Preparing Gertrude: My First Camping Trip
Ok not actually, my first camping trip. I camped growing up with my dad and stepmom and my twin brother. Granted, I am way older now and camping by myself, but I am at least a little bit familiar with how camping goes. We had tents we camped in, then graduated to a pop-up camper, then a trailer. I actually hadn't planned to get a camper myself because my car is quite small. It is a mini cooper sport. I had looked into camper vans and other options when I came across a couple on YouTube that pulled a Scamp trailer with their small mini cooper. So I called the local mini cooper guy in town that works on my car and asked if it could tow some thing like this. Being fiberglass the camper is very light and he put a hitch on my car and here we are. Am I mildly afraid that my car is going to break down? Yes. But that's all part of the adventure right?…right? 😅
Anyway, I spent the last week staying with my grandparents in Missouri working full-time during the day and then getting Gertrude ready for camping in the evenings. It's the most time I have spent with my camper since buying it, so the whole week was about trial and error. I think I have mildly worried multiple of my grandparents and family about this adventure, but I appreciate that they are supportive nonetheless.
In my previous post, I told how I came up with Gertrude's name and the parameters I will use to post on this blog. This being the first one is a bit longer…However, I make the rules and that might change, so now you are along for the adventure as well. Here's a few tidbits on how last week went, the good, the bad, and the mildly embarrassing.
But hey! Spoiler alert - I did successfully camp in Gertrude over the weekend. And I didn't run away screaming, so you can expect more camping trips coming up. In fact, I have quite the adventure plan for this fall, but more on that later.
Let’s get into it:
What I listened to: Lore (podcast) on Spotify. Per their website: Lore is an award-winning, critically-acclaimed podcast about true life scary stories. Lore exposes the darker side of history, exploring the creatures, people, and places of our wildest nightmares. Are you seeing a trend in my listening history? I like spooky stuff, ok?!
What I read: Madoka Magica (manga/ graphic novel). Magical girls fighting evil…what more can you want? (I wanted to read this before I watch it. I've only watched up to episode three so far and if you know, you know.)
You’re joking right: Things that went awry. Though I am a perfectionist and wish nothing would ever go awry, ever, I am glad that I worked out some of these kinks this week and foresee that I will have many, many more of them to work out. Here's a list of some of the things that I learned:
Electricity: My camper has three separate places to plug-in for electricity. I'm pretty sure this camper was modified quite a bit (not shocking since it’s been around since 1977, but I'm not educated enough to know what is new, what is good, and what I wish was different. I did many trial and error experiments to find out what each of the plugs went to. The embarrassing moment came in when I was camping with friends last weekend and I thought the electricity just didn't work for the main outlets (I spent most of the week more worried about the AC working because it was 100 degrees and humid) only to find out it wasn't plugged in all the way at the campsite. So while I'm laying in bed, I wonder, hmmm why is the radio on and does the little TV have a red light on it? I had pushed the cord in more. This is one of those: diD yOu unPluG it and PluG it BacK iN moments. (You can hear my mocking tone, because duh, Shelby).
Sanding the back splash: I had grand aspirations of either changing the backsplash, or painting it. Assuming the little tiles were ceramic, I found the supplies and bought them to paint. But when I got down to my grandparents, Papa and I were looking, and we think they are acrylic and basically indestructible. He took his sander with the toughest grit and we tried sanding it…. And literally nothing happened. Not even a scratch. So it remains the sort of camo-colored backsplash I didn't love. However, granny helped hem my curtains, and they kind of match the flowers and that so I hate it a little bit less.
Practicing Backing Up: before you scolded me for doing something stupid, remember, I'm sharing this to document and laugh later. Don’t hate. one of my bigger stressors this week was learning to pull the trailer and back it up. Honestly in the mini Cooper, you don't feel it all that much while pulling it (except when you hit bumps) but I've still been worried because my car is little. But backing up practice was mandatory and so I took it in the yard behind the large barn/shed/warehouse. I was trying to be out of sight so people wouldn't get a free laugh. So I practice turning my wheel one way as a Gertrude went the other. And I kind of got the hang of it, but I was looking over my shoulder and really determined to make it fit into this imaginary spot I had made in my mind. Only to look forward and see my engine smoking. I immediately turned off my car, and my worst case scenario brain was like PLEASE DONT BLOW UP. (Update: it did not blow up), and I let it cool down. That was enough backing up for one day. (Yes I’m getting this looked at).
Getting hitched: I was quite proud of myself for getting everything hitched up and ready to go for my ride home. I had successfully camped all weekend and was ready to leave. However, it was making weird noises so I pulled over and I looked to see that the hitch was not attached correctly. Thank God, I followed my instincts and my ears. This involved me then laying on the ground, looking under the hitch, putting the leg down under it to try again. Panicking because the latch wasn't working, stress calling my friend, she told me to back it up a little bit and try lowering it again. But then once I lowered it and successfully got the hitch on (yay!) I couldn't get the leg down because I was on a hill and it was as low as it could go. So then I went and got a little jack that is quite dinky. I jacked up the side of it and quite proud of myself when I finally got the leg down and secured. Shout out to the few people that stopped to check on me in the campsite. That was very nice.
Lighting the Stove Top: Still unsuccessful. My uncle looked at this and was showing me how to use the button that lights it. I've been afraid to try the stove because you know, fire, but it would be nice to use it when I don't have electricity because it runs off my propane tanks. He tried for a bit, but then I briefly remembered the guy I bought it from had told me something about lighting it. Which made me even more nervous because if you light it, it's going to have a little poof of a flame and because I am an experienced, I had unnecessary visions of Gertrude catching on fire. I have decided to wait on the stove until I watch some YouTube videos.
Gas powered generator: I bought one on Amazon because it was inexpensive, and the review said it was really quiet. I guess I'm not around generators very often and I am kind of sensitive to noise, but there's no way my neighbors in the campsite would've appreciated that thing. Plus both my papa and I had trouble starting it even after we had just used it. We both didn't quite know what was going on, even though he has a lot of experience with various power tools and machines, and I watched way too many YouTube videos to be necessary. I'm going to see about returning it. Plus my old lady back didn't enjoy picking that thing up.
Small wins: Most important one: I CAMPED IN GERTRUDE FOR A WEEKEND!!!! And didn’t hate it. WOO! Lookout America, I’m ready to explore. Other wins:
Hemming the curtains I had made for my apartment to fit in Gertrude’s small windows, so I had a little bit of home with me. Thanks, granny for your help!
Bringing Poe, my dutch rabbit, in my camper. Not sure she loved it, but she ate and slept fine so I call that a win.
Learning how to use my solar generator, and my three solar panels. Honestly, it's amazing and I plan to use this small generator for mainly my technology since I work remotely. It's not strong enough to run the camper, but it should charge my computer and run my Internet for the workday.
Trying out my internet options: Though hesitant, based on who created this product, I am trying out Starlink. It worked perfectly at my grandparents farm. Granted it had a pretty open sky to work with. That has been my trouble so far is that place I've been have had a lot of trees, including where I live and tested it out. But I'm pretty sure it worked better than their home Internet, and I didn't have to be super close to work. I also have a T-Mobile home Internet that I'll be bringing as well. I use it as my normal Internet and it can travel and be plugged in wherever. So hopefully with these two options, as well as local coffee, shops, and libraries, I’ll be set for work.
Backing up: though my car almost caught on fire, I didn't hit anything. So that's a win.
Back up camera: I have a wired backup camera that I can put on my back bumper for backing up to Gertrude. It doesn't really help when Gertrude is already attached, but it helps me back up my car right to the hitch without worrying about putting a hole in my bumper.
Quilt: I still plan to put a mattress topper in the camper because, apparently I'm old and my back hurts, but I also was able to add a technicolor quilt made by my granny. Originally my twin brother had wanted it, and since he is no longer with us, I'm glad I can take it and have a part of him with me on my adventures.
I deserve to be embarrassed by this: Things that feel obvious after the fact, that required me to smack my forehead and say ‘oh, duh.’
Hey you’re still reading? Thanks! Any who….
I can stand up in the tallest part of my camper, but naturally you have to bend down to leave. The number of times I hit my head on the door is embarrassing. Minimal brain damage is worth the adventure with Gertrude.
Me: Why is my air conditioner leaking?! My Uncle: Well, AC units have condensation, so you want it to have a little bit of water. Me: Inside the camper? Him: It’s inside the camper?! (everything was fine, my camper just wasn't level so it was draining inside instead of outside.)
Not plugging in my main electrical line correctly. See above in the first section. Unplugging and plugging back in works, folks.
Not securing my cabinets: I had hopes that everything would perfectly stay in place. Obviously stupid. After leaving the campsite, I had put some cleaning supplies in the cabinet up top. By the time I got home, it had fallen out and spilled all over my cushions. At least they smell good?
Side quests: Breaks I took, things I saw, people I met up with, little adventures! Because that’s what Gertrude is all about right?
Side quest: Margaritas (and then wine….and then Rock Band….) with my cousin Megan. I paid for it the next day, but it was truly very fun. Margaritas are always a good idea, right?
Princess Diaries: my sister Zoey came over to my grandparents where I was staying and what's better for quality time than watching the Princess diaries with Anne Hathaway? I can think of nothing.
Turkey: no, I did not fly to turkey. Though I have been to that airport…. Anyway, I'm drinking coffee and look out the window and there are 10 to 12 turkey just waltzing through my grandparents yard. You don't see that in the city.
Truman Lake: shout out to the Moylan/Jarboe family for inviting me on their family camping trip. It was very nice to camp for the first time in Gertrude, not by myself and to swap notes. (Ok mostly I asked for help, alright?)
Other notes: Random thoughts, poems, pictures of Moose or Poe, anything miscellaneous.
Please enjoy these pictures of Poe in the camper. Because what's cuter than a bunny in a tiny camper?
Final notes, it was really nice staying with family that I don't see very often. I've spent a lot of time away from family, or with a family I had made for myself and don't see anymore. I appreciate them loving on me and helping me in anyway that they could.
