents home, but Dad was nice enough to allow me to borrow the motorhome once or twice a year; I even took my wife-to-be camping with it once or twice.
Anyway, after 15 years of Amtrak and motels, we decided a travel trailer would be fun and rented a small stick built trailer for our
fall vacation. We enjoyed it so much we decided to buy a small trailer, and decided a
Scamp was just the thing. We looked for a used one for 6 months and decided there just wasn't a good used one available at a price we were willing to pay.
We stopped by the
Scamp and looked around one summer weekend, and discussed what a new trailer would cost with the staff. They wrote up a proposal for us, and we took it home to think about. The next week we placed the order over the telephone, and took delivery in August 2000.
We enjoy our Scamp much more than Motel 6 and Super 8, but not as much as Amtrak's sleeping cars.
-- Dan Meyer
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Posted by Thomas and Janifer, Moderator, 01-18-03 04:43:05
Location: Northeast, Oklahoma:
Motel to motel; that brings back memories. that's how we traveled when I was a kid. mom tried the TT once. she didn't like it. I was so little I don't remember anything about it. I know the year before we had tried camping out on cots. It was soo cold I never want to do that again.
but after the TT we went the motel way. family feud. Where's my shirt? in the other suit case...on top of the car. always the one not with you. Come to think of it, I have more bad memories then good.
Well there was that time I wokeup to the sounds of raccoons running through camp and the birds just starting to get around early in the morning. that was nice. An the time with the girl scouts down at one of the parent's pond. Girls are so sweet between 10 and 12.
So if I can keep warm, have all my stuff right there and still hear the wild life, I'll be happy. and one more thing, have that night time bathroom close by.
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Jana Journeycake
PullsButtercupwithYellaEscape
1975
Surfside TM-14 (ft)
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Posted by Robert Brummett, Member, 01-18-03 06:53:10
Location: York, PA & Co. Kerry, Ire:
Getting started
My wife and I tent camped for years, starting with a small 2-person backpacker's tent. Then a 4-person wall tent since our dog-family was growing. Then I had a sabbatical coming up and decided I wanted to spend some time photographing on an Indian reservation, where I had some friends. At first I built a bunk in the back of the pickup, but then decided that while that would be OK for a night or two I really wanted just a wee-bit more comfort than that. Looked around and bought a small Rockwood tent camper. Only about 8-feet long when folded, it opened up to two big beds and a dinette, which also converted at night into a small bunk for the pups.
My wife had fought the idea of the camper, but once she tried it she agreed it was the way to go. At the last minute she decided she didn't want me to go all the way out to the reservation alone and decided to come along. We had the greatest trip of our lives. Such wonderful memories.
Then, late last year as my plans for the family-farm documentary began to shape up I once again decided on a "comfort upgrade.' I love the Rockwood, but the thought of setting it up and taking it down at each stop was almost too much to contemplate. Marginal weather conditions would also be an unpleasant complication. I started to do some research and decided that the Casita was just what I needed. First I looked for a used 13'. Then I decided that the extra room would be nice, so searched for a 16'. Finally, for many reasons, I settled on the 17' and since the prices of recent, good-condition units were so high I decided to bite the bullet and order a new one. On 11 Dec 2002, in Rice, I picked up my new 2003 Spirit Deluxe with hi-lift
axle and lino floor (plus everything else!) and took two weeks of work/play to get it back home just in time for Christmas.
So far I am very pleased. Even the wife is impressed. The other day (20F) I turned the
furnace on for a while and then showed her how warm and toasty it was. She was surprised at how comfortable it was and I could see the wheels start to turn about how many places we could go in this new little house.
Now I look forward to some decent weather so I can get to work!
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^.^.^.^.^.^.^.^.^.^.^.^.^.^
"Otra" (On The Road Again)
2003 17' Casita Spirit Deluxe
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Charles Watts, Member, 01-18-03 09:26:15
Location: Illinois:
Pam
Pam likes to tell people that her idea of "roughing it" used to be a hotel with a breakfast buffet instead of a full-service, sit-down breakfast with china service and waiters with crumb brushes.
But, to her credit, she was the one who pushed me off dead-center to purchase our first trailer ... I believe her exact words were "I'm so sick and tired of you talking about it. We are going to just buy one. We can sell if if we don't like it!"
Ah, such fond memories.
I, on the other hand, always tent-camped, canoeing many summers in the Canadian boundary waters and the Quetico. (I always managed to talk someone else into carrying the canoe on the portages!)
Pam and I also did our share of tent camping early on ... but as my career took off, so did our lifestyles. Sorry if this offends someone, but I sincerely don't believe it's fair (particularly to the women) to take a long TENT camping trip with small kids ... too much work and I've seen too many folks reduced to yelling, fighting and crying.)
I always made it a point, however, to camp one-on-one on occasional weekends with each of our kids, as well as being active in their Indian Princesses and Indian Guides (apologies to Jana!). I was Chief Iron Leg ... primarily because I always carried the biggest sticks to beat off attacking soldiers, bears, etc. I was also often wagon master (carrying foodstocks, tents, etc)(they didn't trust me to carry kids!) on numerous Boy Scout outings.
My youngest son and I made it a point to camp each year on his birthday (Oct 8) ... starting when he was about 3. We'd hike back into the woods (and I know this isn't politically correct) where we'd carve our initials and mark his height on the same tree. Finding the tree each year was always an adventure, since we did our vandalism far off the beaten path.
Writing this makes me wonder if the tree is still there. I'll have to go check someday.
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Posted by Bill H, Member, 01-18-03 09:37:44
Location: Sunny S.E. Colorado:
Life before the Scamp
Before the Scamp, we traveled in jets and "camped" on cruise ships. Guess one day per port just wasn't enough.
Is this progress?
Posted by Nick, Member, 01-18-03 10:33:24
Location: Fort Worth,Texas
Good times
I started out in the Cub Scouts in a canvas 4 man ( takes 4 men to carry) wall tent. Advanced to a bed roll camping with friends.
Fast forward a few years till children were in school and we had a shell camper on the pickup. Spent many happy vacations in Colorado and Arkansas and points east. .
After my wife and I parted company, I got a motorcycle and camped
over a great deal of the south west (USA). If I saw a place that really interested me I would return later in my pickup put on my back pack and spend a few days or weeks exploring.
After Marlene and I got together (long story) we decided sleeping on the ground and traveling on a motorcycle was still fun.
We really needed an air conditioner in the summer at Big Bend and a bathroom would be nice too.Casita to the rescue.
We come home for a while and then load up and go somewhere for a few days or weeks pretty much at will.
Forest Service campgrounds are our favorites.They run from OK to fantastic.
We have met a lot of really nice people (and a few grouches),and made some really good friends.
Looking forward to Lost Maples and meeting some more great people.
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Nick and Marlene
2001 Casita
Patriot Deluxe 13ft
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Posted by Thomas and Janifer, Moderator, 01-18-03 12:34:37
Location: Northeast, Oklahoma
tent camping
No offense taken, Charles because there was none there. The boy Scouts still use the Delaware language in some of their ceremonies. I'm not sure what version of the language, but they try.
Nick said something that caught my eye. >we decided sleeping on the ground and traveling on a motorcycle was still fun. We really needed an air conditioner in the summer at Big Bend and a bathroom would be nice too. <
Is there a sentence missing? just reading it outright, I got a very strange picture in my mind of you two going down the road with an AC on your back, holding your bathroom. funny.
maybe just the word *but* is missing. oh well, we get the gist of it. that's the important part. it's just that picture on a motocycle keeps poping up..sorry.
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Jana Journeycake
PullsButtercupwithYellaEscape
1975
Surfside TM-14 (ft)