100 nights

Here are some things one may or may not learn after spending 100 nights in a Camp-Inn. You can tell yourself that your other camping experiences have prepared you, but it’s a different game. A few games of strip poker do not qualify one for a high stakes Las Vegas table.

1. Being able to pick out the best site on a drive through taking into account the prevailing winds which are more important than you may think at first.

2. Parking the trailer in the exact right spot on the first try. No moving by hand required.

3. Setting up the canopy in the best spot to allow for dry cooking and dry eating on both sides of the table during rain. Susan hates rain running down her back while eating.

4. How to control the temperature to your specific comfort zone all night without wake up adjustments.

5. Fresh air/temperature adjustments in the rain.

6. Menu.

7. What not to cook in the galley.

8. What food you can leave in the galley when.

9. How to read people who have a sincere interest in seeing your unit versus wasting your time with the ones that just want a free show due to idle curiosity.

10. Finalizing and knowing your check lists by heart. (You did include turning off the water to the house before you left, so when the washing machine hose wanted to burst it wouldn’t flood the house, didn’t you?)

11. How to comfortably change clothes in the doorway without, God forbid, anyone seeing your underwear.

12. When not to choose the cheapest campground.

13. When to eat out.

14. How to make your cooler critter proof – except for bears.

15. How to make the bed without killing yourself.

16. The best place to store whatever, including fire extinguisher and bear spray.

17. Not packing too much or too little.

18. When you need walls.

19. What options or accessories you should not have skipped.

20. How to keep a 12’ x 12’ canopy (44% more sq. ft. than a 10’ x 10’) from catching rain or blowing away in a 35 mph wind.

21. How long whatever lasts. (Two cases of beer last 7 days.)

Etc.

If you have a handle on the above, great! I’m still working on some of them myself. Good luck to everyone, especially the wannabes who think they already know it all. Please direct any questions to the 28% group. Thanks.

Hilditch

 

Hilditch, you certainly have a way with words. I think I'm actually learning to enjoy your particular sense of humor.

10. I'm afraid I never turn off the water to the washer.
11. If you don't want to see it, don't look. :blush:
15. We haven't learned how to do this yet. I hate changing the sheets.
17. Every trip I have a pile of things under a tarp that never get used. (The pile is getting smaller, though...) I think that the more experienced we get the less we will bring.
20. We lost a 10'x10' last winter to snow.

 

WOW! That list is perfect. Nailed it exactly. I mean really. I like #1, everyone always forgets about wind direction. #15 is so true had to laugh at that. I hope everyone pays attention to number 19 too.

Cary

 

No problem there...that's the easy part for me!

 

I'm sure Betsey!! Experience counts. Hopefully many of us will get to say that too before we are too old to get back out period.

Hilditch

 

I don't think it's experience...LOL...I think it is because she is so so short (sorry Betsey) that it doesn't bother her to make the bed.

Good job with the list above, most of us have found these to be true. I agree with Evan on #11. If you don't want to see it, don't look. If they haven't seen it before....

As to #20. How to keep a 12’ x 12’ canopy ... most of us have lost one. We lost ours in Colorado in a storm. Now we either tie down extra or take down if windy. Figure it's just part of the experience of camping.

We have a few shelves built in the back of the garage where we store our camper for our supplies, awnings, DO's, etc... Depending on what type of camping we are doing or where we are going we pack accordingly to help relieve having to take so much extra each time. Also helps to preplan meals and have things ready ahead of time.

Enjoy all your excursions in the teardrops!!!

 

Well, I actually had thought of that but you have to remember, because I am short, it's harder for me to reach the bottom of the bed under the cabinets. Making the bed everyday is easy...just brush off the fitted sheet, pull up the flat one & quilt & I'm done. Now, changing the sheets is a bit more time consuming but having the fitted & flat sheets sewn together at the bottom makes a HUGE difference...only have to peel back a corner of the bottom end of the mattress, slip on the fitted, do the same on the other side & when the corner of the mattress is pushed back down, the sheets pull taut with it. Do the same at the top end of the mattress. Throw on the quilt & I'm done.

Of course, not having a TV hanging down in the middle & getting in the way, helps too. Also, an advantage of a 550 over a 560, it's not as far to reach the bottom of the mattress.

 

I had our sheets sewn together the first two years but found I didn't like it as well. I'm one to stick my feet out and not like things tight at the foot end, so I unstitched them and now tuck all in again. We too, don't have the TV to work around so it's not bad. I also have Jerry help, this goes much easier with two than one.

 

We use sleeping bags so we do not have to make the bed but I found when putting a cover on the mattress or vacumming off the cover that if I pull the mattress (the foot end) up till it rests on the wood under the cabinets it stays there and I can put the cover on both corners and then drop it down.

I heard on the news that some Microwave ovens turn themselves on - I think I will add pulling the plug to my "before I leave home" list.

 

Did you stitch it all the way across or just in the middle? Of course, neither of us have feet that reach to the end of the bed, so that's not a problem! Mine usually stick out the side.

 

Yep. That's what I sometimes do, too.

 

I had it stitched most of the way across the bottom. Both ways are ok to use, It was convient to have them sewed together though, especially when remaking the bed daily.

Pat, when it is colder out we throw an extra sleeping bag in for a cover.

 

Since my past RVs bed had dual purposes, sofa by day, and bed by night. I got tired of dealing with sheets, etc but really didn't want to use a sleeping bag. I purchased a Travasak which is like a sleeping bag but has sheets inside. They are secured by velcro. The blanket part has a summer side and a and winter side. Its pretty slick and I plan to use it in my teardrop...no hassles!

http://www.boatingequipmentstore.com/product/TravaSak-Sleep-System/Default.aspx?gfid=p700-o1967

 

Interesting Goldie...I like the concept. Will research it more.

 

Travasaks are popular among teardroppers. I have seen several & those who have them love them. It's a perfect application for it.

 

And you are just now telling us that... ?????

 

Well, some things you just have to find out on your own - I can't give you ALL the trade secrets, now can I??? ...and I really hadn't thought much about it...It occasionally comes up on the other teardrop forums...

 

Evan, For #17 above, I set a large Action Packer out the week before we camp. My wife and I fill it during the week. I also have a smaller Action Packer just for my wife to put wife stuff in. When these two are filled that's it. When they are filled, I bring the camper to the house and load them in side. This does not count chairs, awnings, and food.
When we pack for the ride home, we reload the Action Packers with what goes back in the house. When we get home I put the Action Packers back in the house and get them ready for the next trip. I have my family convinced forgetting something on a camp trip is part of the experience.