The Perfect Camper

When you are looking to purchase your first camper, its hard to get the one that has everything you want.

Not always, but sometimes you will find yourself sacrificing certain things for others. It's okay to do that, and one thing you will notice if you shop around for campers that you never know how you will actually function in it, until you have to.

We found ourselves somewhat strapped to a certain model due to the towing capacity of our Dodge Durango. However, I feel like our choice of the Apex 249RBS was the best one. 

Check out the video below for a tour :)

Activities

Make sure you pack some fun things to do for your camping trip. Especially if you end up having a day stuck in the rain. 

Check out some of the suggestions below:

Playing cards- Cards are always a great thing to bring, because you can play anything from solitaire by yourself to gold fish and old maid with the kids

Ladder Ball - very easy to pack and a fun activity outdoors

Corn hole- easy to pack, if you get smaller boards and fun to place outside

Coloring books - a great activity for the kids, and even the adult sometimes

Board Games - Any kind....from Clue to Yahtzee. A great addition at night under the awning, and especially indoors if you get rained out. 

Don't Get Frustrated

When it comes to camping and being able to go it can get frustrating. Especially when you see your camper sitting next to your house and you feel like you don't use it nearly enough. 

Rightfully so, I can understand, the key is to not look at the negative part of having a camper that you make payments on and you don't use. Instead think about what would be the best place to go next and just go. 

Sometimes scheduling can put a damper on planning a trip. My husband works in retail and therefore works a lot of weekends, so we don't always get the chance to go camping as much as we like. I am always joking with him and telling home that one day he is gonna come home from work and the camper is going to be gone. Not because I'm gonna get rid of it but because me and Gracie are gonna hook up ourselves and roll-out.

It is very important to be organized when it comes to your schedules, because planning requires organization. Camping can be spontaneous, but most of the time you need a plan. I would suggest getting out there and book a couple trips and then request them off from work, don't wait until you happen to have a weekend off from work and call the Friday ahead to make reservations, most of the time they will be all booked up and lead to disappointment.

Home Away From Home

Make your camper your home away from home. People may ask, why would you wanna do that? Well its pretty simple, because it is your home away from home. 

This can be done with just a few simple touches. 

When filling your camper with utensils and things of that nature, you will want to use the same kind you have at home, that way you feel as if you haven't even left yet.

Simple additions will help with this too. We installed a clock, some stickers and magnets, a welcome mat, things of that nature. 

Something that is a lot of fun to do, is start a magnet collection. Every place you visit and camp, by a magnet for your camper refrigerator. As you start to visit lots of places you will watch your fridge fill up fast. Its really neat to see how such a small piece of refrigerator decor can help you reminisce. 

Another great idea, is to keep a little journal in the camper, when you get to your camping destination and its a quiet evening sit and write down you trip so far.  Title the page with the name of the campground and its location. Talk about things like how long the drive was, and things like "sites  are close together" or "very buggy"....this will help down the road when you are deciding whether to go back to a campground. If you start to camp all the time, it can sometimes be hard to remember specific places and your likes and dislikes about them. A journal is a great thing to have.

Dan Nicholas Campground

What a great place to camp......

This place is a great place to go with kids, there is plenty to do and it makes for a fun filled weekend. My husband and I love it here. 

There is fishing, paddle boats, mini golf, and a playground. They even have a gem mine, a petting zoo and an aquarium.

Another great thing about Dan Nicholas is that it is a wooded campground. I don't know about anyone else, but when I go camping I want to have the feeling that we are actually in the woods. The sites here are spacious and the trees in between sites make for perfect privacy. 

One great thing about Dan Nicholas is that it can just be something to do for the day if you don't want to camp. 

If you can check this place out, I highly recommend it, you will not be disappointed

If you have a chance definitely try to visit in October during their annual Autumn Jubilee. This is one event a year where not only are you exposed to the normal park activities, but out side vendor come in a set up for things like pumpkin painting, arts and crafts and even hay rides. This is one of my favorite things to do during the fall. 

Packing food

Don't make this part of your camping experience stressful. This is easy, don't overthink.

I would suggest simple meals, not stuff that requires a ton of ingredients.

Here are some great suggestions.....

Breakfast:
Packaged Donuts - quick and easy to grab in the morning and not wake everyone up
Bacon and Eggs - cook them outside, easy cleanup
Cereal - one of the easiest breakfast solutions of all times (especially with kids)

Lunch/Dinner:
Sandwiches - keep it simple people we are camping....pack bologna and cheese, we don't need to go to the extreme of lettuce and tomatoes
Hot Dogs/Hamburgers - Easy on the grill and a quick easy cleanup, recommend the pre-patty burgers
Spaghetti - So simple....can of sauce and some noodles

A great side item is instant mash potatoes - boil water and mix......too easy

Snacks:
Smores - an absolute must....what's camping without them?
Pringles - easy to keep fresh, and can be used as a side with lunch or as a snack
Jiffy Pop - fun on the fire
Individual snack cans - again easy to keep fresh, and covered from creatures

Again try to pick simple meals, don't try to prepare a 3 course meals for dinner when you are camping...if you are doing that, you barely can pack one day's worth of food in that tiny little fridge.

Get a Toter

For those of you that don't know....a toter is also known as a portable waste container. This can make a long trip so much less stressful.

When you are camping in a place that doesn't support full sewer hookup at your site, you will run into a situation where your black and gray tank are full and you have to empty and have to hookup to go to the dump-station. Who wants to do that??

Can you imagine, being all set up and having to hookup up your camper just to go dump your tanks?? you will probably end up losing about a half a day of your vacation just for this activity,

I highly recommend getting a toter tank. They may seem a little pricey, but definitely worth it.

A toter tank allows you to dump your tanks into it, and then just take the tank up to the dump station. This may be a clunky piece of equipment to carry with you, but you only have to take it when you are going to a place with no sewer hookups on site, most state parks are like this.

Check out Amazon for some different sizes and options, you can save money by buying it through amazon or eBay vs. RV supply stores.

I personally like the Tote-N-Store Brand, because it has the feature where it stands up with the drain house on the bottom, making it easier to empty at the dump station. It also has a compartment at the top where you can store all the parts to the tank.