Travel and setup routine efficiently accomplished

This is the second of a three-part series about our first camping trip of the year.

The trailer was secured to the truck in preparation of our first expedition of the year. The safety chains were crossed and attached, along with the emergency break cable.

Next the truck side mirrors were extended and adjusted, plus the electrical cable was attached and all lights tested.

"Overdrive off?" Garnet asks before a wheel turns.

The answer was affirmative and we were ready to roll. Our first stop was the nearby gas station to check the pressure in all four tires; five-pounds here, 10-pounds there and we were ready for the open road.

Our 26-foot Hideout travel trailer is an easy load for the Dodge Ram. We always make sure we are not in a rush to get to our destination, so travel at the speed limit or a few miles per hour below is our custom.

Check in time at our destination of Potholes State Park is 2:30. We left the gas station at 2. It is a short distance, 23 miles distance from our driveway to camping Site 23, and we enjoy our first trip down Road M this year. The corn is planted and growing in one field, another farmer has planted potatoes and yet another has a tall stand of alfalfa.

We arrive at the campsite at 2:40.

"I'll get out and guide you in," Garnet said.

"Hold on a minute," I said and began backing without anyone to guide me. I finished with, "Now you can go check it out."

We both surveyed the position of the trailer and found it in the correct spot, but a bit too deep. The lawn mower can't reach the grass at the back of the site, plus the right stabilizer was half-on and half-off the cement barrier at the end of the site. The trailer needed to go forward about three feet.

Next we settled into our normal setup routines, Garnet inside and me outside. The sewer hose was put in place before the slide out was extended. I purchased a sidewinder RV sewer-hose support gismo a few years ago. Not only does it do the job of supporting the hose from the connection to the ground outlet, but it looks tidy when in place. This device is attached in an accordion-like manner to spread out and retract with ease. It also has a handy attachment which keeps it in the closed position when not in use and has a handle for ease of moving and storing.

With the sewer hose in place, Garnet extends the slide out and begins to put items in their proper place when camping. This includes items to hang on the wall, such as a wall clock, calendar, decorative thermometer and a series of photos.

She stores cooking items in plastic tubs and in the sink during transport, but places them on the kitchen counter at the campsite, such as the drip coffee maker, cooking oil and various spices.

I'm busy on the outside. The trailer is unhooked from the vehicle and leveled. We know the site has a slight slant, but not enough to worry about. I make sure the front-to-back alignment of the trailer is level.

The stabilizers are extended with blocks under each, so the distance from the bottom of the stabilizer to solid ground is short. I purchased a device which attaches to the campsite faucet in the middle and has another faucet on one end and a hose outlet on the other.

A water filter is attached to hose outlet end and the hose is attached to the filter. The hose then goes to the trailer. This setup allows me to use the device's water faucet to get water without having to unhook the trailer water hose.

Now here is the strange, but interesting part of us using campsite water: We don't use it for drinking or in our cooking, but buy gallons of water for this purpose. The campsite water is used for washing dishes, showering and washing hands. It does seem a bit extreme to use a filter and then not drink the water, but this is what we started doing in our fledgling camping years and have stuck with the routine.

Our old-but-still-good-outdoor carpet is placed and secured. Firewood is positioned near the fire pit. The Caravan Canopy is erected and placed over the picnic table. Folding chairs are unfolded and placed on the carpet.

This setup, the first of the year, has been accomplished in an efficient and timely manner. We are both pleasantly surprised. We settle in for five nights of camping.

Next week: Our daily routine on our first camping trip of the year.