Rothrock State Forest site 3
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Camping, tent, travel trailer, HAMMOCK
- Thread starter devildodge
- Start date
Heading campground travel trailer camping Friday.
Giving this thread a bump.
Planning to do some hammock camping soon in the state forest. My son wants to do a backpack trip.
Will do campgrounds til Memorial day weekend...then see if the landscape changed any from last year. If the crowds remain...back to the forest til after labor day.
Giving this thread a bump.
Planning to do some hammock camping soon in the state forest. My son wants to do a backpack trip.
Will do campgrounds til Memorial day weekend...then see if the landscape changed any from last year. If the crowds remain...back to the forest til after labor day.
Just got home from our trip.
Filled the truck with 88 OCT for 3.89 a gallon, got hooked up and began the tow.
As usual, it rained while I was hooking up, sunny on the drive and began to rain as I backed into the site to set up. Situation normal.
Only 7 other sites were reserved and it was a much needed peaceful weekend.
We got all 4 seasons. Spring rain. Summer sun. Fall warmth and SNOW.
Love camping in PA.
Filled the truck with 88 OCT for 3.89 a gallon, got hooked up and began the tow.
As usual, it rained while I was hooking up, sunny on the drive and began to rain as I backed into the site to set up. Situation normal.
Only 7 other sites were reserved and it was a much needed peaceful weekend.
We got all 4 seasons. Spring rain. Summer sun. Fall warmth and SNOW.
Love camping in PA.
Amazing the difference a week can make. Beautiful day for camping. Hoping the clouds stay away for the meteor shower.
After doing a lot of stealth camping this very mild winter, it is time for the campgrounds to open and start our first regular season trip of the year.
About 12 hours and I will be enjoying this
Also got a new backpacking setup that I hope to try out at some point.
Can not wait to hook the camper and drag it up to the 2nd highest point in Pennsylvania.
About 12 hours and I will be enjoying this
Also got a new backpacking setup that I hope to try out at some point.
Can not wait to hook the camper and drag it up to the 2nd highest point in Pennsylvania.
Loudram
Well-Known Member
Our first trip of the year is two weeks away. It's our anniversary weekend. She's been putting up with me for 31 years.
boogielander
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I didn't know this thread exists till now lol
I've been doing camping/ overlanding since 2020.
I started out in my 4Runner and Coleman ground tent (unfortunately no pic of that) to RTT, drawer with pull out cooking table, etc
Now I have:
Chassis Unlimited Bed Rack
Inspired Overland Light Weight RTT
Decked Drawer for tools, kitchen gears, etc
For electrical, IceCo JP42 fridge runs on Jackery 250W overnight (will be hardwired once my LiFEPO4 starter battery arrives)
EcoFlow Detla2 powers diesel heater in winter (when needed) and EcoFlow Wave AC in summer
I thought about utilizing a trailer but we don't really stay at the same spot nightly, and when we see flat dirt roads or even washboards we just go flat out. So trailer is not a really good option.
If we do more "base camp" type of camping then I'd build a trailer for that; until then, probably will stick with this set up.
Oh, I may be selling this setup next year when I start my preparation for Dalton Highway in Alaska and opt for a GFC instead. I love how enclosed it is, so I can do everything inside the camper and not worry about having to take a dump in the wild in bear country lol
I've been doing camping/ overlanding since 2020.
I started out in my 4Runner and Coleman ground tent (unfortunately no pic of that) to RTT, drawer with pull out cooking table, etc
Now I have:
Chassis Unlimited Bed Rack
Inspired Overland Light Weight RTT
Decked Drawer for tools, kitchen gears, etc
For electrical, IceCo JP42 fridge runs on Jackery 250W overnight (will be hardwired once my LiFEPO4 starter battery arrives)
EcoFlow Detla2 powers diesel heater in winter (when needed) and EcoFlow Wave AC in summer
I thought about utilizing a trailer but we don't really stay at the same spot nightly, and when we see flat dirt roads or even washboards we just go flat out. So trailer is not a really good option.
If we do more "base camp" type of camping then I'd build a trailer for that; until then, probably will stick with this set up.
Oh, I may be selling this setup next year when I start my preparation for Dalton Highway in Alaska and opt for a GFC instead. I love how enclosed it is, so I can do everything inside the camper and not worry about having to take a dump in the wild in bear country lol
MG99
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frisby5
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- Nov 22, 2022
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I am thinking about getting a A aframe popup trailer,how do you like yours?Towed my small hard sided popup down to GA this past weekend for an event. I had just passed 1k miles on the way to get it out of storage at my brother’s farm before the trip so I wasn’t worried about towing on the engine break-in period, but I’ve now crossed 2k. Snagged a pic as I parked it, but you can tell the truck was being used as a truck, even tho it’s a fancy-dancy Limited
Had the rear seats folded up and several hundred pounds of tools in large plastic totes; the flat floor made getting them in and out much easier. The underfloor storage is perfect for ratchet straps, spare hitch accessories, jumper cables, gloves, safety vests, magnetic base led lights, etc. I definitely appreciated the backup camera and air suspension for making hitching up and dropping the trailer quicker, and the trailer detection for the blind spot monitoring worked fine.
Towed at 70-75 mph from IN to GA through Chattanooga, and had no issues with 15+ mpg. With tow mode off, eco mode engaged without issue whenever I was in slower traffic. All of the trip was in rain, and the place I was headed to has some very well worn gravel “wishes it was still gravel” View attachment 8209 paths with a slick coating of red Georgia clay on top, but the stock tires with a quick set to 4wd auto climbed right up the hills that some other folks had failed to get up. didn’t try in 2wd, but the way it went up the hill I’m sure it would have been fine.
The trailer is a Rockwood A122-SESP, and has 2 batteries & 2 propane tanks on the tongue, plus several totes under the bed (aft ofthe door/over the axle), plus quite a bit of weight forward with a bunch of tools under the table (Forward of the door) and weight from 5 gallons of gas and an extra full Blue Rhino & portable heater I brought for an outdoor pole barn in the big storage compartment on the front of the trailer. Not like it’s a heavy setup, but about 3k as loaded.
Started in Tuscarora State Forest on the 2nd. Spent 7 days there, dodging rain events and enjoying the peace and quiet. This was our 5th trip to this site. And each time it gets better. Learning some local knowledge and taking a look at some historical literature, we have now come to the conclusion...based on the angry fisherman of our first trip there...that we very well may have been the first people to have camped at the site.
We saw turtles, herons, and a few snakes. One of which surprised the heck out of me when going to the tailgate of my truck.
It then proceeded to climb the tree
Literally the only pic we took there. I have shared many other pics of the site before....it is our favorite of them all.
No visits from DCNR. We watched the sunrise and set at a dual vista on Longfellow Trail. And from a power line on Licking Creek Road watched fireworks for the 4th of July.
Compared to Memorial day holiday...where every site was reserved...there was no one else in any of the adjacent sites for either the weekend before or after the holiday.
We left Sunday, in a torrential downpour to head to the sunny dry skies of Buchanan.
This site is close to the road also...but pretty secluded. It has two entrances...a nice gravel road for the camper folks and a drivable trail for the Overlander crowd.
It is situated facing west...so we get to see the sun set.
It is fairly well shaded...and I think we parked the camper in the best spot to take advantage...but unlike the Tuscarora site...it is wide open...good for solar power and star gazing. Also, zero service at the Tuscarora site...but full use if AT&T here in Buchanan.
My son has taken up the great past time of map reading and even made his own maps of our sites. He also figured out a route today...that took us right to the abandoned Turnpike.
We hiked down to a stream he wanted to see, found the overpass from the AT and took a wild guess which way the tunnel was. Graffiti on the road shortly let us know we picked the right way.
It has been a great off grid experience and just the break from civilization and work we needed.
Highly recommend giving up the full hook up sites in state parks and venturing out to a state forest.
And, since a picture is worth a thousand words...some photos.
We saw turtles, herons, and a few snakes. One of which surprised the heck out of me when going to the tailgate of my truck.
It then proceeded to climb the tree
Literally the only pic we took there. I have shared many other pics of the site before....it is our favorite of them all.
No visits from DCNR. We watched the sunrise and set at a dual vista on Longfellow Trail. And from a power line on Licking Creek Road watched fireworks for the 4th of July.
Compared to Memorial day holiday...where every site was reserved...there was no one else in any of the adjacent sites for either the weekend before or after the holiday.
We left Sunday, in a torrential downpour to head to the sunny dry skies of Buchanan.
This site is close to the road also...but pretty secluded. It has two entrances...a nice gravel road for the camper folks and a drivable trail for the Overlander crowd.
It is situated facing west...so we get to see the sun set.
It is fairly well shaded...and I think we parked the camper in the best spot to take advantage...but unlike the Tuscarora site...it is wide open...good for solar power and star gazing. Also, zero service at the Tuscarora site...but full use if AT&T here in Buchanan.
My son has taken up the great past time of map reading and even made his own maps of our sites. He also figured out a route today...that took us right to the abandoned Turnpike.
We hiked down to a stream he wanted to see, found the overpass from the AT and took a wild guess which way the tunnel was. Graffiti on the road shortly let us know we picked the right way.
It has been a great off grid experience and just the break from civilization and work we needed.
Highly recommend giving up the full hook up sites in state parks and venturing out to a state forest.
And, since a picture is worth a thousand words...some photos.
