Ski RV's, who's sleeping in parking lots?

**muted reborn** · 05-27-2022, 11:50 AM

Originally Posted by Hopeless Sinner

Organ Pipe National Monument, which I was just at, has tent only camping on the 2 outer rings of the campground. Madison Campground in Yellowstone has segregated camp sites for tenters, I was there last fall. So there's 2 federal campgrounds that I have been to that segregate RV's and tent campers. We have reservations in the Grand Canyon in October and I noted a very few sites allocated to tents. I'm sure there are plenty more.

Campgrounds especially National Parks and Monuments, and State Park Campgrounds are overrun w campers of all types. You need a reservation to hike and camp in the backcountry in some places! Planning ahead to camp in these places is hard and competitive. People should respect all the rules, which they probably agree to when making their reservation, or go somewhere else. Making people that are generally volunteer camp hosts, not paid, and not LEO's hassle w enforcing rules is selfish and rude. They didn't make the rules and the people that did probably had a good reason to do so(even if you don't agree.)

I agree. And there are a lot of tent-only places that don't allow sleeping in your vehicle in the parking spot designated for people who tent camp. If you find a place that allows it, great.

**Hopeless Sinner** · 05-27-2022, 11:57 AM

Twin Peaks Campground

Twin Peaks Campground has 34 tent-only sites and 174 sites for RVs. Several sites can accommodate RVs up to 45 feet in length. Restrooms have running water and a few have solar showers. Hookups for electricity, water, or sewer are not available. A dump station, with potable water is located past the last row of campsites.

**Hopeless Sinner** · 05-27-2022, 11:58 AM

^^^ Twin Peaks is the main campground in OP w 208 sites, Alamo has 5 sites. Alamo is also first come, first served and Twin Peaks is all available on a reservation system. recreation.gov

**altasnob** · 05-27-2022, 12:13 PM

Ok, you're right, Twin Peaks has tent only that on recreation.gov it says "Site numbers 175-208 are for ground tent use only. RV's, trailers, truck campers, and camper vans are not permitted in this area. Must pitch a ground tent. No vehicle popup tents or van camping without a tent are allowed at this site"

That sucks, and is what I am afraid of. It's like mountain bikers getting lumped in with dirt bikers and ebikers. Van, truck campers, roof top tents, and truck tents are getting lumped in with massive Class A RVs.

I have no problem sleeping in a tent. I have done it for the majority of my life, and plan to sleep in a tent most of the nights even with a pop up truck camper once my kids are a bit older. So again, to get around (or comply with) these ridiculous rules, just show up in your camper van or truck camper, pitch the tent, sleep in the tent, and make the man happy.

**Trackhead** · 05-30-2022, 07:56 AM

Exploring random mtns in central Montana.

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**yeahman** · 05-30-2022, 09:02 AM

Originally Posted by Trackhead

Exploring random mtns in central Montana.

Did you go to Crystal Lake? Never been there but my wife keeps saying she wants to go camping there. Supposedly the campground is nice. No reservations. I could see driving over there on a Friday and getting skunked on finding a site. Seems like plenty of nearby NF though so that would work.

**byates1** · 05-30-2022, 09:14 AM

I went over skalkaho pass yesterday. Pretty cool area.

**yeahman** · 05-30-2022, 11:18 AM

Originally Posted by byates1

I went over skalkaho pass yesterday. Pretty cool area.

I like that area. There's a nice day hike/backpack to Fuse Lake off the pass. Been there several times to fish for Arctic grayling.

**Trackhead** · 05-30-2022, 12:34 PM

Originally Posted by yeahman

Did you go to Crystal Lake? Never been there but my wife keeps saying she wants to go camping there. Supposedly the campground is nice. No reservations. I could see driving over there on a Friday and getting skunked on finding a site. Seems like plenty of nearby NF though so that would work.

Timber creek and Swiming Woman creek area….weather was crap, but worth going back for spring skiing or summer hiking.

**byates1** · 05-30-2022, 01:07 PM

Originally Posted by yeahman

I like that area. There's a nice day hike/backpack to Fuse Lake off the pass. Been there several times to fish for Arctic grayling.

Nice. Was over in your area up stemple pass a couple weeks ago. Looks like there is xc at the top? Also is that open plowed throughout the winter?

**yeahman** · 05-30-2022, 02:12 PM

Originally Posted by byates1

Nice. Was over in your area up stemple pass a couple weeks ago. Looks like there is xc at the top? Also is that open plowed throughout the winter?

Yep, xc at the top, nothing groomed but fun trails. Plowed all winter and people use it to get back and forth to the Lincoln side. The old Unabomber cabin was on the Lincoln side of Stemple pass.

**sillybunt2** · 05-30-2022, 05:22 PM

Where's the new unabomber cabin located?

**El Chupacabra** · 05-30-2022, 05:32 PM

Originally Posted by sillybunt2

Where's the new unabomber cabin located?

A condo in Connecticut?

**yeahman** · 05-30-2022, 05:47 PM

Originally Posted by sillybunt2

Where's the new unabomber cabin located?

Well it's not a "new" cabin but they have moved the original cabin to a new location.

Chain link fence remains where Unabomber Ted Kaczynski's cabin once stood. The cabin itself was removed as evidence for his trial, and later moved to an exhibit at the Newseum in Washington, D.C. An effort was launched by the Montana Historical Society in 2019 to bring the cabin to the MHS Museum in Helena.

**byates1** · 05-30-2022, 06:57 PM

Is it right on stemple pass Rd? Lasy in Lincoln said it was off some spur rds back in there..

**powdrhound** · 06-03-2022, 12:38 AM

I’m glad that I wasn’t sleeping in a ski area parking lot last night.

Being 900 miles from home, though…

Yesterday the coach door latch decided to break, internally. Could not open the door. After having failed at the first 2-3 hours of trying to open it, I was exhausted.
Thankfully, we could still go thru the cab doors. (With a 80 lb, 16 yo dog - who had to be carried out the door when she woke up at 3:45am, needing to pee, and a 155 lb pup - who I did not want to know that it was ever Ok to go out that door and did Not like coming back in there….) A long night.

I was able to get off the inside plate and it was obvious that the arm had snapped from the strike piece. Spring loaded closed, no edge to grab and no clearance between the door and frame to pull it back.
Arrived at the conclusion that it was time to get destructive. Started drilling holes in the assembly, figuring I might be able to ???
After the third snapped bit and no progress with the chisel, it was time to stop for the night.
A call to Camping World this morning for help. He would gladly get me in the schedule in mid-July.
I did get a couple recommendations for local Mobile Repair. Messages were left. Went ahead locating a new latch assembly from a closer RV shop. They couldn’t help with getting the latch out of the door, either, but thought I may need to pull the door assembly from the rig. So I got some butyl tape, too.
I was going to get this door open, whatever it took.
As I am leaving the shop I got a call from one of the Mobile guys. He actually had an opening this afternoon! Back at my daughters place, Chuy studies it a minute before breaking out His drill. He tore into it, metal chips flying from his big bit, for another hour or so. I had been on the right track, at least. Eventually, enough metal and spring was torn away, the door opened!
A bit of cleanup, adjusting the new latch position some, and I had a working door again. Relief.

So, FYI, when this eventually happens to your rig, the solution is drill baby, drill. Destroy that latch.

**powdork** · 06-03-2022, 10:08 AM

I don't think I would ever buy something without a pass thru and that was before hearing your story.

**skysos** · 06-04-2022, 09:24 AM

I was thinking how bad it would be to be stuck inside our fiberglass trailer if that happened to us, but all commercially available RV's do have some sort of emergency exit. It's usually a big window on trailers and a big roof opening on truck campers. Getting dogs out of those would be really hard though. Yikes.

**snowaddict91** · 06-15-2022, 09:25 PM

https://fortcollins.craigslist.org/r...496801534.html

For the love of Ullr, someone please go buy this before I piss my wife off. Honestly its probably a little tight on space for two people and two dogs or I'd be on my way there with a bag of cash.

**MakersTeleMark** · 06-15-2022, 09:46 PM

I wonder how much he wants for the camper. I paid $300 for my mint Granby and it's shit the bed, but I could transfer a lot into that. So many rough miles on that thing (mine). I need to either strip it, or build my own thang. Could give 2 shits about the underbuilt beat up ferd.

**frorider** · 06-16-2022, 10:03 AM

https://www.caranddriver.com/news/a4...rv-first-look/

BEV #vanlife, but ya gotta recharge every 90 miles and avoid high speed interstates.

**byates1** · 06-16-2022, 10:07 AM

Picking up my new transit next month. Next year I may get a Honda Grom for commuter miles etc. 140 mpg for the moto. Small, 3300$. Prob fun to cruise around on.