how long to set up and tear down camp

[4kmprs]

curious as to long it takes others to set up their site from the time you back in until you are sitting in a chair. i averaged 45 min to an hour with the pop up and am hoping to reduce that remendously with the new Roo.

[Mountainmanbob]

we can be
hooked back up
and on the road home in 1/2 hour
but
that is too much of a rush on everyone
45 to 60 minutes
gives me time to enjoy a cigar
and say bye to our spot
Mountainman

[LadyWindrider]

Too many variables to put an exact time on it. How level is the site, and can you get backed in? Can you read the levels and know how many blocks to put under the wheels first try? Do the power, sewer, and water hoses reach, or do you have to get out the extensions? Chairs, tables, awning mats, awnings, grills, etc., all take time to set up. With a bigger trailer, you will haul more stuff. Are you counting the time for the satellite television, if you have one? You will also have a weight distribution hitch I assume, takes a little more time.

I have a toy hauler, two motorcycles. on board. We stop, unload the bikes in the road, and I usually use back in sites. Then back in, get sideways level with boards. Then unhook, and store weight bars, etc. Level front to rear with the tongue jack. Crank 4 stabilizer jacks, then power and water. Meanwhile wife is inside camper doing her thing. Next is the awning, weather permitting, then the awning mat. Then out come the chairs, etc. Last I hook the sewer, because we can make it a night or two before needing it to dump. On average, 1.5 hours, but I have 2 motorcycles to get unstrapped and unloaded. You will probably find that your time will not be much faster than with a pop up, and maybe a little longer, due to leveling and backing issues. It will get faster, as you get used to it, but why rush. You can stop and have a beer anytime, then resume where you left off. Besides, it's time away, so enjoy.

[cardinal4fun]

Granted I may take longer than most 1-2 hours but then I hate to leave. If rushed I could break camp in 30 min. but once home would have to redo some of the stuff.

[PapaSmurf]

I guess it depends on when you consider yourself "set-up". Being an older couple, we can be livable in 15 minutes (level, hooked to power and water, and slides out). But, being older we carry a lot of stuff that needs tending to... rope lights, recliners, awning mat, solar lights, whirly gigs, you have been by sites like ours... you have seen all the stuff us oldies pack. Now to get all that stuff out and set-up is an hour+ task.

[Mark and Linda]

My DW just bought some whirly gigs on our last outing to add to MY packing up...there goes another 5 minutes of time. Last trip I set it by myself, didn't take long once I got in the flow of things. I am trying to get a set routine established, then along comes a few more things. On the tear down I slowly start the night before, chairs stowed, Easy up...down and stowed. Just the bare essentials left to do the next morning.

[TURBS]

We have a strict list we follow but have never timed ourselves.
since we normally camp with friends we pick up some then socialize then pick up some then socialize you get the point.
The list is a must

[OldCoot]

If we're on the road and just stop for the night, about 10 minutes as we don't even unhook. Just run the stab jacks down, hook elec & water, maybe get out 2 lawn chairs (depending on time we stop & weather). If we are stopping for 2 or 3 days, maybe 30-45 minutes. If for 1-3 weeks, it usually takes 1-2 hrs. Tear down after a week or more stay takes about 1-3 hrs, depending on if we are going home or to another cg. 1 hr if going to another cg and 2-3 hrs if we are going home as we take our time to make sure everything is stowed properly and in its place.

[comfun1]

I think it's a little hard to say. I had a cabover camper in the early seventies that required nothing more than parking the truck on a level piece of ground. Then I had a fifth wheel that could take up to an hour. It would depend on things like how many bicycles we brought and lawn chairs, grills, rocks and other souveniers we picked up, checking engine oil, tire pressure, cleaning windshield. Other times I could get the fifth wheel out in fifteen minutes. I have friends that camp and they spend a day or two packing and unpacking their camper before and after each trip. I try to get my wife to leave everything in the camper and treat it as a separate residence so it's always ready to go.

[trudinator]

I agree with the other posts. It all depends on what you mean by "set up." Does that mean that you're backed in, leveled, unhitched, landing gear down, plugged in, step out, slides out, pump on?

Or does that mean, backed in, leveled, unhitched, plugged in, landing gear down, jack stands under, step out, slides out, pump on, rugs out, lawn chairs out, picnic table awning out and set up, extra table put out, ice machine out, filled and plugged in, tablecloths put on outside tables, solar lights out, rv-q grill out and set up, awning out, lights on awning, outside garbage can set up, welcome sign out, thermometer out, shepherds hooks with hanging lanterns out, refrigerator bars removed from outside refrigerator, refrigerator bars removed from inside refrigerator, countertop extension installed, toilet paper holder out, liquid soap dispensers and towels hung up, water heater turned on, antenna up, television scanned for channels, and two cocktails mixed up so you can finally take a breather???

I'd say 20 minutes for the first scenario. 2 hours for the 2nd. Or three, depending upon when you do the last and final step, above.

[Rugged Brown]

To set up : the time it takes to drink a beer or two or three or four

Tc break camp: the time it takes to drink a coffee, or two.

Thats the only way I can quantify it. It's all part of camping and make the best of it all.

[Herk7769]

Originally Posted by trudinator

I agree with the other posts. It all depends on what you mean by "set up." Does that mean that you're backed in, leveled, unhitched, landing gear down, plugged in, step out, slides out, pump on?

Or does that mean, backed in, leveled, unhitched, plugged in, landing gear down, jack stands under, step out, slides out, pump on, rugs out, lawn chairs out, picnic table awning out and set up, extra table put out, ice machine out, filled and plugged in, tablecloths put on outside tables, solar lights out, rv-q grill out and set up, awning out, lights on awning, outside garbage can set up, welcome sign out, thermometer out, shepherds hooks with hanging lanterns out, refrigerator bars removed from outside refrigerator, refrigerator bars removed from inside refrigerator, countertop extension installed, toilet paper holder out, liquid soap dispensers and towels hung up, water heater turned on, antenna up, television scanned for channels, and two cocktails mixed up so you can finally take a breather???

I'd say 20 minutes for the first scenario. 2 hours for the 2nd. Or three, depending upon when you do the last and final step, above.

Not even possible to add to that!

[Triguy]

Originally Posted by 4kmprs

curious as to long it takes others to set up their site from the time you back in until you are sitting in a chair. i averaged 45 min to an hour with the pop up and am hoping to reduce that remendously with the new Roo.

Your hybrid will save some time compared to the setup of your old pup but expect not to save too much the first few times as you get used to the new setup.

Assuming an easy campsite we setup in about 30 minutes. Although the popup gizmos I got at the end of last summer now add to that time.

[youroo]

This is a loaded question,it is all based on how much (Stuff) you are going to set up. Youroo!!

[bikendan]

4kmprs, since you posted this question, in this section, i'm assuming that you are talking about your hybrid setup.
you didn't specify what type of RV you're asking about, so those that have 5th wheels, motorhomes, travel trailers and so on, will respond.

it definitely varies between RV type. IMHO, a popup takes the longest and a hybrid takes less time. but a hybrid will take longer than a TT or 5th wheel.

we can setup our hybrid in about 20 minutes less than our popups. and it's way less work than a popup. no comparison in schlepping stuff in and out of the RV.

[capucine]

It is taking me aprx one hour to prepare to depart. The dining shelter has to be taken down, the trailer has to be prepared and cleaned, etc, etc. and the hitching. I am never in a hurry to leave the campground to return home!!!

[baldy]

Originally Posted by herk7769

Not even possible to add to that!

Only thing I can add is why wait until the end for the beverage. Step one is crack a pint then get to work!

I'm a 2 hour 2-3 three beer kinda guy. Bikes and kayaks. I load them the night before we leave.

I have done it much faster in the rain.

[prof_fate]

Too long...LOL Setup/teardown is more like work than fun and the most stressful part of the whole camping thing.

I too thought we'd save time with a hard side over a pop up...I'm not sure sure we do though.
We had an old, small popup - I could wrangle it into place by hand, so no multiple backups. It barely had water and power, required we put up an easy up tent for our kitchen, unpack the kitchen ( a folding affair), get the bedding from the van, etc. 1/2 hour maybe. We have torn down (to avoid the rain) in 15 mins. We had no black tank, just a gray tank, actually a small blueboy. (1966 camper..no elec or plumbing when we got it)

OK, now we have a 28' hard side...and it takes as long if not longer now, especially on packup. Leveling requires backing up at least one extra time, hitching up (when leaving) is harder as I cant just pickup the tounge and put it on the ball anymore). There is water, gas, elec to hookup/turn on. Old camper and quickie legs and wheel chocks, this one has crank down stabs plus the tounge and I put X braces on the wheels.
The outside stuff takes as long as before, if not longer as now we always have to move the table as someone always seems to have left it where I want to park, then move it again.
We now have lights and more 'crap' than before because we have more storage space than before.
We have blinds and curtains to mess with, roof vents too. Water lines to bleed (more of them)

We use more water now so have to make as many blue boy runs as before but they take longer and longer to dump on the way out.
We have to do more cleaning upon leaving (fridge, bathroom are new to us).
We have the fridge now - so no more ice runs at least!

I"m not going back to a pop up, but camping feels less like camping now. Not better or worse, just different.

[Kpinto]

IMO, If you start timing these things and worrying about it, it becomes more like WORK. I get there, first thing is plug in so AC can start running, We live and camp mostly in South Louisiana. Level, sewer lines, slides and water. After that, whatever-whenever! I might not take something out until the next morning? Same goes for tearing down. I camped next to a guy that set his alarm (Never in my camper) on Sunday morning so he could break down and go home, this guy oiled, lubed, sprayed every seal, gear, slide out, hinge he had while tearing down. If I am leaving on Sunday, then Saturday night I might pick up one or two things. Slow process on the day I am leaving. My biggest priority is to NOT turn camping in to work! Slow and steady at my pace. If that happens to mean a coctail or two while setting up and a cup of coffe or two while tearing down, then so be it. Kepp it fun and you will camp forever, turn it in to work and you will be buying for sale signs for the camper. My 2 cents!

[DAISY BOYKIN]

How long does it take to set up? That depends on if my wife is giving instructions of HOW TO DO IT RIGHT>