Seasonal camping thread

[MIRedbird]

Hey all! It's been fun reading through this thread and looking at everyone's photos...there are lots of really nice setups! My DH and I will be going seasonal for the first time this next year. We'll be at Sandy Pines Recreational Community in Hopkins, MI. The park is about a half hour from our house, so I'm sure that our site will quickly become our second home. We're really looking forward to it! The season will start for us around April 15, which is generally when the park turns the water on.

I think one of the things that we'll like most about seasonal camping is having those longer weekends -- getting to our site earlier on Friday evenings and staying as long as we want on Sundays. As another poster mentioned, trying to fit all of the fun of a camping trip in on Saturday because of set-up and tear-down on Friday and Sunday is kind of annoying! As well, because the campground is so close to our home and workplaces, we can stay throughout the week if we choose or stop by to use the pool after work on a hot summer evening even if we don't decide to stay overnight.

But first we have to get through this long winter...snow is on the forecast for the week!

[crunchman12001]

Originally Posted by MIRedbird

Hey all! It's been fun reading through this thread and looking at everyone's photos...there are lots of really nice setups! My DH and I will be going seasonal for the first time this next year. We'll be at Sandy Pines Recreational Community in Hopkins, MI. The park is about a half hour from our house, so I'm sure that our site will quickly become our second home. We're really looking forward to it! The season will start for us around April 15, which is generally when the park turns the water on.

I think one of the things that we'll like most about seasonal camping is having those longer weekends -- getting to our site earlier on Friday evenings and staying as long as we want on Sundays. As another poster mentioned, trying to fit all of the fun of a camping trip in on Saturday because of set-up and tear-down on Friday and Sunday is kind of annoying! As well, because the campground is so close to our home and workplaces, we can stay throughout the week if we choose or stop by to use the pool after work on a hot summer evening even if we don't decide to stay overnight.
But first we have to get through this long winter...snow is on the forecast for the week!

Welcome to the forum from Chagrin Falls, Ohio and to the world of Seasonal Camping. You will love Seasonal Camping, I know we do.
What trailer/rig do you own and what part of the country do you call home?

[MIRedbird]

Originally Posted by crunchman12001

Welcome to the forum from Chagrin Falls, Ohio and to the world of Seasonal Camping. You will love Seasonal Camping, I know we do.
What trailer/rig do you own and what part of the country do you call home?

Thanks! A lot of you guys with the big 5ers and park models will probably get a chuckle, but we have a Rockwood pop-up camper (2009 Rockwood Freedom 1940LTD). Yes, we will be seasonal camping with our pop-up. The campground we'll be at allows everything from tents on up through park models on the seasonal sites, as long as the trailers are less than 20 years old and in good repair.

As for location, we're in west Michigan (south of Grand Rapids).

We're nowhere near retirement age (in our 30s), and the pop-up is our first camper. It's been a great way to learn about towing and maintenance on a trailer without the complexity of one of the bigger rigs. We may upgrade to a hybrid or hard-sided travel trailer in another year, but that would mean also upgrading our tow vehicle (and I *love* my Escape).

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[Seasonal]

Just completed our third season at our seasonal site and love it. Some at our park use it with their 5th wheels to steal a few extra weekends of fun between trips. Their site is a fancy parking spot with benefits. We just replaced our destination trailer with a park model. We arrive, turn on the water and hot water heater and I'm camping. Fire and beer five minutes later. We always leave the unit clean so packing up is about an hour. At work on Monday, you feel like you just had a vacation.

One other nice thing is that we only go on weekends when the weather is good. Too hot or too much rain in the forecast, we stay home. Warm weekend in November or April and we can visit. We can change plans quickly if the weather changes. Just under two hours away. I wouldn't want to drive any further.

[crunchman12001]

Originally Posted by MIRedbird

Thanks! A lot of you guys with the big 5ers and park models will probably get a chuckle, but we have a Rockwood pop-up camper (2009 Rockwood Freedom 1940LTD). Yes, we will be seasonal camping with our pop-up. The campground we'll be at allows everything from tents on up through park models on the seasonal sites, as long as the trailers are less than 20 years old and in good repair.

As for location, we're in west Michigan (south of Grand Rapids).

We're nowhere near retirement age (in our 30s), and the pop-up is our first camper. It's been a great way to learn about towing and maintenance on a trailer without the complexity of one of the bigger rigs. We may upgrade to a hybrid or hard-sided travel trailer in another year, but that would mean also upgrading our tow vehicle (and I *love* my Escape).

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We are all "campers" here. As we progress our "bed holders" get a little fancier. Enjoy your new site.

[MIRedbird]

Originally Posted by crunchman12001

We are all "campers" here. As we progress our "bed holders" get a little fancier. Enjoy your new site.

Thanks! We are really looking forward to it.

Here's a pic of our site before we move anything over to it. We're waiting until April as the season starts on April 15. It's easier to keep an eye on our camper and keep the roof clear of snow while it's still at our house!

The path to the left leads to a bathhouse and one of the outdoor pools. The site has a nice mix of sun and shade. I think I may have to touch up the grass in the spring to get it to fill in a little better (this pic doesn't show the reality of how thin it actually is), but it's a nice, level site with lots of potential.

I plan on ordering a sign from JG Wood Signs for our site. He does beautiful work!

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[crunchman12001]

Originally Posted by MIRedbird

Thanks! We are really looking forward to it.

Here's a pic of our site before we move anything over to it. We're waiting until April as the season starts on April 15. It's easier to keep an eye on our camper and keep the roof clear of snow while it's still at our house!

The path to the left leads to a bathhouse and one of the outdoor pools. The site has a nice mix of sun and shade. I think I may have to touch up the grass in the spring to get it to fill in a little better (this pic doesn't show the reality of how thin it actually is), but it's a nice, level site with lots of potential.

I plan on ordering a sign from JG Wood Signs for our site. He does beautiful work!

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Looks like a nice site. You'll have a good time making it yours.
I bought a 3 piece sign holder from JG wood signs. Works well and is well made.

[wiscoheel]

We have been seasonal campers for four going on five years. We are an hour from our site here in Central Wisconsin. Last year was a difficult year to camp as DW have a knee replaced and we purchased a home so had to pack and move. Can't wait till April 17 when I get to the camper and open it up. Enjoy your site and the times you can camp.

[Toddcee]

I'm so glad I checked this forum for seasonal camping ideas. I got a heck of a lot of tips - and just loaded my amazon cart with screens, surge protector and water filters.

I am a rare seasonal as I have an expandable. I'd hate to have to close up the TT every time I leave - but it appears that I will have to. Does any one have any alternative ideas about expandables and seasonal camping?

I have a busy spring once the cg opens - first and foremost stabilizing and building a ground level deck. Luckily prior seasonal owner left great landscaping and plenty of gravel.

[Iwritecode]

Originally Posted by Toddcee

I am a rare seasonal as I have an expandable. I'd hate to have to close up the TT every time I leave - but it appears that I will have to. Does any one have any alternative ideas about expandables and seasonal camping?

I don't think you really have a choice. One for security purposes and two I would worry about the wear and tear on the canvas material being exposed to the elements for that long.

We rented our first seasonal site with a pop-up. We were only there on weekends and we always had to close it up every Sunday.

[wiscoheel]

In our seasonal campground our 'neighbor' has a pop-up and they leave it open all season long. They do wash it frequently and 'seal' it each year. They have had no issues with security nor with canvass wearing out as it has been used for 3.5 years next to us.

[lbrjet]

We had a pop for two summers and left it open as well.


2010 F250 5.4L 3.73
2011 Flagstaff 831FKBSS
Equal-i-zer 4pt 12K

[MIRedbird]

Originally Posted by Iwritecode

I don't think you really have a choice. One for security purposes and two I would worry about the wear and tear on the canvas material being exposed to the elements for that long.

We rented our first seasonal site with a pop-up. We were only there on weekends and we always had to close it up every Sunday.

We're going to have a pop-up on our seasonal site next summer and plan to close the camper when we don't stay overnight. I agree with you that it's definitely a security issue not to (the lock on a pop-up door is pretty much there just to keep honest people out!). In addition, a pop-up isn't really built to withstand seriously bad weather. I live in West Michigan and derechos come across the Great Lakes from time to time. I'd rather close the camper and have peace of mind than worry from home about what might be happening during a severe thunderstorm with really high winds. Bent frame and/or lifter arms, leaks, ripped canvas...ugh.

We can get our pop-up set up, minus deploying the awning, in about 15 minutes. I really don't like pop-up awnings as they are a pain to put up and a pain to put away, so on short weekend trips, we don't even use it and just hang out in our screen room if we need shade. I'm trying to decide what to do about that next year.

I can see us moving to a travel trailer at some point, especially if we decide we love the seasonal lifestyle, just for the convenience factor (and more storage!!).

Toddcee -- You might look into getting some Pop-Up Gizmos (PopupGizmos) for your hybrid bunk ends. They will cover the tops of the bunk ends to protect them from UV rays, plus provide some extra insulation against the sun in summer and keep things a little warmer in the early spring and late fall. We have some of the "Super High Wind" covers for our camper.

[Toddcee]

Originally Posted by MIRedbird

We're going to have a pop-up on our seasonal site next summer and plan to close the camper when we don't stay overnight. I agree with you that it's definitely a security issue not to (the lock on a pop-up door is pretty much there just to keep honest people out!). In addition, a pop-up isn't really built to withstand seriously bad weather. I live in West Michigan and derechos come across the Great Lakes from time to time. I'd rather close the camper and have peace of mind than worry from home about what might be happening during a severe thunderstorm with really high winds. Bent frame and/or lifter arms, leaks, ripped canvas...ugh.

We can get our pop-up set up, minus deploying the awning, in about 15 minutes. I really don't like pop-up awnings as they are a pain to put up and a pain to put away, so on short weekend trips, we don't even use it and just hang out in our screen room if we need shade. I'm trying to decide what to do about that next year.

I can see us moving to a travel trailer at some point, especially if we decide we love the seasonal lifestyle, just for the convenience factor (and more storage!!).

Toddcee -- You might look into getting some Pop-Up Gizmos (PopupGizmos) for your hybrid bunk ends. They will cover the tops of the bunk ends to protect them from UV rays, plus provide some extra insulation against the sun in summer and keep things a little warmer in the early spring and late fall. We have some of the "Super High Wind" covers for our camper.

Thanks for the info!

[KDHfan]

I was wondering... Has anyone installed a separate electric line dedicated to only your water heater? Is it even possible to do if it wasn't built that way? Our pedestal has 50/30/20 amp plugs, and I was thinking I'd like to run the water heater off the 20 and the rest of the camper off the 30. Doing so would mean no more worrying about tripping a breaker by running too much through the 30. The only time it usually trips is when the A/C is on, the DW is running her hair dryer and the HWH kicks on.


2015 Coachmen Apex 288BHS
2014 Toyota Tundra 5.7L CrewMax

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[B and B]

Originally Posted by psrujak

Hello all,
I am going to build a cabinet with and sink. It will have a work area on top to use as a work space for cooking. I will also set my drill on it. I am making it out of pallet wood.

My question is I would like to have hot and cold water. Can I use the low point drains as a source for my water? The sink will be directly across from the low point drains.

That would be a great idea. Just unscrew to winterize.

[Seasonal]

When we had our pop-up, we always knew it was time to head for home because it would be raining the morning we were scheduled to leave.

[heavynlori]

Originally Posted by my_crib_too

When we had our pop-up, we always knew it was time to head for home because it would be raining the morning we were scheduled to leave.

Just the opposite for us being seasonal now over 10 years.....we go home on Sunday and the sun is always the brightest when we are pulling away 🌞


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[Platokidd]

Seeing how this is the seasonal thread and I'm sure some of you are using a water softener. I ran across this today https://www.flowpur.com/html/rv-pro10000.html.
Looks like a good price.
Any who looking for input as I would like to get one for next season.

[Mdaniels4]

Our CG offers water sofener for seasonal use. I'm unfortunately going to stick with theirs as the water is well water and hard as a rock and full of iron. I use a pre filer before it goes into the camper right after the water softener. That takes care of both drinking and shower water quality