Knoebels & Lake Glory Campground, Catawissa, PA

For our second trip with the popup, we decided to move up our annual Knoebels weekend with the kids from after Labor Day to this past weekend.  I scheduled to take off work on Friday so we could get an early start to the 130 mile drive and check-in early.  I called on Wednesday evening to confirm we could check-in early and our site was not occupied and better yet, there were no additional charges for early arrival.  So, Thursday night I set the AirLift system to 28 psi, and loaded the car with all our stuff.  After playing TETRIS with the boxes, bags, and cases, everything fit in great and all we would have to load in the morning was the cooler and pillows.

All Setup

We left the house by 8am and hitched up the camper.  After checking all the lights and turning the fridge on 12V to begin cooling it during the drive, we were on our way over to the PA Turnpike.  The van handled the load fine on the highway and I could maintain 65mph easily in overdrive pulling just below 2000 rpms on the flat and on the slight grades it would drop into 4th and pull about 2400 rpms.  After the Lehigh Tunnel the long grades were no trouble and the camper tracked very well behind us with no sway.  2 hrs 30 minutes later, we arrived at Lake Glory Campground!

Madie's Little People Campsite!

We backed into our site and checked the level, and then uncoupled the van from the camper.  Within a few minutes we had a plan of action and we began to open the camper and unload the van.  Becky took care of the inside items and I took care of the exterior,.... i.e..  She was in the AC and I was in the Sun :-)


Site setup complete, it was time to head off to the Knoebels Crystal Pool for the afternoon to cool off and have some fun!  The water was FREEEEEEZZZZINNNGGG!!  The girls lasted about 45 minutes in the pool before we took a break and got some snacks and played on the rope course.  Back in the pool for a little while, but they were getting to cold and it was getting close to 4pm.  We wanted to head back to the camp and get changed for the evening, grab dinner, and come back for Family Bargain Night for the rides!

5am Saturday was COLD,... turned on the LP Furnace for the first time!

Knoebels is a lot of fun and if you haven't been there you should add it to your list of places to go.  Free Parking, Free Admission.  If you want to ride the rides you can purchase a booklet of tickets and go on the rides  you choose, or you can buy an All Ride Pass (bracelet) that you can ride as much as you want!  This is great cause we can get the girls a handstamp for the Bargain night and they can ride as many as they choose, over and over again, and Becky and I don't have to pay anything to be there in the park and watch them.  If we want to go on a ride, we just use some of the tickets we bought.  Here are some highlight photos from the weekend.

Ally riding the Helicopters

Bella on the Italian Trapeze (Swings)

My Favorite Photo from the Weekend

 

All the Ladies with Kozmo

 

Madie loved these train cars!

Mmmmm,.... Smores and the evening fire.... YUMMY!

Becky's BIG Bass!

Nice part about Lake Glory is that checkout isn't until 2pm.  This made Sunday nice and relaxed and while everyone else was packing up we were able to go fishing, do a scavenger hunt with the kids, and have lunch.   The girls had a few bites when fishing but no good results.  Becky managed to fight off the big one and reel it in!  <--SEE LEFT

Eventually it was time to pack back up, which went pretty smooth.  It was getting hot though and being in our site with no shade trees made it quite steamy when we had to roll up the awning! 

Back to reality on Sunday Evening, the ride and tow home was uneventful.  Back out again in two weeks to another Campground!

Camper Project Results!

As you've read in our previous posts, we've picked up a few items along the way and learned some new ideas from others at the campsite or online at the Forest River Forums (makers of Flagstaff Campers).  The fishing rod holder works great, and we even received some compliments this weekend.  The step and landing box worked awesome as well.  Turns out, the leveling shims and blocking fit perfectly in it.

So, a trip or two to Walmart and Lowes and we have a few items to share.  The 10x10 canopy that we have used for a long time makes a perfect screened in area for the picnic table.  This helps greatly reduce the bugs and doubles as a play area / game area in the evening if we turn on the rope light.  This casts a nice glow over the area without being intrusive for the neighboring camps.

Our Organized Campsite.  Awning, carpet, and Picnic Tent space + My little Madie

Walmart behind toilet organizer, modified, makes a nice shelf pantry!

With storage space a premium in the camper, this idea on the forums was a great one.  Take the metal bathroom organizer at Walmart and use it as a shelf unit / pantry over the stove!  Just left off the bottom section and we had to trim the top for height, but it fits well and lets us unpack a box of stuff from the car and not keep moving it in the camper.

The sink vent system worked fantastic.  No backups or slow drainage from the sink during dish duty or even during the rinsing of the lines where I run the water for about a minute.

Mesh screened in 10x10 is great for eating and playing games!

So, now that you have seen our updates, the next post will talk about our great trip to Knoebels Amusement Park in Elysburg, PA.  Nearly 300 photos from this weekend!

Camper Projects

As mentioned in our last post, we found a few items that we could improve or work on with the camper or our planning.  After noting them, making some sketches, and a run to Lowes, it was time to check some items off the list.

First, the camper sits high, and for little Madie that first step is quite a doosey.  Nearly double a typical stair riser height, I felt it would be best to add a larger platform landing.  I used  2x6x8 and made a 18"x30" platform sheathed on one side with 1/2" OSB that I had laying ou at the garage.  This size also allowed me to use a piece of carpet to cover the top rather than just having a plywood landing.  Flip the step over and the carpet protects the floor of the camper as we can stack stuff inside the box and fit it inside the collapsed camper as a storage container! (Time: 30 Minutes)

Buidling the box / landing platform

Madie Testing the platform, now covered with low-nap carpet ontop

Second, the sink drain is really slow.  The current system has the grey water exit as soon as it come thru the sink trap.  Typically, this is where you have a vent in your plumbing at your home.  So, using 1 1/2" diameter PVC I made a Tee connection with an offset riser to an Air Admittance valve.  The importance of the Air Admittance valve is that it will allow air into the riser, but not out, meaning when we are connected to our holding tank or directly connected to a sewer hookup we will not have those odors coming back up the pipe and into our camper thru the side screens.  Using a garden hose, Becky tested the sink before and after, and there is an improvement in the speed in which the sink drains.  (Time: 20 Minutes)

Vent System.  Offset so I can hook up my water at the top black connection point.

Third, I cleaned up some of the sagging wires in the front near the battery box and back to the camper.  They were secure, just not bundled as neatly as I would have expected.  Some evenly spaced ties later, and it looks better. (Time: 5 Min)

Lastly, we will have the opportunity at many of our campgrounds to go fishing.  This will be something fun for the kids in the morning or later evening.  Fishing rods are a challenge to have in the car sometimes as they have to be placed on the luggage and moved all the time.  Two options, store them ontop of the car, or store them on the camper.  With the shape of the camper at the back, it made sense to use that effectively and to keep the girls fishing rods there so we will have them for each trip.  I decided to use a 4 3/4" square piece of vinyl fence sleeve as it woudl be easy to mount to the extension of the frame.  (Note, there is 4" typically at the store, but they do have this larger size in limited quantity.)  Nested inside of this I used a section of vinyl gutter as a slide tray.  A quick stop at the clearance hardware and I had a nice pull handle to use.  I first cut the square tube to 6'-10", giving me space for the end caps to be installed and stay within the 7'-0" overall length I wanted, which is equal to the width of the camper.  I then cut the gutter to 6'-8 1/2", to allow the handle to nest inside the end caps.  Traced the gutter profile on some 1x6 and I had my wood ends.  Time to assemble!  (Time: 2 hrs,.. had to think about this one....)

Figuring, Measuring, Test Fitting

Strapping and Anchoring to frame at the rear bumper

Finished! Open Cap, slide out the fishing rods!  (holds 3, staggered)

Closed Up.  Doesn't obstruct anything or lights.  Accessible anytime.

So, while I installed these items, Becky checked the stock in the camper and loaded some of our items.  This week is packed with things for everyone, next weekend we are home yet, and then we go to Knoebels for a few days.  That will begin our camping every two weeks until November 1st.  :-)

I'm sure we'll start another list over the next few weeks.  :-)

First Camping Trip - Colonial Woods Campground

Tuesday, Pick up Camper,... Friday-Sunday, Go Camping!  Are we nuts!  Each night was crazy.  Between Becky trying to get everything for the kids organized and packed, me working, and then figuring out how to pack things and organize them for the camper, it was some long nights.  Thursday we went over to open up the camper ourselves for the first time and things went pretty well.  We arrived and unlocked the latches and hit the "UP" button on the PowerLift, only to get no response.  The battery didn't have a great charge on it when we picked it up, and apparently didn't have enough juice to give us a lift!  Battery charger on the battery and in a few minutes we were up and beginning to go through the opening procedures.  Storage bins installed with some of our stuff, and we then went through the close up procedures.  Defninitely an order to do things that we have to develop to make things go smoother.  Plugged the camper in to charge the battery, turned on the fridge, and went home for the night.

Got out of work, hustled home, loaded up the kids and went to hitch up the camper.  Took my voltmeter and checked the battery,... pretty dead.  Why didn't it charge?  The camper has a converter to change the AC to DC and charge the deep cycle battery.  Well, after a phone call, one thing to check would be the fuse panel, but that is on the inside,... and with it collapsed, I can't crawl thru there and get to it.  Service verifies that I should gain charge when I connect the camper to the van, so I do, and I am reading a 13.4 V charge to the battery (van at idle).  Ok, we'll see what happens, worse case is that I have to hand crank it up with the handle in this 95* heat and humidity.  Off to the campsite we go!

Van towed the camper nicely even with the load of stuff we were bringing along.  We arrived about 40 minutes later at Colonial Woods Campground.  Looked at our site, picked a spot, and had Becky guide me back.  PERFECT!  She directed me right onto the spot we talked about on the first shot!  Before I un-coupled the camper I disconnected the 7-pin and then checked the battery voltage.  Although not long on the road, the voltage was 12.1V, still marginal, but should get us opened up.  Chocked the wheel, and un-coupled us.  The girls were a big help in getting everything setup and to other campers we at least looked like we knew what to do.  Once inside, the LED light was on next to a fuse indicating that it was blown.  Sure enough, it was the charge circuit to the battery, so that's why even when connected to the garage power I wasnt' getting charge to the battery.

Bella cranking down the Stabilizer jack

Ta-Da!  All Setup!

All setup, we went out to explore Colonial Woods!  The campground is really nice and they have a restroom house near our campsite.  Down at the main entry and lodge, there is a playground for the kids, mini-golf, game room, and store.  Further, we walk across a bridge pathway to the fishing lake and nearby pool. 

Birth Order, although not planned that way,.. Bella-Ally-Madie

Walking the bridge to the fishing lake

Saturday was full of things to do.  Becky made a great egg and pancake breakfast to get us started off right.  The heat was kicking in already for the day, so we decided to go play some mini-golf before hitting the pool for the afternoon.  The campground had a country picnic and games in the afternoon, which were also over bby the pool.  So, after cooling off for a bit, Bella joined a lot of the other kids to do the egg race, Old McDonald hat race, balloon race, team wheelbarrow race, and then the peanut scramble!  She was having a blast.  Madie and Ally also did the peanut scramble, as they were a little tired and very hot.

Our Camp Sign, Stop on In!

Madie Playing Mini-golf

Bella in a Relay Race

Ending the day with SMORES!

Sunday came way to fast, and it was time to figure out how to pack things all back up again.  We could have stayed a little longer till checkout, but we tried to beat the heat a little bit and pack up so we could have some time in the afternoon to relax at home.  All went well again to close things up, and the battery voltage was fine after charging off the shore power for the weekend.

Things we learned:

1. Sink doesn't drain well - discovered that we have a sink trap and that is the outlet to the grey water hookup.  Since the sink rotates down for storage, there is no vent hookup after the trap.  Added to my project list.
2. Bring the DVD player for the kids, this will help allow Becky and I to setup/teardown the camper easier by keeping them entertained and all 3 of them in one known location.
3. Need to build a platform landing, the one step is to tall for Madie and we had some close calls.
4. Camping is a LOT OF FUN! with the popup!  Colonial Woods is really nice, and we even booked our next trip there for in September.

Our camper!

Well, we decided on two Flagstaff campers that we liked.  Each had similar equipment, but the one had a sink opposite of the cooktop, that didn't make sense.  Also, that meant that either water or heat could be near bedding, not a good idea with the kids.  The other camper was bigger, and had the cooktop and water next to eachother directly in the middle of the camper.  This was nice, and the more we looked at it the more we felt it was the right choice.  And, writing this now after our first trip, I can tell you that we are VERY glad we chose this model.

So, here it is, a Flagstaff MAC 208 popup tent camper!

Includes:

• Outdoor LP Grill Station
• Power Lift (with manual backup)
• 13,500 BTU Roof Air Conditioner
• 3 speed FantasticFan exhaust fan
• Tinted vinyl windows to close her up for the AC
• Privacy Curtains
• Exterior Awning
• LP Furnace for interior heating
• 20 Gallon water tank w/ 12V pump for when not connected to campsite water
• 3 burner interior cooktop
• Sink
• 3 way Refridgerator (12v power, 120v power, and LP gas power)
• 2 dinnette stations, each convert to twin beds
• Full bed and Queen bed, both with electric heated matresses
• 13" Tires, 13" Spare Tire, and Electric Brakes

Weight: (Verified at Moyer & Son's feed mill truck scale) 
1820 lbs with LP tank and Deep Cycle battery

Some Interior Shots:

Facing Rear, U-shaped Dinette, Full bed, and Center Kitchen space

Facing Front, Queen bed, bench seating (table gets installed there)

All hooked up and ready to go!!

As I mentioned, it has electric brakes, so I had to install a 7-pin harness point and a Voyager brake controller.  Media Camping Center installed these items for us in a few hours and did a very professional and clean installation.  Wires are cleanly routed and hidden, just the way we like them.  This also means that the van powers not only the running lights and signals, but charges the deep cycle rv battery while we are traveling.  If I plug in the camper ahead of time and cool the fridge, I can select the fridge power setting to 12V and keep it cold while we travel too!

It definitely looks bigger now with the car there, and in teh rear mirrors too.  The van towed it fine and so far I've been rather good at backing it up and getting it where we need to go.  First stop after picking it up was to Moyer & Son to use the weigh scale to get a weight of the van/camper, van, and camper separately.  This way, we can properly monitor the cargo we place in the camper to stay below the gross trailer weight, as well as know what we can put in the van and not exceed the rear axle weight.

Preparing to Purchase a Camper

Searching around, we found that quality and condition vary so much in the pop-up camper market.  There are a good amount of used ones out there, but many we saw online or in person had mildew on the canvas, musty odor, and signs of neglect.  Even one that had all the same features we ended up with that was in good condition and 5 years old, the owner wanted nearly what we could buy a new one for and have the warranties with.  So, we then spent some more time looking at the inventory at Indian Valley Camping Center, Fretz, and Media Camping Center.  Each place has it's pro's and con's according to web reviews, but we found Media Camping Center to have the best inventory in stock, options of models and accessories, and we spent a while there one Saturday just checking them out.

Challenge for us was to find a camper layout that we liked, flexible enough for our family of 5, and something that we could tow with our current vehicle, the Toyota Sienna.  Over the month or two prior, I've read a lot on the SiennaChat Forums about towing with our van and felt comfortable with a camper in the 1500-2000 lb range.  See, our model year has a 1200 lb tow rating without the tow package, and a 3500 lb rating with the tow package.  Well, ours is without the tow package.  So what does the tow package include?  An engine oil cooler.  Yup, that's all.  Both with/without versions have the same alternator, HD transmission, transmission cooler, and same uni-body frame.  So, to tow more than 1200 lbs, the SiennaChat forums recommend running a more temperature stable synthetic motor oil, which we already do.  Heck, I've been putting 1200 lbs of wood pellets in the van the past two years and driving home no trouble.  (note, I do not urge anyone to go above manufacturer's manual limits, read your manual, research and understand your limitations / warranties)

We have a Curt Class III hitch already, but by recommendation we added an AirLift 1000 airbag system to the rear spring coils.  The purpose of these is to keep the vehicle level when loaded up and with the additional hitch weight of the camper.  This helps in vehicle control, headlight position, ground clearance, trailer towing stability, and FWD traction. These airbags installed easily with the help of my Dad and all his tools, and when set at 24 psi, no load in the car, the camper and car sit level.  I found on our first trip that 28 psi with the kids, gear, and the camper worked just about right.  Here are some install photos of the AirLift 1000 System.  (no pressure in the bags yet and note that the van is still jacked up, springs fully extended)


Airlift bag with airhose out the top inserted in spring.  Red line is protective cover for air line going back to the rear.



Where to go with the valve? We removed the interior and routed up the inside to the Gas Cap!



Ta-Da!  Lower right corner is the Schrader fill valve for the Air Lift system.  Nice and clean installation, Thanks Dad!

So, with the hitch, harness, and now the air lift kit, we were ready to go find a camper!

A fresh new blog from the Schaffer's.  Some of you may have followed my Pilot ramblings for a few years, but with the kids getting bigger (8, 8, and 2 1/2), burning benjamins to fly around the sky was getting less and less, as time and money needed to be directed in other more important directions.

So, after a few months of discussion and nudging by Becky, we headed out to shop for a Pop Up Tent Camper.  Becky and I have tent camped for years, going back to even before we were married.  Once the kids came along, it slowed a little but the girls are having fun camping out in the tent and have a renewed interest in it since joining the Girl Scouts of America.  This August, we purchased a Flagstaff MAC pop up camper, and we are just beginning to begin our new adventures with it.  Through this blog, we'll share some of our experiences and photos from our trips.

Keep a checking back, as we have a few trips planned in the coming weeks. 

Next post, I'll share some pics of our camper and our modifications in progress, along with our first camping trip experience.

~Rob