Our first camper adventure!

After several busy weeks of unpacking and getting things organized, the time to pick up our Arctic Fox 1150 camper finally arrived!  Here's our first camper trip report.

We left Binnshire on Saturday morning, May 3rd, heading for New Hampshire via Connecticut so we could drop off packing material for my brother Dave and sister-in-law Sandy as they will also be moving soon.  We stayed overnight with my mom before heading to Truck Camper Warehouse (TCW) to pick up the camper.  They were not quite ready for us when we arrived, so we took a side trip to Windsor, VT and a tour of the Harpoon Brewery.  We had a nice lunch at their pub, The Riverbend Taps and Beer Garden, and took a 1:00 tour of the brewery.  

Harpoon

A fun tour with unlimited samples at the end.  We also visited the little store next to the brewery for some ice cream and then it was time to head back to TCW.

Bill and Ryan were just finishing up the work on the camper when we returned. 

Ryan giving the camper its first bath

They set it up next to the building and gave us a quick tour so we would know the basics about how things work.  By then it was dinner time, so we headed off to Whetstone Station in Brattleboro. The restaurant was along the Connecticut River. The food and beer selection were ok, but not great.  Afterwards we headed back to TCW.  We were scheduled to have work done on the truck on Monday, so we spent the first night in our camper off the truck in the TCW parking lot.  This was the only night we spent connected to ‘shore power’.  The rest of the trip we were completely self-contained.

Brett "christening" the new camper with
an ale from Binnshire Brewing

We had brought enough stuff so we could survive the couple of weeks of travel. We limited ourselves a bit because we really had no idea how everything would fit.  We figured out a couple of things that first evening:  one was that it is a real pain to make the bed in the cab over if you want to use regular sheets and blankets!  The other was that there was more room than we had expected.  After putting away all the dishes and other stuff we brought, we still had a lot of empty space.  Good in some ways, but not in all.  Adding more stuff adds weight and we tend to fill the space we have.  The other downside is that when there is empty space, stuff can bang around.  We still need to figure how best to store everything, but we are confident there will be plenty of room for our Alaska trip next year.

Monday was spent hanging around TCW while they installed the tiedowns, stable loads and airbags on the truck.  They were supposed to be done by early afternoon, but we discovered an issue with the solar panels. The controller unit was not working correctly so Bill got out a VOM and discovered there was no power coming to the controller.  Bill, Ryan, and Jessie all climbed on the roof trying to figure out what was wrong.  They took the solar panel off, but everything on the roof checked out.  Bill eventually came inside the camper and started tracing the wiring.  Finally, after taking a cabinet apart, he found the issue.  The camper is supposed to prewired for solar, but the wires were coiled up in the wall not attached to anything.  Once the wires were attached properly, everything worked as expected and we were finally able to head out.  

Leaving TCW with the camper loaded

We stopped for dinner once again in Brattleboro, this time at The Marina overlooking the intersection of the West and Connecticut Rivers.  We enjoyed our dinner before getting back on the road headed west.  We traveled west across Vermont on RT 9.  Taking mountain roads, in the dark, for our first travel with the camper loaded may not have been the best idea, but we did not have any issues. After a quick stop for groceries in Wilmington, VT, we started looking for a place to stop.  We found a trail head parking area in the Green Mountain National Forest that looked promising.  It was well off the road and we were the only ones there.  We were ready for our first night of boondocking!  We had a quiet night, slept well, and got underway the next morning.    

We got to Drew's apartment in Leesburg late afternoon on Tuesday.  We left our truck at his apartment complex and went for dinner at our old favorite - Fire Works.  Unfortunately our buddy Gus was not there, but we had good pizza and beer in any case.  We visited with Drew at his apartment for a short while and then drove to our friends John and Debra's in Hamilton, VA where we would park for the next couple of nights.  We were able to put water in our tank from John's well, so we could take a shower in the camper the next morning.  It is small, but it works just fine.  

Drew played chauffeur so we did not have to drive the camper around the busy streets in VA. We needed to be in Apex, North Carolina early on Friday to 'babysit' for our friends' daughter while they drove to Ohio to attend their elder daughter's college graduation.   We headed out from Hamilton mid-to-late afternoon on Thursday.  Like always, we hit traffic heading south out of the DC area. Because of the delay, we decided to stop along the way.   We ended up at Bullocksville Campground along the John Kerr Reservoir.  We pulled in to a nice campsite with a view of the lake. We were still about 1 1/2 hours from Apex, so we got up early the next morning.  We walked over to the bath house where we were able to take a nice warm shower.  We were also able to dump our tanks and fill up the fresh water tank with potable water.  The gate was still closed when we arrived at the dump station, but by the time we had filled the water tank, the gate was open and we were able to get underway.  We had arrived after the attendant left and before anyone arrived, so we slipped the money and a note with our site number under the door of the gatehouse. Hopefully they found it OK.

We arrived in Apex early enough to see our friends off on their trip.  We parked the camper in their driveway and spent the next 4 days staying in the house.  We also used their car to get around town.  While we were there, we visited the Aviator Brewing's and Natty Greene’s brewpubs;  went to see “Captain America: The Winter Soldier”; visited the Container Store to pick up some things to organize camper storage; introduced Alyssa to Indian and Irish food (not at the same time); and enjoyed a treat from Goodberry’s -a favorite frozen custard shop. 

Marcia, Matt and Katie arrived home on Monday.  We visited with them Monday evening and Tuesday morning before heading out.  We wanted to take advantage of being in North Carolina by visiting Cape Hatteras National Seashore (NS).  Despite the fact that we had lived in Virginia for 20+ years, neither of us had ever been to the Outer Banks.  We always headed north instead of south.

It was about 4 1/2 hours to Nags Head from Apex.  We stopped at Harris Teeter on the way out to stock up on groceries and to grab some lunch, so it was after 1:00 by the time we finally hit the road east.  It was a pretty drive - lots of farm land, but very few places to pull off.   We finally found a rest stop at the Pocosin Lakes National Wildlife Refuge.  We took a short walk on the board walk to stretch our legs and then got back on the road.  

  

The boardwalk

We arrived in Nags Head around 5 and stopped at the Whalebone Junction information center.  We learned that Oregon Inlet Campground was about 8 miles down the road and Frisco Campground was a little over 50 miles.  Both are National Park Service facilities.  We decided to drive to Oregon Inlet Campground and get a recommendation from one of the National Parks folks.  The volunteer there was very helpful.  He suggested that many folks preferred Frisco, so we decided we would camp there for the night, but first we drove across the road to the Oregon Inlet Fishing Center where the dump station and potable water is located.  

Oregon Inlet

We wanted to top off our water tank as we were not sure if Frisco has a way to fill our tank (we did not find one, so it was good we did).  As soon as we got out of the car, we found out the warnings about needing bug spray were accurate!  Luckily, I carry a small 'emergency' bug spray in my purse, but a trip to the store for a larger can was in order.  The parking area was right along the docks where many charter fishing boats are docked.  It was a good place to park while we ate supper before driving down to the campground.  We are really enjoying being able to stop anywhere, jump in the back to fix a meal or use the bathroom.

We arrived at Frisco campground just as it was getting dark.  There was no one at the gate, so we did a self check in.  There is a log book - once you pick out a site, you swap the sign to Occupied, then go back to the gate and record which site you chose.  You go back the next morning to fill out the paperwork and pay for your site.  The system works well.  The site we choose was high on the dunes so we had a view of the water.  

Beach access - Frisco Campground

The next morning we took a walk down to the beach.  We walked down to the gate to pay our fee and then headed back to the campsite.  The weather was warm and sunny.  Upper 70's and low 80's with humidity 90%+.  By NC standards, a beautiful day, but it felt really hot to us.  We gave our Fantastic Fan a workout and are glad to report that it works well!  

We left the campground and headed north towards Hatteras light.  On the recommendation of the volunteer at the Oregon Inlet, we stopped at the Orange Blossom Bakery in Buxton and shared an Apple Ugly.  It is essentially a very large apple cinnamon roll that has been deep fried rather than baked.  It was really good, but was enough sugar and fat for an entire week!

We spent the morning exploring the Hatteras Light,  including climbing the 257 steps to the top.  

Brett standing on one of the 257 steps

It is the tallest lighthouse in the US and the tallest brick lighthouse in the world.  
 

The view from the top was wonderful

Once we came down, it was time for lunch.  We drove over to the picnic area, made lunch in the camper, and then sat at a picnic table in the shade to eat.

We then drove down Hatteras Island, past our campground, to the Graveyard of the Atlantic museum.  We stopped along the way to get the bug spray, some sunscreen and some ice cream.  Having a place to keep it frozen while we travel is pretty cool - no pun intended. :)

The museum was somewhat disappointing.  We had expected more history.  There was a fair mount of information about the civil war era and the Monitor, but not as much about the other shipwrecks as we would have liked.

We headed back to the campsite so we could cook dinner.  We had made breakfast and lunch several times, but other than heating water for tea, we had not cooked anything in the camper yet.  It worked just fine.  Brett cooked the bangers while I made coleslaw.  After cleaning up dinner, we worked on making the rice salad we were planning for the next day's dinner.  Given how small a space we have, the kitchen is surprisingly useable, even when both of us are working.  The counter space is limited, but Brett was able to chop vegetables at the table while I worked at the counter.  We are very pleased with the camper (and the salad came out good too).

The next day, Thursday, we started to head back north.  We visited the Chicamacomico Life-Saving Station Historic Site.
  

1874 station with the 1911 station in the background

There were several buildings - 1874 station and cookhouse, 1911 station and cookhouse, and a period home showing early 1900's life on Hatteras Island.  The US Life Saving Service was a precursor to the US Coast Guard.  The museum was really interesting and I would recommend checking it out if you are in the area.  We got a recommendation from the folks at the museum and had an excellent lunch at Good Winds in Waves, NC overlooking Pamlico Sound.  

We then continued north, stopping for a short walk at the Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge, and then a visit to Bodie (pronounced Body) Island Lighthouse.  There is a legend that the island was named Body (the original spelling) because of the bodies that washed up on the shores from the many shipwrecks.

The lighthouse is slightly shorter than Hatteras.  Only 206 steps to the top of this one.  We were able to climb this one as well, but could not go out on to the balcony due to high winds.  They let us checkout the light room instead which was very cool.   We then checked in at the Oregon Inlet Campground and had dinner.  After dinner, we walked out the beach and watched the waves for an hour or so.  The clouds were starting to move in, the wind picked up, and the temperature dropped enough that it actually felt cool, but it got even more humid.  It rained overnight, so we had to keep the camper closed up.  We definitely need to get covers for the fans and vents so they can remain open the rain.  We were lucky it had cooled off enough that we were not baking.

We broke camp in the pouring rain.  We were very glad not to be sleeping in a tent and felt sorry for all the folks that were going to have to pack up really wet gear.  We did have to don our rain pants and jackets so we could dump the tanks and take on some fresh water.  The tanks weren't full, but we did not want to have to worry about them if we end up boondocking on our way home. 

We decided to head north via the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel so we could avoid the DC traffic.  I had always wanted to cross it, but I suspect it would have been more impressive on a clear day.  The view was mostly of fog and rain, but it was cool anyway.  Brett did not like driving in the narrow tunnels, particularly when there was a tractor trailer coming the other way.  There was very little space between the side of the camper and the tunnel wall.  Nerve-wracking, but he did really well.

We continued up the coastal route through Maryland and Delaware.  It rained most of the trip and we saw some minor flooding on side roads but nothing that caused us any issues.  As it got close to dinner time, it looked like Wilmington, DE would be a good place to stop.  Google helped us figure out that there was a brewery (what else?), Iron Hill Brewing, that looked worth a visit.  We called ahead to make sure we could park the truck and camper.  Brett's cousin Sue lives in the area, so we reached out to her via Facebook to see if she was available.  We got lucky, she was about 20 minutes away and was free to join us for dinner.  We had a wonderful visit.  We were there for 4-5 hours and the time just flew by.  By the time we were done, it was pretty late.  We had asked the restaurant staff if it was ok to park over night in their lot - they said yes, so we decided to stay there for the night.  Our first experience with stealth camping.  We kept the slide in so it wasn't obvious we were inside.  We had a quiet night and got up the next morning to discover a very busy parking lot outside.  There was an event happening on the waterfront - cars were pouring in to the lot, there were police directing traffic at all the entrances.  Fortunately, we were able to leave while there was still enough empty space for us to make our way out of the lot.  

We then continued north, taking a less than direct route as we did not want to drive across the George Washington or Tappan Zee bridges with the camper.  We crossed the Hudson River via I-84 like we usually do.  We got delayed by traffic for a bit in Waterbury, CT, but arrived at Mom's by mid afternoon.  We had dinner at an old favorite - Rein's Deli, visited a bit with Dave and Sandy (we got to show off our new camper!), and then settled in for the night at Mom's.  

We spent Sunday in Connecticut.  Mom and I went to a bridal shower for Megan (Keith's fiancée).   Brett hung out with Dave.  We headed out from Mom's early on Monday morning.  We stopped at TCW to have Bill and Ryan look at a couple of issues with the camper.  We also wanted them to remove the TV antenna (it rattled in the wind!) and to install vent covers that would allow us to keep vents open while we drive and in the rain.  While we were hanging around, we met a couple from Quebec, Gary & Marie Steward,  who were shopping for a truck camper.  We chatted for quite some time.  They had similar interests to ours, so we exchanged email info and blog addresses.  Maybe we will run in to them on the road someday...

We then headed east to Candia, NH to visit with Brett’s brother, Todd and sister-in-law, Kathy.  We had dinner at Murphy's pub in Manchester because our first two choices were not open on Monday evenings. Unlike Virginia, many of the restaurants in northern New England are not open every day, especially in the off season.  Despite not being the first choice, we all enjoyed our dinner and the beer selection was excellent.  We headed back to T&K's, hung out for a short while and all hit the sack pretty early.  They all had to get up for school/work the next day.  We stayed in the camper at the base of their yard and got up in time to see them off.

We then headed out ourselves.  We wanted to stop at Camping World to pick up a couple of things.  There is one in Center Conway, NH which is sort of on the way home, assuming you are not taking the direct route.  After Camping World, we headed to Moat Mountain Smokehouse and Brewery in North Conway.  We had an excellent lunch with some very good beer and a wonderful view of Mt. Washington and the Presidential range.  

After lunch, we started heading toward Bethel,  Maine.  

A view of Mt. Washington along the route

Along the way, we stopped at the Pinkham Notch Visitors Center in the White Mountain National Forest.  The facility is run by the Appalachian Mountain Club and supports hikers who are heading up or down from Mount Washington.  
  

Brett had hiked down this trail from the top of
Mt Washington almost 40 years ago 

We took a short walk up the
trail to Crystal Cascades

Brett had wanted to stop at Sunday River Brewing, but when we arrived, we discovered that they were not open on Tuesday.  We thought about trying the nearby Shipyard Brew Haus, but they too were not open on Tuesdays.  Bethel is a ski town in the winter and a vacation spot in the summer, but in between the two seasons, lots of places are only open on the weekends.

We ended up having dinner at a British pub called The Jolly Drayman.  We enjoyed our meal of Curry Seafood Chowder for Brett and pasta with veggie, Greek olives, sundried tomatoes and feta for me.  Both were good.  We were still about 4 hours from home and decided we would spend one more night on the road.  We settled on Mt Blue State Park  in Weld, ME and asked our GPS to take us there.  We discovered that when it says 'with caution', it is probably best to ignore the directions.  We ended up being sent to a gated off dirt road in one case and a dirt road that got narrow enough that we turned around in another.  We just decided to do it the old fashioned way and followed the road signs.  We arrived just before dark, picked out out campsite and got settled.  

The sites are nice, but the entrances are narrow with overhanging trees.  It made us realize just how high and wide the camper is and made us doubly glad we did not go with a fifth wheel.

We got up the next morning and took a walk down to Webb Lake.

We then packed up and headed for home.  We had a fun shakedown trip and are very pleased with our new truck camper, but it is nice to be back home.