Sunday, June 30, 2013

My Fabulous Staycation

 NOT.

Please.

As long as we've known each other, I'd have expected you to give me an ounce of credit.

But then it's you we're talking about, so how surprised am I, really?

What's actually happening in this photo is that Patty and I recently scored a used tent trailer, and we finally got a chance to give it a proper shakedown in the driveway tonight.

Ever since I accepted my new "career challenge", the demands on my time are insane, and we've been trying to figure out ways to deal with that.  One thing that's clear is that we need to figure out a way to unplug. Another is that spontaneous anything is hard to come by and we have to plan our getaways, or they won't happen.  Time will tell if the TT is part of the solution, or just wishful thinking. You have to try something though.

And yes, it has a receiver in back that you can mount a bike rack to. Hello.


17 comments:

fatbob29r said...

So we've been debating some sort of camper, wife and kid would prefer comfy beds and a bathroom. Does the pop-up have bathroom accommodations or just a port-a-potty?

NewlyFred Game said...

That would be in the bucket, Bob.

Pat S said...

Bob, at this price point (~3K), you get one of the two wish list items: comfy beds. A real bathroom kicks the ante up by a few grand because it means a hard-sided trailer.

Yes there are tent trailers with hokey toilets and even more hokey makeshift showers. A porta-potty is a (very) minor upgrade to NewlyFred's solution. Some might even prefer the bucket, although it leaves marks. 'Nuff said.

You wanna play, you gotta pay.

rory said...

I recently got a 93 eurovan westfalia. after spending the last year slowly (read very slowly) dialing it in, I've found it to be awesome, especially for a tinkerer. it's got one supercomfy bed, and a loft. no stove, no sink, but so far, thats not much of an issue.

we've mostly gone car camping at state run campgrounds and national forest campgrounds, and each of those have really nice toilet options, and sometimes even showers. there are options for facilities that are more rustic, but in order to keep the family happy and wanting to keep going camping, i choose to keep the CBI(comfortable bathroom index) high

rory said...

oh, and i forgot to mention. I wish i got this about 15 years ago when i was out going to races and long scale mtn bike ride. imagine having a portable living/dining room after each ride...

fatbob29r said...

The challenge for me is that the wife and kiddo would be more inclined to do the camping thing with some sort of trailer, a pop-up would be ideal because I could potentially pull it with an inexpensive v6 truck versus a v8 truck. As Pat S. put it, if I want to play, I'll have to pay

Andy D. said...

A few years ago, after a rough night on rocky ground in a violent windstorm, I was informed that for us to go camping again, we'd need better accommodations. We ended up with a vintage Scamp 10 footer tiny trailer. Comfy enough beds for two adults and two kids, though at 6'2", I can't fully stand up in it.

Happily enough for me, it has no toilet. Campground facilities or the woods are much better than hauling around and subsequently cleaning out a bucket by any name. Ours came with a vintage portapotty, but it departed out house post haste, missed by no one.

The Scamp looks like a big egg, weighs about 900 lbs loaded, and is aerodynamic enough to pull well with my aging V6 4Runner, FWIW, Bob. Happy hunting.

Congrats on your new rig, Pat. I'm envious of the rear hitch on your trailer.

Spork and Spoon said...

A Spocation is the best 'cation
A Spocation treats the wife right
A Spocation is next to perfect
Let's Spocation every night

Anonymous said...

Let's Spocate every night
Let's just grab a bag of Dick's
Let's drink beer and wade in the river
And throw the dog a stick

Anonymous said...

Spocatin' our bikes all over town
We drop like a rock down Lincoln
We race the pit bulls of Felony Flats
And fly like a Hillyard chicken

amidnightrider said...

When I used to go camping it seems all I did was sit around, eat too much and drink beer. It was ok with me.

Spoor said...

Paris dreams of le Spocation
New York and Rio, too
Tokyo built SpocationLand
With an automated me and you

Pat S said...

If our wives were Stepford ones
Spocations would be extra neat
A beer in hand upon a wish
Massages for our tired feet

Yo, if we dudes were Stepford ones
Spocations would be extra cruel
Or maybe one eternal one
Let's face it, we didn't marry fools

But life in Spo's less sinister
Possibly due to the glut of ministers . . .

So as it is we Spocate hard
At every chance we get
And in this gritty Spo-town place
Our need for chill is met

I think when word is spread about
Regarding what we do,
We might be stars on HBO
And guests on Oprah, too

Until then we'll just carry on
And do what we do best
Rolling proud our pop-up tent
From Spotown-east to Spotown-west

Anonymous said...

Coyote invented the Spocation
Said Chief Garry by the creek
Back when the chillwidst salmon
Ran silver, red and sleek

Anonymous said...

We spocated at the shop today
Kicked back and made 'em wait
They spocated right back at us
Poured Jack shots on a crate

Pat S said...

The river trickles now
Our instinct guards reserves
There's fire all around
Sparking anxious nerves

But we're still spocating.
Or trying to.
Because if we throw in the towel, how can we respect ourselves?
And therefore, how can you?

Anonymous said...

We celebrated our Spocay
With a naked game of croquet
SpoPo said that's loco
A bit too rococo
And took all our balls away!