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scamp 13

Replacing the RV Door Lock on a 2020 Scamp 13’

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Replacing the RV Door Lock on a 2020 Scamp 13’

Our 2020 Scamp 13’ was delivered from the Scamp factory with the Global Link RV Entry Door Lock which is commonly used across many travel trailer brands.  This lock serves to secure the trailer’s door by providing two locking cylinders (the main cylinder and a dead bolt) within the latch.  Typically, if the door latch does its job then one doesn’t really think about it.  But, for our Scamp, this wasn’t the case.  The original lock was not only very difficult to lock and unlock, but also sometimes wouldn’t unlock (from both the outside and inside of the trailer).  On one of our first trips with our Scamp, we found ourselves locked inside the trailer subject to a lock that wouldn’t open regardless of the inside lock positions.  We ended up having to remove the lock and reinstall it (which seemed to work for a while).  Eventually, on another trip, the end of the key snapped off inside the lock when attempting to lock the deadbolt from the outside of the trailer.  Since our trailer was under the first year warranty, Scamp replaced the lock without charge.

The replacement lock we received wasn’t much better than the first one.  This second door latch was always very difficult to open and lock, and, similar to the first one, presented a lot of resistance when engaging the deadbolt.  We learned to live with it and were always very careful when turning the key when locking and unlocking the deadbolt.  The lock was always a source of concern whenever using it; we always wondered when it would fail next.  A couple of years later, the key snapped inside the lock when we were on a trip at Sequoia National Park.  Fortunately, we were able to still lock and unlock the deadbolt with just the remaining part of the key (with more than half the key still broken and stuck inside the lock) for the rest of our trip!  Not wanting to try a third example of this same lock (“fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me”), we began searching for a lock replacement as soon as we arrived home.  We originally liked the idea of a keyless entry lock as it would be great not having to deal with keys.  We looked closely at this lock as well as another one.

However, because the 2020 Scamp 13’ door is designed with a small recessed fiberglass space for the door lock, none of the keyless entry systems we could find would fit (because of their extra wide design which accommodates the numbered buttons).  So, we concentrated on finding a lock design that would match the original lock’s physical specifications so it would fit inside the hole in our Scamp’s door.

There are numerous locks available which look virtually identical to the original Global Link RV Lock which was installed on our Scamp by the factory.  However, not all locks that match our physical specifications for the lock cutout are:  highly reviewed, comprised of 100% metal (some have plastic parts), and have unique laser cut keys.  We chose this lock by Welluck because it meets the above criteria.  Additionally, it is waterproof and comes with 4 laser cut keys (cut on the inside for enhanced security).  The company states that each key set is unique (although we haven’t been able to confirm this).  Lastly, we really like that the Welluck lock is offered in white, a very unique color among locks, and matches our white 2020 Scamp 13’.

If there is appropriate cut out space in the door, installation of this lock should be very easy (see video above).  Simply remove the existing lock by unscrewing the 4 bolts on the back plate, 2 door plate bolts, pull existing back plate, and then pull the front of the lock out from the front of the door.  Installation of the new lock is the reverse of the same procedure.  First, push the front of the new lock through the hole in the door front, screw in the side metal cylinder plate, and then align the hole for the deadbolt pin and position the handle slider mechanism forward and secure the back plate with the 4 bolts.  Check to see the proper operation of the handle/deadbolt and keys after installation.  After installation, we were pleased to find that this new lock is very sturdy and much smoother in function than our previous two manufacturer supplied locks!  And, the key to our hearts with locks is a key that works without struggle or hesitation!

 

Disclaimer:  You will get the same great Amazon price by clicking on the links here compared to buying directly on Amazon, but by buying here you will also be supporting the continuation of this website as we get a small commission from each sale.  These are products and procedures we use for our own Scamp that we selected and developed from our own research and experiences.  However, we do not endorse any specific product and cannot guarantee that the products we use are exemplary and the procedures we use are complete, accurate, detail the correct recommended procedures, or apply to your model small travel trailer.  It’s always best to double check with your manufacturer or operation manuals to ensure you are doing everything correctly. 

Using a Rivet Gun to Mount a New Scamp LED Bathroom Light

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Using a Rivet Gun to Mount a New Scamp LED Bathroom Light

Warning:  always use eyewear protection when working with tools!

Having a bright LED light in the Scamp bathroom is great.  Our 2020 Scamp 13’ came with a large oval 12V light (about 6 inches long, 3.5 inches wide) by Dream Lighting.  The light is energy efficient (4.5 Watts), very bright (300 lumen) for the Scamp’s small bathroom and lightweight (less than 3 ounces).   LED lights are especially nice because they don’t require a lot of energy to run and they usually last a very long time.  That’s why when our bathroom LED light started malfunctioning (flickering, dim, only partially lighting), it was surprising.  Fortunately, this light is very inexpensive (currently $11 on Amazon) so replacing it seemed like the easiest thing to do (vs. trying to repair).  I did pop open the cover and flipped the switch a few times to see if it could be something obvious.  However, the problem wasn’t apparent and it could easily be a circuit board issue (as all the LEDs sometimes would occasionally light, but often very faintly).

Replacing the LED light with an identical light from one purchased on Amazon seemed like it would be super straightforward.  My thoughts were that I would just unscrew the existing bad light, remove the wire nuts from the black (positive) and white (negative) wires, and attach the new wire leads from the lamp to the Scamp wiring, and then screw the new one in.  However, as is often the case with travel trailers, things aren’t always as they seem.  Once I popped open the light’s opaque white plastic cover, I noticed some strange metal tubes coming out of each end of the lamps’ mounting holes.  I called Scamp and they explained that the LED lamp is riveted to the wall.  After they explained why Scamp uses rivets on their trailers, it made perfect sense.  Rivets don’t usually loosen with vibration (which happens to bolts when driving). They are also good for joining parts where there is little separation between them.  The downside is that installing them generally requires a special tool (rivet gun), some learning, and often a drill to drill out the existing rivet (if replacing something already riveted in place, like the old Scamp LED shower light).

Fortunately, rivet guns are relatively inexpensive and I thought that since so many things on the Scamp are riveted, it would be nice to have a rivet gun for potential future use (also, I don’t know anyone who has a rivet gun I can borrow!).  It’s not the most popular tool these days (unless you hang out with RV veterans who like working on their rigs).  After doing a little research, I discovered that rivets are pretty common in RVs, often used on aluminum siding, hinges, latches, and many things attached to the RV walls.  While working on this project, I took a close look at the outside of our Scamp and noticed many white plastic rivet caps!  So, it seems many items inside the Scamp are riveted in place from the outside of the trailer.

The rivet gun I ordered also comes with 200 aluminum rivets (50 of each of the four most common sizes) and four drill bits (used to drill out already mounted rivets).  The rivet gun has four different head attachments which accommodates each size rivet [3/32”(2.4mm), 1/8”(3.4mm), 5/32”(4.0mm), and 3/16”(4.8mm)].  I was told by Scamp that the bathroom LED light utilizes 3/16” (4.8mm) rivets which are also 9/16” long.  The first thing I did was remove the opaque white cover on the existing bad LED lamp, then I removed the two white plastic caps covering the rivet heads inside the upper cabinet on the opposite side of the wall of the shower, and I utilized the 3/16” drill bit to drill out the rivet heads (x2) (this size bit easily drills through the 3/16” rivet head).  I found the bit quickly cut through the rivet head with little effort (since they are aluminum) and the heads wound up on the bit.  When the second head was drilled off, the bad bathroom LED light came off the wall and dangled, supported by its wiring.

Removing the bad bathroom LED light was simple once it was off the wall.  I simply removed the two wire nuts (making sure not to let the white and black wires touch each other to avoid a short circuit).  Before installing the new LED light, it was easy to test it by connecting it to the two wires (white to white and black to black).  After verifying the new LED light worked well, I removed it and took it to the work bench.  The two plastic mounting holes on each end needed to be slightly drilled out (they are a little too small in diameter for the 3/16’ to fit through).  I first removed the white opaque LED light cover so I wouldn’t accidently drill through it from behind.  Then, I used the same 3/16” drill bit I used to drill out the old rivet heads and I drilled out the two holes from the back of the LED light so the 3/16” rivets were able to fit through the holes (the long rod, or mandrel, goes into the rivet gun and then other end of the rivet goes through the cabinet wall and then through the back of the LED bathroom light holes).

Everything seemed to be going very smoothly.  I even tested a sample 3/16” rivet on the bad LED light (I had to drill out the plastic hole like on the new one).  To operate the gun, just place the long metal rod (mandrel) into the front of the rivet gun, put the rivet through the items that you want to join, and then squeeze the trigger multiple times until the rod breaks off (it takes some strength) (watch my attached video).  When squeezing the trigger, the head of the rivet compresses the rivet’s body (shortening and widening it) and pulls tightly together the two items being joined.  It’s here that I encountered an issue.  The 3/16” (4.8mm) diameter rivets I was using, which came with the rivet gun, were too short!  They didn’t have enough length to go all the way through the shower wall and plastic LED light mounting holes.  I reviewed my notes and found that Scamp mentioned that the length of the rivets they use for the LED shower light are 9/16”.  The ones that came with the rivet gun are the same diameter, 3/16”(4.8mm), but only 5/16”long, not counting the rivet head.  And, they would be even shorter once compressed by the rivet gun.

I couldn’t find 3/16”(4.8mm) rivets with 9/16” length on Amazon, so I ordered ones advertised as 3/16” x 5/8”since 5/8” or 10/16” is very close.  They showed up the next day (got to love Amazon!) but things were not as they seemed!  The rivet body on the new ones looked really long and I measured them to be 13/16” long!  The label on the package was clearly printed showing 3/16” x 5/8”.  Dumfounded, I searched online and found that the first measurement of the listed rivet size is the diameter (which is what I expected), but the second measurement is the “maximum grip range” and not the rivet length (despite what some of the Amazon sellers show on their charts).

The story thickens.  As it turns out, the “grip range” is the range of thicknesses that the rivet can hold together once it is compacted by a rivet gun.  For example, if one is riveting two pieces of material together and the two pieces together will be 5/16” thick then you will need a rivet with a grip range that covers that thickness. A rivet with a grip range of 4/16” – 6/16” would be a match since 5/16” thickness falls in the middle of the range.  A rivet with a smaller grip range would be too short to hold the pieces together and one with a larger grip range would hold the pieces together, but would be too loose (allowing separation of the parts).  The thickness of the materials for the LED bathroom light and Scamp wall is around 6/16” (I measured by inserting a wire rod through the cabinet wall hole and all the way through the thickness of the LED lamp as it was held against the shower wall.  I used a marker to mark the length of wire which I then measured with a ruler, see video).  Upon speaking to Scamp a second time, I was told that the industry number of the rivet they use for the LED bathroom light is a #6-6 rivet.  The first number is the diameter in 32nds – so, 6 is equal to 6/32” or 3/16” diameter.  The second number refers to the maximum grip length in 16ths – so 6 is equal to 6/16”.  This is the maximum length to which the rivet body will compress.  So, the #6-6 rivet Scamp uses has a maximum grip length of 6/16” which will accommodate the thickness of the LED shower light materials I estimated at 6/16”.  So, it would make sense then that the first rivets I ordered on Amazon which had a maximum grip range of 5/8” (or 10/16”) would have been too long for the thickness of the materials (around 6/16” thick) and the LED bathroom light would probably have just dangled from the wall if those were used.  I ordered the #6-6 rivets and they worked perfectly — just the right size to hold the LED bathroom light tightly against the bathroom wall.

The hardest part of a rivet project is figuring out the correct size of rivets to use.  Once that is known, then actually using the rivet gun and attaching the rivets is very easy.  I positioned the LED bathroom light wiring behind the light so that the wiring nuts were tucked inside the recessed area in order to get the light body to sit flatly against the wall.  Then, I inserted each rivet into the hole, squeezed the handle on the rivet gun several times until the mandrel fell off, and that was it!  The LED bathroom light attached really tightly against the shower wall!  Of course, there are many other items in the Scamp 13’ that use rivets, and armed with this new knowledge and a new rivet gun, we look forward to the next riveting project!

 

Disclaimer:  You will get the same great Amazon price by clicking on the links here compared to buying directly on Amazon, but by buying here you will also be supporting the continuation of this website as we get a small commission from each sale.  These are products and procedures we use for our own Scamp that we selected and developed from our own research and experiences.  However, we do not endorse any specific product and cannot guarantee that the products we use are exemplary and the procedures we use are complete, accurate, detail the correct recommended procedures, or apply to your model small travel trailer.  It’s always best to double check with your manufacturer or operation manuals to ensure you are doing everything correctly. 

Southern Arizona Fall 2022

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Southern Arizona Fall 2022
November 13th – 22nd, 2022 (9 nights)

Late fall and winter bring cool temperatures to most U.S. locations, prompting many campers to place their travel trailers into storage until spring.  However, southern Arizona’s weather is very welcoming during this period (usually 60’s-70’s during the day and cool nights) and, in turn, lots of snowbirds flock here for the pleasant temperatures.  We wanted to capture the best weather southern Arizona has to offer, so we planned a trip along its southern border.  We chose six locations across the state and kept most drive times to three hours or less.  Our longest drive was from our home in Carlsbad, California (San Diego county) to our first campground, Painted Rock Petroglyph Site Campground in Arizona (about 4 ½ hours).  We chose Painted Rock as our first stop because we needed to break up the drive and it sounded interesting.

Painted Rock Petroglyph Campground is about 1 ½ hours east of Yuma on the 8 Freeway.  There’s a gas station in Sentinel, AZ (they sell Middle of Nowhere t-shirts) about thirty minutes away from Painted Rock Campground, which is a good place to fill up before leaving the 8 and turning off at Painted Rock Road to the campground.  The campground is about 12 miles up Painted Rock Road (paved road, with a small gravel section at the very end) and is an easy drive.  There are no facilities here (no water, electric, or sewer/dump station), so come with your fresh tank full and black and grey tanks empty.  We received good Verizon cellular phone signal here at this very isolated and desolate location.  The fee at this BLM campground is $8 per night (payable to the “iron ranger”, metal box).  However, the fee is only $6/night with an “America the Beautiful Pass” and $4/night with the “Golden Age or Access passport”.  We paid $8 for the night despite having the “America the Beautiful Pass” because the discounts were only posted at the Day Use section of the campground!  So, most people driving in will pay $8/night since the discounts are not posted at the RV campground entrance.  We did save $8 by not making a reservation and avoiding the reservation fee.  We read in advance that the campground usually has a lot of empty sites and since we were going on Sunday afternoon we figured we wouldn’t have an issue getting a spot.  As it turned out, the campground was mostly vacant with only a handful of campers spread out over a very large area.  We chose site #27 which is a great open location.  There is a camp host here, but we only saw someone in the morning near the host trailer riding a tractor and playing with a dog.  We enjoyed the remoteness, quietness, and privacy at the campground, the stars at night, and walking around the volcanic stone mounds trying to decrypt the petroglyph symbols (ancient graffiti) displayed on the rocks.  This stay over was a perfect place to get a great night’s sleep and refresh before the drive to our next stop, Catalina State Park.

Catalina State Park is a two and a half hour drive from Painted Rock Petroglyph Campground and is located in the upscale community of Oro Valley (Valley of Gold), about fourteen miles north of Tucson.   The campground is at the foothills of the beautiful Santa Catalina Mountains and only a quick bike ride to the nice town of Oro Valley.  We immediately noticed on our drive into Oro Valley the vast network of bike paths alongside the roads, a large number of popular stores and restaurants, a Ritz Carlton resort, a large hospital, and nice homes all set within the stunning backdrop of the Santa Catalina Mountains.  This place obviously is a well thought out planned community, where many families and retired people call home.  The first thing we did when arriving at Catalina State Park was to use the free central dump on the way to our campsite.  Our site, #18 ($35/night), has electric and water hookups with a spectacular view of the mountains.  Verizon cell coverage was poor, but a useable signal was obtainable by walking around the campground.  The daytime temperatures were in the 60’s, but our water filter was icy the next morning which slowed water flow inside the Scamp (overnight temperatures in the 20’s), so we switched to our internal fresh tank the next night and had no issues.  Fortunately, the fresh tank is inside the Scamp 13’ (underneath the right side bench seat), so it stays warm even in freezing temperatures (assuming the interior of the Scamp is kept heated).  We spent a couple of days here enjoying numerous hikes, including the Romero Ruins hike.  One of the highlights of our stay was when an owl landed on our Scamp’s roof right above our heads and hooted (similar to our Scampgrounds logo)!  Scamper quick tip:  when the night temperatures are forecasted to be cold and electric hookups are provided, bring a small electric ceramic heater (like this one) to avoid using your propane gas (save your propane for when no electric hookups are provided to use for the furnace, refrigerator, gas stove, and hot water heater).

It’s about a two hour drive from Catalina State Park to Patagonia Lake State Park, directly south on the 19 Freeway.  The route goes almost straight down to the Mexican border town of Nogales.  Patagonia Lake is very isolated and is surrounded by rolling hills.  The campground is spread out with its own store, boat ramp, marina, and plenty of picnic tables and small docks available to launch canoes and kayaks.  Cabins are also available to rent for those without RVs.  We had a nice campsite by the lake, #22 ($30/night), which has electric and water hookups (there is also a free central dump at the campground).  Because lush vegetation grows along the shores of the lake, there are few campsites with expansive lake views.  But, campers can walk down to the area of the Visitor’s Center and there are plenty of picnic tables with great water scenery.  Verizon service was only useable in certain locations (e.g. near the Visitor’s Center).  We ran our ceramic heater at this location as well since it was chilly at night and we had an electric hookup.  Individuals and families who enjoy time out on the water with inflatable boats and other types of kayaks/canoes flock here throughout the year.  We also saw people fishing (both from shore and boats).  The area is also popular for birders, as there are a large variety of bird species in the area (including ones from Mexico).  There is also access to Sonoita Creek State Natural Area (which we hiked) close by that is a popular preserve among birders.  There are a lot of trails near the lake and the Sonoita Creek area.  We spent a couple of days hiking, watching wildlife (including birds and deer), and even seeing some free range cows.  Pontoon boat tours ($7 per adult/$5 per child) are offered on Saturdays and Sundays at various times which focus on both avian and discovery interests.  And, bird walks are led by rangers Monday and Friday mornings at 9 a.m. (meet at the Birding Trail near site 12).  Note – tour types, days and times are subject to change, so call ahead to confirm.  We made sure to use the free central dump on the way out of the campground as our next stop was somewhere quite remote and without dump facilities.

Continuing our journey further east for two and half hours, we made our way to Chiricahua (pronounced cherry-cow-a) National Monument (Bonita Canyon Campground), not far from the Arizona – New Mexico border.  The campground is hidden in the mountains thirty five miles southeast of Willcox, the closest town to the area.  We filled up our gas tank in Willcox before heading out onto quiet Highway 186; we didn’t see any cars the entire forty five minute drive to the campground (the drive was easy on paved roads).  Not having learned much about the campground, we expected it to be fairly isolated with minimal facilities or support staff.  We made sure our fresh tank was full (just in case water spigots were not working) and black and grey tanks were drained before arriving (since there is no central dump).  Our expectations were happily turned upside down upon arrival; we passed a beautiful Visitor Center (with a natural rock exterior similar to ones found in Yosemite) and were greeted at our site by one of three volunteer rangers who live at the campground!  Several deer stood by next to us, seemingly unfazed, as we navigated our Scamp 13’ into our site, #14 (nice spot looking out at the mountains, $20/night, no cell phone service, no hookups, but there are working water spigots, a grey water sink for disposing of grey water, and free WiFi at the Visitor’s Center)!  The ranger gave us a brief rundown on some of the trails and made some recommendations on where to explore in this “Land of Standing up Rocks”.

The terrain here is much different than many of the Arizona desert campgrounds.  This mountain campground sits at over 5,000 feet elevation and there are over 1,200 species of plants in the surrounding area.  There are pines, firs, yuccas, agaves, prickly pear cactus and many others.  There is also abundant wildlife, including birds, coatimundi (raccoon like creatures), Arizona white-tailed deer, Javelina (pig like, but not a pig), black bears, Chiricahua fox squirrels, mountain lions, black-tailed rattlesnakes, and mountain spiny lizards.  Our site, #14, has a fantastic view of some of the mountains with stone rock formations for which this area is famous (note:  Site #13 has unobstructed mountain views and is, along with #14, a top choice for future visits).  The Mexican Jay birds are very bold and will stand at one’s feet looking for handouts.  Just ignore them (it’s also prohibited to feed wildlife) and they will go about their business foraging for acorns.  The first thing we did after setting up our Scamp 13’ was to take the half mile trail to the Visitor’s Center.  It’s well stocked with Chiricahua related items (including t-shirts) as well as snacks.  We were given a large map and one of the rangers gave us her list of must see attractions.  We still had enough time before dark on our first afternoon to hike to Faraway Ranch (a ranch homesteaded in 1886 by Swedish immigrants Neil Erickson and Emma Peterson) where a number of ranch buildings are preserved.  Along the way, we saw numerous deer, wild turkeys, and a band of coatimundi (about 20 of them with their tails straight up)!  None of these animals were startled by our presence and walked right by us within a few feet.  It seems this is a land time has forgot where wildlife hasn’t been too disrupted by mankind.  We felt like visitors to the animals’ home and they treated us well.  Here is some video of animals we took close to the campground.

We took the eight-mile scenic drive above the campground to Massai Point (elevation 6900 ft.) on our second day to look out over the Chiricahua National Monument vistas.  We walked the easy half-mile Massai Nature Trail (some Verizon signal here) and marveled at the expanse of standing rock columns formed by volcanic eruptions 27 million years ago.  The unusual rock formations reminded us of our time spent in Cappadocia, Turkey, known for its distinctive “fairy chimneys”.   We were astonished that something like this existed in Arizona.  To get an even more immersive experience, we parked at the Echo Canyon parking lot a little way down the mountain and hiked the moderate 3.3 mile Echo Canyon Loop Trail which winds its way through the mesmerizing Echo Canyon Grotto (a fairytale like series of stone columns nestled closely together).  We didn’t have time for the Heart of Rocks Loop (7.3 miles strenuous loop) which has some of the famous balancing rock structures (like the Big Balanced Rock, Pinnacle Balance Rock, Punch & Judy, and Duck on a Rock), but hope to return and do it in the future.  We are glad we had at least two days here, but if we had known there are so much fantastic scenery and things to do in this area, we would have booked a minimum of three nights.  We met one fit hiker who told us she had been here six days and was just able to complete all of the Monument’s main hikes!  The ranger was right when he told us when we first pulled in that this place is a hidden gem!

We left Bonita Canyon Campground the next morning with a full fresh tank as the next campground, Picacho Peak State Park, notified us that fresh water was not available due to the drought (this was a first for us)!  We headed down the mountain back into Willcox and then continued west past Tucson (a two and a half hour drive from Chiricahua National Monument).  Picacho Peak State Park is located off the 10 Freeway between Tucson and Phoenix.  It’s a largely flat desert landscape with some tall mountains (including Picacho Peak, of which the campground sits at the base).  The freeway can be seen and heard (along with trains) in the distance from the campground (some noise).  We were excited to arrive because we planned to meet Canadian friends (Colleen and Perry) in person for the first time who we know from Instagram (who also travel by fiberglass travel trailer).  We used the free central dump when pulling in and then found our site, #C27 (electric hookup, no water, $30/night, good Verizon cell service).  Site #C27 is fairly private and well located with nice mountain views.  As we finished setting up our Scamp 13’, a horn honked, and we saw our friends pulling in with their Oliver Elite II travel trailer.  We found we had a lot in common and all took a nice walk together after lunch.  Our friend Colleen cooked a fabulous Mexican dinner for us and we enjoyed it at their campsite.  The next morning, we took a very challenging hike to the top of Picacho Peak!  It’s a strenuous hike and some parts are very vertical, requiring the use of steel cables which are anchored into the rock.  It’s recommended to wear leather gloves to avoid getting hand injuries while grabbing the cables.  We made the ascent in about one and a half hours and the descent in a little over an hour.  It’s a thrilling and strenuous hike, and definitely not recommended for the faint of heart (or those with a fear of heights)!  We had a marvelous time here with our new friends and really enjoyed the campground (even though it is close to the city and freeway).  The desert scenery, including cactus and mountains, made for a peaceful stay.

To avoid a six hour ride straight back home to San Diego, we headed to Yuma (3 hours from Picacho Peak SP) for a stay over at Hidden Cove RV Park ($45/night, full hookups).  Hidden Cove RV Park (located in Arizona) is situated right on the Colorado River on the Arizona-California border.  The people here are very nice and this RV park is very close to the highlights of downtown Yuma.  We didn’t have much time though in Yuma to explore, since we hiked Picacho Peak the same day as our departure to Yuma.  We enjoyed a late lunch at a local burger place, Eddie’s Grill, in Yuma before relaxing in the evening (including a walk along the Colorado River path).  There was a beautiful sunset allowing for a nice opportunity to launch the drone for photos.  The next morning, before leaving for home, we walked along the long dirt road across the street from the RV park which parallels an aqueduct and meanders along farmland (which provides miles of peaceful walking terrain).

This turned out to be a fantastic trip.  We didn’t know what to expect, which is part of what makes trips to new places so fun.  We always read about our destinations in advance when planning trips, but the reality is usually different and the sights, sounds & smells of what’s experienced can never be replicated online.  It’s the excitement of the unknown–visiting new locations and meeting new people—that has the potential to greatly broaden one’s horizons.  We never come back from a trip exactly the same as when we left (and this is usually a positive thing!).  It’s the mystery and discovery of what’s just around the next corner that keeps us going!

Disclaimer:  You will get the same great Amazon price by clicking on the links here compared to buying directly on Amazon, but by buying here you will also be supporting the continuation of this website as we get a small commission from each sale.  These are products and procedures we use for our own Scamp that we selected and developed from our own research and experiences.  However, we do not endorse any specific product and cannot guarantee that the products we use are exemplary and the procedures we use are complete, accurate, detail the correct recommended procedures, or apply to your model small travel trailer.  It’s always best to double check with your manufacturer or operation manuals to ensure you are doing everything correctly. 

Why and How I Repositioned Our 2020 Scamp’s Shower Pump

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Why and How I Repositioned Our 2020 Scamp’s Shower Pump

In the past two years since taking delivery of our 2020 Scamp 13’, I haven’t spent much time looking underneath the camper.  I did add underglow lighting and had to replace a faulty Grey tank capacity sensor over the past couple of years, but other than these things most of my attention has been above the floor.  It was only this past month, when we ran into trouble south of the Trona Pinnacles, did I see how exposed and perilous a position where the factory installed shower pump sits.  On this misadventure, after a series of unfortunate events (lack of signs, wrong turns, continually narrowing roads), we found ourselves on a grueling ATV trail with no easy and safe way to turn around.  Here’s a short video from our off road drive!  When we finally arrived at the Pinnacles from the south, we noticed our shower water pump (which hangs down really low below the Scamp) was damaged.  One of the hose connectors on the pump was completely broken off and the vinyl tubing was dangling down to the ground.  Fortunately, an RV repair shop about an hour away was able to replace our pump immediately so we could continue on with our trip.  The mechanic and I spoke about repositioning the pump into a nice protected recessed area (under where the toilet sits) adjacent to the factory position, but due to concern about the tubing becoming pinched, and our time constraints, we opted to leave it in its original spot.

When we returned home, I resolved to reposition the shower pump into the protected recessed position (under where the toilet sits) to avoid a potential repeat of what happened south of the Trona Pinnacles.  The first thing I did was call Scamp and ask why the shower pump is factory mounted in the low center exposed position (under the shower pan).  I was told that it is placed in this position because the plumbing hoses will get pinched or crimped if it is put in the deeper recessed position.  This is exactly what the mechanic told me when trying to replace the new pump in this location.  There really isn’t much room for the vinyl tubing to attach to the hose adapters on the pump and make such a sharp turn in the small recessed area to avoid the trailer frame.  Ultimately, after some research, I decided to use 90 degree threaded elbow connectors to address this problem.  The hardest part of the project was figuring out all the supplies and tools I needed.  After that, the actual relocation of the Scamp shower pump was relatively easy and only took about an hour working slowly and cautiously.  Here are the Project Tools and Supplies I used to relocate the Scamp 13’ shower pump.

Project Tools and Supplies:

a.  Tools

    1. Square #2 Screwdriver or
      1. Electric screw driver which accepts ¼” bits
      2. Square #2 bits
    2. Pex / Vinyl Tubing Cutter
    3. Metal Snips
    4. Wire cutters
    5. Crimper tool

 b.  Supplies

    1. ¾” ID, 1” OD vinyl tubing w/clamps (10 feet) 
    2. Two ½” PVC 90-Degree MPT x FPT Elbow Fitting (threaded inside and out)
    3. Wire similar in thickness to existing pump wire to extend wire for reposition, butt connectors

Here are the Project Steps I took to relocate the Scamp 13’ shower pump.

Project Steps:

  1. SAFETY: I made sure my Scamp 13’ was parked on a flat level surface (my garage), the tongue jack was stable, and I used heavy duty wheel chocks to prevent the trailer from rolling.  I also wore safety glasses to help prevent anything from falling into my eyes while working under the trailer.  I also made sure my mobile phone was within reach in case I needed to call for help when working.
  2. Using the Square #2 Driver, I removed the two square #2 screws which hold the metal strap around the shower pump
  3. I unscrewed the metal hose clamps on the pump’s inlet and outlet (and placed little plastic containers under the hoses to prevent grey water from dripping onto the garage floor) and pulled both hoses from the pump’s inlet and outlet.
  4. I removed the shower pump by unscrewing the four Phillips head screws holding the pump’s rubber feet to the Scamp’s under floor (I left the 4 screws in the rubber feet to use again when remounting) and set the pump on the garage floor
  5. I would have cut and extended the black and red wires at this time (using new wire, wire cutters, butt connectors, etc.) to allow repositioning to the farther recessed area, but the mechanic who installed the new pump already extended the wires for me (before deciding he couldn’t easily reposition the pump)
  6. I removed the black plastic hose adapters from the pump inlet / outlet by manually unscrewing them from the pump
  7. I set the white ½” plastic threaded elbow connectors and black hose adapters down next to the pump on the floor facing toward the rear of the Scamp 13’ to visualize the setup
  8. I screwed on the white PVC ½” elbow connectors directly onto the pump. I found that I could only screw them on about 4 full turns and didn’t force turning them any more to prevent possible cracking.  I made sure their final position was facing back toward the rear of the Scamp (the rear of the pump has the big square and the front is the cylinder with aerodynamic small bulb).  Then, I screwed on the black hose adapters onto the white elbow connectors so they faced straight back.
  9. I positioned the pump into the protected recessed area under the toilet (as far forward as possible without the elbows hitting the metal frame) and, using the existing screws, I mounted the pump (the screws self-tap into the floor) (I was told the Scamp floor is ¾” thick and verified the thickness by measuring the exposed floor thickness next to the shower drain under the trailer, but I used the existing screws since they were in good condition so didn’t need to be concerned with screw length).
  10. I remounted the metal strap using the existing square #2 screws around the pump to secure it (using my metal snips, I clipped off one small segment / one hole so the strap would fit into the small area).
  11. Lastly, I attached the hoses using the metal clamps (from filter outlet to pump inlet, from pump outlet to Grey tank). The Tube Cutter made the job very easy; cutting the thick vinyl is just a quick snip.
    1. I put the metal clamps on the vinyl tube ends first before pushing them over the inlets/outlets.
    2. Grey Tank hose to Pump outlet: I was really careful not to cut the Grey tank hose too short (since that hose goes all the way to the back of the trailer).  I positioned the Grey tank hose right up against the pump outlet and made sure that there was enough hose to go all the way to the back of the outlet and then I clipped the excess hose.
    3. Filter outlet hose to Pump inlet: I first attached the new hose to the pump inlet and then I pulled the hose up to the filter and, making sure the new hose went all the way to the back of the filter outlet, made a quick cut with the tube cutter.
    4. After pushing all tubing over the inlet/outlets all the way to the back of them, I screwed the metal clamps over the hose inlets/outlets so they are really tight.
  12. After completing the project, I tested the system to make sure the water flowed properly (e.g. shower water drains quickly) and there were no leaks. Click here to see a video of the new system working.

I also installed a new metal Chip Guard from Scamp ($23.63 from Scamp + $20 shipping at the time of the writing), which hangs down to deflect rocks, etc. from hitting the underside of the Scamp.  Our Scamp’s original chip guard was badly dented while off-roading south of the Trona Pinnacles.  I tried to bend it back, but it would have taken a lot of effort, so I decided just to replace it.  With the Scamp’s shower pump now relocated to a protected recessed position and new chip guard, I feel the main parts under the trailer are now very well guarded.   To happier and safer trails ahead!

Disclaimer:  You will get the same great Amazon price by clicking on the links here compared to buying directly on Amazon, but by buying here you will also be supporting the continuation of this website as we get a small commission from each sale.  These are products and procedures we use for our own Scamp that we selected and developed from our own research and experiences.  However, we do not endorse any specific product and cannot guarantee that the products we use are exemplary and the procedures we use are complete, accurate, detail the correct recommended procedures, or apply to your model small travel trailer.  It’s always best to double check with your manufacturer or operation manuals to ensure you are doing everything correctly. 

Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks

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Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks
September 11th – 18th, 2022 (7 nights)

Visiting Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks in the shoulder season is a fantastic way to experience the parks without heavy summer crowds.  The weather was very pleasant during our visit in September with highs in the high 60’s (perfect for hiking) and lows in the low 40’s (perfect for sleeping) and the trails were fairly unpopulated.  Because of the cool nights, we used the furnace in our Scamp 13’ while sleeping and set the thermostat at 58 degrees, which was very comfortable for a great night’s rest.  Because the drive from our home in Carlsbad to these parks is around 8 hours, we stopped halfway for overnights at Bear Mountain RV Park in Bakersfield to break up the drives both going to the parks and on our way home.  Fortunately, we brought along our portable AC system, because it was in the 90’s in Bakersfield!

When searching for a convenient half way overnight stop, our biggest priority was finding a place which was along the route so we didn’t add unnecessary driving time.  Additionally, since we knew it could still be very hot in the Central Valley in September, we also wanted to make sure the place where we stayed had electrical hookups so we would be able to run our AC system.  Lastly, we wanted a reasonable nightly rate since we weren’t going to have time to take advantage of any extra facilities (like pool, laundry room, clubhouse, miniature golf course, etc.) or location (e.g. proximity to the downtown, etc.).  Bear Mountain RV Park in the Central Valley (Bakersfield) meets all of these criteria; it’s just a few minutes off the 99 Freeway (located in between farmland), about halfway from our home to Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks, it offers full hookups, and the rate when we stayed was only $34/night (although they just raised the rate to $39/night).  Most of the park is occupied by monthly renters, but the last row of campsites is set aside to accommodate overnight guests.  We were assigned site #17 and our friends, Phil & Claudia, who accompanied us on this trip, were parked right next to us.  It was hot (about 95 degrees) when we arrived, so we set up our portable AC system which chilled the Scamp down very quickly.  The park advertises WiFi, but we couldn’t get a good signal at our location.  However, there is a cell tower close by and we got fast internet and good phone service anyway with our Spectrum/Verizon mobile service.  HDTV signals were also plentiful and crystal clear here.  As an added bonus, we enjoyed evening walks along a farmland path of pistachio trees across the street from Bear Mountain RV park.

Because we were towing a travel trailer, we had to take the longer route, Highway 180, to reach Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks.  Driving up the more direct route, Highway CA-198E, is not permitted for vehicles over 22 feet long due to severe hair pin turns (our Volvo XC40 is 14.5 feet long and our Scamp 13’ is 13 feet long = our total length of 27.5 feet).  The road into the park during the last hour of driving is windy, but not too bad.  Because Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks are national parks, a $35 entrance fee is required at the entrance station.  We opted to purchase the $80 annual America the Beautiful Pass instead which allows access to all national parks in addition to other government lands for a year.  We arrived at Lodgepole Campground in Sequoia National Park to a fantastic site (#160, $22/night) right alongside a creek.  This site is spacious and situated in the middle of a beautiful pine forest.  There are no hookups here, but, despite the campground being heavily forested, we were able to get all the electricity we needed by using our solar panels.  We also arrived with two fully filled propane tanks, which provided all the gas we needed to cook, heat our water for nightly showers, and power our furnace to keep our Scamp’s interior nice and warm in the middle of the night.  There is a threaded water spigot close by to site #160 and we used our super hose extender for quick water fills whenever needed!  Also, there is a free central dump station at the entrance of the park (only a few minutes’ drive from site #160) which we used during the middle of our five night stay here (quick and easy).  So, despite the campsites having no hookups here, one can still experience a fabulous long stay at Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks with the right gear and planning.  And, Lodgepole Campground is a great location when visiting these parks because it is right at the center of most of the natural attractions.  Note:  there is no cell phone reception at most places within the park (though, there are payphones at Lodgepole Campground, and Waksachi Lodge – a few miles down the road- offers free very poor quality WiFI [when we visited], but the best value in gifts we encountered within the park ).  A ranger informed us that there is a helipad (perhaps the large overflow parking lot at the entrance to Lodgepole Campground) and there are rangers available 24/7 in case of emergencies.

The highlight of a trip to Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks is walking among the giant sequoia trees.  These trees are among the largest and oldest trees on Earth and are magnificent to behold.  What’s amazing too is that they only exist on one place on Earth, and that’s here within a narrow 260 mile path of forest on the western slopes of the Sierra Nevada Mountains (between 5,000 and 7,000 feet in elevation).   Some of these trees are over 3,000 years old!   These giant sequoias are awe inspiring and a trip to this national park should be at the very top of everyone’s bucket list of places to see in their lifetime.  The main trail to see these giants is the Congress Trail.  To get here, one can either hike a 2.8 mile trail from Lodgepole Campground to the General Sherman Tree, or drive to the General Sherman parking area just down the road.  The Congress Trail is a gentle 2.7 mile paved round trip path that goes by some of the largest and well know sequoias in Sequoia National Park.   The trail begins at the General Sherman tree, which is the largest living tree on Earth and stands over 275 feet tall.  Also along the path are the President Tree, Chief Sequoyah Tree, The Senate Group, The House Group, and McKinley Tree.  The President Tree, named after President Warren G. Harding in 1923, is the oldest living sequoia tree at over 3,200 years old (about 250 feet tall).  Curiously, we didn’t see the famous General Lee Tree name on the path.  We speculated that the name was “cancelled” due to him owning slaves and other injustices (which we later confirmed when reading this article).  However, Google Maps still listed the tree and we were able to find it unlabeled.

There are also numerous trails which originate from Lodgepole Campground (some tens of miles long and requiring a backcountry permit for overnight camping in the wild).  One of the most famous is the Tokopah Falls Trail (allow 2 – 3 hours). It’s a roughly 3.8 mile moderately challenging out and back hike which meanders its way up the Kaweah River and comes to a head at the bottom of a 1,200 cascading foot waterfall (although dry during summer and fall months if no rain).  The falls were flowing a little bit during our visit because it had recently rained (hikers previously reported no water flow the week before).  The falls are formed as the marble fork of the Kaweah River slides down a magnificent granite face into the Tokopah Valley.  The trail has areas with sections of stone steps as well as short wood plank bridges.  The last short section of trail is over uneven granite rocks and should be avoided by those with stability issues (the waterfall can still be seen before this section though).  It’s a beautiful hike that passes though forest and meadows.  It’s also common to see bears near the trail in the early morning.  We saw one on our visit.  Sequoia National Park is an active bear area for the American black bear.  It’s mandatory to use the metal bear food lockers to store your food at the campsite.  There are many stories of bear encounters like this one here and this scary one for a camper at Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks.  Be “bear aware” and try never to sneak up on an unsuspecting bear since startling the animal at close range could provoke a defensive attack.  Usually, the bears will hear hikers and stay at a distance or move away.  If a bear approaches, make yourself look big by raising your arms (and if you are in a group huddle together) and make a lot of noise by clapping and yelling.  It’s generally not recommended to try to outrun the bear (unless you have some slower hikers with you!).  The same advice applies to mountain lions which like to chase running prey.

Make sure to visit the Giant Forest Museum during your visit.  The small free museum has some excellent displays and information on sequoias and the area (as well as a nice gift shop).  There’s also a nice one mile round trip meadow hike from the museum.  On the south side of the museum is a short paved road which leads to Beetle Rock, a large granite rock which you can climb on and offers nice mountain views to the south and west.  It’s a great place to watch the sunset.  Speaking of sunsets, if you have time, also plan a visit to Sunset Rock.  Sunset Rock Trail can be accessed across the road from the Giant Forest Museum.  It’s an easy mile forest trail that leads to a large granite dome (Sunset Rock) which offers superb western views (best visited at sunset).  And, speaking of rocks, climbing Moro Rock should be on your radar (as long as you aren’t averse to climbing a bunch of stairs – about 350 steps to the top – or have a fear of heights).  It’s considered a moderately challenging hike, but it is fairly short (only about .5 miles round trip) and can be completed in about half an hour without stopping (there’s a parking lot at its base).  No serious rock climbing is necessary as this granite dome has rock stairs along with metal handrails to keep visitors safe.  The 360 degree views at the top are spectacular, offering sights of an incredible mountain range on one side and looking way out over the Middle Fork of the Kaweah River toward the Great Western Divide of the High Sierra and down to the San Joaquin Valley below on the other (highly recommended).

There’s so much to do in Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks that we only scratched the surface during out five night stay at Lodgepole Campground in Sequoia National Park.  We noticed some campers left some days to make long drives (over one hour to the Kings Canyon side of the park) to explore areas, such as Mist Falls and Hume Lake, on the Kings Canyon side of the parks.  But, with the windy roads and drive time of over an hour to cross the parks, we decided to spend most of our time in Sequoia National park and touch the highlight of Kings Canyon National Park (visiting the General Grant Tree at Grant Grove Village) on our way out of the park on our last day.  I’m glad we decided to spend the majority of our time in Sequoia National Park, staying at Lodgepole Campground, because there are more groves of the giant sequoias here.  I would definitely consider coming back in the future and staying within Kings Canyon National park to see some of the waterfalls and other natural wonders though (there are numerous campgrounds within Kings Canyon National Park including:  Azalea Campground, Crystal Springs Campground, and Sunset Campground).  On our way to Grant Grove Village, we refueled at Stony Creek gas station (free WiFi that actually works too!).  There is a visitor’s center and gift shop (the most expensive we visited in the park) at Grant Grove Village as well as some RV parking.  We avoided the two mile round trip hike from Grant Grove Village to the General Grant Tree and back by driving down the road and parking in the small General Grant Tree parking lot.  We got lucky and found a couple of RV spaces to park (there are only around 4 bus/RV spaces).  After viewing the magnificent General Grant Tree, which is just right in front of the parking lot, it got a bit crazy on our way out.  A large tourist bus pulled in and blocked the exit path for a little while.  We were fortunate to have been able to plan our visit to stay during the week and were reminded that, even during the off season, weekends can be very busy in national parks.

Disclaimer:  You will get the same great Amazon price by clicking on the links here compared to buying directly on Amazon, but by buying here you will also be supporting the continuation of this website as we get a small commission from each sale.  These are products and procedures we use for our own Scamp that we selected and developed from our own research and experiences.  However, we do not endorse any specific product and cannot guarantee that the products we use are exemplary and the procedures we use are complete, accurate, detail the correct recommended procedures, or apply to your model small travel trailer.  It’s always best to double check with your manufacturer or operation manuals to ensure you are doing everything correctly. 

Central Sierras (Huntington & Shaver Lakes)

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Central Sierras (Huntington & Shaver Lakes)
July 9th – 19th, 2022 (10 nights)

Summer is usually a great time to head for the mountains (which are often inaccessible other times of year due to harsh weather).  A neighbor recommended we visit the Central Sierra, specifically Huntington Lake and Shaver Lake. He has spent a lot of time in this area and reported the lakes to be spectacular.  Because the drive directly from our home in San Diego to Huntington Lake is a long one (over seven hours), we decided to make a couple stops in between to make the drive easier.  We first stopped at my brother’s house in Pacific Palisades (Los Angeles area) for a night.  Then, we headed to a stop in the Central Valley.  Our neighbors, Phil & Claudia, also joining us on this trip with their RPOD trailer, recommended we stay at Success Lake in the Central Valley.  The only hitch (pardon the pun) with this plan is that the temperature during this time of year is often over 100 degrees at Success Lake and our Scamp 13′ didn’t come with AC (see article, “No AC, No Problem”).  Fortunately, I had a couple of weeks to prepare and I was able to build a mounting system for a mini window AC unit.

We were curious about the fully loaded (full Fresh and Hot Water tanks) weight of our Scamp 13’ (with front bathroom), so we stopped at one of the many CAT Certified Scales (big yellow signs with a Cat head) prevalent throughout the Central Valley.  California’s Central Valley, which provides a quarter of the nation’s food (including 40% of the nation’s fruits and nuts), has many public weigh stations due to the considerable amount of trucking in the area.  The California standard weigh fee is currently $13.  At the weigh station, there are multiple scale platforms (designed for tractor trailers) defined by bright yellow outlines.  Just make sure the trailer is on one and the tow vehicle is on another to get an accurate weight.  Push the Call button and the weigh master will print out a weight certificate for you.  Our Scamp weighed in wet (full Fresh, Hot water, and Propane x 2 tanks) at 1840 lbs., which is considered a light trailer.

Success Lake is a recreation lake in the Central Valley and is popular for boating, waterskiing, sailing, kayaking, swimming and fishing.  There are about 103 campsites at the campground, called Tule Campground, and a small marina which has boat rentals.  The campground is operated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and is a dammed reservoir.  We had an electric hookup site (water also included, free central Dump), site #54, which was $30/night and has a view of the lake.  There was good cell service during our visit (three bars on Verizon and good streaming).  We were also able to pick up 11 clear HD channels over the air on our HD TV.  The campground was nearly empty during our stay and it was easy to understand why – the temperature was well over 100 degrees.  However, the lake was busy with families enjoying the water.  As soon as we hooked up and set up our new window mini air conditioner, we spent most of our time in the Scamp playing games.  We set the temperature inside the Scamp at a nice cool 74 degrees.  The hot weather outside during the day was inhospitable.  Just a short walk was very uncomfortable.  However, the heat cooled a bit by early evening allowing us a walk with our friends along the lake and marina.  The next morning, we left right after breakfast, avoiding the extreme heat of the day (dumping at the free central dump station on the way out).

The flat and arid nature of the Central Valley changes to a mountain landscape with dense pines, after passing Fresno and climbing high up into the lake country.  Once we left Success Lake, it took us about three and a half hours to reach Rancheria Campground (no hookups or dump, but shared water spigots) at Huntington Lake (elevation 7,028 ft.).  Rancheria Campground is a beautiful lakeside campground nestled among tall pines.  There are beaches along the lake and the crystal clear water wasn’t too cold to take a dip.  The lake is known for being windy and popular for sailing.  There is a marina close to the campground.  Our campsite, #74 ($37/night), has a nice view of the lake and is well spaced between other campsites.  This campground has numerous sites with nice lakes views (our favorite sites are #65, #68, #71, #70, #69, #72, #81, #67, #66, #74, #69, #76, #82, and #81).  A bear paid a visit to the campground one night and enjoyed some s’mores left out by campers.  We enjoyed hikes along the lake as well as a long hike up to Rancheria Falls (about four miles from the campground, which took us about 3 hours).  Despite it being July, the waterfall had a really lively flow.  We also had some really fun games of the board game Sequence with our friends.  For an overview video of our stay at Rancheria Campground, click here.

After a couple nights at Huntington Lake, we headed down to Dorabelle Campground (at Shaver Lake, elevation 5,627 ft.) (only about 30 minutes away).  We needed to dump, so we stopped at the only dump station in the area (Camp Edison).  We were scheduled to spend the weekend at Camp Edison, but since we needed to dump outside our stay dates we were charged ($30) – the highest dump fee we have ever paid (it’s usually around $7 – $10).  Dorabelle Campground seems more oriented toward families with beaches jumping with children.  Unfortunately, almost all the campsites (except one) do not have a lake view.  There is no dump here or hookups.  There are shared water spigots.  The cell phone reception is a bit spotty.  Even though this campground did not live up to all our expectations, we still enjoyed our campsite (#31, $42/night) (which was located in a beautiful meadow).  Our Scamp 13’ was often in considerable shade, so we had a chance to try out for the first time our 50’ solar extension cables to allow our solar panels to be positioned out in the sun!  There are many hiking trails adjacent to Dorabelle Campground, giving access to walks through grassy fields filled with beautiful flowers (e.g. lupine) and tall pines.  On our hikes, we saw ospreys flying as well as tree top nests with osprey chicks’ heads bobbing above the rim high above the lake.  We also had the chance to go out on the water when our generous campsite neighbor offered us a lake tour. The lake was very active with people swimming, boating, jet skiing, fishing, and sunbathing.  During the boating excursion, we got out of the boat on a secluded beach and hiked up to Shaver Lake Falls!

We spent our last couple of days in the Central Sierra at Camp Edison, also on Shaver Lake (a utility run campground just 10 minutes down the lake from Dorabelle Campground).  Camp Edison has the feel of a privately run campground with many amenities (including well stocked camp store, adjacent museum, basketball court, volleyball court, walking trails….).  We were about 45 minutes early for the 1 p.m. check in, and, were told we couldn’t check in until exactly 1 p.m.!  This was surprising because we’ve never had an issue with early arrivals in the past at other campgrounds.  Our campsite also was a bit pricey (the most we’ve ever paid for a campsite at $70/night).  The site, #129, was listed as a premium lake side site and we were expecting a grand lake view given the price.  We were a little taken aback when we pulled in and found the site unpaved, not level, and without a lake view from our Scamp (although there is a lake view from the site’s picnic area above the site pad)!  We had electric power (which was good because there was a mini heat wave while we were there and we were able to run our AC system!).  There is no dedicated water hookup at this site, but there is a shared spigot close by.  Luckily, the shared spigot had enough threads that we were able to hook up our hoses (25’ hose + 50’ extension hose) to reach our Scamp without having to haul water up the hill.  Despite some of these issues, we did have an enjoyable stay at Camp Edison.  On our first night, there was a fantastic thunder and lightning storm and a tree was struck by lightning in town.  There is a great museum, The Museum of the Sierra, adjacent to the campground which has wonderful displays which show how the logging and utility industries developed in the area.  There were live demonstrations of machinery including steam engines moving heavy logs and hydroelectric turbines used for power generation.  There was even a free ice cream social put on by the museum volunteers!  And, on Sunday morning, we went on a great guided hike with a couple guides from the Forestry Service.  Overall, we had a really good experience at Camp Edison.

We decided to skip Success Lake (forecast was for 109 degrees) on the way home and head straight to my brother’s house in Pacific Palisades on the coast (about a 5 hour drive from Camp Edison).   A 6AM squirrel alarm allowed us to get an early start!  We had fun playing games and watching a movie with my brother and nephews before heading home to San Diego the next morning.  For an alternative to the Eastern Sierras (e.g. Mammoth Lakes), definitely consider a visit to the Central Sierras and enjoy equally impressive lake and mountain scenery!

Disclaimer:  You will get the same great Amazon price by clicking on the links here compared to buying directly on Amazon, but by buying here you will also be supporting the continuation of this website as we get a small commission from each sale.  These are products and procedures we use for our own Scamp that we selected and developed from our own research and experiences.  However, we do not endorse any specific product and cannot guarantee that the products we use are exemplary and the procedures we use are complete, accurate, detail the correct recommended procedures, or apply to your model small travel trailer.  It’s always best to double check with your manufacturer or operation manuals to ensure you are doing everything correctly. 

Small Travel Trailer Mini Air Conditioner Mount for Rear Window (Temporary)

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Small Travel Trailer Mini Air Conditioner Mount for Rear Window (Temporary)
***Remove AC When Travelling – this is a temporary setup just for use when parked!***

When we purchased our 2020 Scamp 13’, we knew we wanted to store it in our garage for many reasons (see “Why and How We Fit Our Scamp in the Garage”).  However, when we placed our order from the Scamp factory, we didn’t order the AC (but did order the reinforced roof for AC just in case situations changed, see “Ordering Our 2020 Scamp”).  This is because, even after raising our garage height from 7 to 8 feet, our new Scamp would have been too tall to clear the garage opening with the factory rooftop air conditioner.  So, we figured we would just plan trips to take hot weather into account.  And, this strategy has worked really well over the past couple of years (there have only been a few times when AC would have really come in handy — see “No AC, No Problem“).  Ultimately though, we have found that when heading to mountain lakes in the summer months, we need to make stops a bit out of our way or drive non-stop to cross the hot parts of California (e.g. Central Valley or Mojave Desert) to beat the heat.  These heat avoidance workarounds have meant taking less efficient longer routes or very long rides straight to our destination.

When looking for solutions (including more streamlined rooftop AC models), we came to realize that we only needed AC mostly in the summer months (and, even then, only on specific trips).  Rooftop ACs are most convenient — however, they are also relatively expensive (including requiring installation expense, unless you can do that yourself), moderately heavy (sometimes creating roof sag on fiberglass trailers), and can be costly to replace when necessary.  Additionally, even the low profile units we found looked to have questionable clearance to fit in our garage.  Taking into account all these factors, we decided that a temporary removable window AC unit would be perfect for our requirements (e.g. inexpensive, easy to install on a temporary basis, lightweight, and also cheap to replace when necessary).  We also wouldn’t have to carry around the heavier weight of a permanently mounted rooftop AC on every trip (including winter trips).  The goal of this project is to create a stable platform to temporarily and quickly mount the window AC unit when at the campsite (removed for driving) which won’t damage the trailer (e.g. window or fiberglass window frame) and provide insulation against insects and weather.

After considerable research and reviews of different window AC units and also various methods people have used to secure a window AC inside their fiberglass travel trailer’s window, I decided to buy a small Frigidaire (FFRE053WAE) 5,000 BTU unit for room sizes up to 150 square feet (more than sufficient to cool the Scamp 13’s less than 80 square feet of interior living space).  It’s inexpensive (currently around $210 on Amazon), small (16” wide, 12 1/16” high, and 13 3/16” deep), lightweight (43lbs on my scale), rated at only 50db noise level, energy efficient and very well reviewed.  Additionally, others have reported using this unit successfully to cool their small fiberglass travel trailers.  It’s among the smallest and lightest window AC units available and ranks as one of the top brands on Consumer Reports.

Every small fiberglass travel trailer is different and weight tolerances vary.  Anyone attempting to undertake this project should understand there are no guarantees when installing a window AC unit in their fiberglass travel trailer’s window.  Damage is a possibility if the trailer’s fiberglass cannot handle the weight of the window AC (this may be especially relevant for older trailers).  However, many people have used window ACs in their small fiberglass travel trailers for years without incident.  Additionally, even some fiberglass travel manufactures have mounted ACs in windows throughout the years.  Taking all this into consideration and wanting to be extra cautious, I decided on using a wood platform and foot brace under the AC (even though it’s fairly light) which helps distribute some of the AC’s weight onto the Scamp’s bumper (which is welded to the trailer’s frame).  This is designed to reduce strain on the fiberglass window frame.  To protect the window, black pipe foam (like a pool noodle) is used around all edges of the window frame.

I spent around $210 for the window AC unit and $100 for materials for a project total of roughly $310 (I didn’t include the $130 I spent for tools in this total because I will use these tools for years on other projects as well).  So, for just a few hundred dollars (perhaps the cost of a hotel room for one or two nights), this system should provide a small travel trailer years of air conditioning relief on hot days.

The tasks to complete this project can be performed in three stages as outlined below.  The listed measurements apply to our 2020 Scamp 13’ trailer but can easily be modified for other trailers and ACs with different sizes.

Stage 1:  Planning
Measure the rear window opening to determine if there is enough width and height to mount the desired AC model (comparing to the desired AC’s dimensions).  If necessary, it may be possible to cut out a portion or remove the rubber window stop entirely to get the window to open more completely.

Stage 2:  Shopping
I decided to purchase a lot of the items for this project online.  However, I purchased the plywood (as well as PVC) at Home Depot so their staff could do most of the cutting for me at no charge (they only do straight cuts though).  Here’s the item list I compiled to complete the project:

a.  Purchase window AC unit (Frigidaire Window AC Model #FFRE053WAE)
b.  Purchase plywood (and, if you want, have it cut at a big box store like Home Depot or Lowes)

    1. One 4’ x 4’ x ½” thick (or 15/32” thick) panel
    2. One 2’ X 2’ x ¾” thick panel

c.  Purchase Tools (if needed)

    1. Belt Sander (to round corners), extra sand paper for belt sander
    2. Jig Saw (to cut plywood), extra blades for jig saw
    3. Drill
    4. Electric Screwdriver
    5. 5/16” Drill bit (for hex bolts holding Sandwich Plates together)
    6. 3/32” Drill bit (pilot holes)
    7. 2.5” Spring Clamps (6)

d.  Purchase Hardware

    1. #6 x 1” Phillips Flat Head Zinc Plated Wood Screws (100 pack)
    2. #6 x 3/8” flat head zinc plated Phillips wood screws (25 pack)
    3. Zinc Plated Hex Bolts x 5 (3 top, 2 bottom) ¼” -20 4” long
    4. Plated Wing Nut (4 pack) ¼” -20 x 2 packs (need 5)
    5. PVC Pipe 1”x 10’ White PVC
    6. PVC T Connectors for 1” diameter PVC x 2
    7. PVC End Caps for 1” diameter PVC x 3
    8. Black Pipe Foam 1” x 6’
    9. Wood glue Gorilla
    10. White (Glossy) Spray Paint (paint/primer) x 2 cans
    11. 2-Hole Pipe Hanger Straps 1” (4 pack) PVC brackets
    12. Velcro Strap (1)

Stage 3:  Construction (also refer to video)
Safety:  Always wear safety glasses for eye protection when working with power tools.

Interior Window Frame:
The purpose of the Interior Window Frame is to provide a stable space for the AC to be positioned into as well as protect the travel trailer’s window frame (so the AC doesn’t sit directly on the fiberglass).  The AC sits inside the Interior Window Frame (on a wooden platform) which sits against protective foam which surrounds the window (although there wasn’t enough window opening space on my Scamp 13’, even after removing a section of window stop, so no pipe foam was put on the outer side of the window  – though I added insulation on the AC interior to fill the gaps).  So whatever AC is used, it’s vital that the frame be large enough for the AC to fit inside it (but not too large, so the frame still fits snugly inside the rear window and doesn’t leave a big air gap).

It may be difficult to cut long lengths of wood with a jigsaw perfectly, so I recommend that, unless one has a circular saw, have a store like Home Depot make all the straight wood cuts.  The jig saw is absolutely fantastic and easy though for making the curved corner cuts (as well as the belt sander to smooth out the curves).  In this project, just the corners need to be rounded and the middle section of each sandwich plate needs to be cut out)

a.  Top & Bottom:  Cut two 16.5” long x 2.5” wide x .75” thick pieces of plywood
Carefully drill 5/16” holes (evenly spaced top and bottom) through the center of the .75” thick pieces, drilling through the entire 2.5” width so 4” hex bolts can pass through.  Three top holes 2” from each edge and one in the middle (all centered on frame), two holes in bottom corners 2” from each edge (a drill press makes this easier, I borrowed one from a neighbor)
b.  Sides: Cut two 14.25” long x 2.5” wide x ½” thick  (I had Home Depot cut these)
c.  Add wood glue onto ends of Top & Bottom pieces
d.  Position sides over the ends of these pieces
e.  Use #6 x 1” Phillips Zinc Plated Wood Screws (8) to join top, bottom and sides (use 3/32” bit for pilot holes if desired, otherwise just apply some pressure to start the screw into the side)
f.  Cut Black Pipe Foam and pad all sides of the rear window opening
g.  Once the square Interior Window Frame is Glued/Screwed together, position it in the rear window of trailer to make sure it fits. Remove a section of rubber window stop (see video) and/or use belt sander to round outside corners if it is too tight to fit.  The side window foam may also be removed if it is still too tight to fit the Interior Window Frame inside the trailer’s window (insulating foam can be pushed into gaps later when setting up at the campsite if necessary).
h.  Slide the square Interior Window Frame over the back of the AC to make sure it can slide almost all the way to the front of the AC (it should stop about an inch from the front due to protruding flanges on the AC).
i.  Fit the square Window Frame into the rear window (pipe foam will hold it in place)

Window Frame Sandwich Plates (Inner / Outer)
The purpose of the Window Frame Sandwich Plates is to hold the Interior Window Frame securely in place and provide insulation from insects and weather.

  1. Cut two 21” wide x 18” high x ½” thick pieces (I had Home Depot cut these)
  2. Trace round back outside window curves onto paper, apply by pencil to above pieces.
  3. Use the jigsaw and belt sander to round each outer window piece (watch video), also slightly round the window corners in the center of the trailer window to eliminate sharp points which can cause damage in transit
  4. Have a partner hold Outer Sandwich Plate in place over outside of rear window, completely covering the opening and level, and, on the inside of the trailer, use a pencil and mark the interior outline of the window frame on the inside of the Outer Sandwich Plate
  5. Use jigsaw to cut marked middle hole in Outer Sandwich plate (first start by drilling 5/16” holes in each corner so that the jigsaw blade may be inserted)
  6. Use outer Sandwich plate as template to mark middle hole position in Inner Sandwich Plate and use jigsaw to cut marked middle hole in Inner Sandwich Plate.
  7. Now, both Sandwich plates should have middle holes to allow the back of the AC to pass through
  8. Line up the Interior Window Frame with the Inner Sandwich Plate on a table and push a pencil through the 5/16” holes to mark the five holes in the top and bottom of the Interior Window Frame (3 marks on top and 2 marks on bottom). Then use these marks to drill 5/16” holes in both Sandwich Plates (using one as a template for the other).  These are for the hex bolts to pass through.
  9. Glue/screw (#6 x 1” Phillips Flat Head Wood Screws x 12 – three on each side) to attach the Interior Window Frame to the inside of the Inner Sandwich Plate (make sure no parts of the plate rise above the Interior Window Frame opening so the AC will continue to pass through unobstructed)
  10. The five Zinc Plated Hex Bolts (six ¼”-20, 4” long) will go all the way through the two Sandwich Plates, and wing nuts on the outside of the Outer Sandwich Plate will hold both Sandwich Plates tightly against the Interior Window Frame (and the plates against the foam on the inside and outside of the trailer). This will hold the window frame assembly securely in position and prevent the AC from falling out of the trailer.
  11. Now assemble the complete window frame by bolting together the Inner (with the Interior Window Frame attached) and Outer Sandwich frames, securing the five hex bolts with ¼” -20 Plated Wing Nuts on the outside. Note:  I had to remove part of the rubber rear window stopper because the rear window didn’t open enough to allow the Interior Window Frame assembly to fit through the opening (at some point, on our Scamp, it didn’t help to keep removing pieces of the stopper because the window panel is eventually stopped from opening by the curve of the window.)  I also had to sand the outer upper and lower left hand (outer) corners of the Interior Window Frame round so the assembly would fit in the window.  It was too tight a fit even after taking these steps, so I needed to remove the outside side piece of pipe foam.  Insulating weather stripping comes with the AC and can be used at the campsite to temporarily fill any gaps

Platform Base
The purpose of the Platform Base is to help support the weight of the AC unit by using a PVC Leg and a PVC Foot to rest on top of the travel trailer bumper (which is welded to the Scamp trailer’s frame).

  1. Platform Base: Cut one 16” wide x 12” deep” x ½”  thick piece (I had Home Depot cut this)
  2. Use the jigsaw and belt sander to slightly round each corner of the Platform Base (for safety)
  3. Cut channels for underneath Platform Base: one 10” x 2.5” x ¾” thick (interior), one 6” x 2.5” x ¾” thick (exterior) (Home Depot can do this)
  4. Insert completed Interior Window Frame over pipe foam and then secure Outer Sandwich Plate to the Interior Sandwich Plate / Interior Window Frame with hex bolts and wing nuts
  5. Place Platform Base on top of the Interior Window Frame (so it doesn’t fall)
  6. Have a partner help position the AC inside the trailer (and someone outside to prevent the AC from falling out just in case) and put the AC on top of the Platform Base and hold the Platform Base in position as the AC back is pushed back inside the Interior Window Frame all the way until it stops (the outer flange protrusions on the AC should stop it from moving back when about a couple of inches of the interior control face is left inside the trailer). Adjust the Platform Base so it comes all the way out to the back end of the AC on the outside, as well as making sure the front AC feet are resting on it.
  7. With the AC nicely in position on the Platform Base, position the Channels (interior and exterior) on each side of the Interior Window Frame so they are against the Interior Window Frame’s bottom walls (inside and outside) and butted up on top against the underside of the Platform Base, not blocking the hex bolt holes, and mark these positions on the underside of the Platform Base (these markings will be where the Channels are glued and then screwed into the Platform Base)
  8. Remove the AC and entire assembly from the trailer
  9. Drill 3/32” pilot holes in the Platform Base (3 for the smaller exterior channel and 5 for the larger interior one, evenly spaced) up from the bottom of the Platform Base (inside the marked areas)
  10. Glue/screw (using #6 x 1” Phillips Flat Head Zinc Plated Wood Screws) both Inside and Outside Channels underneath the Platform Base (using the pilot holes as a guide for screw locations), making sure no channel blocks the hex bolt holes
  11. Place the Platform Base on top of the Interior Window Frame so that it is held in place by the Outer and Inner Channels underneath the platform. It should fit perfectly, with the Channels snugly up against the Interior Window Frame
  12. PVC Platform Base and Foot: Cut three 6” lengths (with saw or PVC cutter) of the 1” PVC and plug two of them into one of the PVC T connectors and also install PVC Caps on each end (and repeat again, but only using one 6” length and cap for the foot)
  13. Set up the AC window mount assembly in the trailer window (with the Platform Base)
  14. Position the PVC under the wood platform so that the PVC Leg (once cut to size) will align the PVC Platform Foot (secured to the bumper with Velcro) with the travel trailer bumper and mark the positions of where the two 2-Hole Pipe Hanger Straps 1” should be mounted (and use the #6 x 3/8” wood screws (4) to mount the PVC Platform Base under the wood platform) (make sure to leave enough space so the wing nuts can still be installed/removed
  15. Cut a section of PVC to length so that the PVC leg will just come down to and rest on the bumper when the PVC Platform Foot is installed (the Platform Base should be fairly level with a slight tilt back so any AC condensation drips outside). This lower section of PVC with the foot can be removed and stored separately for ease of transport when travelling.

Now that all parts have been made and the glue has dried, it’s time to test the system!  Open the rear window, place the pipe foam all around the window, insert the Inner Sandwich Plate/Inner Window Frame into position, insert the bolts, and use wing nuts to secure the Outer Sandwich Plate against the Inner Sandwich Plate/Inner Window Frame.  From the outside rear of the trailer, put the Platform Base in position and then plug the PVC leg into the PVC T Connector on the Platform Base.  Secure the PVC Platform Foot to the trailer’s bumper with a Velcro Strap.  Then, using a helper (to help lift the weight of the AC) inside the trailer, slide the AC into the Interior Frame.  Everything should be very secure and stable.  Add strip insulation as necessary so no sky can be seen when looking at the AC from inside the trailer.  Plug in the AC into the trailer’s 110V outlet (need electric hookups) and let it run to make sure it cools properly.  If everything runs great, remove the AC with a partner, take the assembly apart, and then paint all the wood components (I used glossy White to match our Scamp 13’s glossy white finish).  Now, the only thing left is to plan your summer trips and don’t forget to pack the AC!

Note:  We had the opportunity to use this new AC system in very hot weather (see upcoming Adventure article on the Central Sierra).  The AC performed exceedingly well in over 100 degree weather, chilling down the Scamp so well that blankets were pulled from the closet!

Disclaimer:  You will get the same great Amazon price by clicking on the links here compared to buying directly on Amazon, but by buying here you will also be supporting the continuation of this website as we get a small commission from each sale.  These are products and procedures we use for our own Scamp that we selected and developed from our own research and experiences.  However, we do not endorse any specific product and cannot guarantee that the products we use are exemplary and the procedures we use are complete, accurate, detail the correct recommended procedures, or apply to your model small travel trailer.  It’s always best to double check with your manufacturer or operation manuals to ensure you are doing everything correctly. 

 

Big Bear Lake, Serrano Campground

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Big Bear Lake, Serrano Campground
May 22nd – 25th, 2022 (3 nights)

Big Bear Lake is a beautiful mountain lake (elevation 6,800’) located about three hours from San Diego.  The area is great for all season activities.  Skiing is very popular at Big Bear’s Bear Mountain and Snow Summit ski areas.  Spring and summer are the perfect time for a camping trip at the lake as the weather is usually nice.  The two main routes to reach Big Bear Lake from Los Angeles and San Diego are going up on CA-330 or CA-38.  Highway 330 is quicker by about 30 minutes, but very windy with repeated hair pin turns and more trafficked compared to CA-38.  Since we weren’t pressed for time and had our Scamp 13’ in tow, we chose CA-38.  We left our home at about 11 a.m. and had a nice leisurely drive up to the campground, arriving around 2 p.m. (check in time) for a late lunch.  The CA-38 has some windy sections, but nothing like the CA-330, so we were very glad we took the slow and less direct approach!  Note:  both our Waze and Google Maps navigators kept trying to reroute us to CA-330 for a while when driving through Redlands.  Instead, we ignored the directions to exit on the 77B/CA-210 Foothill Freeway and stayed on the 10 East and exited on Orange Street and then right on E. Lugonia Avenue (which turns into the CA-38).  In other words, figure out your directions to use the CA-38 before you leave the house!

Serrano Campground is a beautiful campground set amongst tall pines on the north shore of Big Bear Lake.  This side of the lake is not as busy as the south shore where the village with all its shops and restaurants are located.  And, Serrano Campground is fairly isolated and private.   We noticed when pulling into Serrano Campground that there is a free day use area (Meadows Edge Picnic Area) across the street directly on the lake that will accommodate cars/RVs and offers picnic tables and a nice beach.  Meadows Edge seems a perfect spot to have lunch and relax when arriving early before 2 p.m. check in time.  There was no line when we drove up to the Serrano Campground Ranger Station check in kiosk.  We were given a map, told that no bears had been sighted recently (although campsites have bear boxes), and directed to our campsite (#121).  Site #121 (currently $37/night) is in partial shade and has no hookups (although there is a central dump in the campground / currently $10).  There is a water spigot directly across from Site #121 (and many sprinkled throughout the campground).  From this site, it’s only a short walk to the lake and the Alpine Pedal Path (more on this later) from Site #121.  We didn’t get any HDTV signals within our Scamp 13’, but the Verizon cellphone and internet coverage was very good during our stay here.

Although Site #121 is listed within the Lake View section, we found only a few sites actually have a lake view (#115/116, #114, #117).  Our top site picks in the Lake View section are #115/116 (double site costing 2x the price of a regular site = currently $74/night), #114, #117, (#118 and #119 if reserving with families or friends as these sites are close together), #120, #121, and #95.  The other campground loops have road noise from Hwy 38/North Shore Drive (although not too bad).  For those wanting hookups, the Snowberry RV Loop has full hookup sites (currently $47/night).  If possible, we recommend the Lake View Loop since it has less road noise.  We used our briefcase solar panel system for power and Holy Grail Portable Grey Tank Solution to unload grey water, which allowed us to avoid paying $10 more a night for a full hookup site or using the dump our entire three night stay (despite the two of us taking hot showers every night!).

The wonderful smell of butterscotch and vanilla produced by the pines is reason enough to stay within Serrano Campground!  Scientists don’t know why Ponderosa pines smell like cookies baking, but guess the smell may result from a chemical in the sap being warmed by the sun.  Morning walks or bike rides along the Alpine Pedal Path (miles of paved bike/walking path along the lake and through the pine forests) are particularly effective in refreshing the soul.  Studies have shown that getting out in nature and breathing fresh air just produced by trees helps physical well-being by reducing blood pressure, heart rate and stress.  We definitely felt this to be the case during our visit!  We enjoyed morning’s walks along the lake as well as bike rides on the Alpine Pedal Path.  We chose to continue our bike ride across the Stanfield Cutoff which provides a bike path across the end of the lake into the village of Big Bear.  It’s a little over 5 miles from the campground to the end of the Alpine Pedal Path and back along the easy paved path (the path only follows part of the shoreline on the north shore and one end is close to Serrano campground).  Allow a couple of hours to complete the path for a nice time.  There are numerous places to stop and take in the views along with benches and signs with descriptions of the various aspects of Big Bear Lake.

Big Bear Lake also is a great place for water activities like fishing, boating / kayaking, water skiing, and relaxing on the beach.  There are kayak rentals at the dock near the campground.  We didn’t bring our inflatable kayak this time but did see a few campers fishing for trout from the beach.  We could spot a number of large trout close to the shore while walking along the sand.  There is an observatory right on the beach in front of the campground (Big Bear Solar Observatory / BBSO), but public tours have been closed due to Covid.  BBSO had the largest operational solar telescope from 2008 until 2020 (until the introduction of the Inouye Solar Telescope @ 4 meter aperture in Hawaii).  For those who enjoy mountain biking, Big Bear’s ski resorts (Snow Summit and Bear Mountain) turn into lift-served, gravity fed bike parks during the summer.  Riders can ride the lifts to the top and choose a variety of runs to ride their bikes down to the bottom.

If you enjoy animals, plan to visit the Big Bear Alpine Zoo.  The zoo is actually a rehabilitation center and sanctuary for wild animals that need help (e.g. injured, orphaned, and imprinted animals).  The zoo, owned and operated by a division of the County of San Bernardino and established in 1959, releases the vast majority of animals back into the wild after their rehabilitation.  We had a great visit walking the grounds of the zoo and saw a number of incredible animals, including bald eagles, golden eagles, owls, cranes, brown bears, grizzly bears, snow leopards, a white wolf, raccoons, and coyotes, among many others.  Some of the animals are rescued locally and others are from other areas of the country.  For example, we saw a Grizzly bear mother and her two large cubs who were rescued from Yellowstone National Park because they were constantly getting too close to the public.  The mama bear was teaching her cubs to steal food from people.  Most of the animals we saw seemed calm and contented, with the exception of one coyote who appeared distressed (perhaps a recent rescue).  Allow at least an hour to explore the zoo (currently $15 for adult entry).

If hiking is to your liking, there are a plethora of trails to explore.  With only a few days to visit and so much to see, we chose to hike one of the most renowned hikes, Castle Rock Trail.  This 2.7 mile out-and-back trail is moderately challenging and takes a couple of hours to complete (with stops for views).  An easy way to get to the trail from Serrano Campground is drive the CA-38E / North Shore drive (opposite direction than to the Stanfield Cutoff) around the West side of Big Bear Lake to Big Bear Blvd. on the south side of the lake.  The trail parking is on the street on a curve and there isn’t much of it, so best to arrive in the early morning.  There is a trail marker at the start of the trail.  The trail is steep with lots of rocky terrain, so take it slowly and watch your step.  Bring plenty of water and some snacks.  It’s easy to get off the main trail because there are lots of side trails, but there is a solution — follow the rock baskets (cairns) which are easy to see and usually there is one within sight (or within a short walking distance from the last one).  Castle Rock is off to the right near the top and there is a side trail that goes around its backside to the boulders.  We climbed a small portion of the boulders and were rewarded with a great view of the lake far down below.  The Castle Rock Trail continues on, and you can hike up until the trail ends and then on further if you want (at a branch at the top with another couple of trails – one to Bluff Lake)

We really enjoyed Serrano Campground at Big Bear Lake and are already planning another visit.  There are a few areas of interest that were closed or we didn’t have time for during our visit which we hope we’ll be able to explore next time.  We would like to visit the Discovery Center (visitor and nature center), the Big Bear Solar Observatory, the Alpine Slide, hike some more trails, enjoy an evening interpretive program, and perhaps do some kayaking on the lake.  As always, make sure to take some movies to enjoy in your camper at night as well as some of your favorite games (like our favorite, Sequence).  So, if you are looking for a fantastic lakeside getaway, look no further than Serrano Campground at Big Bear Lake!

 

Disclaimer:  You will get the same great Amazon price by clicking on the links here compared to buying directly on Amazon, but by buying here you will also be supporting the continuation of this website as we get a small commission from each sale.  These are products and procedures we use for our own Scamp that we selected and developed from our own research and experiences.  However, we do not endorse any specific product and cannot guarantee that the products we use are exemplary and the procedures we use are complete, accurate, detail the correct recommended procedures, or apply to your model small travel trailer.  It’s always best to double check with your manufacturer or operation manuals to ensure you are doing everything correctly. 

How to Replace Broken Grey/Black Valve Handles and Caps

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How to Replace Broken Grey/Black Valve Handles and Caps
We just celebrated the two year anniversary of the delivery of our 2020 Scamp 13’.  In the past couple of years we’ve been to incredible places, seen miraculous things, and have had numerous adventures.  We’ve also been fortunate that there have been no major issues since receiving our trailer from the factory.  We have done a bunch of upgrades which make our Scamp much more comfortable and livable and all of these changes can be found on this website!  Sometimes, though, minor parts need to be replaced over time.  And, on our last trip (Anza Borrego Desert State Park), our Scamp did have some parts issues.  One of the valve handles broke apart when dumping.  And, at the same time, one of the two bayonet hooks, holding the black tank valve cover on, broke.

Once a valve handle breaks, it’s harder to open and close the valve when dumping.  Plastic parts are vulnerable to wear and tear and their eventual failure might also be accelerated by UV exposure when outside.  Fortunately, replacing the valve handles and caps to the grey and black tank connections is easy and inexpensive.   Rather than replace our broken valve handle with another plastic one, we went with this lightweight aluminum handle.  To remove and replace the broken handle, just use a pair of vice grips to stop the metal rod from turning and twist the broken handle counterclockwise to remove.  Similarly, twist the new handle clockwise onto the metal rod to install.  Note:  to avoid a mess, it’s best to completely drain all tanks before doing this to avoid pulling the valve rod open and accidentally releasing grey or black water.

When a cap cover bayonet hook breaks and the cap no longer seals securely onto the grey/black sewer connection pipe properly, the excess grey and black water runoff may leak onto the ground even after closing the valves.  That’s definitely a mess to avoid.  The stock valve covers only have two bayonet hooks, so if one breaks there isn’t much holding the cover on and providing a good seal.  So, when one of the hooks broke on our black tank valve cover, we chose a cap with 4 bayonet hooks instead of two.  That way, if one (or even two) breaks, the cover still can be securely sealed onto the drainage pipe.  This Camco cover seems to do a great job (and at the time of this writing is less than $5!).  The cover also comes with a garden hose connection, which is great for draining grey tank water into jugs (like what we do with our “Holy Grail Portable Grey Water Tank Solution”).  Additionally, there may be some locations (e.g. BLM lands) where dumping grey water may be legal and having a long garden hose allows for the grey water to be dumped far away from the trailer.  Note:  Although we do use this cap on our black tank sewer connection, we never use the garden hose connection because it would likely get clogged with black water debris.  We only drain black water using standard 3” rv sewer hoses when connected directly to dump station drains.

So, if you find yourself in a situation where your grey or black tank handle snaps or one of your drain covers breaks, don’t be too concerned.  Just replace them easily and inexpensively!  It’s also a good idea to carry extras on hand when you travel, just in case.

Disclaimer:  You will get the same great Amazon price by clicking on the links here compared to buying directly on Amazon, but by buying here you will also be supporting the continuation of this website as we get a small commission from each sale.  These are products and procedures we use for our own Scamp that we selected and developed from our own research and experiences.  However, we do not endorse any specific product and cannot guarantee that the products we use are exemplary and the procedures we use are complete, accurate, detail the correct recommended procedures, or apply to your model small travel trailer.  It’s always best to double check with your manufacturer or operation manuals to ensure you are doing everything correctly. 

Alabama Hills Extreme Adventure

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Alabama Hills Extreme Adventure
April 3rd – 9th, 2022 (6 nights)

We expected this trip to be an adventure since it is the first trip we’ve been on where all our planned California campsites would be first come, first serve (no reservations).  When all the campsites on a trip are non-reserved, it is normal to feel a bit uneasy after driving hours and pulling into each camp area!  Questions run through one’s mind, such as:  Will there be a decent place to park and spend the night?, What if the campground is full?, and Where will we go if the campground is sold out?  Definitely, having a potential backup plan is always a good idea just in case no spaces are available upon arriving.  And, planning on arriving early and during the week likely improves one’s odds of getting a spot (or at least gives time to drive to another campground if necessary and arrive there when it’s still light).  We also researched each campground in depth before our trip and arrived at each with a list of the best potential campsite numbers (or general locations) to make finding a spot easier.  As it turned out, we never had a problem getting a first come, first serve campsite on this trip.  Surprisingly, the biggest adventures (and misadventures) were related to the extreme nature of simply accessing some of these more remote camping locations.

The drive to Alabama Hills (near Lone Pine, CA) in the Eastern Sierra is over five hours from our home in San Diego.  So, in order to break up the trip, we chose to stop for overnight stays at a couple of interesting places along the way.  The first stop on our trip is a fantastic location in its own right, Red Rock Canyon State Park.

Red Rock Canyon State Park
Located about 25 miles northeast of Mojave on California Route 14, Red Rock Canyon State Park might remind one of Zion National Park with its tall colorful pink-striped mountain walls.  The spectacular desert cliffs, buttes, and rock formations have striking colors of white clay and red sandstone, pink volcanic rocks, and brown lava formations.  The geography is so striking that it inspired many filmmakers to make movies and television shows here.  Battlestar Galactica, Beneath the Planet of the Apes, Buck Rogers, Capricorn One, The Mummy, Zoro Rides Again, Jurassic Park, Westworld, Lost in Space, The Andromeda Strain, and the Twilight Zone are among the many Hollywood productions made at Red Rock Canyon State Park.  For a more comprehensive list, click here.

We pulled into Red Rock Canyon State Park on Sunday around lunch time with our site list in hand, eager to find a great empty spot up against one of the colorful rock formations.  We found the campground to be relatively empty and we secured site #16 (one of our top site picks).  The campsites are dirt and uneven and, in turn, we needed to use our Andersen Leveler to get our Scamp 13’ level along with wheel chocks to secure our Scamp 13’.  The weather was ideal during our April visit – mid 80’s during the day and 60’s at night.  For a fly over of the park, click here.

Once we set up our Scamp 13’, we drove over to the Visitor Center and reserved our site #16 for the night and paid the campsite fee ($25/night).  There is a central dump ($20 as of this writing) and fill station at the Visitor Center.  We also did a little shopping and purchased some park t-shirts and a California State Parks cap in the small gift store.  There are also free water spigots throughout the campground.  After a great lunch of gnocchi and Bolognese sauce, we hiked the Desert Trail to the top rim above the campground at sunset.  The trails at the top of the cliffs provide magnificent views of the desert landscape below.  The colors and depth of the scenery around sunrise and sunset is especially enchanting.  Wildlife one might see hiking in the park include desert tortoises, snakes, foxes, eagles, hawks, White-throated Swifts, bobcats, and small animals like lizards, mice, and squirrels.  The canyon walls turn red at sunrise and sunset, so it’s a good idea when visiting to try to get outside your trailer during these hours.  Right before dark, we switched on our Scamp underlighting set to green — under trailer rv lighting apparently can help keep rodents away and the color green has been shown to make mice sleepy!  After watching a good movie in the evening, we went to bed, but were woken in the middle of the night by an extremely loud howling wind storm.  Even after trying ear plugs and a white noise app on our cell phone, it was still possible to hear the wind.  Luckily, since there are no hookups at this campground, we were fully ballasted with water (approximately 150 lbs. of water) which helped at least a bit in keeping our travel trailer from shaking too much.

There is only very spotty internet throughout the campground, but the Visitor Center provides free WiFi which worked pretty well.  Additionally, we were successful at getting a good cell signal and mobile data on the top rim above the campground.  There is a nice bench at the top which looks out over a valley and we sat on several occasions enjoying the view with good internet, and making phone calls.  The next morning we did another short hike before refilling our Scamp 13’ with fresh water (along with our three 6 gallon water jugs) and driving on to our next planned location, the Trona Pinnacles.  Note:  make sure to use a good dolly when moving water as it can be very heavy.

The Trona Pinnacles
The Trona Pinnacles, about 10 miles south of Trona, California, are strange rock formations that rise high (some over 100 feet high) above a dry lake basin (Searles Lake).  The tufa spires are composed of calcium carbonate, formed by water deposits.  The tufas sit isolated on miles of a flat dried mud basin and have an eerie presence.  Over a dozen hit movies have been filmed here along with many car commercials and television shows (including Battlestar Galactica, Star Trek V:  The Final Frontier, Lost in Space, and Planet of the Apes).  For a comprehensive list click here.

The drive from Red Rock Canyon State Park to the Trona Pinnacles is supposed to be about an hour and a half.  The area, managed by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), is accessed via a long (5 mile) dirt road off State Highway 178.  Despite researching how to access the Pinnacles and instructions on this dirt road, we still managed to have a major misadventure!  After a series of unfortunate events (lack of signs, wrong turns, continually narrowing roads), we found ourselves on a grueling ATV trail with no easy and safe way to turn around.  We continued on over an hour (10 miles) of slow off-road driving south of Trona Pinnacles in 100 degree heat in April — the road sometimes taking steep dips with large rock center mounds!  The trick to preventing the Scamp from bottoming out whenever high rocks appeared on the center mound was to keep one side of the car as high as possible by driving on the center mound.  Avoiding plants and rocks on the sides as well as limiting the vehicle lean angle to prevent tipping was also important.  There were times when all tires on our AWD tow vehicle slipped on soft sand during steep climbs and lost traction, so we had to ease back a little and try the hill again.  Here’s a short video from our off road drive!

When we finally arrived at the Pinnacles from the south, we noticed our shower water pump (which hangs down really low below the Scamp) was damaged.  Because of the heat and our broken pump situation, we decided to head directly to the closest town (Ridgecrest) for repairs.  Fortunately, a local RV repair shop took us right in and replaced the water pump.   While we waited for the repair, we decided we had enough of the Trona Pinnacles and didn’t want to venture back.  So, instead, we decided to go to another location we had heard good things about called Fossil Falls (which is on the way to Alabama Hills).

Fossil Falls
Just one hour north of Ridgecrest on Highway 395 (about halfway to Lone Pine / Alabama Hills), Fossil Falls is a BLM campground that’s relatively easy to reach (short dirt access road not far from the highway).  The Fossil Falls Campground (elevation 3,307 feet) has only 11 developed campsites (first come, first serve) with picnic tables and grills, but only 4 are recommended for trailers and RVs (4,5,6, & 8).  The other campsites are generally smaller, not as level, and harder to get into.  Despite arriving late in the day, most of the trailer/RV sites were still empty when we pulled into the campground.  We chose site #5, parked our Scamp 13’ at this pull through and level spot, and then walked down to the Iron Ranger box to submit our payment ($6/night at the time of this writing).  We knew in advance that these boxes only accept cash or check, so we brought plenty of $5’s and $1’s.  To see a fly over of Campsite #5 and the Fossil Falls Campground, click here.

There are no hookups at this campground; however, there is a water pump.  Expecting water spigots, we were a little surprised when we found the water pump.  It’s actually a real manually operated pump and wrestling the pump to get the water out of the ground takes some effort!  We didn’t even try to fill our Scamp 13’ fresh tank here since we planned to dump our Black and Grey tanks and refill our Fresh water tank the next day at a private RV park along the way to the Alabama Hills.  It seems it would take a lot of work and time to get a measurable amount of water out of the pump!  To see a video of me trying out the manual water pump, click here.

Fossil Falls Campground is a very unique campground in that is at the base of a cinder cone volcano (Red Hill) and the area is strewn with lava rocks, giving the area an otherworldly feel.  Camping close to the base of the volcano amid fields of volcanic rock is an unusual experience!  Close to the campground (a trail leads to the trailhead from Campsite #1), is a short trail to the “falls”.  Between 10,000 and 400,000 years ago, lava flowed in the area.  Glaciers formed in the last ice age melted and the water flows ran through the lava rocks at Fossil Falls to create smooth and unusually shaped volcanic rocks.  Once at the volcanic rock “falls”, don’t get too close as there is a big drop to the bottom of the gorge.

The next morning we noticed a few more campers set up at adjacent campsites.  We were glad we left our green under lighting on throughout the night since, not only may it help keep rodents away, the lights may also prevent someone from accidently driving into the trailer when arriving at the campground in the dark of night.  After a nice breakfast and hike to Fossil Falls, we packed up and headed to our next destination, a place to dump and fill fresh water (Boulder Creek RV Resort).

After a lot of research and phone calls, we discovered that RV dumping facilities in this area are scarce!  There is a dump station and water at Tuttle Creek Campground in Lone Pine – but, it is only seasonally operated and was not running during our trip.  Someone mentioned that the RV park in the town of Olancha (the town south of Lone Pine) has an RV dump, but we were told there is no dump available when we called.  We contacted the Boulder Creek RV Resort in Lone Pine a couple of times and were given conflicting information regarding if dumping facilities were available.  We decided to risk it, because our trip would quickly be over if we couldn’t dump (our Black tank was already at 50% after a couple of days on the road).  After about a 45 minute drive, we pulled up to the Boulder Creek RV Resort in Lone Pine.  The first thing I noticed before opening the glass door to the office at Boulder Creek RV Resort is the big lettering on the glass which says “No Public Dump”.  I was told at the front desk that they get very busy and usually don’t have time to deal with campers who aren’t staying overnight at their campground (we were quoted $65/night for a full hookup site).  After repeatedly explaining that we couldn’t find a place to dump in the area, we were allowed to use one of the small campsites (#27) for $25 to dump and fill fresh water.  We were prepared to rent a campsite at Boulder Creek RV Resort for the night at $65 in case they didn’t allow us to dump so we would be able to spend 4 nights in the Alabama Hills.  Fortunately, this wasn’t necessary!

Make sure to stop at the Lone Pine Visitor Center on the way to the Alabama Hills!  It’s a very large center with lots of information on the Alabama Hills and the area.  Plus, there’s plenty of great merchandise like t-shirts and hats!

Alabama Hills
Alabama Hills is an awe inspiring location just outside the small town of Lone Pine in the Eastern Sierra (about a five hour drive north east of San Diego).  The area sits at the base of the eastern slope of the Sierra Nevada in the Owens Valley and features a dramatic mountain range, hills, and incredible large round boulder rock formations.  Mt. Whitney, the highest mountain in the contiguous United States at 14,505 feet, along with other high snowcapped mountains, forms a panoramic backdrop to enjoy while camping and exploring in the Alabama Hills.  Countless movies, television shows, and commercials have been filmed here.  The first movies to be filmed in the hills were Water, Water Everywhere and Cupid, the Cow Puncher, both released in 1920 (now considered lost films).  The oldest surviving film shot in the hills is “The Roundup” (released 1920) starring Roscoe “Fatty” Arbuckle, which includes a cameo from his friend Buster Keaton.  Most major Western actors of the 1930s, ’40s, and ’50s were filmed riding their horses amid the rocks of the Alabama Hills which include John Wayne, Gregory Peck, Gary Cooper, Gene Autry, Tom Mix, Randolph Scott, Robert Mitchum, William Boyd, and Roy Rogers.  Other famous movies and television shows filmed here include Gunga Din, Tremors, Iron Man, Bad Day at Black Rock, How the West Was Won, Django Unchained, Gladiator, Man of Steel, Star Trek Generations, Around the World in 80 Days, Star Trek 5:  The Final Frontier, and Firefly.  For an extensive list click here.

There are several campgrounds in the Lone Pine area (Tuttle Creek Campground, Lone Pine Campground, Portuguese Joe Campground, and Diaz Lake Campground).  The only one which we identified as having a dump station is Tuttle Creek Campground; it has water spigots and a central dump station when in season (however, these were still off for winter during our early April visit).  After researching all the campgrounds, our plan was to stay within the Alabama Hills (BLM dispersed camping area / no fee) because of the most dramatic views and movie making history.  The unsettling thing about camping in the Alabama Hills is that there are no reservations and the campsites, although somewhat defined, are scattered throughout the landscape and have to be searched out (most of which are off the main road on dirt roads – some of which are a bit harsh for towing campers).  We read before going that the best sites for trailers are ones very close to the main road.  To give us the best possible chance of finding a decent spot, we arrived early in the day and during the week (Tuesday morning).  Our backup plan in case we couldn’t find a campsite in the Alabama Hills was to stay at Tuttle Creek Campground because it has nice mountain views as well (just not as dramatic a setting as the Alabama Hills, a campground feel, and ten to fifteen minutes farther from town).

Getting to the Alabama Hills is really easy; it’s just a five minute drive up Whitney Portal Road from downtown Lone Pine and a right turn onto Movie Flat Road.  Movie Flat Road is paved for a little while and then turns to dirt.  Our goal was to try to find a campsite as early as possible before going too far back so we would have a quick drive to town and, perhaps, a chance of an internet connection (but, as it turned out, we experienced only a fading one bar of Verizon service with occasional text coming though).  On our first pass, we didn’t see any campsites that stood out and we quickly found ourselves at the end of the paved road and onto the dirt road.  And, having experienced our misadventure at the Trona Pinnacles earlier in the trip, we weren’t in any mood to do extreme off-road adventuring.  We turned around and this time slowly made our way back down the paved Movie Flat Road toward Whitney Portal Road.  This time we took it slowly and decided to drive down one of the main dirt roads.  And, we discovered, there are numerous places to set up a campsite and we found one high up on the hill directly below a tall wall of interesting rock formations.  We were told by a ranger at the Lone Pine Visitor Center that the only camping allowed was on the right side while driving up Movie Flat Road (and there are BLM marker signs as well).  The BLM is currently in the process of implementing a permit system and plans to better define camping areas to mitigate over use of the area; we were told that this will be happening very soon.  As it turns out, our experience off-roading at the Trona Pinnacles gave us plenty of confidence here in the Alabama Hills.  In fact, we found ourselves judging the dirt roads with ease and picking out safe routes to locate a campsite.  After a short bit of driving, we found an excellent campsite high up on the hill with a panoramic view of the Eastern Sierra (including unobstructed views of Mt. Whitney)!!!  To see a video of us driving through the Alabama Hills and our campsite, click here.

The key to finding a good campsite within the Alabama Hills is to take one’s time and go slowly.  Stay on the better dirt roads and avoid any that have steep dips.  If unsure, stop and walk or bike the dirt road to where you think might be a good campsite.  We found that there are many good dirt roads at the start of the Alabama Hills (just a few minutes up Movie Flat Road).  Also, only set up camp at a relatively flat site and make sure to bring heavy duty wheel chocks to secure your trailer on the dirt.  The site we found was flat but was high up on a hill, so, for peace of mind, we parked our tow vehicle in front of our trailer in the unlikely event it rolled forward.

When planning a trip to the Alabama Hills, it’s helpful to understand how you use your trailer’s resources because there are no dump stations, fresh water spigots, electrical hookups, or propane refilling stations in the Alabama Hills (completely dry camping).  First, and perhaps most important, is how long your Black and Grey tanks take to fill and how quickly your Fresh tank is depleted.  The Grey and Fresh tank concerns can be addressed to extend your stay.  Grey water can be dumped into jugs (see Holy Grail Portable Grey Water Tank Solution).  Our Grey tank usually fills in about two to three days.  And fresh water can be filled into fresh water jugs and transported with your tow vehicle to resupply your trailer’s Fresh tank.  We can go about one and a half days before our 12 gallon fresh water tank is empty (using about 8 gallons of fresh water per day for nightly showers, sink washing, and toilet flushes).  We made friends with a local teenager working at a car wash in town and he let us fill our three 6 gallon fresh water jugs (we used our own hose with a water filter for better purity).  We also found, while visiting new camper friends we made on this trip, water spigots at Diaz Lake Campground (just 5 minutes down the road from Lone Pine) – although, these are probably only meant for people staying at this public campground.  The Black tank usually turns out to be the Achilles’ heel for long stays, as the only way to drain it is by going to a Dump station (unless you want to deal with portable Black tanks, generally not recommended).  So, when the Black tank is full, the only choice is to either pack up, dump, and return or to end your stay in the area.  We planned to stay four nights in the Alabama Hills and this worked out to be the amount of time it took to fill our Black tank.  Lastly, although we did see a propane dealer in Lone Pine, it’s best to arrive with full tanks (we recommend two full 20lb tanks) so there are no worries about keeping the propane refrigerator, hot water heater, and gas stove operational.  We found we had more than enough propane for the week from just a single tank running our refrigerator 24/7, our hot water heater for evening showers, and our gas stove for daily meals.  But, if it had happened to be really cold at night, a second propane tank would have provided ample resources for running the furnace.

Another consideration when dry camping for a number of days in the Alabama Hills is power.  We brought our solar panel briefcase along and it provided ample power for the duration of the trip.  Right before the trip, we also purchased a 50’ extension cable for our solar briefcase so that, if necessary, the solar panels could be located a distance away from the trailer to better capture the sun.  Because the area can get very windy, we opted to place the backs of our solar panels flat down directly against the ground instead of propping them up with their stands, and this turned out to be an excellent strategy!  There was a violent wind storm our first night and the solar panels didn’t even move!  In fact, we left them in their position the entire five days of our stay and they performed really well, providing plenty of power.  Having the Jackery 500 lithium power station also allowed us to charge all our accessories (cell phones, electric toothbrush, drone batteries, camera) and run our 12V television for movie nights without concern about depleting our Scamp’s battery.  When we weren’t watching movies at night or star gazing (more on that coming up), we enjoyed playing one of our favorite games (Sequence or Backgammon).

We learned on our past trip to Valley of Fire State Park (NV) that it’s good to have plenty of cash while travelling  (especially in small bills, $5’s and $1’s).  On the Nevada trip, we were confronted with an Iron Ranger (steel pay box in place of a live Ranger) which only accepted checks and cash.  That time, we barely had enough cash to cover our two night stay.  We don’t use checks because there is risk the bank account might be compromised due to the check having both the owner’s account and routing numbers listed on it.  On this trip, having cash was especially helpful.  Not only did we stay at a BLM campground (Fossil Falls) which has an Iron Ranger, but we also needed cash to pay for our horseback rides and lavender product souvenirs.  We now hide an envelope of two to three hundred dollars cash in small bills in our Scamp 13’ so that it is there if needed.

Once you’ve arrived with enough food and drinking water for your stay, a completely full Fresh tank and empty Black and Grey tanks, full Propane tanks, cash, have found your perfect spot in the Alabama Hills and set up your solar panels, it’s time to relax, enjoy the landscape, and have fun!  Looking out at the panoramic views of the Easter Sierra and snowcapped peaks, we felt like we were in Switzerland.  The sights are so amazing here that they are worth the trip even if you do nothing else but sit back in a relaxing chair and take in the scenery.  But, there are so many fun and interesting things to see and do, you probably don’t want to just sit around.  Make sure to have breakfast (cinnamon rolls, breakfast burritos, and pancakes) and lunch (burgers, tuna melts, ….) at the Alabama Hills Café, a local favorite diner in downtown Lone Pine.  Also, be sure to visit the Museum of Western Film History ($5 per person).  The museum has galleries full of pictures and memorabilia from movies filmed in the area.  In the museum’s screening room, watch their educational film for a great background on the movie industry in Lone Pine and the Alabama Hills.  To see an old Western film made in the Alabama Hills, click here.

Hiking some of the trails within the Alabama Hills is a definite highlight.  Walking amongst the large round boulders with the snowcapped mountains in the background is breathtaking.  However, if you only walk one trail, park at the Mobius Arch Loop Trailhead and walk the short loop (less than 30 minutes) to see the famous Mobius Arch (a very unusual rock formation which has a dramatic arch and large hole in the middle).   The Heart Arch can also be seen on this short easy hike.  In fact, there are a myriad of different arches formed by unusual rock formations found throughout the Alabama Hills and some like to try to find as many as possible!  Another great thing to do in the Alabama Hills is star gaze (as well as astrophotography)!  The night sky is very bright and filled with stars, so sit back, relax, and look up.  You may be amazed at what you see!  We saw a strange light race across the sky, come to a complete stop in midair, change color from white to orange above our heads, and completely reverse its direction!  More amazingly, we captured it on our camera by chance by taking a 15 second exposure of what we thought was an interesting jet flying over!  Of course, Alabama Hills is close to the mysterious and top secret Naval Air Weapons Station at China Lake, so perhaps it was a top secret military aircraft.  For now, we’ll label it as unidentified (UFO).

The following day was spent on more serious thoughts during a visit to Manzanar National Historic Site (National Park Service), about a twenty minute drive north of Lone Pine on Highway 395.  During WWII (1942), the U.S. Government rounded up Japanese immigrants and Japanese American citizens and imprisoned them in military style “internment” camps.  More than 110,000 men, women, and children were ordered to leave their homes and be detained in one of ten camps.  Manzanar, located at the base of the Eastern Sierra, was one of these camps.  Over 11,000 people were detained here and the last few hundred internees left in November 1945, a few months after the war ended.  Many had spent over three years at Manzanar.  We chose to quietly walk the entire camp for a more personal encounter than experienced from an auto tour.  Walking through the mess halls, listening to the stories told by real internees (via audio exhibits/viewing photographs), exploring the gardens, hospital grounds, and cemetery made us think deeply about what happened here and this dark period of American history.  It was difficult to reconcile the contrast between the beauty of the snowcapped Sierras on a wonderful sunny spring morning under sparkling dark blue skies and the stark and severe story of this place while walking the grounds.  Entrance to Manzanar is free and a visit might leave a lasting impression as it did with us.

On our last day, we enjoyed a fun horseback ride above the Alabama Hills (about a 15 minute drive from our campsite).  We called two days in advance to reserve the ride.  Julie, from De La Cour Ranch, has friendly horses and provides a wonderful 1 ½ hour ride ($50 per person at the time of our ride) above the hills overlooking the mostly dry Owens Lake (salt bed) as well as the Eastern Sierra.  We found the ride relaxing and some of us got a chance to trot a bit.  One member of our group (rides usually limited to about four riders) is a beginner and her horse was tethered to Julie’s lead mule for added safety.  Julie’s two dogs also joined the ride and ran along the entire way!  To see a video of our ride, click here.  Julie also rents cabins on her ranch (for all of your non-camping friends who want to join you on your adventures) and she makes natural lavender products from her lavender fields and distillery, which she shares with all her ranch guests.  After our ride, we enjoyed a nice lunch with our new camping friends at the Alabama Hills Café.  We left Alabama Hills behind us the next morning, but we were already looking forward to a future visit.

 

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