Staying in Campgrounds with a Truck Camper

[Canadian_Camper]

We've only ever travelled in a travel trailer. Recently we sold it and bought a truck camper. We're going on a trip to Gaspe and Newfoundland this summer. Much of it will be boondocking, but we will stay in campgrounds/provincial parks as well.

With a travel trailer, it's simple. Unhook, set out the chairs, set up the bbq, tablecloth on the table etc etc. When we go on a day of touring, all of that stuff stays behind, but the site looks occupied because our travel trailer is sitting there as well. We;ve never had an issue anywhere.

With a truck camper, it has to go with you on your day of touring. Do you just leave everything else at the campsite? Have you ever had issues with that, i.e. oh, look what these people left behind! They must have forgotten it, there's no vehicle here!

Just looking for some opinions/experiences! This is a whole new ballgame for us!

Thanks!

[ryoung]

All the years that I had my truck camper, I never unloaded it off the truck at the campsite. That's the beauty of a TC, when you go touring you get to take your stuff with you.

I did have a small sign that stated "Site Occupied By Truck Camper" which i left in the middle of the site when I left for the day. Also would leave things out at the site, so it was not a hassle to pack and unpack each day.

Never had any problem in all those years of 75k miles touring and camping.

ryoung

I no longer own the truck and TC in my signature. (Kinda wish I did though)

[slickrock_steve]

Or, just leave your rotten kids!
Just kidding :R

[jimh406]

Bedlam wrote:
If you're brave, post a sign "Sewage Leak - Awaiting Hazmat".

Funny!

[Bedlam]

We post an occupied sign on the campsite marker post or power/water podium if we returning to the same site.

If you are staying in a location that has site or property theft, you may want to move on. If you're brave, post a sign "Sewage Leak - Awaiting Hazmat".

[RickW]

I have left chairs, coolers, etc. A few times they were tossed out of the way at first come, first served sites. Not worth the drama to argue that your stuff was there first.

Get a very small pop up tent and pitch it. They may move your stuff off a picnic table but they never challenge someone's shelter at a camping site.

[Big_Rig1]

I carry a "campsite occupied" sign with me & put it in a visible location when we leave. It is laminated & tacked to a small board.

Big Rig (John)

[Strabo]

Left our stuff out in plain site at a KOA in Acton CA and someone stole all our things.

I hate them 😞

[kohldad]

Generally speaking we only get a site for one night because we may or may not be in the area a second night. When we are, we don't unload because we want everything with us. We have a couple of options we use depending on the campground policy.

1) Preferred is the tag on the post as issued by the campground.

2) Plastic bag over the post which is a sign the site is not useable.

3) Old table cloth on the table with a trinket of some sort.

4) Nothing when there are plenty of sites to choose from because I just use it as a place to sleep and think of changing sites as a unique way to get a different view.

We don't have much we take with us for setting up camp. Two chairs, a plastic folding 12x12 table and a grill. Since I always practice bear proofing my site, the grill goes back up when I'm done. I want the chairs dry in the morning so put them up in the truck so don't have to worry about the dew or rain. And since I'm putting the chairs up, might as well put up the table. Total time from stopping to camp setup is under 1 minute. To tear down camp takes a little longer but still under 2 minutes.

[Yeti_plus]

Once you are in Newfoundland you will probably like the fact that you have the camper with you. We were there last year and took the camper everywhere on the island, never off loaded it.
You have to go up one road to get to a sightseeing place and then it is back out on the same road., then you move a bit across the island and up and back on the same road. I didn't tell DW that the outer right tire of the dually quite often wasn't on the asphalt, because the roads are a little narrow.
I didn't have electric jacks at the time.We now have electric motors on the jacks, so we may have dropped the camper once or twice.
Be sure to tour the Quidi Vidi Brewery, the home of Iceberg Beer.
Beer made with 25000 year old water.They harvest water from icebergs to make beer.
Brian

[hedge]

I never unload, I like having the camper with me to change clothes, use the washroom, make a coffee etc. It's also nice for the dog to have somewhere to hang out if he's not allowed inside.

We also don't make a big deal about setting up at camp so it doesn't take much to move. Most sites here have a tag that you put on the post to indicate that it's occupied.

[punomatic]

We used to unload the camper, which was not any harder than setting up a TT. Some parks don't allow unloading a TC. We were set up next to a Class B one time. They had an orange traffic cone with "OCCUPIED" written on it. They left it at the front of the driveway in their space when they went sightseeing. I thought it seemed like a good idea, but I never got around to trying it before we sold the TC.

[Kayteg1]

Make it old chair and a pair of size 12 old garden boots.

[jimh406]

If you just left chairs, I can see why someone would think you forgot them.

[chobe2]

I've been wondering the same thing. We just got our truck camper but we previously had a Sportsmobile van. One time we left our favorite chairs out to indicate occupancy and when we got back, the chairs were gone so we won't do that again. This was not a "seedy" campground neither. Had to buy new chairs to finish out our trip.