SeaDawg

I Love the vintage wings, too, on vintage trailers. Could you have some made as graphics? Or, I guess you could add them with vhb tape...if fiberglass. Or 3d printed plastic. Our local library prints small projects. Just a thought.

The flexible panels all have grommets. One of my friends uses a flexible 100 watt. She built a little pvc pipe frame, with cords, and uses that to strengthen the panel. General thought is it's more efficient, with some airflow beliw. Broken down, the flexible panel is stored under the mattress for travel.

I have many wonderful memories, and I'm really glad I got to spend my early years as we did... not sure all are "enthralling." I probably should have said I burnt my first dinner at 7. 😅 Then, learned to cook. First dinner was pork chops, and I definitely overcooked them. I had to stand on a stool to reach the range top.

"Tropical" southern Minnesota, where my ggg grandparents landed, in the 1850s. I still have many cousins up there. We had a huge garden. Well over an acre, maybe 2? Apple trees. Plum trees. My moms apple butter was amazing. We had a dairy herd. Pasteurized our own milk, made our own butter. Most of it was sold to the local creamery. (Awesome ice cream they made, btw.) We raised a steer or two, and a hog or two for our own use. Of course, the chickens (laying hens.) Eggs. Crops were hay, corn, soy beans, oats, primarily to feed the animals. Corn fed venison (dad was the hunter) made great sausage combined with the pork. We had a great German butcher, 20 miles south, who also provided meat lockers, for a fee. He usually got a few pheasant, as well. Dad built a new barn from lumber he cut, dried, and milled on our farm. I "helped" as a little girl, picking up nails, straightening them if crooked. Everyone had jobs. The barn still stands today, though sadly, the old 1850s farmhouse is gone. Demolition by neglect. Most of our land is now a game preserve, and the hilltop field is a tiny subdivision. The current owners have been kind enough to let me wander, with my memories. The woods and creek on the bottom land restore me. They have been very understanding, and enjoy my memory stories of picking up arrowheads in the plowed fields, etc. Very nice Midwest folks. So, basically, we raised most of our food. Canned and butchered and froze. We kids (5) wandered in the woods, did our chores, etc. I learned to cook at 7. My grampa (an amazing farmer and gardener) said the best place to raise kids was the country. I agree. If you can't, at least get them into nature via camping. We are extremely glad that our daughter enjoys camping, even in crummy weather. She'll pass it on.

@katanapilot, I do think it's a big deal. You and others here who are so generous with your time and help make this a very special place. Thank you.

It is fun. Pizza, breakfast, pies, grilled cheese. Cook bacon and many other things. Make sure you buy cast iron. Not aluminum

We use 55 to 60 on our older 2008, with st tires. Irrelevant for all the new trailers. Elite 1. Since mine is an older trailer sporting st tires, I won't be responding to the poll.

They're a lot of fun. Here are a few photos of campfire breakfast a few weeks ago. Hashbrowns, bacon, and egg. Casserole in a pie iron.

That looks like fun! We usually do individual pie iron pizzas on the fire, but this would be awesome when we have a bigger group. We only have 5 pie irons left.

That is so very kind of you! I never ceased to be amazed at the generosity of our community here. And you are one of those very generous ones!

That's ok, imo, very short term. Like 2 days. Keep the unrefrigerated, unpasteurized time as very short as possible, for all aspects. Eggs out of the shell deteriorate quickly, and can make you sick. I'd freeze beaten fresh eggs with a bit of salt to avoid the texture change, if you want to keep them longer than a few days. Eggs are tricky. Unwashed, farm fresh eggs in the shell last a long time, pointy side down, at room temp. In the US, unless you buy directly from a farm, eggs are washed, and protective natural coating is removed. Eggs last longer in the shell (washed or unwashed.) In most countries we've been in, eggs are sold unrefrigerated, stacked in the aisle, because they are unwashed. ( Not here.) Pointy side down keeps the yolk in the middle, air sac up top. Opposite of most grocery store eggs . (I do that, even here, with washed eggs.) You can freeze beaten fresh usa eggs in ice cube trays, or baggies, (flat packing ) as well . Or, just buy pasteurized egg product, and portion freeze. Yes, we raised chickens, too, on our farm. I have ( pretty gross) memories of butchering chickens under the lilac bushes, gutting, plucking, etc.. But, they only lay eggs for a certain number of years, so it is what it is. The time comes when they no longer lay eggs, so...

I'd probably check on your home state regulations on how long you have to obtain a registration and plate without having to pay a penalty or fine for late registration. Where do you live? Some states allow you to register your trailer and get your plate, pay the sales tax, via mail, or via an authorized representative who could FedEx your plate to you, and you could stay on the road without worrying. Some other states require the trailer to be brought in to verify the vin.

If you use 3 or 4 bars, I'd be sure to fasten the towel bar somewhere that the towels, shower curtain, etc. won't block the fridge vent, or exhaust vents.

I think a number of models have gone to composite. But it doesn't solve other issues I've seen on airforums, like the front end separation on certain models. Definitely, avoid those. No possibility for front end separation on a molded fiberglass hull. Oliver floor is fiberglass. But. If you want AS, go for it. We camp too often in hail country to consider even a vintage model to have fun with remodeling (which we love to do.) I've said it many times, everyone has different goals, needs, and camping styles. It's hard to sort it out. Took us better part of a year.

Drop the still frozen ears in boiling unsalted water. Don't thaw, for best results, imo. Don't boil for long. A few minutes then, reduce heat to low, and lid it. It will taste just like fresh picked corn 🌽 you can smell it. Before freezing, I usually break the fresh ears in half, blanche quickly, like a minute, drain on towels, then freeze. Vac packing doesn't remove much water. Just the air that causes freezer burn. I have pretty decent knife skills, so if freezing corn kernels, I just use a sharpened chefs knife. My mom, my aunt Betty, and I could do a bunch of bushels in an afternoon. Strip the husk on two or three yanks, blanch, drain on towels, stand on end, and strip the corn. I've never used a corn stripper. I'd be concerned that a dull blade would eventually steal the sweetness and the "milk." Btw, don't buy too much that you can't process. Sweet corn loses about 20 per cent, or more,, every day after picking. Get busy,, right away. Back in the day, we had little freezer bags, and twist ties. We froze in 1 lb butter cartons , to square them up and save space, remove the bags, stack, and repeat. Yes, i grew up on a farm. My aunt Betty is now 90, and still tends a huge garden. I miss ours

No ruffled feathers. You should definitely choose what you think is best for you and yours. Every trailer today is a large investment. To me, the most important thing is to get out and camp. Not just sit around a fire ring in the backyard, and poke around the internet. I hope you enjoy whatever you buy. Still enjoying mine, 15 seasons in. Happy camping.

What time is dinner tomorrow? 🤣

I don't carry a crock pot, nor an insta pot, since we rarely have hookups, but I do love campfire cooking. Our freezer in the truckfridge is very tiny, so my method of flat packing really helps. I do the same with burger patties. Make the patties, wax paper under and above, spray one side and season. Vacpac, flat freeze. Accompaniment for any red meat, or even pork chops, is often campfire roasted onion. Take as little off the onion as possible, top and bottom, with a sharp knife. Score lightly and remove the husk and thin first layer. Set the onion on its now flat bottom, on the cutting board, create 6 or 8 segments, not quite through. Open up just a bit, add butter or olive oil in the center. Add a bit of balsamic vinegar, if you have it. Wrap twice with foil, tightly. Cook in the early coals, tucked into the side of the fire, as you prepare everything else. It's done when you've turned it a few times, and it's soft. (Using long tongs, obviously. ) if it's done early, you can always set it on a hot rock while everything else cooks. Depending on the type of wood, and heat of the coals, 20 to 35 minutes. I buy whole pork tenderloins at Costco when on sale, and cut my own boneless chops. Marinade and freeze, flat pack. (Cilantro lime and Italian dressing are favorites for pork.) They continue to marinade as they thaw. Vac packed, they never leak.

@hobo, it takes a big person to admit error and help others. Thanks so much for the guidance. You'll undoubtedly save others from similar issues.

The big dedicated shower space in rvs for a dry bath, for us, has always been just inefficient movable storage. Clothes hamper, jacket drying, mop and bucket, shoe bin. Move it out to shower, move it back in, later. A ton of wasted space. Totally ok without it. Efficiency of a wet bath smaller footprint is great, for us.

Welcome. We have a number of folks here who previously owned Castas. (They're nice trailers, just different. One of my best camping buddies has had one, for the last 15 years.) Enjoy your camping experiences, hang out here, and see what works for you.

I know I've posted this in previous threads about campfire cooking, but I'll add it again, with photos. My husband's favorite campfire meal is teriyaki flank steak. I remove any chine and tendons, then stab the flank steak both sides with a fork, probably about 100 times each. Place it in a ziplock or vac bag, and add low sodium marinade. (Mrs dash is really good, but not always available. My own recipe is pineapple juice, low sodium soy, a bit of rice vinegar, garlic, ginger, honey or cane sugar, and a bit of water. ) Place the steak in the bag, add some marinade to cover (needs less than you think, as the holes allow the marinade to sink in), and marinate at least one day. I usually marinate one day, flat, in the fridge, then freeze flat between two cookie sheets in my chest freezer. Easier to carry and store flat pack items. (I do the same with chicken, pork chops, etc.) Flank steak cooks quickly to medium rare, about 5 minutes per side, on a really hot fire. sliced thin against the grain, on the diagonal, the little ribbons of meat require no knife. I sometimes just make veggies with it (seasonal), sometimes rosemary baby potatoes.

Our older elites have no cupboard. I keep supplies (washcloths, extra microfiber bath towels, etc.) in a plastic file case beside the toilet. Easily removed. Fairly waterproof if I forget.

@NCeagleposted this awhile back. Maybe he'll let us know how it's worked out.

I'd be very cautious of them. I've been watching them for a long time. That zip code of private seller is the same as their first "dealer," bear tooth Ford. https://www.uppermichiganssource.com/prnewswire/2022/08/12/cortes-campers-ships-travel-trailers-beartooth-ford-montana/?outputType=amp. See that seafoam green camper in the photo? On the inside they've made a sorry attempt to imitate our elite 1's. Not very successfully, imo. The outside, sans the modern lippert door, looks just like a Casita. Oh, gee. I wonder why. I grabbed some screenshots from their first website, where they unabashedly posted photos of them creating a mold from (guess what!) an old Casita. No way that trailer weighs 2300 pounds. No way I'd be interested. (They've built a few, but I still think vaporware.) My spidey sense rings loud every time I see their name. Nice big fridge, though. 😄