Bear rips into sleeping family's popup

**mjlaupp** · 07-10-2015, 03:08 AM

Found this on the Jayco forum:
http://globalnews.ca/news/2085696/be...r-lake-louise/

Padgett · 07-10-2015, 07:05 AM

Another reason (besides easy to air con) a TM is a wise investment.

tentcamper · 07-10-2015, 09:39 AM

When I was a kid. We camped in the UP of Michigan. One night at a neighbor's camp site, a bear ripped open one of those old metal coolers. The cooler was split open and twisted up. If a bear wants it, I'm not sure thin aluminium, fiber glass or canvas will slow the bear down?

The best campers in bear county, will follow the rules that the park or forest has for food storage.

**ShrimpBurrito** · 07-11-2015, 11:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tentcamper

If a bear wants it, I'm not sure thin aluminium, fiber glass or canvas will slow the bear down?

The aluminum in your RV doesn't have to be able to keep a bear out. In fact, bears have been spotted many times prying steel car doors open to get inside.

What's important is that your camper is harder for the bear to get into as compared to your neighbor's camper.

Dave

Padgett · 07-12-2015, 01:01 PM

Sounds like "just faster than the slowest guy."

Could also spray the perimeter with Eau de Skunque.

fourteener · 08-11-2015, 10:22 PM

Well, the bears struck again this past week near Durango CO. We were staying approx. 18 miles north of Durango at Haviland Lake Campground (USFS), and there was a known black bear problem as the camp host were warning everyone to put away coolers, grills, and remove trash frequently. The third night we were there one of the bears tore into a family's canvas sided pop-up while they were inside (no one was hurt). My DW got worried about our kids and I told her that there were easier options for the bears like canvas sided pop-ups and tents, and as long as we followed the camp host recommendation we probably wouldn't have any problems. I didn't even get to see a bear. To add salt to the wound,,,,I drove past the affected campsite the following day to see a grill, food, condiments, and sodas covering the site's picnic table,,,,and no one was around. I guess they like to bait their bears,,,,,some people never learn. Let's hope for their sake they don't head north into griz country.

LoveToCamp · 08-12-2015, 12:59 PM

Nice campground, with nice shoreline to sit along!

ChefLamont · 01-27-2016, 02:35 PM

This is still one of my favorite bear stories.

Picky bear drinks 36 beers, leaves the Busch for someone else

http://www.wpxi.com/news/news/nation...eone-el/nm4mz/

I have wondered though if a bear might be smart/determined enough to try to put a paw up through the flap between the walls of a TM.

scrubjaysnest · 01-27-2016, 04:16 PM

Won't take a bear any longer to get inside a TM or any other RV then a pup.
One of the reasons we went with the TM is it is classified as hard sided -vs - a pup; so you get the bear lecture as much.
having watched many bears go by our place in the Ocala NF one thing we learned is to be bear aware. Anything that has an odor will attract them. Put up pet food and dishes early. Everything else needs to be in containers with seals.
Don't cook in the camper. Water bottles, other liquid containers, coolers, and grills need to be out of sight.

Then the USFS, SP's and NPS all put grills and picnic tables almost on top of the rv or tent pad....go figure.

Padgett · 01-27-2016, 07:37 PM

Just a thought but most TVs are designed to be air conditioned and rainproof so are pretty well sealed and hard to get into. Better yet people are not inside at night.