Silver Lake Dunes and the crappy campground we left behind

[taxx]

Well, we all made it home safely. The run was a blast and somewhat of a success. I say somewhat because we had our share of problems.

Mine started Friday trying top fiix my locker after it got put back incorrectly with my gears. I got the new pin in and it still wouldn't work so i spent 4 more hours pulling it apart and getting it back in there correctly. So tim and I got on the road from indy at 6pm and arrived at 1am Michigan time to sleep in our trucks at the locked gates to the prison er campground.

Then Saturday morning came around and Vairking couldn't get his buggy to fire so he and his buddy ended up riding along.

So after all this we got to the dunes to start our day off. Tim, Shaun and I where driving. 10 feet into the park litteraly I burried my rear end. tim was too far ahaed so I grabbed a jeeper to pull my 2 wheel drive butt out. Then I aired down and after playing a bit got used to the soft sand in 2 wheel drive with tires that just dig. I eventually made it up everything I tried and I tried it all.

Shauns problems started right before lunch when his front end started grinding in 4wd. So he decided to be my co-pilot for the afternoon. We had a good deal of fun going up and down the hills and checking out all the unique rides there including a school bus, a dodge neon on a truck frame, a lifted el camino, and a lifted mustang. Drag raced some quads and dirt bikes and got my truck left in the dust, but atleast I beat the stock chevys!

I think I have said enough just click the link for the pics and I can provide further expanation of those if need be. Big thanks goes out to the big red Xplorer Recovery vehicle. If he ever gets a smaller rig I will have to get a winch.

www.haughs.net/memories/2003/dunes

 

[Lifted95X]

Yeah..I had a great time, wish I could have rode in my truck more, but "Dave is such a wonderful driver" I still had a blast, literally, with Dave leaving the sunroof open and burying the X, we got blasted by about 2 gallons of sand. Beautiful weather, nice scenery, and some awesome rigs made for a good run. The campground sucked, but we still had a little fun before we got sent to the corner.

 

[SplashMan]

Sounds like you guys had fun, now tell us what bad things you did at the campground...

 

[taxx]

Well a couple guys got a bit out of hand friday, but I was sleeping in my truck anyways since you cannot enter the grounds after 11pm. Then saturday as we sat quietly enjoying the comany and a few cold beverages (you couldn't hear us more thena two sites away) the Gestapo came buy at around 11:30 and told us to go to our tents or they would hav ethe sheriff evict us. It was really rediculous. I am not trying to make it sound worse than it was, we literaly where pretty quiet and not causing any problems just goofing off. For a town that makes it big on tourism and wheeling this isn't the right campground to be there. Had they made this know to us before hand it would have been ok and we could have stayed somewhere else. But they didn't and it sucked. Andy and Barny made sure of that for us with their good cop bad cop routine.

Here is the email I sent thim this AM:

To whom it may concern,

Myself and several friends spent the weekend at your campground this past weekend (20 - 22). Two of us arrived late Friday night and after paying $30 had to sleep in our trucks. I understand your policy and knew it ahead of time. Although I don't agree with it since setting up a tent takes 10 minutes and requires no noise. I understand a couple individuals got a bit out of hand Friday night and it was uncalled for. However, I feel the way we were treated Saturday night was wrong. We spent the evening hanging out and enjoying being with friends. We had a fire and we were talking very quietly after 11pm. You couldn't hear us more than one camp site away but your Gestapo found it necessary to stop by at 11:30 and tell us we had to go to bed or leave. I felt like I was treated as a 5 year old child at preschool nap time. Very uncalled for and very upsetting. I feel like I was robbed of my Saturday evening with friends that I only get to see twice a year anyway. I also am a bit discouraged with your gate at the main entrance if there happened to be a life or death emergency at the camp grounds getting through the gate would be a great waste of time and seems like a fire hazard to me. At this point I don't think I will every be recommending your campsites to anyone or ever staying there again myself. I also feel entitled to some form of a refund for sleeping in my truck and being treated as a child. If you are so concerned about your permanent residents maybe you should divide the grounds a little better. Maybe consider putting the tent sites in the back away from the trailers. Since your town is geared to tourism, you might seriously want to consider this. Maybe you could save some customers and cut back on payroll by getting rid of your good cop bad cop team.

Sincerely,

 

[taxx]

BTW...

There was some carnage

I busted one front shock. I run duals so I was ok coming home, bit more sway but not much. I will get a pic tonight. That shock just got completely tore up. My SAS took a serious beating and that was my only problem. I just didn't get the mount in the right place and it smacked the shock on a few occasions. It was shot early in the day and by the end of the day it was just hanging from the lower mount.....

Here is me dragracing the chevies after we told them I only had two wheel drive.... (said nothing of the ole locker )

 

[Yomie]

Looks like ya'll had fun. Dave thanks for holding that Con Ferr rack and giving it to Shaun.

Shaun that rack looks good on your X with all thoes lights!

And yes i WAS checking out your rack

 

[Lifted95X]

Thanks..I like it, it worked out well, now if i only had time to hook the lights up.

 

[BUCHVILLEMAN]

looks liek fun!

get that front end hooked up and see what she will really do.

 

[redsport]

i was there to

I saw taxxman2k (awesome x)and lifted95x and that was all. I was up there saturday afternoon. Im not sure what campground you guys stayed at but i usually stay at sandy shores and i have yet to have a problem with them. My truck was doing good, besides the fact it overheated, and the fact that my PA 3 inch lift was sitting in the back seat. I think i will be headin up again pretty soon so ill give a holler if anyone wants to join me.

 

[BUCHVILLEMAN]

i know its a little off topic but can you drive on the dunes outside of michigan city, IN? i should be there this fall.

btw - how far is silverlake dunes from elkhart, south bend, that general area?

 

[taxx]

I don't think you can in Michigan City. But silver lake is 3 hours from Southbend.

 

[Sethro]

Has anyone been to the Bikini Bar there? Is it any good? I took my dirtbike up there last Tuesday, but it was closed...

 

[redsport]

hey sethro where is bikini bar at. I go up about 3 times a month and i havent seen it. I only eat at whippy dip, i love it. Give a holler if you wanna meet up there somtime.

 

[Hokie]

Hey Shaun, you still running 32's there? Those pics make your tires look alot bigger if you are.

 

[VairKing]

MMM, whippy dip...The Bikini bar is at Val Du Lakes, the concert venue...I havnt been there yet, but I have been meeting to try it out...sometime this summer for sure...Red I think I saw you around on saturday, I was in a lil' red dune buggy...

 

[Lifted95X]

Originally posted by HokieBert
Hey Shaun, you still running 32's there? Those pics make your tires look alot bigger if you are.

Yup...still have the 32's on there for now.

 

[Lifted95X]

Here's a little bigger pic of my X next to Dave's, his 35's dwarf my 32's.