We went to Clear Lake State Park again this year to celebrate the 4th of July because we had such fun last year. We were unable to get the same spot we had before, but the one we ended up with was just as nice.
We went up this year with 6 different families. We had a large group. On Saturday we all got together for a potluck dinner. We had an enormous amount of food. Nobody went to bed hungry that night.
One night we attended a campfire-cooking seminar. Chris, one of the park rangers, put it on. The presentation was really quite good. The ranger was friendly and had a good sense of humor even after taking some razing from my husband. He showed us how to make pizza over an open flame and it turned out quite good.
We went for a bike ride on some of the park’s trails. It was something I have not done in several years. It was a lot of fun until I jumped off the bike to avoid getting run over by my husband who was behind me. I ended up with a sore back. I hope to be able to give it a try again sometime soon.
This weekend we went to a campground near Standish, Michigan. It is called Saginaw Bay and is part of Outdoor Adventures. Outdoor Adventures is a group of campgrounds for members only. These parks offer activities for the entire family.
Most of the sites at this park are nestled in the woods, which provide plenty of shade. All sites include electric and water. Some include sewer. The ones with sewer tend to be somewhat smaller.
The theme for this weekend was “Mardi Gras”. Lots of people had beads.
On Saturday morning we went to breakfast. You get a pretty good meal for $2. We met some people in the chow line that were from Mississippi. They were here as part of the “Coast to Coast” membership.
For dinner we went into Standish and stopped at Tony’s Tacos. Tony has the best Mexican food in the area if not the entire state. You can get it to go or pull up to a picnic table, but you can’t eat in. Tony’s food is served out of a concession stand. Don’t let the looks deceive you, this food is great! We look forward to our trips to Tony’s Tacos.
We picked up our RV at the dealership and went straight to the Bay City State Park. It is a nice park if the mosquitoes do not carry you away. We met some relatives there. They picked out the site for us since they arrived first. I was surprised to find that we were in a site with the most unusual tree on it.
Have you ever seen such a sexy tree? I may become a Tree-Hugger Yet!
When I first arrive at a park that doesn’t have water hookups, I will fill the fresh water tank. Then I will also look into the black tank through the toilet to see how full it is. This is because the gauge for this tank can be deceiving. Last time I did this I noticed a bolt in the bottom of the tank. This discovery began a very interesting lesson.
First I called my local dealer and informed him of my discovery. He stated that all kinds of things have been known to show up in these tanks while they are being built. The most typical to be found is the cut out for the toilet that is dropped into the tank while it is drilled. He said that I should look for this cutout as well as the bolt I told him about. I said that made sense since I have had problems draining the black tank ever since I bought the RV.
I went home and spent quite some time looking over my black tank and the way it was put together. I used a mirror on a stick to try and look inside the tank. I did discover that the drain in my tank was not on the side of the RV like I had thought but in the center. In fact ,it is located in the front and center of the black tank in my 2006 Jayco JayFlight.
I confirmed this by calling Jayco the next day. I told them that they neglected to realize that this so called “1/2 ton series” Fifth Wheel that is too heavy for a ½ ton pickup, when mounted on a ¾ ton truck, will not sit level. The Fifth Wheel will tilt towards the back. It will not allow the black tank to sit level and drain out the front of the tank. This answers why my tank never seems to drain completely. The only time I will be able to completely drain the black tank is when the RV is not hooked to my truck. I sure will get funny looks when I unhook at the dump station. People will think I am going to camp there.
I then took my RV into the dealership to have them look for the bolt and any other restrictions in the tank. They told me that they flushed the tank several times and could not get the bolt out. They said it was a #8 pan head bolt which is quite common on these units. The dealer informed me that they didn’t find anything else in the tank that may restrict the flow. They did, however, adjust the vent pipe to lessen any vacuum problems.
Only time will tell what will happen next. I sure have had my fair share of troubles with this RV.
Book Your Campsites Early
Tim R. Enright
The best time to book a campsite is in the off season when most people are not thinking of camping yet. Getting a head start on the season when choosing your campsite will allow you a greater selection. More and more campsites are getting booked earlier and earlier. This makes getting your perfect site even more difficult.
A lot of campgrounds will allow you to book up to a year in advance. Some will allow you to schedule even longer. Sites that don’t take reservations are on a first come basis. In this case it may help to extend your trip ahead by a day or two to get a jump on the crowd.
Seasonal campgrounds that have on-line reservation systems have an advantage over traditional ones, in that you can reserve a site when they are not open. Getting that perfect site is like bidding on eBay. The moment the site becomes available people start scattering to grab it. Keep in mind that parks that specify that they are full on-line, sometimes have sites available for drive-ups. By calling ahead you may find spots that you thought were not available.
These days, with the popularity of camping, good campsites seem to go very quickly. So remember whenever you can, book your campsite as early as possible.
Article Courtesy of : www.BugSmacker.com : Copyright © 2007
