Preparing for Spring Mods to the Camper

So,.. you know what happens when you read great ideas on Camping forums like Popup Portal? ... You end up getting a lot of stuff in the mail and talking to your IT department guy at work to scab some old PC computer fans from his pile of parts !

So, here's a few things that arrived today and that I've recently done.

1) As a Pilot, I like checklists.  Yes, a little nerdy, but hey, I'm also an Engineer!  So I took our Winterizing list I made last year and typed it up, then made a spring list,... and then had them hard laminated at Staples.  Funny, when you sit and take a moment to think about it and what you have to do, you remember things like the 9V battery in the smoke detector, checking the first aid kit, and other little things.  (note, the photo only shows the front, ... back side is filled too!)

2) LED replacement bulbs arrived today for the inside 921 wedge bulbs, as well as for the exterior step light.  Pretty good quality looking construction from what I can see.

3) Mud Flaps!  Yes, I'm going to put mud flaps on the camper.  This will cut down on the road grime and mud getting up on the rear stabilizer screws.  These are the right width, 12", and 1/4" thick of heavy rubber.  Simply cut, bolt on to the frame, and possibly add a reflector to the bottom of them and we'll be keeping the camper bottom clean in no time!

4) And, while stopping in to check the camper and take measurements, I found that the heavy wind took advantage of our cover wrapping around the tongue and decided to tear it thru.  So,.. when I get the camper out to work on these mods I'll have the cover off and take it home to the sewing machine to fix it up and reinforce with some old khaki pant material or jean material.

Planning ahead....

Well, time to get out that winterizing list and look it over for the tasks ahead!  As April quickly approaches and you sense the daylight getting longer each day, it's getting that much closer to camping season.  There are a lot of RV Shows and Vendors in the area and we hope to get to a local show next weekend at the Oaks Expo Center off 422.   Looks like a good show, and not to bad on the admission price.

Last weekend we made a trip to Cabela's to get some camping goodies. (Fishing rod, Fishing Net, Table Game)  I also purchased a new cooler that has a drain, and a better seal, to keep all our stuff cold during transport and in the summer heat.  Hopefully this new cooler will help me save some money on buying as much ice this year.  Speaking of ice,... you can get nearly FREE ice if you have an ice maker built into your freezer at home.  Lucky for us, we have a full standup freezer in the basement and I've begun filling a bag of ice from our bin every once in a while and taking it downstairs to the big freezer.

Last year, Madison was in diapers and we had to deal with the changing and carrying those essentials.  This year, she is doing well potty training and we hope that by the time camping season comes she is nearly 100% on the potty, so it was a good idea for us to get a Porta Potti.  After some online research, we settled on the Thetford Porta Potti Curve, which we were able to order and have set aside for us at Cabela's.  This has some nice features for me, the guy who has to clean it, and also for the kids and the wife who have to use it.  Battery powered for the flush, should be nice and easy for even Madie to use with little assistance.

So, what's on our list to upgrade/improve this year?.... Hmm,.. well, here it is so far.

1. Upgrade interior lighting and step light to LEDs
2. Install 18W LED Flood lights for the rear, to help on those evening back in's
3. Install rubber mud flaps to save the crud from getting on the rear stabilizers
4. Add 12V cooling fans to refrigerator coil side, to aid air movement and cooling
5. Sink cover to increase counter space
6. Move COAX cable plug from the side of cabinet to the top (allows storage access when the TV is plugged in)

And, since camping is nearly upon us, we have also been booking and looking at our schedule.  So far we have booked the following:

• Trout Derby Weekend at Colonial Woods
• Memorial Weekend at Colonial Woods
• Disney Princess Weekend at Frontier Town - Maryland

Campsite Review Summary

Well, winter is almost officially here.  Today is 12/12/12,... close to 12/21/12 for the winter solstice and the cold weather is moving in with the morning lows regularly below freezing lately. 

Today, I was walking our toddler Madison to school to pick up the twins and she asked if we were going camping tomorrow?!  As much as I would have like to say "Yes", I explained to her that we will go camping again when the trees have green leaves on them.  She then began to point out that all the trees around us didn't have any leaves,... "Except that one over there Daddy, that has leaves, but they aren't green"... as she pointed across the street to a tree with a few crinkled brown leaves remaining.  Anyway, maybe this weekend I"ll go over and check the camper, make sure the tire pressures are still holding good and things look in good shape. 

One item I said in an earlier post I would do is rank our camping trips and campsites.  I have a Camping Log that I fill out with the campsite information, amenities, conditions, weather, surroundings, things to do, etc.  After each trip I tally the miles for the trip on the sheet and also ask Becky to help rate the categories.  I have a row of Smilies next to each category, 1-5 of them.  We circle the total number we think suits, with 5 being the best.   Here is a summary of those.

Places Camped:

5 Smilies --- Colonial Woods Campground, Upper Black Eddy, PA
5 Smilies --- Little Red Barn Campground, Quakertown, PA
4 Smilies --- Lake Glory Campground, Catawissa, PA
4 Smilies --- Warwick Woods Campground, St. Peter, PA
3 Smilies --- Quakerwoods Campground, Quakertown, PA

Bathroom Condition & Cleanliness:  In Ranking Order (#1 being best)

1.  Little Red Barn 
2. Lake Glory
3. Warwick Woods
4. Colonial Woods
5. Quakerwoods

All in all, every place had great services.  Colonial Woods has small stalls and the showers are only at the main lodge bathrooms and not at the one close to the campsite.  Little Red Barn has nice bathrooms, but a walk if you are on the back circle of camping spots, so you need time to get there, but overall, Becky and I were most impressed with those.  Lake Glory Campground is setup to handle the high volume of campers as it is a campground affiliated with Knoebels Amusement park.

All places had solid electric service for us to use at 30 amp.  I test each site pole for proper wiring, ground, and voltage before I hook up our camper.  All were in the typical specs for voltage and we didn't have any issues when operating the AC unit this summer.  Lake Glory and Quakerwoods each offered the 30Amp and the 15Amp outlets with individual breakers at the power box, which is nice to have the exterior lights for the canopy controlled separate from running thru/off the camper outlet.

Kids Activities and Kid Friendly Atmosphere:

1. Colonial Woods
2. Warwick Wood
3. Little Red Barn
4. Lake Glory
5. Quakerwoods

Definitely the best place was Colonial Woods, we even went there twice this year!  Nice planned activities, nicest playground, and fishing pond.  The pool and scheduled events really kept the kids busy and tired them out!  Worst,... Quakerwoods.  No grass near the campsites, poor playground condition,..... not bad for a late season get away, but not someplace we will frequent for a long weekend.

Campsite Access, Levelness, Size:

1. Colonial Woods
2. Lake Glory
3. Warwick Woods
4. Quakerwoods
5. Little Red Barn

 Colonial woods has very nice sites and in general, all are really close to level where you will be parking your camper for the weekend.  Condition of the sites is well maintained with little obstruction to get in or out.  Lake Glory has lots of great sites for the big rigs all the way down to the tents, and now we have them marked on the map so we know which to look for next season.  Warwick woods gave me the most trouble backing in for the site we had, and it took all the blocks I had to get us level in both directions.  Other sites off the top of the hill looked better though, so this one ranks here as the site pad was the best prepared out of the last on the list. Quakerwoods sites are good in size and level, but have the sewer hookup in a bad spot for most uses.  Little Red Barn has the smallest sites around, as apparently they were tent sites in the past.  Water and Electric hookups, while new, were not thought out in advance for campers.  Our particular site we had to jack the camper in diagonally so we could just reach the electric on one side of the site, and then the water on the other.  I was fully extended with 25' leads in both directions to make it work.  The people beside us had the same issue and had to use a 30Amp extension cord.  Best sites here are the field sites that have the electric hookup, get a few friends together and it would be a lot of fun.

Popup Winterizing 101

This year went by so fast, but given that we were able to get in as much camping as we have since the first weekend in August when we picked up our camper, we are pretty pleased.  So, yet another thing new to us is how to prepare and store our camper for the winter.  Here in Southeast PA, nearly all of the campgrounds close on November 1st and won't re-open till April 1st.

The camper manual pretty much states that everything should have a good cleaning, top off the propane tank to full, take care of the sink/water tank, and battery.  After adding some additional items from the Forest River forums, I loaded my tools into the van to go over and begin the process.  Here are some photos of the camper while I was there and some of the things I did.

Inside:

• Emptied all the storage compartments and drawers and placed a Bounce Dryer Sheet in them.
• Vacuumed the compartments and below the cushions.
• Cleaned the beds and ends, inspected all zippers
• Cleaned the fridge and propped open for storage
• Washed the stove, burners, and lid thoroughly.
• Used the air compressor, regulated to 20psi, to blow air in the lines of the city water and tank while the valves were open to push any moisture thru the lines and out.
• Added RV Antifreeze to the sink to protect the drain and trap, collected excess in empty milk jug on the drain line outside.
• Cleaned the surface of the sink, left drain open and the taps open
• Washed and vacuumed the floor
• Opened the light fixtures and recorded the bulb style and size, for an LED replacement project
• Removed the 9V battery from the overhead smoke detector
• Cleaned the screen for the Fantastic Fan in the ceiling

Interior 12V Ceiling Fixture Bulb, note the discoloring from the heat

Stove cleaned, Sink Winterized

After carefully ensuring everything was placed away in its place, I unzipped the sidewalls and lowered the bunk ends to begin closing up the camper.  Carefully folding the sides in as I went, after a few walk arounds the camper was closed and the roof secured.  The awning was still open, so I cleaned the surface and inspected the edges.  Everything was good, so once dry, I wrapped it up and secured in the cover on the side of the roof.  Since the nose would be tipped down for the winter, I placed both zippers at the low point of the cover, so any condensation or moisture could escape there if it built up to any point.  I then cranked the tongue jack down to get the roof to drain forward, this helps since I'll cover it and with the AC unit ontop I didn't want to chance a puddle freezing and thawing while resting on the roof.

Parked, with tongue down for good drainage of rain

Outside:

• Installed Bug Screen on Furnace intake/exhaust
• Cleaned all connections for water and dried, securing the caps
• Made sure all tires were at proper PSI, including the spare.
• Washed everything
• Double checked all controls were off for the refrigerator on the outside compartment, cleaned, and placed Bounce Dryer sheet inside.
• Covered vents with plastic bag to keep bugs out
• Removed Propane tank, covered the connector and secured to the LP tank holder
• Removed the battery, taped the negative terminal over and secured inside the battery box
• Covered the hitch connector plug and secured.
• Opened and recorded the exterior step light size/type for LED replacement.

Bug Screen on the Furnace intake/exhaust (prevent those Mud Dauber Nests)

Exterior Step light bulb, very hot when in use, definitely switching to LED

Covering the fridge vent and a bag on the inside of the access, to prevent bugs getting in.

12V Battery and Tank Removed, Connections protected for Winter and secure

Cover is on!  Awaiting Spring!

So, next spring, I'll reverse the order, open and inspect, and we'll be ready for camping in 2013!!

Little Red Barn Campground - Halloween Weekend!

Following a trip to Chicago, the weekend was very quickly approaching and there was quite a bit to complete.  This trip, the girls would have the opportunity to go Trick-or-Treating at the campground and I still wasn't complete with making our costumes.  As a family, we try to dress up in a theme for Halloween when ever we get the time to get the thought together and the design all worked out.  One year we were all M&M's, but this year, we were going to try and be a LEGO Family.  The plan was for the kids to be the LEGO bricks and Becky and I to be LEGO people.  So, off to figure it out and get the paint, cardboard, and sonotube.

Finally, Friday was here and we decided to try and get a head start on the weekend by taking the kids out of school at lunchtime.  This worked out great, as we were able to get to the campground by 2pm and get a good head start on setup.  Many of the sites at Little Red Barn were previously tent sites, so they are a little smaller than some other places we have stayed.  They do have some large pull thru sites which would be good for the big campers and some field sites with hookups if you are part of a group of campers/tenters.  Our site, was of decent size, but did not allow us the room to have the canopy setup.  Fortunately for us, the site on our one side was not going to be used this weekend, so we had some overflow space to place the picnic table and fire ring.  The only challenge we had to address was the placement of the hookups.  Electric was a 30 Amp plug on the left of the site, water was on a pedestal at the front right of the site.  Generally, all campers and popups have hookups on the one side, so this required some thought.  After a few attempts, we were able to jockey the camper in and set it cocked at and angle on the site, allowing us to barely reach the water and the electric at the same time.  Others had this issue too.  If during the summer and we wanted to run the AC, we would have to have a 30 Amp extension cord for some of these sites.

Our Site, 90% setup for the weekend.

Still, all setup, we were looking good and ready to have a fun weekend.  With a close eye on the weather, as Hurricane Sandy was making its way up the Eastern Coast, but that looked like it would hold off till later on Sunday.

Mild temperatures allowed a nice meal outside, BBQ Chicken+Corn+Rice

Saturday was a fun day of hanging out and relaxing.  The girls got to play at the playground a little in the morning and afternoon, separated by a Halloween craft time where they made their Trick-or-Treat bags.  We also walked the campground and took a look at other sites to see the ones that we may like to return to and those that have adequate space or a good stable layout.

Madie loves doing puzzles on the iPad

Ally loves dinosaurs and is usually off to the side of the camping area digging in the dirt, making a fort or home for the toys she brings along.  This time, we had a treat for her, a Dino-Dig!  There are pieces of skeleton encased in a hard clay mold.  With a pick, paint brush, and patience, she was to excavate the parts out of the mold so she could make her dino model.  Well, it was going slow, so I helped with a steel tent stake and the hammer to chisel things a little, but she eventually got it!  If anyone ever sees these kits at a discount store, pick one up!

Ally got the backbone out of the clay

The finished dinosaur after the excavation!

Playing at the playground!!  WWWEeeeee!!!

So, after a full day of fun, it was time to get ready to Trick-or-Treat at the grandparents nearby, and then around the campground!!  This was a ton of fun and I'm really looking forward to doing this every year with the kids.  They had a blast and it is in such a fun atmosphere.  Here's a few shots of our LEGO crew out and about!

Madie and Becky making the rounds!

At the campground Halloween Costume Contest!

At the campground Costume Contest,... guess who won?!  WE DID!!  Everyone loved the costumes and gave us lots of credit for not just making them, but doing out as a family.  I do say we had a great time and looked good too!!

Hurricane Sandy started to make her presence known around 3am on Sunday morning.  The wind had shifted and picked up a little.  Then, around 6am, the drizzle started,..... UGGggg..... good thing we packed everything up we could inside and out.  So, after some restless early morning hours, I ventured out to the bathhouse and found that the light drizzle was straight down, and just dampened our camper so far.  Hopefully it holds off for a while.

Once the kids were up, I used some bargaining power to persuade them to get in the van after we loaded the bedding and got everyone dressed, and Becky and I would quickly take down the camper, then we could get donuts for breakfast!  That seemed to work, so I pulled the van in under the awning and we loaded up in the rain.  Once the kids were in, Becky and I got the towels ready and our ponchos on, and went to work with our gameplan.  Unzipped, interior ready, we moved outside and collapsed the bunks and tried to dry them off as we went.  Lowered the roof down, dried again,... lowered some more,... dried again,... finally closed!  Rain was still a steady drizzle, but we were doing well and in a few more minutes we had the camper secured and hitched to the van.  Bye to the neighbors, and off we went.  Figures, by the time we hit the main road the rain had stopped,.... and guess what,... it didn't start raining again till after 3pm! Just our Luck!

So, after a few days of heavy wind and steady rains from the Hurricane moving inland, I went over on Thursday morning and opened up the camper.  To my amazement, it was very dry,.... we did a good job!  I had some moisture between the screens and the plastic windows / vented sides of the bunk ends, but that was a quick unzip and dry with a towel.  I left the camper open to the breeze for the day while I was at work, and even left it up the next few days so I could prepare to winterize it.

Another great trip in the log book!

Upcoming Posts!

We're off to brave the chance of weather from Hurricane / Tropical Storm / Low Pressure "Sandy", whatever she may be by the time she gets up the eastern seaboard to Pennsylvania.  Hopefully, not till mid-day sunday so we can get packed back up from our last camping trip.  Bummer!  It's the last one already!  (most campgrounds close around our area on Nov 1st)

Upcoming posts will obviously be about this weekend's Holloween Adventure at the campground, but then we'll also have a post about winterizing and also a summary Campground Score-card for our adventures this year.

Check back soon!

Measuring Propane Use

Ever wonder how to check propane level in your tank?  After using the propane this season for 5 trips now, cooking and using the heater occasionally, and then using the heater nearly all night this past trip as the temps dipped below freezing got me thinking, how much propane did I use?


First, you need to have some sort of scale that you can place your tank onto or suspend from.  I think the grocery stores would frown upon you taking the tank inside!

On the tank someplace you will find some valuable information stamped into it.  This is more commonly found around the tank handle since it would not damage or impact the tank.  Sometimes it may also be placed on a placard attached to the tank.  Here you will find the water weight capacity (W.C.) the tank is able to hold, which converts to a propane weight using a common ratio of these liquid densities.  You will also find the Tare Weight, or empty weight of your tank.

Propane Conversion Chart

In my case, I see on my tank that my W.C. is 47.6 lbs.  Going to the chart, I see that 47.6 is nearly equal to 20 lbs of propane.  I also find on my tank that the empty weight is 19.0 lbs.

Water Weight - Top, and Tank Empty Weight TW, Bottom

Given this information, my full propane tank will weigh in at 39 lbs when full.  To determine how much propane I have remaining in the tank, I just used a digital fish scale that I could lift the tank up off the ground with and get a reading.  Prior to our camping trip to Quakerwoods, I measured our tank to be 37 lbs.  This meant that in our prior 4 trips, when we predominately used the stove and grill for cooking quick meals, we used approximately 2 lbs of propane. 

Weighing the tank with a digital fish scale

Close up of the scale

Following our trip this past time and really running the furnace, I could definitely tell that the tank was lighter, and here in the photos you can see that it measured approximately 31.6 lbs!  That's 5.4 lbs of propane used in just one trip!  The heater worked great, but wow, did it suck some propane!

Now, 31.6 lbs is the total weight currently, so subtracting the 19 lbs of the tank weight I still have 12.6 lbs of propane remaining, enough for our last trip out this coming weekend, even if it gets really cold (which it currently is not forecast too, looks like mid 40*'s for the lows at night).

So, armed with this information, I can now check my tank periodically and get an estimate of the propane left in my tank.

Bonus Note: 1 lb of Propane can yield approximately 21,600 BTUs!  So, if you are trying to figure how much you can run that furnace or particular appliance in the camper, take it's rated BTU output/hour and divide by 21,600 BTUs, and you'll have how many pounds you can expect to use per hour.

Happy Camping!!