So, my wife and I took the plunge and bought us a pull-behind travel trailer. This is very new to us, although we have camped many times in the past, both tent camping and with a popup camper, but never with a full-size self contained unit.
We will start with short local trips and then expand out. Our goal is when I retire (probably in 2024 or 2025) to take 3 months off and head across the USA and into Canada and even to Alaska and back. We should have enough experience by that time to just enjoy the ride, so to speak
We got a lightly used 2017 Keystone Bullet Premier 34BHPR. Here is a walk around video I did of the trailer. This will let us take out dogs with us (they get their own room, at least when it's just me and my wife), but plenty of room for others to join us over time.
Our maiden trip is locally this weekend to Big Lagoon State Park, which is about 20 minutes from our house.
We are excited!
John
Laptop-HP Omen I7 Win11Pro 32GB 12TB SSD Desktop-ASUS-I7 Win10Pro 32GB 12TB SATA
Thanks, Steve! I was amazed that although we don't really need it, the guy we bought it from put in three more TV's to supplement the one in the main room.
John
Laptop-HP Omen I7 Win11Pro 32GB 12TB SSD Desktop-ASUS-I7 Win10Pro 32GB 12TB SATA
I'll that you will like that out side kitchen when you start grilling on a hot day. You will be able to do all of your cooking and grilling outside. I would love to have something like that here.
If you or any other of my forum friends are ever in this area please let me know so we can get together. We are only an 1.5 hours from Niagara Falls, an hour from Letchworth State Park that is simply beautiful in the fall and five minutes from Hamlin Beach State Park. Note that both state parks have camping facilities, as do many state parks. Once my wife gets better we can also drive to many areas in New York State.
Back in my day the only time we started panic buying was when the bartender shouted "last call"!
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Thanks Mario. That is ultimately one of the things we want to do...reconnect with folks we haven't seen in awhile without imposing a schedule on anyone, just for good fellowship, maybe a nice glass of wine, some music, and (as we jokingly call it at our house) a lot of simulated (stimulating) conversation.
I would definitely like to touch base with more forumites. So far, I've met Pat Marr and Matt Finley.
John
Laptop-HP Omen I7 Win11Pro 32GB 12TB SSD Desktop-ASUS-I7 Win10Pro 32GB 12TB SATA
Looks like a well thought out purchase that fits into your retirement plan, John. I know you are going to enjoy it. I really thought I was going to hate being retire, but you couldn't put a gun to my head and make me go back to work.
Damn nice rig John. You're probably already aware of it but there are tons of Bluegrass and Americana festivals all around the country that are camper friendly.
Just load up your family, your instruments, bicycles, kayaks and canoes and you're bound to have memories that will last a lifetime.
We've done some camping with a 12' teardrop camper -- just enough to cook and sleep in. When the springs finally went, we gave it to a hunter who used it as his lodge.
Definitely not for long-haul camping like you are planning. For more than a weekend, a shower and toilet are a necessity!!!
Good luck with it, I hope you all (including the dogs) are overjoyed with it and have many happy experiences on the road.
Wow, John. What a sensational unit. Very impressive everywhere.
I really like the lightweight composite panel construction.
What vehicle will you tow it with?
A fantastic investment. You will enjoy it for sure.
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Trevor, for now I'll be towing it with the 2016 Ford F-150 XLT 4-door crew cab we just bought for a very nice price, with a 5.0 Liter V-8 equipped with the towing package, the trailer brake assist, 4 wheel drive, trailer backup assist, extended 36 gallon gas tank (regular tank is 23 gallons), and a whole bunch of other very nice amenities that have nothing to do with towing.
So far, at least around town, it seems to pull the rig nicely. The real test will be when we get into hillier country.
John
Laptop-HP Omen I7 Win11Pro 32GB 12TB SSD Desktop-ASUS-I7 Win10Pro 32GB 12TB SATA
Hey, I don't think you'll have too many problems at all, John.
That's a really nice rig. It's a big trailer but that vehicle will do it justice, no doubt.
Do give us an update on its maiden voyage. Everything looks very impressive.
Trevor
BIAB & RB2026 Win.(Audiophile), Windows 10 Pro & Windows 11, Cakewalk Bandlab, Izotope Prod.Bundle, Roland RD-1000, Synthogy Ivory, Session Keys Grand S & Electric R, Kontakt, Focusrite 18i20, KetronSD2, NS40M, Pioneer Active Monitors.
So far, at least around town, it seems to pull the rig nicely. The real test will be when we get into hillier country.
Many years ago I was pulling a 12' teardrop trailer with a Ford V8 Econoline van. I was in the Saguaro National Monument and I stopped on a steep incline to photograph an usually shaped cactus.
When I went to go, the van wouldn't pull the trailer so I had to back down the hill and start over again.
Later I was going through San Francisco on a hill just as steep, in traffic, with a red traffic light on the top. There would be no way to back down in traffic, so I climbed as slowly as possible hoping the light would change before I had to stop. Fortunately it changed just in time.
Very nice. I think you'll like it. Also sounds like a cool plan for retirement.
Our family started with tent camping. We soon moved to a used popup camper and did that for a number of years. When the children came along, my wife didn't like having to carry the 2 girls to the public restrooms at the campgrounds. So we sold the popup and bought one of the Mallard brand RV campers. It was decked out with heat and air conditioning, a refrigerator/freezer (we could have ice and icecream), stove, microwave, bathroom with a shower/tub and hot water, bunkbeds for the girls, and a nice queen sized bed for us. Our outdoor kitchen is the grill. It's not been used much since the girls have grown up and left the home. I started to get it fixed up, cleaned out, check for water leaks, etc, to go camping this summer just passed but we ended up renting a house at the beach and never pulled the camper out. We mostly have used it to go to the lake at a local state park about an hour away.
A buddy has a small one and is retired. He and his wife are in colorado at this very moment on a several week trip. Perhaps when my wife retires next year, we will contemplate a similar venture.
Have fun out there in the woods. Nothing like setting around a campfire, enjoying a cold one with good friends, and watching the sun go down.
You can find my music at: www.herbhartley.com Add nothing that adds nothing to the music. You can make excuses or you can make progress but not both.
The magic you are looking for is in the work you are avoiding.
Bob - I will definitely find out; hopefully, it will be a positive experience.
We are planning a trip sometime (maybe next year) to the Florida Peninsula as well, as we've never been to that part of Florida. I'll let you know when that happens.
John
Laptop-HP Omen I7 Win11Pro 32GB 12TB SSD Desktop-ASUS-I7 Win10Pro 32GB 12TB SATA
My word that looks very nice, I am sure you will enjoy every moment. Don’t think we could manage to tow that size around the UK country roads, lol Done a fair bit of camping in my time though, and enjoyed that. The closest I have been to that sort of luxury was when we rented a converted Narrow cannel boat for 2weeks , You might like a look at the 2, 15 min, videos I made on the trip. Have lots of fun and good luck. Mike
BIAB & RB2026 Win.(Audiophile), Windows 10 Pro & Windows 11, Cakewalk Bandlab, Izotope Prod.Bundle, Roland RD-1000, Synthogy Ivory, Session Keys Grand S & Electric R, Kontakt, Focusrite 18i20, KetronSD2, NS40M, Pioneer Active Monitors.
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