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Old 02-25-2009, 12:35 AM   #1
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Am I alone in wanting to enjoy some piece & quiet when I go camping? When we stay at many Forest Service campgrounds (no hookups), we can easily camp for two weeks without the batteries being discharged. We spend most of our time outside. The only DC power used is the water pump & a few lights. Our problem is when someone in the campground (not a Crossroads owner of course), has their generator going every day. Even the quiet generators make a lot of noise while in the trees. Quite often when we take walks we'll see a TV on through the window with a generator blastin' away & no one outside. Why even be there. We have opted to spend more time utilizing "dispersed camping" but do enjoy the developed site amenities.
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Old 02-25-2009, 12:47 AM   #2
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We are probably in the minority as most "campers" don't seem to be there to enjoy nature and the great outdoors. It would be nice if all of us would do our best to keep the volume down...talk, not shout...around the campfire telling stories...generators, atvs, dirt bikes, etc...our children and grandchildren...setting up and decamping. The list goes on.



My view is slanted. I came from backpacking to camping in developed campsites. Eventually that developed to camping in state parks and commercial campgrounds. I freely admit that I miss the solitude and peace and quietthat backpacking provided. That said, I still think most campers are some of the finest people I have ever met.
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Old 02-25-2009, 02:10 AM   #3
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We have not campedon FS lands but have stayed in National Park CGs and we have used our generator in those same CGs (and I am a Crossroads owner ). I have one of the muchmaligned Champion generators.I only use it when needed and I have built an enclosure to set up around it to minimize the noise directed towards any neighbors we may have. We do our best to avoid using it in the early morning or evening when most people are at the CG. Our gennyis typically run during the afternoon when we come back from hiking or sight-seeing and then only to run the microwave or AC if needed. If the CG permits generator usage then I don'tsee a problem with it.



We camp for3 different reasons. 1) Sometimes it is to "get away" and enjoy peace and quiet. That is the hardest to accomplish because CGs by their very nature are somewhat noisy. Trucks and MHscan certainly be noisy, kids running around playing and having fun create a certain amount of noise, though I truly enjoy seeing my kids run around the campsite discovering nature in the form of interesting rocks, bugs, squirrels, rabbits andthe occaissional turtle or snake. Kids don't seem to do much of that type of thing anymore and that is sad.



2) We also camp tovisit differentplaces around the country and sometimes the CGs we stay in on those trips a privately owned and not much more than parking lots for RVs. Quiet simply doesn't exist in those places. We know that and accept it. It doesn't really matter to us in those cases because we are not there to hang out or relax in the CG, we are there to sleep, eat and then leave the CG to visit the surrounding area. That being said, when we are in a NP CG we do try to not create excess noise because that is a more primitive area.But you can never achieve the illusion that you are totally out in the wilderness becausethere are trash cans, picnic tables, restrooms, and dump stations around to remind you that this area is developed and for that reason I don't mind the squeals of a child who found a turtle or the skeleton of a bird, or even the simple noises of my fellow campers.



3) We like the beach! We spend 2-3 weeks each summer at the beach. The beachfront CGs are almost all cramped and carnival like in their atmosphere. That is part of the fun to us. I know it is not everyones cup of tea but we really enjoy that atmosphere during the time we are there. I will say we do stop and camp in the Smokies on our way home after the beach simply in order to unwind. We usually spend 3-4 days there on our way home to "decompress" from the carnival atmosphereat the beach.



I think that doing dispersed camping on Bureau of Land Management is maybe the only way to truly camp in a primitive setting but even then, you aren't in a very primitive setting if you are in a Crossroads product!

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Old 02-25-2009, 03:33 AM   #4
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Well stated Lonnie.
I guess that pretty well covers my feelings also.


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Old 02-25-2009, 05:14 AM   #5
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Lonnie, I burst out laughing at the last line. I quit camping when I moved from tents to trailers. Now I take a mobile house with me ... aka Sunset Trail.



NO, the solitude will never be available again, not even backpacking. Houses now line the 100 Mile Wilderness section of the Appalachain Trail . So much for Wilderness. But we can all work at being more considerate of our neighbors and keep the volume turned down....unless you're at a NASCAR event, then have at it.



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Old 02-25-2009, 06:58 AM   #6
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What's quiet? It's a observation or sense of feeling that is as individual judged as any statement starting with "I feel...."



I have a generator for charging batteries. I would only use it long enough to brew some coffee or charge the batteries. I think most people use their generator's for this purpose and I have yet to exp. a person running a generator all day?



I rarely dry-camp in places I would consider "scenic" (Wal*Mart, rest stops, etc...) so maybe I'm being insensitve at how large a issue this is?
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Old 02-25-2009, 07:39 AM   #7
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I like camping and I like to relax and watch TV while camping.This is my way and everyone has their way.I have dry camped in the National Forest and used my generator(Honda 3000) and had it on very little and times I have run it a lot,I have also been in places where the people next door didn't use a generator and couldn't hear mine because of their kids running wild and thru the campground.With that said ,should these campers with kids on the loose be told to not let them have fun. There no way to make everyone happy.What about people with no kids should they have to listen to the loud youngster having fun.If you have a problem with generators or children,its all part of camping nowaday.
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Old 02-25-2009, 08:54 AM   #8
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Interesting comparison, children playing and a reciprcating engine running so the big screen works! Run the genset during the afternoon to charge the batts and then live off DC. I love loud rock and roll, but it would not cross my mind to subject camping neighbors to it. I had a guy move a portable generator next to my campsite (quite large sites) then ran extension cords back to his. The explanation offered was he didn't like the noise so he moves it away. You might guess we didn't share marshmallows that evening!
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Old 02-25-2009, 08:58 AM   #9
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Quiet is the absence of sound. Â*Solitude is the absence of NOISE, which I would agree is a perception. Â*I don't consider "noisy" birds in the morning to be NOISE, others do. Â*I do consider loud music/TV to be noise and others simply "noisy". Â* Even the woods and trails are "crowded" today...compared to 30 years ago. Â*I'm not likely to experience solitude the way I define it any time soon. Â*Furthermore, a developed campground is the wrong place to look for it.

Sure, we all like to experience camping differently. Â*My good time might put you to sleep. Â*Your good time may cause me to look for ear protection. Â*All experiences are valid ... until they infringe on someone else's good time. Â*Having the right to do something never means that doing so it the right choice. Â*Like many things in life, a little moderation and consideration go a long long way while camping.
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Old 02-25-2009, 09:27 AM   #10
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All that being WELL said, you need to look for the spot that makes you happy. And when you find it someone else will too. Make the best of life, and camping.
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Old 02-25-2009, 09:37 AM   #11
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We usually run Honda 2000 to make dinner and run the satellite TV (I trade stocks for a living and need to watch CNBC) but usually have it running about 3 or 4 hours. Â*We live in our 37fl Â*for about 5 months out of the year so to go without the electric would be near impossible unless I wanted to end up in the poor house. Â*I have also seen people on oxygen that need to run the gen so there are times that people need to have the gen running as long as they do it at acceptable times. Â*I once pulled into a campground at suppertime, turned on the gen to make dinner and 15 min later some jerk came and tried to turn it off. Â*I screamed at him and he ran away. Â*So it isn't only the gen owners that can be rude.
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Old 02-25-2009, 11:23 PM   #12
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Nice topic, kinda like the smoking / no smoking debate. I, likea lot of you, started camping with a backpack and sleeping bag. Eventually moving to a tent and then to a couple different size campers. I always tell my kids that "Your mom and I used to camp in a tent without a tv and air conditioning". As we move up thecamping foodchain to these fancy rigs with refrigerators and air conditioners and satelitetv and built in showers we havegained some very nice comforting items. But we have given up something in return, that get away from it all feeling of backpacking into the wilderness with nothing more than some food and a sleeping bag. I miss the piece and quite of the wilderness camping but I do not want to give up my air conditioner whenI go tosleep in the August heat and humidity. If I'm going to own a camper with all the comforts of home, why wouldI not use them? I don't expect my camping neighbors to give up theirs either. They still sell backpacks and sleeping bags, so if the noise of the modern campgrounds get to be more than I want to hear I will return to the more piecefull ways of camping.
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Old 02-25-2009, 11:39 PM   #13
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Thanks for the good bit of feedback on this issue. I had a little smirk on my face when I originally posted the issuehttp://www.crossroadsrv.com/forum/smileys/smiley1.gif

[Smile] . My wife didn't want me to ask. Times have changed regarding "camping" over the years. Back in the 70's we started with a ripped tent & now we enjoy our cruiser. Who knows, I may purchase a generator some day. I have also evolved over the years. Yes, different parks have different functions. My bottom line is when we want to get away for awhile we have a few "secret spots" here in northern California and we can't wait to enjoy it in our new 5er.



P.S. To an earlier post, our dog "Loofy" is a Bassett.
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Old 02-26-2009, 12:31 AM   #14
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Korbe:
Another choice for you if you don't want to own a genny, would be to look into putting some solar panels on the roof of your 5er.
We had a Lance truck camper with a 80 watt panel, prior to our Cruiser. and it worked out real good for us.
Still had to start the genny to nuke a potato, and--------- for the wife to run her hair dryer.
Hope she doesn't read this.


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