By Nanci Dixon
I think I have become a bit jaded about camping. I can always spot the RV newbies. However, it isn’t just in the afternoon sport of watching people back their new RV into a heavily wooded campsite.
It is the enthusiasm with which a couple or family pops out of their RV and starts setting up camp. Out comes the picnic table cover, seat covers, grill, lanterns, awning lights, firewood, tables and chairs.
Yesterday, there was a really cute brand-new teardrop trailer behind us. I glanced at them when they pulled in. At the next glance, they had set up the picnic table and seats with red checked covers that matched the trailer. A lamp with a white shade sat on the table and a small red grill was next to it. A coordinating campground rug tied everything together. It could have been a designer ad for RVing!
I would have to take out five totes to even get to the table cloths! The seat covers, the cute little awning lights, lanterns and especially the tiki lights are long gone. We don’t even carry firewood or the collapsible gazebo with us anymore.
Setting up camp now is pulling out two chairs and maybe a small folding table. That is only if it is exceptionally nice. As far as the grill—it will be easier to pan fry the pork chops today than take out the Blackstone (but I do love my Blackstone).
I think I have become a bit jaded. We may have become the ones people mention with such disgust in the Crowded Campgrounds column who pull into a campsite, plug in and might not come out again. In all fairness, today it is pouring rain outside and most of the weekend warriors have set up a portable gazebo or tarp to gather under.
Even if I have become a bit jaded and perhaps too complacent about RVing, I applaud the newbies. It is somewhat like watching young children’s excitement of discovering something new. The joy, the enthusiasm, and even the matching table covers make me smile. Many a camp store awaits them with the lure of new-fangled rocking chairs, collapsible tables, folding wagons, and grill accessories.
So here’s to the RV newbies—may your hearts stay young, your awnings stay out and your campfire burn.
##RVT1160
So many pop-ups I was kept busy deleting them. Very Irritating. So I just bailed and didn’t read the article.
I guess my husband and I were never newbies of the type you describe. We started camping with 3 kids in a class B, and the only thing we put outside was a tent for the two boys and my husband to sleep in. Even when we went up to a class A we never had folding chairs just the table at the campsite. Now that the kids are gone and we have even a bigger class A, we may put out our two chairs, but rarely do I push the button for the awnings. I guess because we both camped with our parents and none of them did much more than put out chairs to sit in, we’ve never had a desire to do more than chairs outside.
10+ years ago, on the last day of our trip. My husband had a medical emergency. Fortunately, virtually everything was packed up. We drove to the ER camper in tow. What if that had not been our last day? What if one of us had to come back to the camper and pack it all up. Ever since then, we keep our set up simple. Knock on wood to this day we are both healthy and it was a rogue medical emergency.
Nanci, I think there’s a difference between “staying in an RV” and “staying in a park”. Kinda like “staying at Cracker Barrel” versus “staying at Quartzite”.
That said, if we’re in a location simply because that’s where our RV is, we *might* put the outside mat down to keep the floors clean. If the RV is where we’re eager to be like a nice park, we’ll put out the chairs, table and grille. No gazebos, fake grass or flamingos. Who has room for all that?
I’m with you, Nanci. At 77 years of age, we minimize set up and tear down simply because of endurance and discomfort issues. But we still love the RV life. We are not (and know full-well we never could be) full-timers.
Thank you, Nanci! 🙂 Well said and important to remember and apply! 🙂 Thanks again and safe travels! 🙂
LOL loved it!
I smiled through the whole article, we’ve all been there! Thanks
Although we were never creative campsite setup types, we have really simplified even further. I discovered recently that we still have a campsite rug taking up room I don’t have a demand for at the moment. Assuming the weather is grand and I have something to grill, I will get out the grill and a table to support it. Two chairs are generally sufficient, but seldom used. If we are staying longer we might get out two more as an invitation to passers by to sit a spell and chat. The cute lights are long gone and so many other amenities wore out and didn’t get replaced. The new rule is keep it simple and be ready to move on. We have been on the road on and off since 2001.
The new kids are so easy to spot. The salesperson has sold them everything they have in stock.
They all seem to be still smiling at that stage, I’m happy to see them, as long as they aren’t too close… 😉
Well dang….. I have over a decade in our 21′ TT and just moving up to our 26′ one & one of the first things I attempted to do was acquire some new lawn art to go with us !!! I just love that bit o decorating & will continue to do so I hope! Always makes us smile…
I certainly do not consider myself a newbie. Been camping well over 25 years. Started with a tent then 2 travel trailers and now have a Class A. We still put a tablecloth down and cover the seated area on the picnic table, have fires most nights and hang the cheesy camp lights to the awning. That’s the camping experience to me and still enjoy it. When we stop doing all that we might as well sell everything and go to a hotel.