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Is a camping trailer a good option for me?
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Jim.od3



Joined: 25 Aug 2012
Posts: 90

PostPosted: Thu Sep 11, 2014 12:52 am    Post subject: Is a camping trailer a good option for me? Reply with quote

I took the family camping at Viento over Labor Day weekend. Not much wind, but we tried out mountain biking for the first time and had a lot of fun. We also played around in the chop on some rented SUP's. Now we've got two more fun activities for the gorge. Got me thinking that maybe we should get a camping trailer and spend more long weekends in the gorge. I have some concerns about being more "tied down" with a camper. I was hoping some people with RV/Camper experience in the gorge could offer some advice about whether or not it would be a good fit for my situation.

Here are some details: We live in Forest Grove - about 1.5hrs to Hood River. Family of 5. Kids are 17,15,13 - athletic and good swimmers. I am the only windsurfer, although my eldest son has given it a try a few times and flirted with planing last year. My youngest would probably try kiteboarding if I signed him up for lessons. Wife has no interest.

Other stuff we would hope to do as a family: SUP, mountain biking, tennis, hiking, fishing, rafting, skiing/snowboarding.

We are not exactly camping enthusiasts. . . not into hanging around the campsite and cooking over the fire, etc. I am looking for a convenient "base camp" for activities, a couple of beers at night, and a comfortable place to sleep.

I have a few concerns around bringing along the family on my windsurfing trips. To be totally honest, my best gorge trips have all been solo trips where I just sleep in the back of the van for a night or two and windsurf as much as possible, moving to whatever location seems best for the day. I wouldn't have considered a camper at all, but last weekend's fun time mountain biking and SUP'ing tipped the scales in my head to think maybe we could make a go of it playing in the gorge on the weekends without the family getting bored while I sail.

Does a camper work well for a family if only one person is an avid windsurfer? Does the camper tie you down to windsurfing from a single location? Do I need to plan on bringing two vehicles? Any other advice people can give to help inform my decision?

Thanks,
-Jim
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spennie



Joined: 13 Oct 1995
Posts: 975
Location: Thousand Oaks, CA

PostPosted: Thu Sep 11, 2014 12:55 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

My wife & I have been windsurf trailering for about 20 years, now.

Pulling a trailer with a van is an excellent way to go for a lot of reasons: You can drop the trailer & go to a different site for a few hours. You can escape the wind, which, let's face it, sucks when you're not actually windsurfing, especially for non-windsurfers. You have your own bed & bathroom, which lessens your chances of getting divorced. Used trailers are cheap to buy, cheap to own, cheap to register, cheap to stay in.

Downsides are storage when not using it, kind of a pain to tow up hills (your mileage will suck). It'll also be kinda tight with all 5 of you, unless you get a big monster.

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biffmalibu



Joined: 30 May 2008
Posts: 556

PostPosted: Thu Sep 11, 2014 1:06 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

6-cylinder minivan plus cargo trailer. Your gear will not be be super-heavy, and the Gorge way is relatively flat. So the 6-cylinder should be sufficient even with all your vermin...er...CHILDREN in the vehicle. Stay in the right-hand lane, go 60mph max, and don't push your luck.
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Jim.od3



Joined: 25 Aug 2012
Posts: 90

PostPosted: Thu Sep 11, 2014 1:36 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thanks for the replies. For now I would be hauling with an F-150 with the extended cab (the one that's smaller than the "supercab"). So it would be a tight fit, especially for my son who is pretty tall. But we can make it work. I can detach and haul WS gear in the back of the truck. Not ideal, but it works. A van would be great. . .maybe when it's time to get a new car.
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spennie



Joined: 13 Oct 1995
Posts: 975
Location: Thousand Oaks, CA

PostPosted: Thu Sep 11, 2014 3:09 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Oh, thought you had a van: [/b]To be totally honest, my best gorge trips have all been solo trips where I just sleep in the back of the van for a night or two and windsurf as much as possible, moving to whatever location seems best for the day.[/b]
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Jim.od3



Joined: 25 Aug 2012
Posts: 90

PostPosted: Thu Sep 11, 2014 3:12 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I have a toyota sienna minivan, but it doesn't have a tow hitch. So I'd tow with the F150.

I see lots of people with campers parked at the event site, or the waterfront park, or Rowena. Do these people just tow the camper wherever they go? Where do they go at night?
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isobars



Joined: 12 Dec 1999
Posts: 20935

PostPosted: Thu Sep 11, 2014 3:31 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I've slept outside in "the Gorge" (i.e., from Pistol River to Port Kelley) WAY over a thousand nights, so even though it's been solo or accompanied by my wife, it has been instructional, to say the least. "The Gorge" is hundreds of miles long; its recreational options, including wind, vary dramatically over that range. The master keys to that recreational smorgasbord include information and mobility. I can't imagine having to drive back to Hood River after playing somewhere an hour or two away just because that's where my supper, bed and breakfast sit, especially when the next day's play is where I am now. That cuts too much into play time, so I want my "base camp" with me wherever I go. Too many times I've driven to distant venues for one day, only to find a solid week of wind so consistent that my sleep was severely curtailed. Not only did I not want to waste time packing and driving, but I COULD not safely drive because I was too exhausted. (I have no trouble staying awake on the water.)

Whether I'm in a minivan with a Coleman stove and a bed, a big van with more amenities, a big pickup camper, a motor home of the appropriate size, or a towed camper or gear trailer is less critical than just being mobile, especially for wind sports. Tip: trailers can be a major PITA at many sites from sailing venues to restaurants; that and the higher accident rates of trailers tilted my scales towards self-contained vehicles decades ago. Your family's more diverse interests may tip your scales towards a camper towed by a truck or van or towards an RV plus a toad so the group can split up when desired. There are many campgrounds, parks, streets, forests, dirt roads, etc. where people camp overnight. I've slept outdoors for decades with my doors and windows open to the breeze and night sky.

I sail, and thus camp, among many families. Their vehicles include every variety; their toys include road and mountain bikes, kayaks/canoes, motorcycles, fishing gear, SUPs, WSers/kites, snow sports gear, and more; and they barely find enough hours in the day for play, food, and sleep. Many of them live a day or two away, and must rely more on historical average weather to time a trip; you have the advantage of watching the forecasts and staying home for the weekend or driving to Clatskenie, the coast, the mountains, the Gorge, the city, or whatever your clan wants. The parents who either play with their family or support their activities actively love their trips; some of these kids are absolutely ripping, solo, on the Columbia in big winds before they are 12 years old.

I bought my 24' Winnebago for two people and two big dogs, but it has comfortable beds for 5 adults plus plenty of toys and even on Highway 14 it passes FAR more vehicles than pass it; its speed is limited by legislation and enforcement, not hills or curves. I can cook in its stove, oven, or microwave; a barbecue or campfire is optional. "Camping" is not my hobby; it's merely a great accessory and gateway TO my hobbies. Think of what mobility can do for someone who lives between Hood River and the coast, as you do, with recreation out the wazoo every way you look.

You can be playing on one toy or another from Friday evening to Sunday evening almost any weekend of the year, usually fairly spontaneously, solo or with up to four other family members, if mobile and self-contained. That's priceless.

Mike \m/
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Jim.od3



Joined: 25 Aug 2012
Posts: 90

PostPosted: Mon Sep 22, 2014 12:30 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thanks for the inputs everybody. I went ahead and pulled the trigger on a used trailer. Got a 2005 23' Keystone Outback with a rear slide out. Sleeps 6 easy. The previous owner used it lightly and kept it in immaculate condition. He included all sorts of extras like a TV, DVD player, stereo, chocks, the complete hitch setup including sway control, leveling blocks, a compressor, battery tender, slide out storage bin.

I'm really looking forward to having a mobile home base of operations for windsurfing next summer. Planning to take it out this weekend to try it out. Hopefully we'll get in some trips before winter comes.

-Jim
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isobars



Joined: 12 Dec 1999
Posts: 20935

PostPosted: Mon Sep 22, 2014 12:37 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Lessee ... 5 people, TV, DVD, batteries ... I'm guessing your next purchase will be a generator so you aren't tied to campgrounds. Smile

Sounds like a good find.
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spennie



Joined: 13 Oct 1995
Posts: 975
Location: Thousand Oaks, CA

PostPosted: Mon Sep 22, 2014 1:17 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

If you run your generator all day, or past 9:00 pm, someone like me is going to kill you.

You're going camping, for heaven's sake, get 2-6volt batteries tied together to make 12 volts, should be all you need.....unless you jjust can't live without your TV & microwave.

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