Our first camping trip of 2010 was to Pilot Knob State Park in Iowa.

The next trip was to Yellow River State Forest.  We had not been back to this park for some time, even though we really wanted to.  It is a beautiful campground that runs along a little creek at the bottom of a valley.

The campground we usually like to camp in when we want to stay close to home was a little late in opening this year.  But we were finally able to  go camping the week before Memorial Day.

Memorial Day camping was a wonderful weekend.  Another reason I like the camper, even if the ground is uneven, it does not take much to level the camper out.

A weekend at Pikes Peak State Park in Iowa, above McGregor.  The Scamp came in very handy both nights as strong storms moved through the area.

Our second trip back to Lake Darling over the Fourth of July, 2010.  I thought the water would still be down, but we were pleasantly surprised to see some water in the lake; even though this is the third year of the preservation project.  Great view out the window, is it?

The Scamp is a tough egg to crack, no pun intended.  This was our first trip to Ledges State Park in Iowa.  A few hours prior to these pictures, a severe thunderstorm rolled through the area.  We had about dime size hail, wind (as of yet, unknown speed), and small branches and a few limbs falling down.  The park lost power about 3 or 4 am, but when all was said and done, no damage anywhere to property and best of all, no injuries.  We were fortunate enough to escape a little damage ourselves, as you can see the broken limb in the tree above our camper.  Other than cringing when the hail came, the Scamp kept us safe and dry.  A huge thumbs up!

The second to last weekend in July, we took a trip to Wisconsin for a family reunion.  Since it was such long trip, we decided to drive most of the way, then pull over in a rest stop for the first night, then drive the rest of the way on Saturday and camp at Lake Wissota State Park.  This was the second time we used a rest stop for part of the trip and we found that it works really well, especially with a camper that has nothing to set up in order to stay in it.  The last two pictures are of the campsite at the park.  Once nice thing nice about a light trailer is that it can be very easy to position by hand and make the best use of your campsite.

I can't believe it has only been two years since we purchased our Scamp.  I have been camping more in the last two years than I have over the last twenty years combined.  I always figured that having a camper would make it more enjoyable.  It's easy to pack up and get on the road on a Friday, if the weather is bad you can still enjoy your trip in the comfort of a warm dry trailer, and when it comes  time to tear down and go home, it does not matter whether it is raining or shinning.  And of course, the wide variety of scenic campgrounds makes each trip a new adventure in itself.  The campground above is from our third trip back to Merrick State Park in Wisconsin.

I have added a few electrical accessories to the camper over time.  The front couch can turn into a bunk bed if needed, and I noticed there was a light for the top bunk, but not for the lower bunk.  Plus, I found myself sitting on the left side of the couch more than the right.  The first year I added a battery powered light that was attached by Velcro.  That way I could move if from one side to the other.  The next year, I added a light that connected to the campers onboard battery.  I found that it not only comes in handy when sitting on the couch, but when entering a dark trailer, it is rather nice to have a light right inside the door.  I also added two 12 volt accessory sockets beneath the dinette.  That way we can charge cell phones, connect a 12 volt to 110 power converter, or run our laptops off of the onboard battery when we were not at an electrical site.  (We often are off the electrical grid when camping with this trailer.)  I am also on the lookout for an electrical gauge that will tell me what the current level of power is in the battery, as well as what the current amperage draw is when we are off grid.

Lisa has also added a few personal touches.  She added the Patriotic valances to the curtains, and added a tie string to each as well.  The nice thing about the tie strings is she sewed them to the curtains.  That way, when they are closed, we do not have to worry about loosing them.  P.S. The hand crank weather radio pictured on the table has also been a very welcomed addition to our camping kit.

A couple of accessories that I found very helpful are a breakfast bed tray and a portable laptop desk.  The breakfast try I use when I am preparing meals.  It comes in handy to have an extra surface for food preparation, as well as clean up.  It folds up and stores away easily, and it is just the right height to act as a counter.  The other new addition is the laptop desk, or "Lapdawg" as the manufacturer calls it.  It is a laptop desk that adjusts to three different heights.  I made some leg extensions out of plastic tubing so it can stand on the floor and be used as a small desk while I am on the couch.  It also has an adjustable angled top for the laptop, a cup holder, two mouse pads, and a cooling fan for the laptop.  I have found this to be a wonderful addition to the camper.

I also added a couple of gauges to help me keep an eye on the power level of the battery, as well as the usage while we are using a non-electrical site. I put them beneath the couch because this was the closest I could get to the battery.  I wanted to connect the volt gauge to the battery with its own connection, verses putting it in line with existing connections, so I could get he truest reading of volts.  The amp gauge is installed on the positive line coming in from the battery before any other electrical source is connected.  Again, this will give me the truest reading of what is being drawn off of the battery, as well as what is being applied to charge the battery when the trailer is plugged in.  So far, with everything turned on, except for the furnace, I am drawing just under 15 amps.

Another fun little decoration I added was our home state flag, the flag of the State of Iowa.  I found, pretty early on with the trailer, that the brackets used to hold the gravel shield in place are just the right size for the wooden poles of the 12 x 18 inch US Flag.  I finally found a 12 x 18 inch Iowa flag to add fly along side of the US Flag.  And yes, the US Flag is in prominence on the trailer.  To the left of the vehicle it is attached to.

Back on the Mississippi River at Merrick State Park.  Water finally seemed to drop a bit from the week before.

This was our little cabin in the Northern Woods of Minnesota this year for our Anniversary trip.  I am really glad we were not tent camping it, and I cannot be thankful enough for our furnace.   I also came up with a new way to display the flags when the weather turns foul, as shown in the third picture from the left