Renting a Camper Van
Renting a camper van is an awesome way to get out and see the country. It can be a daunting task to plan a road trip, and then travel to the van. We made a list of tips to help you plan your trip.
Author: Northwoods Thornes
Cruising to Portland, Maine
Portland, Maine is an exceptional spot to add to your cruise itinerary. The port drop off location is directly in Portland, within a short walking distance of the beautiful downtown shops and restaurants.
Forest River Grey Wolf 26RR Review
We bought our Forest River Grey Wolf 26RR Limited new in 2020. We have camped 3 full seasons with it and have a few things that we love and a few things that we wish were different in our unit. Overall it is a great camper for beginners and provides room for growth. We based our overall rating on a few categories: maintenance, floor plan and base utilities.
Grey Wolf Limited Basic Specs
Hitch Weight: 775 lb.
Cargo Carrying Capacity: 2,745 lb.
Gross Vehicle Weight: 7,775 lb.
Unloaded Vehicle Weight: 5,030 lb.
Exterior Width: 96″
Exterior Length: 30′ 10″
Exterior Height: 10’6″
Awning Length: 15′
Fresh Water: 40 gallons
Gray Water: 38 gallons
Black Water:38 gallons
No slides, one main door, and one toy hauler door.
Base Utilities and Power Needs
- Generator: You will need a high-powered generator to power the AC. If you were to put an aftermarket slow start on the AC you would be able to get away with a smaller generator. You can run the fan off of the battery and solar power but that is the high limit.
- Electric Fridge: The fridge runs on electric, which can prove to be an issue and significantly drains the battery. If you are not in direct sunlight the solar panel cannot keep up with replacing battery usage. I wish that this fridge had the option to run off of propane as well.
- Solar and battery power: The concept is great and handy to have, however, it has its downfall. If you’d like more usage out of the system than the bare minimum you would need to upgrade your batteries and add more solar panels. Having the hookups makes it easier though.
Floor Plan
- The floor plan is as good as it could get for the design of this unit. The fold-down sofa is roomy and gives enough space for 4-6 people to sit comfortably.
- The kitchen area is open and has enough space to move around, but I find that it lacks counter space. You’ll be moving things around a lot if you intend to do anything other than basic cooking.
- The stovetop is adequately sized, however, the inside of the oven is rather small. Don’t get me wrong it is an average size for a camper but if you compare it to your oven at home it is small.
- The bathroom is well-spaced for the floor plan. You can turn around, change your clothes, dry off out of the shower and go to the bathroom without bumping into things. The shower is big enough to stand comfortably, though the shower head is a little low for those who are tall.
- The bedroom is the tightest spot in the whole unit. You’ll need to shuffle around the bed to get to your side and the cabinet space. There is no space for anything other than a mesh bag for a laundry basket.
Toy Hauler and Patio Deck
This is without a doubt my favorite section of the camper and where the Grey Wolf excels. The “garage” section of the camper can be a bit of a pain compared to another unit with a dedicated space for a garage. You have to move couch cushions and fold up the benches to create space for whatever you are storing. The advantage is that if you are only storing kayaks you could do just one side and not the other. The real disadvantage is if you are storing things under the table seats, everything needs to be moved.
The patio is well worth it when you have a beautiful site to enjoy. We set up our chairs and camp table on the deck when it is nice out and is easily my favorite time to spend in the campsite. The downside to this particular setup is the screen door. It serves its purpose by keeping most bugs out but it lacks quality. It is attached to the inside of the garage from the ceiling, and velcros to the walls. The bottom of the screen doesn’t attach because it is also a door, and that allows the wind to blow it around. Clip-on weights solved the problem in the short term but it is a design flaw.
Storage
- The bedroom cabinets and closet are remarkably small. There is only hanging space for the primary closets next to the bed, with two small shelves for misc. stuff above the bed.
- The bathroom has great storage for towels, toiletries and extras.
- The kitchen storage is minimally adequate. You’ll need to do some configuring to fit all of your kitchen appliances, dishes and food to keep it all from spilling into one stacked cabinet.
- The “living room” storage over the dinette table provides a good amount of space to store your other camping gear.
Storage Downfalls:
- Shoe storage space, there is a small spot near the door but it is for 1-3 pairs.
- Laundry storage
- A good place for a trash can
- Clothes storage
- Towel drying space in the bathroom
- Wasted space over the wheel well
- There is very little outdoor storage. There is one cabinet with just enough space for the spare tire and some tools.
Maintenance
General maintenance is quite easy with this unit. Changing the water heater anode, tires, winterization, black tank cleaning, battery, and propane access is doable.
There are a few things that went wrong and have proved to be an issue for us over the last three summers. The way that the manufacturer made the electrical and plumbing can make it difficult to trace lines back to their origin.
- Fridge fuse access: A nightmare. The first time we found out about this type of issue we traveled to our camping spot and the fridge had turned off completely by the time we reached our destination. There is a fuse BEHIND the fridge, and to access this fuse you need to pull the entire fridge out of the wall. The fridge is heavy and very difficult to pull out of the wall.
- Water lines: Some of the connections behind our shower came loose during travel, and getting back there to tighten and readjust the lines is difficult. You’ll need to pull the caulking off the hot/cold knob panel and redo it if you need to get in there.
- Black water flush issues: Beware if you use a hose at a campground that is not pressure regulated. You may need to get your own regulator dedicated to the black water flush. Ours was overwhelmed by high pressure and burst the connection on the inside of the camper.
Overall
This Grey Wolf is a great unit to have as a first camper, or even as your final camper. Even with its quirks and downfalls, they are not major problems to have. You need to be handy or have basic knowledge of your unit no matter what type or brand of camper you have. If you liked this camper but want a smaller version of it check out the Forest River Grey Wolf Pup. It is basically the same thing but shorter in length (with minor floor plan changes). We hope this review of our Forest River Grey Wolf 26RR Limited will help you on your journey to picking out or learning about campers.
Setting Up Your New Camper
A guide to all camper accessories and necessities to get you set up successfully for your camping first camping season.
Buying Your First Camper
There are several things you need to think about when buying your first camper, and we will go over most of them in this post. If you’re serious about buying a camper you should already have your price limit set, and I wouldn’t stray from that. You will find that you need to buy more things for the camper after you buy it. The rest of the points I’m about to go over are things you should have an idea of before you start shopping.
Basics:
What type of camper do you want?
Do you want to buy new or used? Do you want a fifth wheel, travel trailer, truck camper, pop-up, or motorhome? Not everyone has the same needs and wants, there are pros and cons to each type of camper. If you have a large family you really don’t want too small of a space. If you have dogs you don’t want them to be able to jump directly onto your bed after being outside on a rainy day right? Know your needs before you go shopping.
Do you have the correct towing vehicle and towing ability?
There are several numbers you need to take into consideration when calculating your tow rating on your vehicle. You need to pay attention to the gross vehicle weight rating and the gross combination weight rating. The gross combination weight rating may be the most important of the two. That is the maximum weight of the vehicle, passengers, trailer and cargo. This is important because you’d think that if your trailer is under the gross vehicle weight rating you’d be good right? Not necessarily. If you have a toy hauler that is normally empty and at your maximum gross vehicle weight rating, then you put an atv in the back, you are over your weight rating. Take this into consideration when picking out a camper for your current or projected vehicle.
The second aspect for matching your vehicle and camper is the hitch class and setup. Check the hitch rating of your vehicle if you are looking into getting a travel trailer with a normal hitch. You may need to upgrade or buy a sway bar. If you plan on getting a fifth wheel, look into the truck bed length and hitch placement on the trailer.
What are the technical needs of that camper?
Some things we wish we knew to look into when we picked out our first camper were the technical specs of our unit. We didn’t really know what it meant or what it would limit us to. Here are some questions you should know the answers to before you go:
- What size and power AC unit are you limited to?
- Does the fridge run off of electricity or propane?
- What runs the hot water heater?
- How long can you run the power off the battery? Is there solar?
- Is the stove propane or electric?
- What size generator would you need to power the lights, fridge, AC, etc?
- Would you need to camp with 20/30 or 50 AMP hookups?
- What size grey and black tanks would meet your needs?
- Is the floor plan actually useful/ergonomic? Where would you put a trash can, laundry basket, dog bowls, etc?
- Where will you store it in the winter?
- What is the yearly maintenance for this unit?
How much are you willing to spend?
Your experience will vary greatly depending on if you buy new or used as well as at a dealership or in a private sale. You need to remember that your budget for the camper needs to be slightly smaller than what you’re willing to spend. Once you’ve purchased the camper you are going to need other accessories for it. You may need to do maintenance or repairs on a used camper, buy a new hitch, install custom accessories, or buy your outdoor setup. Don’t forget the fees that come after you’ve bought it as well, sales tax, registration, and insurance.
At the Dealership or Private Sale:
RV Inspection
You can hire a third-party inspector, even though you might feel safe in buying a new unit. I would highly, highly suggest it if you are buying a used one. The main things you need to look for if you don’t, are water damage, cracks in the walls or ceiling, cracks or damage to the roof (outside), rust, water seals in the plumbing, and slide structural integrity. I found a few really nice checklists just by googling “RV inspection checklist” if you’d like to keep notes when you’re at a viewing. You can’t trust a dealership to know about all issues, so be sure to go over it even with new campers.
Financing
Know what type of financing you want before you go. You may be able to get better financing through your own bank than the financing the dealership offers. If you’re going with a private sale be sure to know if the person selling has the title in hand or if they need to get it from their bank.
Understand the Warranties
If you are buying from a dealership and they are offering you warranties, ask them to explain each of them. We ended up only keeping the one-year manufacturer warranty that came with the camper and forgoing the rest. The ones that we chose not to keep would not have applied to us, and mostly only covered the first few years and minor inconveniences. If we were to purchase a warranty I would want it to cover expensive items and damage rather than things I could fix myself.
General Tips
- If you have a specific camper model in mind, join a Facebook group or forum for that maker or model before you take the leap to buy. They often offer insightful tips on any common issues they have.
- If you have the option and finance to do so, try renting a camper for a weekend to see if it is truly right for you.
- Don’t wait too long after purchasing your camper to take your first trip. You may notice things you need to address with your seller or dealership.
- Don’t buy all your accessories all at one time, you might not need everything you think you do and space matters when you’re camping.
- Do a walk-through with your dealership to show you the RV’s systems.
- After Purchase: Make a maintenance binder where you keep all of your manuals, packets, and warranty information. Create a section where you record all maintenance you do to your camper. It will make life so much easier when you need it.
There are so many things to consider when you’re in the market for your first camper, and there is no such thing as too much research. Knowing what you do and don’t want is an excellent place to start. Make your checklists, check your budget, and be ok with passing up something that isn’t exactly what you want! Little things on paper such as gray and black tank size might end up being detrimental to your boondocking experience. Power supply also pushes your needs and might restrict you to campgrounds only. Knowing your needs and accepting that a camper might not be the one will help you in the long run.
Visiting Maine in the Winter
Your guide to visiting Maine in the Winer, with all of the best things to do.
The First Blog Post
January 25th, 2023
Hello Everyone!
Originally when I made this website, I made it with the intention that it would strictly be a blog. As it turns out it has been over a year and I had not started the blog yet. It took a lot of internal debate on if it would be worth it or not to share our stories, fun, and adventures in such an intimate way. But it also gives a personal story to all the things that we have done and share in the other posts we have.
Going forward I’d like to use this space as a place to journal what we are doing and all the things I’d like to remember in the future. Including the good, bad and ugly. I realized after the summer of 2022 that we have so many adventures all planned so close together that some of the smaller memories get lost.
2023 is shaping up to be another big year for us. We are planning on visiting Alaska in the early summer, and will be out camping for the remainder of the summer. I am still working on which hikes I’d like to prioritize this year but the goal is to do as many if not more hikes as we did last year. One major change is that I will be out doing a few solo backpacking hikes. I’m hoping that my new tent and backpack will motivate me to take the leap for solo overnighters.
I hope that you all follow along for our adventures and that our posts help you out with whatever adventures you are planning 🙂
Claire
Maine State Campgrounds
A guide to Maine State Campgrounds and the tips and tricks to have the best spots.