Dealing with the unpredicablity of life and your camper!

[pk1023]

Okay, this is going to come out as just as complaint session, but I have to express it.

Soo... We've had a travel trailer for about 2 years, traded our terribly little one in on a nice BIG 30 foot unit with a slide. It's something our family of four can really live in and that's great.

Using it the 2nd time here in Central Indiana this weekend. Not far from home, about 30 minutes. I wanted to go a bit further, but about a week ago a co-worker at the preschool where my wife teaches said there's this "big party they host on their farm" this same weekend. My wife wanted to go and I think that pretty much helped decide that we'd camp but stay close. No problem I thought, camping is camping, just fun to get away.

The other challenge comes last Sunday, we need a reservation. So we start calling around, finding not much. Finally choose a private place that's like 37 bucks a night, much more than the 26 we pay at state parks. But, it's something and close which will allow the party to be attended.

So here we sit on Thursday. The weather forecast is pretty BAD for the weekend. It's going to be a wet, cold affair this weekend in Central Indiana.

So, before we break into the courses of all the things you can do camping while it might be raining, we know all that. We have board games and TV, plus my 10 and 8 year olds are happy to just play their video games. That's not the problem.

The problem is the best laid plans always seem to fail for us. What will run through my head all weekend is could be sitting in our nice, big house instead of paying 37 bucks. I mean it'll be rainy and cold, it won't be weather anyone wants to go out in. Probably no fire, probably no bike riding.

I'm excited to go to the party, I think that'll be a good time. But, it seems like the smarter move would have been to cancel camping...

I just get this feeling as I sit here at this desk and work 8 hours a day that god is mocking me. It's like I do all this work to get these cool toys, but then I can't seem to ever get what I need.

There was a stretch of weather here in Sept, the weather people kept saying "Get Out and Enjoy it" over and over. But I couldn't. Work, school, commitments. I couldn't enjoy it with my camper because life doesn't just work that way. The best of nature doesn't just line up with the schedules of a life. Flag football doesn't cancel for GREAT weather, just crappy, which means it took even MORE time up.

Okay, let the flaming begin! 🙂

[rolling_rhoda]

No scolding from me. I have felt that way, too, and in truth have had equal amounts of good weather and awful for RVing. When the weather has us beaten, we still like the getaway. Since we have to be indoors in less than 400 square feet, we end up having good conversations. Everyone helps with meals and we eat together. We dress for the weather and head outside each day, too. We grouse about the weather, but it sure is great for us to have those hours together. They have become rare.

[NYCgrrl]

Earlier this summer we were tent camping during the dying out of Hurricane Arthur along the LI shore. Lots of wind and rain. I mean a lot. We'd reserved for almost 3 weeks and it rained for almost half of that time.
Yeah sure it changed our plans around but basically it was for the better. Kids got so used to the rain and lack of outdoor movies(a weekly feature of this SP) that they started a evening game of "Tag in the Rain" that lasted almost 3 nights. One of the nice parts of the tag game is all the children regardless of age played and were welcome.

Out loud book reading/storytelling was at an all time high during this trip. Moved the furniture to the perimeter of the screen room and turned it into an indoor playroom. We swam in the mornings since it rarely rained in that time frame and then traveled further in the drier northern counties of the state to visit museums, forests and state parks; picked blueberries and merely explore. Good times were had by all despite our original expectations.

[tomkaren13]

We are accused the same as oldtrojan66. Last camping season every time we went to our favorite CG it rained. Even had a neighbor say they would not go camping with us. However we enjoyed every time, even had campfires between showers. Ponchos and plastic shoes for walks in the rain!

[Jacksons]

learned a long time ago, just because the weatherman says rain, dosen't mean it will, and when they say sunny, it isn't. in the begining canceled trips because it said rain, stayed home, and great weather. so just go camping, weather happens

[et2]

Our trips are usually in areas that have places to see and restaurants to choose from. Mostly in resort towns. So there is always something to do or visit. Rain doesn't ruin things too much.

[paulcardoza]

Put out the awning, set up a chair and relax to the sound of the rain.... If you get tired of that, head inside to watch a little TV, listen to music, play cards, whatever..... Failing all that, take a drive, see a movie, do some shopping. You don't have to be frolicking around in the sunshine to enjoy the day.

[Dog_Folks]

pk1023 wrote:

Yeah, I can see the logic there. I am probably too tightly wound about it all.

I just struggle with the time commitment that work puts on me. It seems like all my best laid plans for my free time never quite pay the dividends that I hope they will.

Now that said, often on a Sunday night I will say, what a great weekend it was even with all the unknowns.

I dunno.

Don't sweat it, it is normal. Just take a few deep breaths and relax when camping.

Don't over plan camping trips. Just plan the major things. Leave the details to themselves.

Don't ask me how I know.

[pk1023]

kcmoedoe wrote:
Unless I missed something, isn't the party and the camping separate events? If you are uncomfortable taking out the trailer and staying in it for the weekend, stay home and drive your car to the party. If you lose some money because of deposits at the campground, so what? They didn't cause the weather to be bad and they met their obligation of having a site for you. If you are so tightly wound that you have become so inflexible you cannot change your plans due to something you cannot control (the weather), you really need to go to the party and loosen up.

Yeah, I can see the logic there. I am probably too tightly wound about it all.

I just struggle with the time commitment that work puts on me. It seems like all my best laid plans for my free time never quite pay the dividends that I hope they will.

Now that said, often on a Sunday night I will say, what a great weekend it was even with all the unknowns.

I dunno.

[kcmoedoe]

Unless I missed something, isn't the party and the camping separate events? If you are uncomfortable taking out the trailer and staying in it for the weekend, stay home and drive your car to the party. If you lose some money because of deposits at the campground, so what? They didn't cause the weather to be bad and they met their obligation of having a site for you. If you are so tightly wound that you have become so inflexible you cannot change your plans due to something you cannot control (the weather), you really need to go to the party and loosen up.

[pk1023]

oldtrojan66 wrote:

Another thing about this forum thing, is the same with texts or emails. You cannot feel the empathy someone is sharing when only reading the words on a screen. Many times things come out much more harsh than they are intended. Keep you chins up and Have as Much Fun as you Can!

Right, I think this is the best of advice given so far. I think part of "growing up" is learning that Karma is neither fair nor dealt out equally.

It's like the dog analogy and I think it applies here. The big, dumb dogs are happy and don't bark because they don't realize they're unhappy. But, the smart dog knows his own existence better and realizes it's an unfair world... Therefore, he barks and causes trouble because he wants more of everything...

[FunnyCamper]

Op, Yea. I know.

life gets busy and weather won't cooperate with your schedule 🙂 🙂

ya just gotta deal with it.

I would cancel the camping trip probably. if the rain for the whole weekend is truly annoying in a way to you, why bother? stay home, let the kids do their games in the house etc. it sucks to set up and tear down an RV in the rain anyway 🙂

[happybooker1]

God is capricious. Learn to live with it. That's the best advice I can give.

[DutchmenSport]

In our younger years, it seemed to rain on us every time we went tent camping. The wife said, get me off the ground and dried out or I'll never camp again! So we got a pop-up.

Then it seemed it was always either extremely cool for the season or we got caught in rain ... EVERY trip for 6 years! Finally the wife said, get me something dry or I quit camping.

Got our first hard sided travel trailer. She never complained again about the weather.

We are in our 3rd travel trailer now, each one fitting our needs more and more. We finally have one that is EXTREMELY comfortable to be in, even in the most adverse weather! It now does not matter what the weather is, we enjoy the inside of the camper as much as being outside.

I think the secret to successful RV-ing is to fall in love with your camper, enjoy it so much, you don't care if you ever set foot outside it!

[oldtrojan66]

I totally understand the OP's frustration. For many weeks after we started camping, it seemed to rain EVERY time we went out. In fact our friends started asking when we planned to go so they could choose a different week-end because it would surely rain! Then we had a share of mechanical issues, some major and some not, but irritating. I will sleep in our camper nearly every week-end and sometimes pretend I'm somewhere else. But this I have discovered (I'm not a camping veteran, just three summers), the fun times are the ones I decide are going to be fun. If its reading for a couple hours, or walking with an umbrella cause the weather won't cooperate, that's what it is. I know you will enjoy some trips more than others, and hopefully the good will start to outweigh the not so good.

Another thing about this forum thing, is the same with texts or emails. You cannot feel the empathy someone is sharing when only reading the words on a screen. Many times things come out much more harsh than they are intended. Keep you chins up and Have as Much Fun as you Can!

We're in central Indiana, as well. Happy Trails!

[SkiingSixPack]

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