Best camping Hack and/or Fad

One we don't see much any more is the old washer drum used as a fire ring. I have never seen a campfire in a can in use, saw them in CWs is all.

Thank goodness the bucket lights and rope lights laying everywhere are fading out along with the palm trees.

pnichols wrote:
I have a wonderment question: Where is the mod for an RV bed that is conveniently adjustable in tip angle from head to foot and/or left side to right side???

My DW has a bad back and the exact tip-angles of the plane that the mattress rests on is ultra important to her for reduced pain when sleeping. I've spent countless hours using blocks under all of the front and/or rear tires trying to get the RV to just the right amount of "off-level" when setting up at campsites such that her bed is just right.

In other words, boy or boy would I sure like a platform frame to lay her bed mattress on that was easily adjustable via a remote contol so as to get it's at-rest tippage just right AFTER I had gotten the RV's floor about level using the usual blocks under the wheels approach during regular camp setup.

Perhaps you could have some dense foam cut on an angle that would suit her. Ask at an upholstery shop

I have a wonderment question: Where is the mod for an RV bed that is conveniently adjustable in tip angle from head to foot and/or left side to right side???

My DW has a bad back and the exact tip-angles of the plane that the mattress rests on is ultra important to her for reduced pain when sleeping. I've spent countless hours using blocks under all of the front and/or rear tires trying to get the RV to just the right amount of "off-level" when setting up at campsites such that her bed is just right.

In other words, boy or boy would I sure like a platform frame to lay her bed mattress on that was easily adjustable via a remote contol so as to get it's at-rest tippage just right AFTER I had gotten the RV's floor about level using the usual blocks under the wheels approach during regular camp setup.

Thanks everyone, now we're on the right track!

Agree about the party lights. While we do see them occasionally, now most seem to have an LED light strip. A couple years ago having a strand of rope lights laying on the ground were "in" and now I'm not seeing that.

Definitely has been a swing in trailer size for sure. They keep getting bigger and bigger with more gadgets.

Regarding the stove - we actually saw one very similar at Goodwill and it took us a bit to really figure out what it was. Very nifty though and really cool looking. Too bad the concept didn't work.

Not sure it was a fad but it certainly was a waste of money. I bought a fold up stainless steel wood burning cook stove about 40 years ago. You were suppose to be able to burn small sticks of wood in it from around your camp site. I used it once, smoked bad made a mess of it's self and the pan, with no easy way to clean it on a camping trip. Still have it, neat concept just didn't work, couldn't bring myself to throw it away.

Now they do part of it right, the Solo Stove, a gasifier wood burner, that actually works. Doesn't fold up but after a couple of minutes of burning it burns clean and very little left after the fire goes out to throw away, cleans up with a rag or paper towel. We have the small one and use it as mini wood fire that you can actually sit next to and doesn't burn a cord of wood on a week long camping trip. I cut up wood scraps into small pieces and a 5 gallon bucket full will gives 3 or 4 fires. If I supplement with sticks from where we are camping I can stretch the number of fires.

I probably have others, I'll have to think about it.

One of the biggest trends is for TT and 5th wheels getting bigger and bigger. Some of them are larger than the average mobile home in the 60's.

Piddlers wrote:
I think I missed the mark on my original post.

I thought it would be interesting to see what seasoned campers could remember that were fads and/or hacks in the past. Things that they had seen that was "all the rage" at one time or another and are not now. Maybe funny things, maybe not.

Such as; upside down hanging flower pot lights. At one time we would see them in the campground frequently and now we never see them. Or bumper stickers were everywhere at one time and now you don't see them like that on campers.

I totally realize there is a mod thread & gadget thread, etc., but that is not what I was looking for.

Sorry for the confusion.

Strings of party lights. At one time, plastic Chinese lanterns, multicolored fish, etc. were hanging from every awning. Mostly now replaced by LED rope lights.

The biggest fad currently seems to be the Blackstone tabletop propane griddles. All the cool kids have them.

I think I missed the mark on my original post.

I thought it would be interesting to see what seasoned campers could remember that were fads and/or hacks in the past. Things that they had seen that was "all the rage" at one time or another and are not now. Maybe funny things, maybe not.

Such as; upside down hanging flower pot lights. At one time we would see them in the campground frequently and now we never see them. Or bumper stickers were everywhere at one time and now you don't see them like that on campers.

I totally realize there is a mod thread & gadget thread, etc., but that is not what I was looking for.

Sorry for the confusion.

Campfires.. Many campgrounds have gone to these new "Safety" Fire pits consisting of two metal rings with about 4" of concrete between them.. No way (at least easily) to dig ounder 'em and they are often "Spiked" in so you can't easily lift em to let air into the fire pit.....

Muffler shop bent a piece of pipe From the outlet end a short run the UP the height of the fire pit and a bit. then back to the horozontial run then down and then a bit more than up for six inhches to a foot.

On the "Cold" end of the pipe I mounted a small "Computer" type fan runs on a 12 volt "Jump Pack" battery.. Blows air in nicely. Big fire..

Getting close to bump it up time:

http://www.rv.net/forum/index.cfm/fuseaction/thread/tid/17436377.cfm