How long does it take for you to set up camp?

[B5 GTX]

I think we are in the 45-60 minute range. I do a few extras like x chocks and try to get level as possible. When backpacking it takes almost as long, we do have some extra things to do such as putting up a bear line and gathering firewood.

[bdreinv]

30 minutes unless its raining then 15!

[Duke_26]

Now that we have had the TT for another season, we have been able to refine what we really need in the camper. After a visit to the CAT scales over the summer, I realized that the TT was over weight by about 400 pounds. So it went on a diet. I took this opportunity to also place things in a certain order in the totes and place things in the order in the storage compartments that I would need them to set up camp. DW is going to school part time to get her masters and working full time so there was many trips that I set up camp myself and can now do it in about 45 - 50 minutes solo. So I guess that is an improvement and I’ve just come to realize that it is what it is. The only time it takes less time to set up is if it’s raining or a storm is rolling in. Then only the absolute necessities are done to set up camp and I put things out as I need them once the weather clears.

Cheers! [emoji482]


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[ReelCool]

Not long at all. We keep all the outdoor stuff - chairs, rug, and beach stuff inside the bedroom door. I pull it out while the hubby levels the camper and hooks ups the electric and water. Drinks are ready on the side table when he is done!

[mikefos]

It takes us (wife and I) about an hour. It's orderly but not rushed. Just glad to be away from home and off the road. It's just us and our dog. She wishes we could do it quicker, me, not so much as long as it gets done completely. We're usually at a site for about a week at the minimum. It takes us a heck of a lot longer to get our act together before we even leave the house for the trip.

[Midnightmoon]

It depends on who is "helping" me. Since this trailer doesn't have a slide and we don't usually carry much with us equipment wise, I can usually be finished in a half hour or so if I'm by myself or if one of my daughters are with me. It usually takes double that time if my wife "helps".

[WeRJuliian]

Very much depends on your definition of "set up"

We can be parked, leveled and plugged in, end-caps opened up and coffee brewing in less than 20 minutes. Add another 10 to pull "outdoor furniture" out and set it up.

After that, it gets variable... over the next day or so, we will have moments of "Do we need to put out the....?", to punctuate the real business of Tree Supervision (Hey, somebody has to sit and watch them grow... it's a tough job, but... )

Two tasks that do take time are...

Pulling things out from their "travel storage", inside.. mostly the kitchen stuff...
...and making the beds. I'd settle for a sleeping bag, but the Lady From Little Rock goes for the whole blankets-and-comforter package.

So, our "set-up" may last for days, or be over in half an hour. It very much depends on the weather, the length of the stay, and how dynamic we're feeling.

[norty1]

About once a year I like to take everything out of my storage compartments and go thru them with the question, Did I use this last year,? Do I need it this year? If not, store it at home or get rid of it.

It will be a shock to put it all in a pile and see what it adds to what you are towing.

[wags999]

I can unlook and set up the TT in about 15 minutes alone. Typically beds etc are made before we leave. I can also "pack up" in about the same time, depending on how well I'm rinsing the black tank out. I'll dump first (at FHU site) and while it's rinsing I'll bring slide in, retrack jacks and get Truck hooked up. Disconnect fresh water, electric and waste hoses. Longest part is getting organge stacking blocks back in those stupid bags..While I'm out dumping etc, wife finishes up the interior. No bars on pantry (made 1/4" panels that slide down to make sure nothing comes out if door opens. Frig is typically full enought things don't move around much.

Probably cut our set up time in half after years of practice and putting things where they are easily gotten too (drill, blocks etc).

[ReelCool]

Originally Posted by wags999

No bars on pantry (made 1/4" panels that slide down to make sure nothing comes out if door opens. Frig is typically full enought things don't move around much.

Can you post a photos of these panels? These sound great. I had a cabinet door come open once going home. The Unbreakable dishes were not so unbreakanble! It looked one us got ticked at the other packing up and threw a fit!

[schrederman]

I do this alone because I usually camp alone. For me it's 15 minutes outside, but add about 2 minutes to level side to side if necessary, and about 10 minutes inside. One nice thing about our particular White Hawk is the storage back on the left rear. Everything I need for that area is right there... and staged for the way I proceed.

[wags999]

Originally Posted by ReelCool

Can you post a photos of these panels? These sound great. I had a cabinet door come open once going home. The Unbreakable dishes were not so unbreakanble! It looked one us got ticked at the other packing up and threw a fit!

I don't have any pictures and TT is in storage. All I did was take scrap 1/4" baltic birch pieces I had laying around, about 4 or 5" tall and cut to the width of the pantry. Took some 3/4" sq maple I had and cut a rabbit a little bigger than the panel and glued them to the back of the pantry frame. The panels just slide down into those rabbits to hold things in place while traveling. Once we get there DW slides the panels up and slides them along the side inside the pantry.

We too once had the door pop open and stuff all over the floor...only need it to happen once and you adapt quickly.. the bars were more a PIA than worth it. The panels cost nothing and does a great job.

I did install an EMS in the small table between the chairs, not much room to hard wire it but it's in and working great, so that eliminates plugging in the portable unit and putting the locking box on it. It also allows me to get more accurate readings of Voltage in the Campground. Most time we are working in the campground and it's nice to know what's going on when were not working. Plus, it will manage our useage when were not "home". We typically work in more remote places that have more issues with water and electrical service. Peace of mind is well worth the cost.

[Atlee]

Around 45 minutes if I'm not boondocking. Boondocking adds at least another 15 minutes because I have to set up two generators.

It takes me a while because I'm pretty slow at it.

[KCSA75]

Originally Posted by WeRJuliian

"Do we need to put out the....?", to punctuate the real business of Tree Supervision (Hey, somebody has to sit and watch them grow... it's a tough job, but... )

I spend a lot of time on Tree Supervision. Glad to know it's got a name.

[ReelCool]

Originally Posted by wags999

The panels cost nothing and does a great job.

I put on mini bungee cords to holds the door handles together now when traveling. I really like your idea with the panels. I keep wine glasses in the shallow tall cabinet above the TV. Of course when the slide comes in, the doors don't open. I use a shelf liner that I cut in a squares with a slit in the middle that I pull over the steam. This cushions the glasses when traveling. My husband put little eyes on the frames of the door which I stretch a bungee across the middle so the glasses don't fall out when I first open the door. However, I recenly purchased some very thin plastic glasess that you cannot the difference between glass when looking at them. I plan to christen them on the next trip. I hope the wine taste the same. LOL

[oldmanAZ]

Originally Posted by wags999

snip...
We too once had the door pop open and stuff all over the floor...only need it to happen once and you adapt quickly.. the bars were more a PIA than worth it. The panels cost nothing and does a great job.
..snip

Originally Posted by ReelCool

I put on mini bungee cords to holds the door handles together now when traveling.
...snip...
I recenly purchased some very thin plastic glasess that you cannot the difference between glass when looking at them. I plan to christen them on the next trip. I hope the wine taste the same. LOL

Hmmmm... we've never had a door or drawer open on the road, so now I have a new worry.

Don't worry, ReelCool. We found the fix if the plastic glasses changes the taste of the wine... have some more wine.

[schrederman]

Tree supervision....... Egad! I was a supervisor for many years! No wonder I'm so good at it! I've seen a couple that needed to be written up for a safety violation!

[Camper_bob]

I love it when old threads get revived! I like to go back and look at what I posted back then and see if anything has changed.

In this case, my first post to this thread was well over a year ago, and not much has changed. My son is much more proficient at helping productively (he takes care of the stabilizers). We still don't "vomit" into our site and only get items out if/when we need to use them. We still don't buzz around like bees during setup, and we tend to move at a leisurely pace "with purpose" when we first arrive. We've gotten better at the whole process in general, so it goes quicker anyway.

Our "roles" have become blurred though. More often than not, DW will hook up power while I'm unhooking from the truck; typically this is in an effort to get the AC going quicker. If she sees I'm lagging behind for some reason, she'll jump in and take care of stuff on the outside. Once we get leveled, my son is on stab jack duty, then he "helps" me with the rest of the utilities while DW gets the inside ready. Then I'll take care of any entertainment requirements (like getting the antenna up or the cable taken care of) while I drink some water (or "other") inside, and junior eats a snack.

The whole thing has really become second nature to us at this point and I would be hard pressed to make a comprehensive list of what we do and how long that takes. I just don't think about setup anymore, it just happens...

[01tundra]

15-20 minutes in the summer, usually under 10 in the winter since we are dry camping at that point.

But our TT is small and we don't usually put much outside.