Camper Life- 2 Months & no Murder or Mayhem

 It’s been two months since we’ve embarked on our camper adventure. What have we learned- both good & bad- along the way?

 The biggest decision- plan ahead or wing it? Either way, you WILL find a place to sleep. Without reservations, I had visions of us dragging the camper around only to be informed like Joseph & Mary that “there is no room at the inn.” If all else fails, you can find a hotel room or a parking lot for one night. Our favorite experience to date has been dry camping on BLM (Bureau of Land Management) land where we were miles from humans & with no light pollution enjoyed the Perseid meteor showers in all their glory.

 We’d heard so many stories of crowds hitting the road across the US that it seemed alarming to   head off without a plan. My issue is that I want a “stellar” experience- a great campground AND a great spot. This takes a bit of time & effort.

 - Learn the system. Some parks take reservations 11 months ahead. Others are four. You KNOW I was online exactly the second the system opened. As a result I had waterfront spots or huge spots with no neighbors nearby. Download apps, input credit card numbers & be ready to roll!

 - Consider what you want in a spot. Are views or privacy most important? If so, grab spots on the edge of campgrounds. If proximity to showers or laundry is important, pick a more central spot. Apps even have pictures of each spot & reviews from past campers.

 - Water is king. Access to & water pressure are critical. I still find myself worried about how much we have. Another point- shower rooms are not gross. Many times I’ve opted for a long luxurious “Hollywood” shower in the campground shower. These are not prison-style showers- you have your own private rooms with a door, benches, sinks & hooks with access to plugs & mirrors. At Kodachrome SP, we had rain shower heads AND handheld shower wands.

 - We’ve cooked & prepared meals much less than we expected. We are out & about all day so often we opt for a linner (Lunch/Dinner) at a recommended local restaurant. I’ve had our meal plans delivered periodically when we can get packages (Yes, the Amazon driver can still find you!) & have focused on those that are easiest to prepare. Our freezer is still packed with the tuna, sauces & soups I brought from home but we whittle away at our stores.

 - We’ve found that we don’t like to move often & enjoy a wide mix of full-service campgrounds mixed with rustic state or national park spots with more limited resources. Staying put for a while allows you to dig into an area & learn the best hikes & restaurants from locals.  We’ve also opted for shorter days on the road- not much more than four hours max on the road, & mix music, news, audiobooks & pleasant conversation to pass the time.

 - Assume all of America does not have blazing fast wifi or any cell coverage. We are careful to download driving & hiking maps when we have a signal (a shout out to All Trails!) & even have paper maps (gasp!) Sometimes we have TV, sometimes not. A BIG shoutout to the Baileys for a loaner portable DISH Tailgater system to satisfy Jeff’s need for SEC football.

 Like home, we haven’t been able to control weather & have had near misses with mudslides, fires & rainstorms. A rain day is a chance to rest knees & catch up on laundry (also easy on the road.) With Covid, we have much greater control over our environment than if we were moving from hotel to hotel & have all our favorite “stuff” without repacking. We’ve found it important to us that we keep the rig neat & tidy so we can find things & it makes it feel much bigger with things put away where they belong.

What’s been surprising? How many friends we’ve connected with along the way- both by accident & on purpose. We’ve had several surprise meetups with pals & have made new friends at campgrounds- how often does that happen in a VRBO or hotel? Campers LOVE touring each others rigs & sharing favorite travel finds. We've had to purchase dog treats for all the visiting puppies.

Another surprise? How busy you will be. I carried books, puzzles & art supplies but am still reading my first paper book) albeit I’ve completed many audiobooks while hiking. Why would I go inside until we’ve enjoyed sunset?

My final surprise is how handy Big Red, our new big ass truck, has been.  At all times she has our outdoor gear, wine, portable office, trusty basil plant & much, much more in her cabin. Don’t’ even get me started about all that we have in the truck bed.  We have, however, realized we don’t need a lot of things we brought. And we haven't killed each other... not even close.

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…