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Skamper Kamper Trips 2022


85_Ranger4x4

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Hoping to take it out a couple times this year so I will just put all the trips in one thread.

Anywho, we took it out for the first time for the year (and the second time overall this past weekend.

Loaded up and ready to roll.





Kinda sorta cheated on leveling the thing...



We picked our spot on the upper loop. It is actually kind of overflow and less desirable to most... but when I roll out of bed I see nothing but trees in the distance thru the upper windows which is kinda neat. Also farther away from the lake with a little kid. And because early in the season... nobody was near us.











No idea how many loads of rock was hauled over the weekend but it was a busy weekend of hauling rock!



First night was pretty quiet, there was a light shower that moved thru but it was really nothing of note.



Saturday morning we both had to work, in the afternoon her parents found a tree house/swing set in Council Bluffs so we ran up there to pick that up which occupied most of the afternoon. Left our house in a shower with lots of thunder and lighting to beat it back to the camper which had the vent and windows open. Closed the vent and dropped the top. Then we went to the picnic area for a picnic as the storms missed the campground.



Look along the shore to the campground from a picnic area.





Back to camp in the dark to pop the top and get ready for bed... with lots of lightning on the horizon (all the horizons this time)



Camper did awesome, there was a little wind but with the "outriggers" under the rocksliders the truck hardly flinched. Rain on the metal roof is so relaxing. I was going to ride out the storm so I could open windows back up afterwards. I awoke at 7:45AM with my ipad against the wall beside me and my glasses off/unharmed between my wife and I (yikes)

Little guy got a fishing pole so we started lessons on fishing pole operations (didn't have tackle with to actually fish though) It was such a thrash to get the camper ready I forgot to grab my stuff or even get a license. With the swingset thing we didn't really have time anyway.



Hashbrowns o'brien with sausage and eggs mixed in for breakfast this morning started the day off right.





Meanwhile we switched trucks and was now hauling screenings.



Stopped for pictures at the marina and then it was off to home!

 
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gaz

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@85_Ranger4x4 ,
I love it and am very curious how much impact it has on your truck's fuel economy ..)
 

Jim Oaks

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racsan

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I would guess it could still do about 14 mpg with the camper, having it be a collapsible roof helps quite a bit. we had a full size truck/camper back in the 70’s. It was a 74 F250 2wd with a 300, creeper 1st 4 speed & 3.73’s. I think it only dropped from 15 to 12 mpg. Back then gas was quite cheap so we didn’t really monitor fuel economy like we do now. Wind really affected it though.
 

ericbphoto

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Sounds like a great weekend. Poor Oliver didn't take a vacation from his trucking company.
 

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Little guy got a fishing pole so we started lessons on fishing pole operations (didn't have tackle with to actually fish though)
Tie a sinker in the end of that line, stand him out in the driveway, have him practice casting the line and reeling it in.

He’ll be occupied for hours.
 

85_Ranger4x4

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Tie a sinker in the end of that line, stand him out in the driveway, have him practice casting the line and reeling it in.

He’ll be occupied for hours.
It came with a plastic weighted orange fish, we were practicing reeling it in.
 

ericbphoto

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85_Ranger4x4

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@85_Ranger4x4 ,
I love it and am very curious how much impact it has on your truck's fuel economy ..)
I don't have any solid highway trips with in my Ranger.

We went out to Gump's to pick it up in my old F-150 in the thick of covid over fourth of July weekend in 2020. Basically the truck ran the whole time with the a/c on, it was our little bubble for Oliver. We ate in it, we took turns sitting in it with him for pitstops. Basically unless I was putting gas in it or we were crashed at Gump's it never shut off. We got 14mpg on the way out and 12mpg on the way back touring a couple state parks. No way it is a apple to Apple comparison, slightly different route on the way home and drove a lot after dark, we got home around midnight iirc. That was running 70+ on the interstate too.

It regularly put down 17mpg empty on the interstate not on that trip when driven normally.
 

85_Ranger4x4

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Took it out again. Same campground, same campsite.



The old 413 was in rare form doing its thing.





My 3 burner 426 is nice having three burners, the 413 is kind of oddly nicer in some ways as while it only has two burners they are farther apart than the super common 425 (which I think has a similar burner spacing as the 426) so a guy can do bigger things. That is a 14-1/2" skillet.





New addition to my setup, "the third leg" You can actually feel the truck kinda pivot on the two stands when you go to get in the back. With the third leg triangulating everything it is solid.



The lake is actually starting to look normal again after they lowered it a few years ago.



Found a new shop lion! Would not answer to "kitty kitty" at all though. Seriously this is the first one I have ever seen that was alive.





'smore time!





Well hello there little state bird of Iowa...



6/84 Coleman CL2 lantern:



7/84 Scamper 072s and 2/85 Ford Ranger









Ram home to do chicken chores this morning. Came across a big group of deer and I commented that they should be having little ones pretty soon... and around the next bend we find one.



We went fishing this morning with a picnic lunch and all the required necessities.





Got to see a water snake which kinda rounded out our wildlife adventure I guess.

 
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85_Ranger4x4

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Had a couple good nibbles that pulled the bobber (AKA pumpkin) under the water but I think the hook is too big. I need to restock my box with more kid friendly worm and bobber type stuff.

 

85_Ranger4x4

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Had it out again last weekend.







Brats and hotdogs the first night, quick and easy since we had to setup.



[url=https://flic.kr/p/2nqaDzW]


We finally got to meet the bear we go nuts over every time we see it.

 

85_Ranger4x4

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Pancakes for breakfast.



And bacon cooked the way it was designed to be cooked, I don't think I have ever had better.



Not sure what happened here, he got his truck washed so I guess either way it is a win.



Had a skiff of snow cottenwood seeds to greet us in the morning.



Did dishes etc and packed up. She had to work, I had some stuff to do around the farm. Mainly switched things around so I could bushog weeds.

Came back and went to the playground, and the beach. He had a lot of fun at both.

Got bogged in the sand though...



Went on a neat looking but very tame trail at a county park on our way back for fun.



Supposed to be stir fry but we forgot the teriyaki sauce at home. Whatever you want to call it, I enjoyed it.

Ran into the bobcat again...



Truck was dirty...



Many walks...



Dutch oven peach cobbler for midnight snack.


More bacon!
]

When we were kids in the 90's I remember an older couple coming over and showing us this. Basically you take a biscuit from a tube and form it over the end of a dowel (I used 1/2")



Roast it over the fire until it is nice and brown.





Then you douse the inside with sqeezie butter and honey.



All packed up and ready to make the voyage home... after one more stop at the beach anyway.

 

ericbphoto

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Another great weekend. Congrats! I remember seeing that biscuit on a stick idea in the Boy Scout manual (way back in the 20th century). Never tried it. Looks fun.
 

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