Boating and camping?

[Bamby]

Re: Boating and camping?

We also tried the boating/camping route and we found it extremely frustrating to say the least. On quality weekends it was almost impossible to get a site or at least a decent site in any convenient campground to any quality boating waters. Plus it always seemed they jacked the rates on holiday weekends as a added additional bonus to them of course. Then you had the party crowd who seemed to thrive on whatever kind of music you most happen to hate. Anyway after a few years of wising up we made the move to a trailer-able houseboat for our recreational needs. Now when we don't approve of our neighbors we can quietly pick up the anchor and motor off and find our piece and quiet or whatever in another cove, sandbar or whatever. I know it's really worked out well for us.

 

[jeffnick]

Re: Boating and camping?

What about trade your truck in for one of those full size van with the extended top. You can rig up fold down bed attach to each side of the van.

something like these?

I see one of them in my future but mine won't be as fancy or has back row seats.

I have experience with these too although mine isn't high top - wanted to be able to put in my carport.


Mine is a 7 passenger E-350 with the rear seats removed. We started out by using the R2D2 air conditioner shown in the back opposite the wheelchair, but needed more space so we put in a window unit and mounted a generator on the trailer hitch.

I sewed up some snap in curtains which we use occasionally.

Nice thing about this rig is that you can park anywhere overnight (stealth camping).

I have since removed one of the cots and put the two captains chairs back in the second row so we can carry 4 people when we get where we're going. One of the chairs I modified to lay completely back so we can still comfortably sleep two.

I've never been tempted to go the motorhome route, we have all we need to be comfortable in the van (including a sun-shower) and for the times we need a real shower, a campground suffices quite nicely.

On the flats at 55 mph we get 17mpg (not towing), which is plenty good for us. We have the V10, so we can run as fast as we like, but prefer to keep her at 55 or less -- we're retired and in no hurry. Towing the boat across country we got +/- 12.

 

[RMB]

Re: Boating and camping?

We had the same dilemma. We liked the idea of a motor home for many things, including comfort on the way to the lake, but hated the idea of having to pull up camp and then set everything back up anytime we launch/retrieve the boat. And the wife thought that a slide in camper is just too small.

Since 2001, we have chose to pull our boat tandem behind our fifth wheel. While it is legal in most states, it certainly is not for everyone. It has worked very well for us.

 

[greggholmes]

Re: Boating and camping?

I have a 10'X 21' tent http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=280472433142&ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT ,

queen sized adjustable bed http://www.campingstation.com/raised-insta-flex-airbed-with-built-pump-p-1157.html ,

our private LAV http://www.gandermountain.com/assets/images/products/large/412301_L1.jpg.

Also the camping kitchen and sink with running waterhttp://ep.yimg.com/ca/I/yhst-80121207346754_2098_7407177, plus a few more toys

 

[4JawChuck]

Re: Boating and camping?

This is the interlocking carpeted foam mats we bought, we got ours at Rona/Revy here in Canada but I am sure other home hardware stores carry them. We double ours up since it was so cheap so the floor is actually 1 1/4" thick, It adds a lot of insulation value to the tent floor as well. You see them a lot at trade shows etc.

http://www.greatmats.com/products/interlocking-carpet.php

I guess we are pretty lucky here in Canada since rowdy campers are instantly fined, loud music is not tolerated at all. We have had nothing but great experiences camping here and if an island we had picked out is occupied there will be another one upstream that is not occupied. Some of them require reservations that you can pay for online but most we go to are first come first serve on the Winnipeg River.

I imagine once we get older and the kids get older we will grow out of the tent thing and just rent cabins, but for now we really enjoy ruffing it and the kids learn valuable lessons in wilderness survival from Dad. They know how to start a fire and all have Buck knives that will last them a lifetime, not many 9 year old kids have 8" blade knives and can be trusted to use them properly.

We also bought two dual communicators sets (4 total) that charge from the vans 12V outlet but easily last a week of casual use so we can keep track of the kids and play games of hide and seek with.

 

[thefairlaneman]

Re: Boating and camping?

jeffnick, I really like your rig. Im doing the same thing but on a smaller scale. I have a short body aerostar and a 14 foot aluminum runabout. I might not venture as far as you have but a trip to the beach is being planned. The ac idea looks great. Good job

 

[wvmedic]

Re: Boating and camping?

4JawChuck, thanks for the info.

EZ I agree, I knew there would be some good info come out of it though. That is what I needed, it's nice when you can draw from the knowledge from a vast amount of folks on subjects such as this. It really helps to make an informed decision at times.

I have looked at the laws regarding the 5th wheel and the boat, from what I'm seeing for the most part it is not legal in the eastern US. The info I have found refers to triple towing, I would imagine that is what I would call pulling doubles.
I have pulled doubles, I drove a tow truck for about six years and have towed pickups with boats and tractor trailer combos. I did mostly the big stuff for my last four years of employment there.

Any way thank you to everyone for posting you're experiences, it will help me to make an informed decision as to what will work the best for us.

Jeff

 

[avenger79]

Re: Boating and camping?

don't know about other states but in Wis you can pull doubles on the interstate and then off the Interstate directly to your destination.

 

[Dave Barnett]

Re: Boating and camping?

Ford F-150 with a topper shell. Foam mattress in back. Porta Potty in a bathroom buddy blind (Bass Pro Shops). Coleman camp stove. Couple of coolers. Screen tent so you don't have to share with the skeeters. Small Honda generator and a 5,000 BTU air conditioner that will fit in a window on the topper. We bought one of them plastic tote boxes to pack our dishes and stuff in and it does double duty as a tub to wash them in. Big Arctic Boy water cooler holds 5 gal. of drinking water. All this packs nicely into the boat and back of the truck when traveling. This set up actually looks a lot better than it sounds.

 

[Shizzy]

Re: Boating and camping?

many of the places I have been to will put in or take out your boat for you.

 

[Parts Jimmy]

Re: Boating and camping?

Here is how I roll:

The camper can be camped in off the truck. I rarely do this unless I plan on being on a site for a few days and don't have any other means of transportation. Most of the time I leave the camper on the truck and launch the boat first.