Hot, Hot, Hot, a sweltering visit 6/28 thru 7/6

[Travisma 1,317]

If I don't get started on this, I'll forget everything that happened.

We scheduled our visit to the Fort to coincide with our NY and NC relatives Bi-Annual visit to WDW.  We the crazy Floridians camped and the northerners stayed at the Tree House, then AK lodge.

My wife, granddaughter, and myself would be heading out from Tampa on Tuesday 6/28 to set up and get a couple of relaxing days in until 2 of my daughters and another granddaughter arrived on Thursday. Thursday night was the big meetup with the NY, NC, and some other Tampa relatives at the Poly for the Luau. We planned on playing it by ear trying to meet up before that since the northerners had plans for Discovery Cove and Universal.

Things had gone pretty well getting ready.  It takes a lot of prepping to live out of a PUP and a tent with 6 people for over a week.  Our staging area on the screen room grew steadily day by day and I grew more apprehensive that everything was going to fit in the PUP and the back of the pick up. With some rearranging, and eliminating items we hadn't used in a couple of previous trips, I was able to pare down items that went into our black tubs. Things were looking up! But, a slight bump in the road appeared on Sunday.  I was lifting a side of a twin bed while my granddaughter was sliding an item under it for storage, and I was on a bad angle.  As I lifted I felt something snap at the inside my left elbow.  Instant shooting pain, then weakness.  I almost dropped the bed but was able to hold on while my granddaughter finished up.

Now I had a weak, wimpy, painful arm a day before we needed to really get started on serious packing and loading. Took some ibroprophen and rested the remainder of the evening.

Monday afternoon I backed the truck into the driveway and started loading the truck bed with items that would survive overnight if it rained. After I got done I tossed a tarp over the load, and held it down with my BAL Leveler for extra protection.

Tuesday morning I made a run up to the end of the street to get ice for my coolers.  When I went to load the coolers something didn't seem right but I headed out.  It wasn't until I got to the end of the street and saw my tarp loosening that it dawned on me, the BAL Leveler was gone!  Someone took it out of the truck bed overnight.  They had to come into my driveway and look in the bed to actually see it. I don't know if it was someone that knew what it was (they had seen the PUP jacked up over the weekend), or that someone took it for scrap metal money.

There was no time to call the police and report it, and really no use since there was no serial number on the BAL or if there was I didn't have it. So I finished packing the truck hitched up the PUP, and off we went down the road looking like the Beverly Hillbillies with a cargo net stretched over everything. We even had the back seat stuffed and my granddaughter had to sit up front with us.

And this is a good place to stop since I can't access pictures at the moment.

[Littleolwoman.aka.Kristie 119]

First!!!

[Littleolwoman.aka.Kristie 119]

Dirty theif! I just don't understand that mindset. Back when we had a PUP was when I mastered my master packing skills. I found it quite the challenge to see if I could make it all fit. Packing for that many folks for a week would definitely challenge even the best packer however. 

[Tri-Circle-D 2,059]

I'm in.

Wow, you had a rough start for this trip.  Sorry about your arm, and I'm even sorrier about the theft.  I hate the feeling of having something stolen from you!

I'm very interested in hearing about your days at the Fort.  I know that the heat was brutal.  I was supposed to be there too, but the only reservation I could get was for a partial site with a 7/1 arrival date.  I wanted to be at WDW for the night of the 4th, which meant I'd have to stay 4 nights in a partial site.  Having just been exiled to the 2000 loop on Memorial Day weekend, and with "feels like" temperatures of over 100, I just wasn't feeling it this year.  If I could have shortened my reservation, to 2 or 3 nights, I would have done that, but you know how that goes.  So, I had to cancel, and I rebooked a two night stay at Port Orleans French Quarter, where I had a nice air conditioned room waiting for me and an uncrowded swimming pool, and paid about the same as what that four nights at the Fort would have cost.

TCD

[Travisma 1,317]

1 hour ago, Tri-Circle-D said:

I'm in.

Wow, you had a rough start for this trip.  Sorry about your arm, and I'm even sorrier about the theft.  I hate the feeling of having something stolen from you!

I'm very interested in hearing about your days at the Fort.  I know that the heat was brutal.  I was supposed to be there too, but the only reservation I could get was for a partial site with a 7/1 arrival date.  I wanted to be at WDW for the night of the 4th, which meant I'd have to stay 4 nights in a partial site.  Having just been exiled to the 2000 loop on Memorial Day weekend, and with "feels like" temperatures of over 100, I just wasn't feeling it this year.  If I could have shortened my reservation, to 2 or 3 nights, I would have done that, but you know how that goes.  So, I had to cancel, and I rebooked a two night stay at Port Orleans French Quarter, where I had a nice air conditioned room waiting for me and an uncrowded swimming pool, and paid about the same as what that four nights at the Fort would have cost.

TCD

We walked thru Port Orleans to get to the riverboat to Disney Springs.  Nice looking place, first time we've ever seen it.

[Beckers 1,136]

Bad arm, theft and heat yuck!!' Hope it gets better 

[Travisma 1,317]

13 hours ago, Beckers said:

Bad arm, theft and heat yuck!!' Hope it gets better 

 We didn't get to the salsa music and karaoke yet!

 

 

[twiceblessed....nacole 433]

Your title...haha, that's how we felt on our summer trip back in 2014.  We looked at ourselves and said "THIS" is why we don't come during the summer months!  :)

Sorry you hurt yourself ... and what's wrong with people!?!  

[Travisma 1,317]

41 minutes ago, twiceblessed....nacole said:

Your title...haha, that's how we felt on our summer trip back in 2014.  We looked at ourselves and said "THIS" is why we don't come during the summer months!  :)

Sorry you hurt yourself ... and what's wrong with people!?!  

We camped around the same time back in 2014 also, and it wasn't nearly as hot or humid.  This trip it barely cooled off at night.  The air was thick and still, very few breezes except when it stormed, then it didn't really cool off that much.

[Cortezcapt (Derek) 156]

I'm in.

Sorry about your arm and the theft.

We have done a few camping trips this summer the first being a state park in may after that we swore off any place that didn't have a pool.... We discussed a Fort trip towards the end of July but after last year's we decided to postpone till it gets a little nicer at least.

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk

[Travisma 1,317]

So time to get this report moving.  After getting loaded up Tuesday morning, I added these to the PUP before heading out.

As you can see this went on the rear.

 

Drivers side.

So off we went.  I don't want to demean professional truckers, but I don't think there are any on I-4. 

I take my time towing, keep it abound 58, makes me comfortable, gives me more stopping time, and keeps my mileage up around 21-22mpg.  I also try to stay in the far right lane, but just about every on ramp had trucks entering the roadway, and they did not attempt to merge properly.  They just came down the ramps full speed and if I didn't merge into the middle lane they would've hit us.  I thought entering traffic is supposed to adjust their speed to merge safely, not force the other driver to veer over.

We finally arrived at the Fort around 10:45.  What, no one at the checkins, all lanes wide open, and no CM with the big Mickey glove showing us where to go. We pull up give the CM our info, and she says, we will be in 1500 (good news), but our site isn't ready and she cant tell us what site we were assigned.  Huh? We finished registering, handed in some gift cards and linked my new credit card to my band. I had just received a new card on Saturday because my account had been compromised again.  Again we asked what site we were getting and again she said she "didn't" know.  She did tell us that the 3 sites we requested were occupied. She said we could park and they would text us when the site was ready.  We decided to take a drive to 1500 to see what sites were open.  We saw a couple we weren't thrilled with, then saw 1518.  Not what we requested but it would do.  So off to the registration building.  My wife went in to tell them we wanted 1518 and they said it was taken by someone that had already checked in.  Further discussion, it turns out it was us.

So back to 1518 we went. Hard site to get in especially with two cars and a golf cart in the driveway across from us.  No biggie, PUP only weighs about 900 pounds so I dropped it on the road and rolled it in by hand.

My wife and granddaughter started setting up the tent while I got the PUP positioned and opened up.

Here's the finished results

That was the kids craft/play tent, but my 11 year old granddaughter slept in there by herself Tuesday night.  We were amazed since she still doesn't like the dark all that much, but she toughed it out.  And that was my pride and joy hammock that tried to kill me the next to the last day!  First time I had a chance to lay down in it, two of the plastic retainers shattered dumping me onto the ground and sending plastic shards clear across the site. I kept it, I saw how I can mod it with some metal parts instead of the plastic pieces.

Someone stopped by to supervise our progress.

 

A nice surprise, the old barrel trash cans instead of the bear proof/kid proof ones that are in other loops.  When we were in 2000 last Halloween, they had the newer style and my granddaughters couldn't open it, plus they get real hot to the touch.

[Westcoastwild 2]

Wow, nice set up. Bummer about the hammock- I was going to say that I really liked it until I saw the bit about it trying to kill you.

Didn't realize that other loops had the bear proof ones- I was happy to see the barrel trash cans, and figured the fort had those because there's not serious wildlife around. 

Do pop ups have cooking space or are they pretty much glorified tents? How do you like having a pop up? I don't know anyone with a pop up- only rvs.

[Travisma 1,317]

2 hours ago, Westcoastwild said:

Wow, nice set up. Bummer about the hammock- I was going to say that I really liked it until I saw the bit about it trying to kill you.

Didn't realize that other loops had the bear proof ones- I was happy to see the barrel trash cans, and figured the fort had those because there's not serious wildlife around. 

Do pop ups have cooking space or are they pretty much glorified tents? How do you like having a pop up? I don't know anyone with a pop up- only rvs.

Most PUPs have cooking and sink space.  Ours is an old 8 foot Coleman, and I just removed the countertop that held them and replaced it with a piece of plywood.  The gas lines would've needed to be replaced, and I don't trust those old water lines, plus the sink,was tiny.  The flat counter was much more usable.  Bigger campers have larger sinks and cook tops.  There are a lot of debates about keeping the sink, stove when doing remodeling.

Yeah, ours is pretty much a roomier glorified tent with storage space and more comfortable beds!

[BigTom 76]

1 hour ago, Travisma said:

Most PUPs have cooking and sink space.  Ours is an old 8 foot Coleman, and I just removed the countertop that held them and replaced it with a piece of plywood.  The gas lines would've needed to be replaced, and I don't trust those old water lines, plus the sink,was tiny.  The flat counter was much more usable.  Bigger campers have larger sinks and cook tops.  There are a lot of debates about keeping the sink, stove when doing remodeling.

Yeah, ours is pretty much a roomier glorified tent with storage space and more comfortable beds!

I also have an older 8' pop up, a 1989 Jayco, have removed very small sink and inside stove for more counter space, (sink leaked around drain and was useless, did not want to heat up inside of camper and we like eating outside at campground besides food is always better cooked and eaten out of doors) we take a small microwave if we oneed to heat anything inside and use the top as counter space so it doesn't take much room. Is much more comfortable than a tent and easier to set up. Cost was very cheap and easy to tow,     i like my pop up. 

[Travisma 1,317]

22 minutes ago, BigTom said:

I also have an older 8' pop up, a 1989 Jayco, have removed very small sink and inside stove for more counter space, (sink leaked around drain and was useless, did not want to heat up inside of camper and we like eating outside at campground besides food is always better cooked and eaten out of doors) we take a small microwave if we oneed to heat anything inside and use the top as counter space so it doesn't take much room. Is much more comfortable than a tent and easier to set up. Cost was very cheap and easy to tow,     i like my pop up. 

Sounds like ours.  I know they were a selling point when new, but when the sink and stove are that old (ours is an 86 Coleman) they are way more trouble than they are worth.  Since this was a week + trip, we brought our icemaker with us and it sat on the counter.  One night we set up a crock pot on the counter cooking our breakfast.

We cook outside, but didn't want to leave a crock pot outside overnight with TCDs overfed tree rats lurking nearby. Not even sure if I would leave one out during the day since they were so bold.

[BigTom 76]

1 hour ago, Travisma said:

Sounds like ours.  I know they were a selling point when new, but when the sink and stove are that old (ours is an 86 Coleman) they are way more trouble than they are worth.  Since this was a week + trip, we brought our icemaker with us and it sat on the counter.  One night we set up a crock pot on the counter cooking our breakfast.

We cook outside, but didn't want to leave a crock pot outside overnight with TCDs overfed tree rats lurking nearby. Not even sure if I would leave one out during the day since they were so bold.

You have to watch those tree rats, I have a chair with a pocket on one side the the tree rats chewed up trying to get to a peanut inside a bag in the pocket with me sitting in the chair, they are real sneaky and quite.

[Travisma 1,317]

9 minutes ago, BigTom said:

You have to watch those tree rats, I have a chair with a pocket on one side the the tree rats chewed up trying to get to a peanut inside a bag in the pocket with me sitting in the chair, they are real sneaky and quite.

Years ago, at a county park we had to leave to pick up the older kids from school.  We had left some food in a play pen (remember those big square mesh covered sides, prisons for kids) and put a tarp over it.  By the time we got back the tree rats had a field day eating thru the mesh and scattering snacks all around the camp site.  Needless to say, the playpen got left at the dumpster.

[Seals 111]

10 hours ago, Travisma said:

I also try to stay in the far right lane, but just about every on ramp had trucks entering the roadway, and they did not attempt to merge properly.  They just came down the ramps full speed and if I didn't merge into the middle lane they would've hit us.  I thought entering traffic is supposed to adjust their speed to merge safely, not force the other driver to veer over.

Too many people, not just truck drivers, ignore the rules of merging onto a highway. It's very scary. And I guess relates to the "me" world we live in. 

Nice campsite set up. And funny how you couldn't get the campsite because they were saving it for you.

[Tri-Circle-D 2,059]

I'm glad that you posted some photos!

I've enjoyed 1518 on a couple of trips- great site. 

I didn't realize you don't have AC in your camper.  You are a brave (or crazy?) man.

TCD

[Travisma 1,317]

38 minutes ago, Tri-Circle-D said:

I'm glad that you posted some photos!

I've enjoyed 1518 on a couple of trips- great site. 

I didn't realize you don't have AC in your camper.  You are a brave (or crazy?) man.

TCD

We are a hardy/crazy bunch.  No A/C in the PUP or the tent.  In the past it usually cooled down enough at night where it actually got chilly, even our trip 2 years ago over the 4th at the Fort.

But this year the heat just hung around.  I doubt it dropped below 80 even at night, and there was no air movement.

 

It was a good site, my granddaughters liked playing in the woods behind and around the site, but it got sunny there around 10:00 to 10:30, and stayed sunny until about 6:00.  Great for drying out after a rainy day, but hot sitting/cooking outside.  1517 across the street seemed to stay shadier longer.

 

[Travisma 1,317]

53 minutes ago, Seals said:

Too many people, not just truck drivers, ignore the rules of merging onto a highway. It's very scary. And I guess relates to the "me" world we live in. 

Nice campsite set up. And funny how you couldn't get the campsite because they were saving it for you.

It was odd that they just didn't tell us at check in what site we were assigned and that they were prepping it.  And 2 of the 3 sites we requested left the day after we arrived.  But I scoped out a couple of other sites I would like to try for during the hot summer days.

[Travisma 1,317]

Tuesday we decided to take it easy, go swimming and just hang out around the site.  Our passes were blacked out, so no park visits for us.  After swimming we headed over to the campfire to roast hotdogs and marshmallows, enjoy the sing along and movie.

Wednesday we headed out to Aquatica for some more swimming.  On the way out we saw activity over near the meadow pool. They were setting up temporary fencing.  Was it possible they were going to block off pool access for the 4th?

On the way back we swung by Wally World to pick up a 30 amp to 20 amp pig tail and a 20 oz. Feti cup for my granddaughter. The pigtail would allow me to keep breakers from popping.

Back at the Fort we headed over to the pool after lunch. When we got there, we found out what the fencing was for.

They were doing upgrades around the playground.  They told my wife they had to add 9 inches of mulch for some safety standard. First they framed it out, then added mulch.  Whats odd is they stopped work on Friday, so it was going to be closed over the holiday weekend. Well Sunday someone cut the tie wraps holding the fence together and kids were in there playing.  Monday it was closed off again, and officially opened Tuesday.

So back to Wednesday night.  We went to the fire to roast marshmallows again, then headed down to the beach for EWP and fireworks, but first a stop at the Settlement playground.  My granddaughter was wearing light up shoes, they are a little hard to see in the pictures.

I hear music, time to head to the beach!

We've been coming to the Fort since 77, and this never gets old.

Wishes!

Tomorrow is the day 2 daughters and a granddaughter arrive, then later in the day is the big Luau get together with the northern relatives.

[swimmarz 72]

On 7/18/2016 at 3:04 AM, Westcoastwild said:

Do pop ups have cooking space or are they pretty much glorified tents? How do you like having a pop up? I don't know anyone with a pop up- only rvs.

It all depends on the size, age, and ownership of the unit- as others said the smaller units people tend to remodel them and remove the cooking/ sink in favor of storage

I have a 12 ft box, king and queen beds, slide out dinette sink, stove, shower and toilet in mine, I also have heat and AC
I like my pup as I get good gas mileage towing, it fits in my garage when not in use.

We use ours about 6 times a year, if we camped more t'd look at a Travel trailer, but 1 week, and 5 weekend trips are fine in mine

[twiceblessed....nacole 433]

Wow...no a/c in the PUP and camping at The Fort in the summer.  Impressive!

I thought the hammock looked cute, but we don't need anything else to hurt us

The decals look cute!

 

[Travisma 1,317]

43 minutes ago, twiceblessed....nacole said:

Wow...no a/c in the PUP and camping at The Fort in the summer.  Impressive!

I thought the hammock looked cute, but we don't need anything else to hurt us

The decals look cute!

 

No A/C isn't that bad, especially if you stay busy doing other things

I'm really disappointed with the hammock.  Only used it a handful of times.  We keep it in a large shed, maybe the heat ruined the plastic anchor points.  I think I can make some metal replacements for them.

My wife made those, and other things I haven't posted yet...