First trip out in 2009!

Radio · 03-07-2009, 09:51 PM

Well, not counting the trip home from Dauphin Island Jan 2nd.

Headed up to Red Top Mountain SP (Georgia) for a two night out and back next weekend! First trip of '09. Got the 5th wheel de-winterized today, all cleaned up and ready to go!

My brother is bringing his sweet wife and their TT along, the last time we camped together, it was just the two of us out backpacking. This will be the first time out with both families, the wives and both TT together. It'll be great!

Chompin' at the bit! Even if it's only two nights, we are so happy to be going some place!

NWJeeper · 03-07-2009, 09:57 PM

We are heading out on our 2nd trip of the year tomorrow to one of our favorite state parks, Ft Worden, for 4 nights with a friend at work who is bringing his 5er and a friend who is there as campground host. This is the place where they filmed "An Officer And A Gentleman" and is a great place to hike around and explore.

Enjoy your trip Radio, 73s
N7UMS

rockwood06 · 03-08-2009, 08:25 AM

It's great to see people starting to get out. On the way to Scranton PA yesterday there were many RV's on the road on I-81. More 5th wheels, some TT, and I counted 3 Class "A". As you can see, I didn't count the 5th wheels but I saw more of them then TT and then I was counting the Class "A"s on the 6.5 hour round trip. Enjoy your self and be SAFE.....

**Bama Rambler** · 03-08-2009, 10:33 AM

I'm glad to see people starting to get out too. We'll be headed on our 2nd trip this year. We're getting a slow start this year cause it's actually been cold here. Hope everyone going has a very good time.

Radio · 03-08-2009, 12:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bama Rambler

We're getting a slow start this year cause it's actually been cold here.

Indeed! There have been more morning temps below 20 deg F than I can recall in a long time. Only one decent snow, though, so we never got a "snow day" off.

CamperFan · 03-08-2009, 02:01 PM

We took our first trip of the year to Mt. Magazine State Park, AR Feb. 26. Was supposed to stay three nights but it started snowing Saturday and freezing everything including the water regulator, so we decided to cut it a day short and came home Saturday evening.

NWJeeper · 03-08-2009, 02:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bama Rambler

I'm glad to see people starting to get out too. We'll be headed on our 2nd trip this year. We're getting a slow start this year cause it's actually been cold here. Hope everyone going has a very good time.

We woke up to 1.5" of new snow this morning, but we are still going, if I can get the rig out of our driveway

cma659 · 03-08-2009, 06:06 PM

Dewinterized mine today but still blew the the water lines out and got the inside ready all I have to do is give her a bath and waxing, weather still iffy here but see light at the end of the tunnel hopefully soon.

Radio · 03-08-2009, 06:27 PM

This was taken 1 week ago.
Today it was 75* F out there, took my Sunday nap in the trailer.
This time next week we will be returning from our first '09 outing with the trailer. Wow, what a difference a couple of weeks makes!

rockwood06 · 03-08-2009, 06:50 PM

Radio, I didn't notice it until I looked at the pic a second time.

Radio · 03-08-2009, 06:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rockwood06

Radio, I didn't notice it until I looked at the pic a second time.

Kinda neat, huh? Like one of those Magic Eye puzzles that used to be so popular. I never, ever, saw what I was supposed to see in one of those!

donjuanss · 03-08-2009, 09:15 PM

Radio I just got back from my first outing for 2009. Bike Week in Daytona Beach. First trip out with the new V-Lite 28WFK. Got 7.5-8.5 mpg running 60-70mph. Great weather. 80's in the day had to run the air then high 50's at night had to run the heat. Very windy and I had to get used to the new 28ft length vs my old 19ft TT. All in all a great weekend. Getting ready for another in a few weeks alot closer to home.

Radio · 03-15-2009, 09:15 PM

Well, it was an interesting time. It rained from the minute we arrived, and should continue to rain until Wednesday or so. I learned to set up in the rain, that is, step by step on the checklist only you get wet and cold. (Note to self, get some page protectors for the checklist book.)

Pic 1) The camp sites in our section were curved and humped in the middle which was a little odd. They were also situated along a ridge which put us up into the weather. Interesting. Tried to capture the hump/curve of the site here. Water pressure was minimal on top of the ridge, so we never got a shower. Course you don't stink too much sitting around wet and cold!

So that's why there's no pics of us...no shower water, no pics!!

Pic 2) Looking out the picture window at the forested ridge at Red Top Mountain S.P. where it rained all of our 3 day weekend. We had several things in our favor: We like each other, the camper is roomy inside, and the rain outside was somewhat romantic.

Also the food at the lodge was very good and that was an excuse to get out.

My brother and his wife came over from their site and we watched "Iron Man" on DVD and we slept a lot. I was amazed at how loud rain could be on the roof of the camper. I thought it was raining way worse than it really was. But once we got to sleep...man that was really good sleep!

rockwood06 · 03-16-2009, 04:30 AM

Radio, nice pic It looks very relaxing. You mention the rain on the roof, for some reason my wife likes the sound of rain on the roof at night when it is time for bed. She doesnt like my snoring but the rain is ok, I don't understand the snoring is consistent just like the rain drops.

But in any case I hope you and your family enjoyed yourselfes

cfsoistman · 03-16-2009, 06:02 AM

Sorry to hear the weather didn't cooperate but at least you got out and were able to enjoy your time together. We're still waiting for the weather to warm up some. Nice pictures of your rig on the site. Were there many other campers around you? Is it normal for their water pressure to be so low? Any reason you didn't use your fresh water tank and pump?

We've gotten so use to the sound of rain during our camping trips. It's like taking a sleeping pill, that sound on the roof puts me right to sleep. I do miss the sound when we had our Hybrid though. It sounded like we were inside a bag of microwave popcorn when it would rain pretty hard.

We're still jealous since we haven't been able to go yet!

Come on Spring Time !!!!!!!!!

MtnGuy · 03-16-2009, 07:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Radio

I was amazed at how loud rain could be on the roof of the camper. I thought it was raining way worse than it really was. But once we got to sleep...man that was really good sleep!

The rain hitting the rubber roof of our Surveyor is quiet compared to the rain on the aluminum roof of our previous Trailmanor...... I would think it was a down pour when it was only sprinkling. And when the big drops fell of off the trees, that sounded like an explosion.

Sounds like you are making the best of a rainy camping trip.

Radio · 03-16-2009, 09:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rockwood06

Radio, nice pic It looks very relaxing. You mention the rain on the roof, for some reason my wife likes the sound of rain on the roof at night when it is time for bed.

Oh we slept like the proverbial log! And it's not that the sound wasn't pleasant at times, we actually liked it. It's just that the noise seemed really loud when compared to the actuall amout of rain that was falling.

We haven't been in the trailer during a thunderstorm, yet, but it will no doubt be an interesting experience.

cfsoistman · 03-16-2009, 11:41 AM

It can definitely be loud during a thunderstorm. I can speak from our experiences while we had our Keystone Litehouse. Our tag on the Motorhome reads RAYNMKR, guess why. I've been asked if I'm a weather man and I guess to a degree I am. It rains about 90% of the time we've been camping.I'm not a weather man but I do control it from time to time.
The worse though has to be when we lived in a mobile home park and had an aluminum awning 20ft x 10ft. One hail storm and I thought I was going deft. It's like living in a snare drum during a non-stop drum roll.

Radio · 03-16-2009, 01:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cfsoistman

Were there many other campers around you? Is it normal for their water pressure to be so low? Any reason you didn't use your fresh water tank and pump?

Yes the ridge, which is the "pull through" area was full all weekend. And most of the rest of the campground, what seemed to be the older part, was full of shorter rigs, pop-up and tenters. It was a pretty good crowd. The water pressure at the dump station and the bath houses were much better, so at this park I guess this was normal. I thought real serious about filling up the fresh tank and getting in a shower that way. I guess if we were staying more than two nights I would have.

BTW, this was Red Top Mountian SP in Georgia

NWJeeper · 03-16-2009, 08:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Radio

Well, it was an interesting time. It rained from the minute we arrived, and should continue to rain until Wednesday or so. I learned to set up in the rain, that is, step by step on the checklist only you get wet and cold. (Note to self, get some page protectors for the checklist book.)......

Our trip started out about the same way but in a blizard. Pulled the rig off our hill in the snow and down into town to hook up our Jeep Liberty for the trip. After getting the Jeep hooked up the transfer case wouldn't shift into neutral and I had to disconnect it, drive it home and come back with my Jeep Wrangler instead. All of this in a driving snow shower! We pulled into the campground in the pouring down rain.

The next day were winds of around 20 to 30 mph and snow coming at us sideways. However the next 2 days were nice and sunny but very cold. Night time temps were in the low 20s.

Our 3rd trip is coming up in just 3 weeks! Gonna spend 5 nights in easter Washington at a favorite lake. Just ordered an R/C PBY Catalina to fly off of the lake, can't wait!!!

1st picture is of the campground taken from the gun emplacements on the beach, 2nd is of the nearby lighthouse

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