This is our setup. "Barry" the ute (the name has something to do with the colour) and the Eagle. This is our new (and first) setup the day we brought the camper home about 2 weeks ago.
Lyn has been busily filling the Eagle with stuff and I have been bolting bits & pieces onto it to make it our own.
We're itching for a weekend with less than hail & tempest to hitch up and make our first recce trip somewhere.
I must admit we've already had a lot of fun setting it up and we haven't dragged it out of the driveway yet. The 5 & 2yo Grand Daughters were a little concerned about us though. Being half a tent and not wanting to get it wet just yet, they climbed inside with the lid down. "It's nice Nanna, but are you sure ther's enough room for you and Pop in here"
Anyway, we're looking forward to getting out with our new toys and having some fun.
Kendo, your "Eagle" looks like a fully functioning, sprightlier version of our "George", "George is an acronym for "Go Easy Off Road, Generally Enjoy".
Cheers
Helen
Well we rolled the dice with the weather this weekend just gone, and took Barry & the Eagle out for our first shake down run.
Just an overnight trip to a gorgeous spot called Pt Elliot about 50k's from home here in South Oz.
Saturday morning we hooked up and headed off after about a total of 3 minutes of decision making. The idea was to "take everything" and give it a go.
Just a short drive but no drama's towing the Eagle. A nice quiet caravan park by the sea without heaps of onlookers to amuse while we setup our rig for the first time.
We can get the basic camper setup at home on the lawn in less than 15 minutes. From leaving the Park office to first beer time...Hmmm maybe 2 hours, and yes we took up about 1 1/2 sites of space as well. Just little things like where to actually position the camper on your little plot, bugger I have a hose with quick connectors but no tap adapter. The canopies taken out of the bags for the first time and setup. Place pole "A" into pole extention "B" and that type of thing. Generally I think we did pretty good and I did think to take a texta colour to mark poles and stuff for next time.
Dinner time. setup the brand spanking new Webber Baby Q and cook a barby. Total success but it was getting dark by the end and I was being attacked by these B52's called Mosquitos. Note to self, "bring the triple A guns" or some good mossie deterents in future.
Anyway rather that boring you with a total blow by blow acount of our weekend, we made some very newby mistakes and had a lot of fun making them. We had time for a couple of nice walks and some Whale watching as well. We learned some important lessons about some of the gadgets we had bought but found them totally useless in actual use. The lovely plastic block the jocky wheel sits in making lining up the towball a demanding millimeter line up exercise where a flat piece of board would have allowed some jiggling room. We had bought this beaut camping kettle that was nearly impossible to actually put water into, minor detail that. We discovered the awnings attract more water on the underside of them than on top, and one or two other things that looked like good ideas at the time.
Sunday packup and head off home went without misshap apart from seeming to leave with more than we brought. Stuff never seems to go back quite from where it came from and the discovery after driving out of the caravan park with one of those "I've forgotten something" feelings. The first time I tried to look at the camper through the non fitted towing mirrors soon fixed that. Oops
Anyway that was our first "trip" with Barry & the Eagle, and we are better prepared to do it all again with a bit more time to enjoy where we've gone.
Kendo, that sounds like a success to me! I do like the fact that your Barry and my George are so easy to tow, but so roomy when set up. Nice spot you stayed at too.
We've still only spent the one night in George. I don't think we've quite recovered from the fact that I bought all "easy" microwaveable food....honest never, ever bought them before......How was I to know that microwaves don't run on 12 volt....ooooppsss. The whole food thing was a disaster....from now on, I'll do as I've always done...onions, tomatoes, steak and the true "easy" stuff.
Glad you had such a great first trip Kendo. It will mark the beginning of many more to come I'm sure. And all the little things that 'went wrong' are what you will talk about in years to come, embellished along the way of course! Have fun.
but it was getting dark by the end and I was being attacked by these B52's called Mosquitos. Note to self, "bring the triple A guns" or some good mossie deterents in future.
We discovered the awnings attract more water on the underside of them than on top, and one or two other things that looked like good ideas at the time.
