Do you unload when you camp? Really?

I've never unloaded at a camp site in 9.5 years of owning my AF 811. I always have a motorcycle with me, which becomes my recreational activity when camping.

I forgot to mention that there are also some old stone arched bridges in Acadia NP that have low clearances that might have been an issue for us. We might have been OK with our camper as long as I stayed in the middle of the arch, but with the camper off the truck we didn’t have to worry about it at all.

:):)

It all depends on your travel style and what you want when you explore. I never unload except to put it in storage. Even when I stay someplace for four or five days, it still stays on the truck. But that's because even when we go out for the day, we want the camper with us so we don't have to pack a cooler, so we have the bathroom with us, so we have our change of clothes with us, etc. It helps that we have a small hard side which is way under our payload so driving it around is a piece of cake. It also helps that we don't have anything to setup as everything has it's place, is in it's place when not being used and travels in it's place. Nothing has to be moved to do something as nothing is stored in the bathroom, on the bed, dinette etc. From relaxing in the camper to going someplace only takes a minute or two.

Even when we had a boat and launched it every day, we still didn't unload, again because it didn't make sense to unload to me though I am very proficient at loading/unloading with 30+ years experience.

So the question folks have of whether one unloads is very valid and the answer can only apply to you as it is a personal choice.

I don’t always, but did recently when we visited Acadia NP in Maine. We used the truck to get around in the park, and of course to go get a lahbstah dinner in Bah Hahbah each evening. :B



If you look closely, you’ll see that I used my load-guide ropes to help me get back under the camper easily. I also made a mark on each jack leg with a grease pencil before I lowered it down so I’d know when it was up high enough to clear the bed. The spot where the camper is sitting was pretty level, but not perfect so the legs were extended different lengths. The approach to the camper rolled off downhill, so the truck angle changed quite a bit as it moved under the camper. The load guide ropes made the process very easy, as I only had to watch the rear tire relationship to the ropes.

Here’s a link to a topic I posted describing their use.

TC Load Guide Ropes

:):)

I can't remember the last time I unloaded the camper while on a trip. I really don't see a need too where I go.

REALITY is that it takes some skills to unload/load and not everybody must feel to do it in the middle of their mini-vacations.
I had a boating friend, who always ask me to back up his boat on the ramp and there was nothing wrong with it.
We unload the camper even with 2 days stay due the dogs. This way we can leave them in camper with AC, while we can go anywhere with no limits.
Last time I was fooling around the camper with remote, a neighbor with big MH + toad drop his jaw and ask me how it works.