Our First Outing

This past weekend, we took our camper on its first trip: Myschievia. Hippie camper, hippie/burner camping. It seemed fitting. And we met a lot of people who stopped to look because of the art & the general cuteness.

It was so nice not having to put up a tent in the dark (we didn't arrive until almost eleven o'clock), and to be able to get a full night's sleep every night. We could shut out music from the sound camps (both burns I've been to so far, we've been next-door neighbors to Resurrection, which is full of DJs) and block sunlight in the mornings. The bed was even fairly comfortable, considering it essentially was cushions on boards. Much faster to set up than an air mattress!

I'm glad we used it before we started modifications, because we now have an idea of what we need to do to make the space livable (i.e., not cramped & cluttered) when it's in use. Use the existing cabinets more efficiently. Hanging closet organizer for packing clothing. Have one dedicated spot for Kyro to put his phone. Smaller space heater. We're also thinking about removing the propane stove to have more counter space, and adding a permanent chest, ice or otherwise, to the outside for food storage.

One of my favorite things about it: protection from all sorts of weather. Days were warm, evenings were cold, and Monday morning we woke up to rain. The only leak we noticed was water dripping in through the vent above the stove. For a camper that's older than we are, I'm impressed. 

I love it so much already, as it currently is. I can't wait until we finish the caravan project!

And we have a winner!

Our new base for the caravan is a thirteen-foot Boler travel trailer. It's absolutely adorable. If you can get past the hippie paint job on the outside, courtesy of its previous owners.

It's a fiberglass camper, with a bench at the front end and a dining area that converts into a bed at the other. Tiny little kitchen area—just a sink & stove top—and a narrow closet.  Such great potential for decorating. I know I want to recover the existing cushions and replace the curtains with something a little more "us," meaning probably greens and not-so-garish plaid.

The beauty of this trailer? I don't have to clean out little gecko ghost bodies before we can use it! Also, it's very lightweight, meaning we can lift and move it by hand if needed. (That's how we managed to get it the rest of the way into Kryo's covered parking spot.)

The "before" photo set can be found here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/54525421@N02/sets/72157624964943027/