RV friendly camp with a camp generator?

TristanX · Post by **TristanX** » Fri Dec 19, 2008 7:59 pm

Are there any RV friendly camps out there that also have a camp generator to hook into? In 2008 I stayed in a camp that had a camp generator but it was NOT RV friendly at all - even though they knew ahead of time we were coming. They didn't even plan for a spot for us .. we were in the car parking area. I was aghast.

Anyhow, I'm in the market for a new camp to join in future years. $$ to pitch in for the use of the generator is not a problem (so long as it's reasonable). Help with the camp is also not a problem.

Not a free-loader here.

Figured I would post something in the e-playa and see if I get any nibbles.

Thanks for reading.

Dustdevil · Post by **Dustdevil** » Sat Dec 20, 2008 12:31 am

Unless your campmates are (were) close friends it is not reasonable to expect them to hold a spot for you. If you are not there during the initial stages of building the camp, you are relagated to take what is available when you arrive. We know in advance who will be in our camp, what they will be driving and the approx day of their arrival. We are a closely knit group and we make certain that everyone has the space they need. It sounds like that was not the case with your camp.

As far as a genny goes, I will make the assumption that you are refering to a large unit that will supply the needs and demands of many people. This means there must also be a power distribution system. Generally only the Villages and larger camps will have such equipment. The rental cost of the genset and distro equipment can be very high. I powered two camps with a 70KW unit last year. Maybe 20 RV's and a bunch of tents and others that needed power. Also we were on the Esplanade so our frontal area was very well lit at night. The fuel burn was approx 30 gallons per day. The unit ran at 45% of capacity most of the time. When the costs are divided among many it is not too bad. Still, someone must be in charge of getting the gear up there, setting up the distro and if it is done properly, checking and rebalancing the load as more demand is placed on the system later in the week. (We distro with 220 3 phase and step down at the various terminals)

If you really wish to find a camp or Village that will take you in, I suggest you contact some of the larger Villages or camps. Many can be found on Eplaya. We expect everyone to contribute to the camp as well as whatever project our group is working on. It would be a good idea to post your skills and what resources you can bring to the camp. Don't be afraid to ask them questions as well. Some camps may wish to party all night while others are more peaceful. There is a place for everyone. Starting your search now is smart as this may take some time.

Good Luck in your search.

Simon of the Playa · Post by **Simon of the Playa** » Sat Dec 20, 2008 6:04 am

or you could bring a fucking tent and use batteries.

pinemom · Post by **pinemom** » Sat Dec 20, 2008 7:22 am

TristanX wrote:Are there any RV friendly camps out there that also have a camp generator to hook into? In 2008 I stayed in a camp that had a camp generator but it was NOT RV friendly at all - even though they knew ahead of time we were coming. They didn't even plan for a spot for us .. we were in the car parking area. I was aghast.

This sounds like you didnt participate in the planning of the camp layout?

Anyhow, I'm in the market for a new camp to join in future years.
This isnt Walmart or Toyota your searching for.

$$ to pitch in for the use of the generator is not a problem (so long as it's reasonable).
Maybe its the way "its not a problem" thats kinda sticks sideways in my throat?

Help with the camp is also not a problem.
Again with the use of the word "PROBLEM" ??? that one really doesnt sit right, and used a second time, makes me wonder why?
Not a free-loader here.

No one said you were, but your defending yourself....why?

Figured I would post something in the e-playa and see if I get any nibbles.

Thanks for reading.

Ok...read read and re-read what you wrote.

This is the best possible solution to your issue.
Go to a store and buy a generator. Then go buy 2-5, 5 gallon gas jugs, that you will need for your gas.
There! your free to camp wherever a theme camp isnt!

Captain Goddammit · Post by **Captain Goddammit** » Sat Dec 20, 2008 7:45 am

This really is the obvious answer, especially when it isn't a problem to pay for your share of the cost for electricity out there... do what almost everyone else does, what Pinemom says (DO what your mom says goddammit!).
Get your own. It's the ONLY way to be sure you're taken care of.
Several years I have been in Esplanade camps that had access to BM's generators, and still always brought my own just in case.

I know you were just asking if there was a camp with a central common genny... I'm just sayin', it isn't wise to depend on things like that at BM even if you're "on the list".

And get a quiet one!

TristanX · Post by **TristanX** » Sat Dec 20, 2008 7:51 am

Pinemom ... F' you

I didn't want to get into a big thing about my previous camp .. but since you attacked me... YES I did participate in the camp preparations. That is what made it so shocking that they didn't even bother to consider that there were TWO RV's in the camp. Mine was not the only one that was shunted into the parking lot.

I arrived immediately after the gates opened... days before other camp mates. There should have been a spot for the two RV's but there wasn't.

Sorry, but it's not brain surgury to figure out how big of a camp you need based on how many people are coming. And no, this was not my first year at BM. I know how to prepare for it. No idea what was in the camp leaders minds (I've asked but got zero answers) - but it made for an unhappy situation.

OK fine, some camps (or people) are not RV friendly. But my camp leaders knew there were two RVs coming.. and they should have prepared for it. If they didn't want RVs in the camp, they had plenty of opportunity to say so beforehand.

Yes we helped out. We brought the 95% of the food, liquor, etc because we had two large cars (ie RVs) --- rather than 20 different people schelping a small amount each to the playa.

Also, what is your problem with someone expressing that I am willing to make financial contributions to a camp generator. I've seen plenty of people who just show up to Burning Man and expect to freeload off the generosity of others. That's fine - but only to a point. Someone has to be on the other end of the stick providing the food, liquor, etc. Those huge camps don't magically appear. It takes lots of $$$$, hopefully spread out among lots of people.

The camp had very high dues in comparison to other camps. Add to that the prep work beforehand and yes I was totally pissed that I could not camp WITH MY CAMPMATES. Burning Man is not just about showing up and seeing all that is around. There is something to be said for camping WITH YOUR CAMP.

This post is not supposed to be a rant about last year's camp, but hopefully finding a new camp/village.

TristanX · Post by **TristanX** » Sat Dec 20, 2008 7:54 am

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pinemom · Post by **pinemom** » Sat Dec 20, 2008 7:54 am

First and foremost Guideline at Burningman....
"RADICAL SELF RELIANCE"

Im not snapping at you, nor being snarky as it may seem....
I run a Theme camp...within a Village.
We have had a rv in camp.but they bring there own power, theyre in the planning stages months and months before the event. We have a map of camp layout. We always make sure there is room for ALL of our members, no matter when they arrive.
Its all in the planning.
We plan our village all year long...well at least 345+- days of planning.

Which when we all get onto the playa, all of that planning, turns into guidelines...to be flexible and the only expectations is to expect the unexpected and be prepared for it!

TristanX · Post by **TristanX** » Sat Dec 20, 2008 8:01 am

Captain Goddammit wrote:This really is the obvious answer, especially when it isn't a problem to pay for your share of the cost for electricity out there... do what almost everyone else does, what Pinemom says (DO what your mom says goddammit!).
Get your own. It's the ONLY way to be sure you're taken care of.
Several years I have been in Esplanade camps that had access to BM's generators, and still always brought my own just in case.

I know you were just asking if there was a camp with a central common genny... I'm just sayin', it isn't wise to depend on things like that at BM even if you're "on the list".

And get a quiet one!

Yes easy to do if coming from the west coast.. but coming from the east coast here. Just getting to BM is expensive... never mind the cost of supplies, etc. I hope now you can see my perspective on asking to chip into a camp where a collective of people pitch in to have food, electricity, etc. Thanks

pinemom · Post by **pinemom** » Sat Dec 20, 2008 8:13 am

Wow...again with the ATTITUDE!

There was no need for that!
I was simply trying to help you with your situation!

I was trying to help you find your way to an enjoyable burn.

And...here's a hint...I AM a VILLAGE IDIOT!
and your opening post was not someone I would recruit.

Its tooo........ how do they say?

"ME, me me all about me"

There...now that was a SNARK ...learn the difference if'n your gonna hang out here!

TristanX · Post by **TristanX** » Sat Dec 20, 2008 8:13 am

pinemom wrote:First and foremost Guideline at Burningman....
"RADICAL SELF RELIANCE"

Thanks for the clarification, I hope you can see that I felt attacked by your post.

While I agree with "RADICAL SELF RELIANCE", but, sorry man, when you are part of a group of people... paying several hundred dollars of money into a collective pot in order to survive in the desert for a week, it's only common sense that if I put some $ into the pot, then I can draw from the well.

I got the distinct feeling that my camp only wanted the $$, our resources (ie the RVs to bring food, drink, etc) and that once we got on playa they wanted nothing to do with us.

And before anyone asks, if we tried to blend in, the answer is yes. We cooked dinner, cleaned up, and helped prepare the camp ahead of time.

In fact, this wasn't my first outing with this camp. In previous years I had been in a tent. This was the first year the camp (in my recollection) had an RV - never mind two of them. Again, I feel the organizers of the camp were RV biased (ie, you aren't really doing BM if you aren't in a tent, dirty all week, etc).

Again, this post was not to rant on my previous camp, but to try to find a camp that would be more welcoming.

We are coming from the east coast. Just getting to BM is a huge endeavor. We can't just pack up our stuff in a pickup truck like the people on the west coast and drive a few hours to the event. I wish I could pack my own generator, fuel, etc and just "show up". That would make things so much easier.

Captain Goddammit · Post by **Captain Goddammit** » Sat Dec 20, 2008 8:14 am

You have an RV... so it's still very unclear why you can't carry a genny like almost every other??
You can pack the same stuff into the same vehicles as we do from 800 miles away, you just have further to travel.

And that's all the more reason not to want to come all that way and not have power if things don't work out like they were supposed to... which happens often!

A Honda EU2000 only weighs 50 pounds. Shit, I carry three.

TristanX · Post by **TristanX** » Sat Dec 20, 2008 8:17 am

pinemom wrote: your opening post was not someone I would recruit.

Your loss, as I am a hard worker, do what I promise to do and can financially contribute to the collective pot. Sounds like someone anyone would want in a camp.

TristanX · Post by **TristanX** » Sat Dec 20, 2008 8:23 am

Captain Goddammit wrote:You have an RV... so it's still very unclear why you can't carry a genny like almost every other??
You can pack the same stuff into the same vehicles as we do from 800 miles away, you just have further to travel.

Ahh, I see now where the confusion lies. We fly to Reno and rent the RV there. We don't drive from the east coast. Yes, agreed, if we did then we'd have no problems bringing all our stuff with us. Unfortunately that's not the situation here.

Unless someone knows of a generator rental place in Reno? Then perhaps we can bring our own generator by renting from Reno?

The problem there though is it's a bummer to bring all that individual stuff to BM.. if everyone did that that's a lot of waste. I really like the community approach where you pool resources. Unfortunately that smacks up against the concept of "radical self reliance". That's where the rub is when you have different people in the camp.. some like me with the community spirit.. and others who are like "dude, you are on your own out here".

Simon of the Playa · Post by **Simon of the Playa** » Sat Dec 20, 2008 8:31 am

pathetic.

this is why the east coast gets a bad rap.

and i'm not being snarky, just brutally honest.

pinemom · Post by **pinemom** » Sat Dec 20, 2008 8:56 am

Boy, TristanX, you really should learn to have a wee bit thicker skin...ESPECIALLY on Eplaya!

Ok, here's a Big question...You rent an RV here? Right?

Why is there not a GENNY included in the rental.

That would be like renting a motorcycle with no seat?

And if you re-read why you didnt sound like a good camp mate...its all in the "Not a problem".
Well dur...It better NOT be a problem!!!!

And why would you end up out in general car parking????
You could have thrown your belongings into your RV and just gone down a street or two to open camping??????

Simon of the Playa · Post by **Simon of the Playa** » Sat Dec 20, 2008 9:14 am

call me an asshole, but it seems to me that your "camp-mates" did'nt make you space because they did'nt want to.....Hmmmm?

just a thought.

Dustdevil · Post by **Dustdevil** » Sat Dec 20, 2008 9:44 am

Simon, your an asshole. No, not really. You do make a good point but I will counter with this. For three years I camped in one of the larger Villages. No matter when I arrived, once on Monday and twice on Saturday before the event opened, my space was already taken. Yes, I contributed heavily. My 70KW Whisperwatt and the power distro system. If no one in the Village takes the lead and directs the campers, chaos will follow. Rather than fight the system, our group started our own camp. We map it out and everyone gets what they need. We ask for placement next to another camp that we share power with and it works out very well. In all fairness, managing a large area takes someone to be the heavy. And when you think all is going well, you return to camp from a day on the Playa and find someone moved in where they were not supposed to be. Things happen. But maybe you are right and they just didn't want TristanX around. Maybe they didn't want me around. You never know.

Captain Goddammit · Post by **Captain Goddammit** » Sat Dec 20, 2008 9:45 am

The RV will have a generator... but rental outfits usually charge about $3/hour for running time on it. You'll need lots of fuel, too.
So... It seems to me the issue you're up against is fuel supply. If I were in your position I think I'd get as many 5-gallon gas cans as I thought I could get away with. The genny, unless it's a propane-fired one, will draw fuel from the RV's gas tank, so you have that supply to work with. Depending on your usage, it's probably not enough.
You won't run the RV empty because the generator will be set up to only draw the tank down to about 1/4 tank, so in any event you can get back to Gerlach.

pinemom · Post by **pinemom** » Sat Dec 20, 2008 9:59 am

So now I am curious to know "who" your former camp "was" TristanX.

You asked for help.

We gave you what we "thought" you needed...a new direction to look forward to.

That apparently "ISNT" what "you" wanted so now we're assholes....whatever.

Maybe your NEED is actually a WANT?

Simon of the Playa · Post by **Simon of the Playa** » Sat Dec 20, 2008 10:29 am

nevermind me, i've got an abscess tooth and i would probably bite the head off of a cute kitty cat if i could right now, but based on looking at your previous posts, and i'm no expert profiler, but you seem to be somewhat of a "nudge"...google it, it's yiddish.

maybe i'm wrong.

from what i can gather, you're gay, not there's theres anything WRONG with that, and you're from Rhode Island, again, no major hurdle you cant overcome....

However, you do seem to ask a lot of redundant, almost benign, and i use that term in a slightly negative manner, questions about stuff that you can just as easily finger out yourself.

show me a hint, a whiff, a touch of radical self-reliance, and i shall be more than accommodating in my replies.

otherwise, i can be the worst son of a bitch on earth, besides Bob and his magic sofa.

pinemom · Post by **pinemom** » Sat Dec 20, 2008 10:47 am

Hey Simon, try packing your gumline(jaw next to bad tooth)) with Clove powder mixed in with a bit of veg/olive etc oil...make a paste. It will help with the pain.

Then you can rinse with a tea tree oil for antiseptic properties till you can get into a dent'ist...

TristanX · Post by **TristanX** » Sat Dec 20, 2008 1:37 pm

Captain Goddammit wrote:The RV will have a generator... but rental outfits usually charge about $3/hour for running time on it. You'll need lots of fuel, too.
So... It seems to me the issue you're up against is fuel supply. If I were in your position I think I'd get as many 5-gallon gas cans as I thought I could get away with. The genny, unless it's a propane-fired one, will draw fuel from the RV's gas tank, so you have that supply to work with. Depending on your usage, it's probably not enough.
You won't run the RV empty because the generator will be set up to only draw the tank down to about 1/4 tank, so in any event you can get back to Gerlach.

You are correct. Generally, it's just easier to just plug into a camp generator. It's also quieter... those RV generators are very loud. I've also been toying with the idea of starting my own camp/village. I know camps have rented biodiesel generators (the camp I was in did). I'll have to snoop around the eplaya - someone must have posted some information about how it's rented.

TristanX · Post by **TristanX** » Sat Dec 20, 2008 1:55 pm

pinemom wrote:Boy, TristanX, you really should learn to have a wee bit thicker skin...ESPECIALLY on Eplaya!

Yes, I had forgotten how this place was. I've gotten the reminder

pinemom wrote:Ok, here's a Big question...You rent an RV here? Right? Why is there not a GENNY included in the rental.

There is but there's the problem of hauling the gas needed to run it, the noise it makes (they are not quiet at all).... the list goes on. It's just easier to plug into a camp generator.

pinemom wrote: And if you re-read why you didnt sound like a good camp mate...its all in the "Not a problem". Well dur...It better NOT be a problem!!!!

Sorry you read it that way. Having been to BM a few times before and having been part of camps where people say they will do something and then Reneg at the last minute - only to leave the rest of us holding the bag.. well I'm sorry I thought that was a good statement. Clearly either it was mistated, or misread.

pinemom wrote: And why would you end up out in general car parking????
You could have thrown your belongings into your RV and just gone down a street or two to open camping??????

Again, I paid several hundred dollars to camp with this camp. It included all my food, etc. I was not prepared to just walk away. I didn't have enough food, water etc. Since I was part of a camp that provided all the food, drink, water, etc as part of the camp dues.... why should i walk away? That's not their call to make, "radical self reliance" included, you are not allowed to do that to someone.

Again, this was not supposed to be a rant on what happened in the past... the post was trying to find something for the future.

Captain Goddammit · Post by **Captain Goddammit** » Sat Dec 20, 2008 3:59 pm

Wow, TristanX, you've really been grilled hard on the generator issue! Good job taking it as well as you have.
Any time someone comes on and says anything about wanting anything provided, even at a price, it draws fire.

After your experience last year, I think you've seen first hand what often happens when you depend on others to provide logistics at BM.
I'm still sayin', work on arranging for fuel and cover your own ass, it has a higher likelihood of working out.

Eplayans tend to be very strong "self-reliance" types... I bet if you post a question like "I'm flying in from far away and renting a rig, what are your ideas for setting myself up with an adequate fuel supply to run a generator?"
you might get some actual good ideas and less of a brutal pounding from all these experienced and knowledgeable but harsh and nut-spearing burners!

Well, except Simon. I've met him. He's to be avoided at all costs. He plucks the fur from kittens with pliers. I've watched him do it.

EspressoDude · Post by **EspressoDude** » Sat Dec 20, 2008 5:52 pm

Captain Goddammit wrote: Well, except Simon. I've met him. He's to be avoided at all costs. He plucks the fur from kittens with pliers. I've watched him do it.

You thought that was a kitten in his lap?? He was pulling the hair off his balls!! WITH PLIERS!!

wedeliver · Post by **wedeliver** » Sat Dec 20, 2008 6:41 pm

Ok, now that we have agreed to be BURNERS..

fuck all you bitches. Now give me a kiss.

I have always been amazed at all the people that come from El Monte, California to BRC. I mean they are everywhere.

Obviously I miss nothing. So it must be..... United Rentals. That is a BIG clue. All them big generators come from United (well 98%).. lots of United folks are Burners. Its a united thing if you catch my drift.

Simon of the Playa · Post by **Simon of the Playa** » Sat Dec 20, 2008 6:50 pm

You thought that was a kitten in his lap?? He was pulling the hair off his balls!! WITH PLIERS!!

yeah, i'm kinda hard-core that way, Like Bob Flanagan. (google him, you wont regret it, actually, you might)

i think it dates back to when i was a young child, and i saw my mom plucking her eyebrows and penciling them in according to her mood, as is the habit of Latinas to do.

you should see the Senor Wences i can do with my nut-sack.

swaa · Post by **swaa** » Wed Jan 07, 2009 7:06 pm

it is great how all you folks did not answer the question. but had you own opinion that meant nothing true want a be burners

bring it on

oneeyeddick · Post by **oneeyeddick** » Wed Jan 07, 2009 7:49 pm

Ok Tristan, just out of curiosity, after your camp snubbed you, did you still hang out there all day, every day ?

RV friendly camp with a camp generator?

RV friendly camp with a camp generator?

Re: RV friendly camp with a camp generator?

wow