Introducing Camper Life: Murder & Mayhem or Mischievous Fun?

Serendipity brought us to this point- a four-month cross-country adventure in a camper.

 On a neighborhood walk, Jeff introduced himself to a neighbor closing up his travel trailer following a trip. Before you know it, the couple was at our house for dinner- I scribbled furiously as they described how they had purchased & set off in their own camper. They quickly became camping mentors & dear friends & the seeds of our adventure were sown.

Scroll forward six months. We are the proud owners of a 21ft. Rockwood pull-behind trailer. Now remember, six months earlier we’d barely been in a camper let alone owned one. What have we gotten ourselves into?

The first big change was we had to purchase a big ass truck to pull the “rig” hence the name, “Big Red.” I drive a Mini so I find the truck intimidating. We had to add a running board so I could get up into it & I have to use a stool to get into the truck bed.

 I’m typically one to sign up for a race or challenge THEN do the necessary training. Becoming a “camper” was no different. Once we bought the “rig” (notice my new-found knowledge of camper vernacular) we got to work watching YouTube channels, printing out checklists & purchasing a myriad of hoses, filters, dog bones (a power converter) & RV-sized storage bins on frequent Dollar Store runs.

Living “Camper Life” is like a parallel universe for this urban girl.

·  I couldn’t tell you the difference between a Class A or C vehicle, a Fifth wheel or a Sprinter.

·  Did you know there are three kinds of water? Potable, gray & black? Don’t ask about the black but know you flush it out with the gray & definitely want gloves for this project.

·   We have LOTS of types of power to consider- 100v, 12v, 30amp & 50amp. Of course each requires specific plugs & runs specific things or more importantly, WON’T run specific things.

·   Towing & parking a camper is its own fine art. We have hitch balls, chains & sway bars. They even sell something called “ball lube” which I apparently need to purchase (using incognito on my search engine, no doubt.)

·   When you secure a camp site, you can use one of dozens of useful but very specific apps. Some spots have full hookup allowing you easy access to power & other utilities. Some apps are specific for state or national parks while some are for private spots. Others are for BLM (yes, I initially thought this was Black Lives Matter but this city girl now know it stands for Bureau of Land Management where you can pull over onto open lands & “boondock” or “dry camp” overnight.  This means you’ll have no power, water or sewage overnight so you’ll conserve & live off your rig for several days. After a few days you’ll need to use your apps to find the little “poop” emoji indicating where you can find a dump station (see earlier discussion of black water!) I feel like such a pioneer woman living off the land with her poop emojis  

We now have lots of items that are extremely light & fold up into small spaces. The truck bed is fully packed with generators, fire ring, propane, inflatable kayak, hammocks & chairs, a DISH system & bins of athletic gear & bikes on the back of the camper.  We have the InstaPot, Air Fryer, Ninja & of course, my coffee pot & favorite mug.  Jeff reminds me that we are traveling to America so we can purchase what we need along the way, but I am loathe to spend my vacation hunting down items at Walmart. We do indeed look a lot like the Clampett family descending on Beverly Hills.

Four month in a camper. Will we murder each other? Will I ever don gloves for dumping? Stay tuned…