Bias trailer tires that have been on the market for years need to be inflated to what it calls for on the sidewall of the tire. So many trailer owners thought by puting in less air would mean the trailer would ride better but in truth they would only be toying with disaster! When the required rigid sidewalls on bias trailer tires are allowed to flex too much they begin to heat-up real fast and what follows is usually a blow-out or a tire failure of some kind. For example, I have an 8' box Starcraft popup that has the 12" tires (5.30 X 12 to be exact). But this sized tire has two different series: load range "B" and load range "C". The B's where usually put on boat trailers but on the popup campers they went with C's. Here's the difference ~ 5.30 X 12 load range "B" = 840 lbs carrying capacity at the optimum tire pressure of 55 psi. 5.30 X 12 load range "C" = 1045 lbs carrying capacity at the optimum tire pressure of 80 psi. My little Starcraft requires the "C" range tires and they jolly well mean 80 psi or do look for trouble! And a lot of popup campers with this sized tire and load range requirements have replaced a worn tire with the incorrect load ranged tire (load range "B") only to have it fail very shortly on down the road ... then blame the tire company for a defective product! Bottom line, gots to make sure (#1) your running the correct tire pressure, and (#2) it's the proper size and load range. See ya on down the road some place! Dale

Anybody try "eggs in a bag"? Our girl scout troop used to love this and it works so well we use it at home. Boil water in your largest pot(s). For each person you need a quart size freezer ziploc bag (must be freezer type). In each bag you put a teaspoon of butter, 2 eggs, and any omelet ingredients you have precooked and brought with you (peppers, onions, sausage, etc.). Carefully drop the bags upright into the boiling water, do not overcrowd them and be sure the tops of the bags don't hang over the rim of the pot. Every couple of minutes use tongs to squeeze the bag contents which moves the uncooked egg to the surface. Eggs are done when no more egg 'squirts' when you squeeze the bag (about 5 minutes in a large pot with 5-6 bags). To serve, you simply 'slide' the eggs out of the bag onto your plate and sprinkle with grated cheese. Tastes great, no pan to clean, and you already have your hot water for washing the plates!

Allow me to inject a tip here, for all of the new tent campers: Whatever you buy---first take it out of the box or bag, and in the privacy of your back yard, practice setting it up, and taking it down, and repacking it! that way, if you get to the camp ground, or where-ever, you won't look like a real dumbo, trying to set up a completely unfamiliar tent. And, the circus performance provided by your tries to set up the tent, with little success, will stay with everybody who sees your performance, long after the day! I can still remember, several couples, from Quebec, who slid a brand new blue shelter canopy out of the box it came in, and then spent 2 hours wrestling with it, while spurning all offers from campers who had put those types of canopies up, already. There are tricks to putting one up, and i offered to show them how, but all i got were nasty looks, and gruff answers. So, wife and i sat in our coach and watched! Got lots of laughs! Finally, they folded up the poles, tore the canopy into shreds, tossed the spikes into the garbage can, along with everything else, and left! But, not before the males of the party used the ladies room, along with some other ladies from the camp! Those images are still fresh! We went to my Nephews' wedding and reception, up near Erie, PA. A lot of his friends attended, and brought tents etc, so they wouldn't have to drive home with John Barleycorn! One couple slid a brand new tent out of the box, and attempted to set it up, but old John Barleycorn had other ideas. About the time the sun was darkening, my wife took pity on them and did the set-up for them.

Hey joanie. We have the Big Agnes insulated air mattresses. They are fantastic and very comfortable. They are the size of a qt bottle and are easy to blow up. They are very tough and as I said I have used mine almost every night in camping set ups for months and it has no leaks or problems. I will link below to the ones we have. I hadn't thought about the truck windows having screens to that would be great. A small fan would help to move the air. You would definitely need a canopy of some kind. We got one at Dick's Sporting Goods. It is easy to set up and very sturdy. Gives great protection if it is raining. We have even pulled it over so that it is 1/2 over our tent front and we can then get in and out without getting wet :) I haven't cooked on open fires for all meals. Just an occasional cookout. We have a 2 burner propane stove that I love. I can make pancakes and coffee and great dinners with it. We have a camp fire only for warmth and ambiance. We have a folding table and set everything up the minute we get to camp and then we are done for the time we are there. We have one cooler and restock often from the grocery. When I am on the road with my bike it is a whole different setup . I have a tiny campstove and we use a picnic table if there is one or the ground if there isn't :(. I have a one person tent that is very light. I still use my Big Anges though..it is never far from me ! If I can help with any other ideas let me know. I love to camp !! c Here is a link that might be useful: Big Agnes air mattress