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01-21-2021, 04:10 AM
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#1
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Bronze Member
Join Date: Aug 2020
Location: CA
Posts: 40
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Bear Aware in Class B
I've been wondering what people do when visiting campgrounds in bear country that require using the metal storage boxes for food, soap, shampoo, toothpaste, sunscreen, candles, pet food, tobacco, garbage, recyclables... not to mention the all our fridge food!
How much of your Class B stuff do you unpack and store in the box?
How common are Class B bear break-ins?
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01-21-2021, 04:19 AM
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#2
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Platinum Member
Join Date: Dec 2016
Location: America's Seaplane City, FL
Posts: 1,000
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I've never used a bear box when class B camping. 2-3 months per year boondocking and dry camping in the west.
Motorcycle trips in a tent, yes, absolutely.
__________________
Tick tock, baby(Ironbuttal)
2000 Roadtrek Chevy 200 Versatile(sold)
'98 Safari Trek 2480
Just for fun:'15 Kawasaki Versys650LT
Perfection is a fantasy, though improvement is possible(Wifey).
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01-21-2021, 04:25 AM
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#3
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New Member
Join Date: Jan 2021
Location: campbell
Posts: 14
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bear aware
I We have camped in Yosemite during thanksgiving many times in a class A motorhome and never had a problem. We would always cook a turkey and all the fixens in camp. We did here bears in other campsites but we never had a break in.
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01-21-2021, 11:59 AM
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#4
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Platinum Member
Join Date: Jun 2017
Location: Calif
Posts: 518
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jls
I've been wondering what people do when visiting campgrounds in bear country that require using the metal storage boxes for food, soap, shampoo, toothpaste, sunscreen, candles, pet food, tobacco, garbage, recyclables... not to mention the all our fridge food!
How much of your Class B stuff do you unpack and store in the box?
How common are Class B bear break-ins?
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I have only heard of a single time from a ranger. A mother bear would break into locked car to get to food. The ranger (35 years experience) said he only saw and witnessed this one time. Rare event. Most parks will allow people to store food inside their vehicles. Just nothing in canvas or inside tents.
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01-21-2021, 02:03 PM
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#5
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Platinum Member
Join Date: Jan 2019
Location: Arizona
Posts: 609
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Best advice is to ask locally when you check in.. Bear attacks and nuisance bear problems vary depending on the season, weather, and current food conditions. Drought, for example, often brings bears into closer contact with humans. Campground staff or the local ranger station can tell you if there have been recent problems that might lead you to take extra precautions.
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01-21-2021, 02:16 PM
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#6
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Site Team
Join Date: Jul 2013
Posts: 5,424
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The risk of bear break-in can be real (although almost always small). However, I don't see how that risk is any greater in a van than in a house or a cabin. Both have windows, and those are the main vulnerability. It would never have occurred to me to use an outdoor storage box, even if my campsite had one. But Jon has it right: Ask the ranger.
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Formerly: 2005 Airstream Interstate (Sprinter 2500 T1N)
2014 Great West Vans Legend SE (Sprinter 3500 NCV3 I4)
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01-21-2021, 02:21 PM
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#7
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Platinum Member
Join Date: Jan 2019
Location: Arizona
Posts: 609
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Quote:
Originally Posted by avanti
It would never have occurred to me to use an outdoor storage box, even if my campsite had one.
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If I’m using an outdoor grill or stove, that’s something I might put in the bear box rather than take it inside the van.
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01-21-2021, 02:26 PM
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#8
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Platinum Member
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: Minnesota
Posts: 12,392
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Jon in AZ
If I’m using an outdoor grill or stove, that’s something I might put in the bear box rather than take it inside the van.
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That would probably be a good idea also for those of us that have the grille in the side pod of a Roadtrek Chevy. 
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01-21-2021, 02:29 PM
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#9
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Site Team
Join Date: Jul 2013
Posts: 5,424
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Jon in AZ
If I’m using an outdoor grill or stove, that’s something I might put in the bear box rather than take it inside the van.
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Agree.....
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Now: 2022 Fully-custom buildout (Ford Transit EcoBoost AWD)
Formerly: 2005 Airstream Interstate (Sprinter 2500 T1N)
2014 Great West Vans Legend SE (Sprinter 3500 NCV3 I4)
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01-21-2021, 04:20 PM
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#10
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Platinum Member
Join Date: Aug 2020
Location: Little Valley NY
Posts: 268
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__________________
2008 Roadtrek 210V
Formerly:
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Tiffin Allegro
Foretravel U225
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01-22-2021, 03:56 AM
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#11
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Bronze Member
Join Date: Aug 2020
Location: CA
Posts: 40
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thanks for all the replies 
i have previously only done tent camping so had been wondering!
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01-22-2021, 05:25 PM
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#12
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Platinum Member
Join Date: Feb 2015
Location: Oklahoma
Posts: 962
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I’ve seen a mama rip the door off an RV trailer, but I don’t worry in the van. That said, we never leave anything out anything enticing that could be seen through a window.
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01-28-2021, 05:06 PM
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#13
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Gold Member
Join Date: Feb 2017
Location: CA
Posts: 98
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In many, many years never used one. In the old Westfalia though we would lower the roof. I think if a bear comes around and hears me snoring he'll think, "Opps, someone already got this place."
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2022 Winnebago Travato 59KL
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01-28-2021, 05:21 PM
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#14
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New Member
Join Date: Nov 2020
Location: Wi
Posts: 3
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I don’t think that means you when you have inside storage. It is for people that have coolers and leave things outside.
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01-28-2021, 05:22 PM
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#15
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Silver Member
Join Date: Nov 2018
Location: California
Posts: 65
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No need to use bear box with hard sided campers. However, keep your doors locked. I live in bear country and one night I forgot to lock my Chevy PW. I never keep food in it while home but I had an auto part in a bright blue and yellow box on the dash. Next morning the door was open, the chewed box was on the driveway (part okay). Bear prints on the side of van by open door and a small puncture on the passengers seat from a claw. It probably thought it was a candy bar.
Be safe, Be kind, Be cool.
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01-28-2021, 06:22 PM
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#16
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Platinum Member
Join Date: Mar 2016
Location: Massachusetts
Posts: 299
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Just make sure you camp next to the tent camper section of the campground. Similar to hiking with a slower person in bear country... Just kidding.
It's good t see the replies, I wondered about what to do in bear country. When we were in Yosemite the hotel suggested we remove all items from the trunk (we had stayed in a condo a week before the hotel and had condiments, detergent, etc.). I thought it was overkill but did it anyway.
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01-28-2021, 06:33 PM
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#17
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Platinum Member
Join Date: Aug 2020
Location: Little Valley NY
Posts: 268
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Quote:
Originally Posted by zehren@charter.net
I don’t think that means you when you have inside storage. It is for people that have coolers and leave things outside.
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Have you seen what a bear can do to a vehicle when breaking in?
https://www.google.com/search?sxsrf=...w=1138&bih=522
__________________
2008 Roadtrek 210V
Formerly:
Toyota Sunrader
Tiffin Allegro
Foretravel U225
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