2014 Cleveland RV Show

Jon and I went to the RV show last week.  I’d love to post that we found something amazing – that we found our next RV.  But actually I’m happier to post that we are still in love with our current trailer!

It was the usual setup at the Cleveland IX Center, although we both thought the show was bigger this year.  All the local dealers were there, as well as camping stores and campgrounds from the region.

As far as campers go I have to say that nothing really stood out for us.  Well, except for the fifth wheel that had a basement.  Sorry I forgot to take pictures, but it was a 2014 Open Range Roamer 346FLR. Many fivers don’t have much storage space down below, but this one had a basement that fit a 14 foot kayak!  It was pretty sweet!  The living space was in the front which is the floor plan that we like.  You walked into the kitchen, and then the bedroom was up a stair and into the back.  We’re pretty fond of the Open Range line.

Something else we noticed was the expanded use of LED lighting.  Many of the RVs now have LEDs throughout, and a good number of them seem to have the LEDs lighting up the awnings.  A nice touch that I saw on some was the stair lighting with just a simple, single LED light.  Jon says he thought some of the LEDs were a little “blingy,” and in some places I agree. But overall it’s nice to see them being used since they are so much more efficient and therefore purposeful in the application.

We also noticed that there were several copycats of our trailer.  I forget the name of the one we went into, but it made me like ours even more.  The wood was very dark, and despite the almost exact same layout as ours I decided I liked ours better.  The 2014 version of our trailer wasn’t too different.  Except it did have a shower surround which I might have to add.  Nothing like shower water all over the bathroom!

Overall the effect of the RV show was to a) remind me how much we like our little camper, and b) how much I am already ready to go camping!  Just a few short months…

5 more months

I know it’s too early for camping withdrawal, but I’m already a little bummed out.  This is my first weekend off since April that we haven’t been camping.  Here’s what I miss:

• The anticipation of leaving work knowing we’re getting away for the weekend
• The feeling of leaving the world behind when we hitch up and pull out of the driveway
• Driving a huge vehicle down the highway
• The moment when you get to the campground, set up, and plop into your camping chair
• Campfire
• Beverages by the campfire
• Talking by the campfire
• Getting to explore a new town
• Finding great places to eat
• Miscellaneous festivals
• Having time with my partner
• Getting up slowly in the morning with no schedule or timelines

Ok, the countdown begins now.  Just over 5 months until camping season begins again!

50% off, but not today

While I lament the end of the camping season for us in NE Ohio, I’m finding ways to look forward to next year already.  One of the things I was thinking about was getting a discount camping membership to save on some camping fees next year.  But as I look into discount camping clubs further I’m finding they may not be as useful as I would have thought.

I do actually have two camping discounts already.  One of them I got by accident.  Our Good Sam membership started out as a discount at Camping World.  I got it a few years ago when we started shopping there because it would pay for itself after a few trips.  Then Good Sam kinda merged in there, and now I have 10% off some campgrounds as well.  I've used this one a few times this season.

I also have a KOA Value Kard Rewards membership because there is one nearby that we stay at a few times each year.  We've also found that we rarely have a bad experience at a KOA so when we travel to parts unknown we often look for them.  I've found that this one readily pays for itself because we probably save $10-$15 each time we stay there, and we earn $10 off rewards from time to time.  They even had a free night one weekend which pretty much paid for the membership itself.

I was looking into Passport America because they seem to have a large network of campgrounds that accept it and it looks like a great deal.  50% camping for about $40/year.  Staying just 4 nights would seem to make this one pay for itself.  Even some of the Ohio State Parks participate which is great because we love to stay at the State Parks.  I also looked at a few other discount clubs that have similar offers.

The problem is the limitations that are imposed by the accepting campgrounds.  For many that I looked at on the websites they have maximum stays (which I can understand) and they limit the days of the week that the discount can be used.  Most of the time the limitation is that you can’t use it Fri-Sat.  For weekend warriors such as ourselves, not being able to use the discount when we do most of our camping makes it useless.

I think the point here is twofold.  One is to always read the fine print.  ”Certain limitations and exclusions may apply such as every day that you want to camp…”  I think the other is to know your camping habits and needs and use that to determine if a camping discount or club would be useful.  I think if I were full-timing a discount that is valid from Sunday to Thursday would be beneficial.  But for the part-timers/weekend warriors it may not be such a great deal.

Always one more day

When we go camping for 2 days, we always wish we had a third day because that would make the trip so much better.  When we go camping for 3 days, we wish for four.  And when we camp for 4 days..  well, I think you get the idea.  We left on Wednesday evening and made it to just north of Columbus near Alum Creek.  We stayed at Cross Creek which is a very nice park, and apparently was totally booked for the weekend.  That was ok though because we were only staying the night.  Despite our later than usual arrival they were very friendly and accommodating.

The next morning is where the fun began.  As we drove away we noticed that the brake controller in the truck didn’t seem to be registering that it was actually controlling the trailer brakes.  That’s important when you have 3400lbs behind you to stop.  We ended up at RCD Trailer Sales near Deleware, OH.  Long story short, they were really great!  They got us up and running very quickly despite their facility having been burnt down recently.

After a lunch and shopping trip at Cabela’s (which is quite RV friendly) we headed towards Cincinnati for our weekend destination.  We arrived at Spring Valley Frontier Campground and were shown to the last available spot for the weekend.  Another full campground!  I hadn’t expected this so late in the camping season.  The owner got us set up and went about his way getting the campground ready.

On Saturday we went to the Ohio Renaissance Festival.  We went last year and had a blast so we went again.  It was VERY busy, but we got to see Albannach and the Tartan Terrors perform which was very cool.  I’m not usually a fan of bagpipes, but I really liked their sound.  Unfortunately they’re not on Spotify, but I found some on iTunes.

It was a really great weekend to round out the camping season. I’m assuming that my next weekend off may not be ideal for camping, but I’ll keep my fingers crossed.  After that it’s off to Mentor RV for some winter warranty repairs on the Visa.

Review: Buckeye Lake KOA

After an eleven day stretch at work it was time for a break.  My pedometer said I had walked over 100 miles in those 11 days so my feet were definitely ready!  I got to sleep a little on the 2hr drive to the Buckeye Lake area which is just about 30 minutes east of Columbus, OH.  We had stayed there once last year, but it was later in the year - right around October I think.  So this was a little different experience.

I think there are several notable things about this particular KOA which is now re branded a KOA - Holiday.  "Holiday" KOAs are like the mid-level parks that are marketed as getaways.  One thing I noticed is that there are a lot of staff at this one.  There are folks in the office, others at the entrance, more around the campground...  and the owners are present and working as well.  Everyone was very friendly and accommodating.  We had a water/electric site so we needed to make a stop on the way out to dump the tanks.  The dump station was a little too high for our low camper so they had no problem letting us use a nearby site so we wouldn't cause a scene at the dump station. :)

The cleanliness at this park is impeccable.  The restrooms are VERY clean.  There are 3 shower houses/ restrooms.  The one at the front of the park looks like it belongs in a hotel.  One is a trailer-style restroom area, and the other one looks like it is brand new.  It shows that they care about the park and the experience the campers have there.  I don't think I've ever seen cleaner showers...

There are a lot of other little things that add to the experience at this park.  Mini-golf, a pool, activities, and my favorite - breakfast!  I noticed that one of the owners was working breakfast one morning which I thought was pretty cool.  There are some great areas for tent campers in the back of the park - very park-like areas.  They also have a nice store with the camping essentials and gifts and fun stuff for kids.

Buckeye Lake is not inexpensive - I think it's one of the more pricey campgrounds we've stayed at (I can actually only think of one more expensive and it's another KOA).  The KOA discount card helps a bit.  Other nit picks - no recycling so we hauled our recyclables home.  Sites are a little close together - maybe 15-20 feet between our travel trailer and the next one.  Wi-fi limited to one connection and was spotty, although it was Labor Day and there were a lot of campers there.

Overall, I would recommend this park to anyone for the good experience here.  Obviously a popular park for good reasons.  I commend the owners and staff for running such a great park

Review: Wood's Tall Timbers Lake Resort

Like many of our weekend camping adventures we left a little late. This of course also meant we arrived a little later than we expected as well. But as a rule if we arrive before sundown we're in good shape. We got to WTTL about 8pm, and were greeted at the entrance without even getting out of the truck. A staff member checked on our reservation, and then directed us where to park to take care of payment and things. It was a quick process. She then told us to follow her and she would escort us to our site.

We went through the beautiful campground which is mostly on the side of a hill. The campground roads go right up the hills. At the bottom of the hill and central to the campground is a small lake where there is swimming, boat rentals, and fishing. I noticed there are many well maintained retaining walls around as one would expect with all the hills. On our way through we heard live entertainment in one of the lakeside pavilions.

Once we got to our site the staffer, Amanda, helped us back into the site. She clearly had done this many times and knew what we needed to do to get us in properly. Once in she suggested ways to maneuver if we wanted the trailer in differently and offered to stick around and help us. We were good so she departed with an offer to help with whatever we needed. We've been to several campgrounds where the staff escorts you to your site, but this was the most helpful any of them has been.

The site itself is pretty nice. It has electrical, water, and a sewage hookup. There is also a nice concrete patio area, picnic table, and a nice fire ring. It looked a little shallow on the side of the hill, but there is plenty of room for the travel trailer plus the truck parked sideways at the end. We're fairly close to the neighbors, but only when they're out at their vehicles. (And they're nice too which is always good).

This morning we went through our usual routines which of course include sleeping way too late and then sitting outside enjoying the morning. We made breakfast and did the dishes. Then I went to take a shower. I thought at first something was wrong with the trailer because there was close to zero water pressure. After much troubleshooting we discovered through our neighbor that water pressure here is somewhat hit-or-miss. In the mornings and evenings it's ok, but in the middle of the day there are often problems.

We went into town this afternoon which is only about a 10 minute drive. New Philadelphia is a neat city with plenty to do including shopping, restaurants, and sites to see. We intended to get back to the campground at a reasonable time so we could spend some quality downtime. When we came back we had a round of mini golf on their 18-hole course. I stopped keeping score as it's never a good idea to outscore your spouse. :) There is karaoke tonight, and there are a few folks who are pretty good - others not so much.

So far, even without TV reception or any internet connectivity (darn you fake 4G signals!) we've had a nice time here. It's interesting to not be connected to the rest of the world for a few days, and if you're going to do so Tall Timbers is a good place to be

Campground Etiquette...

Happy Fourth of July!  We spent the weekend at Punderson State Park camping of course.  We arrived on Thursday and the park was getting pretty full.  What was over-filled was the campsite next to us.  We counted seven cars, 6 tents, and about a dozen people including a baby (and two dogs).  Mind you the maximum allowed per campsite is 6 people.  I have no idea how they got this past the park rangers...

I know some people don't understand campsite etiquette, but for those of you who may not know, here are a few quick things.
1. Don't walk through other people's campsites.  We had people constantly walking through our site.  Maybe it's because there were too many people on theirs.  What really got me going was when they walked in between our truck and trailer.  I wanted to just stroll right through the middle of their site and see what they would say.
2. Don't cut down trees for firewood.  Other people might want to enjoy the forest.  What made it worse is they didn't even use all the trees they cut down.  Just fork over the few bucks for firewood if you want a campfire that badly.
3. Laying in the road looking dead and unresponsive isn't a great idea.  Neither is putting your earphones in and then laying in the road.  Seriously, I asked the lady 5 times if she was ok before she rolled over, saw me, and responded.
4. If you're going to yell over and over and over that whatever food is ready so the whole campground can hear, you should be prepared to share with everyone.  Otherwise, the campsite isn't more than 40x30ft - just walk over or use your civilized voice.

Punderson is usually not like this past weekend.  Usually it's pretty quiet with generally friendly and respectful campers.  Maybe the holiday weekend brought out the one-timers who aren't yet aware of how to be respectful campers...