Campground irritants

[Karen H.]

Golly, I remember going camping as a youth and the only baths we had were when we went swimming--sometimes a bit tough to do in a national forest. My how expectations change.

 

[Dave Walter]

Sometimes a songbird sitting in a tree next to the open window of your Escape can be real loud at 4am in the morning. Even louder is when there are a whole flock of them yattering at each other. And the rustling from a whole herd of deer moving through the grass next to the camper also can be extremely noticeable. And those squirrels chattering at each other and throwing acorns on top of the trailer early in the morning can disrupt that early morning silence. Don't even get me started on the sounds from running water over a small waterfall on that wilderness river next to my camp site. ..... This thread was about those things we love about campgrounds we have stayed at, right?

 

[float5]

We had that awful lapping water thing by one of our last spots!

 

[J Mac]

originally posted by J Mac "people learning ukulele next door" :whistling:

I am planning to pick one up soon. A great addition to a campfire jam session, easily portable, nice sounding, AND not as loud as most guitars. Isn't there a Ukulele guy buying an Escape?

Thanks for the warning Jim! :whistling:

 

[gabeck]

Don't mind paying for the shower , while I think a loonie for three minutes is high end I didn't get any warmth before I put the third loonie in ( I've never used three loonies for one shower before - three minutes is enough) .... Water was just too cold . We always have shower " flip flops " which we still often call thongs ...have had a few odd looks when I've called after Wolf to take his shower thongs ....

 

[Sandra L]

Every once in a while I slip up and call them thongs. My 23 y/o daughter rolls her eyes and says Mommmmm. But hey, flip-flops were thongs when I was a kid rather than dental floss underwear!

In Southern California a few years back (;D), they were called "go-aheads". Some foreigners (non-locals) called them "zories".

 

[Jim Bennett]

Golly, I remember going camping as a youth and the only baths we had were when we went swimming--sometimes a bit tough to do in a national forest. My how expectations change.

Shhh.... I mentioned this a while back, an now everyone thinks I am a stinky guy.

...have had a few odd looks when I've called after Wolf to take his shower thongs ....

Thanks for that mental image, Gabi. Someone please pass the brain bleach.

Thongs were what we used to call flip-flops too
Being gay meant we were happy
Bad meant bad, not good
Sick was not feeling well, not a good thing
Rubbers were worn on our feet
Tool was a something you worked with, not a goof-ball
Cells were a place where criminals were locked up

 

[Ron in BC]

but that doesn't match those at the Miller's Landing Campground in Steward, Alaska - Non refundable $1.00 tokens for 2 minutes. I think that was the most expensive I've found, but the view from the campground was great:

You could have used the ones in the Harbor Masters building. There're also used by hundreds of returning fishermen who've been at sea for a couple of weeks. But as Jim said, the water is still clean no matter the surroundings.

Ron

 

[Ron in BC]

We had that awful lapping water thing by one of our last spots!

Don't you just hate it when that happens ;D

Ron

 

[sleepy]

I have driven diesels for 30 years, and granted some of the older ones were a bit noisier, but none I had so noisy you couldn't hear. There are those macho guys that chip and modify them for performance, and as a result are often louder, and this I don't like listening too either. I absolutely love my new Ford diesel, that came out in 2012, it is so quite, nobody ever hears me coming, and everyone comments on how it doesn't even sound like a diesel. A lot of diesel cars are quite quiet too.

The specific Mfg is D**ge- the exhaust tail-pipe looks like to be about 4" across. These trucks are fairly new (less than 5 years old).

I don't know if all the ones I hear are modified (very doubtful) but they are too loud. I haven't noticed the same problem with the other Mfg's.

As for idling, to me it should be just start, and go. But I live in a mild climate and don't know what is required in places like AB and SK.

35 years ago, we had a diesel car - ran like a top for 8 years and then it self destructed in about 4 months. The best example of planned obsolescence.

 

[Greg A]

Don't mind paying for the shower , while I think a loonie for three minutes is high end I didn't get any warmth before I put the third loonie in ( I've never used three loonies for one shower before - three minutes is enough) .... Water was just too cold . We always have shower " flip flops " which we still often call thongs ...have had a few odd looks when I've called after Wolf to take his shower thongs ....

A loonie for three minute shower? That was probably last month, this month you only get a minute and a half for a loonie. ;D

 

[Brian B-P]

Some diesel trucks are louder than others, but none are quiet. Some are louder at idle than my car is at highway speed and power. I can live with them without complaint as long as the driver isn't driving around excessively, idling for an extended period, or stomping the fast pedal.

I notice in traffic that the modified "look at me I'm a big man" rigs make a huge amount of noise while accelerating at a rate that I easily beat in my economy compact car with no where near full power or maximum engine speed. It's all about the image, not doing work or having performance.

The specific Mfg is D**ge- the exhaust tail-pipe looks like to be about 4" across. These trucks are fairly new (less than 5 years old).

They now call them "Ram", not "Dodge". The engine is the pickup version of the Cummins ISB, which is the only big six-cylinder of the currently available pickup engines - the rest are V8's. It's the same thing found in many medium-duty trucks, and I'm sure many buyers like the noise (that macho thing mentioned earlier).

Diesels generally have large exhaust pipes for their power level, because the unthrottled operation means large air (exhaust) volume even at low power. Full-sized diesel pickups now all have 300 to 440 horsepower (mostly in the high 300's), so that means a big exhaust pipe.

I don't know if all the ones I hear are modified (very doubtful) but they are too loud. I haven't noticed the same problem with the other Mfg's.

They might be modified, or just falling apart. The increased popularity of diesel pickups has meant the return of the smoky and noisy junk that modern emission-controlled diesel engines were supposed to eliminate, as many of them go bad after a few years, perhaps because owners are inconsiderate jersks, or they just can't afford the high-priced maintenance that comes with these engines. A local muffler shop that has been getting into the "performance" business openly advertises DPF (diesel particulate filter) elimination kits... in other words, removing the emission controls and some of the muffling.

As for idling, to me it should be just start, and go. But I live in a mild climate and don't know what is required in places like AB and SK.

Same thing here - Jim's description is excellent... and he's in Alberta.

We stayed at a campground once with a neighbor who started his hunk of diesel crap every morning at around dawn and let it idle for about 20 minutes before driving somewhere (for breakfast?) and coming back in less time than he left it idling. Inconsiderate idiot.

 

[Ruthe]

Okay, one time we were in a National Forest in a tent with two little kids and the night the hosts were off duty we had two couples next to us who were there to party. It was okay until they turned on their car radio full blast. I asked them to shut it off once and there was no response. Then I (I know I know it was dumb) went to the car myself and turned it off. Then ensued a lengthy "conversation" during which I was told that for 50 weeks a year the guy (the main speaker)had to adhere to rules at work and in his condo complex and this was his only time to relax and be his own person. I tried pointing out that we had two little kids, it was late we needed to sleep, etc., and finally I plopped myself down and said 'Okay, if I can't sleep I guess I'll just sit here and watch you."

I can't believe I did this, but I did.

They turned off the radio.

 

[SpokanEscape]

Like your style Ruthe! ��

 

[Ron in BC]

finally I plopped myself down and said 'Okay, if I can't sleep I guess I'll just sit here and watch you."

I can't believe I did this, but I did.

They turned off the radio.

:cheers: Sometimes you've just gotta do what you've gotta do.

Ron

 

[Brian B-P]

... finally I plopped myself down and said 'Okay, if I can't sleep I guess I'll just sit here and watch you."

I can't believe I did this, but I did.

They turned off the radio.

Well played!

 

[EDarby]

I love this post!!!

Sometimes a songbird sitting in a tree next to the open window of your Escape can be real loud at 4am in the morning. Even louder is when there are a whole flock of them yattering at each other. And the rustling from a whole herd of deer moving through the grass next to the camper also can be extremely noticeable. And those squirrels chattering at each other and throwing acorns on top of the trailer early in the morning can disrupt that early morning silence. Don't even get me started on the sounds from running water over a small waterfall on that wilderness river next to my camp site. ..... This thread was about those things we love about campgrounds we have stayed at, right?

 

[padlin]

New biggest irritant for us. Just arrived at Rocky mt national park, person that just left our site dumped his gray tanks all over the gravel. Gray stinks too.

 

[Ruthe]

Bob -- Now THAT is gross!!!!

 

[Fox hunt]

Yea your right kids will be kids I think they only irritated me because the motorized skate board made my dog crazy and I don't like him barking so I had to keep shushing him. I was at Cannon beach it's a very busy crowded camp ground next time I'm getting a back space with less activity.