Hi from Idaho

I am about 30 days away from ordering a new CI. Had a conversation with Cary about ordering for a 2011 spring pick-up.
I have spent the last 3 days with my face in my computer reading as much as I can - Camp Inn models and forums. Want to thank Evan for his efforts - makes me anxious to become a member of the Camp-Inn family.

Here are topics I need help with:
I would like to hear more from CI owners about whether a 2010 Forester will have any problems towing a 560 or 550?
Any experiences that could help me choose between the 560 and 550? (No children/no pets)
Is the sink backsplash now a part of the galley?
Is the Woody Wax/Sealant something that is worth applying immediately after leaving the Camp-Inn facility?
Is the Solar Hook-up for $152 worth considering for my Camp-Inn's future?
What are the most popular accessories?
And the last question for Evan: where did you get the mud flap attachment that I saw on your travel pics? Did that attach to your trailer tongue?

 

Kenster, We have a 2009 forester and a 560 and have no problem towing. We average 30 MPG without the trailer and 22 MPG with it.
Bruce

 

What are the most popular accessories?

The most popular accessory at campgrounds I have noticed is a dog!
One camping family I met travels with a bird.

Mine is a great heater.

jean

 

Hi Kenster

When you spoke to Cary did he indicate a date you would need to order by for a spring pick up. We are planning to order once we have had a look at the Camp inn at a Maine meetup on the 10-12th September and confirmed its what we want.

 

Barry and Anne,

My recommendation is before the end of Oct. So, you are in good shape if you are going to be checking out tears that soon.

Cary

 

Thanks Cary

 

Thanks Bruce,
I need to install a receiver hitch on our Forester. We will take it to a Subaru dealer. Any helpful suggestions would be appreciated.

 

Jean,

Thanks for your reply - love your humor!

Talking about heaters, any portable heaters that you recommend?

 

Kenster,

Some of the answers will have to stay in my mind.....

How about an electric mattress pad or blanket.
The little rat terrier is good. Any four legged friend would provide heat. Gee, wonder about a Great Dane!

Jean

 

Kenster,
We had the dealer install the hitch when we got the forester. It is made for the vehicle and the wiring harness just plugs into the factory harness. I had to install the elec. brake unit and a wire to charge the battery. If this is an option you want check with Cary about the battery isolator. I'm not sure what options there are for the hitch but ours is the smaller receiver and not the 2x2.
May be you do not want the larger one because of the weight limits for the vehicle.

 

Kenster,
We have a 550 classic that we tow with a 2009 Forester. Its been great. Milage does drop with a strong (40 mph )head wind - i.e. the Salinas Valley in CA.
We had a local shop that specializes in trailers install our 7 plug wiring.

We have a Classic model, but upgraded the lights. Would absolutely recommend this if you are not ordering an ultra.
We have the fantastic fan and love it. We do not have AC or a heater . Also, we are in the no TV camp.... All all personal preferences
We have the battery isolater and electric brakes
Oh and the stainless tables are a must.

Eileen
PS welcome to the family!

 

I would recommend the isolater because you will change tow vehicles at some point, and it will be nice not to have to deal with the same issue again.

Cary generally recommends the larger battery for people who will be running breathing machines and large equipment like that all night. For normal use, the smaller battery will have a longer life. With a good solar panel, running out of juice will hardly be an issue.

The sink/backsplash is included standard with a new unit. It is sold separately as a retrofit kit for older models.

The woody wax is a whole can of worms with MANY varying opinions. If you are like me, you will just wash your CI once a month and leave it at that. (classic Airstream look). If you are more particular about keeping the finish in mint condition, you can do the waubernizing or woody wax. I'd rather spend the time camping - but that's just me.

I would get the solar hookup for $152. Gives you lots of options later. (If I were buying again, I would send my solar panel to CI and have it factory mounted on my roof, instead of doing it myself)

Some of the most popular accessories are the screen doors, the sprayer hose, the two tables, and the fantastic fan. (Indeed, if you have to choose between the sunroof and the fan, get the fan. 560 owners can get both, though.)

The accessories that you need to put the most careful thought into are the ones that can't be added later: AC, heater, sunroof, etc... If you are on a budget things like screen doors, wind flaps, tables, and the water heater can be added later. But then, if you are on a budget why are you buying a Camp-Inn?

The mud flaps attach to the receiver hitch. Here is a link to that thread...
http://www.campinnforum.com/ubbthr...e=1&Main=106&Words=tamers&Search=true#Post439

 

We have a 12v mattress pad that does a nice job of taking the chill off the bed. Just plug it in about 30 minutes prior to bed & then turn it off. We also have a small electric ceramic heater (got it on clearance at Wal-Mart for $4.00 in June...it replaced our other one, which had been recalled), however we rarely ever need it. Only use it when it is very damp outside or below about 35º.

One thing to remember...it is easier to warm a teardrop (without mechanical means) than to cool it down. You would be surprised how warm it is with just two people in a teardrop.

 

I second the "Buddy Heater" and I'm sure McNugit will third it too. We used it in the galley so Lena didn't freeze to death while cooking. I've got a season ticket to Crystal Mountain Ski Resort for this coming winter - so we plan on doing a lot more winter camping. The propane furnace was a life saver for us.

 

To Evan, George, Cary, Jean, Barry&Annie, Bruce, Eileen, Betsey, and all who took the effort to answer my questions and welcome me to the Camp Inn family, a sincere "thank you".

I am looking forward to a solar panel education from Evan and others who done their homework.

 

Kenster, we've got quite a long thread going on solar power here (in case you haven't found it yet.)

http://www.campinnforum.com/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=766#Post766

 

Kenster you'll love your Camp-Inn (once you get it), regardless of the style you get. Try to see both the 550 and 560 trailers before you decide. We are only a few hours away from the Sandpoint area. Come to Selah. I love showing it off. Drop me an note if you're interested. Or, I'm still looking for a place to go fly fishing the weekend of Sept. 9th -12th, know of any good fishing holes your way?

I have mentioned this before but the 560 pictures on the Camp-Inn website do not do that trailer justice. I would highly recommend you look at Evan's trailer. If you have questions about "what should I add?" Snugglebug should also be considered the mother-load of options. I don't think there is anything more that can be bolted to, strapped on, built in, ordered, duck tapped or otherwise added to that 560.

 

Seems to me that the choice between 550 and 560 is pretty much a question of funds and how long you plan to keep it. If you consider yours a lifetime purchase and funds are not a real issue (although nobody likes to pay more than they need to, for many it's not really a choice between upgrading and paying the rent), why wouldn't you want the roomier 560, all else being equal? Weighs more, but still towable by nearly anything with four wheels. And if I recall correctly, Cary told me during my orientation that the 560 might even be a little more aerodynamic than the 550/500 shape. It cost me about 3mpg while towing it cross country behind my SUV, so in any case mileage doesn't seem to be an issue with the larger 560.

I have a fair number of options on mine (although no way could I match some on this site that way), and I wonder if I'll ever really get value from some of them -- Heck, I don't watch TV at home very much, so why did I add it for camping? Didn't initially add the bumper, but it just looked so cool I couldn't resist. Besides, it does serve some function in protecting that beautiful aluminum skin back there. Mission creep. Still, I consider it a lifetime purchase that my daughter and grandkids will be using as much or more than I do, and it'll be handed down some day. One late-added option that I have highly valued in the short time I've had my 560 (less than a month) has been the parking brake (sorry, Evan, although I agree it costs too much). My neighborhood has steep hills (very steep), and if I ever have to park on the street and disconnect, I sure don't want some troubled youngster to walk by and kick the wheel chocks out from behind it (I acknowledge the same is true of releasing that exposed brake handle). And although my driveway is flat, my garage where I store the trailer in California has a very slight (6" in 23 feet) slope for drainage, and when I roll the trailer in by hand (fairly easy to do, by the way), it tends to want to roll back gently toward me. Nice to be able to reach down and just yank that lever, and that ends the dance.

Here's a useless clue: Don't get the white sidewalls! Was that a no-brainer, or what? Besides, I climbed under the trailer two weeks ago to just see what the underside looks like. Guess what? White sidewalls, reversed to the inside of each wheel. Sure would have loved to have a 560 option for alloy wheels, though. 'Nuff said.

I was gonna buy the fancy metal Coleman 54-quart cooler sized for the galley opening when I got the trailer home, until I went online and looked at the reviews. Mostly favorable, but a few talking about fast melting ice, leaky drains, rusty stainless steel exteriors, poorly sealing lids, etc. I just assume in this age of globalization that some lowest-bid Chinese mainland manufacturer got the contract from Coleman. Check it out. So I put it off, and lo, Costco is now stocking a $25 Igloo poly-something 52-quarter that fits beautifully into that slot when you remove the handles (two easy-to-extract screws each side). Haven't checked out performance yet, but at $100 or more cheaper than the Coleman, it was good enough for me unless and until something absolutely irresistible comes up later.