Floor mat, fly rod holder, and Owyhee Canyonlands

[Karlton]

Hi all - took a trip to the Owyhee canyonlands in Oregon to do some fly fishing along the Owyhee River. Great scenery, nice campsites along the river, some BLM roads to hike with the dogs, and plenty of chukar for the dogs to bust.

After the trip, I had a few ideas about features for our Hawk, Odi.

Floor mat - what are you using for a floor mat? Has anyone cut one of these weatherproof floor mats to fit their camper? I measured the floor and the dimensions of the largest rectangle space is approx 3'9" x 2'2.5". The mat below comes in 3'9" x 2'9", which would only require me to trim a bit and would extend below the fridge. Not cheap, tho!

http://www.orvis.com/p/grid-water-trapper-mat/2MGN?item_code=2MGN1960&adv=127748&cm_mmc=plasHome2MGN127748&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIlcO2_c7z2QIVklt-Ch1W4A_GEAQYASABEgJ5S_D_BwE

Has anyone used a fly rod rack that mounts on the the hood of the truck and roof like in the image below? My concern is that that rack won't work properly given the cabover part of the Hawk. Any suggestions for carrying a 9' fly rod with the camper is appreciated!

 

[Wandering Sagebrush]

Karlton,

I just use an inexpensive runner for a floor mat. Warmer on the toes.

Check out the rod case that JD (longhorn1) made for assembled rods. My preference is to not carry them assembled, so laying on the dinette in two pieces, or using a two piece case is my solution. For the 11’ and 14’ Spey rods, they go back in the tube.

http://www.wanderthewest.com/forum/topic/15105-fly-rod-vault/

Steve

 

[kmcintyre]

I fish there about 2-3x / week and surprised I didn't see you as I always notice FWC and ATC's. I think you hit the weather perfectly as it was a bit wet yesterday.

 

[Wandering Sagebrush]

I fish there about 2-3x / week and surprised I didn't see you as I always notice FWC and ATC's. I think you hit the weather perfectly as it was a bit wet yesterday.

Are you fishing below the dam?

 

[JaSAn]

I just use an inexpensive entry rug. 3' X 5', cut to size. Must be comfortable on bare feet, easily releases lint, etc., have a rubber bottom (so dirt doesn't filter through). I just shake it out to clean.

I also have astroturf on the steps for cleaning feet (and paws) before entering the camper. That stuff catches an amazing amount of dirt.

jim

 

[kmcintyre]

Are you fishing below the dam?

Yes, below the dam on the river.

 

[Karlton]

Thanks all!

I was thinking cutting up a $90 floor mat was a bit on the extreme side for floor protection. I'll see if I can find a less expensive mat to protect the floor and make it easy to clean the dirt out.

I was on the river Wednesday through Friday this week. It was my first trip to the Owyhee, and one of my first times fly fishing this early in the season, and only did okay. I'm a cutthroat trout guy from North Idaho and fish the st. Joe and Clearwater regularly.

 

[Taku]

We use on of the foam mats from Costco for kitchen use. They last a long time, plus we have a couple of other thin throw rug pieces that are easy to clean. Ditto on the fake astroturf - I bolt it onto the custom step I had made and it helps to clean the mud and dirt off the shoes and dog paws. Easy to replace too.

 

[Wandering Sagebrush]

Yes, below the dam on the river.

We will have to meet up over there one of these days. I’ve only been there once.

 

[longhorn1]

I built my own flyrod vault for about $75. It fastens to the jack brackets. My post is in the hiking, biking, floating, fishing section. jd

 

[Wallowa]

Everyone has a different approach...but we purchased an indoor/outdoor tight weave [1/2" ?] piece of carpet [w/non-skid backing] @ $25? and then used cardboard to mock up a template for cutting carpet for what was needed to cover the floor of the Hawk..ended up with two pieces, one under side table and then large one for the rest of the floor...nice to walk on barefoot, easy to sweep or clean, or remove to shake and is light weight; plus some thermal advantage...kept a small piece for just inside the door on top of the main floor carpet below the refrig to catch most loose dirt and to hold the porta-potty inside the alcove to the right of the door...potty can't side out when we are bouncing around off road..

Bonus was the carpet color matched the cabinet 'beige'? color..

I believe your table is forward but still easy to fit in a carpet...great camper aren't they!

Phil

 

[takesiteasy]

We use old car back seat floor mats outside the camper and just inside the door to catch dirt. We bought a couple carpet scraps at a local carpet store for $10 each big enough to cover the floor. We cut one to fit the floor exactly and saved the other one for eventual replacement. We pull the carpet after a trip and vacuum it and the camper. Works well- comfortable for bare feet and a bit warmer.

Fly rods travel in their case in the camper. I'm not usually breaking them down multiple times a day so don't feel the need for carrying them assembled.

 

[Advmoto18]

I bought this $15 foam sleeping bag pad at Walmart to cut-to-fit the floor. My initial thought was to protect the floor from scratches from my Front Runner boxes. But, we quickly discovered (in winter) the fantastic R-value of the foam. Even when below freezing outside, the foam is the same temp as the interior while the camper floor is same temp as outside---COLD!

I used remaining pieces to line pot/pan cabinet and other rattle-trap compartments.

This sleeping bag foam pad seems to be available at many WalMart stores across the country.

Super easy to clean. Slide it out of the camper, shake it off and toss it back in before loading the gear.

Fly rods travel in an old, early 1990s travel case from Steve Abel.
Similar to this one he now makes under his name...
Like most everything now...very expensive these days for what you get.

 

[larryqp]

I had a set of suction cup fly rod holders before I bought my FWC Eagle shell. I mount one suction cup on the hood of my Ranger and I remove the suction cup from the other holder. The holder then screws into one of the "A" nuts that came with my Yakima roof rails. I was amazed that the threads were exact. Sometimes you just get lucky. The Yakima Roof rails now hold two Yakima canoe racks and two solar panels. I was able to buy additional "A" nuts online cheaper than from Yakima.

 

[kmcintyre]

We will have to meet up over there one of these days. I’ve only been there once.

Just let me know. Waiting for a few, nice, mid-week days when I can go out and camp but I go out a lot so I'm usually there (but not w/ my camper). Here's what I've been catching!

 

[Ronin]

Hi all - took a trip to the Owyhee canyonlands in Oregon to do some fly fishing along the Owyhee River. Great scenery, nice campsites along the river, some BLM roads to hike with the dogs, and plenty of chukar for the dogs to bust.

After the trip, I had a few ideas about features for our Hawk, Odi.

Floor mat - what are you using for a floor mat? Has anyone cut one of these weatherproof floor mats to fit their camper? I measured the floor and the dimensions of the largest rectangle space is approx 3'9" x 2'2.5". The mat below comes in 3'9" x 2'9", which would only require me to trim a bit and would extend below the fridge. Not cheap, tho!

http://www.orvis.com/p/grid-water-trapper-mat/2MGN?item_code=2MGN1960&adv=127748&cm_mmc=plasHome2MGN127748&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIlcO2_c7z2QIVklt-Ch1W4A_GEAQYASABEgJ5S_D_BwE

Has anyone used a fly rod rack that mounts on the the hood of the truck and roof like in the image below? My concern is that that rack won't work properly given the cabover part of the Hawk. Any suggestions for carrying a 9' fly rod with the camper is appreciated!

Interested in your Owyhee trip. What route/roads did you take? How much was off-road and were there any road conditions a person should be aware of?? I plan on taking Hwy 95N from CA to Jordan Valley and after that will just be wandering. I'd appreciate any recommendations on places to visit- mainly for good scenery and hiking. I have a Tundra 4x4 and don't mind some mild off-roading.
Thanks!!

Thanks

 

[Wandering Sagebrush]

If you’re just going to fish the area around the dam, you should be fine. Other roads, like the one into Leslie Gulch get real slick if they are wet. I’d talk to BLM about conditions as a part of your trip planning.

Check out Occidental’s blogs for trip ideas.
http://www.wanderthewest.com/forum/topic/14766-steens-and-other-spring-rambles-and-floats/?hl=owyhee

http://www.occidentalist.org/timeline/#26/10/2016

 

[Timothy McGowen]

I just cut a mat from home depot. I have a front dinette so a small piece goes under the refer and never seems to be a problem. You can also look for the remnants from the bulk carpet for sale.

 

[kmcintyre]

Interested in your Owyhee trip. What route/roads did you take? How much was off-road and were there any road conditions a person should be aware of?? I plan on taking Hwy 95N from CA to Jordan Valley and after that will just be wandering. I'd appreciate any recommendations on places to visit- mainly for good scenery and hiking. I have a Tundra 4x4 and don't mind some mild off-roading.
Thanks!!

Thanks

You might want to swing by the Steens if the weather is nice. Amazing area!

 

[Ronin]

If you’re just going to fish the area around the dam, you should be fine. Other roads, like the one into Leslie Gulch get real slick if they are wet. I’d talk to BLM about conditions as a part of your trip planning.

Check out Occidental’s blogs for trip ideas.
http://www.wanderthewest.com/forum/topic/14766-steens-and-other-spring-rambles-and-floats/?hl=owyhee

http://www.occidentalist.org/timeline/#26/10/2016

Thanks for the links!