Camping trip

We went to pick up our camper last week and took her on a shakedown cruise to test everything out over the weekend.

Taking delivery

We got to the dealership with a few iotas of anxiety. We thought the dealership was going to try and railroad us somehow because that’s what dealers do, but everything was fine when we got there.

The scary, Karen-manager-lady came over to us and said they were closing because one of their employees tested positive for COVID-19. They were going to take care of us and then close up shop for cleaning and disinfecting.

The technicians came out to collect the truck k and installed the weight distributing hitch and sway bars along with the electronic brake controller. We thought for sure they were going to tell us the truck wasn’t capable of towing, but they didn’t. I think our expectations were lowered so if something went sideways, we’d be okay.

Then, the technician came to collect us and walk us through everything on the camper. Just as we were finishing up our walkthrough, the guys showed up with the truck and hooked it up to the camper. They showed us how to do all that with the truck and we went back inside to finish some paperwork. Once that was done, we were ready to hit the road.

Road trip

I was a little anxious about towing this 37-foot monster al the way back to the eastern shore, but we took our time and let people pass us as they wanted. We slowed down when we needed to and we worked together well. We stopped at the HRBT for a quick inspection of our propane tanks and we got through with no worries. We stopped in VA Beach for gas with almost no worries and got through the CBBT. We stopped at the rest stop on this side of the CBBT and made our way to Chincoteague to stay at the KOA.

We bumped the bottom of the hitch coming out of the gas station once on our trip, and we had one scary moment where we were between a tractor trailer rig stopped on the right shoulder and a tractor trailer passing us on the left. Other than that, the trip was eventless and easy even though our nerves were running hot.

Setup

We didn’t expect to be done at the dealership until 6pm or so, getting out at 1:30 and to the campsite around 5:15 was completely unexpected. We pulled into the wrong site at first, backed up, then into the correct spot. It took us about 90 minutes to set up the camper, but we were taking our time and not in a rush.

After setting up, we divided and conquered. We ran home for some supplies and the doggo. I took the doggo to the campsite while Adrianne picked up Sarah from work and some sandwiches.

It was a long day and we were all tired so we went to bed early to get some rest.

Impact

Our second day, I made breakfasts for everyone and then ran to the chiropractor appointment I set up. I stopped at the grocery store on the way home for some supplies.

We were sitting in the camper and visiting with a friend when someone drove by and broke a part of our rear awning. We managed to get a picture of their license plate as they hit-and-run, so we called the camp office to see what to do.

The police

The police did show up and found the offender. The officer put us in touch with one another, but we had looked up the part and found it was only $25. It’s not worth calling the insurance company over, I’m going to order the part on payday and replace it myself.

Chill

After the incident with the police, we basically took it easy. We’d managed to test everything on the camper and ensure it all works. That was the real plan for our weekend. We didn’t think we’d get much down time, so having a full day to just chill was nice.

Neighbors

With free time available, we started to notice some of the neighbors in the campsite.

The people next to us had so much stuff it was hilarious. They had two power-wheels for the kids, a golf cart, an inflatable bounce house, an electric water cooler, a full-sized cotton candy machine, a chihuahua, and a dozen guinea pigs.

I’m not kidding…we watched them set up and outdoor pen, then take at least a dozen guinea pigs from a box, kiss each one, and out them in the outdoor pen.

At one point, Sarah had walked past with Nani and the dogs barked at each other. The mom was wearing fuzzy, pink slippers, a leopard-print robe, a cigarette in her mouth, and picked up the chihuahua, turned it around and offered it to Nani for sniffing. It couldn’t have been more trailer-park unless she had curlers in her hair and a martini glass in her hand.

Breakdown

This morning, we got up, took the dog home and started packing out our trash. We got everything done and we’re out of the campsite by 11am. We took the camper to storage and leveled her out there.

We had a few mistakes during breakdown, but we’ll refine our process as we get more experience.

Lessons learned

Setting up, the only thing I’d say we need to do differently is pull the camper further into the site. If we had done that, the awning probably wouldn’t have been hit.

For the breakdown, we need to ensure the black tank is 2/3 full before pumping it out. We need to double check how to flush the black tank and do it correctly. We need to remember to leave the water hose hooked up during the pump and dump to refill one gallon in the black tank along with deodorizer. We should also probably make sure all the lights are off before locking up the camper. We forgot to secure the propane tanks and check the lights on the camper before our departure.

Overall

We had a great experience overall. There was some stress, but we kept our patience through everything and worked together. I think this camper is going to help us make some great memories over the years. I actually like camping in this thing better than in a tent. It’s more comfortable than being in a tent. There was heat when we needed it, air conditioning when we needed it. Music, television, running water, a shower, a toilet, lights, and shelter from the rain. I’m excited to take her out again soon.