http://www.campercommunity.com/forum/blogs/ From Tent Camping, Pop-Ups, 5th Wheels, Travel Trailers and full on RVs. Visit the FREE Camping Forum at www.CamperCommunity.com en Sun, 14 Mar 2010 22:28:48 GMT vBulletin 60 http://www.campercommunity.com/forum/images/trigo/misc/rss.jpg http://www.campercommunity.com/forum/blogs/ http://www.campercommunity.com/forum/blogs/heruide/105-my-camping-guardian-angel.html Sat, 28 Nov 2009 23:00:19 GMT Attachment 77 (http://www.campercommunity.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=77) Over a month ago I had planned my final fall camping trip to...

Over a month ago I had planned my final fall camping trip to view the autumn leaves. We ran into a conflict in that DW decided that she would baby sit the DGDs and take them to Atlanta. Given that I have previously forfeited one three-day camp ground reservation she was OK with me going camping by myself. On Thursday she and one of the DGDs came down with the flu and so the trip to Atlanta was canceled. She still said it was OK for me to go camping. I wanted to leave mid day on Friday but needed a medical treatment and the only time that was available was 3:00 PM. Plus I had one mod – installing a Shurflo Whisper King pump and accumulator. I thought I knew exactly they were but I did not find them until 5:30 PM and so decided I would go to the CG on Saturday morning.

So early the next morning I headed out to pick my PUP. On the way my guardian angel appeared in the passenger seat.

“Ruide you are one self-center, selfish, inconsiderate, bull head person!”

“Excuse me. What I have I done now?”

“You just left your sick DW and DGD in bed – both with the flu – so you can go off camping by yourself? How can you claim to be a loving DH and DGF?”

I was caught in a trap and there was no way out but to accept the accusation. So I turned around, stopped at a drug store and bought a box of disposable gloves and headed home. Donned my 3M N 92 mask and gloves and entered my bedroom. DW pulled her head from under the covers to ask.

“What’s wrong? Did you forget something?

“Nothing. I decided it was wrong for me to go camping while you both are here sick. So I’m going to stay here and take care you and the DGD. My DW crawled out of bed and gave me a bear hug. Meanwhile out of the corner of my eye I saw my guardian angel doing a touch down dance. Next thing she flapped her wings and came at me for a chest bump. Of course DW wondered why after her hug I was jumping up in the air… but I just smiled.

On Sunday, she surprised me and suggested that we go camping on the next weekend - which was her birthday. I was really surprised as camping in the cold is not my DW’s idea of fun. But I agreed and although the Ohio Caesar Creek CG was almost full I found an ideal site in a cul-de-sac – site 26.

Next week we repacked and off we went. Now I made a couple mistakes. We left late and I did not print the reservation conformation. I figured we could get there before sundown and I would get the site details at the CG gate.

Wrong. There was no one at the CG gate so I looked the site on my lap top. The confirmation page said I have reserved site 28. So off we went. I got to the cul-de-sac and found a couple problems. First there was a tent camper that was at the site 27 and 26 (the site I thought I had reserved). I actually walked by the site 26 and did not see the reservation card with family name initial and departure date. Site 28 had a reservation card and was empty. So I assumed the map was bad and I set up at site 28 which I thought my conformation said I had reserved.

Later that night I went back to the camp ground reservation site. Low and behold the CG map was correct, I made a mistake in looking at the conformation page and I had reserved site 26. I grabbed my flash light and headed over to site 26 where the tent campers had parked a car only to find it now had a reservation card with a BIG H – my family name initial. How could they park a car in a site with a reservation or did they remove my reservation card before I showed up?

Back to the site I had set up and its reservation card had a BIG P – NOT ME. The only good news was the departure date was Saturday and they must have left early. Needless I was worried that someone had made a reservation for the rest of the weekend and I was going to be a squatter just like the tent campers!

Needless to say I was FLAMING MAD and started thinking of how I could move my PUP in the morning without having to lower the roof all the way down. DW did want to move and wanted to avoid a confrontation with the tent campers,. Of course I can’t think straight and still wanted the tent campers to move from my site. That’s when my guardian angel appeared and whisper in my ear.

“Here we go again - you egotistical, principle based, aggressive, confrontational idiot. It’s is DW birthday and you want to ruin it. When are you going to be a sensitive caring husband?”

Caught again! Why is my guardian angel always right? So I checked the CG reservation and yes site 28 was available for the rest of the weekend.

So the following morning I realized that the tent campers not only parked cars in two sites but they have set up their tent in between the two sites and took over my site fire pit and camping table. The only thing they used the site they had reserved was to park a car and use the CG post. So I took pictures what they had done and headed to the CG gate office.

The young girl in the office had a surprised look on her face when I said “We have an opportunity.”

She confirmed I had reserved site 26 and she called to park guard and was told that folks can only use the area that is to the right of the CG post, My camera clearly showed that the tent campers had violated this rule and really was occupying two sites when they only paid for one. Here are the pictures:

She asked me what I wanted to do and I told her that the site I using was available and I would stay there for the rest of the weekend. I also reminded her that the last time I camped at Caesar Creek CG another tent camper did the same thing and I wanted to the CG park officers to enforce the CG rules (see this post). She changed the reservation and said she would call the Park officers and have them talk to the campers. It turned out that she was having a bad day. Some one had shouted at her because she would give them a refund since they thought it was too cold to camp. I did my best to explain that she was not at fault and the issue was us campers.

I went back to site 28, and put up my new reservation card (Here is picture of site 28).

I then waited for the confrontation with the park officers. That did not happen and finally at 3:00 PM (two hours after they should check out) they broke camp. As they were leaving I started walking to the road to do the job of the park officers :whipyobut:

At that point my guardian angel re-appeared, blocked me, and with her hands on her hip and her wings spread out asked

“What in hell are you getting ready to do?" Yes she says exactly what is on her mind.

“Do what the park officers should have done.”

Why?

Time to give my DGD answer to most questions “Because.”

“Because is not an answer. I can’t stop you from being an idiot but you should know I was the one that made sure you were late, no one was in the office yesterday evening, made sure you did not see your reservation card when you first arrived, made sure you thought your site was this one, made sure this site was available for the weekend. So do what you want and ruin DW birthday and camping trip.”

My response “You are so right and thank God that you have been assigned to take care of me. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Can we have a hug please?.”

Ruide ]]> heruide http://www.campercommunity.com/forum/blogs/heruide/105-my-camping-guardian-angel.html http://www.campercommunity.com/forum/blogs/thecockrells/104-hello.html Mon, 23 Nov 2009 00:52:26 GMT I am Jerry. My wife , Linda, and I have been camping since we were married in 1970. We have camped in tents, converted cargo vans, popup campers... I am Jerry. My wife , Linda, and I have been camping since we were married in 1970. We have camped in tents, converted cargo vans, popup campers and now a travel trailer. ]]> thecockrells http://www.campercommunity.com/forum/blogs/thecockrells/104-hello.html http://www.campercommunity.com/forum/blogs/heruide/103-he-ruide-s-blog-disclosure-policy.html Thu, 08 Oct 2009 00:08:27 GMT Attachment 71 (http://www.campercommunity.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=71) On October 5, 2009 the Federal Trade Commission (FTC)...

On October 5, 2009 the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announced that it had approved final revisions to the guidance it gives to advertisers on how to keep their endorsement and testimonial ads in line with the FTC Act. The changes affect testimonial advertisements, bloggers and celebrity endorsements.


The FTC press release stated:


“The revised Guides also add new examples to illustrate the long standing principle that “material connections” (sometimes payments or free products) between advertisers and endorsers – connections that consumers would not expect – must be disclosed. These examples address what constitutes an endorsement when the message is conveyed by bloggers or other “word-of-mouth” marketers. The revised Guides specify that while decisions will be reached on a case-by-case basis, the post of a blogger who receives cash or in-kind payment to review a product is considered an endorsement. Thus, bloggers who make an endorsement must disclose the material connections they share with the seller of the product or service. Likewise, if a company refers in an advertisement to the findings of a research organization that conducted research sponsored by the company, the advertisement must disclose the connection between the advertiser and the research organization. And a paid endorsement – like any other advertisement – is deceptive if it makes false or misleading claims.”


Any one reading this blog knows that from time to time I have rated various products, services, reading material, etc. I should be very obvious that I really like my Fleetwood/Coleman Evolution 3 camping trailer, my DeWalt 18 volt cordless drill, Honda EU 3000is generator etc. Hence I thought I should make it clear that I do not have any financial relationship with any of the products or services that I may write about. In searching for the FTC guides I discovered a web site where you could quickly develop a disclosure policy statement. And so here is my disclosure policy.

__________________________________________________ _____________________________

Blog Disclosure Policy


This policy is valid from October 6, 2009

This blog is a personal blog written and edited by me. This blog does not accept any form of advertising, sponsorship, or paid insertions. I write for my own purposes. However, I may be influenced by my background, education, occupation and experience.

I, as the owner of this blog, will never receive compensation in any way from this blog.

I am not compensated to provide opinion on products, services, websites and various other topics. The views and opinions expressed on this blog are purely mine. If I claim or appear to be an expert on a certain topic or product or service area, I will only endorse products or services that I believe, based on my expertise, are worthy of such endorsement. Any product claim, statistic, quote or other representation about a product or service should be verified with the manufacturer or provider.

This blog does not contain any content which might present a conflict of interest.

He Ruide

To get your own policy, go to http://www.disclosurepolicy.org ]]> heruide http://www.campercommunity.com/forum/blogs/heruide/103-he-ruide-s-blog-disclosure-policy.html http://www.campercommunity.com/forum/blogs/heruide/102-french-documentary-film-project-they-looking-rv-volunteers.html Sat, 12 Sep 2009 10:14:25 GMT Yesterday (9/11) was a National Day of Service and Remembrance. I was unable participate as I spent most of the day in a stem cell clinic. However,... Yesterday (9/11) was a National Day of Service and Remembrance. I was unable participate as I spent most of the day in a stem cell clinic. However, as I was reviewing some messages on a RV forum, I saw the message below. I can't say anything of the validity of the effort and unfortunately all the information I could obtain on these film makers were in French. However, I'm reproducing it here just in case there are some RVers that volunteer and may be interesting in contacting them.

Ruide
__________________________________________________ _________________________________

Dear RVers,

We are a couple of French independent filmmakers.

We are making a documentary film about volunteering in the USA.


Up to now we have been filming with various non-profits like Habitat for Humanity in Chicago and a homeless shelter in Colorado.

We are very interested about the RV volunteers as this concept is absolutely unknown in France. We are currently looking for RVers involved in various volunteering programs. We would like to meet and film them, share their experiences, talk about their motivations, and learn from them.

If any of you have any suggestion, if you are or know RV volunteers, please let us know!

We will be in the US from early October to the end of December 2009.

This documentary is not intended for television. It designed for public screenings followed by a discussion between the audience and the film makers. We are self employed and do not rely on external financing or commissioning.

Sincerely,

Aline DEFORGE & Emmanuel PRESSELIN
2, rue de la combe
63320 CHAMPEIX
France

Tel: 00 33 473 549 332
aline.deforge@gmail.com
emmanuel.presselin@gmail.com ]]> heruide http://www.campercommunity.com/forum/blogs/heruide/102-french-documentary-film-project-they-looking-rv-volunteers.html http://www.campercommunity.com/forum/blogs/heruide/101-filling-up-camping-trailer-tank-utility-pump.html Tue, 11 Aug 2009 10:22:29 GMT Attachment 70 (http://www.campercommunity.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=70) Last week I wrote about the mod that took me the quickest to...

Last week I wrote about the mod that took me the quickest to complete – installing a larger box from my group 29 battery. This week I want to share the mod that took me the longest to complete - adding a water transfer pump.

First, let me explain why I wanted to do this mod. Right below the number one thing I hated doing while camping – setting up the door – was toting water and filling up my PUP water tank. I solved the toting issue by getting a heavy duty carrier. Transferring the water to the tank meant lifting and holding almost 50 pounds at chest height – not something I enjoyed doing. I tried a drill pump but it was too slow. I tried various bilge pumps (both manual as well as 12 volts) but I ran into a problem with diameter of the pumps and the small neck of my favorite water container.

Back in July, 2007 I stumbled unto a little 12 volt utility pump at Northern Tool. PERFECT. A stop by Home Depot and I had all the connections and got a project box from Radio Shack and I was in business. I even laid out all the parts and took photographs including how I was going to tap into the 12 volt circuit by the fridge.

Then everything came to a halt for two years until this spring when I got back home and started camping again. Pulled out the pump and other parts from my mod box…. Yes I have a box where I keep all the parts for future modifications and I hope I never empty it because then I would get bored…. But I digress. So I took the pump and mounted it under the PUP floor. However by this time I wanted to add two PC fans to improver the efficiency of my three way fridge. So taping into the 12 volts lines was a little more complicated than first planned. Not to be hindered I simply used my auxiliary battery that I have for my air pump to power the water pump.

Well finally this last weekend while camping I sat in front of the fridge and added all the wires, switches fuses, etc. and presto I no longer have the opportunity to impress all the other campers with my weight lifting ability.

The interesting part of this story is that I now have converted to a large mouth water container and so the beige pumps would work. However, we’ll save the rational for the new water container for a future post.

Ruide ]]> heruide http://www.campercommunity.com/forum/blogs/heruide/101-filling-up-camping-trailer-tank-utility-pump.html http://www.campercommunity.com/forum/blogs/emcgarvey/100-where-stay-fort-benning-ga-trip-see-army-son.html Mon, 10 Aug 2009 18:59:13 GMT Anyone know where I should stay in the RV close enough to the Fort Bennings Georgia Army Base...please help, trip in of august Anyone know where I should stay in the RV close enough to the Fort Bennings Georgia Army Base...please help, trip in of august ]]> emcgarvey http://www.campercommunity.com/forum/blogs/emcgarvey/100-where-stay-fort-benning-ga-trip-see-army-son.html http://www.campercommunity.com/forum/blogs/heruide/99-installing-group-29-battery-box.html Thu, 06 Aug 2009 01:03:44 GMT Attachment 67 (http://www.campercommunity.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=67) For me this is without a doubt the easiest mod I’ve every done...

For me this is without a doubt the easiest mod I’ve every done and I want to thank the folks at Fleetwood/Coleman for the design...but I’m getting ahead of my self so lets back up.

My Fleetwood Evolution 3 came with a Group 24 battery and I’ve been waiting for it to die so I could replace it with a larger battery. A couple weeks ago my prayers were answered when I starting having problems recharging the battery. It took two 24 hour re-conditioning efforts before I could get my charger to do its thing. I checked the specific gravity of each cell and found out one of the cells was shot. THANK YOU.

So off I went to a Interstate battery dealer and got myself a Group 29 battery. Now I must confess I’ve been planning this for awhile and had already bought one… no two battery boxes. Originally, I had planned to install a Group 27 battery and so several months ago I got a box from Napa Auto Parts. However, I decided to go with a Group 29 so I thought I needed a larger box. Found one at Wal-Mart that could hold batteries from Group 24 to 31. MISTAKE Turns out my Group 29 battery fits very nicely in my Group 27 box. OH WELL…

To install the larger battery box I needed to move two little “L” brackets further apart. This should be a simple task of drilling two new holds and securing the brackets with self tapping screws.


So I gathered up all the necessary tools which were:
1. Safety glasses
2. Fully charged 18 volts De Walt drill
3. Set of high speed bits
4. Three in One oil
5. Tape measure
6. Center punch
7. Hammer
8. Phillips screw driver


First step in the process is to remove the screws that secure the brackets. As I’m doing this, it struck me that the box might fit if I was simply to turn the brackets 180 degrees. NO WAY. It could never be that simple. All my modifications are supposed to be complicated and some where in the process I have to run once or twice to the hardware store to buy either a new tool or a screw… something.

Sorry no stimulating the economy today since once I turned the brackets 180 degrees and re-inserted the screws… the battery box slid right into place. A minute later the battery cables were connected, top secured and I was in business.

The sad part of this mod is that it took me longer to write this blog than it took to do the modification… Next week I'll share with you the mod that took me the longest to complete.

Ruide ]]> heruide http://www.campercommunity.com/forum/blogs/heruide/99-installing-group-29-battery-box.html http://www.campercommunity.com/forum/blogs/heruide/98-battery-charging-sets-off-carbon-monoxide-detector.html Wed, 22 Jul 2009 02:32:18 GMT Attachment 66 (http://www.campercommunity.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=66) Over the last year there were times when my home carbon monoxide...

Over the last year there were times when my home carbon monoxide detector (CO) would go nuts when I was charging my PUP battery. Typically it would happen late at night. The first couple times I was really concerned that I had a CO problem, but with no combustion source active at the time I finally figured it was related to the battery charging.

However, batteries lead acid batteries will emit hydrogen so why was the CO detector going off? Rather than do some research I just made a mental note “CO detector goes off while battery is being charged… not to worry. But if detector goes off and I’m not charging the battery… I need to investigate and find the source quickly or exit the house.”

On Saturday evening I came home only to hear the CO detector wailing as I’ve never heard it before. To make a long story short, I had been charging the battery in the garage and I left the door to the utility room ajar. The kitchen CO detector took exception to this and was letting me know in no uncertain terms that it was not happy. The catch was the battery was already charged but the damage was done.

DW was upset and opened almost every window in the house. The good news is that the outside temperature was 71 degrees and airing out the house was a good idea anyway.

So I decided I would at least confirm that hydrogen gas was known to interfere with CO detectors. Yep… thanks to the internet not only did I read where several folks had pondered this question but several fire departments had responding to CO alarm calls and it took them some time to figure out what the problem.

One of the things I learned from reading fire fighting training material was that in addition to battery charging and hydrogen gas there are lots of common household chemicals and substances that may have an effect on the CO sensor. They are:

Aerosols – (hair sprays, deodorizers, Lysol, etc…)
Cleaning supplies – (Clorox, Bleaches, etc…)
Gas from charging batteries
Paints
Stripping chemicals
Varnish
Silicon glue or compounds
Alcohol
Methane
Toluene
Acetone
Nail polish
Nail polish remover
Sulfur compounds
Sewer gas
Vapors from baby diapers
Car exhaust fumes
Cigarette smoke
Incense smoke
Ammonia
Carpet cleaning solutions
Sealant
Freon from air conditioners
Hydrogen
Nitroglycerin (usually from heart medication)

NOTE, I hesitated to publish the list above since some of the items do contain CO and I do not want to give the impression that there are so many substances that interfere with a CO detector that one should not have one.

The other concern I had was whether the hydrogen level was high enough to create an explosive environment. I was relieved to read of a case where the fire department “Using a cross-sensitivity table supplier by the CO sensor manufacture showed that 80 ppm on the CO sensor means that there was approximately 200 ppm of hydrogen present. This is well below hydrogen Lower Explosive Limit (LEL) of 4 percent (40,000ppm)” Note my CO monitor was reading 89 ppm when I entered my home.

Ruide ]]> heruide http://www.campercommunity.com/forum/blogs/heruide/98-battery-charging-sets-off-carbon-monoxide-detector.html http://www.campercommunity.com/forum/blogs/heruide/97-monitoring-120-volts-while-camping.html Wed, 15 Jul 2009 22:13:12 GMT Attachment 65 (http://www.campercommunity.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=65) Last year I purchased this monitor from Camping World...

Last year I purchased this monitor from Camping World. It is made by TRC (Technology Research Corporation) and monitors power (voltage and frequency) from either a CG post or generator. It also provides an audible alert in case of hazardous electrical conditions, such as reversed polarity or bad ground, while the display shows cause of alert. Finally it functions as a surge suppressor (300 Joules, 10,000 amps).

Some of you may wonder “Why did I purchase this monitor?” Well I’m always concerned that the voltage at a camp ground could drop below 102 volts and cause damage to either to my AC or converter. Of course there are better surge protectors with built in voltage shut offs but they cost a lot more and typically are located at the CG post or elsewhere where you can't see the monitor.

This unit doesn’t shut off the current but sets off an alarm – of course you have to be nearby to hear it but then I don’t run the AC when I’m not near by so it is a good option for me.

Anyway, after purchasing it I realized that I did not have a convenient place to put it as all the outlets in my E3 are close to the ground. I even tried placing it in an extension behind the microwave – yes for all you camping purist I do have a microwave to heat up leftovers and quickly heat water for a cup of tea – but it was still out of sight and if I’m not careful out of mind.

So I set about to make a stand for the monitor.

Now that means heading to the hardware store – my source of inspiration – and walking up and down the aisles waiting for that “Moment” when things fall into place.

In this case the easy part was getting an outlet box and cover, receptacle, base and cord. However, I struggled for a while trying to find a way to mount it so that it would be at a 45 degree angle. I will not bore you with all the things I thought about including picture frames etc.

So I kept walking up and down the aisle having to say over and over to the very kind Home Depot employees

“No I don’t think you can help me find what I’m looking for.”

Anyway as I was making my umpteen stroll though the electrical section in the corner of my eye I saw a swivel light holder. It was different than others in that both ends of the swivel mechanism were threaded. The smaller end (½ inch) was the same as the outlet box but the other end was larger. So it was off to the plumbing section and thank god for standardization as the larger end was a regular ¾ inch thread. So moments later I had gotten a short ½ inch nipple and a ½ to ¾ inch bushing and we were in business. On my way to the cash register I stopped by the paint section to get a can of gray paint to change the brass fittings to the same gray color as the rest of the electrical material. However in the end I used gray paint from a craft store.

This is the first prototype. However, I thought that a gray version would match the décor of the Evolution and has proudly taken its place by the clock and the coffee maker that DW insists she needs to start the day off right.

Of course not to be wasteful I will still use the rest of light fixture as a light but without the ability to find tune where the light bean is directed.

Ruide ]]> heruide http://www.campercommunity.com/forum/blogs/heruide/97-monitoring-120-volts-while-camping.html http://www.campercommunity.com/forum/blogs/heruide/95-gas-station-reduces-prices-respects-diversity.html Sat, 04 Jul 2009 23:21:45 GMT It is not very often that one finds a commercial outfit that is doing a great civic duty and certainly I did not expect this to be a gas station.... It is not very often that one finds a commercial outfit that is doing a great civic duty and certainly I did not expect this to be a gas station. Unfortunately, while I would like to give you the name and location, I can not do that as I know it would create all sorts of traffic problems and require lots of overtime by a small town police department.

However, I thought I would share my experience. I pulled into this gas station and as soon as I looked at the gas pump I notice that the button for the regular gas was on the right while the super gas was on the left. This is opposite than you would see at most gas stations.

So I stopped for a moment and thought how considerate the station owner was to do this.

Why? Well here are the reasons:

1. Cultural diversity - Middle Eastern languages such as Arabic and Hebrew are written from right to left. So anyone with this background would expect to look at the buttons moving in the opposite direction than we Euro-centric folks do. Obviously, this gas station owner knows this and wanted to make sure his/her Middle Eastern customers felt right at home.

2. Consistency - All the pump stations were set up the same. I would have been offended if there was one token pump station that was set aside for customers with a Middle Eastern background.

The only disappointment was the big sign advertising the prices. This still had the regular price on the left followed by the higher price on the right. I'm sure if I had pointed this out the station owner would have corrected this ASAP even if it meant lost of sales to the neighboring gas stations.

3. Special thanks to OPEC - More than likely, the gas at this station is from one of the OPEC's Middle Eastern countries. So the cultural sensitivity is appropriate. As a wantabe tree hugger, I also think it is appropriate to recognised OPEC's effort to keep gas prices high thus reducing our comsumption of this non-renewable resource as well as reducing green house gas emisssions.

4. Real money savings - I believe that the automobile owners that typically use super unleaded and who would normally press the right bottom, would be in for a real treat when they saw how inexpensive it was to fill up their tank. Plus once they realized that their automobile could operate very well on regular gas they would see their monthly gas bills drop significantly.

5. Appreciative engines especally those pulling a camper - My engine runs on regular gas. However, a shade tree mechanic once told me that engines liked to get high octane gas once in awhile. Having pumped high octane gas before I know from the vibes of the engine that it did appreciate this mistake. I'm sure some ad executive will come up with the slogan "High octane makes a happy engine".

Now I know some of you reading this think that I'm way too naive for my own good. Also I know there are others who think I need to have my eyes examined as it is obvious I can't see a scam when I'm looking it straight in the face.

Please rest assured that I operate on the basis that behind every dark cloud is a silver lining, the glass is half full, one should be given the benifit of the doubt and a person is presumed innocent until proven guilty... I didn't think I could get so many cliques into the same sentence.

Having said this, I'm seriously thinking of creating a web site where other gas stations with the same practice could be identified and flagged for unsuspecting travelers.

Ruide ]]> heruide http://www.campercommunity.com/forum/blogs/heruide/95-gas-station-reduces-prices-respects-diversity.html http://www.campercommunity.com/forum/blogs/heruide/96-parents-abandon-children-camp-ground.html Fri, 26 Jun 2009 20:33:47 GMT On Fathers’ Day weekend, DW and I headed to a camp ground that we had not visited before. There was one nice shaded site I had seen on the map that... On Fathers’ Day weekend, DW and I headed to a camp ground that we had not visited before. There was one nice shaded site I had seen on the map that looked like the ideal site but it was already booked. So we had reserved one two sites away and found that there was a very nice couple with a child in a tent next to us.

Later that evening we saw a family of six set up camp at the shaded spot and they had a several tents and a huge portable gazebo. At that point I realized that they needed the shade more than me in my AC cooled PUP. DW and I left the CG to pick up our DGD and arrived back at 10 PM to enjoy a camp fire before hitting the sack. Unfortunately, the music from the large family site was rather loud but they turned it off by 11:30 PM.

The next morning I noticed that the kids were up and about but there were no parents and no car. The logical conclusion was that Dad or Mom had to run to the CG store to get some cereal. However, as the morning went by it was obvious that the four children - ages seven to 12(?) where left to their own devices. Interestingly, they were acting as if this was normal (i.e. they were not worried that the parents were gone).

Well DGD wanted to play so off we went in search of the play ground. On our return I noticed the camp ground host was talking to the kids and a little while later three park officers pulled up.

The following is what I observed or learned from a fellow camper who is a police office:

During the morning one of the little girls was stung by a wasp at the play ground. While the camp ground host was applying first aid she discovered that the kids did not know where their parents were and apparently did not have a cell phone or a number to call them. At this point the CG host called the park officers.

The park officers stayed with the kids all afternoon and kept telling them over and over that they were not in any trouble. With that the kids just played with each other as if nothing was wrong.

Around 5:30 PM the parents showed up and were upset to find the park officers baby sitting their children. Well the next thing I saw was the family was being evicted from the camp ground. Plus the park officers called for a CG pickup and at that time it looked as if they were confiscating all the camping equipment and food.

Either before the parents return or afterward the park officers found alcohol at the camp site. Now alcohol is prohibited in the park and so it was seized. However as the family was walking out of the park the boy said to his dad “Well they found your booze but at least they did not find Mom’s pot”…. Somehow I don’t think he was referring to one of Mom’s cooking pots :smack-head:

Later on that evening I when by the CG entrance and found that the park offices had deposited all the camping equipment and food on the ground. The family was there picking up their stuff and packing them into an SUV.

I thought the child abandonment or the alcohol was the reason why they were evicted. However, while the park officers were talking to the parents, a man with a fifth wheeler pulled up to the site. He spoke to the park officers and then drove off. After the family was evicted he returned. What I learned later is that he had reserved the site for the weekend but did not make it there on Friday night. YES the family was squatting in reserved site and the camp ground staff did not know how they got into the camp ground.

The park officers planned to talk to the district attorney to decide what charges to file and children services had already been contacted to investigate the situation.

Now I know you will not believe this and neither would I if I was not there to witness this first hand. In the end the children were safe and we all did not have to spend the weekend searching the woods or the river for them. The real tragedy of this story is the impact the parents’ behavior will have on the children. As one of my associates said “It is sad that you have to take a test to drive a car but nothing is needed to prove you can raise a family.”

Ruide ]]> heruide http://www.campercommunity.com/forum/blogs/heruide/96-parents-abandon-children-camp-ground.html http://www.campercommunity.com/forum/blogs/heruide/94-i-m-cover-o-magazine.html Tue, 09 Jun 2009 02:34:06 GMT While we were camping last weekend DW was reading a magazine while I was listening to music. That was interpreted when she proclaimed “They have... While we were camping last weekend DW was reading a magazine while I was listening to music. That was interpreted when she proclaimed

“They have your set up on the cover on this magazine.”

Of course the magazines that DW reads DOES NOT include Camping magazines, Four Wheeling, Popular Mechanics, or Photography… So I had not idea what “Set up” meant.

“Dear what do you mean?” I asked

“Your camper and Hummer are on the cover page” was her response

I thought this was interesting that someone had put together an Evolution series Popup and a Hummer. So I asked to see the magazine. Low and behold it wasn’t any camper and Hummer but my Evolution, my Hummer with my bikes, palm tree and tacky lights.

“Someone took a picture of us while we were camping at Lake Cowan.” was her observation.

Looking closely at the cover I said “No that is one of my Lake Cowan photographs posted on my Smug Mug web site.”

Of course she did not believe me. So I had to pull out the Blackberry and showed her the original from the web. Now the resolution on the Blackberry was not as good as the photograph so I had to count the trees in both pictures to convince her.

"WOW I can’t believe this. This is wonderful” she proclaimed but then she asked “Are you upset that they used it without your permission?”

“No. This is a free magazine for campers and my site has the same objective. Before Fleetwood sold their Folding Trailer division they had asked my permission to use some of my photographs for their brochure and I agreed. So yes it would have been nice for these folks to do the same, but that's not a big deal.”

“Well it is great that your photograph was so good they used it. I’m so proud of you” and she reached over and gave me a kiss on the cheek.

OH OH… so was my picture on the cover of Oprah’s O magazine? No I’m not that lucky. It was on the:

Ohio Camper - 2009 Campground and Travel guide

For the Ohio campers here is the link to their web site or here is their online guide.


Ruide ]]> heruide http://www.campercommunity.com/forum/blogs/heruide/94-i-m-cover-o-magazine.html http://www.campercommunity.com/forum/blogs/heruide/93-i-ve-never-been-happy-disappointed.html Sun, 31 May 2009 06:24:20 GMT Attachment 55 (http://www.campercommunity.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=55) Back in April DW declared that we should go camping. Now this...

Back in April DW declared that we should go camping. Now this was really strange since several years ago she had also declared that she would never camp again before Mother’s day. This declaration occurred after we camped in Kentucky in the middle of April and ran into this snow storm.
However, since we returned to Cincinnati we both had been burning the candles at both ends and she wanted some down time.

So I was really excited and quickly made CG reservations. Then I set about to prepare my camper. Now due to my fight with cancer, I had not camped in two years so there were a lot of things to check out. So I spent a weekend going through my check list:

1. Check anode and flush out debris from hot water tank
2. Drain antifreeze from lines
3. Remove battery from charger and reinstall on PUP
4. Check water pump
5. Sanitize water lines, hot and cold water tanks
6. Turn on propane tank and fire up the stove, water heater and most importantly the FURNACE
7. Run the fridge on propane and confirm it is cooling
8. Check tire and spare air pressure
9. Check the inside and out side lights
10. Put gas in the generator and start it up

The surprising thing was that everything worked as if I had been camping all along. No spider webs in the propane orifices, no critters in the PUP, no busted water lines. etc. The only thing I couldn't check was the AC as it was too cold. And the only thing I had to do was add a couple pounds of air to my spare tire.

I took a day vacation before the camping trip to pack, wash towels/linen and do some spring cleaning… but I never got around to doing that as very early that morning I got a call from DW who was on a business trip.

“DD has gone into labor.”
“What? She isn’t due for the next two weeks!”
“That’s what we all thought but the baby had different plans”

So all my camping plans when out the window as I threw some clothes into a suit case and headed for Atlanta. Eight hours later I arrived at the hospital to hold my third granddaughter - Annesia who weighed 7 pounds 11 ounces and was 19 inches tall.


Disappointed I couldn’t go camping? yes

Happy to be a grand dad for the third time? OH YES!

Ruide ]]> heruide http://www.campercommunity.com/forum/blogs/heruide/93-i-ve-never-been-happy-disappointed.html http://www.campercommunity.com/forum/blogs/heruide/92-three-flashing-lights.html Mon, 18 May 2009 04:35:50 GMT Went to sleep last night with my Atwood furnace working well but at 3:00 AM I heard the furnace blower come on and the ignition tried three times... Went to sleep last night with my Atwood furnace working well but at 3:00 AM I heard the furnace blower come on and the ignition tried three times with out the furnace lighting. This occurred a couple times and I figured out I was out of propane. :smack-head:

Now DW doesn't really like the cold and I really wanted her to wake up to a toasty PUP, so I got dressed and when outside into the freezing cold to switch over to another propane tank.

However, I learned the hard way that one should not assume that an unused tank (which is covered) is connected. :comfort_:

Also learned the hard way that you should not rush to turn on a propane tank. :bang:

Anyway after a couple trips outside in the cold, I confirmed gas was in the line when I got the stove to work. However, the furnace continued with the same symptoms. Took off the cover and saw the LED flashing light three times. Turned on my lap top (thank goodness for my Air card as I'm in the middle of nowhere with no lan connection) and down load two Atwood manuals. The first technical installation manual had the following codes:

1 Internal Circuit Board Failure Steady on, no flashing
2. Limit switch/Airflow problems 1 flash with 3-second pause
3. Flame Sense Fault 2 flashes with 3-second pause
4. Ignition Lockout Fault 3 flashes with 3-second pause

So I know I have a ignition problem. The second document I downloaded was the service manual and for the ignition is said the following:

As power is applied to the circuit board, the system does the following:

a. timing circuits allows the blower to purge the heat chamber for 15 seconds.

b. current is supplied to the gas valve and causes it to open to high burn. (The controller module activates the low burn operation on the valve.)

c. as the valve opens, the ignition module sends a high voltage spark to the electrode at the burner. The ignition module detects the presence of a flame. If the flame is not sensed after 7 seconds of sparking a signal is sent to the controller module that there is no ignition and shuts off the valve. After another 25 second purge, it will try again. After a third try, the controller will go into “soft” lockout, timing for one hour and the diagnostic LED will flash a code, see chart. After the timed hour, the controller will initiate (3) more tries for ignition. If there is no ignition, the timing sequence begins again.

d. If the system does not ignite and the thermostat is still calling for a heat demand, the blower will run for 90 seconds as a post purge then shut off.

This is exactly what happened to me - Yes after an hour the system tried again and the furnace was back in action. This is the second time I've had this problem and had to wait for some time for the system to reset after starting up without propane. Net I will be buying a automatic change over regulator and never trust the propane gage that told me I had lots of propane.

Ruide ]]> heruide http://www.campercommunity.com/forum/blogs/heruide/92-three-flashing-lights.html http://www.campercommunity.com/forum/blogs/apooya/91-question.html Sun, 12 Apr 2009 07:07:26 GMT Hello all, I am going camping to a place with many carnivors around, wolves, hyenas, Leopards, etc.. I am wondering if any one can give me hints on... Hello all,
I am going camping to a place with many carnivors around, wolves, hyenas, Leopards, etc.. I am wondering if any one can give me hints on how to cook and generally how to be safe,
P.S. ill be campping in the open field and there are no camp sites in this park
I appreciate your coments
thanks
AP ]]> apooya http://www.campercommunity.com/forum/blogs/apooya/91-question.html