Good trip, one oops :)

[robpoe]

Took a friend of mine's daughter (she's 6 years younger than I), my 12 year old and her 2 boys (7 and 4) camping overnight at Lake Perry yesterday -> today.  She'd never been PU camping, and I don't know if her 2 had been (at least in a while).  I'm single, and I have more fun bringing my friends along.  

So, we get to the guard booth at my favorite campground, and find that there are some electric sites available.  I get in the truck, to go get the PU (which is in a storage lot at that lake).  I realize that the PU keys are ... (of course) at home.  Now usually, my best friend brings HIS  set of my PU's keys, but this time he was not along.

The hitch lock is old and has been bent many times.  It, err, died this trip.  Secondly, the little Master padlock on the front nose cone got nipped off by a pair of bolt cutters (and a replacement lock purchased at the camping lot).  The PU didn't have any locks on the roof mechanism, so I was able raise the roof.  

The door will open from the inside if the outside knob is locked, but there's no way that I found (the little lever didn't do it) to unlock the knob.  So out came the zip ties, electrical tape and a borrowed campground rock.  Tied 3 zip ties together, tied a rock to one end and a zip tie to tie the zip tie on the door handle inside.  Taped that up (it kept falling off) and I had a weighted "pull string" out of the bottom of the door.

Why not drive back?  It was 5:30, hot, the kids were totally bored, and gas is $$$!!  I actually saved money by snipping off the hitch lock and the nose cone padlock (instead of driving back, then forth).

But it was a FUN weekend.  The kids got to swim several times, there were more swarms of gnats than I have seen in a LONG time, so many in fact that when they swarmed the bug zapper (yes, I kill bugs with electricity -- it's great fun!!!), there were so many dying bugs, that they totally plugged up the screen and you could not see the bulb.  

Next time, I'll remember the keys  

[AustinBoston]

Next time, I'll remember the keys  

One of the reasons I have all my keys in one keycase is that I can only forget a key if I forget them all.  Since I have to have the keys to get anywhere, I can't possibly gorget them.

Now, who was supposed to pack the charcoal?  :eyecrazy:

Austin

[ldgregory]

Next time, I'll remember the keys  

I have a keyring with all the keys to the PU (701, 751 keys, Masterlock hitch lock, and the Rapidhitch) which stays in the TV unless I'm actually camping, then they're in my pocket. Since I store my PU in the garage, I don't worry too much if my TV is broken into because they'd have to get in the garage first and I don't leave the RapidHitch on unless I'm actually towing.

[Eric Sass]

I always worry about forgetting the keys. So I keep an extra set in the glove compartment of my TV.