The Importance of Camping as a Family (Camping with Kids)

There are so many things I can say about why I feel it's important to get outside and camp/hike/explore with your kids. It's the entire reason I bought the Uhaul Camper. While I still love tent camping, it was a logistics based decision to get the camper. Something I could leave packed and ready to go. Just add food, clothes, and family and then hit the road. Even if you don't like to camp, many state parks and campgrounds like KOA have cabins. The important thing to me is getting myself and kids out from in front of the TV/Computer and getting outside. I want my kids to grow up and learn problem solving skills and that it's not the end of the world if it rains or a tent pole breaks. You can always make it work and find another way. .

Amelia Meyer has a great guest post over at Sierra Trading Company's blog with a pretty all inclusive list of reasons why you should get out there: A Bunch of (Really Great) Reasons to Take Kids Camping.

For those of you in Georgia, the state parks offer a First Time Campers program where they will provide the gear and help/advice from rangers for a 2 night stay. Besides playgrounds, hiking/biking trails, boat rentals, most state and national parks also offer programs like the Jr Ranger programs. While camping at FDR State Park last year they happened to be having a reptile program on Saturday morning. We took the kids over and they loved it. We also have camped at Hard Labor Creek State Park and they often do wagon rides around the park with a ranger telling about the history of it and stopping at various buildings. These are just a few examples of the things we've stumbled on while camping.

So get out there and see the real world!

Uhaul in the Smokies

Campsite 120 at KOA Townsend, TN

So there is a fiberglass rally in Townsend, TN (right outside the Cades Cove side of Great Smoky Mountains National Park) every year called the Eggscursion put on by the Egg Camping Club. (If you don't know, molded fiberglass campers are referred to as "eggs" sometimes. There are lots of rally's around the nation and it's a great place to meet other owners and see other types/brands of fiberglass campers. We went to our first rally last year in Townsend and had a blast and got lots of great ideas. We were the only Uhaul Camper there. We went ahead last year and booked our reservations for this year. Then my best friend picked that date to get married so we bumped our reservations a few weeks. We're looking forward to the rally next year but we had a blast camping this past weekend up there.

Cades Cove in GSMNP

The temperature was milder than I anticipated for this time of year. It actually sleeted up at Newfound Gap when we were going through on our way up. I heard they closed the road for a bit later that night due to ice. The park was beautiful and it wasn't too crowded yet which was nice. We did the Cades Cove loop again hoping to spot some bears, but it wasn't till after we'd left the cove that we spotted a mother and 3 babies off the side of the road. It was great for the kids to get to see them. We didn't find time to do any hiking this trip. I was hoping to get a short day hike in with the kids. But we did get to relax and I did get to kick back and read some at the campsite (which I rarely have time to do during my weekly grind). One think I love about being so close to the Smokies is that they have such beauty and nature combined with a rich history. I always learn something new every time I visit.

We stayed at the KOA in Townsend. This was our first time staying at a KOA. Honestly, they aren't really on my radar normally due to price and being crowded. I usually choose state parks when camping with the camper and the family. I like to support the state park programs in states we visit. When I'm soloing I go backcountry or tent camp at National Forest campgrounds that don't have hook-ups. We did have a wonderful time at the KOA though and it's right outside the park. We ended up in site 120 (water/electric site) which had a nice patio, table and chairs (as compared to a normal picnic table), and a fire pit. The staff was very friendly and very helpful. We didn't use the free cable TV and the free wifi was a bit spotty (don't try streaming videos on it). The kids enjoyed the playground, basketball court, and riding their bikes around the campground. The fenced dog park was a nice feature too for our dogs to run around off leash. While I probably won't seek out a KOA everywhere we go, we're planning to go back to this one again next year. I can definitely see their benefits if we do another long (10-day) trip in the future.

We've been up to the Smokies a lot before we bought the camper. We did try something new this time and it was a blast. The Smoky Mountain Alpine Coaster is a sled on a track basically. You get pulled to the top of a mountain and ride down with gravity. You do have a brake lever to slow down if you get going too fast for your comfort, but they say the max speed is 27 mph. It's a mile track down the mountain with loops and turns. While ticket prices aren't exactly cheap for adults and older kids. Young kids (3-6) are only $5 to ride with adult. Our little ones (4 and 5) loved it and can't wait to do it next time we go back.

It was a nice, refreshing trip. I can't wait for our next adventure.

Bunk Bed Stability

Rubber Cone-shaped Bumpers

So as I mentioned in a previous post, I've gotten around to resolving one of the issues with the top bunk. The poles from the top bunk do rest in these little indentions and rely on gravity/weight to keep them in there. The problem with this for me is if the lower kid kicks the pole or the upper kid jumps up and down, it feels like they could slip out. Many folks have tried and suggested various options. I want to keep the ability to break down the bunk (so I didn't want to make it permanent). I ordered some conical bumpers that measure 21mm x 12mm. I then picked up some #10 x 3/4 in. wide head screws at the local hardware store. (If you don't have the wood braces under the fiberglass, you should put some in.) I then screwed these right into the wood braces and they worked perfectly. The poles slide on and off easily but the diameter and height of the bumpers is enough to keep them from bouncing off should they be kicked accidentally. Also, the rubber bumpers are low enough to leave there with the cushions down. So no need to take them off when not using the top bunk and there are no sharp or protruding screws/bolts/etc that some folks have used. All in all I'm happy with it and we'll try them out on the next trip. I'll definitely post an update if they don't work as good as I imagine.

See my post on replacement poles for the bunk bed if you're looking for those.

Bunk Bed (Camping with Kids)

So we have 4 people in our family and so it was important to get a camper that would sleep 4. The U-haul CT13 campers do sleep 4. The adult bed is in the back and then the front bench pops up into a bunk.The back cushion is on a hinge similar to a piano hinge and the back cushion swings up. Two poles fold down and each rests in metal indention on the bottom. This style is common across other fiberglass campers.

There are a couple of problems with the design though:

1. There is nothing on the top bunk to keep a kid from rolling off during sleep.
2. A really small kid (2-3) on the bottom bunk could potentially roll off between the poles. 
3. The poles rely on gravity/weight to keep them in the holes. They are not fastened to it any way and can bounce out. Or it's possible for a child on the lower bunk to kick it out during sleep. This could potentially cause the bunk to come down. (Do not drive with the bunk setup; road bounce will make it come down!)

My first concern was to make it safe for our kids. At the time we bought the camper they were 4 and 2 years old. I use the front bench during travel to hold the screen room and our table and some other gear we pack to keep weight up front on the tongue. So whatever designs I came up with would have to be flexible and not impact the ability to break down the bunk to a bench.

The top bunk is backed by a piece of plywood. I picked up a couple of right angle shelf brackets and had an extra board laying around that turned out to be the right size. I used some wood screws to hold the brackets to the bottom of the bunk. I measured them so they could stay attached and be under the bench cushions when it's folded down. The distance measured is between the bottom cording of the top bunk cushion (when it's folded down as the back of the bench) and the top of the fiberglass bottom of the bench with cushions removed. I can put the cushions on the bench on top of the L brackets and you won't even know they're there. I then drilled holes in the wooden board and got a couple of nuts with locking washers and wing nuts to fasten the board. That way I can quickly unfasten it for travel. This provides the protection I needed for my 4 yr old not to roll off the top bunk in the middle of the night. It's been working very well for us. The reason I went with a board was because I didn't want a gap from pvc or other tubing that he'd get his legs caught in. The solidness of the board combined with the small curtain we put up that hangs from the ceiling also help provide the sense that it's his own room. I have a small Tupperware container that I keep in the cabinet over the stove that I put the nuts, washers and bolts in when I have it broken down.

My wife's fun camping fabric.

Close-up from back side

With the 2 year old going to be in the bottom bunk, we were concerned with her falling out between the poles. While discussing how the kids would probably go to bed earlier than us, my wife decided that a curtain would be a fantastic way to divide the camper into basically two rooms. But a large curtain hanging all the way down wouldn't work for several reasons. First it would be too heavy for suction cups and with the curve of the roof we couldn't make a curtain bar work. So we brainstormed and came up with the idea to take a fun cloth shower curtain my wife had found to make new window curtains for the front window and make a short curtain across the top and make a second one on the bottom. The top one is held by suction cups across the top. The lower one we designed to be a panel that slipped over the bars that support the top bunk. We sewed two sleeves that fit perfectly around the poles so you can slide it on. With the poles setup, it's tight and makes the bottom bunk a dark little cave. There's no way she's rolling out of there!

To resolve the issue of the poles possibly bouncing/sliding out of their hole, I looked at rubber bumpers. I have ordered some conical bumpers that measure 21mm x 12mm. My camper has wooden boards under the lower fiberglass to help transfer the weight of the upper bunk poles down through to the frame without cracking the fiberglass seat area. With a screw, washer and these rubber bumpers, I should be able to secure the poles pretty easily by having them slide over the bumpers. I'll post an update when this is done with pics. (EDIT: Post on bumpers.)

Kid's Bunk in our U-haul Camper

The kids love their "rooms". It's amazing with a little creativity how you can divide such a small space into more personal spaces. I close the rock guard on the front window every night to help the top bunk remain just as dark and cozy as the bottom one so my son can sleep good. We got a couple of camping themed twin bed sheet sets for them that we make up the bunk beds with. We also got two husband pillows similar to these that go at the head of their beds (left side of camper) providing some insulation and filling the small gaps. You can see the edges of them in the picture to the left. By adding some small led camp lanterns to light their rooms, they're happy and set. Now they can have their own personal space in our tiny camper to play with dolls, cars, and read books. I'm currently looking at some storage ideas to better organize their little "rooms."

(Update: See my post on replacement poles for the bunk bed if you need those.)

(EDIT: Post on the other bed; the one us adults use. )

Entertaining Kids on a Rainy Camping Day (Camping with Kids)

A 13 foot fiberglass camper gets really small on rainy days. Especially for the 4 of us (plus dogs). So how do we handle it when the walls are closing in and the rain won't stop? Probably the same way you do at home when the kids are on break during cold and rainy seasons. Here's a list of things we typically pack for the kids:

1. Books
2. Coloring books/Crayons
3. Matchbox Cars
4. Compact doll set
5. Games (travel card and board games, battleship anyone?)
6. Leapfrog with games
7. DVD player and Movies.
8. Snacks (when our kids get bored they tend to get hungry, pack some fruit!)
9. Screen room/awning (sometimes you need to get outside...a shelter provides you with some more "room")

A couple of things I'll call out here. We don't really like the kids to just sit around and watch DVDs all day when we're camping. However, they can be a useful tool on a rainy day. We have over-the-seat DVD players that we put in the car only on trips. These can run off 12v/DC or 110v/AC power. Since they are portable, you can move them to the camper. We typically set one up in the lower bunk and let the kids climb in together for movie time. For these reasons, I actually prefer the over-the-seat DVD players to the built-in ones in cars (it's cheaper, easier to replace if they break, since there are two, you can watch the same movie on both or each can watch their own with headsets, and lastly we don't have fights about not turning on the DVD player during normal everyday driving). Oh and the other benefit is Mom and Dad can use them too after the kids go to sleep.

The other thing I'll point out is the screen room. With a small camper like ours, space is a premium. We always carry a screen room and it can provide a nice addition for rainy days. Reading a book in my camp chair while listening to the rain is much preferable to sitting in the camper with everyone packed in like sardines.

Lastly, get out and away from the campground. Tourism can be your friend on a rainy day. Find something fun, entertaining, or educational that's inside to do. Also, even getting out for a meal can help. Depending on the age of your children, you may want to find somewhere with an indoor play-place like a McDonald's or Chick-fil-A. Just be flexible and you can have a lot of fun no matter if it's raining or not!