Being gone from the board almost a year, I was surfing thru the members list. Seems to be many members who either joined after I left or changed their names. Got to thinking that we need a new intro to each other thread & hopefully get people posting once again or even for the first time....So everyone feel free to chime in and reintroduce yourself .
I guess I'll go first ....
Hi, I am a campaholic :)...DH and I have been camping forever. As most we started in a tent, evolving into the Aliner about 5 yrs ago. I love cooking over the campfire, day hiking with my camera and ending the day with a warm fire and a glass of wine or 2 or 3. We love State and National forest camping, but this past yr it's been hard to get enough time to go where the forests are so we've been exploring State parks in our area within a couple hrs drive. Found a couple we like & will return to, and many more that we diddn't like. Looking forward to next camping season & getting back to the forests where we belong!
Like ForestCreature, we are camping finatics. I grew up in a camping family (My father was in the Air Force - we had to vacation CHEAP) but my DH had never camped until after we got married. He's never been west of the Big Muddy!!!! He now is hooked and our retirement plans revolve around fulltiming. We've camped with our kids since my DD was 3 months old (she is now in her last year of college). Our DS doesn't go with us all the time but what can you expect from a 16 year old. We started camping with a hand-me-down tent and after numerous years finally bought a '76 Coleman Valley Forge and thought we were in heaven. Used it for 6 years and sold it for what we paid for it. We then bought a '95 Coleman Cape Cod with the hard sides (tenting only on the bed ends) with A/C and LOVED it. Used it well and just sold it this past summer and bought an '05 Rockwood Roo 21Superslide. We camped several times in the new Roo and love it. We're already planning trips for next year and may try to squeeze in one more trip this year. We love meeting up with old friends from this board and making new ones along the way. When DS is done with college somewhere around 2010 we plan to hit the road and finally see all the great places you all have described and camped in! Hope to meet you all somewhere down the road.
Cheryl
In the panhandle of Maryland
'97 Ford F150 extended cab
'05 Rockwood RooSS
My Turn! :tent: DW and I started camping together before we were married. We tented it for 8 years until I could convince her to seriously look at PU's. We try to get out once a month-more if possible and every vacation we camp somewhere. We almost NEVER use the stove inside, most of our meals are cooked over the fire-even breakfast. Burgers and dogs...not on our camp diet. Since we moved to South Eastern Virginia, we have fallen in love with camping at the Outer Banks of North Carolina. Swimming, sunning and just messin' around with the 3 kids and dog, make for a great time. :p
Hi, My name is Rick and I too like Marcy am a Campaholic....It started at a young age. My Dad worked for the railroad and he was raising a Family of 5. So not much Cash for a trip to Europe. He had a friend he worked with, a single guy who wanted to go camping. He bought all kinds of equipment from the Sears and Roebucks catalog and went camping. His first trip out he ran into a Family with a Winnebago. Right then and there he figured out he wanted one of them! When he got home he sold all of that brand new camping gear to my Dad for 100 bucks. We got a 12-man Coleman canvas tent, 2 coolers a Coleman stove, Coleman lantern, a fold up table. And a bunch of other stuff I really don't remember. But from what I remember he had spent a lot more than my Dad paid him. He was a good friend to my Dad. We took off for our first Family camping trip to Point Lookout state park in Md. We had a blast. We where not new to camping, we had relatives in Pa. we camped with when we visited them. We camped at Kelly Pines, and Beaver Meadows in the Alleghenies Mountains. But after Dad got all the camping gear we went all the time. Had many of neighborhood campouts in the back yard growing up with that big old tent. All the kids would come over and by morning we might still have a couple kids there who didn't get too scared and go home. Anyway it all started with that tent and I have camped ever since in one way or another from on the ground to a hammock to a cot to a popup. Come on 5er.....or class A.
I'll join in: I'm one of those single campers but always camp with family and/or friends. I grew up camping, first in a tent then a pop-up which my dad tells me was a 70's era Wheelcamper. I spent a couple of summers as a camp counselor, too; one in a tent on a platform. My camping days went through several years hiatus; then my sister and I decided we "needed" to camp. We tented for about 10 years and this year FINALLY got off the ground! I love the pu; have not cooked in it. I guess some habits are hard to break, but I still like cooking outside. I've learned so much from assorted camping boards and even got a dutch oven this year after reading so many threads about that. I camp mainly in state parks or coe cg's. Give me some trees! When I'm not camping, I work in a hotel. Believe me ~ the last thing I want to do on vacation is go to another hotel. And, I would gladly camp with PUT friends (and TPUC friends, too) any time!
Hi all,
I didn't camp too much as a kid. My dad felt he was doing enough camping at work so he didn't like to do it too much when he was home. He was in the infantry in the Army for 20 years and spent a year in Korea in a tent and two years in Vietnam in a tent. He said they didn't allow popups over there.
I got into camping about 10 years ago, I went around the US with a Geo Metro and 2 teanaged boys. Nine thousand miles in 19 days.......
I camped several times with my daughter after that and we went to Mammoth Caves in KY and a few other tenting trips.
My wife didn't want anything to do with a tent or sleeping on the ground so she didn't go with us. I ordered a popup in February of 2001 and my wife really didn't believe me until I came home from work one day with a brand new pickup!! She at that point said "you must be serious about buying a camper?" I sure was, my daughter and I drove to Wisconsin to pick the camper up in April 2001 and from there we went to Kentucky and on to Myrtle Beach SC.
Three seasons in the popup including the 2002 PUT rally in TN and about 6000 miles we decided to move up to a hybrid. DW really likes this one!! We are planning to buy a motorhome for winter escapes when we retire (20 more years).
Right now it is the three of us and an occasional grandchild or two.
We have made some friendships on this board that have grown into friendships off the board as well. We made cyberfriends that will hopefully be lifelong friends that we spend time with every year or so doing what we all love...................CAMPING!!
BTW, I repeated the trip around the US in the summer of 2003 with my daughter, a nephew, my truck and a tent.
Charlie
We are the Campaholics. There was a short break in my camping between Boy Scouts and how to keep vacation costs down, about 28 years. We started when the kids were five and seven, with a borrowed tent. After sixteen seasons of tent camping, we moved up to a PU four years ago.
We do most of our cooking on a Coleman stove or in a Dutch Oven. We experiment all winter with new recipies for the camping cook book.
We almost always camp in State Parks. Within in a three hour drive we are blessed with a large number of excellent parks in Northern Illinois and Southern Wisconsin. We like the wooded sites, a bit of seclusion from the next sites, the hiking trails, naturalist programs (when the kids were growing up they never caught on that school was in).
Now, it's time to dream about mid May and the start of a new camping season.
Regards,
The Campaholics
My dh and I both grew up camping as kids. When we got married it was a given that we would camp with each other and take our kids when they came along. We always tent camped but kept saying "some day we will be able to afford a popup" When our 3rd kidlet came along we new we had outgrown our tent. We were both also getting tired of sleeping on the ground. We bought our popup, a 2001 Coleman Westlake in April of 2001. We have tried to camp at least once a month ever since. We just recently moved to Northern California from the Southern "sunny" part of the state. We now have a lot more camping possibilities available to us. In fact we are going on our first weekend camping trip since we moved here.
Jacqui
Great replies! :)
Starting to look like most that have replied so far are "born" with the camping bug! It's great to be able to pass that down to the next generation, our kids! maybe camping is genetic ;)
I have never camped in my life until about 4 years ago. I was being placed on furlow with my past company for 1 week, which was a week w/o pay & a very small unemployment check. Some friends of mine were going camping at Cumberland Falls to ease their minds of the week w/o pay and they invited my familiy along.
We purchased all of the typical camping items, which included a tent, and conducted our first camping adventure there. You should have seen us trying to setup a tent for the first time as a greenhorn :banghead:. The trip went fantastic, well except when a tornadoe came thru the valley and a tree fell on the tent when my DW was sleeping inside, luckily it missed her but she was shaken up for some time.
Well the bug stayed with us and we tent camped almost every weekend until a couple weekends of rain storms and one in particular of wanting some fresh air and leaving the rain fly off, I don't have to explain what happened :swear:, I can tell you I was not the :cool: dad or DH after that. Well needless to say the DW was thru with tent camping and we bought our first popup. We loved camping even more, well until we experience the mechanical issues we had with the popup, which soured our happiness of our camper :screwy: but not our love of camping.
Well now we are into the home stretch of crossing to the 1/2 dark side with a hybrid and loving camping even more, we especially love to camp with dear friends that we have met on this board.
Corey
Hi, my name is Sandy and I'm a campaholic. I'm another single camper.
I've been at it since Girl Scouting days. I own a bunch of tents, had a '95 VW EuroVan camper with the poptop, and now have a small Jayco popup. There are always tradeoffs. Still haven't found the perfect setup and probably never will.
I'd love to try an A-frame but the packed size frightens me - I'm 5'0" and I so love the airy feeling of my 360 popup when it's extended.
I plan to do some extended RVing after I retire (still a few years to go) and hope I will still find that the PU meets most of my needs. I can sleep in the minivan for overnighters.
Hi :W I'm Kelly and ... aw shucks you all know the drill here! ;)
Lessee my dad got rich one summer ~ don't ask how. I certainly don't want to know!! I was about 11 and he bought a new truck, a new boat and a new tent. My parents had camped very early in their marriage and then took a break til that summer. For the next 6 or 7 years I camped with my family and with Girl Scouts.
Then I took a break from camping. The kids' dad wasn't much of a camper, but after a couple tent trips and a trip with a rented PU I convinced him it was time to buy one of our own. We took a couple road trips with it and a few weekend trips.
Now you can count me among the single campers ~ single mom with kids! This past summer the kids and I got in 14 nights of camping ~ 5 in a tent and the rest in the PU before I had to give it up. Unfortunately for me when the marriage ended he got the PU ... long story. Fortunately for me I got all the camping gear and a lead on a new-to-me PU thanks to some great people on this board. So I won't be PU-less for long!
The kids love camping, especially when we go with my parents ... who still camp in their 31' Class C. I'm having a great time teaching them the things my parents taught me and exploring different parts of our fine state and country with them. We've only cooked inside the PU once. I still feel like the PU is a tent on wheels and do many of the same things I learned to do while tent camping. I try to keep everything very simple and was delighted to find this summer that I really did not need that much "stuff" to have a great time and to share that quality time with the kids.
I think Marcy is right. Camping is a genetic thing![/font]
My camping introduction was with my church to Carolina Hemlocks National Forest Campground in the NC Mountians. We camped each summer and I continued this during and after college. I began tent camping with my son first and later my daughter. We moved up into a used Jayco Eagle 8 pop up that was and still is a lot of fun. I have really enjoyed both camping and working to modify our little camper.
Our new camping experience is camping at NASCAR events. My son and I have camped twice at Lowes Motor Speedway and hope to go to other race tracks next year.
In order to get my wife to camp with us more often, I have begun looking at small travel trailers. I too like the extra room and the bath room will be nice. Plan on keeping my pop-up for true camping to state and federal parks, but use the travel trailer for longer, all-family vacations. The 8' camper becomes a little crowded with all 4 of us after a couple of days.
I never thought about camping until I was given a 1969 tent camper. Once the family used it, we were hooked.
We have been camping for about 17 years now with a lot of laughs around many a campfire and have traveled to about 40 states.
We took a cross country trip with the kids in 1991. They still remember a lot about it.
Over the years we have gone through three more popups, each one a little bigger.
Camping with the kids was always fun but like all good things, it had to come to an end.
So, dw and I bought a Kiwi 23B, retired and are enjoying ourselves. We just returned from a 62 day, 10,823 mile trip. We spent a lot of time visiting and renewing old friendships on the way.
Sadly, I put the Kiwi in storage on Saturday until next year.
Hi Gene,
WELCOME BACK!!!
Quote from: tlhdocHi Gene,
WELCOME BACK!!!
Ditto!
Quote from: SurfcalDitto!
Double ditto!
Cool thread Marcy!
I came from a non-camping family but when I was old enough, began hiking and backpacking in the NC mountains. My DW did come from a camping family so, after we were married, it was a natural progression that we continued to camp. After kid #1, we kinda got out of the camping mode and then after kid #2, we found that camping with smaller kids and, uh, warm;) humid NC summers didn't spell enjoyment for us.
We're on our third pop-up now and have enjoyed each one immensely. The experiences that our kids have had camping are the ones they most often bring up..... they're memories that will last a lifetime and, we hope, they too will continue the love of camping when they are on their own.
Well, I'll join the fun - as a kid my family camped in a pop-up quite often. During the teens the parents decided to vacation in condos in Florida and we got away from camping.
When I married and had my daughter, I wanted to buy a pop-up, took the ex to look at one. Being somewhat of a city folk, he wasn't too empressed.
Now that I got the inevitable divorce, one of the first things I bought was a pop-up and a truck to pull it. NOW I AM HAPPY!!!!! I've taken my kids on 4 camping trips since the beginning of September when I bought the camper. We are going camping the whole week of Thanksgiving at Yogi Bear in Robert, LA. Me and my kids love camping and are really looking forward to the Rally in July 2005. I only hope if I find a partner in life, he likes camping also.
Hi, I'm Jim, and I'm some kind of "holic".....:yikes:
Started out camping with the parents years back...first in a Starcraft TT, then a Starcraft pop-up...1968 if the pictures don't lie.....;)
About 1998, I met Linda, who "insisted" we buy a pop-up...sure. why not...bought a '74 Venture...bare bones, but it worked for 3 years...
Then, we picked up the Pal...what a difference! Furnace, hard-sides, bigger bunks...just perfect for Wisconsin camping.:D
The last 3 years have been a blast...every weekend if not every other weekend...but now things have, unfortunately changed.
What with Linda's passing and my change of jobs, camping time is limited.. but I'll make the best of it. I'm already making plans for next year... vacation time will be short, but well worth it.:W
Hi all! I'm Jeanne and am a popaholic!
I grew up in a camping family...5 kids. We would all cram into a '68 VW Bus with our giant Coleman tent and camp all over mid and southern California. Our favorite campgrounds were El Capitan. Big Sur, Yosemite, Leo Carillo, Montana De Oro and Carpinteria. Fast forward to marriage when my dh and I continued the tent camping tradition with two kids until that fateful weekend when the air mattress flattened in the night for the last time and that was it! Two weeks later we bought our 2002 Coleman Mesa and have not looked back. We have gotten so much enjoyment from our trailer and joining in on the rallys with the ScCampers. Our kids love camping too. I'm so glad we are creating some special memories for our family.
People think we are crazy because we love camping so much! It is nice to read about others who feel as we do.
The Rockwood PU we now have, we bought in Jan 2002 and we have used it on 27 trips! We keep track in our camp dairy. If you don't have one...get one. It is great to look back on the memories.
The Jayco we had before that we owned for 8 years and took 72 camp trips in it. Plus we tent camped for another 8 years before that (didn't count the number of those trips).
When I was a kid, my family tent camped several times a year, so I guess it got in my blood. My DH and his family camped out in the open while river fishing. So it seems natural for us to continue our love of "gettin' away from it all". Our DD was raised on it since she was two. Now she will be 19 next week and is away at college. Sniff Sniff... battling empty nest.
DH and I camp once or twice a month, usually from September till June. We camp the fall/winter/spring months here in south Texas. The summers are too hot.
We love the state parks and frequent several that are close by.
We own a tiny cabin in Colorado that we go to in the summer and we tent camp around there too.
Unfortunatly, my DH got laid off in a "reduction of force" when Koch Ind. took over the Dupont plant he worked for, so when (if) he gets a new job this may affect our camp time but until then he is a house husband while I am at my teaching job and we are camping as often as we can.
We will camp for a whole week this Thanksgiving holiday. YES! :tent:
I too am a campaholic. I come from a non-camping family, so I am not sure how the bug bit me. I camped in a cabin with the girl scouts a couple of times. The summer after 4th and 5th grades I slept in a canvas tent with no floor. We lived in the country and deer and bear were common in the back yard (they still are), so I didn't have to go any where to camp. As I got older I backpacked and camped on horse back. Adult life took over for a while and DH is a non-camper, so there was a time when I didn't camp. When DS was 2 years old I dug out my little dome tent and took him camping at Assateague Island. On his first trip a raccoon (maybe Arvee?) climbed into the trunk of my car and stole DS's box of cheese crackers. DS was not happy about that. It was raining (happens to us on most trips) on the morning we were leaving Assateague and I left DS sitting in the tent as I packed up our gear. I had pulled the tent stakes out of the ground and then a big gust of wind came up. It blew over the tent with DS in it. I thought he would never want to camp again, but he did and still does. In 1996 I purchased a 1986 Coleman Sun Valley PU. It was bare bones PU, but for us it was great. Right after we got it I found that I really wanted a shower. We often camp in parks without showers, so for the next three years I looked for a used PU with a shower. I couldn't find one so in 1999 I bought my Coleman/Fleetwood Nevada new. It has everything we need, so at this point we plan to keep it. :)
Hello everyone.
I am not a new member. I have been here for years. I did not come with the pay site for a little while. I decided I wanted to go for it when I was in Iraq. It was my break and a good place to go to at the time. I can back and renewed almost right away.
I have been reading PUTs for about 5 years. This was the first place I came to look for the right trailer. I actually got the one of my dreams and it is 4+ years old and still kicking.
I really enjoy the other sites, but this was the first, and in many ways it the best. I have a warm place in my heart for Dave and the gaing. He sent me a bunch of issues to hand out while I was deployed and made sure my subscription did not go away during my deployment. It goes to show that Customer Service is still alive here. And that means more to me than anything when it comes to who I choose to throw my business. I guess I will be around as long as PUT is still around.
The date of my joining is when I came back. It meant that much to renew right away.
B Krahling, Thank you for your service and welcome home!
Marcy this is great and I have loved reading everyone's posts!
Hubby and I like most everyone here grew up camping. My dad was career Navy and it was about the only vacation we could afford. We tented and fished and gold panned all the time.
When Bill and I met we put together the "brady bunch" four kids, his and hers. We bought a C class motorhome and had that until the kids hit the upper teenage years and camping with mom and dad wasn't cool anymore. We went back to tenting it. Two years ago some friends gave us an '82 starcraft they had rotting in their driveway. We fixed it up and love being off the ground again. We have one son still at home a senior in highschool. We have replaced kids that have moved out and gone to college with Border Collies who are now our camping buddies.
Do most of our cooking over the fire or in Dutch. You can never have enough cast iron! (DH grumbles - weight)
The Eastern Sierra's is our favorite location, but anywhere there are mountains we are game! When the last kid moves on we plan to buy a fifth wheel and hit the road till we are to old to go anymore!
Quote from: Fishin BCB Krahling, Thank you for your service and welcome home!
Marcy this is great and I have loved reading everyone's posts!
Ditto that sentiment to B Krahling!
I have enjoyed reading all the posts too!! All the Lifes stories are fun to read!
Now if we could entice a few more to reply... (nudge..poke,poke! ):)
I also grew up in PA and MN as a camping family but not until I was about 13. My parents bought a (what we thought was beautiful, after all it matched the kitchen! ) 1974 avocado green Stuery PU with avocado and white striped canvas, it slept 8 and that is what we needed, 2 adults and 6 kids. We loved it. DH had never spent one night in a tent until he met me then we camped 3 times in a tent and I talked him into a PU at the RV show in Phoenix.
My father travelled a lot for his plastics business, so in the summer months we combined camping and business on his trips. Because of this I have been to all the states except Washington. I hope to get there in my lifetime. After we were all out of the house my parents upgraded to a Class C and then a couple years later a Class A. My father is 80 and mother is 79 and they have given up the motorhome due to illnesses. But they still like to dwell on all the camping we did and how much fun we have had. I send them pictures from all of our camping trips.
As for myself and DH, we purchased a PU in 2002 and have never looked back. We love it. We have travelled over 25,000 miles with it and have spent over 65 nights. We love the family time it gives us along with the tranquility. We hope to continue on my family tradition of camping. I think my DD will keep it going like I have done.
Mary Romeo
Hi I'm Linda!
Count me in as a campaholic! Started as a Girl Scout and it must have gotten in my blood. Now I see a camper go by and wish I was along for the ride and the camping!
If anyone remembers me, I was the one who dreamt of a pop-up and found one for $50 and my then husband & I restored it. Check out the webpage in my signature.
It was fun but really too small, so we found a used TT and was starting to restore it when the marriage went sour, he walked out the door and hooked up the camper behind him.
So, I'm back to being "iwantapopup" for real now! The girls are I will enjoy some tent camping next year and keep going to the RV shows and dreaming. Someday we'll be back in a pop-up!
I have 2 daughters, almost 24 & 14-1/2 and a 6-1/2 yr old granddaughter who misses camping as much as I do. We live just outside St. Louis Co., in Fenton.
Welcome back everyone old and everyone new!
We are Sherry & Michael. We both come from non camping families. So, I guess it was the change of scenery from the BIG city, the opportunity to get away from the office environment and the daily grind that got us interested in camping and sleeping in the woods. We got a pop up about 4 years ago and learned everything we needed to know from the great people here at PUT and especially our good friends, Tim & Penny (aka - TJWSantaFe). We'll always cherish the many special memories...
Can somebody pass me the tissues...
Hi everyone! Mark, Janett and Jessica here. My family never camped but I had a pup tent in the back yard and used to sleep out every now and then. As I got older I graduated to a larger tent and went with other 'kids' camping in the state parks. Janett's family was camping with her when she was a baby and has had the bug every since. We started tent camping with Jessica when she was about 4. In 2001 we decided it was time to get off the ground and purchased a new Rockwood 2280. Boy what a change that was.:D heater, air, potty, shower, running water..... and I could still call it camping!!
That's when we found PopUPTimes and the fun people on here. We went to our first group 'rally' with the old SEPUC group and then to the next two rallys with PopUP Times. And I believe that we still hold the Tennessee title for 'popping up the fastest'.:J
We've met a bunch of great people and bought more bargains and items for the popup than we could have ever imagined. We've taken two week camping vacations for the last three years and are planning on going to Maine this year.
Last year's vacation was pretty wet and Janett decided it was time to move up to something that we could function in even during a week or two of rain, so we sold Rocky and purchased a Jayfeather 23B. We just love it and can't wait til the warmer weather comes back. I know, I know, we could always go farther south. However, we really need a larger TV for any lengthy trips and need to wait til tax time.:eyecrazy:
See you around the campfire:W
charles and cheryl here...
AKA
Chkster and Hapekampr
check our license plates and screen names it is true!
new owners first popup
Coachmen CLipper Classic 1070st
learned a lot in the forums great resources
Great to hear that Viking is on board as we own a VIKING product :-D
Well, i guess I'm a little late to this party - but I am a pop-up-aholic.
Anyone who has visited my web site should have figured that out. As I posted over on PUX:
QuoteHaving lived in Maryland I had the pleasure of meeting Dave (the owner of PUT) and count him among my friends.
While my site is a hobby, his is part of his business - and just like Dean he is a small business person who is trying to make things work.
I applaud Coachmen for sponsoring the site. Maybe with more exposure for all the sites we can turn the declining sales numbers for pop ups.
I for one love my tent on wheels and enjoy sitting around many campfires.
Quote from: Tim5055Well, i guess I'm a little late to this party - but I am a pop-up-aholic.
Anyone who has visited my web site should have figured that out. As I posted over on PUX:
Just to make ya feel better Tim... Hey ya all!! :D
I started off tent camping with my folks while growing up in Northern Indiana. Most off the time we would travel to the Southwestern part of Michigan. Once the teen years came about the camping faded away. After graduating from college and taking a job in Southwest Ohio the thought of camping would come and go. My wife and I purchased a tent several years ago, but were never serious about it. I would read the occasional RV magazine and pickup the annual issue of Woodall's to look through and dream. About four years ago I found the PUT website/magazine and started to read about PU camping. Early this Spring, right after the annual camping show in Mason, OH I found a used 1995 Jayco PU at the local Jayco dealership and after my wife and looked at it we decided to try it. It was okay, but the breaking down and need for additional storage the PU wasn't what we wanted. We found a used (and well kept) 2000 Coyote 21C Hybird and were really impressed with the room and features these units have. The Jayco was sold (it only took 1 day!) and the Coyote was purchased. The hybird was a good compromise.
:yikes: I am back.... well kind of...
was one of the early relics here... been camping for years.... still get out about 35 -40 nights a year
been hangin at a couple other cyber fires lately...
wanted to drop by and commend Dave on the fine job he has done here over the years
Quote from: afpI started off tent camping with my folks while growing up in Northern Indiana. Most off the time we would travel to the Southwestern part of Michigan. Once the teen years came about the camping faded away. After graduating from college and taking a job in Southwest Ohio the thought of camping would come and go. My wife and I purchased a tent several years ago, but were never serious about it. I would read the occasional RV magazine and pickup the annual issue of Woodall's to look through and dream. About four years ago I found the PUT website/magazine and started to read about PU camping. Early this Spring, right after the annual camping show in Mason, OH I found a used 1995 Jayco PU at the local Jayco dealership and after my wife and looked at it we decided to try it. It was okay, but the breaking down and need for additional storage the PU wasn't what we wanted. We found a used (and well kept) 2000 Coyote 21C Hybird and were really impressed with the room and features these units have. The Jayco was sold (it only took 1 day!) and the Coyote was purchased. The hybird was a good compromise.
AFP,
Your in my neck of the woods, I'm located in Mason. [/color]
I guess I don't qualify as a campaholic, because we don't get out as often we'd like. But we get out when we can.
I get to use the PU more than the family does. I don't know why the wife doesn't want to come along when we go turkey and deer hunting. If she did, she'd get to go camping more often. :)
We started out like everyone else with a tent when we first got married. But after the kids were born, we didn't go for the longest time until we bought our PU in 2001.
Every year we say we are going to try and get out more, but something always comes up every weekend, and we end up not going. I guess that can be a New Year's resolution to go camping more often. Then I'll be a campaholic!
My sig line speaks for itself! Happy New Year every1!
Guess I should log-in and say hello!! I too go way back on this board...
Happy New Year everyone!
Happy New Year,
My dear wife and I are active in NNC and SCC, but haven't been camping in way to long. New trip will be Olema, unless we get a chance to camp before then....if the rain ever stops.
We've towed our camper to numerous PUT camp outs and twice have taken it on extended trips, 4 and 5 weeks respectively. Love camping in our popup.
gsm x2
Yea!! This is exciting seeing so many folks coming back! Hi Cliff...nice to see you around again!
I am a campaholic and am looking forward to camping again!! Our unseasonably warm weather the past few days has really made the camping bug bite! :>
Happy New Year to all!!!
Hello Room:
Happy to be here. I am not a recovering pop-a-holic. My goal is to do extended camping like GSM X2.
Surfcal
It has been far too long since my last post (June to be exact!)
Since that last post I retired from the Marine Corps, moved back to my home state of Kentucky, bought a new house and car, and started a new career. Kinda busy :eyecrazy: :eyecrazy:
One the way here from So Cal we spent nearly three weeks camping, hitting, Zion, Bryce, Grand Teton and Yellowstone NP's as well as several Forests and State Parks. Unfortunately the PU has been idle ever since! It also has a new home in a storage facility since our HOA won't allow it to be stored in view of the street.
I have been lurking pretty regularily, it is great to see the pick up in postings, I hope it continues. I keep reminding my self that Dave is, first and foremost, in the publishing business and hope that he never loses site of that. There is a place for a dedicated mag for us, nothing, especially not this site, should cause Dave to lose focus on his primary mission; to publish the best magazine he possibly can.
Jeff and Kathy It is so good to hear from you guys. I hope you enjoy your new area. Things are so different outside of Southern California. Even moving up to northern California like we did is like moving to a different world.
I hope you get a chance to camp once things thaw out. There is some beautiful country in the mid-west.
Jacqui
Quote from: OC Campers... Things are so different outside of Southern California. Even moving up to northern California like we did is like moving to a different world.
I never knew I was an alien! Oh, wait, maybe it's the so-cal folk that are the aliens? OK I'm confused :confused:
Quote from: towrodI never knew I was an alien! Oh, wait, maybe it's the so-cal folk that are the aliens? OK I'm confused :confused:
LOL ~ and I thought ALL the left coasters were aliens .... until NNC let me be their Friendship Ambassador. Now I know it's just the so-cal folks that are! ;)
Quote from: towrodI never knew I was an alien! Oh, wait, maybe it's the so-cal folk that are the aliens? OK I'm confused :confused:
Thanks for the ribbing Rod. :) You must of had too much home brew this past weekend:D . Norcal is a lot different from Socal. I am not sure who is the aliens but I have seen a few heads spinning on the freeways up here. But nothing like down south.:eyecrazy:
Jacqui
Before rejoining about a week ago,our last post had to do with;building this house and selling all my toys(We MUST look good on paper! :yikes: )So we built the house ,then built a deck,my son joined the Army,:usflag:Then dug a koi pond;and next spring, a brick paver patio to connect the deck and pond.I NEED A BREAK! We went to Ohio Super RV Show:and ordered a 2005 Coyote 23CT from Kamper City in Peninsula,Ohio.
Looking forward to many renewed trips ,vacations, and friendships here online and in the real world :D
hello all :)
chkster here DW of two years is Hapekampr AKA charles 47 and cheryl 35
I have always camped family went everywhere... and then with Boy Scouts
met wife in chat room, her screen name?... Hapekampr... She does like to camp... did that for awhile then went right to a popup...we love it...all three outings...LOL
We have all of next summer booked already... going on First Rally in Feb.:yikes: OLEMA HERE WE COME!! so we are looking forward to new adventures... :! :! and pictures to remember the occassion.. love that digital camera...thanx for listening
Concord Ca is near San Francisco
I camped with my parents as far back as I can remember.My first wife wouldn't sleep on the ground so I got a tent trailer,the only good times I remember from that time was in that trailer and '54 GMC.For about 15 years after we split my RV was a bedroll tied to a motorcycle.I had been with latest sweety for about 3 months when I called Mother and told we were going camping to see if she was a keeper.Over the 19 years we wore out 3 tents. The end of Oct. the latest addition to our family learned to unzip the tent and go for a walk without her leash.We had been shoping for a cargo trailer to haul and store our gear in but we got ourselves a pop-up for Chirstmas.
There's been many new "faces" join lately, this is a shameful bump.
A chance to introduce or reintroduce yourselves. :)
Quote from: ForestCreatureThere's been many new "faces" join lately, this is a shameful bump.
A chance to introduce or reintroduce yourselves. :)
Not shameful, Marcy. It's a great idea! I've been noticing all the new "faces", too! It's great to see ~ especially the ones from MN ~ It's been lonely ;)
My introduction is somewhere earlier in this thread ... in a nutshell. I'm a single mom with 4 kids. Their dad kept the old Palomino and I just bought a new (to me) Jayco!! We'll be camping in it the first time at the Ohio Rally (there's a thread about that, too :D ) and we are very excited to finally have our own trailer!
Welcome to all you new folks and returning posters ... great to have you here!
I'm a 'returner'. I picked everyones' brains here back in 2001/2002 then just within a month of signing on the line got sick and had to put it all hold. I'm left not being able to do what I used to do but still kicking. What prompted my return now is our four grandaughters (eight years and under) and our brand new grandSON all of two weeks old that I would very much like to introduce to camping. A few months' ago I was telling camping stories and now they all want to go! We're doing a long weekend with all four minus the little new guy the middle of July in the tent. If I live through that I figure next year grandma & grandpa in the PUP, kids in the tent, (Hey I paid my dues now it's their turn) :) ;) . Seriously though, I started camping in 1962 compliments of boy scout troop 36, then learned a different style camping compliments of Uncle Sam in 1971. Camped on the ground even on our honeymoon if you can believe that. Hey I just mentioned it in passing and she took it from there! Really! She took to it like a natural and we've been sleeping on the ground ever since. Well, camping anyway. Now the bones ain't what they used to be and even she's ready for the step up. Ground's harder and it's hotter than it used to be in these Missouri summers and they're making the tent zippers to low to the ground nowadays'
I'm Russ and DW's Patty. I was Rustyone in 2001 and I'm Rustyone now. We're waiting on the February 2006 show here in St. louis to get the best deal on a Niagara we can. You know the one with an oven, microwave, stove, A/C and real beds. Glad to meet everyone again.
Ohh Rah
Rustyone-we are just about 45min to an hr N of you.
We started in a tent also and then a used PU, small. We then got another used PU but much larger and camped in it til this yr. We had never even hooked water up to the others and this one, new PU, has just about everything-slide out, HWH, furnace, A/C, potti/shower, outside shower, couch, and large beds. It is now just DH and I, and DS and GF when they can make it. This wknd it is all 4 of us and a friend of DS's. Also the dog. We have an almost 2 yr old DGD and I would like to get her into camping also but DH says that is his time to relax so wants to wait til she is older. We will probably take her at least once for a 2 day wknd and see how that goes first. Great topic and thanks for the bump.
I camped as a child with my family of nine in an Apache Golden Buffalo pulled by an Oldsmobile Vista Cruiser. Joined the Navy and learned to travel a new way. Now am Retired and beginning my second career as a Park Ranger. Caught the bug again when I drove past a 69 Winnebago we nicknamed woodstock (I think it was there). Sold the class A when I graduated from college this time (Outdoor Recreation) and moved to the Smokies. Am now in Shenandoah and recently bought a PUP (Flagstaff 176SD) and pull it with a Subaru Forester. DW is also working as a Park Ranger and we are taking our new DD on her first camping trip this weekend (7 months old). DS is a veteran, he began camping at 6 months. The Winnebago sure had a lot more room.
Born and raised in Liverpool, England. Moved to Chicago 8 1/2 years ago for a six month computer contracting job. 8 1/2 years later I'm married with three kids and living in Minnesota :confused: I couldn't be happier :D
Tried tent camping a few times with wife and first daughter. Liked the camping, not so keen on the tenting. We bought a pop up (cheyenne) and love it. Plenty big enough for a family of 5. We tend to make lots of weekend camp trips around the Minnesota state parks. Last weekend was spent at fort Ridgely group camp with some friends. And then we plan one big trip. This year will be Washington DC in August. Can't wait