New to this forum

[OldPhartBkr]

Hi folks!

I have a small trailer from Aliner, called a Cabin A. I pull it with my Toyota Tacoma and LOVE to get out and go camping!

[Puddles]

Welcome to the forums!

[NEJ]

I think I know the trailer type. Post a photo and welcome aboard.

NJ

[Wardroid]

welcome. this forum is da bomb!

[OldPhartBkr]

I think I know the trailer type. Post a photo and welcome aboard.

NJ

I actually DID put up a photo in my profile, but it didn't "take". Wonder if I have to do something else.

[Vtec44]

Welcome to the forum :D

You can also attach it to your post, the picture that is.

[NEJ]

I see the photo as your profile picture.

When I post photo's I use photobucket.com where I have a free account. I set up a series of cascading albums in my main album and load photo's from my computer to the appropriate album. The loader can be set to downsize the computer photo's automatically with a default set to the size that works for this website 640 x 480. Below the "upload images and videos" button is a "use crtl to select multiple files (more options)" statement. Click on the "(more options)" to set the image upload size.

I open my photobucket album in a separate browser window so I can toggle back and forth to my post and add the photo's one at a time. Double click on the photo in the album until it is full size on the screen (not full screen). Then right click on it and select "copy image location." Now go back to your post and click on the yellow insert image square with the little mountain. Move the cursor to the blue highlighted box and right click. Select paste and ok.

I think you can have like 25 photo's per post. If you have more, just submit and reply to your own post and add a few words and another bunch of photo's

NJ

[OldPhartBkr]

OK, let's see if I can attach something to this post.
Ah, that worked. So let me see if I can do one of our Full set up. Well, that didn't work. Said the remote file is too large.

OK, I got it! Got my avatar to work! Now I am feeling better!

It didn't like me uploading a pic, but I wonder if I can link to it? (Sorry guys, just trying to see what I can and can't do around here.)
http://homeartz.com/OpenMind/PICS/Buellton0909/IMG_1934.JPG

[NEJ]

Very nice! Now you probably knew somebody was going to ask but ---do you have photo's of the inside. I want to know what comforts you gain by using a trailer.

NJ

[OldPhartBkr]

I am staring to feel a bit more comfortable here, so I thought I would put up my camping creds for you folks.

I have been camping since I was a small lad. My Dad used to own a canvas tent and we would sleep on cots! I remember one trip to Yosemite where Mom didn't want to buy milk because we were leaving so she gave myself and my three brothers dry cereal. We never made it out of the valley before Dad had to stop and, well....we left breakfast there. :puke

As a kid, my Dad purchased a 13 foot Fireball trailer to take us along with another family and their 13 foot Scotty, to the New York World's Fair. (Does THAT age me or what?) For 3 months, there and back to Southern California, I had *A* drawer. That was it. And let me tell you, by the time that trip was less than half way over, we could level our rig in SECONDS.

That was also the time where they would ENCOURAGE you to pick up wood for your fire. BUY wood? Are you kidding?

Later on, my Dad purchased a larger rig with my grandfather. I never liked that second rig...lousy floor plan. When my grandfather had an extra cabinet added to the back for storage, we got a lesson in how SWAY works too! When I started driving, we had that larger rig so I took it out a couple of times. At 56 MPH, it would start to go back and forth like crazy..and downhill? Oh man, you had your hand on that trailer brake!

I have backpacked, I have tent/car camped and now we have our little rig. We got it because we found that we had stopped camping mainly because I was just tired of getting up off the ground in the morning! And putting on the shoes to use the bathroom in the middle of the night just no longer worked for me or my wife.

Our current rig is perfect for two of us. We have grown kids but they would not be caught dead taking an outing with us. Our rig has an air conditioner, heater, a full kitchen, a dinette that turns into a bed and bathroom/shower thing. (Although, the shower is just too darn small to be usable. We would rather use the facilities showers or sponge bath.) We pull our rig with a 6 cyl Toyota Tacoma.

These days, the two of us and our dog try to take outings once a month except during the summer because things get too crowded and hot for us.

We both dry camp as well as do a full hook up thing, but dry camping is starting to REALLY bother us because of the stinkin' generators! If we are in a place that has plug ins, then no generators but often those places are more like parking lots. The only saving grace is that our rig is so small, we can get to some places that the big boys with their noisy toys can't get into.

This allows us to be in either "Glorified Tent" mode or "Rolling Motel Room" mode. As far as the Rolling Motel Room, we get to enjoy places like Paso Robles and the central coast where we can get our fav wines and some great restaurants if we choose.

Upcoming, we are taking December off but are set for a weekend in Carpinteria in January and a 4 day trip to the Anza Borrego in February. Still looking to fill March and April and then we have a week long trip planned in May for the Gold Country.

Love dat campin'!!

[OldPhartBkr]

Very nice! Now you probably knew somebody was going to ask but ---do you have photo's of the inside. I want to know what comforts you gain by using a trailer.

NJ

Sure. BTW, we call our rig the Tardis. A reference to Dr. Who referring to something that is larger on the inside than the outside.

Here is a shot looking inside. http://homeartz.com/OpenMind/PICS/tpics/IMG_1899.JPG (http://homeartz.com/OpenMind/PICS/tpics/IMG_1899.JPG)

Just to show that we have a bathroom, http://homeartz.com/OpenMind/PICS/tpics/IMG_1901.JPG (http://homeartz.com/OpenMind/PICS/tpics/IMG_1901.JPG)

Out Stove, http://homeartz.com/OpenMind/PICS/tpics/IMG_1911.JPG (http://homeartz.com/OpenMind/PICS/tpics/IMG_1911.JPG)

A nice outside shot while it sits in the driveway, http://homeartz.com/OpenMind/PICS/tpics/IMG_1915.JPG (http://homeartz.com/OpenMind/PICS/tpics/IMG_1915.JPG)

I also have trip reports if you like. Certainly will take more at the Carpinteria trip in January.

[NEJ]

Thanks for the info. I also am an "oldish" fellow. My wife doesn't camp. She stays home. I bought a cabin in Idyllwild years ago to get her out in the woods with me, but now she doesn't even do that. I go to the cabin every other weekend and camping the weekends I don't go to the cabin. I have a dog which is my camping and cabin buddy, but I also have a friend who goes on some trips and has for many years.

I tent camp, but in the past did my share of back packing. My favorite areas are the deserts and I have explored almost every square mile of Anza Borrego, the Mojave, Death Valley, Panamint Valley, the Inyo's, Saline Valley, Eureka Valley, etc.

I read a lot of early California history on ghost towns and mining. I also am a hobby botanist and biologist. I love structural geology. So camping fits with all that.

Like a number of others on this site, I also love camping gadgets and camping tricks and tips. I love setting up camp and taking it down. I love cooking at the campsite.

Anyway, good to have another camper at this website to share places, experiences, tips, tricks, and thoughts about gear and ways to have fun in the wild.

NJ

[Vtec44]

Well, since everyone is posting what they do and how they got into camping, I'll go ahead and join the party.

I've been camping ever since I was a kid, started out with a 7th grade school trip to our local forest ranger office. I've been camping every chance I get ever since.

Strangely, no one in family does it. My parents do not camp, neither do my sibblings. Most of my friends don't like to get out or get dirty. Their idea of camping is to drive to a spot, setup the tent, turn on the loud music, lots of drinking, and then go home. My wife does it, as long as there's water, flush toilet, and hot shower nearby. My kids love to camp, but they're still very young so they require more "maintenance" when we go.

My idea of camping is just to get away, enjoy the peace, nature, and the clean air. I'm more of a backpacker than camper, so I like to keep everything light, small, simple, and replenishable. Unfortunately, the economy and work have taken me away from camping... for now. So, in the mean time I'm living my camping life through you guys. :D

[OldPhartBkr]

Thanks for the info. I also am an "oldish" fellow. My wife doesn't camp. She stays home.

I consider myself lucky that my wife DOES like to go with me and puts up with entire thing. She doesn't like dry camping as much as being plugged in and she doesn't walk nearly the amount that I do but...the dog does!


I bought a cabin in Idyllwild years ago to get her out in the woods with me, but now she doesn't even do that. I go to the cabin every other weekend and camping the weekends I don't go to the cabin. I have a dog which is my camping and cabin buddy, but I also have a friend who goes on some trips and has for many years.

You go a LOT..time be become friends:eek4

So tell us about your cabin and of course, I want to know more about Idyllwild. We camped there many years ago and I am ready to go back again.

I tent camp, but in the past did my share of back packing. My favorite areas are the deserts and I have explored almost every square mile of Anza Borrego, the Mojave, Death Valley, Panamint Valley, the Inyo's, Saline Valley, Eureka Valley, etc.

I know more of the coast and want to know more about the deserts. We are scheduled to be in Anza in February. Have you seen the sculptures in the desert out there? We are looking forward to seeing some of those.

BTW, speaking of tent camping, if you saw the pics that I put up you saw that we bring a screen tent with us. Vastly improves the amount of floor space and that is where we often cook our food. We have a stove in the rig, but if you cook a piece of chicken in there, the rig tends to smell like chicken for a few days....ew.

[OldPhartBkr]

Strangely, no one in family does it. My parents do not camp, neither do my sibblings. Most of my friends don't like to get out or get dirty.

You really do have to buy into the lifestyle of this. I have some friends that "tried" an RV and the woman did NOT like the idea of being out and about at ALL. "My parents didn't work hard all of their lives so their daughter would have to be walking through a campground with a towel around her shoulders in order to get to the showers."


Their idea of camping is to drive to a spot, setup the tent, turn on the loud music, lots of drinking, and then go home.

My idea of camping is...well..I don't have any idea of camping! I find that if I just go with the flow, that I have a good time! Sometimes, that means getting back into the truck and seeing this or that. Sometimes it means eating real darn good! (Well...that is ALL the time but I mean like, interesting restaurant fair.) Sometimes, it just means sittin' in my camp chair and that is that! Ya just never know.

My wife does it, as long as there's water, flush toilet, and hot shower nearby. My kids love to camp, but they're still very young so they require more "maintenance" when we go.

We have found those places, but we are lucky that we bring our own toilet and water.

Enjoy the fact that your kids even GO with you. My kids are grown and want nothing to do with our outings. At some point, we got the kids, each, their own tents and would invite a friend to go along. They liked that.

My idea of camping is just to get away, enjoy the peace, nature, and the clean air. I'm more of a backpacker than camper, so I like to keep everything light, small, simple, and replenishable. Unfortunately, the economy and work have taken me away from camping... for now. So, in the mean time I'm living my camping life through you guys. :D


Ah, come on...get out here! The water's great!

What part of the world are you in? Camping can be cheap as chips if done right. Yea, you may have to pay for the overnight, but you still eat the food you would normally eat.

BTW, I am in the San Fernando Valley, and grew up on the westside of El Lay.

[NEJ]

Here are a couple cabin photo's.

I wish my wife would go camping. I have made bets with her where her going was the pay-off. I have tried to bribe her. But now (25 years) I am resigned to the fact that she is just never going camping. I haven't given up on getting her back to the cabin. We would go almost every weekend for the first 9 years, but the last several she has gone less and less until now she hasn't been up there in over a year.

Idyllwild has two campgrounds in town. One at Riverside County Park and the other at the San Jacinto State Park. There are several campgrounds at Pine Cove both state and San Bernardino National Forest. County Park is probably the nicest (no hook-ups but showers and flush toilets). There are some very good restaurants in Idyllwild and wonderful places to hike to.

NJ

http://i841.photobucket.com/albums/zz335/NEricJ/Cabin/103-0313_IMG.jpg?t=1259863552 (http://i841.photobucket.com/albums/zz335/NEricJ/Cabin/103-0313_IMG.jpg?t=1259863552)

http://i841.photobucket.com/albums/zz335/NEricJ/Cabin/100-0019_IMG.jpg?t=1259863575 (http://i841.photobucket.com/albums/zz335/NEricJ/Cabin/100-0019_IMG.jpg?t=1259863575)

[OldPhartBkr]

That is a NICE lookin place there! Now, where do I park my rig? :)

BTW, maybe your wife needs a cabin on wheels. You ever taken her to an RV show? (Just curious.)

[Vtec44]

What part of the world are you in? Camping can be cheap as chips if done right. Yea, you may have to pay for the overnight, but you still eat the food you would normally eat.

BTW, I am in the San Fernando Valley, and grew up on the westside of El Lay.

I'm in Fontana & Big Bear. My primary residence is in Fontana, but I have a cabin up in Big Bear. It's mostly time consuming for now and it's kind of difficult to take time off of work. On top of that, I'm also on call on weekends.

So for now, we just go to the cabin on weekends. Our annual trips to Yosemite, Big Sur, San Simeon, Yellow Stone all have been kind of put on hold. :(

NEJ's cabin is really nice. I have cabin envy! :D

[OldPhartBkr]

I'm in Fontana & Big Bear. My primary residence is in Fontana, but I have a cabin up in Big Bear. It's mostly time consuming for now and it's kind of difficult to take time off of work. On top of that, I'm also on call on weekends.

So for now, we just go to the cabin on weekends. Our annual trips to Yosemite, Big Sur, San Simeon, Yellow Stone all have been kind of put on hold. :(

NEJ's cabin is really nice. I have cabin envy! :D

You are close to a lot of local camping where you are. Big Bear and Wrightwood, Calico, Anza, etc. Also, come out a ways to the west and there are LOTS out here to play with!

[NEJ]

I have suggested to my wife that we could rent an RV for a weekend trip, but that has not been successful to date.

NJ

[OldPhartBkr]

I have suggested to my wife that we could rent an RV for a weekend trip, but that has not been successful to date.

NJ

Maybe you guys need to come with us! :ohcrap

Do you or your wife enjoy wine tasting?

[NEJ]

My wife tastes a lot more wine than I do, but I do enjoy it.

NJ

[OldPhartBkr]

My wife tastes a lot more wine than I do, but I do enjoy it.

NJ

Ah..so as a suggestion, why not rent the RV but use it in "Rolling Motel Mode" for wine country? We have some great stuff in this state!