Squish, squish, squish was all I heard early in the morning as I made my way to my sneakers. I was just learning that even the latest model tents could be dry challenged. I should have known that ponds always occur at the lowest spots and in some circles they would be considered "water features". The experience of floating my toes in the ice cold H 2 0 foot bath that morning was the straw that finally broke the camel's back. I knew that as much fun as blowing up an air mattress at midnight could be, it was time to move on.
Once Pip (my long suffering wife) and I made the decision that our tent would be the featured item in our next garage sale we had to decide what type of RV would fit our needs; camper, trailer, or 5 th wheel unit? We travel to horse shows and need to tow a horse trailer so our decision was easy, it had to be a camper, although checking out all the other types was a fun way to while away an afternoon.
We owned a late model 4x4 half ton and with that in mind we went camper shopping. What we soon discovered is that a half ton pick up no matter how well equipped isn't designed to handle a modern truck-camper unit. Hmm, not only were we now camper shoppers we were also new pick-up shoppers as well. We started checking out the truck dealers for a reasonable late model 1 ton pick-up that would handle the job nicely. Is it just me, or does the smell of a new vehicle have an almost hypnotic effect on male automotive shoppers? It may only be a guy thing but the sound of a rumbling diesel also seems to get the testosterone based blood flowing (Tim the Toolman Taylor understood this completely). We ended up hiking the lot with our "Faithful" Ford salesman in Duncan and going home with a shiny new 1 ton extended cab long box diesel pick-up with lots of sparkle and shine (thank god for the family purchase plan). We now owned what we call the "big unit" and were anxious to top it off with a matching camper.
We were well along the trail to becoming happy RV'rs. Our goal now was to find the perfect camper. We checked out every length, every option, every brand, in both new and used. Our friends shared their RV experience and their opinions. Soon, all camper units began to look alike. Finally it all became clear at Arbutus RV's Mill Bay branch. Our perfect camper existed; a 2001 Citation Supreme 9'2" unit in excellent condition, Wow ! We looked forward to taking delivery and learning all about our new home away from home. The day came and we arrived at the Mill Bay dealership where the camper was eased onto our new truck and did it look good. We then went on our "walk-through" with a qualified RV Tech who knew his stuff and made it all simple for us. Our conversion from tenter's to RV'rs was smooth so far.
We drove home excited and planning our first trip in the new RV. We learned that the trees along our driveway were resisting our change. They needed to lose some lower branches so we could actually get up our driveway without collecting shrubbery on the camper roof rack. No big deal, and the driveway looks better anyway.
We did what most new RV'rs do, the first night we slept in the unit in our driveway. It was super comfortable and in the morning my toes were dry which made our first night a positive experience. We were now ready to do an actual "field trial". Little did I know (being a mere male) that extensive shopping was required to make our camper field ready. I was soon to learn that "special" camper placemats, plates, mugs, & cutlery was just the beginning. The camper's shelves soon began to fill up and I was glad that we did the one ton thing.
I topped up the fuel and we were set to go. We loaded up our RV dog, formerly a tenter dog, a 5 lb long haired Chihuahua named Furby, Furby by the way also has special camper dog dishes that match the décor. We turned the key and headed out to travel BC's roads. Our first "on the road trip" was exactly 17 minutes travel time from the end of our driveway. I'm betting that National Geographic will not be interested in recording our first trek. We arrived at the campground and were assigned our site by some very nice folks. Pip and I had a meaningful discussion about the definition of "level" while Furby watched (he's seen it all before). "Happy wife, happy life" so I knew her "level" must be more accurate than my perception of level. We made all the required connections and learned how nice DSI (direct spark ignition) is when starting the water heater and fridge. I can only sum up our first road trip by saying that we were simply amazed. Staying in our camper was as convenient and as comfortable as being at home and my toes were staying totally dry. The best part was the very nice folks we met and shared a cup of coffee with. I must say we were a bit embarrassed when the couple beside us related the adventures of their trip from Ottawa to Vancouver Island and we had to report that our voyage was a "tad" shorter.
We knew that we were fully ready for a longer RV adventure. We partnered up with our friends Ed & Denise and headed north stopping just out of Courtenay at a beautiful BC park. The site was awesome with a breathtaking ocean and beach view. There were no connections available but our camper didn't need them, we still had plenty of hot water, unlimited ice cubes, and cooking was just like home. It was here that I learned an important and critical RV'ing fact; men do actual cooking when camping. My friend Ed naturally assumed I knew this but it came as a total surprise to me (being a non cooker). I checked out the other RV'rs and discovered that the "guy cooking thing" appeared to be true. I must admit that it turned out to be fun and explains why Ed can flip a tasty pancake to accompany the morning coffee on the beach.
While we were happily RV'ing and meeting the nicest people in BC a campfire ban came into effect. We were prepared because we had accessorized our unit with a totally safe propane camp fire (available at Arbutus RV). It was great to sit around the fire at night watching the cruise ships go by and chatting with other RV'rs.
We had a wonderful time with absolutely everything going smoothly. Our transition from tenter's to RV'rs was complete. I had never imagined how you could camp and still be totally comfortable. We are already planning some Fall trips and looking forward to all the interesting people we will meet along the way, it might even be you.
