Memories of your very first trailer camping trip

[profdant139]

(Sorry if this is a thread that has been done before -- I searched and did not find it.)

So in 2005, we bought a very small used trailer, just as an experiment -- we had never camped a day in our lives, but we were sick of staying in motels and eating bad food at high prices.

Just to try it out, we went for one night to a campground a couple of hours away from the house, up in the Angeles National Forest. Just by sheer luck (we went midweek), it was completely empty (which was a good thing, because if there had been any spectators, they would have died laughing while we tried to back the trailer into the campsite). We eventually got parked, and took a deep breath: Silent. Cool. Shady. Breezy.

We went on a hike that afternoon, came back and had snacks and drinks and watched the sunset. A quiet dinner by candlelight. We slept better than we ever had at home. No phone, no computer, no television, no freeway noise, no air traffic.

Brilliant sunshine the next morning, birds singing, the wind in the trees. We hated to leave. My wife summed it up: "This was magical!! Where has this been all our lives? What took us so long?" We were hooked.

OK, your turn!

[Naio]

I grew up tent camping, and so did my dad. So we go way back. We lived in remote areas.... went camping at different remote areas :).

I've never camped in an actual RV, although when I was 10 or 11 us neighbor kids all spent a night one night in someone's parents' trailer in the driveway. It was a little midcentury model, 10 or 12 feet, no bathroom.

Oh, and when I was 4 our grandparents rented a class A and visited us on our ranch. The RV had a soda dispenser built into the wall! Made a big impression on me.

I started with my van two years ago. 16 out of the last 24 months.

[ams1130]

We bought our first TT from a salvage yard; a total write off due to hail damage. Gawd it was ugly, but it had a cassette toilet! We thought we were living the life; prior to that we had been tenters.

We camped with it until our kids (maybe 2 and 4 at the time) became teenagers. Happy memories.

[ams1130]

profdant139 wrote:
I am envious of everyone who discovered RV camping while their kids were young -- we missed out on all of that. On the other hand, empty nest camping is not so bad! 😉

We did camp when our kids were around, but you're right; empty nest camping is not bad at all!

[Cannondale61]

My first trip was in early 60"s. My parents bought a 17 foot Elcona single axle trailer. I can remember my dad getting mad at my older brother as my dad tried to back it into the driveway. My brother was driving tractor trailer for Uncle Sam and he was laughing so hard he could not offer advice. We went to 4 mile creek state park in NY only 20 minutes from house. Then Leachworth state park and thousand islands that summer. I do not have clear memories but my dad took many pics while my mother kept a journal.

[profdant139]

I am envious of everyone who discovered RV camping while their kids were young -- we missed out on all of that. On the other hand, empty nest camping is not so bad! 😉

I guess that since we got such a late start, we feel the need to make up for lost time -- we are now averaging about 80 nights a year. We realize that life is short -- go camping now!

[Hannibal]

After many years of a tent and a truckload of stuff strapped to my old Harley, we decided to buy a camper. We decided on a brand new '94 Aljo 18.5 Deluxe. It seemed huge towing it home with my F150. We lit out to a campground 100~miles away. Upon arrival, I backed the trailer up on the pad without any trouble as I'd pulled boats and utility trailers for years. Seemed logical to me. Once the laughter morphed into helpful advice, I moved the trailer beside the pad and all went well. :B

[samsontdog]

My first camping trip was in 1942. Model A with tarps etc , no tents. With my Dad and 5 brothers and sisters

[RavensFan24]

We bought our first trailer in 2007 and spent 3 months traveling the country. We started in Huntington Beach, CA and wandered up through CA, OR, WA, Vancouver BC, over to Yellowstone, UT, CO, SD, IA, IL, IN, OH, PA and then MD where we're originally from.

Most amazing trip of my life and wish I was still out there just enjoying the country.

[PUCampin]

profdant139, wow! I have enjoyed so many of your trip reports and picture, I would never have guessed you have only been camping since 2005! I come from a long line of camping family, My grandparents used to take my father and uncles on camping trips. They used a Ford wagon with a roof top cargo carrier and later a Ford truck with a king of the road TC. My parents bought a 72 VW Westfalia before I was born, so I have been camping since in utero.

As far as myself, I have tent camped on my own and taken friends since I could drive. Started is a 75 VW Super Beetle and then a 95 Ford Ranger longbed with shell and carpet kit insert.

I bought my first trailer, a 81 Palomino 8ft in 2002 for $300. (Hence my screen name PUCampin) I made some repairs and improvements and loved it! It went to Yosemite, Death Valley, and Whitney Portal among other places. Sometimes, I wish I still had it, but my brother has it now and has enjoyed it. I met my wife in March of 2004 and we camped in the pop-up until one Fall 2005 trip to the Sequoias. Our campsite was at the end of the campground and they only had one restroom open. It was a 10-15 minute walk or a drive. At the end of that trip I was told it was easy for a guy to just "go" in the bushes, but she required something with a bathroom!

So in fall of 2005 we started looking at TTs. It was a bit of a challenge to find something that was affordable for us (money was tight), could be towed by our then Explorer, and would meet our needs. We found the Pioneer 180CK in my sig that fit the bill and was perfect for us and the family that we planned to have. (We later determined our oldest was conceived on that last trip in the pop-up, maybe that is why she loves camping so much!) All our kids have grown up with the Pioneer and they all love to go camping.

The 180CK is actually fairly small by TT standards, but almost a mansion compared to what DW and I were used to. I have occasionally lusted over other floor plans and bigger spaces, but the 180CK continues to meet all our needs and fits many places something bigger would not. It is almost paid for and other than the faded graphics is in great shape. I see us using until the kids are grown.

DW and I have talked about getting a small class A and part timing after retirement and the kids are grown. I see us camping of some sort until we are physically unable or dead, and hopefully our kids will look back at these as some of their fondest memories. The second half of my childhood had a lot of turmoil due to my parents nasty divorce, but I fondly remember our family camping trips and vacations.

[beemerphile1]

Too many years ago to remember. In essence, I have been camping by one means or another almost my entire life.

I never get tired of it even though I have a nice home in a somewhat rural/suburban area with a huge yard.

[Aron]

I've been camping pretty regularly for the past 30 years or so in tents (with family, and in boy scouts). And I never really understood why people would bring RVs to camp in.

Two years ago, my family of five (including 3 young kids) was camping for a few days in Greenbrier SP in MD, including a couple of nights in pounding rainstorms. We didn't mind the rain, but when it came time to break camp, it took more than 3 hours to pack up the wet gear and try to jigsaw it all back into the minivan and still have room for everybody to sit. The guy in the site next to me had a popup, and I watched him fold up his trailer with ease...seemed like he was gone in like 10 minutes! And I finally began to appreciate why someone would camp in an RV.

I spent the next six months looking at popups, but came to the conclusion that our minivan just wouldn't tow enough to make a popup work. And we started dreaming about cross-country trips that might be easier in a full travel trailer rather than a popup. Then came the search for a bigger tow vehicle. With the large(ish) family with two still in booster seats, I settled on a full size SUV to get the maximum towing possible--9200 lb! (I learned quite a bit later that this means very little, and the payload rating that I should have been paying attention to went completely unnoticed.) We rented a 24' trailer to "test out the concept" for a long weekend the following spring, which went well. Rented the same trailer last summer for a 2-week trip around New England, and we were hooked!

So we started looking at purchasing in earnest last fall. We spent many months looking at 30-35' trailers (hey, their dry weights are more than 1000lb less than my max towing capability, so we should be fine, right?), but then I started getting familiar with what the weight ratings all really meant. My wife started to get frustrated with me as I had to keep dialing back her expectations every few weeks as I learned more and more about how limited our tow vehicle really was (1400 lb payload). Finally a few months ago, we finally were able to settle on a model that seemed to fit what we were looking for and that we could tow--the KZ Spree 240bhs. Unfortunately, not many dealers stock that model, so we had to get it ordered from the factory. It should be delivered in a couple more weeks. THEN I'll get to spend my first night in *my* first trailer. 🙂

[punomatic]

We brought our used TT home from the dealer, loaded up and drove about 15 miles to a state park. While I struggled with the set-up, DW walked the dog to keep her from hearing any foul language. I couldn't figure out the awning, so DW went back to someone she had met on her walk. He came down and helped me put the awning up.

The first night, the neighbors were up all night laughing and singing. I think there may have been some alcohol involved. DW was not sure this was fun. Next trip was a couple weeks later and involved driving on the freeway. Yikes! I was scared silly, but we made it safely and had lots of fun, until DW fell off her bike and skinned her knee.

Well, it's ten years and three RVs later, and every time we get home from a trip, DW can't wait to hit the road again.

[Jebby14]

don't remember I wasent even walking yet. same deal for both my kids dd at 4 months ds at 6.5 weeks

[jjjandrbaker]

About six years ago, I got tired of tent camping in the hot Texas summer heat. I started yearning for a quick silver pop up that I fell in love with when I actually saw it at the dealer. Wife wouldn't go for it. Then all of a sudden about a year later, she says, " Go get your danged pop up!" I rushed to the dealer, but they no longer carryied that model. They told me they had issues with the company not supporting customers when problems occurred with the pop ups. They showed me another one, that was just your basic pop up. Unfortunately, I didn't have a vehicle that would tow it. I guess my wife really did go crazy, because she told me to go buy a new truck, too. I spent a day going back-and-forth between the RV dealer and the Chevy dealer that were side by side buying both at the same time.

I enjoyed camping in the pop up for about six months. Then it got a leak in the air-conditioning. I took it in for service, and while I was there, I saw the trailer I have now. I mentioned to the dealer that I would've bought one of them had they been there when I bought the pop up. He told me I could trade up. I did. Ever since then, I have been happily camping in my little Colby T. Last night was my 229th night camping in it.

[DutchmenSport]

mbopp wrote:
...l The tv was a 9-passenger Pontiac Catalina wagon - full size, where you fold the back 2 seats down, load a 4'X8' sheet of plywood between the wheel wells, and closed the tailgate!...

mbopp... click on my "profile" link on the left. Is my dad's Pontiac Catalina wagon the same as your dad's? I remember that was an awesome car. I had the entire back end of the wagon to myself. My sisters sat in middle. Dad was TV repair man. He used that Pontiac to haul televisions ... and that was LONG before flat screens were even though of! Take a look!