The cheapest thing I can think of for you to use is woodchips. Every tree trimming service is the country is looking for a place to dump their chips where they won't have to pay to dump them. Contact them and tell them where you live and see if they will bring them next time they cut in your area. I got twenty loads one time that way. They won't work with you unless you make it easy for them. Give them a map to your location. (several of them) Put a big orange stake in the ground where you want the pile and tell them where it is so they can just come by and dump without worrying about finding you and all that stuff. They will do it if you make it easy for them. One day you will come home and there will be a big ol pile of chips for you! Let them compost or just start speading them around the yard and garden.

I bought our used tent trailer last June (2008) and we love it. We found it on craigslist, and for us it was a good experience. We wanted a camping trailer that would fit in our garage, so a big travel trailer was not an option. Here's what I learned: - A good used tent trailer is clean, free of mold, and the wood around the sink area is not swollen with water damage. No smoke/dog/food odors whatsoever. Very clean and in good working order. - Have a trailer repair/service shop check out your trailer before you buy - they'll be able to tell you if everything works as it should. Worth the money. They'll also be able to show you how everything works. - It takes a few camping trips before you really get the hang of it. I was nervous about the propane furnace, how the 3-way (gas-elec-battery) fridge worked, and the leveling of the unit. But now that I have it figured out, I'm good to go! - The guy we bought it from kept it in a large clean shop/garage, so it was dry all winter. No mice. I wouldn't buy one that's been kept outside. - No toilet/potty in ours. We only camp in parks with showers and restrooms. I did buy an outdoor shower, though, for use at the campsite for private quick cleanups. - Be careful about the weight - the trailers with the extra storage are typically bigger and weigh more, especially by the time you add the rest of your camping gear (chairs, bikes, rafts, food, etc.). - I wish our camper had a bike rack on top; it's a difficult trick carrying bikes on the racks that go between truck and trailer. - Bear Country: check with the park to see what they say about tents and tent trailers. Food lockers are common in those areas. We survived a severe lightning storm in our tent trailer last summer at Lost Lake in Oregon (and my teenage boys thought it was awesome). - We don't have a generator. Just a good battery. Extended camping trips of 3 days or more might benefit from having a generator, but you'll add weight with that. An extra battery might be easier. - Find a good rv forum like TrailerLife to get a lot of your questions answered. - We have two large propane tanks, and that is more than adequate. The water tank under the trailer holds something like 30 gallons, and you shouldn't fill it until you get to the campground (weight, see?). - There is a bluebook for RV's. Check before you buy. - Our brand is a 10-year-old Jayco, and it's very good. - I bought one of those cabela outdoor kitchens to use since I like space and convenience when I'm cooking. The indoor sink is just used for quick cleanups. - The gas hot water and furnace is awesome; I wouldn't go camping without it again (think cleaning pots/pans, warm water for showering, etc.). - My husband is not mechanically inclined, so it's up to me to make sure it's set up properly and running right, and I do just fine thankyouverymuch. - Getting it level at the sight is SOOO important. There's a lot to learn about using one, but once you figure it out, you're ready to go camping any time. My greatest helper was the trailerlife forum. Really found the experts there extremely knowledgeable and eager to help. Hope this helps. Good luck, and happy camping!! (I can send you pictures of the trailer and the setup if you'd like.)

You don't state the actual dimensions , but either utilizing a leather stitching sewing machine yourself or outsourcing to a tent repair facility you could easily justify repairs to a canvas material tent . The bonus with canvas is that it can easily be re-water proofed . I had a 12' x 16' tent refloored for about 80 bucks ten yrs ago since I had a quality sewing machine . To outsouce add another 80 to 100 bucks for a reputable repair facility . Personally I would repair the current canvas tent vs buying a new tent .

I would want a written report on what they found before I agreed to any kind of service. I would want to know what kind of termites they were, and whether they're still living or not. It may be (hopefully) that it is old damage from before the 2005 fumigation. I would also want to know which beam, and if he'd checked the others. Is this a structural beam? (I assume it is.) How far does the termite damage extend? Etc. If he's worth his salt, the inspector should be happy to answer these questions and show you specifically what he's talking about. I would first of all want to make sure I'm treating living termites, not just spraying old holes. I hope that helps. Good luck!