I know exactly what you mean.

I'm departing in just a few minutes for one of those "wilderness" camps. The lake I am heading too is heavily forested and has 4 campgrounds around it that are adjacent to the lake. 4 are USFS, now contracted to private contractors with the camp site fees doubled. All of the USFS sites are closed and won't open until the week before Memorial Day and the last first come first serve campground in that group is now reservation only. Most of the South Side USFS roads have plenty of "No Camping" signs forcing you into their now private contracted campgrounds that are only open 4 months a year. That leaves 1 Oregon State Parks Campground that is open on the lake in a 12 month per year recreation area. 2/3rds of it is still closed for another month. The "primitive" loop in it only allows tents. So, we are off for a wild and rugged day camped in a heavily forested reservation only State campground on the edge of a lake with water, sewer and electrical hook ups.

 

yeah, I also see know you mean. I also hate that everyone owns a generator now, I hate listening to them. They used to be rare and since we were setup with solar we had our choice of the more rustic (and often nicer sites) instead of being crammed into the serviced parking lots.

 

Heading to a camp area (boondocking) a day earlier than usual (so I can get a good spot) is eating into my allocated vacation time from work. I think I'm going to have to retire so I can camp when I want, where I want.

So Lance was bought out? There were one of the leaders in quality from what I saw. I hope that continues.

All it's going to take to put the brakes on these problems is for the price of fuel to go above $4.

Steve, good to see you back. We've missed your expertise.

 

Used to eat me up how things change.... the neighborhood, the job market, loved ones come and go, etc. Then I let that go and got back to enjoying what I got. Still plenty of fun to be had out there.

Yeah, good old >$4 fuel. Diesel was there just a few years ago and probably will be again.

I too have appreciated all your helpful advice, RV Tech.

 

 

I've been half-@$$ed following this. More so on Four Wheel Camper side since that's what I have and have followed them since the 80's. I can't say the process improvements they have implemented are a bad thing. But make no mistake, it's all about production and profit. I think it's just the way of things, right or wrong, when times are good. In my industry we are seeing something similar where large construction companies that do utility and earthwork are buying paving companies.

 

 

Move up to Fairbanks and let's become a dealer for some of the companies that haven't been bought out yet. I just purchased a 2015 Host Mammoth TC and told their home office they need a dealer up here. Plenty of places still to adventure and do the things you enjoy. Don't let the world stress you out - it isn't worth it.

 

 

Oh, I think you're right about the dangers of losing the wilderness. They "updated" one of our favorite "Alaskan's only" campgrounds a couple of years ago, making it much more accessible. It was very annoying and troubling.

 

Here in Eagle County, Colorado there is a dirt road to Piney Lake which has pull outs where you can camp but in the middle of summer this backcountry road feels like main street because of all the people passing through.
I remember that and it seemed as though the guy running TCM was just stirring the pot trying to get noticed.

 

 

What is TCM?

 

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