finally opened the camper

[wiininkwe]

This week I finally got our camper opened in the driveway. I had waited until I saw a really good weather forecast, so that I would feel great being out there in it. The day came, supposed to be warm and sunny, according to our local weather watcher. It was cold and rainy, the liars, but I went ahead and opened it anyway, started cleaning and sorting thru the stuff. The last time it was used was the last weekend of deer hunting and just the guys went, so I wasn't surprised to find some dirty dishes stashed in odd places. Part of my plan was to sort thru everything and take out all the stuff that I haven't used for a while, or that I think I will probably just carry around forever without using. I can really lighten the load, and open up some extra space without all that stuff. So, I took out a lot of things, extra bedding that we have never, ever needed, even in November. The extra coffeepot, that I carried just in case. (there is a gallon cowboy pot, and a mister coffee, plus the big coffee urn that I use for hot water, and then there was the 'extra') I have two complete sets of enamel ware dishes, one blue and one brown, and took out everything but 6 plates and a few cups, replaced the rest of the cups with plastic insulated mugs, and the bowls with plastic. Removed 3 frying pans, leaving me with two stovetop, and one electric, and took 3 of the 6 sauce pans . I actually took out my crockpot, haven't used it for a whole year, but left in the toaster.
I was feeling so good about all this, til i went back in the next day and found some things with mildew on them. I took everything (including the bedding) back out and rewashed it all, using some bleach. Haven't got it all back in yet. But, today was supposed to have been a very nice day too, so DH and Lil Spanky and I decided to head for our place up north for the day. (No camper, just the van.) Well, we got there, and it never got any warmer than 46, was supposed to be 60, and was very dark and gloomy and windy all day, was supposed to be at least partly sunny. We didn't really enjoy the day that much, as it was pretty uncomfortable. We walked a little, played with the dog, but...  And, ya know, we still had some snow up there.
And now, I still have to get the stuff back into the camper, but the forecast calls for cold and rain for the next 3 days. I think the camper may have to stay open for quite a while, til we get some warm sunny weather so I can be sure that it's dried out good inside before closing it down. (I like having it open, but don't want to have to keep going thru all the same things over again.) We've never had a mold and mildew problem in there before, I'm thinking maybe having the furnace on while I was cleaning, and then turning it off caused some condensation.
T

[NightOwl]

T, opening up the camper and going  inside and playing house is STEP NUMBER ONE--it is "getting ready to get ready."  Even with all the work and the mildydew, I know it lifted your spirits.  and pretty soon it will be timne to use it for real!  :W

And just think, when I come to visit you this coming  summer, we can have a sleepover in the camper and then Rick wont have to listen to us giggle all night long! :J

[Tim5055]

Well, now that I'm done fixing up the house for sale I will have time to open the pop up.

On the last trip of last year the temperature/pressure valve on the hot water heater went bad, so I pulled it out today to get a replacement.

I guess Tuesday or Wednesday i'll be pulling it out of the garage to dewinterize

[Miller Tyme]

Hopefully, tommorrow, we'll open ours up(for the second time). We had it up a few weeks back to check if we had mold or varmints living in it.:mad:

 
This weekend, we'll load up all the supplies in the basement, then only a few short weeks til our first trip.:W

[tlhdoc]

I opened up our PU yesterday.  Everything was in good shape.  Today I will go through it checking on the supplies left in it and wiping everything down.  I am still debating if I should de-winterize the water system.  We are camping in 10 days.

[topcat7736]

I can't waaaaaaaaaait anymore. Put on some food sis, I'm leaving for warm MI today!  

[wiininkwe]

Can you believe this???   The whole reason we went yesterday was because the weather was suppose to be nice, and today was supposed to be not so nice.  So, yesterday was crappy, and today, while I was doing some indoor chores, it got sunny and up to 70 degrees!!    AAAAARRRRGGGGHHHHH!!!!!   What I'd like to do to the weatherman!!!
T

[Gone-Camping]

Yep, the weather is funny stuff. Yesterday it was 78

[NCSunshine]

Hope to open up our camper the middle part of April.  With school, both of us working weird hours and home, there is just not enough hours in the day.  Plus it has been extremely windy and I want to wait until it calms down a little.

[birol]

Umm, I could come over and pop it up for you, and take it for a test ride to the eastern rally. This way you would really be assured that all is well with it :J  :!

Hope to open up our camper the middle part of April.  With school, both of us working weird hours and home, there is just not enough hours in the day.  Plus it has been extremely windy and I want to wait until it calms down a little.

[angelsmom10]

I guess we're not the norm.... we have never opened our PU before going out or even after the winter.  I guess we're just in such a hurry, we just load TV and take off.

[vjm1639]

We just couldn't stand it anymore and took the PU camping for the weekend!  I swear I heard it say "Ahhhhhhhhh" when we opened it up fully!    I took off work early on Friday....told my boss that "camping fever" really was a serious illness".  hehehe   It was gorgeous on Friday...actually too warm for me, but it beats too cold! It was 77 and sunny. We went close to home to Pohick Bay Campground.   The campground was quiet and really nice on Friday. We relaxed, sat around the campfire and just enjoyed being out!  Saturday morning we woke up to the sound of rain so we fixed breakfast under the awning and just kicked back in our chairs for awhile and read and drank our coffee. By 11:00 the rain had stopped and we alternated between sun and clouds for the rest of the day. Temps in the mid 60s.  We wandered around the campground seeing if any changes had been made. Saturday night the campground just HAD to get the one large group who couldn't be quiet and kept everyone in the park awake all night. I really like this campground and we have been there several times, but we just realized that EVERY time we have been to this campground, at least one of the nights in the weekend, some large group has to be entirely too loud for entirely too late!  There is no ranger on site after about 10 :00 (which is supposed to be quiet time)if that long.  But this group was still going strong long, long after 10!  actually, I never saw anyone checking on things this weekend.  Then on Sunday morning, this same group was doing some sort of orienteering competition or something and every so often, one of them would come running right through the middle  our site with a map and compass.  No one ever said hi, excuse me or anything....  Oh well....it was STILL great to get out!   I really hated to come back to work today!

[garym053]

I opened the door on ours so I could take a deep breath of that "camper smell" and discovered a dead bat just inside the door! First time anything has managed to get in! The only thing I can figure is it crawled through the rubber seal where the top of the (lower) door meets the roof (when folded down) and because this rubber curves towards the inside of the camper, couldn't push its way back out!
I only hope it spent so much time trying to get out that it ddin't have time to do any damage!
I really DISLIKE bats a lot!!! I know they do a lot of good, but I can't develop a friendship for them!

[birol]

We didn't open our tent yet  :eek:  I am hoping it is still in good shape    yes, I am little bit jeaolous, why are you all surprised  :J

[birol]

Nice thread killer post, you potty mouth  :J

We didn't open our tent yet  :eek:  I am hoping it is still in good shape    yes, I am little bit jeaolous, why are you all surprised  :J