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Trout Giggles

My New Toy

  
By:  Trout Giggles  •  pleasure  •  6 years ago  •  71 comments

My New Toy

We got this about 2 weeks ago and it was delivered a week ago. We're slowing getting the things we need for it like sheets, memory foam, dry goods, towels, etc.

We probably won't get to take it out for a few weeks because of the vacation plans we made before we bought the camper. But I'm going to sit down with my "sister" and talk to her about the campsites she and her husband go and make plans to go to at least 2 of them before our big fishing trip to Norfork in October.

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Trout Giggles
Professor Principal
1  author  Trout Giggles    6 years ago

Can't wait for the maiden voyage.

 
 
 
Freefaller
Professor Quiet
1.1  Freefaller  replied to  Trout Giggles @1    6 years ago

Enjoy yourselves

 
 
 
Trout Giggles
Professor Principal
1.1.1  author  Trout Giggles  replied to  Freefaller @1.1    6 years ago

thanks!

 
 
 
SteevieGee
Professor Silent
1.2  SteevieGee  replied to  Trout Giggles @1    6 years ago

Looks like the Giggles family vacation's on deck.

 
 
 
Trout Giggles
Professor Principal
1.2.1  author  Trout Giggles  replied to  SteevieGee @1.2    6 years ago

Weekend after this one we're taking it out on her maiden voyage!

 
 
 
cjcold
Professor Quiet
1.3  cjcold  replied to  Trout Giggles @1    6 years ago

What are you hauling it with?

 
 
 
Trout Giggles
Professor Principal
1.3.1  author  Trout Giggles  replied to  cjcold @1.3    6 years ago

A Dodge Ram 1500

 
 
 
Tessylo
Professor Principal
2  Tessylo    6 years ago

Nice!

 
 
 
Trout Giggles
Professor Principal
2.1  author  Trout Giggles  replied to  Tessylo @2    6 years ago

thanks!

It really only sleeps two comfortably but since the bed is a camper queen and Mr G snores and has jimmy legs, it really only sleeps me.

My son-in-law wanted to know where he's supposed to sleep and I said "in a tent...outside"

 
 
 
JBB
Professor Principal
3  JBB    6 years ago

You will know the new wore off looking out the motel window to see if your camper is still there...

Including campsite fees, gas, depreciation and all such things my camper cost about $250.00/day.

If you want a look at what to expect rent Lucy and Ricky in The Long Long Trailer for a preview...

It seems that everyone has a dream of traveling with their house attached including all our pets.

You haven't lived until you are sleeping inside a small trailer and the dog gets a bad case of gas...

 
 
 
Trout Giggles
Professor Principal
3.1  author  Trout Giggles  replied to  JBB @3    6 years ago

C'mon....don't rain on my parade. I hate tents but I do like getting out in the woods and going fishing.

 
 
 
JBB
Professor Principal
3.1.1  JBB  replied to  Trout Giggles @3.1    6 years ago

I hope you have only fun. I don't regret my camper follies butt I wouldn't do that again...

We never stayed in "the woods". KOA mostly though there are lots of nice independents...

A friend thought he could just pull into parking lots but he did not really think it through.

 

 
 
 
Trout Giggles
Professor Principal
3.1.2  author  Trout Giggles  replied to  JBB @3.1.1    6 years ago

We're good. I need to see if we need to make reservations at the camp sites I want to go to.

Since Mr G got his VA ID card many of the spots we will go to will either waive the fee or it is greatly reduced.

 
 
 
JBB
Professor Principal
3.1.3  JBB  replied to  Trout Giggles @3.1.2    6 years ago

Everyone should give it a try. I guarantee you will be laughing remembering some of your adventures...

I wanted to travel with D-Dawg and so I got the trailer but I sold it when I moved from OK to New York.

 
 
 
cjcold
Professor Quiet
3.1.4  cjcold  replied to  Trout Giggles @3.1    6 years ago

Bought a truck-bed tent a few months back and have set it up but have yet to use it other than in my driveway.

Figure it to be much more efficient than the pop-up camper I used to lug around.

 
 
 
Trout Giggles
Professor Principal
3.1.5  author  Trout Giggles  replied to  cjcold @3.1.4    6 years ago

I looked at pop-ups but I didn't want anything with canvas primarily because if the canvas gets wet and you don't dry it out properly you get mildew

 
 
 
cjcold
Professor Quiet
3.1.6  cjcold  replied to  Trout Giggles @3.1.5    6 years ago

I like the mileage I get with a bed tent. But it's comparing apples to oranges. If I didn't have to pay for the gas, I'd go for what you have in a New York second!

 
 
 
charger 383
Professor Silent
4  charger 383    6 years ago

hope you have a lot of fun and go to interesting places 

 
 
 
Buzz of the Orient
Professor Expert
5  Buzz of the Orient    6 years ago

Quite a number of years ago I accompanied a client to Arlington, Texas, who was negotiating to purchase a large trailer park. We stayed over in a trailer in that park, and I was quite comfortable. Before I moved to China I had a bit of a fantasy of buying a motor home and driving all over North America on my own, but I passed on it.

Has anyone watched the movie: "RV"?

 
 
 
sandy-2021492
Professor Expert
5.1  sandy-2021492  replied to  Buzz of the Orient @5    6 years ago
Has anyone watched the movie: "RV"?

With Robin Williams?

Yes.

My parents used to have a camper, when we were growing up.  We didn't go much further than WV, but we had fun.  We usually went along with my grandparents and some aunts and uncles, and had a blast playing in creeks, hiking, cooking around a campfire, etc.  We even took our cat along, and he loved it.

I remember the first time we went, my Dad had me scared to death of bears.  I was sure they'd break down that flimsy door and devour us.  Now bears regularly visit my yard and even my porch.

 
 
 
Trout Giggles
Professor Principal
5.1.1  author  Trout Giggles  replied to  sandy-2021492 @5.1    6 years ago

When I was little we camped on the Blue Ridge Parkway. There were signs everywhere about bears. My brother and I got nervous but Dad told us the bears would leave us alone since we were rotten

 
 
 
cjcold
Professor Quiet
5.1.2  cjcold  replied to  Trout Giggles @5.1.1    6 years ago

Grew up camping out with the folks on vacation. Mom was a girl scout leader and dad was a Eagle Scout. Some millionaires take their kids to 5 star hotels, mine made me build and light the campfire.

 
 
 
Trout Giggles
Professor Principal
5.1.3  author  Trout Giggles  replied to  cjcold @5.1.2    6 years ago
Some millionaires take their kids to 5 star hotels, mine made me build and

LOL! You learned valuable skills

 
 
 
cjcold
Professor Quiet
5.1.4  cjcold  replied to  Trout Giggles @5.1.3    6 years ago

Camping is an art form. Once one gets the hang of it, it can be rather comfy. I imagine it will take some time to get used to your new toy and perfect your skills with it.

While I normally avoid commercial campgrounds and RV parks, There are times I enjoy the company and bring a guitar for jam sessions around the campfire.

Just remember that you have to hate rabbits in order to keep the smoke out of your face.

 
 
 
Trout Giggles
Professor Principal
5.1.5  author  Trout Giggles  replied to  cjcold @5.1.4    6 years ago

I like US Corps of Engineers parks because they keep them pretty nice.

Now why do I have to hate rabbits?

 
 
 
Kavika
Professor Principal
6  Kavika     6 years ago

Congratulations Trout, 

We've had a trailer (5th wheel) for a number of years. Had a lot of fun and did a 5 month road trip in it. 

Coming down the road we looked like ''Brother Love's Traveling Salvation Show''....Laugh

 
 
 
Trout Giggles
Professor Principal
6.1  author  Trout Giggles  replied to  Kavika @6    6 years ago

Those 5th wheels are very nice but since we are only doing a few days at a time, I'm good with something small. This one is about 20 feet long, but it does have a bathroom with a toilet, sink, and shower.

One thing I don't understand about it tho, it has a microwave oven under the 2 burner stove. It makes more sense to me to put a real oven there instead of a microwave...then I could make biscuits or cinnamon rolls for breakfast

 
 
 
Ender
Professor Principal
6.1.1  Ender  replied to  Trout Giggles @6.1    6 years ago

That is odd. A lot have both.

 
 
 
Trout Giggles
Professor Principal
6.1.2  author  Trout Giggles  replied to  Ender @6.1.1    6 years ago

This is a small camper. I've seen microwaves and ovens in the larger ones, but not in the smaller ones.

I'm still arguing with Mr G on whether we should get a propane oven

 
 
 
Dulay
Professor Expert
6.1.3  Dulay  replied to  Trout Giggles @6.1    6 years ago
then I could make biscuits or cinnamon rolls for breakfast

Get you a dutch oven, I have 3. There are a tone of websites for Dutch oven cooking. I've also done canned biscuits in a iron skillet on a campfire. 

 
 
 
Trout Giggles
Professor Principal
6.1.4  author  Trout Giggles  replied to  Dulay @6.1.3    6 years ago

thanks for the advice!

 
 
 
cjcold
Professor Quiet
6.1.5  cjcold  replied to  Trout Giggles @6.1.2    6 years ago

Just build a box out of heavy duty tin foil for biscuits and pastry. Learned how from a Marine.

 
 
 
Pedro
Professor Participates
8  Pedro    6 years ago

Very nice.

 
 
 
devangelical
Professor Principal
9  devangelical    6 years ago

A beer cooler with a bathroom and big enough to sleep in. Cool.

 
 
 
Trout Giggles
Professor Principal
9.1  author  Trout Giggles  replied to  devangelical @9    6 years ago

Somebody gets it

 
 
 
Spikegary
Junior Quiet
11  Spikegary    6 years ago

Congrats and I hope you love it.  I grew up in a camping family, worked up from regular tent to one that attached to the station wagon, to a motor home.  You meet a lot of really cool people and can make lots of new friends.  You may have some 'experiences' but all in all, you are adult enough to handle it......lots of other things to learn, like making biscuits on an outside grill.....there are ways to do everything.

 
 
 
Ender
Professor Principal
11.1  Ender  replied to  Spikegary @11    6 years ago

Same here except we had a pop-up trailer in between.

 
 
 
Trout Giggles
Professor Principal
11.2  author  Trout Giggles  replied to  Spikegary @11    6 years ago
like making biscuits on an outside grill.....there are ways to do everything.

How about cornbread? What's your secret? Tell, me, don't hold out!

We used to do a lot of camping when I was a kid. My dad had one of those campers that sat on the bed of the truck. It was pretty decent sized, too. But for the past 20 some years, we've only had a tent. I just can't do it anymore even with an air mattress. I can't off the ground like I used to. And I like having somewhere to go hide when it rains or when it gets cold. I think we're going to enjoy it very much. Thanks!

 
 
 
Pedro
Professor Participates
11.2.1  Pedro  replied to  Trout Giggles @11.2    6 years ago

Cast iron. Most range cooking was one pot style, or at least made in kettles....including the corn bread.

 
 
 
Trout Giggles
Professor Principal
11.2.2  author  Trout Giggles  replied to  Pedro @11.2.1    6 years ago

Got cast iron skillets. Gonna learn how to use one to make corn bread because I want to make chicken chili while we're at Norfork. I got a big crockpot that ought to feed everybody

 
 
 
Pedro
Professor Participates
11.2.3  Pedro  replied to  Trout Giggles @11.2.2    6 years ago

That sounds pretty awesome.

If you were hiking, I would scrap the cast iron in favor of single walled titanium, but out of your camper, cast iron will be perfect. Just remember not to clean it with water. Dirt, sticks, and rocks as the scrub followed by a good oily wipe down is perfect. Or salt followed by the oil lol.

 
 
 
nightwalker
Sophomore Silent
11.2.4  nightwalker  replied to  Trout Giggles @11.2.2    6 years ago

Have you seasoned your cast-iron yet? If you don't, everything cooks right and tight to the pan. Ah, they come with instructions, don't they? Don't skip it.

 
 
 
Trout Giggles
Professor Principal
11.2.5  author  Trout Giggles  replied to  nightwalker @11.2.4    6 years ago

Mr G has that handled. :)

He's the chef when we go camping

 
 
 
Ender
Professor Principal
12  Ender    6 years ago

Congrats. Looks nice.

We went camping last weekend. Not far just took the camper and the boat to a friends piece of land on the river. I think it is about 32 ft. Has one slide out in the main living area. Once opened up it gives a lot of room.

One thing I would say is if you go somewhere that you cannot hook to water, watch your water supply. It is easy to run the holding tank out pretty quick.

 
 
 
Trout Giggles
Professor Principal
12.1  author  Trout Giggles  replied to  Ender @12    6 years ago

Been thinking about that. My biggest worry is the water heater is only 5 gallons, so I'm going to be taking very quick showers. We usually camp at parks where they have showers, but those things get wet and dirty and I end even dirtier after taking a shower in those places.

Have I ever told you that my idea of roughing it is a hotel room with no coffee maker? LOL!

Well, now the hotel has a coffeemaker and wheels.

 
 
 
Ender
Professor Principal
12.1.1  Ender  replied to  Trout Giggles @12.1    6 years ago

Ha!  Coffee maker and a fridge. What spoiled me was being able to hook up and have AC at night.

What we have done before is wet down, turn of water, soap up, then rinse off. Now though, my brother in law has changed out the hot water heater to an on demand one. Found a fairly good priced one on Ebay. The only draw back is watching the propane use. It usually works out as we rarely use the stove or oven.

 
 
 
cjcold
Professor Quiet
12.1.2  cjcold  replied to  Ender @12.1.1    6 years ago

When camping out becomes sitting on a sofa and watching DVDs while heating up a dinner in the microwave, is it really camping out anymore?  

 
 
 
Perrie Halpern R.A.
Professor Principal
13  Perrie Halpern R.A.    6 years ago

Oooo I want one. I keep trying to talk Matt into one.. but he's not sure. 

Anyway, have a wonderful time!!

 
 
 
Trout Giggles
Professor Principal
13.1  author  Trout Giggles  replied to  Perrie Halpern R.A. @13    6 years ago

Thanks!

This was the only way Mr G was ever going to get me to go camping. He had to buy a camper. We were supposed to buy one last fall, but then I broke my ankle and I wasn't able to go fishing or camping last fall.

 
 
 
Kavika
Professor Principal
13.1.1  Kavika   replied to  Trout Giggles @13.1    6 years ago

Come  up to Mill Creek Campground on Table Rock Lake...it's a Corp of Engineers campground and one of the most beautiful I've ever seen. And I seen a heck of a lot of them...Almost every site is on the water. Great fishing a swimming beach etc etc. 

Plus you'd only be about 1 mile from my house...That could be a good or a bad thing...LOL 

 
 
 
Trout Giggles
Professor Principal
13.1.2  author  Trout Giggles  replied to  Kavika @13.1.1    6 years ago

That sounds awesome! We go to a Corps site right around Salesville. I think it's called Quarry Site. It sits right below the dam on the Lake Norfork.

Maybe I'll talk Mr G in doing that sometime

 
 
 
Studiusbagus
Sophomore Quiet
13.1.3  Studiusbagus  replied to  Trout Giggles @13.1    6 years ago
This was the only way Mr G was ever going to get me to go camping.

Ugh!  The demands I had to succumb to just to get Denise to camp in a tent.

 
 
 
Trout Giggles
Professor Principal
13.1.4  author  Trout Giggles  replied to  Studiusbagus @13.1.3    6 years ago

ROFL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 
 
 
cjcold
Professor Quiet
13.1.5  cjcold  replied to  Kavika @13.1.1    6 years ago

Don't do campgrounds. Much prefer wilderness areas.

 
 
 
It Is ME
Masters Guide
14  It Is ME    6 years ago

Nice toy !

You doing the "Travel Package discounts" with that ?

 
 
 
Pedro
Professor Participates
15  Pedro    6 years ago

The town I live in is smack dab in the middle of a boreal forest, and probably about 100 meters below the treeline. Camping is always an option here, as if booking it back to the house if you forget anything lol.

 
 
 
cjcold
Professor Quiet
15.1  cjcold  replied to  Pedro @15    6 years ago

As Santa said, "make a list and check it twice!"

 
 
 
nightwalker
Sophomore Silent
16  nightwalker    6 years ago

One question accrues to me, seeing as how you seem to attract deep water, is: does it float?  Happy

 
 
 
Trout Giggles
Professor Principal
16.1  author  Trout Giggles  replied to  nightwalker @16    6 years ago

laughing dude

The outboard motor was an option we will get when we get some of this paid off. :)

 
 
 
Studiusbagus
Sophomore Quiet
17  Studiusbagus    6 years ago
But I'm going to sit down with my "sister" and talk to her about the campsites she and her husband go and make plans to go to at least 2 of them before our big fishing trip to Norfork in October.

Better than that...If you are a AAA member or have a person that is, go to their office and get their "Camp Book". It has most every campground in the USA my wife and I have found some really great places to camp out at. Very informative.

 
 
 
Trout Giggles
Professor Principal
17.1  author  Trout Giggles  replied to  Studiusbagus @17    6 years ago

Thanks for the info!

 
 
 
Hal A. Lujah
Professor Guide
18  Hal A. Lujah    6 years ago

I wish I could get my wife to camp like that.  We go with our friends, but they have a motorhome with two bathrooms in it, five tvs, ceramic tile floor, and a fridge bigger than the one in our kitchen. 

 
 
 
Trout Giggles
Professor Principal
18.1  author  Trout Giggles  replied to  Hal A. Lujah @18    6 years ago

It's a rolling 5 star hotel. LOL!

 
 
 
MalamuteMan
Professor Quiet
19  MalamuteMan    6 years ago

We got one last year...

MaidenVoyage.jpg

 
 
 
Trout Giggles
Professor Principal
19.1  author  Trout Giggles  replied to  MalamuteMan @19    6 years ago

Hi, Mal! Long time, no see!

Our camper is about the same size. We're taking it on its maiden voyage this afternoon.