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03-14-2013, 09:03 PM
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#1
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Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: Germantown, TN
Posts: 4,923
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Dumpster Diving - Camping Style
Ok --- I am not a dumpster diver by any means...but last night about 9:30 I decided to empty my blue tank and pulled up to the dump station....as I go by the trash dumpster I notice something big and shiny that makes me curious....While the tank was draining I go over and look and there is a nice Portable Ice Maker on the ground next to the dumpster and the box sitting on top of the trash heap.
Well I am pretty handy so I think..well I have nothing to do tomorrow so I should tinker with this for fun.....well as it turns out it was pretty new but the previous owner got a lot of dirt in it...there is a filter in it that was clogged and keeping it from working....a few minutes of cleaning it and..... poof -- ice is a coming.....
I got home tonight and cleaned it really good with detergent and then a little bleach....it is basically brand new.....and fills up with ice quick.....
So I am pretty excited about my find....
So....what "treasures" have you found camping that others have just left behind?
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03-14-2013, 09:05 PM
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#2
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Site Team
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: Virginia`s Eastern Shore
Posts: 17,093
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Like Charlie Brown, "I got a rock".
__________________
2017 Coachmen Catalina 283RKS
2018 Ford F250 Super Duty 6.2l CCSB
2010 Jayflight 28BHS (sold)
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03-15-2013, 04:11 AM
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#3
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: Iowa
Posts: 406
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Isn't it amazing the stuff people will just toss out because they don't want to take time to fix it.
__________________
2013 Starcraft Travel Star 229TB
2011 Jayco X17Z(traded in)
2010 Jayco Jay Series 1207(traded for the 17Z)
2011 Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD Z71 CC 6.0L/3.73
ITBC
Reese "Pro Series" 800lb Trunnion WDH w/sway control
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03-15-2013, 04:34 AM
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#4
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Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: southern ontario
Posts: 498
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Not a camping find but camping related. A few weeks after buying our trailer I was driving about a half mile from our home when right in from of me was a ten foot slinky. I had to go around to avoid it but stopped to pick it up and check it out. It was like brand new so it must fell out of a camper. Its funny because i was going to buy a ten footer since i only had a five footer.
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emptynesters
2012 Jayfeather 228
2012 F150 FX2 ecoscrew reg. tow pkg.
equalizer 1000# hitch
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03-15-2013, 05:10 AM
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#5
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Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: near Englewood, FL (South of Venice)
Posts: 1,243
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... one person's trash is another person's treasure. Last season we found a wheel chock somebody drove away and left sitting on the pad. It was the big rubber triangle type with a pulling "eye" ... would hold our Z on a 10% grade.
Quote:
Isn't it amazing the stuff people will just toss out because they don't want to take time to fix it.
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... or don't know how. It is amazing.
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03-15-2013, 05:26 AM
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#6
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Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: Myrtle Beach, SC
Posts: 1,261
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nice find Terry!
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03-15-2013, 05:34 AM
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#7
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Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: near Englewood, FL (South of Venice)
Posts: 1,243
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Terry, when we meet at a CG, how much are you going to charge me for a 10 Lb bag? (Don't try and gouge me cause I know what you paid for the ice maker.)
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03-15-2013, 06:35 AM
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#8
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2012
Location: Sackville, Nova Scotia, Canada
Posts: 122
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great find
__________________
2007 Ford F150 5.4 lt.
2013 29 RLDS
L
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03-15-2013, 07:20 AM
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#9
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Site Team
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: Fayette Ridges of PA, USA
Posts: 5,252
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A previous occupant in my campsite left a lantern holder still wrapped around a tree.
At a rally, one of the attendees in the campsite next to me left their tongue block behind. I took it home and it lived in my garage until I could return it to them at another rally two years later.
__________________
MODERATOR
TV: 2009 GMC Sierra 2500HD | Crew Cab | Std. Box | 4WD | Duramax/Allison
RV: 2000 Jayco Eagle 266 | FBS | TT
PREVIOUS: 1986 Coleman Laramie pop-up -- Still in the family!!!
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03-15-2013, 07:23 AM
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#10
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Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: SE, MI
Posts: 3,517
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One site had a ratcheting cargo strap between two trees. Was new and never knew who was the original owner. Works great on my cargo bed.
__________________
2008 Jayco 322FKS, Hemi, Hensley, Oreo the Malshi, DW and I
Tracking campgrounds with Ultimate Campground Log
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03-15-2013, 09:06 AM
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#11
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: Saskatoon Sask Canada
Posts: 10,726
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[QUOTE=Terry;122087]Ok --- I am not a dumpster diver by any means..
Terry you say that like it is a bad thing....LOL
I just "scored"2 automatic satellite internet dishes.. all I had to do for them was help the owners get them off the roof of their RV's. I am not sure if I will go back to Sat Internet but I am sure I can modify them to receive TV
__________________
Seann
2004 Chev Silverado Duramax optioned past the max. 2009 Jayco Eagle 308 RLS 900watts of solar, Lithium batteries (400amp hour), 2000 watt (4000 surge) whole house inverter.
145days /2023 2022/151 2021[/COLOR]
93/2020,157/2019219/2018 206/2017,215/2016, 211/2015, 196/14, 247/13, 193/12
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03-17-2013, 05:35 AM
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#12
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: Kalamazoo, West Michigan
Posts: 1,817
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I'm a hardcore DD and proud of it! Got a Black & Decker workmate and an adjustable mobile base for a table saw along the road, a really nice pre-lit artificial Christmas tree that we use every year. While camping/hunting I found a stainless steel backpackers cook set and a folding pocket saw, heavy duty hot dog forks, a wasp trap and much, much more.
__________________
2006 23B Hybrid with 10k round bar WDH
2011 F150 4x4 SCREW Ecoboost, Max Tow, Integrated TBC, 3.73 LS axle, Firestone Ride Rite airbags.
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03-17-2013, 07:17 AM
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#13
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Moderator Emeritus
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: Cape Coral, Florida
Posts: 4,796
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I guess I am a Dumpster Diver too.
Neighbor across the street moved and left a vacuum cleaner at the curb. He said it was broke.
My daughter needed one so I though I would take a look at it.
Cleaned up the roller, cleaned and oiled the brush bearings, new belt and she worked like new.
Eureka Upright with attachments = $1.50!
Dumpster Diver Doug :-)
__________________
Cape Coral, Florida
2021 Toyota Tundra SR5, 5.7 V8
2022 Jayco 240RBS
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03-17-2013, 08:19 AM
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#14
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Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2012
Location: Louisiana (southeastern)
Posts: 468
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I like to DD.
Not camping related.
A couple years back, I found a Double Jack Screw Clamp in a dumpster. It's an adjustable clamp used to hold pipe in the correct position during welding. They list new for $1200 to $1800.
It was in the original box; and looked as if it was only used a few times. I listed it on EBay with NO RESERVE; and a guy from Australia bought it for $450 + shipping.
photo from the net
Last Sept., I pick up a Draw-Tite Class IV receiver hitch which was leaning next to a dumpster. Below is the actual hitch. I lightly sanded it and applied a couple coats of black paint. Problem is, I don't know what vehicle it fits on.
actual photo
In another DD, I found a Ranch Hand grill guard. This brand has a model number stamped on the bottom of the lower support.
A search revealed it fit a '99 - '05 GM truck. I gave it to a friend of mine, who happened to have a '03 Chevy 4X4.
photo from the net
__________________
Chipper
2006 Chevy Silverado 2500HD Duramax LBZ, CC, 4X4
2005 Jayco Talon ZX24-E Toy Hauler(SOLD).
2017 Forest River Hyper Lite XLR
Prodigy P2 Brake Control
12K Husky Straight Line WD Hitch
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03-17-2013, 08:52 AM
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#15
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2012
Location: Greenville SC
Posts: 843
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Geez the best thing I ever found was a splitter someone left on the water connection at a campsite. Guess I better start paying more attention!
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03-17-2013, 11:28 AM
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#16
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Senior Member
Join Date: May 2012
Location: Minnesota
Posts: 9,778
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Great find; I bet they left it out in the rain a few times and the dirt splashed up on to it.
I’m a proud DD. Over the years I have found lots of great stuff. While camping, I cannot think of anything special I have found. Sounds crazy but I usually just find firewood. In many parts of the state it is illegal to transport non heat treated wood. Last fall shortly after our CG neighbor left (MH) we found a portable power box, not sure what else to call it. It was a rechargeable battery in a plastic box, with a 12V outlet and a 120V inverter (no jumper cables). The DW wanted me to grab it, but I decided to leave it. My gut feeling was a tenter plugged it in right after the MH left, as I did not foresee any reason for MH to plug something like that into the electrical post to recharge.
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03-17-2013, 03:44 PM
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#17
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Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Manitoba Canada
Posts: 553
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We always walk around and pick up fire wood that has been left behind..
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03-17-2013, 06:45 PM
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#18
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Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: West Michigan
Posts: 631
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About 15 years ago my wife and I were tent camping at a campground and notice the people next to use packed up their gear and left without taking their trailer. I hooked it up and pulled it on home. Later that evening after getting bailed out of jail we found out the people had a seasonal.
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03-17-2013, 07:09 PM
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#19
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: Iowa
Posts: 406
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__________________
2013 Starcraft Travel Star 229TB
2011 Jayco X17Z(traded in)
2010 Jayco Jay Series 1207(traded for the 17Z)
2011 Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD Z71 CC 6.0L/3.73
ITBC
Reese "Pro Series" 800lb Trunnion WDH w/sway control
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03-17-2013, 08:23 PM
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#20
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Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: Central PA
Posts: 1,236
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3 DD stories from me.
#1 Memorial day weekend Friday night. I took the PU to the campground and camped Thursday night. Left in the morning to go to work. Picked up KFC and the boys after work and we went to the campground. The boys took the KFC scraps to the dumpster after dinner. They came back and told me there was a cassette for a cassette toilet in the dumpster. I thought right. Saturday night I took the trash to the dumpster and sure enough there was a cassette in the dumpster. All that was missing was the cap for the dump hole. I cleaned it up, replaced the seals and put a new cap on it. Worked great and gave me the option of changing the cassette and dumping when it was convenient.
2. Blackwoods campground in Acadia NP. There was a 3 foot threaded rod with the ends bent 90 degrees that had been used as a fire poker. It is the best fire poker I have ever used. If anyone has camped with me they know who "Mr. Poke" is. We camped 13 nights on the site. When leaving one of the boys became upset because I packed Mr. Poke to take it home. They told me I should leave it in case the owners came back for it. I told him that the owner did not come back in 14 days I didn't think they would. Then we stopped at the campground office to see if anyone was looking for it. After the ranger told us it was ok to take Mr. Poke home, I was allowed to do so in peace.
3 Labor day weekend I had to take the boys back to town on Saturday morning to register them for their bowling league. We had the breakfast trash in a bag for the dumpster and a bad of dirty clothes to drop off at our house. One of the boys threw the trash in the dumpster. We went to the bowling alley, stopped by the house to drop off the dirty clothes and guess what. We had a bag of trash with us. I had to go dumpster diving back at the campground to get our dirty clothes back. Not a fun time.
__________________
No I am NOT retired. I work full time.:D
Tracy from Central PA
2010 Jayco 17Z Ex-Port
2004 Ford Explorer V8 with the tow package
2010 Camping Stats
Nights Camping 132 - Nights Camping in My Z 102
2011 Camping Stats
Nights Camping 107
2012 Camping Stats
Nights camping 133 - Nights camping in my Z 128
2013 Camping Stats
Nights Camping 66 Nights
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