RE: Things I have learned about my popup after 10 days in Charlotte! (kinda long)

[labontefan]

 
Last Monday I got back from my 10 day camping/racing vacation in Charlotte. This was this first time I d spend more than 3-4 days in the camper, and really the first time we had several days leisure time to get acquainted with it (usually we re rushing to get to the racetrack or somewhere). So I really had more time to check out the features and found out some things:
 
 A tank of propane lasts a really long time! I m still using the original tank the dealer put on the camper last October. We had really only used some for cooking every now and then, although I did use it to cool the frig during one 4-day trip. This time I lit the hot water heater and the frig, plus we cooked (or at least heated water for coffee) at least once every day. I kept expecting it to run out and have to switch over to the second tank, but it was still going strong when I turned everything off to leave.
 
 Having the holding tank full of water is very handy! The campground we were in had no hookups (most of  em at the racetrack don t), but it does have a couple of water and dump stations. We stopped when we got there and filled up the holding tank. We used the water mostly for cooking, washing dishes and hands, making coffee etc., and we had a couple of extra jugs that we used when outside. It ran out of water the night before we left. Great timing! And it was so nice to be able to turn on the faucet and have hot water to wash your hands/dishes with! ( Course we did have to be sure the generator was running so we could turn on the pump.)
 
 My Coleman Utah is lot more waterproof than my tent was. The last five days we were there, we got something like 7 (yes, seven) inches of rain. Five of those inches were in two days (Wednesday and Thursday). The camper did not leak anywhere. We got a teensy bit of condensation on the inside of the bunk ends once or twice, but usually kept at least one window part way open to keep the temperature and humidity the same inside and out. We were lucky enough to be in one of the higher areas of the campground, with lots of grass. Some of the folks (especially those who arrived Wednesday and Thursday) weren t so lucky. They had to close some areas of the campgrounds due to high water and mud (yucky red clay mud). They also distributed bales of hay and bundles of sawdust to people in the muddier areas, and brought in tow trucks and tractors to pull out campers and vehicles that were stuck. We got off easy, although my Durango is now two-tone (green on top and mud-red on the bottom), and the camper needs a bath! Also, my pretty new green and white rug from the PUT store is now green and white and red! But we didn t get stuck and didn t get wet!
 
 My Paha Que tepee and Thetford potty were GREAT investments!! (Especially with all the rain we had at Charlotte.) Although the campgrounds at the tracks have lots of portapotties, hiking a hundred yards through the rain and mud early in the morning is not one of my favorite things to do. I set up the Tepee at one end of the awning and put the Thetford inside. Much easier to step out the door and take two steps! Also, Charlotte and Bristol have very nice bathhouses, but Martinsville does not. The tepee also works great for showers!
 
 The new Durango was another great investment. I took the camper to Charlotte last October (maiden voyage), towing with a 1999 Jeep Cherokee and no sway bar. This time it was with the Durango with V8, full towing package, and anti-sway bar. MUCH less stressful--no white knuckle braking, no swaying in the wind if we got up to 60mph, and I could even turn the AC on!!
 
 The weather was rotten, I m still cleaning mud off things and washing, and I had a GREAT time! I love my popup and I love my new Durango.

[Ernhrts3n8]

 labontefan
Ann, it sounds like you had a great time!  We just got back from Dover.  We camped 20 miles south of the track.  We heard that Dover was closing their lots to campers due to the rain and mud.  Sure am glad I wasn t there.   We were there one year with all the rain and it was the pits!  I am very happy to hear that your camper is working out great.  The propane will last quite a while, the thing that uses it up the most is the heater if you have one.  Keep having fun with your new investments.

[tlhdoc]

 labontefan
Oh the joys of a PU camper.  Aren t they nice.[]

[Jo Ann]

 labontefan
one of the reasons i bought my first popup was cuz it rained almost everytime i went camping....and since my first popup...i think its rained twice...lol