So I'm going to throw this post about something that happened a month or two back. I've got some catching up to do.
Friday had come and I picked up my bonus check, then a loan check from the bank, and finally to the dealer to pickup the camolite. The head mechanic spent about an hour showing me how everything worked. Some I remember some were in a daze.....
I pulled my trailer home, picked up the dog, then Wally world for supplies, and finally another two hours to the state park for the break in trip. It was 9:30 at night when I backed into the black hole that was supposed to be my campsite. The temp had dropped to 40° while I dropped the jacks and plugged in. The furnace revealed a satisfying wirrrr when I fired it up and I knew then that I would sleep comfortably tonight.
I had packed my portable grill and fired up a fresh hamburger along with salad and chips for dinner. My dog barked about half the time until I threw down a dinner bowl. It was time. Time to retreat into my new second home. Retreat into my warmed cabin.
I had hastily thrown various supplies onto the floor when I was at home. But now I had to quickly stuff things into compartments. I threw down an old comforter on the bed along with a pillow and sleeping bag. Time to crack a beer and see if the TV worked. An hour of letterman later I slipped into bed. My dog on the floor sleeping nicely too. What a nice cozy night.
You went alone in a 16 with just the dog and made him sleep on the floor ?
Dog heats best.
Sounds to me like a good night in a Camplite, first night notwithstanding.
Appreciate the camping adventure description.
Enjoy!
I appreciate the good feedback.
I don't think the dog minded sleeping on the floor - directly in front of the furnace! It got down to about 28° that night. But we both slept pretty good that night.
I was happy. I've camped in a tent for years but never set foot in a camper until a few weeks before. But this is the bomb.
I awoke to a knocking on the door. It was the ranger. The office was closed by the time I got in last night and of course I couldn't pay for the site. "Yes, sir I'll be up there in an hour or so to settle"
I took a nice hot shower. Yes, I did the rinse-off-soap-on-rinse-off-shampoo hair-on-rinse routine but it was just fine. It was still March so the campground shower was still shut off, but I got a hot shower in my own clean facility. No shower sandals for me!
Breakfast was bacon and eggs on the picnic table. And, my favorite, percolated coffee. I had inherited my fathers old aluminum perk pot and it fits perfectly on a camp stove. After that I took the dog for a walk through the campground. There was only another 8 groups staying there so I was going to enjoy a peaceful weekend.
I spent the rest of the day exploring the campground. I did have one concern. The campground RV dump was shut off for the season. Thank goodness I filled the fresh water tank at home. But how would I dump the gray water tank? I certainly am not setup for it at home. I asked at the ranger office when I paid for the site and although they mention a few other campgrounds in the area, they also suggested finding a truck stop. Aha. A little google search found a truck stop that was only slightly off course when I went home the next day. With the temps still dropping below freezing at night I had to empty the tanks before I went back to work next week.
There was another stop at Walmart that afternoon for plastic containers to help organize inside the camper's cabinetry. I would highly recommend this for others too.
Of course that night featured another hamburger cookout on the grill and a campfire. I had packed two folding chairs onboard and that makes a fantastic campfire seat.
I slipped inside the camper when it got too cold out. Then I put an old Clint Eastwood western into the DVD player. The speakers in the Camplite suck but it was still awesome to watch a movie as I dozed off.
You did everything right, your first time out. Man, when you mess up, it is going to be really entertaining.
I had heart palpitations once on pulling into a state park and checking the campground map for where the dump was and finding they didn't have one. Until I was setting up and realized that without advertising it as such, or charging a larger fee than other SP campgrounds, every site was full hookups w/sewer !
We have another, older, smaller SP out at the coast where that is not the case. However, 2 miles away the city provides a free dump site.
It's something new campers learn, just like old men. We always want to know where the nearest bathroom is.
[quote source="/post/11275/thread" timestamp="1432395466" author="@pinstriper"]However, 2 miles away the city provides a free dump site.
[/quote]Please do share. Where?
Quote from: @wingsoverwisconsin" timestamp="1432389034" source="/post/11271/threadI've camped in a tent for years but never set foot in a camper until a few weeks before. But this is the bomb.
Ain't it tho? Tent campers really appreciate luxury. The service guy said, "Oh, it's a little one!" It feels like the Taj Mahal to me.
Hold on there pinstriper, you'll get your moment! Read On:
Sunday came on that first trip. On, most camping trips in my tent, I always dreaded the final day. All that teardown work dragged on me. And then there's cleanup back at home and hauling everything out of my vehicle down to the basement. Today was going to be different. I wasn't going to rush around and instead I would do it my way.
I got up and enjoyed that nice hot shower again. Note to self: I can go at least 1 or 2 more days on the water tanks. I went outside and cooked up a nice breakfast. Its my favorite meal. I cleaned the dishes in the sink. Then I ran my little cordless dustbuster around the floor. Gave the toilet a nice wipedown. I was going to bring home a camper that was cleaned up and ready for next time.
I checked my watch: I'm in no hurry but I'd like to know how quick I can break camp. Folded up the portable chair, put away the grill, and raised the jacks. I backed up the truck, hitched, pulled the wheel chocks. A quick check inside to shut everything off and stow away anything that moved. Finally put away the dog leash and voila, only half an hour to break camp. I was satisfied at how easy it was.
The drive out of the state park is curved and hilly. I was heading up one of those hills when I heard a clunk and a bit of jerking from the back. Time to stop and get out to check things. Ugggh. The coupler is sitting on top of the safety chains. To get out of this one, I had to bring out some wheel chocks, back up a little, set down the trailer jack and recouple the hitch. I'm pretty sure I know what happened. There's a shoe that slides underneath the hitch ball when you flip over the lever. I must have lowered the shoe on top of the ball, and defeated the mechanism. I've had a bass boat for the fifteen years and coupled to trailers a hundred times or more, but even with experience this one can fool you. It only happens if you back up an inch too far. Its better to just let the front lip of the coupler slide over the ball rather than the other way around. The only damage was to the trailer jack. The bottom foot of the jack had scrubbed along the pavement (nice groove in the blacktop btw) and the powerhead cover of the jack was broken.
I guess that was the first incident and it was now out of the way. As I said in the earlier post I stopped at a truckstop along the way to dump. Boy does the truck drive better with the tanks empty! The truckstop got $5 for the priviledge.
I just thought about it and actually that was the second incident. That first night I had to remove the clear plastic shipping cover from the camper mattress. I had lifted up the mattress somewhat to facilitate this and knock one of the window valences (or is it called a cornice) off the wall. I found out later that this thing was held on by three plastic studs that go into the wall much like a wall moly. I still haven't repaired them. One idea I've had is to use auto door pins since they're so similar. The T shaped head gets stapled to the valence and then you shove it into the wall hoping that it will hold. Someday I'll try it. Meanwhile I would say this is a pretty hokey mounting system, Livin' Lite! To those who haven't purchased a trailer yet, I wouldn't call it a deal breaker, just don't bump the window cornice under any circumstances.
Despite a few "skirmishes", I made it home. It was nice to only bring out one duffel bag of clothes and a box of fresh food, plug into the wall, and I was unpacked with little fuss. Overall a fantastic weekend. I now see how my little trailer can be made "ready to go" with little notice. I also see that I could get away without even unhitching if needed. There's some low profile boondocking spots I've had my eye on. More on that later.
A couple of you are talking about where to dump. Try an app called Sanidumps as that has some locations including municipal facilities. I would also get the apps from several truckstop chains, Pilot, TA, and others. The problem I found is there's municipal and even RV dealers that offer dumps and yet they are closed Sundays when I'm my way home from camp.
All the rest stops in West Virginia have trailer dumps completely free, only state in the Union to do that I believe. Thanks for the tip about Pilot trucks stops, never thought about them.
I seem to remember the the rest stops here (Wisconsin) having dumps once upon a time. I think the state budgets changed priorities somehow.
Quote from: @kath" timestamp="1432404897" source="/post/11281/thread[quote source="/post/11275/thread" timestamp="1432395466" author="@pinstriper"]However, 2 miles away the city provides a free dump site.
Please do share. Where?[/quote][p]Devil's Lake SP in Lincoln City. No dump site. There's a muni dump site on the south end of town.[/p][p]
[/p][p]Stubb Stewart SP south of Vernonia doesn't need them because every site is full hookups. Beware - there are no garbage cans or dumpsters except at the main entrance by the ranger station. That's a dead giveaway they are concerned about bears.[/p][p]
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Thanks for the info. Gee, I didn't know Vernonia had bears.
[quote source="/post/11304/thread" timestamp="1432439572" author="@kath"]Thanks for the info. Gee, I didn't know Vernonia had bears. [/quote][p]There's very little between Vernonia and the coast but 30 miles of excellent bear country.[/p][p]
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Quote from: @pinstriper" timestamp="1432440375" source="/post/11305/thread[quote source="/post/11304/thread" author="@kath" timestamp="1432439572"]Thanks for the info. Gee, I didn't know Vernonia had bears.
[p]There's very little between Vernonia and the coast but 30 miles of excellent bear country.[/p][p]
[/p][/quote]Ha! True that!