Going out for our shakedown trip this weekend

bgualtieri

We take delivery of our 2015 t@b max S this Friday and are taking it to a state park in the desert near Phoenix this weekend. Our tow vehicle is a 4 door Jeep Wrangler so that should go well.

I'm nervous of the hookups and turning everything off and on correctly but am looking forward to sleeping OFF the ground (long time tent camper) this time. A new adventure starts!

Verna

Congrats!  Which state park are you going to?  I loved Lost Dutchman while I was there this winter. 

You'll do just fine.  Make up a check list of everything if you want.  I walk around at two times to make sure everything is disconnected correctly and everything that should be connected is connected.  My last check is a check of the lights, so that gives me one last time to look at everything plus check the license plate lights, make sure the running lights are working, and that the rear lights are working fine. 

Nomad

The easiest way to check your lights with the Jeep is turn on the flashers, activates all bulbs.
Spent a couple of nights at the SP on Lake Pleasant NW of Phoenix on my way through - Nice campground, up high overlooking the reservoir.
As Verna says, make a little checklist for setup and reverse it for tear down - might add to it as you think of things - hard to totally pre-plan.
Good luck - Twill be fun.

bgualtieri

Thanks Verna and Pixel. We can't wait, and are reading everything we can find. Yes! We are going to Lost Dutchman. Lucky #13 has been our favorite tent camping spot for years.

Verna

I preferred site 42 (check it out--right next to the bench made out of a tailgate from a 1952 green Ford pickup truck, a memorial to a former volunteer), but 13 is my lucky number.  Have fun!

bgualtieri

Shoot. We took #45. 42 isn't available but it looks like 41 is...

Verna

I can't remember which way they are numbered.  42 is a pull thru site, but a lot of them are.  42 is next to the one of the hiking paths. It has a great view of the mountain--mesmerizing.  It's close to the restroom, also.

bgualtieri

Yeah. We picked 45 because it pulls through too. There hardly is anywhere that doesn't have the mountain view. We went to the stargazing party the last time we were up there. And the coyote choir singing in the night. What fun.

Verna

One night a rabbit must have been under my teardrop because it sounded like there were about a dozen coyotes surrounding the teardrop.  It was not pleasant waking up to their chorus. I love to hear them in the distance, but not that many and not so close.

Nomad

Coyotes have been my (almost) constant companions - I miss them when I hit an area without any. When I'm out doing night photography I've had them get as close as 1-200 ft. In NW AZ the coyotes would howl and the burros would answer. It was like "don't mess with us, we'll kick your mangy butts".

Verna

Would you believe that in 89 nights of camping in the Southwest this past winter, I heard coyotes just about every night, but I never saw one live one.  I saw a small herd of burros at night at Lake Pleasant.  I guess I just don't look in the right places for the coyotes.  I know there is one who goes through my yard here at home because my Shih Tzu loves to roll in their piles of waste.....oh you have no idea how badly that smells!  It's called bath time OUTSIDE, with rubber gloves on me! 

CxMain

A big reason for moving to the T@b  from the tent is because of the coyotes coming into our camp site during their early morning hunts.  And our little Havanese dogs kept cowering and crying in fear in the corners of the tent.  I had to keep hauling them into my sleeping bag so they wouldn't become a snack.

Nomad

Over 7 months on the road there's only been a couple of places I haven't heard coyotes - Page/MarbleCanyon & outside Lake Havasu City - Oh, and I can't recall hearing them when crossing northern New Mexico.

bgualtieri

I have read that they are everywhere, including some big cities now. I've seen several on the east side of PHX even in the subdivisions.

Nomad

They caught one in the heart of New York City last week.

jkjenn

My brother started hunting them in upstate NY this winter. They are a real problem throughout the state.

Rad

We hear coyotes many times a week here in Santa Cruz.

On a somewhat related note,  I did hear my first mountain lion yesterday while climbing a remote steep one lane road in the mountains on my bicycle.  I had read about the loud scratching eerie wail the females produce at times, but never heard it myself.  When I did hear it yesterday it was so weird, I knew exactly what it was.  What a creepy sound. One good thing, they are stealth hunters so I was in no danger for the lion was not in predatory mode.  

mickietucs

For all of you in the SW - have you come across the javalina? Now that's a "lovely" smell! Not sure if they bother campers but there most places here in Tucson. And I've seen coyotes walking down the street (and I live in town near the university).

Rad

mickietucs said:

For all of you in the SW - have you come across the javalina? Now that's a "lovely" smell! Not sure if they bother campers but there most places here in Tucson. And I've seen coyotes walking down the street (and I live in town near the university).

The wild pigs/boars are on some of the rural tiny roads I travel by motorcycle on.  They worry me, it would be like hitting a bag of cement if I nailed one on the motorcycle.  

There was a cool coyote in Death Valley a few years ago. It would sit in the middle of the road and wait until you stopped your car, then it would walk around to the drivers window and beg for food. It was a very well known critter.

mickietucs

The javalina can be aggressive, especially if there are babies around. Wow,,most of the time coyotes are somewhat skittish (as most wildlife). Goes to show you the impact feeding wildlife has -- the message "don't feed the XXX" doesn't get through and eventually someone has a run-in with a beast.

Rad

mickietucs said:

The javalina can be aggressive, especially if there are babies around. Wow,,most of the time coyotes are somewhat skittish (as most wildlife). Goes to show you the impact feeding wildlife has -- the message "don't feed the XXX" doesn't get through and eventually someone has a run-in with a beast.

yup, some people just don't understand. (pics of the coyote from the web)

bgualtieri

That's just wrong to feed the wild animals. There are supposed to be javelina at Lost Dutchman and some kind of deer too, but I've not seen them around camp or hiking on the marked trails. When I lived in Florida it was heartbreaking to see the manatee with horrible boat propeller scars on their backs.

leenscottfl

Javalina have been known to trample tents and they will attack dogs. Don't know why they trample tents unless they smell something in them. Like dogs maybe?

bgualtieri

Yikes! Another reason I'm glad we got a T@b! Keep our little doggies safe.

Michigan_Mike

Saw a Javelina on the way down to Big Bend NP in Texas.  I have heard stories about them and evidently there are some large herds down in them parts.   

Living with Javelina

leenscottfl

Last time I camped at Ft. Davis, tx a group of probably 35 -40 came through out tent site just before dawn. I was drinking coffee and sat on the table while they streamed by. They paid no attention to me at all.

mickietucs

A coworker has attempted to secure his large garbage cans many times (blocking the area and closing the gate) but they find a way to get into the area, knock over the cans and then rummage to their hearts content. If they smell any kind of food they'll go after it (maybe there was food in the tent they got into). That herd of 35-40 would be something to see (and smell)! I like seeing most all wildlife (would skip snakes, scorpions and tarantulas, though)!

Nomad

I know, don't feed the wildlife - ME BAD...
Found a nice little spot on a little lake in NV but had to dislodge a Mallard pair - Felt bad so threw them a handful of Cherrios. Every morning I'd open the door and there they'd be, waiting. I'd throw them another handful, they'd eat, waddle down, swim off. I wouldn't see them until the next day.

bgualtieri

We picked up our new T@b yesterday - here she is going off the lot. Finishing loading her up this morning and will be on her way! One more great reason we got her is that the tent camping season is pretty much over -- Phoenix hit 100 degrees yesterday! We've extended our usable time.

She's silver grey with white trim. A real beauty.

Nomad

Cool, you're gonna love it.

bgualtieri

We are all set up, had a great lunch and are enjoying a nap. We had some challenges getting the hitch off the ball -- that cover thing not only lifts, but it slides back! The other challenge was getting water from the sink -- good grief, we were just losers figuring out how to operate the faucet