GSMNP - Elkmont - R-pod Owners Forum

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Topic: GSMNP - Elkmont
Posted: 30 Oct 2010 at 7:05am

Does it get any better than the Smokys in the fall? Judging by the traffic, a whole lot of people must feel that it is pretty darned good. I think I might have qualified for "resident" status while on Hwy 441 in Sevierville/Pigeon Forge. Thank goodness for the Gatlinburg Bypass - or I'd likely still be there! Now I remember why I usually stay at Cosby or Look Rock.

I finally arrived at Elkmont campground, site B-17. I'd call it an OK+ site...probably a better tent site than a RV site - just because of how it is laid out. It was my first stay at Elkmont and I picked the site off of the map on the internet reservation form. (Note to self: remember to hold the camera level when taking pictures!)

It has a small stream running just a few feet outside the camper door but, the fire ring and picnic table are some distance back from the camper - near the tent pad. As you can see the smoke of the fire, I'm scorching some much needed food and settling in for the first night. Little did I know that mother nature was sending a bodacious storm my way, in the early (4am) morning! Also, little did I know that my portable AM/FM/Weather radio decided to break itself somewhere along the road. Luckily, my ham radio was set up and fully functional.

pmjensen

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Posted: 30 Oct 2010 at 12:01pm

Looks like a neat area. Were the trees still in color? When we lived outside of Atlanta we traveled up in the Cherokee Area of GSMNP

2011 R-176 Nuestro Pod
2014 Silverado

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Posted: 31 Oct 2010 at 7:36am

Originally posted by pmjensen

Looks like a neat area. Were the trees still in color? When we lived outside of Atlanta we traveled up in the Cherokee Area of GSMNP

You can get an idea of the lower elevations in the above pictures.

At high elevations, much was already gone, leaving only the evergreens.

At mid elevations and lower, much seemed to be yellows and browns. I don't know what their weather was like this year but, here in Indiana, it has been very dry and the trees have been less than inspiring.

Back to my story.....

Awakened at about 4am - wind roaring and driving rain. I need to get the weather radio out and find out what's going on. Dang, it's broke! Next thought - the ham radio will tune these frequencies. NOAA is in the 162.400 - .500 range. I find it at 162.475 mhz. The familiar computer generated "voice" comes in: "This is NOAA radio station KEC74. A tornado watch is in effect for your area. Strong winds, gusting to 50-60mph with heavy rainfall and possible hail. Damage to trees and unsecured objects is likely. If you're not scared yet...you WILL be...he heh!"

I hear the sounds of the awning trying to remove itself from the side of the camper and take flight. I must get it down! In the following moments, I think I understood how the sailors of yore must have felt; with the howling winds, driving rain and fighting the sails. The Gordon Lightfoot song, "The Wreck of the Edmond Fitzgerald" came to mind...(taking liberty with the lyrics)

Does anyone know where the love of God goes

when the storm turns the minutes to hours?

Elkmont, it's said, never gives up her dead......

That nice little stream is getting bigger, too.

Though, not quite this bad.

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Posted: 31 Oct 2010 at 5:45pm

I survived the storm with the only damage being a bent whip on the ham radio antenna. I bent it back straight in just a few minutes. Kudos to the NPS for attending to the storm mess quickly. I had never seen snow plow trucks used to clear leaves and small limbs from the roadway. A couple of trees were across the road and they were quickly attended to with chain saws and front loaders. I did, however, see a better campsite and moved - as more rain and storms were predicted.

This is campsite L-15 and it is laid out more to my liking. It also had a small stream running behind the campsite, which was nice.

Across the road were mainly tent sites, but right on the river

Although it rained/stormed every day or night, I have to agree with the "masses" and give Elkmont high ratings. It is a beautiful place to camp, albeit busy because of it. Water fill and a dump station is located about 6 miles away across from the Sugarlands visitor center. There are some supplies at the campground store (open after 4pm) such as; wood, ice, milk, hot dogs, vending, etc.

I did see one interesting "camper" but have to admit...I don't "get it".

I think it was called "Adventure Trailer" and a lot of people were curious about it. While different, it seems like a lot of extra work/expense for a two man pup tent that required a ladder to get in to. But, to each his own.

mountain mist View Drop Down

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Posted: 05 Nov 2010 at 10:01am

I was looking into the Elkmont weather at this point, mainly night, when I came across this!

Have been gone to Texas (and NO color change in the Hill Country), so missed this year color.

Have camped (in tent) and had a ranger help me move it the back of his pick up truck to higher ground. Rule is that when hard rains are coming, be on higher ground, even it everyone is fighting for waterside! Living here in G'burg, I don't even bother to do that fight, let someone that does not have this beauty all the time have the pleasure of it. I take a site up on A-18 mostly and walk the dog, she loves to dip in the river. I will have to check and see where L-15 is, did not remember L's. But mostly camp on side of river as you enter campground and not cross over bridge. Right now I think "over the bridge side" is closed. Hope to get out and get some R&R time while it is still open this month.

Your pictures were Great. We are due for drying out by Sunday (might be snow there tonight on)

have camped in the snow, but with a large coach. I think the POD would be snug and want to find enough days together to try "camping without unhooking", a dry run for traveling and not unhooking every stop. I like to be near a bathroom, don't use any of the water since I have Winterized Escape Pod. The place is splendid when it is not over run, mostly November

Did my Winterizing yesterday, had the dangest time finding the water pump, was in and out contacting this forum, finally found it by sound (under the mattress on my 2011 171). Took more than 10 minutes for me, but now know where to locate, will be some faster. Getting under that mattress is a 2 person job. But feel better having protected the investment. Crazy people with some sense of humor while building Pods, just a guess where things might be. Guess it keeps them from getting bored.

I have a friend that may be looking for something a little bigger than the Pod since she has large dog, your camper may be about the size she has in mind, if she can find a used on in good shape.

She has a Suburban, will pull about anything.

Glad you enjoyed Elkmont, Cosby is less crowded, have camped there. On out to Cades Cove is really pretty and has the Cove to explore for nice. I like Elkmont because it is near enough to home that I can get a shower and keep appointments. I may try my own yard this Winter since it is on edge of National Park and REALLY close to a bathroom

Nice to walk in Elkmont in the Winter, they are gathering all the down trees (use to stack it , cut, for the April campers, but alas, now the concession people get it to cut up and SELL), but lots of fallen firewood for gleamers early in season. Interesting to see it cleaned up as the month progresses, by Summer there is hardly a stick free for fire starting

'11 Forest River r.pod 171
'10 Ford Edge
ESCAPE POD
Trudi and Austin mini-schnauzers
change here, Trudi has gone, Austin now has a small black schnauzer buddy, Bentley

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Posted: 05 Nov 2010 at 4:17pm

Site A-18...I know exactly where that is. I tried to move to B-20, which is on the other side of the road and down 2-3 sites, but it was already reserved. B-17 was about the lowest spot in the campground and I thought it wise to move to higher ground. If you do go to the "other side", site L-13 (next to the site I was in (L-15) looked very nice. It is on the end, which allows me to give Dixie a little more room. There are two restrooms, not far away.

Camping without unhooking is fine as long as the site is reasonably level. I do it anytime I am just "overnighting" somewhere. Just as a precaution, I do unhook the electrical cable from the tow vehicle.

Regarding my camper/your friend....it is a little easier to move around in the Coleman, vs. the Pod, with Dixie. It is a little wider (7 feet) and a little longer (less than one foot). It weighed 3018 lbs. with all of the options, so it is very close to the Pods in weight. Used ones may be hard to come by, as they just started making them about 11-12 months ago. Mine was made in January of 2010 and I bought it in March. She may want to also look at the "Surveyor" line, as there is one nearly identical to my camper.

mountain mist View Drop Down

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Posted: 05 Nov 2010 at 7:28pm

The thing about getting home from a trip (not a camping one) is that things start piling up that "need " to be done. Looks like our few nights of 20's we will be coming out with 75 degree days and Alas, appointments keep vieing for attention. Gonna have to put my foot down and go.

May have to set a date that I won't let anyone rope me in , already up to the 17th. I do want to try camping without unhooking. I had heard that unhooking the electrical cord from car (the 7 prong one) was best so as not to drain car. The site at A-18, while not great, is pretty level. I may try for one across from the river in an open area that is really flat too. It has Sun exposure, good for this time of year.

Did not know the Colman was a new trailer. I think she would like one kind of like it, will keep your suggestion on hand, by the looks of it might be about the right size, whatever the brand.

'11 Forest River r.pod 171
'10 Ford Edge
ESCAPE POD
Trudi and Austin mini-schnauzers
change here, Trudi has gone, Austin now has a small black schnauzer buddy, Bentley

BIG BEAR

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Posted: 05 Nov 2010 at 8:00pm

looks like a neat place i would have had my fly rod in my hand. thanks for sharing the pics

LIFE DOESNT WAIT. ENJOY IT. THE ALIEN CRAFT 2011 SURVEYOR SPORT TOYOTA FJ CRUISER

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Posted: 06 Nov 2010 at 6:24pm

Originally posted by mountain mist

Did not know the Colman was a new trailer. I think she would like one kind of like it, will keep your suggestion on hand, by the looks of it might be about the right size, whatever the brand.

This is the Surveyor like mine, SP-186:

http://www.forestriverinc.com/nd/printviewertt.asp?page=surv&model=SP-186&series=SurveyorSport&modelid=3204

The only difference is the kitchen sink and stove are flipped and the shower and vanity are flipped. The weight shown would probably come close to mine, once the air conditioner, microwave, etc. are added.

The Coleman saga.....up until the late 1980s - early 1990s? Coleman actually manufactured campers (mainly popups). They sold the operation, along with the "Coleman Camping Trailers" name to Fleetwood and got out of the trailer business. For a while, Fleetwood manufactured them as "Coleman" products. Sometime in the mid-later 1990s, they started naming them "Coleman by Fleetwood" (my 1999 Coleman Taos P-UP was a "Coleman by Fleetwood"). In recent years, they began calling them "Fleetwood", dropping the "Coleman" name. When the economy tanked around 2008, (I heard) they stopped making them, indefinately. (I don't know if they have resumed making them) Around that time, Thor Industries tried to buy the "Coleman" rights, but Fleetwood would not sell. Thor, with the cooperation of Coleman (and probably a few lawyers and a certain amount of money changing hands) decided to make "Coleman Travel Trailers". The name and product being different enough to not cause a lawsuit from Fleetwood (I guess). I bet the Coleman company got a few dollars out of the deal for the use of their name and "lantern logo".

So, my Coleman is a Thor product, manufactured in their Dutchmen division. They began making them in Nov. - Dec. of 2009, I believe. Last I heard, Camping World had an exclusive deal to sell (new) Coleman Travel Trailers. Camping World is a whole nuther story.

I don't know if you wanted to know all of this (above) but, I have one and have been pleased with it so far.

mountain mist View Drop Down

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Posted: 06 Nov 2010 at 8:51pm

Have been through the same saga with motorhomes, from Itasca to Safari. All get bought out, change hands many times. The number of 5th wheels on the road just amazes me, you buy one and is is made the next year???

I sort of fell into the Pod experience, husband had quit camping, sold the last coach. I went out and bought 3 man tent the next week, so was back to what we started in many years ago, better tent, a Coleman. He did get a little jumpy about me in a tent, so suggested something else, I looked at Teardrops, but wanted to stand up! Don't even remember how I got on to the Pod ifnormation, but was pretty much love at first sight and do not need more than that for myself and a small dog. Really cozy little thing. BIG PROBLEM was learning the ropes, never having pulled a thing, trading cars to have proper pulling, and learning to maintain all. I was the inside keeper on coaches

Doens't take much to care for the inside of this one since it is so small, but the outside is a new world for me. BUT if you want something badly enough you most likely can learn it. However slowly.

Thank you for additional information on Winter care, will try one more outing in Elkmont this month while it is open as long as it is not icy. Then put it to bed until Spring.

Is there any other way to wrap the tires if I can't spend the money for tire covers this year.

'11 Forest River r.pod 171
'10 Ford Edge
ESCAPE POD
Trudi and Austin mini-schnauzers
change here, Trudi has gone, Austin now has a small black schnauzer buddy, Bentley