Time to Setup Completely

[MotherNature]

We usually take weekend trips 3 hours from home; DH meets us there after work on Fridays and commutes in on Monday mornings (the places we camp are an hour closer to his workplace than our house so it makes sense timewise and $wise with him not missing work)- our boys (11 & 13) and I do the setup and take-down.

The total depends on how well the boys are behaving!  On the days when they're 'best friends' and happen to agree with my logic, it takes 45 minutes maximum to offload bikes (from the top of Sixnall PUP rack (a lot of work but gotta admit my arms have gotten 'toned')), crank up & stabilize, position awning, cold soda break, string the clothes line, connect water hose, position drain bucket, transfer cooler contents to fridge and vice versa, and, most importantly, roll out our indoor-outdoor carpet and set up the beach chairs and citronella candles.  Each has his own tasks and I don't need to ask either one to do any specific thing, it's become routine after 4years.  This is followed by another soda break (lemon-lime seltzer w/ splash o' vodka or a beer for me :# ) and then they are off on their bikes (if they are gone even for 10 minutes that really seems to refresh all of us from being in a vehicle and campsite together for 3+ hours).  If it's one of the rare days that they can't stand each other (and it seems to happen more while we're camping) the time can double (as well as my 'adult' beverage consumption).

I need to note that we pop up the day before so that we can load clothing, make beds (I like to arrive with as much done as possible), stock non-perishable food, and stock the non-perishable fridge (I transport non-perishable beer & soda in the fridge (cold upon arrival!) and take the perishables in a cooler (I try to cook things beforehand and then freeze them, like bbq chicken, sausage (our local Italian market makes excellent homemade), or chops that will be thawed and ready to reheat over the fire - I am paranoid that the fridge will quit while the PUP is down in transit unsupervised and I will arrive at the campsite with a bunch of spoiled stinky food).

Take-down is hard to figure; I wake up early in general while camping (6, 6:30) and like to enjoy the site and quiet while the boys sleep (I let them sleep as late as they naturally will which is sometimes as late as 10:30).  We are always out by the 12 noon checkout time - I estimate that the actual pack up takes about 1 1/2 hours but we always move VERY slowly in the mornings as I am never in a hurry to leave!

[Dee4j]

magnmike, didn't mean to make you feel abnormal, I started camping when I was 3 years old 44 years ago with my family and it has been a passion of mine all those years. I remember lugging around the heavy canvas cabin tent with all the poles. The tent always stunk and leaked everytime it sprinkled. Over the years we have loaded the house into a trailer and took it all with us to a campground, once I got married and had my own kids we tent camped with much more modern and lighter equipment, and learned to carry the minimum while on 5 day backpacking trips. When we bought our pop up 10 years ago, the boys were young and we once again loaded down with everything you can imagine. With each trip we learned to leave more and more things at home until now where we bring only the things we really need to have a good time. We just don't like all the clutter that all the un-necessary stuff adds to our campsite. The bonus is that it doesn't take long to pack, set up and tear down. Our kids started camping at an early age and learned how to pack and set up a campsite like the rest of us. They both had their duties so that when setting up our tent or pop up and campsite they were participating in the set up.


CajunCamper

I too am trying to go lighter and lighter...I've always made it too easy for my spoiled rotten kids..ok they're spoiled but not rotten..well with my recent back surgery all things have to change...I have to learn to deligate and quit being a control freak and my kids have to get of their lazy butts :p

[sacrawf]

I'm sorry but I gotta ask.....What are you people doing that takes 1 1/2 to 2 hours to set up your site?

CajunCamper

Cajun..

We can get set up just for a quick night stay in about 30 minutes, but most full set-ups take the over an hour to accomplish as others describe.  This year we are going camping less frequently but staying longer when we do, so the set-up and take-down time is a lower percentage of the entire trip.

Here's what takes us that long from my memory...not always in this exact order:

Select Site if not pre-reserved  Usually driving around campgound once to select the site.
Stop to fill up the water tank. Drain hose and coil back up. (We rarely camp at a site that has water connections)
Back into site.  Level from side to side, and drive onto lynx if necessary.
Secure wheel chocks.
Unhitch and level front to back.
Lower the stabilizers.
Plug in power cord and AC power cord.
Switch refrigerator from DC to AC
Attach grey water drain air trip, hose, and grey water tank
Unload fishing gear, shoe mat, lantern and outdoor suplies from storage container.
Crank up, pull out beds, install safety standards and zip up/secure velcro
Install door.
Set up awning and install patriotic lights and bungee cord American Flag to awning post.
Set out RV Mat under awning and secure with stakes if needed.
Put out picnic tablecloths and secure with plastic snaps.  Set up lantern.
Pull out folding chairs and table from inside camper and set up.
Take RVQue from storage bag and install on side of camper and install outdoor shelf, put the flashlight, binoculars, and insect repellent spray on the shelf.
Put out citronella candles and light if needed.  Plug in heated mattress cords if needed.
Bed is already made, but pull pillows out of storage, put on pillow cases, and put on beds.
Fold the hinged sink/stove into operating position
Raise table to table position.
Open vent/turn on AC, fans, furnace, or open windows as weather allows.
Set up collapsable garbage container and put in a plastic kitchen garbage bag.
Hang hanging pantry from ceiling.
Snap bunkend fan/light into place and plug in.
Remove pots, pans, coffee maker, teapot, dish rags, etc., from underseat storage, set up, in cabinets under fold up sink and stove or countertop space.
Remove TV and antenna from underseat storage and set onto the bedside cabinet, plug in, and do the channel search to program local channels. Attach the XM radio receiver and tune in the White Sox or Illini if playing.
Put lightweight food (bread, chips, etc.,) in the hanging pantry.
Put the liquid hand soap and hand sanitizer next to the sink.
Turn on the water pump.
Put fresh flowers and candle on table.
Meet with the park staff to register and pay.
Unpack and put away groceries if picked up at a local store on the way to the campground.
Unload, stack, and cover firewood if brought.
Stick our name sign into the ground and hang flower pot from it.
Unload clothes duffel bags from TV and put onto spare bed.
Put food box onto spare bed.
Unload drink and bait coolers from TV and put on edge of RV Mat against
camper.
If others are staying with us, remove the extra chairs from the TV and set up, also make the extra bed.
Fold the RVQue storage bag, RV Mat bag, and chair bags and put into the storage compartment.
Police the campsite and pick up the bottle caps, cigarette butts, pop cans, and milk carton lid strips left by previous campers
Fill water supply in the Thetford Porta-Potty if needed.  Set out the TP and Keeenex.

This doesn't include setting up the Add-A-Room which I bought with the camper, but have never used or even set up yet.

[butterflyfish]

I'd have to say that it takes us about 2 hours to fully set up, but, as others have said, it all depends on ow well the DC are behaving.  If We have to stop andspeak to them every 5 minutes, set up seems to take forever.  We also bring a lot of stuff.  Packing up also takes about 2 hours, but we are never in a rush and really take our time, kids are usually in terrible moods since they never want to leave...  I also started putting away all the non essentials the night before a few camping trips ago and that really helps.  I even break down the dinette so that is one less thing for me to do.  I always clean before we close up but we almot always have to open the camper at home to make sure it is dry.. especially with the waterfall that flows from our roof with the A/C.  The last trip last weekend, we had so much condensation in the windows of the camper that we had to pop it up at home, but when we returned from our week long trip (and a much cooler and less humid climate...) we had no need to pop up when we got home...

[threebeachboys]

We can do a quick, overnight set-up in about an hour.  That means nothing outside, the dinette not set up & minimal supplies.

However, it can take over 2 hours if we set up the faux (not-so) EZ up, tacky lights, outside kitchen, etc.  We only do this for 3+ nights.

We usually do the take-down gradually, so it's hard to tell.  

But in general, the camper is the easy part.  It's all my assorted "nesting" activities that take the most time!

Pam

[CajunCamper]

I too am trying to go lighter and lighter...I've always made it too easy for my spoiled rotten kids..ok they're spoiled but not rotten..well with my recent back surgery all things have to change...I have to learn to deligate and quit being a control freak and my kids have to get of their lazy butts :p

Dee4j.....We always assigned duties to our kids based upon their age and capabilities, the older and more capable they became, the more duties they were assigned. I have to tell you on more than one occasion we had folks come up to us and say, "we watched you set up and we were impressed by how involved your kids were." The fact is, my kids would not let anyone else perform the duties they were assigned.

I also have to say, that we gave them important roles to play and taught them how to perform them. My youngest was 5 years old when we gave him the duty of cranking down the stabilizers along with his other duties. I never once had to worry about the stabilizers being cranked down at the right time and being done properly.

I would pull out the bunkends and then my boys would go under to set the support poles and secure the vinyl. Once I pulled out the bunkends, I could walk away and go onto my next duty and never be worried about the way they did the job.

Each one of them was responsible for their own personal items such as sleeping bags and pillows.

We all stayed busy and before you know it we were set up and ready to enjoy our camping trip.

I think once you assign specific duties to your kids and let them know that unless they do them it won't get done and that you all depend on it getting done and that it truly is an important job, they will take ownership and do a great job.

That's how we set up in 30 minutes. Plus we don't carry a lot of un-necessary crap.

CajunCamper

[Kristenamber]

I go alone with my three kiddos, and I bring along a dvd player for them so they can watch a movie in the van while I set up, lol!  But setting up solo it takes me about 45 minutes.  I'm proud of myself:)
Taking down just plain sucks, though!  Probably because we have made messes while there...I can't even tell you how long it takes me because I always start way before we leave and work slowly.

[MomboTN]

Setting up the entire camp (awning, i/o rug, lights, chairs, outdoor stove) takes about 45min.  After we get popped up, I do everything outside with the kids helping out.  My wife sets up the inside and we finish about the same time.  We always pop up in the barn before we go so the clothes and food are already stored and beds are made.  We do the same taking down and even if we take the bikes and canoe we are still under an hour.  We also pop up in the barn afterwards to change the sheets and unpack the food and clothes.  So total we take more time but at the site we seem to be quicker.  
The upside is that we never have anything in the TV that we don't want.  Everything for camping is in the camper.

[cjpoppin]

It was an age thing for us it just takes longer to get the job done.....Hahaaa plus we had sooooooooooo much crap those little must have things that make life so much better....Hahaaaa
Now we drive in un-hook,level put out the mat and two chairs and our cookstove and it's done......If we feel like doing something extra we do if we just feel like sitting in our chairs and watching others set up then we do that.  Best of all we now can pull into a site get out and walk back to TT and have a bite to eat lay down for a nap/or sleep for the night and leave in the morning.....Life is good....

[cjpoppin]

Quote:
Originally Posted by Dee4j
I too am trying to go lighter and lighter...I've always made it too easy for my spoiled rotten kids..ok they're spoiled but not rotten..well with my recent back surgery all things have to change...I have to learn to deligate and quit being a control freak and my kids have to get of their lazy butts
_____________________________________________________________________
You better get started that garage alone will take you months to clean out.....Hahaaaaa  Then when you get to the next SCCampers event you'll find that you don't have what you need to loan out to one of us that doesn't have what we need......Heeheeee
I'm sure the kids will gladly take on some of the jobs to go camping........Sometimes it's just easier to do it ourselves then to haggle with our kids to get the job done the way we want it done........Delegate,Delegate.......it's such a hard thing to do......??( at least it was for me! ) It would have been so much better on me if I would have let the kids do more................. Soooooooooooooooo don't make my mistakes.........
Super Woman is just a cartoon.........Luv Ya,carol

[ekakadams]

We just returned from a two nighter, it took about 45 minutes to set up. and 1 1/2 hrs to tear down. what i noticed was that we get things out to use but don't put them back, so at the end of the trip we have to put everything back in its place, no big deal on long trips, but short outings would be better if we were more organized. I'm guessing that PU campers pick a destination and stay, were as TT and Motor homes may stop for a night or two and move on.

[cbailey]

We don't get to camp to often...Maybe a couple of times a year rent a spot for the weekend at the lake near by.  Vacations and longer outings are camping/horse riding trips. (yep driving 2 vehicles)  Sooooo to say if takes us a while to set up and take down.....considering unloading horses, watering and haying, cleaning out said horse trailer before even going to campsite!  Bottom line you gotta REALLY like it to go through the trouble...but the $ savings of renting a campsite  vs. cabin/hotel room etc...

[cjpoppin]

When we had our pup it took us a long time to set up and take down.....Mostly due to all the extra stuff we brought with us.  Now with the TT when we're staying for a few days it takes us about 30 min. to set up(maybe a little longer if we have to block up the trailer.... we are not in a hurry that's what retirement is all about) and about an hour to get packed up to leave??.  ( I take time to clean the TT as I pack up to leave)
If it's just a overnighter we do not even unhook so it's a snap.......What a difference.......

[archer]

It takes us about an hour to set up and about 2 hours to take down. The set up is everything inside and out! Screen Room, Unloading wood for fire, chairs, outside kitchen, awning, etc. Take down is longer because we do some of the cleaning before we close the hatch. We always clean off the spider webs from the pup and wipe down the canvas on the pull outs. It just keeps our pup looking good and when we get home we dont have to hurry up and put it up to avoid mold and mildew, off course we are in FL and this is probably a bigger issue than other parts of the country.