I was supposed to pick up my teardrop last October. Unfortunately, my normally reliable CR-V died on the way out of town. The problem was something that couldn’t be fixed in a day. By the time the problem was identified and the repair scheduled, there wasn’t time to get to Wisconsin and back.
Plan B was to have the trailer delivered a few weeks later. The driver was in regular communication. We arranged a drop-off time at my house, but he didn’t tell me he was driving a full semi. The streets in my neighborhood are tricky and he managed to get his rig stuck on a traffic circle. It was dark and raining and I wish I'd known he was driving such a big truck! The driver had to call a tow truck to get unstuck and we eventually did meet someplace more accessible. I drove the trailer home and got a crash course in backing into the garage. Despite the setbacks, I was delighted to have her home. And there she sat for many months.
The maiden voyage was this weekend, a spontaneous trip to the Olympic Peninsula. Two adults and three large dogs. The drive was great. The trailer was easy to handle. I had some initial concerns about a 4-cylinder engine being underpowered, but the car did fine. We originally drove to Kalaloch, WA. The campground was pretty full and we were hoping to find something a little more rustic. We wandered here and there. We let the dogs romp on the beach. (It was beautiful!) Eventually, we ended up at Ocean City State Park. By this time it was getting dark and I was ready to be out of the car.
We had a few minor issues backing up the trailer into the camp site. (Clearly, I’m going to need some practice here.) After that, setting up camp went pretty fast. We put up the REI Alcove, tied off the dogs, started a fire, and had a celebratory beverage. A little rainy, a little cold, but we were camping!
We let the dogs sleep in the trailer, which I knew was a bad idea (having tried it at home). But I’m a softie and I thought it might work. Bad idea. Not enough room. Too much hot dog breath. Too much condensation. They ended up sleeping in the car.
So, we got up the next morning, a little crabby from fussy dogs and interrupted sleep. I started the propane stove for the first time. Yay! But then I discovered there wasn’t any coffee. Boo! We forgot to pack it. That meant a trip into town. We decided that was our cue to head home. So, we broke camp and hit the road.
Despite the mishaps, I think it was a good trip. I was excited to have time with the trailer (someplace other than the garage). It was good to practice driving, hitching, unhitching, etc. I learned a few things about planning and packing: Bring coffee or have an emergency stash. Make sure Band-aides are easy to find so you don’t have to rummage around while bleeding. Give the dogs their own sleeping space (car or side tent). Make camp earlier in the day.
Each little oops is going to make the next trip that much better. Can't wait to figure out when/where that'll be!
Happy camping!
Laura
Plan B was to have the trailer delivered a few weeks later. The driver was in regular communication. We arranged a drop-off time at my house, but he didn’t tell me he was driving a full semi. The streets in my neighborhood are tricky and he managed to get his rig stuck on a traffic circle. It was dark and raining and I wish I'd known he was driving such a big truck! The driver had to call a tow truck to get unstuck and we eventually did meet someplace more accessible. I drove the trailer home and got a crash course in backing into the garage. Despite the setbacks, I was delighted to have her home. And there she sat for many months.
The maiden voyage was this weekend, a spontaneous trip to the Olympic Peninsula. Two adults and three large dogs. The drive was great. The trailer was easy to handle. I had some initial concerns about a 4-cylinder engine being underpowered, but the car did fine. We originally drove to Kalaloch, WA. The campground was pretty full and we were hoping to find something a little more rustic. We wandered here and there. We let the dogs romp on the beach. (It was beautiful!) Eventually, we ended up at Ocean City State Park. By this time it was getting dark and I was ready to be out of the car.
We had a few minor issues backing up the trailer into the camp site. (Clearly, I’m going to need some practice here.) After that, setting up camp went pretty fast. We put up the REI Alcove, tied off the dogs, started a fire, and had a celebratory beverage. A little rainy, a little cold, but we were camping!
We let the dogs sleep in the trailer, which I knew was a bad idea (having tried it at home). But I’m a softie and I thought it might work. Bad idea. Not enough room. Too much hot dog breath. Too much condensation. They ended up sleeping in the car.
So, we got up the next morning, a little crabby from fussy dogs and interrupted sleep. I started the propane stove for the first time. Yay! But then I discovered there wasn’t any coffee. Boo! We forgot to pack it. That meant a trip into town. We decided that was our cue to head home. So, we broke camp and hit the road.
Despite the mishaps, I think it was a good trip. I was excited to have time with the trailer (someplace other than the garage). It was good to practice driving, hitching, unhitching, etc. I learned a few things about planning and packing: Bring coffee or have an emergency stash. Make sure Band-aides are easy to find so you don’t have to rummage around while bleeding. Give the dogs their own sleeping space (car or side tent). Make camp earlier in the day.
Each little oops is going to make the next trip that much better. Can't wait to figure out when/where that'll be!
Happy camping!
Laura
