setting up after dark

[rainy029]

We will not be getting into the CG until close to dark due to work. I have always cringed when someone drives into a CG after dark and still needs to set up. My question is... IF it is dark when we get there can we just back it up and leave it hooked up to the truck until the next day? OR does it need to be level before putting jacks under it to sleep in it?

[2Ambros]

We arrived late (9:00 pm) to our cg last weekend. Plugged in the power cord and did everything else in the am. Worked out just fine !

[PAThwacker]

Weekend camping and late night setups with a pup where a nighmarish pasttime.

[PAThwacker]

?I always setup in the dark. Nine out ten trips, I will reserve a day early and setup the camper in complete darkness and empty campground.

[David_and_Chris]

We used to arrive late at night with a pop-up. The kids would have a set task to do quietly. We would have everything unhooked and set up to use for the night. We had received several comments over the years while we were packing up the next morning that they never heard us arrive that night.

[Nvr2loud]

happybooker1 wrote:

bpounds wrote:
It depends on where I'm going of course, but most often if we're going to arrive after dark, we just boondock that first night. We'll get as close as we can to the campground.

1. I don't like trying to back-in and spot in pitch darkness.
2. Saves one night of campground fees, and all we would be doing is sleeping anyway.
3. Avoids disturbing neighbors.
4. DW can work on breakfast while I do all the outside setup stuff.

How I would LOVE to do that! However, camping in the SUMMER in TEXAS precludes boondocking anywhere there's no electricity! Without AC it'd be over 100 degrees in the trailer all night long.

I can't even imagine 100 degrees during the day... I'm nearly dead at 90 degrees when in Florida. For me a nice hot day is in the low 80's. If I'm sweating just sitting around... it's too hot!

Of course, I live where it is below 32 degrees for 1/3 of the year and am perfectly comfortable outside.

[happybooker1]

Caveman Charlie wrote:

happybooker1 wrote:

bpounds wrote:
It depends on where I'm going of course, but most often if we're going to arrive after dark, we just boondock that first night. We'll get as close as we can to the campground.

1. I don't like trying to back-in and spot in pitch darkness.
2. Saves one night of campground fees, and all we would be doing is sleeping anyway.
3. Avoids disturbing neighbors.
4. DW can work on breakfast while I do all the outside setup stuff.

How I would LOVE to do that! However, camping in the SUMMER in TEXAS precludes boondocking anywhere there's no electricity! Without AC it'd be over 100 degrees in the trailer all night long.

I'm not from there but, couldn't you add a couple of 12 volt fans? Like those Fantastic Fans and then a couple more just setting around blowing air??? People lived there before the invention of Air Conditioning and that was not all that long ago. Again, I don't live there nor, have I ever visited there.

Oh how well do I know! My Grandma & Grandpa lived in West Texas where you could LITERALLY fry an egg on a piece of barn tin during the summer (yes we tried it!). They only had AC in th "parlour" dontchaknow? Well this Native Texan's wayyyy too spoiled by AC to sleep without it anymore, so no thank you!

[Caveman_Charlie]

happybooker1 wrote:

bpounds wrote:
It depends on where I'm going of course, but most often if we're going to arrive after dark, we just boondock that first night. We'll get as close as we can to the campground.

1. I don't like trying to back-in and spot in pitch darkness.
2. Saves one night of campground fees, and all we would be doing is sleeping anyway.
3. Avoids disturbing neighbors.
4. DW can work on breakfast while I do all the outside setup stuff.

How I would LOVE to do that! However, camping in the SUMMER in TEXAS precludes boondocking anywhere there's no electricity! Without AC it'd be over 100 degrees in the trailer all night long.

I'm not from there but, couldn't you add a couple of 12 volt fans? Like those Fantastic Fans and then a couple more just setting around blowing air??? People lived there before the invention of Air Conditioning and that was not all that long ago. Again, I don't live there nor, have I ever visited there.

[happybooker1]

bpounds wrote:
It depends on where I'm going of course, but most often if we're going to arrive after dark, we just boondock that first night. We'll get as close as we can to the campground.

1. I don't like trying to back-in and spot in pitch darkness.
2. Saves one night of campground fees, and all we would be doing is sleeping anyway.
3. Avoids disturbing neighbors.
4. DW can work on breakfast while I do all the outside setup stuff.

How I would LOVE to do that! However, camping in the SUMMER in TEXAS precludes boondocking anywhere there's no electricity! Without AC it'd be over 100 degrees in the trailer all night long.

[chracatoa]

I've done it but I hate it. I'm usually tired and I may make some mistakes. Also if there's an emergency on the road or with the trailer it's after hours and the whole family is there for the ride.

[2oldman]

Nvr2loud wrote:
The typical camper around here does not have backup beeps on their personal trucks.

No, I've not experienced that in the CG, just from the nearby construction projects, which usually start up at dawn.

Rrrrr.. BEEP BEEP BEEP!,, rrrrrrr, BEEP BEEP BEEP! Those things can be heard for quite a distance.

Yah, I know it has nothing to do with setting up at night!

[Caveman_Charlie]

Nvr2loud wrote:

DiskDoctr wrote:
When arriving or returning after dark, as soon as we get to the section with camping, we turn off our headlight, using only parking/running lights and crawl our way to our site.

We're normally near the back to avoid road traffic and try to give the same courtesy we appreciate by avoiding "Night to instant midday sun" events 😉

IMHO, if you arrive late and can be finished with noise within 20 mins or so, that's a reasonable amount of time. We would rather tolerate a little noise than have other campers miss a day/morning of camping. As it was well said above, we are all there for the same reason!

Due to automatic headlights and Daytime running lights... gone are the days around here that you can crawl through the campsite with only running lights. If I put my truck into gear... headlights come on and can't be turned off 😞

I can turn mine off once there on but, there is no way to keep them from coming on and lighting up everything in the first place. And, what's worse if that after I stop and shut off the engine every single light on the pickup comes on. It glows so brightly I bet you can see it from outer space. I hate that. I have found a button that I can push that stops that but, then the dome lights won't turn on when you open the door . Stupid design why do they force such stuff down our throats?

I pulled the fuse for the stupid Daytime Running Lights so that solves that problem.

[IndyCamp]

Plenty of good advice so I won't add to it, but...

Thanks for being considerate and thinking about your fellow campers!

[Nvr2loud]

2oldman wrote:

Boband4 wrote:
add the back up beep beep alarms.

Boy do I hate those things.

I've only ever heard them on Motorhomes and sometimes business owned pickup trucks. The typical camper around here does not have backup beeps on their personal trucks.

[Nvr2loud]

DiskDoctr wrote:
When arriving or returning after dark, as soon as we get to the section with camping, we turn off our headlight, using only parking/running lights and crawl our way to our site.

We're normally near the back to avoid road traffic and try to give the same courtesy we appreciate by avoiding "Night to instant midday sun" events 😉

IMHO, if you arrive late and can be finished with noise within 20 mins or so, that's a reasonable amount of time. We would rather tolerate a little noise than have other campers miss a day/morning of camping. As it was well said above, we are all there for the same reason!

Due to automatic headlights and Daytime running lights... gone are the days around here that you can crawl through the campsite with only running lights. If I put my truck into gear... headlights come on and can't be turned off 😞