Last year for Mothers Day I was on a plane coming home from Maui. This year I'll be camping. Camping is easy when you have a nice warm comfortable trailer with a bed, microwave and shower. Oh, and did I mention satellite TV? I did the tenting route. Camping in a tent is all fine and dandy until you get a taste of the 'good life'.
Both of my daughters have camped since infancy. Paula was 5.5 mos old sleeping in a tent with me, and Shawna camped when she was 6 months old. We have a Taj Mahal tent we purchased from Costco that we have used many many times and continue to loan out to friends. But here is what happened. My in-laws have a 1985 RV that in the early '00's Todd and I decided was old enough to ask to borrow. Our kids were small the first time we borrowed it. Shawna was only 3 months old I think so that would make Paula 2 yrs old. Having a microwave, bathroom, protection from the heat, and sound proof compared to a tent was awesome!
Over the next 2 years we borrowed it a lot. We even took it to Disneyland. The downfall was that the work involved with using it was tiring. Todd would have to drive over the bay (they live on one side and we live on the other side), leave his truck there, bring home the RV. Once home we had to clean it. I like his parents and all but they're not the cleanest people. So, we had to take all their stuff out (clothes, weird freaky stuff they collected) and put our stuff in. They're RV is 28 feet long and designed really for 2 people. Not a family with kids. We also had to worry about their couches, cover everything and keep the rugs covered with throw rugs. After we came home we had to clean the RV again inside and out. Take all our stuff out, put all their stuff back in, drive it back to their house over the bay and come home with the truck so he had a car for work. Tiring!!!
They loved when we borrowed the RV. Why?? Because it always came home cleaner than when they gave it to us, plus we returned it with a full tank of gas. Not only that but Todd was also required to do maintenance on it for his father. Todd didn't mind helping out his dad but it was just one more thing to do. They were so disappointed when we got the trailer.
A couple summers ago we talked it over, researched every RV, trailer, camper around and decided to purchase a used travel trailer. We got a great deal on it because it was the last day of the RV show. We purchased a 2004 Keystone Sprinter trailer. I love it. The trailer is large (30 feet long), modern and has all the important conveniences like a slide which gives us 3 feet more room inside. Basically the dining area and couch slide out. My girls sleep in bunk beds. We have a sofa sleeper and the dining set folds into a bed too, but I don't have to do any of that because we have bunk beds and a queen size bed.
Both of my daughters have camped since infancy. Paula was 5.5 mos old sleeping in a tent with me, and Shawna camped when she was 6 months old. We have a Taj Mahal tent we purchased from Costco that we have used many many times and continue to loan out to friends. But here is what happened. My in-laws have a 1985 RV that in the early '00's Todd and I decided was old enough to ask to borrow. Our kids were small the first time we borrowed it. Shawna was only 3 months old I think so that would make Paula 2 yrs old. Having a microwave, bathroom, protection from the heat, and sound proof compared to a tent was awesome!
Over the next 2 years we borrowed it a lot. We even took it to Disneyland. The downfall was that the work involved with using it was tiring. Todd would have to drive over the bay (they live on one side and we live on the other side), leave his truck there, bring home the RV. Once home we had to clean it. I like his parents and all but they're not the cleanest people. So, we had to take all their stuff out (clothes, weird freaky stuff they collected) and put our stuff in. They're RV is 28 feet long and designed really for 2 people. Not a family with kids. We also had to worry about their couches, cover everything and keep the rugs covered with throw rugs. After we came home we had to clean the RV again inside and out. Take all our stuff out, put all their stuff back in, drive it back to their house over the bay and come home with the truck so he had a car for work. Tiring!!!
They loved when we borrowed the RV. Why?? Because it always came home cleaner than when they gave it to us, plus we returned it with a full tank of gas. Not only that but Todd was also required to do maintenance on it for his father. Todd didn't mind helping out his dad but it was just one more thing to do. They were so disappointed when we got the trailer.
A couple summers ago we talked it over, researched every RV, trailer, camper around and decided to purchase a used travel trailer. We got a great deal on it because it was the last day of the RV show. We purchased a 2004 Keystone Sprinter trailer. I love it. The trailer is large (30 feet long), modern and has all the important conveniences like a slide which gives us 3 feet more room inside. Basically the dining area and couch slide out. My girls sleep in bunk beds. We have a sofa sleeper and the dining set folds into a bed too, but I don't have to do any of that because we have bunk beds and a queen size bed.
For anyone thinking about getting a trailer, I highly recommend this one. I've noticed that Keystone tends to do a country flowery look. If you like contemporary design this is not for you.
2004 Keystone Sprinter
The fridge/freezer and bunk beds. That door leads to the bathroom. The bunk beds can hold 300 lbs each. And under the bottom one is tons of storage with access from the outside.
Kitchen, couch to the left, the TV sits in that open spot, and the bedroom is to the back.
View from the front door. Dining area & bathroom. You can see more storage above & below the dining set.
This is us at Mt. Madonna in the Gilroy, CA area. That's me in the pink shirt.
Can't you see yourself camping like this? 
2 comments:
I love camping, but I've only done tent camping and I haven't even done that in a few years. Reading this makes me want to go again!
I do miss the trailer I used to date.
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