Vermin have been an annoyance since mans first camping trip. With the advent of the RV and sleeping off the ground it has become easier to distance yourself from these pesky critters, but they still seem to find a way to disrupt ones camping experience. Our most recent battle with local vermin was at Cape Disappointment State Park. While sitting around the campfire one evening a stealthy raccoon, or two, made it up onto our picnic table to help himself to some fixin‘s. Luckily one of our fellow campers saw the item disappear from the table and shooed off the pest. We thought that was the end of it. However, no more had we retaken our places around the campfire, when an entire daypack was pulled from the table. Realizing the little masked thieves were more persistent than Yogi Bear after a picnic basket, we resorted to lobbing chunks of firewood in their direction. While this kept them at bay, you could tell they were there by the firelight reflecting in their beady little eyes from the nearby bushes. I know they were just waiting for us to let our defenses down to resume the attack. Next time we will be prepared! Any rednecks out there willing to share your recipe for raccoon stew?
Camping with varmints, just another adventure in RVing!
Dave Helgeson’s many roles in the RV industry started before he even had a driver’s license. His grandparents and father owned an RV dealership before the term “RV” had been coined, and Dave played a pivotal role in nearly every position of an RV dealership. He and his wife Cheri launched their own RV dealership in the Pacific Northwest. The duo also spent 29 years overseeing regional RV shows. Dave has also served as President of a local chapter of the Recreational Vehicle Dealers Association (RVDA), worked on the board of advisors for the RV Technician Program of a local technical college, and served as a board member of the Manufactured Home and RV Association. Dave’s reputation earned him the title of “The foremost expert on boondocking,” bestowed by RV industry icon, the late Gary Bunzer (The RV Doctor). When he’s not out boondocking, you’ll find Dave in the spotlight at RV shows across the country, giving seminars about all things RVing. He and Cheri currently roam in their fifth travel trailer, with Dave doing all the service, repair and modifications to his own unit.
Leave a Reply