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Silvertwinkie · 03-27-2007, 09:11 AM

Here is a picture of an Airstream that was tore into by a black bear. The bear smelled food in the trailer and wasn't going to let anything get in it's way. As you can see, the bear broke one window, ripped off the storage door, beat up the whole curb side, but even more shocking was that the bear ripped open the outside skin, ripped out cross beam support between the skins, the window frame and the inner skin, along with anything that was mounted to the inner wall, and actually GOT IN to the trailer and ate anything that it found yummy, including all the dog food. There was a dog in the Airstream at the time of the event and got out safely while the bear helped itself.

No one was injured, but the as you can see, the Airstream was damaged extensively.

Silvertwinkie · 03-27-2007, 09:18 AM

BTW, this picture was taken in the late 70s, in Alaska.

Fyrzowt · 03-27-2007, 09:30 AM

This much damage would only happen if I was away from the A/S. The black bears can normally be scared off, if not there are other remedies. My fear would be that the bear arrives when I'm gone.
So to answer the question, I feel safe from personal danger, maybe not from property damage.
Dave

Silvertwinkie · 03-27-2007, 09:35 AM

For me personally, I would not feel unsafe in my Airstream, but one has to admit, that the walls of an RV that make us feel safe, really are jus thin sheets of skin. I know when I saw this photo a bit ago, I looked at my RV just a little bit differently than I did before I saw this photo. None of the 3 campers were there as this happened, but the dogs barking and growling was not going to scare off this bear from brunch that day.

sfixx · 03-27-2007, 10:04 AM

Wow, I wonder if there was any blood? I'd feel less safe around thunderstorm in tornado country, but I've never camped where I'm not at the top of the food chain. I see the interest in the Alaska rally evaporating

Steve

**moosetags** · 03-27-2007, 10:07 AM

The picture sure makes you think.

wheel interested · 03-27-2007, 10:10 AM

Just when you thought it was safe to go out...

One of the reasons we originally wanted to move from a fold-down camper to a hardsided trailer was for protection from bears.

Is there a problem with keeping food and cooking in an RV in bear country? We always thought food storage bins were for tenters.

overlander63 · 03-27-2007, 10:29 AM

A hard-sided trailer is safer than a pop up or tent, but there is little that will completely prevent a determined bear from getting in if it really wants to. Have any of you seen the insurance commercial where the bear absolutely destroys the completely closed up minivan to get a box of donuts?
We keep our stuff closed and sealed no matter where we are, there's no sense tempting fate.

safari57 · 03-27-2007, 10:37 AM

Oh my gosh, if my wife sees this she will have justification for eating in restaurants when we are on the road and not having food stuffs in the trailer

. I've seen lots of bears in campgrounds over the years and tear into a tent and tent trailer a few times and it's a scary thing. With a human in a hard sided trailer making all kinds of racket it's not likely the bear will continue it's efforts - where it may see a dog as a potential added snack for the most part they are pretty much scared off by humans attached to loud noises. I know people forget and leave meat out to thaw, cookies on the counter and then leave a window open for fresh air to circulate while they are away, and in those cases I can see the bear being more attentive.

I've never seen a bear attack a hard sided trailer but I've heard of it happening - typically weve felt only when the smells coming from within are just too good to pass up. That's the excuse I'll have to use with my wife - that the bears would only be attracted to exceptional cooking so we are pretty safe

.

With that said I suspect I might look like the bear got ahold of me if she ever reads my response

so I'll have to make sure she misses this thread.

Barry

crazylev · 03-27-2007, 10:41 AM

I've heard that bears that have been fed human food are more likely to go where the human food is. This is a reason that park services sometimes have to destroy an animal and why it is never a good idea to feed bears or leave food, dirty dishes, and even toothpaste outside.

I think black bears are more elusive and afraid of people, loud noises, etc. Unless they have cubs in tow. Grizzly's are a whole other ball of yarn.

When we camped in Yellowstone in the VW camper, we kept our coleman cooler in the metal bear boxes, but I to have wondered if you still need to do that if you have a "hard-sided" camper.

guy99 · 03-27-2007, 10:42 AM

Bears in Alaska have been known to break through the walls and/or doors and windows of buildings. Short of brick or concrete block with heavy (and securely attached) bars on widows I don't think you can keep a bear out of a dwelling if he really wants in.

OTOH, more people in Alaska are killed or injured by moose than by bears.

FreshAir · 03-27-2007, 10:46 AM

One of the reasons over the years I have gravitated from camping on the ground to a pup tent..family tent,,van (probably the 'safest')...popup..sob and now our Tradewind. Hopefully with the high reflective surface of ours intruders will frighten themselves. I know that I am kidding myself but the alternative is stay at home......kidding myself again!

Neil and Lynn

codybear · 03-27-2007, 10:47 AM

Hi Guy,

Wow, bears in the a/s, oh my!..but it does give me a little sigh (just a little) to think that the moose are more apt to kill or injure people up in Alaska! and I thought moose were so elusive, at least when we were in Yellowstone..I was trying to see if we could find one the whole time we were there, no such luck!

Silvertwinkie · 03-27-2007, 10:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by guy99

OTOH, more people in Alaska are killed or injured by moose than by bears.

It's funny you say that because when they all got back into town and started talking to folks about what had happened, the locals gave them a lashing for being so stupid as to go out boondocking during (and I can't remember for sure which animal it was...Elk or Moose) mating season. The locals told them that the (Elk or Moose) have been known to charge people. One told of the animals butting their heads/racks against moving freight trains.

Foureagles · 03-27-2007, 10:52 AM

Maybe 15 years back, in the hills above my hometown of Salida, CO, a local fellow was attacked in his camper trailer by a black bear. By all accounts, the guy was about a quarter bubble off-plumb, and didn't listen when he was advised to clean up his yard to avoid attracting bruins. He regularly hiked down to town and told stories of a big bear that came by almost every night. A friend of mine loaned him a 30-06 for protection.

When we missed him at the bar, a couple of guys got in a Jeep and went up to check on him. They found the door of the trailer torn off, 4 bullet holes in it, and about half of the poor bloke in the bushes. When the bear was found and killed, it had a wound on its scalp where a slug had glanced off.

I've never worried much about black bears (Griz is a whole 'nuther matter), even though I usually camp in the open with just the walls of my sleeping bag between me & them. Had a small number of encounters, lost one whole backpack, prudently moved camp a few times, and my dawg was beat-up pretty good once. Most often, I've been able to shoo the buggers with a clap and a yell.

Bears are a lot like Human Beans -- individuals not wholly controlled by instinct, and thus unpredictable. Still, it's fair warning when you encounter one that's unintimidatable and persists in hanging near. Time then to just pull up stakes.

85MH325 · 03-27-2007, 10:59 AM

Way back when in '76... we wuz way up 'bove Yosemite a huntin' b'ar and deer... and these three city boys wuz a-stayin in a pick-up camper in the primitive campground above Monitor Pass off of Highway 50. This here b'ar decided that the bacon sittin' on the ice in the icebox smelled pretty good... so in the middle of the night the bear opened the camper like tin can and had his way with the bacon, much to the chagrin of the three city boys a-sleepin' inside! They all made it out of the camper without injury, but none brought their rifles out. The bear sauntered away, his hunger gone. The "hunters" took their broken camper and headed back for L.A.

When we were in Alaska we were warned just to stay away from the moose. They're apparently not too bright, easily riled, and are big enough that they don't listen to reason.

Roger

JimGolden · 03-27-2007, 11:05 AM

.375 Holland & Holland with 300 grain Nosler Partitions.

Works beautifully on them, no matter how big.

Blu_Hwy_Lady · 03-27-2007, 11:07 AM

Part of the reason we go camping is for the adventure. Otherwise, you might as well stay home in your nice safe house and hope a meteor doesn't hit it...but even that happened to someone on the Forums. Personally, I'm more afraid of the idiots on the road doing damage to my Airstream on the way to camping, than a bear while I'm camping. And, as others have pointed out bears are usually scared off by loud noises. As far as critter damage I'm more afraid of mice than bears. Mice that can also result in a destroyed trailer if they chew wiring that causes a short and a fire. So, it's all a matter of perspective.