How to be a Good Camping Neighbor

One of the best things about camping can be that you’re surrounded by lots of other people who enjoy spending time exploring the great outdoors like you. But depending on what type of campsite or RV resort you’re staying, sometimes you can feel like you’re parked right on top of your next door neighbor.

Given how close RVs can be parked together in some places, it helps to know some basic house rules when it comes to being a good neighbor in a campground.

Continue reading “How to be a Good Camping Neighbor”

GREY WOLF 26 DBH Travel Trailer Review (with pictures!)

Grey Wolf 26 DBH

This post is a little belated, but we’re excited to announce we recently traded in our sweet Bessie (a Coachmen Apex Nano 193 bhs) to the new Grey Wolf 26 DBH travel trailer (name TBD – we’re taking suggestions in the comments section below!).

Continue reading “GREY WOLF 26 DBH Travel Trailer Review (with pictures!)”

We’re all new campers here (so come on in!)

The Family Glampers

Truth telling time: I did not grow up camping. Nor did my husband. Sure we each went on the occasional camp outs with our respective families when we were growing up, and I spent most summers attending summer camps in the mountains of North Carolina, where you’d camp out at least once.

But I didn’t grow up camping every weekend.

 

Many years into our marriage, and well after we had kids, my husband and I realized how much we liked hiking together. Again, we’d both had some limited experience hiking as kids (with families, with camp), so when our kids got old enough when we could start trekking up hills again, we went for it. We’re lucky we live in the foothills of the North Carolina mountains, so a great hike is just a short drive away.

But camping was a totally new ball game for us. So why did we decide to take the plunge? We started off tent camping with friends, and found we really enjoyed it – the campfires, the s’mores, being outside, listening to music, being away from our electronic devices. But then the rain cameContinue reading “We’re all new campers here (so come on in!)”

Weekend Trip RV and Travel Trailer Camping Packing List (with FREE printable!)

The Family Glampers

When we first started camping in our travel trailer, I scoured Pinterest for all kinds of packing lists to help us get started on our journeys. I’m a planner – always have been and probably always will be – and I wanted to make sure we were completely, 100% prepared for any eventuality.

| The result? A lot of purchased gear we’ve never used, and a lot of extra Shopping expenses.

 

So I created a packing list for those of us who like to camp for long weekends, who don’t need to pack everything and the kitchen sink. (Some of these items you might even leave in your travel trailer for your next trip). This list would also work well for tent camping, too.

I included this list as a FREE printable below so you can print it out and check it off the next time you’re planning your weekend get away!

Weekend Trip RV & Travel Trailer Camping Packing List

Kitchen

Paper towels
Plates
Utensils
Spatula
Dish soap/hand soap
Cooking spray
Potholder
Tongs
Coffee maker
Aluminum Foil

Outdoor

Camp chairs
Speaker (for tunes)
Campfire starters
S’mores sticks
Firewood
Lighter
Bug spray
Flashlight

Linens

Bath towels/wash cloths
Hand towel
Beach towels (seasonal)

Bedding

Sheets/blankets
Sleeping bags
Pillows

Other

First Aid Kit/Medicines
Deck of cards, games
Rain jackets
Auxillary cord for speaker
Fishing equipment
Hiking boots/sneakers
Small tool box
Rope
Bungee cords
Sunscreen/Hats
Phone chargers
Batteries
Duct tape
Pocket knife
Books

Pack a bag with your clothes and toiletries, and fill your cooler with your food and beverages for the weekend and off you go! I hope you enjoy this pared down weekend packing list for RV, travel trailer and tent camping.

Download the FREE RV Weekend Camping Packing List here! 

Or Pin this packing list on Pinterest so you can save it for another time!

The Family GlampersHappy camping!

Easy-to-Make Travel Sticker Boards

Easy to Make Travel Sticker Boards for Campers

I don’t know about you, but one of our favorite things about traveling around in our camper is collecting stickers from each of the places we travel. It’s an inexpensive souvenir to remind us of each place we’ve visited! Continue reading “Easy-to-Make Travel Sticker Boards”

DIY Almost No-Sew Curtains for RV or Travel Trailer

The_Family_Glampers_DIY_Curtains_3

Why do all travel trailers seem to come with the most hideous curtains? It seems like this would’ve been an area of decor improvement over the years, but alas, it seems the factory interior decor of most travel trailers is stuck in the 1970s.

I wanted to update our curtains and make the camper interior feel a little more “21st century,” but I didn’t want to spend a lot of money on the project. Pinterest, to the rescue! Just type in “travel trailer curtains” or “RV curtains” and you’ll find all kinds of DIY curtain blog posts to help inspire you.

I read through a few different sites, and was able to come up with my own variation of DIY ‘almost’ no-sew travel trailer curtains. (I’ll explain the ‘almost’ at the end of this post – you very well might be able to get away without sewing these curtains at all). Continue reading “DIY Almost No-Sew Curtains for RV or Travel Trailer”

First world camper problems

The Family Glampers camper

Since we got our first travel trailer camper earlier this year, we’ve been able to escape on about seven weekend and/or week-long excursions so far. We’ve learned a little bit more with each trip, and it dawned on us after this last one to Lake Jocassee in South Carolina that we have a few, what I like to call, “first world camper problems.”

And they’re not even problems, they’re just things we’ve learned along the way, things we didn’t even know to ask when we were standing on the RV dealership lot with the salesman. Things we’re making notes of for when we get our next camper (down the road, of course).  Continue reading “First world camper problems”

Private RV resorts vs. state parks

Camping in Williamsburg - The Family Glampers

We just returned from a week-long trip in our Coachmen Apex Nano travel trailer to Williamsburg, Va. and Washington, D.C. It was the longest trip we’ve taken in the camper so far, and I’m happy to report it was a ton of fun!

There’s lots to talk about from our trip, but one of the things that stuck out to me the most, was the difference between private RV resorts and state park campgrounds. Up to this trip, we’d only taken the camper to state parks, so we really didn’t have a frame of reference for other places.

During this trip, we stayed at three different privately-owned campgrounds (meaning, not a state or national park). Each were very different in their own ways, which I’ll cover in future posts as I plan to write a review on each. But today I wanted to compare and contrast the differences between what we saw in privately-owned campgrounds versus state parks.  Continue reading “Private RV resorts vs. state parks”

Camp Site Review: Edisto Beach State Park

the Family Glampers campsite at Edisto Beach

We’re just finishing up our Spring Break, where we had a chance to sneak down to Edisto Beach State Park for a few days with the camper! It was the A) longest trip we’ve taken the camper so far and B) the farthest away from home.

We camped at Edisto Beach State Park from Sat. – Tues., having made our reservations months in advance (RV camping in state parks is not always for the spontaneous because the spots fill up so fast!).

Edisto Beach State Park

8377 State Cabin Rd, Edisto Island, SC 29438

(843) 869-2156

Continue reading “Camp Site Review: Edisto Beach State Park”

Our first Family Glamping trip, and how Good Samaritans saved the day

Coachmen Apex Nano exterior - The Family Glampers

After months of planning, researching, test driving, dreaming and more, we FINALLY got a chance to take our new Coachmen Apex Nano bhs193 camper on its maiden overnight voyage.

To keep things as simple as possible (considering this was our first time ever doing this), we chose a state park close to home, and close to civilization. Luckily, Paris Mountain State Park  in our hometown of Greenville, SC, fit the bill.

We selected site #36 – which had a slight grade to it, but was mostly flat — good for our first time trying to get the camper level. But before we jump into how much fun we had camping, we should back up and share what we learned before we ever rolled into the campsite.  Continue reading “Our first Family Glamping trip, and how Good Samaritans saved the day”