mycamperfriend
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Re: Do I need to reserve in advance?
Depending on where you go camping, you may need to book your campsite months in advance. We typically stay at state parks. Therefore, I don’t have too much experience when it comes to boondocking (that is camper language for camping without hookups) or dry camping (that is camper language for staying at a campground without hookups). Especially boondocking typically does not require you to reserve a spot in advance so the “book early” advice does not really apply here anyway. Our state parks here in Washington State allow you to book online 9 months in advance. There is a huge demand for the peak summer weekends and campsites for those are always sold out fast. Most state park reservation systems have a mechanism to roll over the reservation window at a certain time in the day. So if they, for example, roll it over at 7am their local time and you want to book a campsite in exactly 9 months from now, you have to be online at 7am their local time and hit the reservation button. Note that you will be in good company as other experienced campers will be doing the same. A lot of those guys know which campsite they want because they stayed there before or they saw a campsite they liked last time they were there and they made a note to book it next time. We do the same thing. How about this? When you go to a campground, look for sites you like and which you would like to book next time you come to this campground. Write down the campsite number or take a pic with your phone/camera. Anyway, that’s how it works for some state parks, national parks and bigger campground chains. Some reservation systems are better than others. Also, smaller and privately owned and operated campgrounds sometimes only allow reservations by sending them an email or giving them a call. In cases where you won’t be able to book online, they will probably ask for your credit card number or ask you to send them a check. Some of them even go so far to (snail) mail you your reservation conformation and campground information. Obviously, for those guys, having an expensive online reservation system is not worth the expense. Just go online and explore the exciting world of campsite reservations. Regardless if you book through a reservation system, email or phone, sometimes it’s not clear which type of campsites are available and how they look. In this case, you can email or call the contact and ask them if they can show or send you a campground map with pics to explain what the sites offer, how they look, how easy they are to get your camper parked, etc.821Views0likes0CommentsRe: Pressure regulator for "City Water" Hookup
I never travel without one anymore as some campsites have a water pressure that knocks you off of your feet. ;) Just be careful as some campsites have a faucet that has a plastic stick coming out of it which can damage the mesh of the water regulator if you get one that you put between faucet and water hose.1.2KViews0likes0CommentsRe: going out to eat
Hi! If you get a vehicle you can tow or a motorhome with a (second) car which you can use for your dinner trips, no problem at all. I guess the majority of us though enjoys especially the phase of the day that you would be missing. Having arrived at the campsite, putting some good food on the grill, enjoying an ice cold beverage, having a campfire, etc. To me, those camping evenings are magic. Yes, we eat out sometimes and it's fun, too. But i wouldn't want to miss my relaxing evenings at the campsite. But hey, that really comes down to personal preferences and I totally respect yours. :) And, per above, as long as you have a vehicle you can detach from your camper, I don't see any reason why you shouldn't be able to fulfill your camping dreams your way. Going out for dinner really isn't that much of a hassle depending on how far away from the next town/restaurant/diner your campground is. If the dinner thing is really important to you, you should just make sure that whenever you book or pick a campground that it's not too far away from the next town/restaurant/diner. Otherwise, your dinner trip will be stressful indeed. Have fun! Hope this helps a bit.738Views0likes0CommentsRe: What to buy for a first time RV?
We were too pretty overwhelmed when the dealer presented us all the must have accessories on the day we picked up our first camper. My strategy since then has always been to politely decline, do some thorough research and then order online or go back to the dealer when I know what I do need. For the items in question, I'd recommend the following: Vent covers: Yes Slide toppers: No Surge protection: Maybe554Views0likes0Comments
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