We decided to vacation with our 3 dogs in the Hiker Trailer. Nothing too extreme or far flung. We camped 2 nights on Lake Cumberland (Kentucky), then south to Lake Notterly (Georgia) for 3 nights, where our daughter met us, then back north to Dale Hollow Lake in Tennessee for 2 nights. The weather was cool and stormy, then steamy hot. The dogs were amazingly cooperative, even riding all together in the crew cab when heat was extreme under the camper shell. We were on many twisting, narrow, often steep roads in the mountains. The 5.3L V8 had no problems on the grades. I estimate the loaded HT was just under 2,000 lbs.
With water at extremely low levels, our “lakefront” campsites were not so much. SE Tennessee does have some nice (heavily-commercialized) rivers but they are also way low, only reservoirs attracting paddlers now. The biggest limitation to paddling these TVA lakes is motorized craft. Speed boats, John boats and jet skis seem oblivious to everything except their own adrenal rush.
Trip was fun in a non-typical “outdoors” way. Got to see my youngest who has had some tough breaks recently, met her new roommate, and got the wife oriented with the HT rig. Hopefully, we’ll do a pacific NW trip next year, hitting some high points on the way. This setup is perfect for primitive camping away from the unclean masses, which is where I wanna be, mostly.
With water at extremely low levels, our “lakefront” campsites were not so much. SE Tennessee does have some nice (heavily-commercialized) rivers but they are also way low, only reservoirs attracting paddlers now. The biggest limitation to paddling these TVA lakes is motorized craft. Speed boats, John boats and jet skis seem oblivious to everything except their own adrenal rush.
Trip was fun in a non-typical “outdoors” way. Got to see my youngest who has had some tough breaks recently, met her new roommate, and got the wife oriented with the HT rig. Hopefully, we’ll do a pacific NW trip next year, hitting some high points on the way. This setup is perfect for primitive camping away from the unclean masses, which is where I wanna be, mostly.
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