I love the trailer!!! Motorhomes magazine featured new RV with full sized appliances. Looks like your old Vintage has a full size oven and range! As for the A/C....watch your weight load! LOL .....I would be afraid to tip over.
We have our first "outing" planned for Friday. I have really learned the value of those plastic bins/boxes/storage containers. All small items, that might be rolling around unsupervised, can easily be contained. Containers can then be contained, and then a cabinet closed, and nothing rearranges itself as we head down the road.
Thanks to all for the welcome, it means a lot, I will keep all posted on our progress, trials, and tribulations.
ps. Do-it-yourself skills come my yearn to learn new skills. Thay may not have a market value but it entertains me to acquire them. That, and the decades of watching Norm and THIS OLD HOUSE on PBS.
Vintagers, I really enjoyed reading your post, and look forward to your future pics and adventures!
Up until about 4 years ago, I had never even THOUGHT about camping. My husband, who drove big trucks for years, has been all over the U.S., but never had time to stop and see anything along his way. So when he retired, he suggested buying an RV. I was hesitant at first, but now we both love it.
So, congratulations, and welcome to the wonderful world of camping!
When I had a pop-up, I bought a big electric coffee percolator at a yard sale for $3. Perfect for hot water to take care of clean up.
Stan
Stan! You are this week's prize winner!!!
The 2 gallons of hot water, available all day, provided MORE THAN ENOUGH to meet our demands/requirements. Although too hot to wash hands with straight from the coffee maker, keeping a tub nearby to blend hot/cold worked very well. Dishes/pots stayed washed without having to heat when needed.
To ANYONE that would like hot water at a CG with an electric hook-up, I second Stan's idea (might not be his original but come to me from him) to use a party percolator as a water heater.
btw Stan, I did not have to buy one, we had one tucked away from when we hosted larger parties.
* This post was
edited 06/30/08 07:46am by The_Vintagers *
Loaded up and connected by Thursday afternoon, guess it was just anxiety, really looking forward to our weekend at the lake. We stop for perishables en route, fresh tastes best, and the coin-op ice machine is close to the CG entrance.
Yes, we brought TOO MUCH. I have found it a requirement for any "less-than-seasoned" camper to over pack. Although we know the uniform of the day is a swim suit, maybe a T-shirt and a pair of sandals, we still bring two changes of clothes and "a few items" for unexpected off-season weather. Carefully planning a menu for meals to assemble a grocery shopping list, we rarely consume the planned meals, opting for a grab and go style of eating.
Before heading out we stocked our cupboards. Making all-inclusive lists of non-perishable items we reach for in the kitchen, staple items and comfort items, and purchased ALL of them. I know we can survive at least 7 to 10 days in our camper in case of nuclear attack, our stockpile of foodstuffs enabling us to maybe even take in another survivor or two.
Overnighting for two consecutive nights lakeside under mature trees, the requirement to "make shade" is reduced. The 12x12 dining canopy went unused, as did the 10x10 screen room. CG provides a picnic table, more than capable of meeting our prep and dining needs, so the four foot folding table and the TV tray were not used. The two canvas folding chairs, and matching footstool/table with cupholders, remained in their bags. One of the two twenty foot blue tarps was brought out during a threat of rain, and the second one, just as large, remained in stowage.
We do swim and play in the water at the lake, and sometimes use towels to dry with, and make provision for this. Two people, swimming maybe three times over the weekend, bring 6 bath sized towels, four hand towels, and three washcloths. Yes, we have a clothesline and clips, and yes, we returned home with many unused towels. We did forget a dish washing sponge, so the three washcloths came in handy.
Shall we now discuss lighting at the CG? Flashlights, lanterns, and even string lights.
My line of work will require use of a flashlight from time to time, and I do my best to have spare batteries and bulbs on hand, never knowing when one will fail, and I unwittingly carried this over to camping necessities. Two 6 volt flashlights, two spare 6 volt batteries, two Coleman table lamps that require 4 D Cell batteries each, 16 spare D Cell batteries, a small battery camp lantern that uses AA, and a 12 pack of AA batteries. Candles, candle holders, and a collection of lighters to ignite fires. The aforementioned list reflects the portable lighting we brought along. The total requirement of portable lighting was much less than anticipated. We used a 6 volt flashlight for about 8 to 10 minutes, and the small AA powered light for 45 minutes or so. We did burn a single wicked candle in the camper, mostly for ambiance and aroma, it provided a greater than anticipated field of light.
Being at a Army Corp CG, we have electric and water connections. I provided for 110 lighting in the camper. Three 8 inch fluorescent fixtures, a 60 Watt Soft Pink (original?) in the front incandescent fixture, a 7.5 watt nightlight bulb in the rear fixture, our camper's interior could have been well lit, we used three lights total. The front 60 watt Soft Pink provided a glow reminiscent of my grandma's kitchen, and was used during the daytime. A fluorescent stayed lit in the potty closet, with the door closed we did not know, but made it easy for the Mrs to find the spot.
I had three unused (bought for $1) strings of clear xmas lights. Recruiting a neighbor with a good throwing arm, I had him toss the clothesline over a high tree limb, and raised the lights to their maximum height, just one vertical string suspended in mid air. I never realized the candlepower of 100 xmas lights on a 25 foot strand, we lit 2 campsites in on each side, it was a welcoming light. When the candle was extinguished inside the camper, I quickly determined those pretty lights were too bright for me, and maybe others. A few moments after unplugging the string lights, we could finally tell the darkness was not actually so dark, our eyes adjusted and we could see.
Opting to avoid the interstate highway on the way there, I chose to use back roads en route to the CG, thinking this best. The myriad of driveways and intersections provided for many opportunities to test the braking ability of the TV. Traffic engineers have also exceeded expectations, assuring that every traffic signal changed to yellow just as our rig entered the jam-to-stop zone, I opted once to cruise through the red light. Halfway along the journey, a road was closed, detouring us to the interstate. I found the trailer part of our camper/trailer to be very good. Sixty was possible, but, the weight may have affected our uphill capabilities. The return trip was all interstate highway.
The two 2 ton bottle jacks provided enough leveling/rear support, one at each corner, placed atop a trailer width 2x4 to reduce extended height of jacks and provide smooth surface for jacks. I made a step for our entryway, two foot wide 1x12 tread over 1x6 risers, it was the right height.
The creative side was expressed with camp site adornment. A 12x6 Astroturf rug provided a front lawn, and plastic landscape fence completed the white picket fence look. The Mrs thought it "adorable" and CG neighbors had many comments and compliments.
The biggest regret I have, the most disappointing unused item we brought along, my CAMERA. It stayed in the camera bag, battery at the ready, memory card cleared for all new images. We know how it looked, but, are unable to share the image except in words.
We have spring floats to play in the water, but also have a 3 man inflatable boat, herein known as Waldo's boat. Our Pug likes the water, but not in his face. When we go out floating, he gets in the boat, the three of us forming a flotilla of sorts, two spring floats with humans and a boat of Pug.
I am going to add an awning, the additional covered space outside the camper will eliminate much of the pack-in pack-out of items to keep dry. I am also going to mount green "Rope Lights" under the trailer, lighting the ground and not the air. There will also be several modifications of the existing configuration.
In the 12 foot camper, I do not anticipate we will be cooking inside, the stove will be removed. The onboard ice box has forgotten its housebreaking in its advanced age. I have not investigated if the drain hose is clogged or broken, but the ice box did not keep as cool as our plastic Coleman coolers. We have decided to replace the stove with a dorm style refrigerator of similar size, and to create storage where the ice box is built in. If anyone is in need of a copper brown ModernAire ice box and three-burner range with oven, feel free to contact me. I may store them to maintain the camper's integrity, or sell if the offer is good enough.
Before departing Friday morning, I put 4 bricks of dry ice in the ice box. Salad and hot dog relish froze, as did the bottom 1 inch of milk. After rearranging items, we controlled the freezing with better air flow, the ice box was cold. 20 hours after placing the 4 bricks of dry ice it had evaporated. No ice, and the only thing keeping things cold Saturday morning was the items being cold. I quickly drove to the ice machine outside the CG to restock on ice. We put 16 pounds of ice into 3 one gallon leak proof zipper bags. The condensation created inside the ice box found its way out onto the camper floor, the dog's bed had soaked up some of it, explaining why he had opted to curl up on the bare tile floor.
All in all, for a first time trip in a camper trailer, I say we have success. The Mrs enjoyed herself, playing in the water a bit, and having the option to retreat to the air conditioned space when the heat of the day got to her. The dog was not happy walking on pea gravel, but, he was happy to curl up on our "front lawn".
* This post was
edited 06/30/08 07:50am by The_Vintagers *
Glad to hear your having fun with your new trailer. Was fun reading about your first camping experience with it. So how much of the unused stuff are you going to leave at home next time?
Offline
