Why is it?

[3gr8kids]

Well, we're back, and it was AWESOME. I'll have pics and a report posted as soon as I can. In the meantime, I wanted to mention one thing DH and I noticed while at the fort.
Why is it that at every other site, people pull in, put out their slides if they have them, throw out two chairs and their awning, and seem to be done? No fuss, no muss, no big deal.
At OUR site, however, we have so much "stuff" (a.k.a. crap), it looks as though we pulled in and our camper threw up!!! I'm talking rug, chairs (6), table (in addition to the picnic table), easy up canopy, clear plastic storage bins, bikes, shoe bins, coolers, hammock, clothesline, golf clubs, etc., etc., etc..
Do I just bring too much junk, or does everyone else have a better way of "hiding" it?

 

[ftwildernessguy]

It takes me at least half a day and 6 beers to set up our site. Of course, I have no help, either. FWGirl clicks on the AC as soon as the electric is hooked up and takes a nap, as if she didn't get enough sleep on the 19 hour drive down.

 

[BRDof3]

It takes me at least half a day and 6 beers to set up our site. Of course, I have no help, either. FWGirl clicks on the AC as soon as the electric is hooked up and takes a nap, as if she didn't get enough sleep on the 19 hour drive down.

How can she sleep?? That half-day (not to mention the beer) is what the trip is all about!

 

[vick]

Well, we're back, and it was AWESOME. I'll have pics and a report posted as soon as I can. In the meantime, I wanted to mention one thing DH and I noticed while at the fort.
Why is it that at every other site, people pull in, put out their slides if they have them, throw out two chairs and their awning, and seem to be done? No fuss, no muss, no big deal.
At OUR site, however, we have so much "stuff" (a.k.a. crap), it looks as though we pulled in and our camper threw up!!! I'm talking rug, chairs (6), table (in addition to the picnic table), easy up canopy, clear plastic storage bins, bikes, shoe bins, coolers, hammock, clothesline, golf clubs, etc., etc., etc..
Do I just bring too much junk, or does everyone else have a better way of "hiding" it?

We must be the no fuss people. We don't bring a lot of extras. We brind our chairs and bikes. We don't have a hammock or golf clubs. We don't even bring a cooler since we have a fridge. What are the clear plastic bins used for?

 

[clkelley]

I do bring a lot of "stuff" also, but then my camper is tiny (a hard-sided bed and closet on wheels).

So I "live" outside and set up my shelters, tables, chairs, rugs, etc., etc. Also if the weather warrants, I screen in the whole kit and kaboodle.

Then of course don't forget the decorations!! I have blue lights and my Mickey Lamp for most of the year, then I have orange lights, my Mickey Lamp with a spider on top, and halloween inflatables for Halloween, and then at Christmastime have multicolor lights, my Mickey Lamp with a santa hat on top, and christmas inflatables.

Of course, however, if it is pouring down rain when we arrive, all bets are off. We back in, plug in the electric, hurry and put up one popup shelter so we don't drown and wait out the rain.

 

[des1954]

We don't have a lot of outside stuff except at Halloween & Christmas, when we become the "inflate-a-site"!!

I have an E-Z-Up awning that I plan to add to the others at future GG's. I set up 2-4 lawn chairs and one or maybe two little tables. Sometimes I put a tablecloth on the picnic table - sometimes I don't. Sometimes I put awning lites up - sometimes I don't.

We have a MH, so unless the weather is cool & not humid, I only spend the early morning outside the MH drinking my coffee. No need for a lot of outside stuff as it's just us two overgrown kids!

Now,,,, IIRC, you have kids, and kids= outside stuff!!! I like the analogy of your camper "throwing up"!!!

I'm glad you had a great time!!

 

[BradyBz12]

DH and I (no kids, 2 dogs) kind of fall in between "plug and play" and "setup a small town"

We have a mat, chairs, a camp stove/table setup (DH does the cooking on vacation and prefers to do it OUTside the camper), cooler for beverages, and that's about it. Takes about 10-15 mins to set it all out.

Inside is more work. With a hybrid, it's not just "park and camp." Plus the dogs get their own wing, so there's the big shuffle of getting their crates from the truck into the camper, putting the rugs down, setting out bed up, and putting out the "essentials" that are packed away when we're on the road. I handle that while DH is setting up everything outside. I've got it down to a pretty good science and can have it all done in about 20-30 mins.

Now the Christmas lights are another story. They take up an entire seat's worth of storage under the dinette and take me half a day to put out.

 

[BRDof3]

We don't have a lot of things to put out, but I'm working hard on fixing that. When we were tenting we could only carry what fit in the van/SUV. After 5 people and their basic things, there wasn't much extra space.

Now that we have some room in the TT, I am trying to get our campsite personalized. DD and I have made a pair of roto chocks, and just made a set of leveling blocks (admittedly useful, not decorative). I found a string of rope lights that I am going to mount under the TT. We set up our table by the door, it's amazing what you need to put on there. The kids and I are designing a family sign to put up. The bikes are always there. Last Halloween we had a lighted Jack-O'Lantern.

I'm sure that I will think of more as we go along.

 

[ntsammy5]

It's feast or famine with me - backpacking - not so much -car camping - lot's of stuff - 6 beers is a good start Jim...........

 

[disney4dan]

For us, it depends on where we are camping, how close, for how long. At the Fort, we did not bring the bikes, but brought a tent for the teenagers, along with a screen room, outdoor table, chairs, awning lights, some cooking items.

At the beach, add the bikes, more outdoor cooking items (Weber charcoal grill), 5-gallon Igloo cooler for iced tea or lemonade and football, frisbee, place to hang towels for drying.

Almost forgot, we put a basin of water near the steps to the trailer and a shoe rack under the trailer if we expect a lot of sand. The kids slip off the shoes and rinse the sand off their feet before going in the trailer. That trick that another camper showed us at the beach has probably saved hours of sweeping and complaining!

 

[CampingChristy]

I absolutely loved your set up! I felt like I was "home"! Who is an EMT in your family? (your deco by the road?)

 

[jhenson67]

We don't have a lot of outside stuff except at Halloween & Christmas, when we become the "inflate-a-site"!!

I have an E-Z-Up awning that I plan to add to the others at future GG's. I set up 2-4 lawn chairs and one or maybe two little tables. Sometimes I put a tablecloth on the picnic table - sometimes I don't. Sometimes I put awning lites up - sometimes I don't.

We have a MH, so unless the weather is cool & not humid, I only spend the early morning outside the MH drinking my coffee. No need for a lot of outside stuff as it's just us two overgrown kids!

Now,,,, IIRC, you have kids, and kids= outside stuff!!! I like the analogy of your camper "throwing up"!!!

I'm glad you had a great time!!

All of the decorations up by the settlement were great last christmas. We got lucky enough to get in the 100 loop. Hopefully we will end up there this Thanksgiving. What kind of decorations go up then?

 

[Tigger0624]

It takes us close to an hour from when we pull in to when I am completly set up!!!

Between unhooking the pup and getting that cranked up then while DH is setting up the patio rug, table, chairs, outside fridge, 2 ezups (one for over the table and one as a "garage" for the golf cart, unloading the golf cart, bikes and dogs/crates then setting up the lawn games- I am inside setting up the beds, doggy area and just about everything else that is folded down hidden and stored

We also keep a cooler outside that is drinks only so they dont take up room in the fridge

By the time we're done it looks like something exploded on our site!!!!

Then we also have the rope lights around the ez ups, mickey awning lights and what not I'm sure we'll have a ton more stuff for Halloween and Christmas just with the decorations!!!!

Its unreal the ammout of stuff that is needed to go anywhere with kids- and with 4 boys- it seems like there are toy trucks cars and just about everything else crammed in every inch of space we have available! Just imagine the ride with all 6 of us crammed into the pickup with a basset hound and Newfoundland (luckily she is a puppy) for 2.5 hours if we luck out and dont hit any traffic on I4 When we go for more than a weekend- we actually take 2 cars!!!!

 

[mrsscooter]

Well, we're back, and it was AWESOME. I'll have pics and a report posted as soon as I can. In the meantime, I wanted to mention one thing DH and I noticed while at the fort.
Why is it that at every other site, people pull in, put out their slides if they have them, throw out two chairs and their awning, and seem to be done? No fuss, no muss, no big deal.
At OUR site, however, we have so much "stuff" (a.k.a. crap), it looks as though we pulled in and our camper threw up!!! I'm talking rug, chairs (6), table (in addition to the picnic table), easy up canopy, clear plastic storage bins, bikes, shoe bins, coolers, hammock, clothesline, golf clubs, etc., etc., etc..
Do I just bring too much junk, or does everyone else have a better way of "hiding" it?

You are not alone......we too also look like we "threw up"......we just noticed that we have alot of stuff when we went camping this past weekend. Now mind you we have had the tt for a few years now, but just noticed the abundance of "necessities". We usually have the awning out, picnic table, rug, grill, 3 but soon to be 4 bikes, one or two cars, the fire pit with about 6 chairs around it, the dog tied up somewhere and a baby doll carriage. I dont know what I would do withmyself if we were ever at the point tht we could just park and slap out two chairs and be done.

 

[des1954]

All of the decorations up by the settlement were great last christmas. We got lucky enough to get in the 100 loop. Hopefully we will end up there this Thanksgiving. What kind of decorations go up then?

Mostly Christmas decoration start appearing the day after Thanksgiving. You won't be disappointed.

 

[ntsammy5]

Mostly Christmas decoration start appearing the day after Thanksgiving.

They start by hanging the traditional turkey carcass....

 

[jhenson67]

I'll pack the decorations. The kids really did enjoy all the inflatables.

 

[mrsgus06]

Well, I bring 5 to 7 kids, each with thier own bike. We stay at least 60 days in the summer. I can not even begin to describe what my site looks like. I even send my hubby down 2 or 3 days before me with the camper so he can set up the "essentials". It doesn't actually "throw up" till the suburban clown car rolls up.

 

[bigdisneydaddy]

Well, I bring 5 to 7 kids, each with thier own bike. We stay at least 60 days in the summer. I can not even begin to describe what my site looks like. I even send my hubby down 2 or 3 days before me with the camper so he can set up the "essentials". It doesn't actually "throw up" till the suburban clown car rolls up.

Can I get an AMEN ?

 

[Goofyseven]

It takes us about one hour to set up. Chairs, screen house over picnic table, bikes unloaded, lantern hung, cloth line put up rug laid out. Of course this is after leveling, plugging in, hook up water, and sewer and thanking DW for the most excellent directions for backing up.