2015 - Getting Started Right

A New Dawn,... the sun begins to shine and melt away the snow here in March.  Lots of rain lately which is good, getting the snow and ice melted away and also some temps above freezing.  I'm tired of cleaning the snow and ice off the campers.

Bob's Starcraft (Left) and Our Flagstaff (Right)

Periodic checks on the campers this year proved that we haven't had any rodent issues,... so far anyway.  Can't let the guard down at any time.  But, having the winter come to an end means that we have to prepare to start the camping season off right.

1) Checklist of the fuses, bulbs, etc for the camper.  I found that I've been pretty lucky with not having light bulbs go out on the camper marker lights, but it will eventually happen, so last time I was checking the camper I pulled the caps and got the bulb numbers.  Now we have some spares for when on the road.  All our inside lights are LED, so we shouldn't have any issues with those.

2) Time to check the battery.  A little battery care each season helps keep the battery in tip top shape.  Since we use it to power up our camper when at Assateague, as well as to lift / lower the roof, we need to keep it healthy.  A little distilled water and a few minutes to check the cells and we are ready for a trickle charge and battery tender cycle.

3)  Soon it will be time to get outside and open the camper and go thru the Spring opening checklists.  Soon I'll gather the needed items to do the servicing, but for now you can go back to last spring 2014 posts and see the tips and photos I posted then for getting the camper ready.

4) The TV is getting ready too,... oh,.. the Tow Vehicle for you non-camping forum readers.  Today the coolant was changed, oil and filter, and serpentine belt was needed as the one we had was sliced up a bit.  Good catch by the mechanic today.  It's been 3 years since I had the transmission fluid changed, so that will be upcoming in a month or so in preparation for our longer tow trips to Assateague Island and the hilly trip to Knoebel's.  A little preventative maintenance goes a long way.

Stay tuned this year,... we have a lot of exciting trips being talked about and some in the works.  Definitely going to have some new experiences.

2014 - Knoebels Trips,... yes, Two of them!

Knoebels August Trip and a Surprise October return Trip!

A change of events this year allowed us to invite some new campers with us to Knoebel's, The Ciotti Family.  Back in the day in a land not so far away, Bob and I shared an airplane and flew General Aviation for a few years together.  Our daughters would help shovel out the plane in the winter and then we also had a few good flights together to various airports in the Mid-Atlantic area.  They were able to come up for the weekend and have a good time at Knoebel's with us all.

FUN FUN FUN

The ROCKET SLIDE!  A tradition every year!

WEEEE!!!!

AAAAHHHHH!!!

Yup,... always Flyin,...

More SPINNING!

RRRROOOOAAAARRRR!!!!

They are trying to fly.  The swings are a lot like paramotoring,... just not has high and awesome.

Crushed Penny Scavenger Hunt on the Rainy Day!  Lots of Fun!

We almost filled our Book!  2015 We will have to finish it!

Sunday already?.... Booo.

And, what happens when the two wives see a sign for the Columbia County Covered Bridge festival and CRAFT Fair?  Note,... CRAFT Fair,... well,... what happens is we (the guys) were told what sites were left and available for that weekend and that we would be coming back up.

So, after a great weekend with friends, we both left on our ways and headed home to get the kids ready for school the next day!  But, we would be back....

In October, with the leaves changing and the cool fall air, it is great camping.  We left early in the morning to get to the campsite before lunch in order to setup and have some time in the afternoon at the Craft Fair as a family before the hustle and bustle of the weekend began.  Oh MY,... so many vendors and crafts available from not only the middle of PA, but also from back home in our area.  Becky found a candle maker that was in our town and had some pretty good prices and wacky names for the candles.

Saturday was followed by more shopping by the ladies in the morning and Bob and I taking the kids to the park to ride the rides that were open and empty,... the kids could ride a lot this weekend until the later afternoon when things were picking up a bit.  After a long day of shopping, the ladies were wearing out and had a good amount of items and nick-nacks in the van ready to go back to the campground.  Back at the campground, we had another good night of fun and fellowship around the camp fire and then turned in for the night, knowing it was already going to be Sunday in the morning and we would be packing up.

This was such a nice vacation with them that we both ended up booking for the following August and October again together.  But,.,.. that about ends the season for 2014.

2014 - Assateague Island

Assateague Island State Park, Maryland

Since we have been focused on renovating the new place and transitioning our life to a new location, we haven't been able to get out camping much.  When July came around, we were all in need of a get away and we were looking forward to Assateague's great beaches and relaxation.  Here are a few highlights of the trip:

Tie Dye Tuesday - We happened to see some people folding and banding white shirts while on the beach in the morning and got to talking to them.  They told us of the ranger station activity on Tuesday nights for Tie Dye Shirts!  So, we took a break for lunch and then off to the Walmart in Ocean City to find some shirts for the kids and rubber bands.  This would save us time later in the evening so we could learn to dye the shirts.  When the time came, we peddled our way up to the ranger station and watched how it was done.  Everyone had a great time and we are going to do this each year to create a new family photo at the beach!

Youth Program - Also this year we learned that a local youth group program runs the Surf and Sand club during the mornings for 2 hrs.  This allows us to drop off the kids and have some time to ourselves, or, gave us a great way to keep them busy while we packed up on the last day!  What was really nice was that the kids had a great time with the activities and it was a clean language / family friendly environment.

Camping - As always, camping is really nice on the island.  This year we had the solar panel out keeping our battery charged for the fan, water pump, LED lights, and even charging our cell phones so I could check in with work and forward on those important emails that came thru.  The system worked very well, and we will be using it more this year (2015) at home and back at the beach again.


Beach Life - Surf, Sun, and Sand,.... lots of time was spent on the beach or relaxing in the shade reading a book while the kids played.  It is really nice to get away during the middle of the summer.  Looking forward to our return in 2015!!

Kayaking - One morning Bella and I went to Ayers Creek Adventures to rent two kayaks and spend some time on the water.  The water was smooth and a great morning to go paddling.  Bella did really well and had a lot of fun,.... she even splashed me!  Before leaving, we decided to enter the Pink Kayak Raffle with two $5 tickets.  Wouldn't you know it,... Bella would end up winning the kayak in September, and we returned to Ayers Creek Adventures in October to pick it up!  Photos below!

Crazy Summer, and behind on posting

I will get caught up.... just need to find some time to do so.

We camped at Assateague Island in July and had a great time enjoying the beach, kayaking, meeting friends, and relaxing.  In August, we managed to get a trip to Knoebels in for a few days before the kids started their new school.  Then, while there, the wives found out about the craft fair weekend in October at Knoebels, with 350+ vendors expected.  They found out about the sites and everything, and next thing we knew we were committed to going back in October.  We just returned from this last trip, and have some catching up to do.  I'll try and get each posted shortly with some summary photos.  2015 looks to be a season of camping again now that we will be past this transistion in our lives, so expect more posts to follow on a regular basis.

Schaffer Family

A little Wiring Project

This week I was getting ready to open the camper and prepare for our upcoming trip.  As I went to the camper and unlocked the latches, I prepared to use the power lift to raise the roof.  Up goes the switch,... but ,... Up goes the roof it did not.  I forgot to disconnect the terminal from the battery and the LP/CO detector drained the battery down to 8.4 Volts!! Yikes!  I hope I didn't toast the battery.

First, I nursed the battery back to 11 volts on a steady rate charge, and then switched over to a bulk charge rate to bring it back.  Took a while, but managed to get back to 12.4 volts (after resting 2 hrs) at the end of the day.  Next day, placed on the solar charger and let the sun do the work and the battery is back to 12.7 / 12.8 V at rest.

So,.. learned my lesson.  Time to get wiring a disconnect switch that I've had planned for a while now.  Since we are going to be off the grid and using solar panels to recharge the battery, I need a way to monitor the voltage as well as isolate the battery for charging, or isolate it from the parasitic draw of the LP/CO detector when in storage (without disconnecting the terminals).  The Blue Sea 6007 marine switch will do just that. 

Off - disconnects everything from the battery
1 - Battery connected to camper as currently wired.  All functions work, needed to be in this position for towing to have brakes active and permit charging of the battery during tow.
2 - Battery disconnected from Camper, Solar charge controller connected to Battery for charging via solar panels.
1+2 - at a camping location, solar panels in use and connected, camper in use for LED lighting and water pump.

Mounting Box

Switch Fit Up

Mounted to Camper, In Position 1 as shown.  4 Ga wire to Battery

To monitor the voltage state of the battery, a Single Pole switch is going to be wired in the system off the porch light, with an LED volt meter to read the voltage.  This saves me from ducking under the bed, removing the battery cover, and placing my multi-meter across the battery terminals.  Important to note here is that when in Position 1 I'll be able to read the battery voltage, but if in 2 or 1+2, I'll be getting the charge voltage to the battery.

To make this nice, I found a solid receptacle blank cover and got to work with my dremel.  A few cuts later and melted plastic, I was able to clip in my meter and switch and prepare the leads.

Completed Dremel Work

Nice Clean Installation

So now I will have to mount the volt meter in the camper when I open it up next prior to camping.  I'll post an updated photo of the finished condition in working order from our camping trip.

Still here,.....

It has been a very very long spring and summer, and since this is a camping blog,..... there hasn't been any posts since there hasn't been any camping.  But, that is hopefully going to change next week as we finally get out and return to Assateague Island in Maryland.

Here is a sneak peak of what we have been up to though....

Before,....

After!

Camper Spring Service

Spring Lubrication Tips

Each spring it is time to inspect the camper and prepare for the journey ahead.  A properly maintained camper and lubricated one will help things go a long way without trouble.  Also, the more you know about the camper the better you are at finding something that doesn't seem right or operate the way it has in the past.  So, this is a good time to talk about dusting off the camper and lubrication.

Things we do:

1. Main power winch - pack worm gear with grease (Peak 2) and check the stop limit switches for tightness and operation
2. Lubricate the cable drum and cable on it with WD40
3. Spray the pivot joints of the stabilizers with WD40
4. Spray the threaded rod of the stabilizer with Silicone Lube, which is a dry lube and doesn't attract dirt as much.
5. Grease the main wiffle tree below the camper at the front and rear grease points
6. Add oil to the spring lifter posts while the camper is down
7. Raise the roof, and then spray the lifter posts with dry silicone lube along the tracks
8. Clean the door hinges to make sure they didn't get full of grit
9. Add a few more pumps of grease to the main wiffle tree now that things have moved during raising the roof.
10. Lubricate the wheel hubs and bearings (nice with the EZ lube hub system)
11. Check operation of the hitch coupler and lock, lube if needed.

Closed, with tools and lubrication items ready to go

Current products we use for most of the camper servicing