Back after a couple of years away from the board
I thought I'd re-introduce myself. . . our camping and family situation are quite different than they were the last time I was hanging around here.
We just acquired my in-laws' 2009 Fleetwood Utah popup camper. They bought it new, stored it under a cover, and have taken incredible care of it. It's in like-new condition.
Our camping roster includes me, DW, and our four kids (6, 4, 3, and 1 - all girls except for the 4-year old). The dog will probably stay at home for most of our trips.
The camper really is perfect for us right now. . . we live in HOA land, so I didn't want to store something at a lot again. This camper is the largest one that will fit in my garage (my parents have a Fleetwood Avalon that is too big, or we'd be talking about it).
We had a TT back when our second child was born, but when we learned #3 was on the way we felt we'd outgrown it. We needed to go to a bunkhouse to stay in the TT world, and those start getting pretty long when you consider paying for storage.
Having both my parents and hers nearby with campers, we have taken a few trips in recent years, but nowhere near what we'd like. So, we're back into the PUP world (we had one before our last TT) and a little more rustic than luxurious, but the point is to keep these kiddos out in nature and seeing the country.
We traded the '05 Chevy crew cab 2500HD gasser in for a 2010 Chevy Express 3500 12-passenger van when we learned #4 was on the way. The truck was out of seats, but I didn't want to lose our ability to look at full TTs (or go buy a new TV if I ever learn we're being blessed by #5). So, we love the van and the space it gives us. . . and it's more than adequate to pull the PUP. (Fine. . . categorize me as a badge-carrying member of the weight police if you must.) :)
I work from home and my wife is homeschooling our kids, so it's nice that we can camp during the offseason and avoid the major crowds (and avoid the worst of our Texas weather).
I've got a few initial problems to solve:
- Find the easiest, least expensive way to bring our kayaks along for some trips
- Find the easiest way to bring some bicycles along (FIL has a bike rack attached to the rear bumper, but we need to take it off to fit the camper in the garage. It's not an easy solution to put back on before every trip or I'd keep it. The PUP does have a WD hitch that keeps me from using the hitch-mounted bike racks, although my 1-ton van may not need the WD setup the way his Hyundai Santa Fe did.)
- Plan our first real trip!!!
We historically loved Texas State Parks; I'm sure we'll start to branch out some.
We just acquired my in-laws' 2009 Fleetwood Utah popup camper. They bought it new, stored it under a cover, and have taken incredible care of it. It's in like-new condition.
Our camping roster includes me, DW, and our four kids (6, 4, 3, and 1 - all girls except for the 4-year old). The dog will probably stay at home for most of our trips.
The camper really is perfect for us right now. . . we live in HOA land, so I didn't want to store something at a lot again. This camper is the largest one that will fit in my garage (my parents have a Fleetwood Avalon that is too big, or we'd be talking about it).
We had a TT back when our second child was born, but when we learned #3 was on the way we felt we'd outgrown it. We needed to go to a bunkhouse to stay in the TT world, and those start getting pretty long when you consider paying for storage.
Having both my parents and hers nearby with campers, we have taken a few trips in recent years, but nowhere near what we'd like. So, we're back into the PUP world (we had one before our last TT) and a little more rustic than luxurious, but the point is to keep these kiddos out in nature and seeing the country.
We traded the '05 Chevy crew cab 2500HD gasser in for a 2010 Chevy Express 3500 12-passenger van when we learned #4 was on the way. The truck was out of seats, but I didn't want to lose our ability to look at full TTs (or go buy a new TV if I ever learn we're being blessed by #5). So, we love the van and the space it gives us. . . and it's more than adequate to pull the PUP. (Fine. . . categorize me as a badge-carrying member of the weight police if you must.) :)
I work from home and my wife is homeschooling our kids, so it's nice that we can camp during the offseason and avoid the major crowds (and avoid the worst of our Texas weather).
I've got a few initial problems to solve:
- Find the easiest, least expensive way to bring our kayaks along for some trips
- Find the easiest way to bring some bicycles along (FIL has a bike rack attached to the rear bumper, but we need to take it off to fit the camper in the garage. It's not an easy solution to put back on before every trip or I'd keep it. The PUP does have a WD hitch that keeps me from using the hitch-mounted bike racks, although my 1-ton van may not need the WD setup the way his Hyundai Santa Fe did.)
- Plan our first real trip!!!
We historically loved Texas State Parks; I'm sure we'll start to branch out some.
