West SAFE Boondocking and Scary Camping for Others

[Ray Eklund]

I am a Neanderthal. I am comfortable living on the ground and camping in the Desert, Prairie and Mountains. There are NO Lions, Tigers or Bears... like in the Wizard of OZ lurking out there to eat you or your pets.

There are NO Gang Members out in the Forest to Hijack your Airstream. These guys are City Dwellers and afraid of going outside the City Limits. It is dark in the mountains with only stars and the moon, some of the time. You have to time a trip when the Moon is filling... not while getting a REFILL. Ha... Ha... a Neanderthal joke.

We leave our Trailer and Tow Vehicle unlocked when camped. A Bad Guy will take only what they can Fence to the local Evil Reseller in a big city, which may be 700 miles away.

We have camped since 2006. We are disappointed that no thieves have hijacked our Airstream, Tow Vehicle or hauled off our Dinty Moore Stew and my Brookside Chocolates or Costco Toilet Tissue rolls. Nothing. They do not want a trailer that is hard to back up, and the tow vehicle full of camping equipment, nor the Dog's Pet Porters with 'binkies' and shedded hair.

You must be an Airstream Princess and live in a large City. The Off the Grid Boondocking does not attract these people. They do not want to die of Lead Poisoning breaking into Ranches and trailers where 'crazy Neanderthals' are eating raw flesh off of Road Kill.

These threads about being afraid of the dark and a Mountain Lion dropping out of the tree to hang you onto some branches to 'freshen up' before eating... are made up stories in your local newspaper.

No one bothered our 23 footer. No one bothered our 25 footer. No one bothered our Tent. No one bothered our 27 footer. They do not want an Airstream Trailer. They read these Forums. They are unreliable. They are expensive to fix. They are hard to back up.

Sure. I carry a five foot walking stick / club combo. I can use it to hike. I can use it to whack the S$#T out of Beast or Human Bean. We BOTH carry magical lead poppers in a holster. More for extra weight on a long hike. Have not had to waste any poppers... since I was 7 years old. Rabbits, yes. Crazy tatooed Gang Members... sure... in my Novel that will come out some day in English and Neanderthal.

Camped AWAY from Human Beans is SAFE. I know, disappointing. I have not had a raccoon peddle off with my bicycle. Or a Deer open the trailer door for a pillow.

Nope. Nothing. My original lawn chairs are still the same ones from camping in front of our Cave.

If you are an Airstream Princess, stay at a KOA or truck stop parking lot. There is where the excitement can be found. How about a City Park? Oooooh Weeee! Just smelling your clean trailer will get attention.

Quit watching the Shining reruns. They are actors. Avoid those commercials with Chain Saws. They are used to cut down timber, not tourists. Gasoline is not cheap.

If you are out of shape... quit eating so much. Chipmunks will hurt you. Pick off ticks and fleas. They are also edible and full of protein.

Come out with us. We can scare you into becoming an OTG Airstream Boondocker. We can have ten Airstream Owners start... and have Five that finish after the first couple days. With YOU and US... it is a 50% chance half of us will run like hell to get away from the Neanderthal and two Blue Heelers.

What do you Airstream Princesses have to whine about? Nothing. Then do not post. This is for serious campers. Not some Dance Queen afraid of shadows...

These photos are Boondocking. Not what most believe. I tow the Airstream. Nancy drives the protection...

[Ray Eklund]

I am older than you can imagine. You get cranky. You get impatient. You can also forget how to change a flat tire or Rotate tires. You may forget you read the previous Post. More fruit and salad in your diet, helps. All of this is Good Advice. It is Free. You get what your are paying for...

You will need at least TEN Leveling Blocks. I have TWENTY. Ten to level the front Jack, when needed. Ten others in the back storage for changing tires, if needed.

That makes 19... as you lost one somewhere. Start with 20.

Removing a Tire:

1- Attach the Trailer to the ball on the tow vehicle. (do not need stabilizer bars)

2- The wheel you are going to remove. Take each lug nut and loosen it. Just break the torque so it is ready to remove.

3- Which Tire? If it is the Front tire, either side, you will put Leveling blocks on the back tire and Back UP onto them to lift the tire you want to remove above the ground. Often Four Leveling Blocks will do it to clear the ground. Reverse if it is the Rear Tire, you pull forward onto Leveling Blocks.

4- You do not need to Chock the other side as the Trailer is attached to the tow vehicle. This is the safest way to change tires when rotating them, front to back, back to front OR a flat tire you need to have repaired.

5- I am an Airstream Princess and wear leather gloves that come into a three pack at Costco. I write my first Name on them so I know they are the Big Gloves. I like all of my fingernails, attached to the end of each finger. Have fingernail clippers to repair the damage when you chip a nail. They are weapons if your face itches. Your hands without gloves will get very dirty.

6- Remove the five or six lug nuts once the wheel is in the air. When you back onto leveling blocks you start with ONE, back onto Two and Two under the wheel, then have a Three, move the two and place it behind the Three... you are catching on.

7- If you are using a Jack under the trailer... I would not. Do not use the electric jack in the front either. Let the tow vehicle take care of things.

8- Once the wheel you want removed is in the air, remove the other lug nuts and keep them clean. The Michelin Tires are heavy. I cry like a Baby and Grunt to get them off the lugs. Your back may need to recover. My Brain is weaker than my Back... Do not use your Brain... it does not work when your back is hurting. Getting the wheel OFF is easier that putting it back onto the wheel.

9- Take the Spare out, now it is higher in the Air. It is heavy. You will cry like a Baby, as I do. That is why I do not do this for entertainment when bored.

10- Line up the Top Drum Lug at 12:00. PM or AM. The big and little hands overlap at 12. Put the center CAP into the center of the wheel. Lift, grunt, curse, cry like an Airstream Princess which I admit works to get everything aligned.

11- Once you have whined, like I will do if do MY Wheel or Yours... hand snug each lug nut and then rotate the wheel and hand snug each to Center the Lugs into the wheel onto the lugs. Rotate until you can tell they are centered. Then rotate the wheel. If it is off center, like I am when writing these Posts... fix it.

12- After centering the wheel, take your lug nut socket and breaker bar to snug them up a bit more. Use a Chock to add friction to snug each lug nut... rotate, do the opposite lugs. Not one after another. This is the proper way, or do it your way.

13- Reverse the process to get the tire back onto the ground, off the leveling blocks. Signal to the Driver in the tow vehicle the distance you need the driver to move. DRIVER: If you do not see TWO HANDS in the AIR... do not do anything. This is dangerous if neither are paying attention.

14- Once the leveling blocks are removed and the tire is firmly attached to the EARTH... Torque them with your Bar. Use the manual if necessary for Torque. If you do not have a torque wrench... SNUG each lug nut, opposite sides at a time. You are not trying to break the lug out of the Drum... Costco uses a Torque Bar to get them exact. If your Tires are from Costco... drive there and have them torque your lugs. They may be confused Your Lugs... point at the wheels.

I just do it myself. I lived this long and never lost one or five or six lug nuts or a wheel. Some people like torque wrenches to dial in pounds.

Never be offended when someone is trying to 'whip you into shape'. None of these things are Easy. Some need some... motivation. I am that guy. I have no table manners, either. Nancy tells me when I am acting Neanderthal. That is my problem, not yours. I am evolving into a Baked to Human Bean.

If you find this does not make any sense to remove and attach a wheel on an Airstream. Put your glasses on.

Get this right and you will become an Airstream KING. It is easier to spell and you EARNED THE TITLE. The Princesses are insulted and upset. Ignore them. They will hire you to change their wheels... ask for the TIP up front. They may slap you with a leather glove... then you know you have their attention. A friend is not someone who will change your tire. They SHOW YOU HOW to do it yourself... get with it.

[Ray Eklund]

Grey Water. Water from the sink washing dishes, your hands, or from the shower where you store pillows, extra blankets. Many advise that you scrape food scraps into the trash before washing. We use Paper Plates and Bowls. Some can be wiped clean with a paper towel, or tossed if messy into your trash container. We use the sink to wash our hands or fill the dog's water bowl.

Water for US in the wilderness is a necessary asset for us. Not to be wasted.

If you do not want grey water: Put a plastic deep pan into the Sink to wash dishes, your hands... face, eye brows. Just added eye brows for an example of various options.

Take this Grey Water and pour it onto a bush needing hydration. My option is to fling it twenty feet into the air away from the trailer. It is safe to drink. The soap adds the bad taste, but is harmless. You drink your City Water? If you knew what was in it... you would go to Bottled Water. Do you know where the Bottled Water comes from?

Probably not. I worked at a Soft Drink Company. I saw what was in the Filtered City Water being processed to make Soda Pop. It was not a pleasant experience. You could use Soda Pop to wash yourself and be cleaner... no soap needed.

Fling or take Grey Water out and water a bush. Does not hurt the Earth. They say food particles will attract wild animals. Being there in the woods already will attract animals, none are tame.

Black Water: Urine is the most frequent Boondocking ingredient. It is actually sterile. You can look up RV Travel: "More on Gray (legal) area of dumping the gray tank" by RV Staff 7-13-2017. Boondock Bob.

For the majority of campers, you have access to a Dump Station. Dump Black Water... first. Then Gray Water last to wash out the dump hose and outlet from the trailer. Good Hygiene process. Wear rubber gloves. Yes, your nose will itch. Ignore it. Your nose, not the dump station. Some people take a water hose and go into the trailer to rinse out the system. Those behind you will not like to wait. They want YOU to get out of the way.

They will rinse out their tanks from the inside, when it THEIR TURN.

We operate as if we are tent camping. A shovel and dig a hole method, far away from the campsite. Those who camp next to a Lake or River... use your Black Tank restroom facility. Water is the problem when it comes to Urine and Feces.

When in the Desert, away from water resources... take a shovel and dig a hole. Toss toilet tissue/paper into a trash bag. Use a five gallon bucket with a trash bag and toss in the paper. Feces is full of good fertilier. Like a horse, livestock or more closely like a Bear, Mountain Lion or other meat eating carnivores.

When we tent camped. We carry two shovels. If you have a dog or two... dig the hole, do your duty... bury and cover with a large rock or group. Your dog loves to follow you out to do your business. Your 'business' is a special treat to a dog.

Ask a Boy Scout. Ask a Forest Service employee driving a pickup what HE does in the forest.

Take a Shower Outside. Have a mat to stand onto.

Some find this all disgusting. It is all natural. We pick up after our dogs in town... but not in the Desert or Forests.

Some use a five gallon bucket with a toilet seat. The Military dig a Latrine. The pioneers traveling the Oregon Trail did what they always did and today you would not know.

Practice SMART Grey and Black waste techniques. Established campsites... DON'T. Remote locations... do what is done by Tent Campers and Hikers.

The Appalachian Trail with Millions of Hikers... now you have a problem... and you see it at pullouts along a State Highway where it becomes a human waste dump and bags of trash tossed out with no regard to anything. Cannot fix stupid.

Add your Opinions and Options. Compose is dehydrated chicken droppings used in gardening, mixed with other solids for healthy bushes and trees in your yard.

Water nearby. That is the problem for some to understand.

Busy, popular areas... you are best to be strict and find a Dump Station. Maverick Service Stations have Dump Stations at some. Others have Dump Stations for a small fee.

[uncle_bob]

Originally Posted by Ray Eklund

.... You can look up RV Travel: "More on Gray (legal) area of dumping the gray tank" by RV Staff 7-13-2917. Boondock Bob.

......

Hi

It may simply be proof of getting old .... that reference does not turn up anything when I dig for it. It also does not turn up anything with a 2017 year on it instead of 2917. My Tardis is in for a Lithium upgrade so I can't check it fully ....

Bob

[Ray Eklund]

Originally Posted by uncle_bob

Hi

It may simply be proof of getting old .... that reference does not turn up anything when I dig for it. It also does not turn up anything with a 2017 year on it instead of 2917. My Tardis is in for a Lithium upgrade so I can't check it fully ....

Bob

*****

Caught the date change. I meant 2017 BC. Did my edit.

I wear reading glasses now. The keyboard letters are worn off and I have to Guess what keys I am using. It can change the tone my new Novel: "The Airstream Princess".

I am working on it at the present time. Which is 10:03. It could be done by lunch if I keep awake.

It will be vonderval when ziss is finiked.

I searched Black and Grey Water Disposal. Just to cover myself in the event someone disputes Boondock Bob from RV Life. Not Uncle Bob from the Airforums.

With the 'new and not improved' Black and Grey Combo Tanks... this is up for interpretation.

With unexperienced Princesses buying RV's and Trailers... I do not know how this is going to work out at RV Parks and Dump Stations. Even small towns cannot keep up with the sewage systems. Icky stuff to some. Plumbing service money to others...

Princess: is a Newbie with Attitude not needed when high centered on a curb and blames it on the mirrors, as he sees nothing and those behind see the person's face in the side mirror.

I knew a guy whose business was to sell Incinerators to Towns and Cities to take the Solid Waste from the system and bake it into Soil to be hauled away. Probably bagged and sold to gardeners.

To where, I did not ask. But when people gather in a group or a mega City... things can get clogged up. Just live on top of a hill... not in the basement in New York City.

***** Some do not want to read my Posts as they resent I am calling them an Airstream Princess. How would I know? You would, not me. I eat ticks and dry moose... I am a Neanderthal. Not a judge at a talent show.

[Ray Eklund]

This could my last Post, so read closely. Real close. You... will... be... happy and glad to see the Prince of Darkness ride out of town. Not tar and feathered, but towing our Airstream into the Sunset and disappear.

Good Bye and Hi Ho Silver.

You cannot get your Hitch set up? Spending MORE for a Super Hitch, means you need a bit more work. My mischief is complete. Next time get an Equalizer with bars. Be careful of advice. Some is from experience. Mine from just making things up and it seems to work.

I will pass you while you are fish tailing, parked at a Service Station. Check the hitch, again.

When you have a wheel in the Air, attached to the Airstream and Tow Vehicle has the cord connected from the Trailer to the Tow Vehicle... you can TEST the brake operation on that wheel once IN THE AIR.

You have a Manual Brake Control. Use it. If your vehicle is not moving, your tow vehicle brakes will not activate the trailer brakes. Otherwise at every stop light you stop, you would be engaging the brakes once stopped. That is what I found out.

Parked, one wheel on four or three inches of leveling blocks, have someone spin the wheel in the air, apply tow vehicle manual brakes... the wheel should stop spinning and not able to rotate, until the manual brake is released.

Try it. I found out by not knowing... this was a way to test your brakes and parked.

Have the person helping spin the wheel. Squeeze the Manual Brake Control on the dashboard of the vehicle. WHAM... the wheel should stop. The brakes on that wheel are working. You can test others the same way. I repeat. You need not, but do not hold the manual system engaged. Not good after the wheel quits spinning.

Maybe your tow vehicle works differently. Find out. I have mine set at 8 and works enough to brake, but does not lock up when I brake while traveling.

If you WONDER if your Trailer Brakes Lock Up... do it on gravel. You may have someone watch as you go by, apply the brakes strongly. Locking up on gravel is easier than on asphalt. So judgment calls come into effect.

Try it.

If you apply the manual brake by squeezing the two levers when parked, wheel in air... and it keeps spinning... check the two brake wires coming out of the brake drum on the top and to the wiring that is attached to the axle. If broken wires... easy to fix.

It could be the system within the drum is bad. This is a primitive system used on Airstreams.

This is for a Princess and King Towers alike. I was a Princess for a couple years with the 2006. Now, more of a Duke or a Lady in Waiting status... but it is a long road to being a King of the Road tower. Not a Princess in a TOWER.

Little tricks learned the hard way help you avoid trouble. Try this. You will feel smart. No one else probably figured it out.

Spin. Apply manual brakes. Lock them up. Check... You may get a promotion.

I may not be around for awhile. You will have to fill in. My job is done. I used a shovel. You have a porta potty. Go sit on it.

[SilverLife]

Originally Posted by Ray Eklund

I may not be around for awhile. You will have to fill in. My job is done. I used a shovel. You have a porta potty. Go sit on it.

Well Sir, Your humerus humor will be sorely and achely missed. Some of us will attempt to pick up the Princess Gauntlet. I have a review of a thousand dollar porta potty coming up to entertain you. I did set on it and should've used a shovel instead. You think you're a Neanderthal? Ha!

[Ray Eklund]

Had our home hot water tank malfunction the day before we were to leave for our extended Boondocking trip. Should have it installed today, water up the trailer today and leave before the 4th of July crowds hit the road.

Dometic is down to temperature, loading ice cubes and frozen food in freezer. Whatever else in the refrigerator. I will be filling Fresh Water Tank, Purging Air from all lines and add a gallon or so of fresh water in Grey and Black water tanks to slosh around.

Hot water tank in the Airstream has operated as it should since 2019.
******

One item I did not mention to Secure the Airstream, well maybe two:

1- Leave the Tow Vehicle and Trailer attached if you are at a campsite and hiking from there. We call it Base Camping. This creates a lot more work for any Professional or Amateur Thief.

2- My favorite hitch security on the Airstream I have found since 2006 is the Trimax. It also uses a round key called an Ace Lock assembly. The complete unit weighs 4 pounds and the bar is 'hardened steel'. We both carry a SET of Airstream Keys and an Ace Key. Always.

Pros and Cons of an Ace Key Locking unit. If you loose the key, you are in big trouble. You will need drill bits and time. A Thief may have Drill Bits... but time is important.

A key with a 'house key tumbler system'. Much easier to drill out. I do it with antique jukeboxes and slot machines that have no key. Can do it in less than five minutes and a large screwdriver and pliers as a handle to force the tumblers to come loose.

The Ace... never tried to drill one out. On a lock with the flat cam, like your fresh water, shower and front storage... a nail puller, hammer nail puller... will snap them off easily.

When camped OTG... tow Security Options:

1- Camp at a place where your campsite cannot be seen from the Road. Our most frequent option off onto a two track road...

2- Camp at a place where your campsite can be seen from the road. The Thief does not know who is driving by, or if it is someone who just notices something suspicious. The most secure, even if others see the campsite.

We have discussed having a simple loud sound system mounted onto the door. If the alarm is activated by opening the door... it will be heard for a long distance. Not something we need now, but easy to put together once the hardware is assembled.