Newby questions

[moultonp]

As a TM owner in Western Canada I completely agree with the issue around predators. In particular the National Park campgrounds in Alberta are very serious about not allowing soft side campers, in which cooking takes place, to use the trailer spots. You can either camp in a tent in the fenced area or not cook in your soft sider you don't want the bears joining you for breakfast.

Also my wife and I have often pulled into a roadside pulloff for lunch and partially popped up our TM so we can use the fridge, stove, and table/chairs without assembling the bed/bathroom end of our 2720 SD.

It only takes a couple of minutes and beats the heck out of stopping at a fast food joint or using a picnic table in inclement weather.

We love our TM and will be heading to our favorite camping spot - Beachside State Park in Oregon again this June.

[Wavery]

Originally Posted by Bill

Our rule of thumb is that from the moment our toes touch the floor in the morning, to the moment we drive out through the campground gate, an hour and a half has elapsed. This includes taking showers, getting dressed, making the bed, feeding the dog and cat, making our breakfast, eating breakfast, washing the breakfast dishes, putting everything away, moving stuff to the car as needed, draining the holding tanks, disconnecting the utilities and putting all that away, and closing down the TM. And that is if we are feeling leisurely. We can do the same thing in an hour if we rush it.

Bill

This is our same experience exactly...........

When we had our Coleman Tacoma "soft-side" camper, the time was a little longer because there were poles to deal with, a lot more storing of "stuff", folding of canvas and cranking down the roof. This took a lot longer than taking down the cabinets and lowering the b/r walls and roofs in the TM. However, in reality, the Coleman only took about 15-20 minutes longer than our TM. The bigger issue (for us) is the amount of energy and stooping and bending that is involved with set-up and tear-down of the Coleman (especially the bunks, bed supports and cranking the roof).

The main variable is how long that we have to wait in line for the dump-station with the TM. We had porta-potti in our Coleman PU and it could be dumped in the restroom toilet or at the dump station without waiting in line.

I am switching to a porta-potti in our TM for just that reason.

[scrubjaysnest]

Originally Posted by ShrimpBurrito

.......................................snip....... ..............


The next night, slightly further west, we had to hang out in a laundry room to wait out a tornado warning.

These are the experiences you miss out on in a hotel.

Dave

I remember watching a thunderstorm at 2 am outside of Carlsbad. When it finely hit it was to late to run for the bath house so we sat on the thermorests and floated around inside the tent

[T and C]

Originally Posted by moultonp

As a TM owner in Western Canada I completely agree with the issue around predators. In particular the National Park campgrounds in Alberta are very serious about not allowing soft side campers, in which cooking takes place, to use the trailer spots. You can either camp in a tent in the fenced area or not cook in your soft sider you don't want the bears joining you for breakfast.

Also my wife and I have often pulled into a roadside pulloff for lunch and partially popped up our TM so we can use the fridge, stove, and table/chairs without assembling the bed/bathroom end of our 2720 SD.

It only takes a couple of minutes and beats the heck out of stopping at a fast food joint or using a picnic table in inclement weather.

We love our TM and will be heading to our favorite camping spot - Beachside State Park in Oregon again this June.

Moultonp,

It looks like you are saying that in Canada many campgrounds have fences around the tent areas to keep bears out. Is that right?

I recall getting a cup of coffee and a scone or such in a bakery in Jasper a few years ago. They had a newspaper article taped on a wall that told how a couple of years before that same bakery had a visit from a Grizzly.

Seems that on a nice summer day they had the back door open. A Grizzly came strolling in following the scent of the bakery goods. Said something about the front door becoming very popular very fast.

Tom

[Joesjunk]

Maybe they need a sign "NO GRZZLIES ALLOWED."

[T and C]

Originally Posted by Joesjunk

Maybe they need a sign "NO GRZZLIES ALLOWED."

The problem with that is that the bear might have gone to public school.

Tom

[Wavery]

When I was in Alaska, I drove up Mt McKinley. As we were driving along, we saw a grizzly walking around in a construction site (it was a Sunday). The grizzly was picking up heavy equipment and throwing it around like tinker toys.

I'm thinking that no RV is likely to stop a grizzly that smells food inside.

[scrubjaysnest]

Originally Posted by harveyrv

When I was in Alaska, I drove up Mt McKinley. As we were driving along, we saw a grizzly walking around in a construction site (it was a Sunday). The grizzly was picking up heavy equipment and throwing it around like tinker toys.

I'm thinking that no RV is likely to stop a grizzly that smells food inside.

Have to agree with that, just look at some of the videos out showing the bear opening up a car like a sardine can.