84,780 Miles, 560 Nights Over 8 Years And Still Loving It!

I bought " The Silver Pullet" in 2015 from Frank Poole. He was quite the figure on this forum back then. I used this tear a lot, got much enjoyment and use from it. Thankfully he had a 550 Ultra and he added every option CampInn offered at the time except air conditioning. He then added half a dozen 12 volt plugs, stereo, updated the sink and pump etc. He also bought all the unatached options, cover, side tent hithch cover etc. I'm getting ahead of myself.

Before the tear.

So here I am 65 years old, retired for 5 years and my girlfriend and I went on a 60 night trip back east. We camped west of the Mississippi and did hotels/motels east. We both thought the ground was getting lower and harder. I'm sure there is some rational scientific reason for this. Peg started searching the internet. She found CampInns and was excited to show me. I loved the idea so I ordered a new 550 Ultra and sent in my down payment. Not long after mailing my check we found Franks used Ultra. I contacted Craig and Cary and they happly refunded my deposit. We bought number 148 never having seen a CampInn before.
( I think it is 148 but the tear is under a CampInn cover and it's 23 degrees out, I'm not going out to verify)

I have found over the years that I have gravitated to off grid camping. The first couple years all camping was done in campgrounds, usually forest service, State or National Parks. I had a low car so not a lot of choice.
I now have a Jeep Cherokee 6 clyinder that pulls the tear whithout knowing its back there. The higher clearance opened a whole new world. Keep in mind that I had been to the NP's 'numerous times and was ready to venture forth it a more daring way.

The last year plus my campground fees have been zero. I am now doing all my camping off grid. If I can see any sign of civilization other than the road I came in on then I am not far enough out. Don't be thinking I am totally in the boonies, there might be someone 20 yards away but I can't see them. I prefer 5-20 miles from anyone. I'm looking for country that could have looked the same to Lewis and Clark. When I was much younger I hiked in wilderness areas. climbed some mountains and appreciated in my mind at least, "going where no man has gone before".

You likely came to this thread to get some good tips and ideas so...

Now 8 years into life with my new to me tear I will share a few thoughts.

Try hard to pay attention to "if you don't use it, don't take it on future trips".
If you can not access it easily you tend to not use it.

I have fine tuned what I like to have with me on every trip. I'm still adding and subtracting.

Allways take a tool assortment of tools. Our first trip out we were in the Avenue of the Giants in the Redwoods. I'm driving out of our camp site and I thought it felt strange. I then came to a dead stop. We had an audience and I was the proud new owner of a CampInn showing off. I forgot to raise a leveling jack and it plowed a furrow that would have been perfect for planting corn. The dead stop was when I hit the blacktop. I used a bungie cord to hold the jack up until we got to a RV repair where they removed it. We prayed we did not have to go over a speed bump or a driveway entrance getting there. I swore I would never no that again. Exactly one week later we were in Kings Canyon NP and guess what? I did the same thing again. Thankfully the camper next to me had a wonderful assortment of tools. Take some tools. I bought some in the next town even though both levelers were gone.

Solar panels give you freedom. They allow you to not drive as much and really enjoy the places you stay.

Take lots of extra water. Camping off grid there is NO potible water. I took me I think 6 years to get my water storage perfect.

Have something you like to do in camp. I pick up trash which gives me warm fuzzys and gives me a spotless place to camp. You can camp free most anywhere in National Forests or on BLM land. There are very few regulations but they do ask that you use existing camp sites. Fair enough, though this means SOME amount of trash. I pick it up, and, it is good exercize bending over repeatedly. I have started flint knaping, I read alot, I keep a good journal, I sketch, I walk, I take pictures and I look at the scenery ALOT.

I have had to have my frame welded 3 times before I had the frame totally beafed up on weld number 4. I do a LOT of washboard roads and some really rough sections. I do not blame CampInn for this. It was all on me as to why my frame kept cracking.

The bottom of my extention tables were starting to come delaminated. A couple weeks ago I took the cooler table apart and fixed and refinished it and also refinished the dining table which was not as bad. It should last another dozen years and it still shows all its original beautiful woodwork.

I have had to have the guides replaced on the curtains. I finally found a way to velcro the first guide on so if I grab the curtain the velcro gives rather than the guide tape. I aslo put grab ropes on each door (using hardware the matches the tear) so I am not tempted to grab the curtain if the door blows away from me.

Both doors blew almost entirely off in two different storms, 30 of 36 screws. We also had our tear start moving in a storm. Take toothpicks. Take and use chalks if you detatch.
Our cooler blew off the table then the table ripped off. Take some toothpicks. Storms can blow in suddenly even if it looks nice. Be prepared.

My furnace is hit or miss. Usually a hit when I'm testing it and miss when I would like it to come on. Take extra blankets.
I have a 3 pound and a 5 pound sleeping bags zipped together. Early spring and late fall the 5 pound is on top, when its warmer the 3 pound is my topper.

Those are all the issues I have had in enough miles to circle the globe 3.4 times. To me CampInn tears are unbelivably built. The abuse mine takes and still almost looks new is amazing.

I consider tear camping to be 5 Star tent camping. I protects me, or us, from wind, rain, snow, beating sun and takes just unlocking the doors to get out of incliment weather. Tents were fun when I was younger but a tear is LIVING.

On average I take off for 6 weeks in the spring and 3 in the fall. My time in the tear ranges from 60-102 nights a year, averaging 70 nights. I've spent over 1 1/2 years in "The Silver Pullet" and EVERY day has been an adventure.

I am totally looking forward to my next trip.

 

Thank you, Larry, for such a great yarn.
Land yachting; boondocking instead of gedunking...

 

It's so great to hear of what a value this trailer has been for you. I'm approaching the 100 night mark - probably the next trip in mid January now that MLK is a holiday I may have a 3 day weekend trip in store. Another hobby of mine is diving and for many the 100th dive is celebrated by diving in the buff. I wonder if there are any traditions like this in the camping community?

On a separate note, has anyone heard from Frank Poole lately? I followed his blog for a while but nothing posted in the past couple of years. Is he still full timing in the truck camper?

 

Great reflection, and perspective on things. I am "filled with envy" when I hear about BLM camping. Where we are there's no such thing --- as close as I can get is a hidden campground that is walk-up only but still $13 a night first come first served.