New Tent trailer owner:) just looking for advice and tips

Everyone's lifestyle is a bit different, so what I bring camping may not be what you bring/need. Try either "driveway" camping, where you set-up in your driveway, but "camp=out" to figure out what you need, or try a CG VERY close to home (or a WalMart) so that you can fetch anything that you've forgotten or really need.

Congrats on your new purchase and hope you have lots and lots of fun and good memories. You've asked a lot of questions, not sure I can answer all of them unless this post becomes 126 pages long! The big thing is, you WILL learn how it all works, and you will have a lot of fun doing it too.

Your walk through class will teach you the basics, how to set it up, take it down, put up the awning, propane tank, electrical, water, hitching, stuff like the ... the mechanics of it all. "Camping" is something you learn by experience, and there is no right or wrong way to do it. Think of your camper as an extension of your own home. Dress it out with things that make you comfortable and things you like. There's no magic bullet or no one single place you have to go to for camping supplies or gear. Don't over complicate. Keep it simple and start with basic items.

Think of your pop-up as a tent on a trailer ... which is exactly what it is. As long as your "tent" is dry, there is no need to air anything out, apart from natural use. You can park them anywhere, but the advantage of parking on a hard surface instead of grass is because grass will die under the camper if it's parked for any long period of time. I think that's the only reason for not parking on grass.

One thing you REALLY REALLY need to do before you head out on your first camp-out away from home, is to do a "driveway camp." Spend a week end in your camper in the driveway, and try to live in it without any dependency upon your house (except for maybe bathroom and shower). Even in a campground, may people use bath houses for bathroom and shower and never use the facilities in their camper.

Just remember, don't over complicate it. BUT do have an immense amount of fun!

Congrats again!

Our first camper was a Coleman tent trailer. We loved it. As for airing it out, we found that when we got home we wanted to pop it back up and unload, clean, etc. We generally left it up for a couple of days after a trip for airing. This is mandatory if you have to break camp in the rain or even if the fabric is wet when you fold up. Just leave it popped up and open for air flow for a day or so when the weather is dry. I totally agree with doing a couple of test runs first. Find a close-by KOA or something similar and stay for a couple of nights. Within 2 days, you'll know what you're missing. I think you'll be just fine, and I'll give you fair warning: This stuff is addictive.

Thanks for the replies. We are doing a test run about a mile from home gonna try to see how well the dog does as well so we don't have to send her to doggie camp. Gary I'm from western NC( in Canada now) and the plan is to head back that way next year when were comfortable with The trailer. Around Asheville / Cherokee any reccomendations on places ?

Lil_Hell_Kat wrote:
Thanks for the replies. We are doing a test run about a mile from home gonna try to see how well the dog does as well so we don't have to send her to doggie camp. Gary I'm from western NC( in Canada now) and the plan is to head back that way next year when were comfortable with The trailer. Around Asheville / Cherokee any reccomendations on places ?

Not Gary. But if your going to Cherokee. I suggest, Happy Holiday

Make sure that when you do a dry run "campout" that you spend the night and some considerable time in the camper and outside of "LuLu" the next day. Even a 2 night "excursion" wouldn't be a bad idea.

WoodGlue

Congratulations on your new home on wheels. That is the way to think of it, a second home, just on wheels. :)

Set this home up like you would a regular (stick and brick) home. You got a bedroom(s). I'm currently of the mind that sleeping bags are the way to go. Just toss them out and they're ready for sleeping. Kitchen, use the same style of pots and pans and coffee maker as at home. Also, the same food. After a while you'll want to start to experiment with different things. At first follow the KISS rule. Living room, you got the whole outdoors, enjoy it!

I think you'll do fine and have a great time. If you can tent camp then everything else in the trailer is just icing on the cake. Here's what I would say are some good things to know that many first timers miss.

#1 You need 4 wheel blocks (chocks). Use all four, one in front and back of each tire before you unhitch.

#2 The safety chains are the last things disconnected from the tow vehicle. Every year there is at least one post on here of someone lifting the trailer tongue off the hitch ball and the trailer starts to roll away. Then they tell about dragging their feet trying to stop the trailer from going into the lake. Leave the safety chains hooked to the vehicle until the tires are chocked, the trailer is off the hitch and not moving.

#3 The 120v outlets in the trailer will not work on battery power. Those are the outlets that look like the wall outlets at home. This means the microwave, DVD player, toaster oven, air conditioner etc will not work on battery power.
To use these outlets you have to have an electrical hookup site. There is a cord that pulls out of the trailer and plugs into an outlet in the campsite. After that your 120 volt outlets will work as long as the cord is plugged in.

There are some really nice campgrounds in the area and we enjoy spending weekends around the NC mountains. Would you rather be near or in Asheville, near Cherokee and the casino, or have kids and looking for a campground with stuff for them to do? Ela Campground is right on the river and between Bryson City and Cherokee. We go there almost every summer for tubing and to visit Cherokee.
The Asheville East KOA is right off I-40 in Swanannoa and is one of our favorite spots. The Swanannoa River flows right through it and there are two small lakes, one for fishing/paddleboats, the other is surrounded by a nice walking trail. If you rembember it being a little rough in the past, it's changed over the years for the better. Very clean and kid friendly now. There are a couple more that are right in Asheville and I've heard good things about, but I haven't camped in those.

Check out the "Folding Trailers" forum here, that's where the people with pop-ups hang out.
And try this site: http://popupexplorer.com/forum/

Lots of people transition from tents, to pop-ups, then a hybrid, and finally a full travel trailer or 5th wheel.