Camp site set up? - Fiberglass RV
Journey with Confidence RV GPS App RV Trip Planner RV LIFE Campground Reviews RV Maintenance Take a Speed Test Free 7 Day Trial ×


Reply
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread Display Modes
 
Old 11-01-2019, 04:15 PM   #1
Senior Member
 
Name: Rich
Trailer: Escape
United States
Posts: 106
Registry
Camp site set up?

We are new owners of a 2017 Scamp 16. We bought it and put it immediately into storage along with our teardrop. We’ll put the teardrop up for sale in the spring. We’re already thinking about the transition. With a teardrop, there is a whole ritual of set up - side tent, camp kitchen, pop up awning, etc. that would take up to an hour. While that could be a pain, there was also a sense of satisfaction once it was all done. We’re wondering about fiberglass camper owners. Even though you are largely self contained, do you have a set up ritual? How much “stuff” do you haul?
__________________
Rich and Maggie Passmore
2017 Scamp 16
2018 Ford F150 XLT 4WD Supercab
St Paul, MN
rpassmore is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-01-2019, 04:23 PM   #2
Senior Member
 
Byron Kinnaman's Avatar
 
Trailer: Scamp
Posts: 7,056
Registry
Quote:
Originally Posted by rpassmore View Post
We are new owners of a 2017 Scamp 16. We bought it and put it immediately into storage along with our teardrop. We’ll put the teardrop up for sale in the spring. We’re already thinking about the transition. With a teardrop, there is a whole ritual of set up - side tent, camp kitchen, pop up awning, etc. that would take up to an hour. While that could be a pain, there was also a sense of satisfaction once it was all done. We’re wondering about fiberglass camper owners. Even though you are largely self contained, do you have a set up ritual? How much “stuff” do you haul?
My set up takes about 10 minutes or less. It goes like this.
Pick the spot, park the trailer where I want it.
Out of the back of the truck remove the rug under the step, remove the step, and remove the BAL leveler.
Put the leveler under the low side wheel, Crank the BAL leveler to level side to side.
Disconnect the truck from the trailer. lower the front of the trailer to about 1/2 bubble front low using the tongue jack.

Deploy the rear stabilizers.
Raise the tongue jack to level.
Turn on the propane and light the fridge.
Now it's time pull out a chair (back of the truck) grab a cold beverage and watch the world go by.
Basic rule for me carrying stuff.
If it's used in the trailer it goes in the trailer, If it's used outside it goes in the back of the truck.
__________________
Byron & Anne enjoying the everyday Saturday thing.
Byron Kinnaman is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-01-2019, 04:30 PM   #3
Senior Member
 
Name: bill
Trailer: 2013 Escape 19
The Mountains of North Carolina
Posts: 4,137
Registry
Totally depends on the length of the stay. For a single night, we may not even unhook. The longer we stay in one place, the more we do as far as set up.

+10 With a truck as a tow vehicle, outside stuff tends to go into the truck. Then pulled out as needed (or not needed). Often, its just a matter of pulling out camp chairs, leveling the trailer, putting out the solar panel, and a rug. Awning provides shade.

In general, I haul TOO MUCH STUFF and continually evaluate what I am hauling around that I do not need.


What I do need is a checklist: 1. What to take. 2. Departure items to check. 3. Set up items to check. Seems like I am always forgetting something....
thrifty bill is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-01-2019, 06:49 PM   #4
Senior Member
 
AC0GV's Avatar
 
Name: Kenneth
Trailer: Scamp
Wisconsin
Posts: 1,867
Registry
Fall selling??

We’ll put the teardrop up for sale in the spring. How much “stuff” do you haul?[/QUOTE]


Two things to consider, I have sold two RVs before getting to the Scamp, both in the late fall. People are out looking because of the preserved bargains.
Next, I downsized from a Jayco 5th wheel and 8-foot bed f350 to a Scamp 16 and a 5.5 foot f150. I have learned to leave things home. No buying in bulk, buy on the road. I still do carry basic tools and parts like fuses and lamps along with 3 hobbies, resulting in the second heaviest Scamp 16’ that I know of, 3060 lbs.
AC0GV is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-01-2019, 07:05 PM   #5
Senior Member
 
John in Santa Cruz's Avatar
 
Name: John
Trailer: Escape 21, behind an '02 F250 7.3 diesel tug
Mid Left Coast
Posts: 2,940
1) if left or right side is low, put anderson levelers under that side, back trailer onto levelers until level side to side, chock wheels on both sides

2) put blocks under tongue jack, undo hitch, undo safety chains, unplug power, disconnect e-brake cable, jack nose to clear hitch, pull truck forward a foot or so. use nose jack to level trailer front-to-rear (perhaps slightly nose high, so the shower drains better). put out step. drop bal levelers on all 4 corners onto pads/blocks until trailer is snug.

3) (at a full hookup site), hook up electric, water, sewer hose, flush air out of hot water at kitchen sink, turn on water heater.

3a) (without hookups), turn on water pump, flush air out of hot water at kitchen sink, turn on water heater.

4) put out awning, lay out carpet, unload chairs and tables from truck and arrange on carpet.

5) kick back and drink a cold beer. we're basically done. if appropriate for surroundings, put out portable stereo, which is solar charged, so put out portable solar panel for stereo. crank up some mellow newgrass



my fridge is automatic, so it switches to propane when there's no 120VAC, I leave it on propane while driving, if its plugged into a campground then it switches back to AC. food is packed in cabinets and fridge, clothes are in closet, bed was made at home....


John in Santa Cruz is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-01-2019, 07:33 PM   #6
Senior Member
 
Glenn Baglo's Avatar
 
Trailer: Escape 17 ft
Posts: 8,317
I generally back into my site, grab a beer, sit on the picnic table and assess the site, suggesting to my wife, Leslie, that she wait for me to help unload stuff.
__________________
What happens to the hole when the cheese is gone?
- Bertolt Brecht
Glenn Baglo is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-02-2019, 07:04 AM   #7
Senior Member
 
Jon in AZ's Avatar
 
Name: Jon
Trailer: 2008 Scamp 13 S1
Arizona
Posts: 11,926
Registry
With a full-featured trailer, the amount of set-up varies. For some it’s just a matter of cranking out an awning and setting up a folding chair or two. Others set up a freestanding canopy and a full outside kitchen. It tends to depend on (1) size of the trailer, (2) length of stay (overnight or extended), and (3) climate (temperature, precipitation, bugs...).

We're at an in-between stage, not fully trailer-based, not quite camping. We typically stay in one spot without hook-ups for 3-5 days at a time in a mild, fairly bug-free location. With 4 people in a tiny 13’ Scamp, we use the trailer mainly as a bedroom, cooking, eating, and spending most of our waking hours outside. Set-up used to take about an hour, but now that the kids are old enough to help, it takes about half that. I level the trailer and unload bikes while my crew sets up a canopy and chairs. Then I remove the LP tank and set up a stove and lantern while they move cooking gear from the trailer to the outside table.
Click image for larger version

Name:	579CD294-B511-40C5-8957-E274A1918487.jpg
Views:	28
Size:	362.7 KB
ID:	132068

When we’re empty nesters, my wife and I are looking forward to doing some longer touring-style trips, entailing a different style of camping with less set-up and simpler meals cooked inside.
Jon in AZ is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-02-2019, 07:24 AM   #8
Senior Member
 
Carol and Mike's Avatar
 
Name: Mike
Trailer: Oliver Elite II
Boerne, Texas
Posts: 249
Like most folks, it depends.

Overnight stop - chock, level, put down stabilizer jacks. Unhitch only if necessary. If there is electricity I’ll hook up if we need to run heat or AC. Otherwise we use on board power and water.


Longer stops - same as above except for hooking up to whatever utilities there are. Set up grill and hook it to the propane quick connect. Chairs, rug, awning. Might put out our twinkly solar lights on the awning. Pour an adult beverage and chill to some tunes!
__________________
2016 Oliver Elite II #135 | 2020 Ram 2500 Laramie 6.7L Turbo Diesel
Carol and Mike is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-02-2019, 07:43 AM   #9
Senior Member
 
Name: Rich
Trailer: Escape
United States
Posts: 106
Registry
Transitioning set up

Quote:
Originally Posted by Jon in AZ View Post
With a full-featured trailer, the amount of set-up varies. For some it’s just a matter of cranking out an awning and setting up a folding chair or two. Others set up a freestanding canopy and a full outside kitchen. It tends to depend on (1) size of the trailer, (2) length of stay (overnight or extended), and (3) climate (temperature, precipitation, bugs...).

We typically camp in one spot without hook-ups for 3-5 days at a time in a mild, fairly bug-free location. With 4 people in a tiny 13’ Scamp, we use the trailer mainly as a bedroom, cooking, eating, and spending most of our waking hours outside. Set-up used to take about an hour, but now that the kids are old enough to help, it takes about half that. I level the trailer and unload bikes while my crew sets up a canopy and chairs. Then I remove the LP tank and set up a stove and lantern while they move cooking gear from the trailer to the outside table.
Attachment 132068

When we’re empty nesters, my wife and I are looking forward to doing some longer touring-style trips, entailing a different style of camping with less set-up and simpler meals cooked inside.
Thanks, this is kind of what I was getting at. We changed to a Scamp for the ease of set up/tear down, but we don’t want to give up how much time we spend outside. We’re looking to minimize how much gear we bring but still want the feeling of an outdoor living space. We got rid of our old pop up canopy and replaced it with a Big Agnes Three Forks Shelter that stores pretty small. We plan to use that if we are camping more that one night. And we’ve kept our camp kitchen table and stove along with a couple of chairs, rug and side table. But it’s amazing how much stuff we don’t think we need anymore.
__________________
Rich and Maggie Passmore
2017 Scamp 16
2018 Ford F150 XLT 4WD Supercab
St Paul, MN
rpassmore is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-02-2019, 08:22 AM   #10
Senior Member
 
Jon in AZ's Avatar
 
Name: Jon
Trailer: 2008 Scamp 13 S1
Arizona
Posts: 11,926
Registry
Since you probably still have a lot of gear, you’ll want to keep it until you find the right balance for you. If you find yourself missing something, bring it next time. If you bring it and don’t use it, leave it home next time. It’ll take some trial and error, and even after you’ve culled your list, it will vary depending on the destination for each trip.

Enjoy your new Scamp! We graduated from a tent, and the best things we left behind in the transition were the air mattresses. For now, the outside kitchen is pretty much the same, though on cold, wet, or windy days we bring our food inside the trailer to eat. Being able to stand up to put on my pants and sit down to put on my shoes, all inside a heated space on a cold morning, priceless!
Jon in AZ is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-02-2019, 11:16 AM   #11
Senior Member
 
Name: Peg
Trailer: 2016 -13' Scamp
Massachusetts
Posts: 237
We have added a few things to our repertoire and use them - or not - depending on the site, the weather, and how long we stay.


Basic set-up, which is electrical cord, hose, chocks, leveling, camp chairs, side tables, putting down a rug, etc. take 15-20 minutes, tops. Then we crank out the awning, sit in a camp chair, and admire the view.



Later, depending on the situation, we'll put out the Clam 6 x 6' Traveler model, either for sitting out of the wind, for shade, or for shelter from insects. It takes less than 5 minutes to put up a Clam, stake it, and put on optional side walls.


If its raining heavily and we want to cook outdoors (gas stove hooked to the propane tank), we'll put up a rain fly. It attaches to the camper with a suction cup on either side. Again, a 5 minute chore. Google the product "King Camp awning Sun Shade" on amazon.com for an illustration.



Going from a teardrop to a Scamp was the best thing ever! No more hour-long set-ups.
herons is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-02-2019, 11:48 AM   #12
Senior Member
 
Name: carolyn
Trailer: 2005 casita sd
Michigan
Posts: 141
Quote:
Originally Posted by Byron Kinnaman View Post
My set up takes about 10 minutes or less. It goes like this.
Pick the spot, park the trailer where I want it.
Out of the back of the truck remove the rug under the step, remove the step, and remove the BAL leveler.
Put the leveler under the low side wheel, Crank the BAL leveler to level side to side.
Disconnect the truck from the trailer. lower the front of the trailer to about 1/2 bubble front low using the tongue jack.

Deploy the rear stabilizers.
Raise the tongue jack to level.
Turn on the propane and light the fridge.
Now it's time pull out a chair (back of the truck) grab a cold beverage and watch the world go by.
Basic rule for me carrying stuff.
If it's used in the trailer it goes in the trailer, If it's used outside it goes in the back of the truck.

Ditto for us with our 16' Casita. I keep a 2 foot level inside the camper door so I can monitor the leveling side to side then get the blocks if needed, then Gary pulls up on them, we raise the tongue and he pulls away. Check the front to back level, adjust the tongue height, easy with the belly band to rest the level on. Put the lock on the coupler, open the gas valve, light the fridge, then check out the hiking/biking/canoeing possibilities.
garycarolyn is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-02-2019, 11:48 AM   #13
Senior Member
 
Name: Jann
Trailer: Casita
Colorado
Posts: 1,307
Quote:
Originally Posted by rpassmore View Post
We are new owners of a 2017 Scamp 16. We bought it and put it immediately into storage along with our teardrop. We’ll put the teardrop up for sale in the spring. We’re already thinking about the transition. With a teardrop, there is a whole ritual of set up - side tent, camp kitchen, pop up awning, etc. that would take up to an hour. While that could be a pain, there was also a sense of satisfaction once it was all done. We’re wondering about fiberglass camper owners. Even though you are largely self contained, do you have a set up ritual? How much “stuff” do you haul?
Of course storage is at a premium. Not much storage for clothes so we've put a couple of extra plastic drawer things inside the trailer. In our Yukon we put 2- 2 drawer plastic cabinets for our clothes. We keep 4-5 days in the trailer and the rest for a long trip in the Yukon getting some out every few days as needed. Setting up is parking, leveling, unhooking trailer with chocks on wheels, etc then hooking up to electric and water if we have it, check to make sure fridge automatically switched to electric if we have it, and straightening up anything that slid on floor. All our sewer and water items are kept in their own satchels in Yukon along with tools, and extra stuff needed for later in the trip, etc. Sometimes an ice chest with frozen foods precooked and froze in toss away containers so there's only one pan to wash after supper. There's usually 5-8 days of food in ice chest, we use it first. When it is no longer cold enough to be safe we put it in fridge. We freeze water filled milk jugs to use as ice. Usually 4 of them. It takes about 5-7 days for them to thaw. Water can be drank if we want to. If it is only a one night stop we pull in take pressure off of hitch making sure we're level and done for the night. We always unhook the cord from the vehicle to make sure there's never an issue with the battery just in case the fridge gets turned to 12V by accident.
Jann Todd is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-02-2019, 02:59 PM   #14
Senior Member
 
Name: Gordon
Trailer: 2015 Scamp (16 Std Layout 4) with '15 Toyota Sienna LE Tug
North Carolina
Posts: 5,155
Regardless of the set up you do, let me ask the forum if you use a set-up checklist.
I do not. And that is one reason why I forgot to put the rear stabilizers down. Luckily I noticed that before I went to bed, otherwise I might have found myself crawling up hill out of bed and making my way toward the door until the trailer's nose came back down with a bang!

So maybe I should make a checklist. First thing on it would be to use my outlet checker with a 30/15 adapter (assuming a shore power site) to make sure the power is on and wired right. No sense setting up camp if I am just going to have to move to another site because of a bad power pedestal.
gordon2 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-02-2019, 06:02 PM   #15
Senior Member
 
Name: JD
Trailer: Scamp 16 Modified (BIGLY)
Florida
Posts: 2,445
Generally a pre-leaving checklist might be a really good thing.
redbarron55 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-02-2019, 06:10 PM   #16
Senior Member
 
Name: Gordon
Trailer: 2015 Scamp (16 Std Layout 4) with '15 Toyota Sienna LE Tug
North Carolina
Posts: 5,155
Quote:
Originally Posted by redbarron55 View Post
Generally a pre-leaving checklist might be a really good thing.
Yes, But I was wondering about an arrival check list...

In some ways it could be the reverse of an departure (or pre-leaving) check list but a few items, such as checking for good power and filling up the water tanks, would be different.

But for now the only arrival check list I use is like Glen's...
1. Beer in hand? Check.
--- end of list ----

gordon2 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-02-2019, 06:54 PM   #17
Senior Member
 
Jon in AZ's Avatar
 
Name: Jon
Trailer: 2008 Scamp 13 S1
Arizona
Posts: 11,926
Registry
No arrival or departure checklist. No hookups, and it'd be hard to forget the stabilizers, since the trailer is really bouncy without them. The difference would be hard to miss... unless you dive into the cold beverages too soon and too deep...
Jon in AZ is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-02-2019, 07:23 PM   #18
Senior Member
 
Name: JD
Trailer: Scamp 16 Modified (BIGLY)
Florida
Posts: 2,445
If you miss something on arrival and setup no big deal, but if you forget to hook up the trailer electrical, safety chains or the retract the jack or maybe the stabilizers...
Perhaps even forget to latch the door? Raise the step? Close the vent? Turn out the lights?
A departure check list is more important in my opinion.
redbarron55 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-02-2019, 07:47 PM   #19
Senior Member
 
Glenn Baglo's Avatar
 
Trailer: Escape 17 ft
Posts: 8,317
Last step, before putting the transmission in Drive is to do a walk around the tow and trailer. You don't want to leave My Little Pony, or Barbie, or a Teddy on the picnic table.
__________________
What happens to the hole when the cheese is gone?
- Bertolt Brecht
Glenn Baglo is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-02-2019, 07:54 PM   #20
Senior Member
 
Name: Gordon
Trailer: 2015 Scamp (16 Std Layout 4) with '15 Toyota Sienna LE Tug
North Carolina
Posts: 5,155
Quote:
Originally Posted by redbarron55 View Post
...
A departure check list is more important in my opinion.
Yes!... of course it is. But this thread is about setting up camp, not breaking camp. Many people use departure check lists, but I am still wondering if anyone uses a checklist for setting up camp. And to Jon... sometimes the environment can be even more intoxicating than the beverages, but either might be so distracting as to make a check list a good idea.
gordon2 is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply


Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off


Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
Web site for free camp site when traveling... Gilles General Chat 14 02-03-2017 01:13 PM
Solar set-up "set"... Franswa Modifications, Alterations and Updates 19 07-16-2014 07:05 PM
Time needed to set up camp? Tina in AZ General Chat 51 05-17-2012 11:15 PM
Trip pics, home camp site shane n General Chat 0 02-12-2009 08:10 PM

» Upcoming Events
No events scheduled in
the next 465 days.
» Featured Campgrounds

Reviews provided by


All times are GMT -6. The time now is 09:43 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.11
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions Inc.