From Tent to Trailer- 10 Tips
@ModernNorthwoodsLumberjack and I used to both be big time tent campers; however, 4 years ago we bought a teardrop trailer (a T@b CS-S, to be specific), which changed the way we camp and enjoy our time outdoors.
Here are 10 tips for anyone who used to camp in a tent, who is now thinking about buying, or has recently purchased, a teardrop trailer or even a larger RV.
Plan your budget accordingly. Beyond the initial expense of the trailer itself, are the added expenses of additional gas money to tow the vehicle. This was one reason we didn’t go with a larger trailer; we did not want to have to also buy a bigger truck. Also, although our T@b operates on propane and battery, we are more likely now to choose electric sites for convenience sake, which are more expensive. Not to mention, the costs of all the accessories and do-dads (yes, that’s the official term) that you need, or think you need, for it. Which brings me to…
Do not buy everything you think you might possibly need, before you’ve even gone camping. Because we bought the Northwoods T@bin (yes, that’s what we named her) while there was still snow on the ground, we ended up with items that either didn’t fit the space, or that we didn’t use. Spend some time doing research, and try to start with only the few essentials.
Start with things you already own. For us, it turned out a lot of the essentials included items we already had at home, or had kept from our tenting days, such as a level, flashlights, and minimal cookware & plates.
Purchase only the essentials at first. This list was very small for us: lego-style leveling blocks, a drop hitch, a lock for connecting the trailer to the truck, and a longer drain for the grey water tank. (We also have a black water tank, but we rarely use it)
Make your first trip close to home and not too far from civilization (this is called a shakedown trip, I later learned). That way, if you’ve forgotten anything, it’s an easy trip to pick up what you need, and get back to the campground, so you can have fun.
As you are camping, every time you think, “Man, it would have been so handy to have X with for this trip, ” write it down. I keep my list in “Memos’ because we always have our smart phones with, , or I text @modernnorthwoodslumberjack if it needs to go on the shopping list right away. Things that we later bought and use often are our 10 x 10 canopy, our outdoor rug, collapsible dish drain, stacking bowls, and the stack-able containers that we use to store our pantry items in. Which brings me to the next item..
Measure your spaces before you buy anything. Remember those stack-able containers I love so much that fit perfectly? Well that was a hard lesson learned. That was my third attempt at getting the right size containers to fit the space. Until I learned to measure the spaces first, and bring measurements with us when shopping, nothing quite fit. .Also, until you experience what you will use regularly, you won’t know what you will need to store. For example, we like to always keep smores fixin’s on hand, but things I thought we’d use a lot, like instant oatmeal, never got used. We adjust what we keep with us each year based on our previous experience.
It will rain. Plan accordingly. I knew this from my tent camping days, but somehow I thought this no longer mattered once we had a sturdier shelter a teardrop trailer affords. And while it is certainly more comfortable and less likely to leak, you will still need the means to eat, drink, and keep entertained. We feel lucky, because unless there is a strong wind accompanying the rain, we stay very comfortable and have access to everything we need outside, under the canopy that attaches to the outdoor kitchen. It has flaps on either side that offer some shelter. For those windier times, we head inside, where our bed converts easily to a table, and we have a sink and a tiny indoor bath, which we rarely otherwise use. We always bring a few snacks, such as nuts, cheese and crackers, and beverages which don’t require a heat source, then we hunker down with cozy blankets, and perhaps read, or play games like cribbage or farkel, or even watch a movie in bed.
Figure out how to use the fancy stuff that comes with your trailer, or consider getting rid of it. One of the crazy things our T@b came with was two televisions- one outside, and one inside! Two tv’s, I thought. I was appalled! I never needed or wished for one when I tent camped. However they came standard with the model we bought off the lot, and I did not want to have to place a special order and have to wait. So when John said we could always remove it ourselves in the future and replace it with shelves, I decided to live with it. Lo and behold, the second time we were out, it was cold and damp outside, and our friend, who had brought her own tent, had also brought her teenage daughter with. As it turned out, her daughter felt under the weather, and not up for doing much. So we put her in a reclining chair with a big comfy blanket, and put in a movie for her to watch outside, while we sat nearby around the fire.
Whatever you are camping in, spend as much time as possible enjoying the outdoors! Go for walks, swim, hike, bike, kayak, listen to the sounds of nature, watch the sunset, build campfires, and put your phones away. These activities, which we learned to enjoy so much during our tent camping days, are still the highlight every every trip. They are what restores and revitalizes us, and can be enjoyed no matter what your accommodations are.
