2025 Camping thread.

[Loudram]

It's camping season again. I thought I'd start this thread so we could all post pics of our trips this year. We've had ones in the past and it was fun to see the pics everyone took. I'll start this out with a boring trip to our usual campground, Old Cedar in Monroeville, NJ. This is our first trip of the year and the first trip in our new trailer. Beautiful weather so far but a bit breezy. I weighed the trailer on the way to here and the numbers look real good. This trailer is 33'. Our last one was 30'. The wind does move this one around more compared to the smaller one. We've had two other 33' trailers before and I forgot what it was like to tow something this long but I'll get used to it again. Not much to see around here so my pics are of my trailer and site. At the end of the month we're heading to Lancaster PA. I'll probably have better pics then. My brother in law and sister in law are camping with us. They're in the next site. It's an all Mopar family. That's his widebody.

 

[MADDOG]

Camping out with the teardrop in February.



Taking the Northwood out in a couple of weeks. I will post more pics of that trip later.

 

[JayLeonard]

We start our summer travels 5/12. Stay tuned.

 

[FIRE UP]

This is gonna be a good thread. I love camping. Been doing it since I was a kid, about maybe eight or nine THOUSAND years ago! We've (the CEO and I) had (2) truck and campers, (2) class "C" motor homes and (2) class A motorhomes. Motorhomeing has been our way for eons simply because, we've had adventure interests for equally as long as we've been camping. First it was the small sand toys that we used when the kids were young and we played in the sand dunes quite often east of San Diego, close to Yuma AZ.

Then, when things got waaaaaaaaay too hectic and dangerous because of the phenomenal idiots, we migrated over to Jeeps. We've been Jeeping now for well over 35 years. And having something like a Jeep, precludes one from camping with a regular truck and camping trailer. Now, we've also towed our pickup (used to be a 2011 GMC Sierra 1500 Extended Cab 4x4) and we'd load our Honda Goldwing in the back of it, hook it to the motorhome and off we'd go.

We recently traded in our Jimmy for an '11 Ram 1500 Laramie Crew Cab 4x4 with the Ecodiesel. I've set that new truck up to carry our newer 2018 Goldwing DCT Airbag with some air bags etc. I've also set that truck up to be flat towed behind our motorhome and we're anxious to get out and do it.

But, lately, the wife and I have been tossing around the idea of possibly re-thinking our camping tactics. Since we've Jeeped all over the planet, Moab for decades, Ouray-Silverton Colorado, Montana, and many other places, we may drop back from Jeeping and just settle in for some nice motorcycle riding in rural America, where ever that may be.

So, this leads me (us) to our latest thought(s). We've been tossing the idea of obtaining maybe a small-ish, "Toy hauler" of say, oh, maybe around 18'-20' or so. In preliminary searching, I've found a couple of 18's units that had/have basic curb weights of around 4,300 lbs or so, plus or minus. Our truck, the new(er) Ram Ecodiesel, has a tow rating of about 7,840 lbs. Soooo, I have to keep things on the "lean" side if we should pursue this endeavor.

Soooo, sorry for long history but I wanted to advise on where we've been, and where we *might* be headed. Now, with all that being said/typed, may I ask those of you that have the Ecodiesel and do tow a camp trailer, how well has that little V-6 diesel done? What kind of weight/loads have you put against it? Would you do it again or change to another motor or truck or brand?
Scott

 

[JayLeonard]

This was this morning packing up the trailer, then at our first campsite of our summer trip. Paines Prarie state park near Gainesville, FL.

 

[Loudram]

Here are some pics from an unexpected trip last week. Our friends were going to go camping with their son and daughter in law but their son couldn't make it and they already had the site so they gave us a call and I happen to have off that weekend. We went to Dutch Cousin's in Denver PA. It's a small but nice campground. It's mostly seasonal but there are a few transient sites and some cabins including this wagon. I would love see the inside but there are no pics of it on their website. The only downside is that it's mostly stone, very little grass.

 

[JayLeonard]

Looks like a nice campground. Never heard of Denver, Pa until now. Maybe we can head that way on our return trip in August.
Thanks for the photos

 

[Loudram]

Looks like a nice campground. Never heard of Denver, Pa until now. Maybe we can head that way on our return trip in August.
Thanks for the photos

Here's the campground link

Home - Dutch Cousin Campground

dutchcousin.com

 

[Loudram]

I'll bump this one back to the top with our latest trip. We're at Starlite campground near Lancaster. Thursday and yesterday were nice. Very sunny and warm. Last night we had thunderstorms and a tornado warning. Now it's 59°, windy and cloudy outside. Such is life. Still enjoying it. Here are some pics from the other day. It's a beautiful view when it's clear. All the empty sites are now filled.

 

[Jas34]

We left SC in early May for our annual trek north. Currently at our cabin in NY but headed to Mi next week. We usually try to stop at state parks or COE parks for a day or 2 travelling, but the most memorable stop was this Cracker Barrel . Behind the truck and trailer is the water front we camped on. I told my wife we were camped "on Toxic Pond". There was life there as the frogs were deafening that night.

 

[jejb]

At a dirt bike event in MN recently. First ones there (to help work trail), last ones to leave. It was a great 10 days.

 

[JayLeonard]

We have poked our way north and currently at a small privately owned marina and campground in Lanexa, VA. (Near Williamsburg). Nice view of the Chickahominy river. Very relaxing place. We are here for a week.

 

[MADDOG]

We've enjoyed 2 more trips since February. In April we returned to the campground we stayed at in February:



Then in May we tried a new campground in the NE part of Arizona. We liked the campground and the only thing we weren't excited about was the distance we had to travel to get there.





We have another trip planned for this month so more pics to follow.

 

[stevenP]

Got a lot of photos and great memories, but we are done with the camping lifestyle. Just sold our fifth wheel last weekend. It was our 4th fifth wheel. Things have changed over the 20 years we did RVs. Campground's have become too crowded for us. Glad to see the next gen, getting out there.

 

[JayLeonard]

Currently we have been at our son’s house in NW Connecticut “moochdocking” in his field next to his vegetable garden. We have 20 amps and good well water. We’ve been here almost 2 weeks visiting family and friends and doing chores of course lol.
Monday we move on to his cabin/ future retirement home in upstate NY near Potsdam.

 

[MADDOG]

Got an opportunity last week to spend a few days at el 7100' near the Mogollon Rim in Northern Arizona.

It was a lot cooler than here in the Sonoran Desert but, as it goes, all good things must come to an end.

 

[Basscyn]

Love this thread, hope it catches on. lol
I am retiring soon and actively shopping for our first camper/toy hauler.
Like the 26-30' foot'r...but not 100% confident about the weight.
I have a 2024 2500.
The front runner right now is 33' (6821 dry / 9900 gvwr)
Most or trips will be regional, but we have some cross country trips on radar too.
I dunno, pulling this across country and back for a month might be a bit much.
Any tips appreciated.

 

[Randy Grant]

Love this thread, hope it catches on. lol
I am retiring soon and actively shopping for our first camper/toy hauler.
Like the 26-30' foot'r...but not 100% confident about the weight.
I have a 2024 2500.
The front runner right now is 33' (6821 dry / 9900 gvwr)
Most or trips will be regional, but we have some cross country trips on radar too.
I dunno, pulling this across country and back for a month might be a bit much.
Any tips appreciated.

Congratulations on your upcoming retirement. Enjoy it and the RV travels.

 

[Loudram]

Love this thread, hope it catches on. lol
I am retiring soon and actively shopping for our first camper/toy hauler.
Like the 26-30' foot'r...but not 100% confident about the weight.
I have a 2024 2500.
The front runner right now is 33' (6821 dry / 9900 gvwr)
Most or trips will be regional, but we have some cross country trips on radar too.
I dunno, pulling this across country and back for a month might be a bit much.
Any tips appreciated.

With the trailer your looking at, you're in great shape with your 2500. That's about the specs on my trailer and I'm towing it with my 1500 without any problems.

 

[JayLeonard]

Currently at our son’s cabin in upstate NY near Potsdam. Been here a week so far helping him build his retirement home.