GroundHog

Jaydrvr... is a great example. It takes only one like Jaydrvr to ruin a group adventure. This ends my participation and am best left to what I have enjoyed with close friends who also enjoy what we do.

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Why did you bother to post such a statement? You need to improve your grammar, as well.

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One additional thought. When we lived in the Forest Service cabin, more of a shack with tar paper exterior, we had no locks. We had little anyone would take and any neighbor looked out for one another. Although Bears liked the 'root cellar'... a strong door with a couple of 2x4's to secure them did the trick. Hunted with a Remington 22 rifle for rabbit at 6 years old. Snow rabbits at 7. ...and no, I did not shoot myself or get lost. This was our Costco shopping in the deep forest, kind of thing. I still own the rifle.

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Bill Joyce... let me guess. You are on the west side of the Sierras. I would not leave, either! You found your All Season Home. If you quit feeding them or the flowers become scarce... they will go to Oregon for the Winters. I heard California is too crowded. A little birdie told me. As the paper clip below says: Drag FLYS here to attach...

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Scott... maybe 'Jackrabbits' as a word, would include those who move from one campsite to another, upgrading their view frequently. When someone leaves a lakeside site, along the western side of Flathead Lake in Montana... some send their wife, kids and pets to claim this nice bit of Real Estate to camp. 'Pit House Hoppers': Those who like to be within a short distance to a pit house at a Forest Service campsite. How many of we Hummingbirds or Snowbirds wait until 'favorable WINDS' change to avoid a head wind when leaving home or a campsite? Upwinders, Downwinders or Sidewinders...? Since we are getting into the mood for Spring 2020... I see a number of members have a great sense of humor. Make up some new terms for the 2020's... I have never seen a Snowbird flying south, nor Hummers... flying north, either. Maybe bad eyesight. I need to have my prescription updated.

Full timers, who leave the Summer Heat and Humidity, follow the Hummingbirds North. We have 'Hummingbirded' with Tent and Trailer when living in Colorado and Nevada. When the Hummingbirds show up, it is usually the last snow... or just after. We have put our feeders out as soon as they begin to hover around the red tail lights on the pickup when a Spring snow hits late. When the Hummingbirds leave Colorado... it is time to Snowbird. Hummingbirds still are here in southern Nevada. So are we! The travels of the Hummingbird make Snowbirds and Geese appear, lazy. Montana residents watching the Canada Geese and Mallards heading South each season... is also a sign that change is coming. Time to Snowbird with them. Although in Denver, Colorado with its unusual winters... Canada Geese stay year round. Hummingbirds... gone. When Hummingbirds return to Colorado... the Snowbirds return North, just BEFORE them. They arrive at their Summer nesting areas on a real tight schedule. Not to be confused with Jailbirds, who obviously stay where they reside. Maybe some true 'old timers' can cover other Birds of a Feather and go on from there. Maybe Hummingbirded a bit more than the rest of us. Wyoming residents, step forward. Explain Hummingbirding. This is a term used like Hum Dinger and Yokels that have obviously lost popularity over time. Happy Hummingbirding to you and enjoy Spring 2020! Cannot wait.

There are plenty of horror stories of buying a used RV with an engine. The bigger, the more you need to be able to inspect down to lug nuts. My neighbor was sold a Bill of Goods and learned the hard way. That is his story, not mine to tell. Trailers are less complex and without the engine, transmission, generator, slide outs... and on and on to consider. Some people would think a trailer in tow is Spartan with appliances. Not true, there are plenty of things that can go wrong. But... those of you who want to be flexible in your travels and capable of a serious inspection before purchase, a Travel Trailer used can be a great purchase. Not another person's Money... Pit buyer for the first time. Buying NEW has its advantages and its limitations. A warranty. First you have to use the trailer enough to find any problem to be covered by a warranty before it expires. If it is your first trailer... you also have no clue as to the Hitch that is best for you, your vehicle and trailer length. Our first trailer was used at every opportunity. It was new. The biggest issue were the factory 14 inch tires were C Rated tires that just do not hold up. Everything else worked fine and we sold it 12 years later, with people lined up to purchase it. It was a 2006 Airstream 23 foot Safari with factory minimal Solar. When we sold the trailer we walked the buyer through and demonstrated that everything was operational. He knew nothing about trailers. He would have purchased the trailer even if nothing was working inside. You do not want to be this customer when the seller wants to sell AS IS, because of problems. Lesson #1: If you can find a friend who has owned a travel trailer and is mechanically inclined... bribe him to help you to inspect the trailer you are interested. This is on a Lot... or in a RV Garage at someone's home, or parked along side a home. If the exterior looks... beat. RUN AWAY. Lesson #2: Search the Internet for price ranges. Options and options and options cost money. What you are buying may be a stripped version or one with every bell and whistle. It makes a difference in value. Lesson #3. Of course, these 'options' need to operate and be functional. If the seller has no access to POWER... ask them to bring it to your home and you will provide POWER. Lesson #4. Propane appliances. Hot water tank needs to be checked for condition and then fill with Water. Fire up the propane and hot water tank. Fire up the furnace. Fire up the Refrigerator. If the Propane tanks are EMPTY. RUN AWAY is a good option. Without Propane these are very expensive to replace or repair. Lesson #5. Toilets. Flashlight. Sure... this may sound 'creepy' but, look down the toilet into the Black Water Tank. If there is a pile of Bat SH$T and it stinks... RUN AWAY, unless the owner offers to clean it out. A responsible trailer owner will not leave this Guano Pile to harden up and clog up the Black Water Tank. Of course this is just the beginning. This Forum has many experienced BUYERS and SELLERS to jump in and add to my short list. If no one is interested, I will rest my case and go on my way. There are good buys that you pay more for and they are worth it... and there are some that the seller knows the sale is always AS IS on a used trailer sale and dumping it onto the first ignorant buyer. If no one else is willing to add more caveats to buying USED... why not some of you who are thinking of buying a used trailer ask some questions. I am familiar with Airstreams from 2006 to 2019. The components attached within and outside the trailer have similar suppliers if not the same. Just a different exterior. One last winded comment. Buy a trailer that your vehicle can EASILY tow... first. You do not want that 30 foot trailer and discover your Jeep will not pull it too far. Otherwise you will be buying a tow vehicle, maybe a different hitch and the trailer's wheel bearings are rusted solid and tire rot cracks are obvious to everyone but... you.

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Everyone understands SnowBirding. When the snow flies to the northern States... the snowbirds head toward the Southern States. Hummingbirding is the opposite. When we are sizzling in the Mohave Desert in Nevada... we head to the High Country. Elevations of the Rocky Mountains provide wonderful days and cool evenings. Hummingbirds do the same... they head into the high country during the summer months. The mountains of Colorado are packed with RV's wanting to get out of the Midwest and other humid areas of the country. When the high country humidity is lower than the age of your RV or Trailer... you understand the Air Temperature and Sunshine are wonderful in dry climates. You can be skiing the 12,000 foot runs in Colorado in the Winter... but when the sun comes out, anything higher than your ski boot is warm enough to shed your jacket and... maybe a sweater. No kidding. Try it, you will like it. We have migrated like Hummingbirds into the High Country during the Summer months to camp. Usually 4800 feet the comfort zone appears. Hot days, Cool evenings. Great for sleeping. Get into the Mile High to 8,000 feet just perfect with a long sleeve shirt in the morning and peel clothes off by 11 AM. Higher elevations can be warm during the day, but below freezing at night. Experience will make you a good judge of what to expect. For 'Flat Landers' living at Sea Level to 2000 feet elevation... avoid getting into the 8,000 feet and higher elevations until your lungs get adapted to the thinner air and less oxygen. If you do not believe me... get up to 10,000 feet or higher... do some hiking... and your headache will be more than you can handle. You will want to get DOWN into lower elevations quicker and as soon as possible. When I say 'headache', I cannot describe it... but you will understand immediately. Some who travel up and down in elevations in the Rocky Mountains rarely have this oxygen and headache issue. Those coming from Kansas City at 800 to 1000 feet elevation to Leadville, Colorado at 10,000 feet and want to walk around town... might understand. If you do not get the headache and nausea... great. You may be in excellent physical condition. Most... ooooh eeeee. Not good for you. So, you Hummingbirding RV'ers / Trailer Campers... enjoy this switch in directions during the Seasons. Out West... Elevation is what you seek. If you want Climate Change... check the elevation of where you want to go. Check the local temperature highs and lows. Expect low humidity, thin air, lots of sunshine... and even in July you can be caught in a Snowstorm, Hard Freeze and the next day back to... normal. Only a Hummingbird understands that you must be prepared for about anything. Out in the Rocky Mountains the towns and cities are in the valleys. For obvious reasons. When towns are far and few... winters can get nasty, as can late Fall and early Spring. Weather will dictate your staying in the 'banana belt' valleys... and when to venture into Hummingbird county. Also... bring some Hummingbird feeders. The young birds will land on your hand to taste an apple you are eating, or actually taste your... nostrils. New Mexico has lots of Hummingbirds in Trailers and those coming north from Central America. When you Living the Life of a Hummingbird... you are one happy, camper! Any suggestions from fellow Hummingbirds? We stay west of the 101st Meridian and some of you east of Kansas can give some great advice.

Costco sells a kit with a 100 watt solar panel and controller. You connect the + and - as the instructions tell you to do with the controller. The Solar Panel is full sized glass and aluminum framed. Cost $120. They are on sale again, my wife said this morning. They ship it to your doorstep. I also use AGM sealed batteries on our latest trailer. Before... any battery will do and when they need to be replaced, go to AGM sealed batteries. Our last trailer did 8 years with AGM batteries and were fine when we sold it with the small 40watt solar in 2006. I take an extension cord. Cut about a foot off the 'plug side' and wire it to the Solar Panel Controller, which the controller is secured inside with the batteries. (More if you use a separate female plug and mount to the battery box area.) Run the power cord out of the battery box and figure out how to secure the 'female plug'. Mark which is + and -. The cord with the cut end is now wired to the Solar Panel's + and -. Just keep track of the + and -. The wiring inside the power cord are colored, so you cannot confuse the polarity. Otherwise, have your wife help you. Women know more than they lead on. OK? Now you have the Solar Panel wired + and -. You have the female plug end wired + and - to the batteries. (I took one end, either will do, to one battery and the other end to the second battery. So one + and the other on the - battery connection.) Lean the Solar Panel onto a milk crate towards the sunlight. Plug the male plug from the Solar Panel into the Female plug on your battery box. If the panel is charging... you will see the yellow diode glow. When green, your battery is fully charged. Just follow the directions that come with the panel. You can get yellow and green mixed up if you know what I mean... I will stand in between the Sun and Panel and watch my shadow on the solar panel... to get the best angle for maximum charge. You move the panel and adjust as the Sun moves. It can be set for Sunrise, once you figure out where sunrise will clear the trees, etc. You sleep in and the Solar Panel is working at sunrise! Whooo Weeee! Even doubling the crates and add some weight into the crates. Get heavy milk crates from a junk yard that were used for milk deliveries. You can also make brackets or anything that will support the panel. (Only leave out overnight, when Boondocking Off the Grid where no thieves are wandering around at night. Campgrounds... secure your panel in tow vehicle or trailer. I take a magic marker and write our name on the back and edges for... recognizing your panel on someone else's trailer.) If you like this after one panel. Go for a second panel and repeat. Separate panel, controller and wiring. Less than $250 for 200 watts or more. The extension cord I use is probably 25 feet long. I can be camped in the shade and the solar panel in the sun. After awhile you will think you are some kind of genius, saved a $1,000 for a professional system on the trailer's roof... and it works just as well. When traveling, we put our one panel on our bed and wrap in a blanket. It does not slide off on rough roads and our batteries are happy. We are happy... and most of all, you did it yourself. I am not an experienced electrical minded individual and did it twice! If you keep your + and - connected from the Solar Panel to the Controller to the Batteries... you will sit back and your batteries will be getting a FREE Solar Charge all day.

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My wife, myself and two Blue Heelers tent camped when we struggled to own a home, finance educations and make ends meet. A tent and 4x4 SUV was our camping option. We managed very well and adapted. The children grew up and began their independent lives and their own families. The home mortgage was paid off. The two vehicles paid off. We... were now liberated by scrimping and making every dollar count. Our first trailer was a 2006 23 foot Airstream Safari. A double axle. Plenty of room. We tweaked the factory cabinet hinges, removed the microwave and used the space to store paper towels, paper plates and room to spare. To us... it was a 'Tent on Wheels'. The depreciation of the original cost was slow, as the Airstream prices would increase annually. We looked at all kinds of trailers to tow with our 2006 Tundra 4.7L 4x4 pickup. Later to a 5.7L Tundra. Selling the 23 foot trailer, using this sale to cover much of the cost of a 2008 25 foot Safari Airstream and in 2018, selling this trailer and moving into a 2019 27 foot Airstream, which we currently have tweaked out 100% for Off the Grid Boondocking. We managed to negotiate two Solar Panels on the trailer and added a 100w solar panel from Costco to attach once camped for extra solar charging. It all works beyond our expectations. But being hard core explorers in remote areas, we can get by with minimal power needs. This includes water, food and propane. It just comes natural to us to minimize our use of what capabilities our latest trailer offers. Our choice of an Airstream was the depreciation becomes minimal the longer you own the trailer. They were easy to sell and use the money to 'up size'. There are many other fine trailers to choose from. We just never saw any when camped in the forests. The Oliver trailer we looked at that was Boondocked in Colorado, while we were tent camping in 2018 AND after selling the 25 foot Airstream. At 70 years old I found that the two of us and two Blue Heelers in the tent were a bit crowded. Comfortable, but the idea of tent camping further off the grid worked... the long evenings in the tent after sunset was a difficult transition. One season in 2018 tent camping... was a bit of a stretch, recalling our 30's and 40's enjoying the tight quarters with Blue Heelers. This is why we regretted selling the 25 foot trailer and one morning decided to get our LAST trailer... the 2019 27 foot Airstream. Negotiated the upgrades to our surprise, with the 2020's coming out, parked in the lot at the Las Vegas Airstream dealership. My wife inspected the interior. I brought my crawler to inspect the bottom of the trailer, the top using a telescoping ladder, windows, water heater... etc. Spent six hours, plus to find the RIGHT trailer that was 100% perfect from the factory. On the day of closing another three hours, with the staff demonstrating the trailer watered up, propane fired up and everything was 100% operational... we closed on the deal and remain happy... happy... happy. This is our dream trailer and never, ever will consider letting this one get away. Tent camping was a treat for decades. Trailer camping was wonderful and with all of the modern lighting, solar, cabinets and appliances... our lives have gone full circle. Had we wanted an under 25 foot trailer for our style of camping... Oliver II would have been perfect. They are double axle and reign supreme in the under 25 foot trailers. Since we were familiar with Airstreams and working with them, available on a dealer's lot... we stuck with what we were familiar. What is your story? Everyone has a story worth repeating. Our journey to a trailer took a number of years of learning and talking to others. It was not easy. Today... we are experts in picking out what works best for us... today. It took 13 years... but finally found our Boondocking home. What is your story?

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