The first outing of the year, first weekend in April, while looked forward to, did not go as well as we had hoped.  The weather was predicted to be a bit warmer than it turned out to be, but we still had a good time.  We always like to get an early start to the year anyway, that way we can work any issues with the camper out before we start with the heavy camping schedule.  This year we only forgot a few items, and we were close enough to home to pick them up when we stopped by. 

I would like to mention a couple of tips about camping this early in the season.  It may seem like a good idea to de-winterize your water system, but remember that most of the tanks, lines, and hoses are near the outside, if not outside, the camper and can be susceptible to cold nights.  We usually wait until the middle or late April before flushing all of the lines.  Also, while the campgrounds might be open and have the electricity turned on, most parks do not turn the water on until the middle of May.  This also means that the bathrooms will be closed, unless they are the vault type restroom facilities.  It is always a good idea to check the park's website, or contact the park directly.      

Our second outing of the year was to Backbone State Park in Iowa.  It was a camping group get together with friends and family.  As you can see in the photos, that besides our group, there were quite a few other campers braving the Iowa spring weather. 

There are a couple of things I wanted to point out in the photos above.  First, you will notice the sign in the front window of the camper.  This was the prototype camp sign that Lisa came up with last fall.  We have been mulling the idea over for a couple of years now, and she finally put something on paper when we were in Gettysburg.  We let the idea simmer all winter and we have decided that this will be the sign.  As this is being written, the sign is nearly complete and will be ready for our next outing. 

Secondly, I wanted to point out the last two pictures in the series.  I was walking behind the trailer when I happened to look in the back window.  I know that people think these campers are small from the outside, but looking in the back window, through the camper all the way to the front, it really does open up and reveal there is more room than one would think. 

Mother's Day weekend, we headed to Dolliver State Park in Iowa.  While the weather was nicer than the first outing, it was cooler and windier than the second.  One thing I noticed this weekend is that the wind does not affect the camper nearly as much it did other campers in the park.  The round form of the camper does a good job of deflecting the wind, and the R-15 insulation keeps the temperature fluctuation to a minimum.

This weekend trip was also the debut of the official camping sign of the Dampened Enthusiasts.  We have been wanting to create a sign for our campsites for some time now, and I believe we have hit on the perfect design.   

The photos above are from the last two weekends in May.  The first two are of an unofficial SCA gathering we attended once a year called St. Augustine's Un-Faire.  Although it is a Middle Ages themed event, we use the Scamp as a place holder.  We usually come out a couple of days in advance and get a spot, and with the Scamp, we can lock it during the day when we are gone. 

The last three photos in the series are from the Memorial Day campout that we usually hold.  We had the same site as the previous weekend, but a different location.  Nice thing about the Scamp is it can fit into spaces many campers cannot.  This was fairly uneven ground with very little room to maneuver a car out of the way once you unhook.  Also, the ground was wet the day we packed up and other vehicles had problems with the wet ground.  The Scamp was light enough that it was fairly easy to move around in these conditions.     

This was our first trip to Lake MacBride State Park just south of Cedar Rapids, Iowa.  You will notice a different tow vehicle than we have used  in the past.  Just after our Memorial Day camping trip, we discovered that our Mazda truck was in worse shape than it appear on the surface.  So we decided to start looking for a new truck, since they are really handy to have for hauling, towing, etc.  After inquiring with our usual car dealer, it just so happened that this truck had just been traded in.  So recently, in fact, that the morning we drove down to look at it, it had just come back from the detailers.  Well, to make a long story short, we had been looking for this model of truck, and with Ford discontinuing the model in 2010, we decided we better get it while we could.  The decision was a sound one, and one I have yet to regret.

Now, a little about towing with the new truck.  Our first trip was the second week of June to Missouri for an SCA re-enacting event.  The covered wagon, that we use for that trip, pulled so nice, I hardly even knew it was behind us.  For this trip with the Scamp, it was the same.  Even though the truck is larger than our car, and came with a complete Class III/IV towing package, it still really felt good to have the electric brakes on the trailer.  The trailer also did not sway or bounce around like it did with the car, and when we arrived at camp, it was far easier to control when backing in to our site.  After looking inside the the trailer, I noticed that the contents were not jumbled around nearly as much as when we used the car.

I do not want to discourage people who have smaller vehicles from using them to tow a Scamp.  There are many advantages to small car towing.  Better gas mileage when not towing, no need to store a larger vehicle when not using it to tow, and generally a more comfortable ride when exploring the areas you are visiting.  What I would like to stress is that with smaller vehicle, you need to pay a lot closer attention to driving when towing.  You need to give yourself more time to stop, you need to pay attention to wind conditions, you need to learn to accelerate more gently, and you really must pay attention to the tongue weight of the trailer.  Getting the tongue weight down to fifteen percent of the trailer will make more of a difference in towing with a smaller car verses a bigger vehicle.   Also, regardless of what type of vehicle you use when towing, you want to keep up with the regular maintenance on your vehicle.  It has also been suggested that you increase the amount of maintenance, above and beyond the recommended maintenance, that your tow vehicle should get.  This will help to ensure that you catch any potential problems with the vehicle before you find yourself in trouble on the highway, as well as prolonging the life of your vehicle.

If you have any more questions or concerns about towing, please feel free to contact us at Information@dampenedenthusiasts.com.

This was the first time we have been back to Great River Bluffs campground in Minnesota in five years.  The last time we were here was the Fourth of July in 2008.  That was also the last time we went tent camping.  Within a few weeks of that trip, we were the proud owners of a new Scamp.

I did learn a few things about camping at this campground with the Scamp.  It has a lot of nice shade, but unfortunately, I did not judge where the sun was going to be very well.  I put the solar panels out in the sun and set up the screen tent in the shade, but it was late afternoon on the first day of camp when I did that.  Well, it turned out that the tent was in the spot that got the most sun, and the solar panels were in the location that got the most shade.  Unfortunately, we spend most of the afternoons out and about and did not notice the sun/shade pattern until late on the last day of camp.  This caused a little problem with the batteries as they were not getting a good charge from the panels during the day.  If you want to camp off grid and use solar panels like we do, it is very important to find out, early on, where the best sun is going to be for the panels.  The good thing about this is that I finally decided to pick up a small solar panel for the "portable", or extra, marine battery that we bring along, so we can keep that charge that as well.      

One other thing that I would like to point out is the screen tent that we use.  We had considered an awning for the Scamp when we purchased it, but eventually decided against it due to weight restrictions.  I was trying to keep the weight down to make it easier for pulling with the car.  While there have been a time or two when an awning would have been nice, we decided we liked the screen tent better.  It can be put up anywhere around camp and does not have to be right next to the trailer.  Also, the screen part of the tent allows us a good view of the area around camp, and does a really good job keeping the bugs away.  It is also light weight and does keep the rain out as long as it is not a torrential downpour.  Just something to consider if you are thinking about any type of camper.           

Here we are back in Ledges State Park.  We found a little loop that was a bit more private nestled amongst the trees.  I may have mentioned this before, but I wanted to do it again for emphasis.  We did not get the awning for the Scamp and decided to use our screened in tent when we needed shade.  It is also really great for insect control as well.  The nice thing about it, you can place it anywhere and do not always have to be right up against the trailer.   

We decided to take a little time off to find a campsite along the Mississippi River in July, but unfortunately, the water was still too high at this time of the year.  None of the campgrounds, that were first come first serve only, were open, so we returned to Pikes Peak.  It was also a hot weekend and the air conditioner really came in handy.  You can also see by the photos that having a smaller trailer can be very advantageous when you are dealing with sites that tend to be on the small side.  Even with the truck, camper, and tent up, we still had enough room for a campfire.    

Traveling back to Myre-Big Island State Park in Minnesota, we chose to state in the Whitefox Campground instead of the Island Campground.  Very nice fit for the trailer and the lake was just beyond the trees behind the trailer.  We also found another Scamp in the campground, something that seems to be a rare find this year for some reason.   

This time we were traveling back in time, so to speak.  We were camping medieval style for our SCA group at the Floyd County Fair Grounds, in Charles City, Iowa.  The tent behind the trailer is ours as well.  We set it up for family members who join us for this event.  This was the first time I had a chance to get a picture of the new truck pulling the Scamp.

The decision to purchase the truck for pulling the trailer is really working out well.  I would like to pass along some advice about towing a trailer that I learned, and it applies to any vehicle used for towing.  If you have the option to turn the overdrive off, I would suggest doing so.  It may decrease your gas mileage, but the transmission will run a bit smoother if it is not downshifting all of the time.

One thing I would like to add about small vehicle towing, actually saw something I have only seen in pictures: a new style Volkswagon Beetle towing a 13 Foot Scamp.  I was debating getting a picture of it, but I was driving and I could not get back around in time to take a photo.  If you do have photos of Scamps being towed, or interesting Scamp photos and would like to share them, please feel free to email them to information@dampenedenthusiats.com. 

Labor Day came around way too fast this year.  It was a wonderful weekend, even though the weather was predicted to be dreadful.  While we really enjoy the compact size of the Scamp, there are many different types of camping units.  The large unit in the background belongs to relatives of ours (they had just purchased it), and this was only the second outing for it.  They are planning on traveling quite a bit when they retire, and this is the perfect unit for them.

The start of our fall trip.  This was the first time we took the new truck on a long distance hall.  Of course, I'm not too sure if a six hour drive is considered long distance.  We headed up to the North Shore of Lake Superior for the week.  I decided about halfway there to leave the overdrive engaged on the truck to see if it did make any difference in mileage.  It does make a slight difference and I do get a bit better mileage with the overdrive engaged.  With the trailer being so light weight, the only time I really need to turn the overdrive off is in areas where the terrain rises and falls a considerable amount.  Otherwise, the truck turns out to be a really good and reliable vehicle for this type of trip.

We had a fairly nice site for our fall trip.  While I was hoping to get a site right along the lake, those sites were reserve by the time I tried to reserve.  This site was a bit higher, but you could see a little of the lake through the trees.  It was also fairly close to the beach so you could walk down and enjoy some time listening to the waves.

In the picture on the left, you will see an additional solar panel.  I picked that up this summer for our extra battery.  We have a second battery to run some of the load and it is portable so we can move it around site if we want to sit outside.  Earlier this summer, we ended up draining that battery and I did not have a way to recharge it, other than the battery charger at home.  So I picked the smaller one up for it.  I did find a way to charge the spare battery using the truck.  I have a cable that I can plug into an accessory outlet in the truck, then connect it to the battery and charge it while we are out sight seeing.  That works really well.  Since I can do that, I took the smaller panel and added it to the array of panels I already have. 

I would like to point out a couple of power issues we had during this trip.  We are both on call for our jobs, even on vacation, and rely on our cell phones.  We usually charge the phones from the batteries we have, but this trip, the coverage was spotty at best.  We ended up using the booster we have, but unfortunately, that draws a constant 0.5 Amp charge.  Even though we turned it off when we were gone, we had to run it at night and it drained the trailer's battery pretty fast.  We also had fog for nearly three days solid, so the panels were not getting direct sunlight.  I ended up plugging the trailer into the truck and let the truck run for a bit to recharge the trailer battery.  I do not like to leave the truck running, but as a last resort option, it worked really well.  During all of this, I did discover that our lights were drawing a whopping 1.5 Amp charge for each light.  For that fix, I decided to look at LED bulbs.  I have that description below.

Despite the high water and park closures, we managed to make it to Merrick State Park in Wisconsin.  While the wind was a bit brisk, the sun was very warm.  We even managed to get out on the river in my brother's boat.  Getting back was a bit of a challenge, since the motor failed and we ended up push-poling the boat about a mile up river against the wind and current.

To help solve the problem of drawing our battery down too quickly, I explored the option of LED replacement bulbs.  The bulbs that came with i the trailer were a standard 1141 12 volt incandescent bulb.  Unfortunately, they tend to draw quite a bit of electricity and put out a staggering amount of heat.  Even so, I was not too sure if I wanted to do this, because LEDs have been known to be too bright, to white, or do not put enough light out.  I found these bulbs on Amazon and they are designed by BrightTech.  As you can see in the first picture, they are six panels with six LEDs each.  They are not flat panels as some replacements are.  When turned on, you can see that it is a soft, warm light just like an incandescent bulb would be.  You can see what an incandescent bulb looks like turned on in the last picture. 

This is what I have discovered about the operation of theses bulbs.  The first weekend we used them, we could not tell the difference between the light output of the incandescents verses the LED.  Secondly, they did not put out any heat, so you do not have to worry about accidentally burning yourself on the cover.  And lastly, the best part, is that one bulb only draws around 0.1 to 0.2 Amps of electricity.  A huge difference over the incandescents.  When I checked the Amp draw with the three bulbs I purchased, it was only about 0.4 to 0.5 Amp total.  The same amount of incandescent bulbs were pulling 5 plus Amps.  Also, when I ran the water pump for the sink, the light with the LED bulb did not flicker at all.

I only purchased three bulbs for this trip, but I will be replacing the remaining ones with LEDs.  The only ones I won't are the outside light, and the two swivel lights over the bed.  Those do not have decent covers to defuse the light properly, and that is something you really need to consider when exploring the option of LED bulbs.

Wrapping up the regular camping season at Wyalusing State Park in Wisconsin.  The view is always spectacular from this campground and we are determined to visit during the regular season, but visiting in the fall is a great, and colorful way, to end the season.  While we may be done camping on a regular basis, I am still hoping to do some winter camping this year.  With luck a November trip may be in the planning, and from there we will see.

The final photos of this series are some panoramic shots that I created using panoramic stitching software I have been experimenting with.  I really like the end results because it gives you a greater field of view, and a feel of what it was like to be there.

We finally tried camping in November, and ironically enough, it was Wyalusing once again.  We had an extended weekend and decided to take advantage of the fairly decent weather for November.  The wind was very strong the first night here, but it calmed down by the next day.  The trailer did a wonderful job staying warm and did not shake from the gusting wind.  While I had already winterized the water system, we did bring along a container of water for the trip.  It was nice to discover that the campground does have one winterized spigot for winter campers, but I would always recommend starting out from home with you own container of water.

While we are done with the regular camping season, I am hoping to get out one more time before the end of the year, and since the camper works so well in the cold weather, I am hoping to get one or two winter trips in before next spring.  Check back to see if we eventually get to try winder camping.

I should not have spoken too soon about winter camping.  I posted the previous set of photos at the end of the first day of camping at Wyalusing State Park.  The photos above were taken the second day of camping.  While it was cold and windy, temp down in the lower twenties to high teens, the Scamp did a wonderful job of keeping us warm.  The furnace only kicked in about once an hour or so, much like a home furnace does.  I definitely would like to try true winder camping after this weekend.