The 1st Glamp Trip: Planning for a Successful Adventure

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Our first travel photography glamp trip is on the horizon. The learning curve begins with more than “holy smokes, how do I back up the trailer, since I’ve never done it?” Even though, the backing up thing is pretty significant!

There’s quite a few to do’s to get ready for our first trip. Before we get rolling down the highway, my ‘Glamping’ blog series shares our start and journey progress.

We’re focusing on steps and resources along the way to help others with their roadmaps.

Are we a bit nervous? Absolutely. We’re both nervous and jazzed about our first of many future travels.

Trip one starts in a few weeks. Here’s a recap of buying our camper along with prepping for our first trip.

Recap of Buying our Camper

My first glamping blog started with the decision and buying steps for Buying a Small Camper for Big Lifetime Adventures.

The team at Nature and Me RV is awesome. The buying, ordering and delivery process was one of the easiest large item purchases ever. Thorough, professional with updates and detailed education for how to set up and operate.

In addition to buying our camper, they guided us in selecting the right safety towing equipment and how to use.

After taking delivery of our NuCamp Tab400 from Nature and Me RV in December, she went promptly into storage. Bummer.

Now she’s getting ready for her first trip with the family. Yes, our camper (NuCamp Tab400) is a she. Her name is “Sheen’s Blue Bean” or simply “Bean” for short.

Now we’re on for our first trip and planning. We’re learning tons. Plus, it’s easy to get a bit frustrated and think that we’re potentially in over our heads.

Planning the Bean’s First Glamp Trip

Breathe, we’re aok. Our pre-trip plans includes practicing: 1) Driving safety 2) Hooking & unhooking the Bean to the Jeep 3) Reminder that this is fun.

In our following travel glamping blogs, we’ll share how to map out your trip and how to connect the Bean to shore power and water. We’ll add in what accessories are needed.

#1: Driving safety & proficiency for a less stress glamp trip

As much as I love driving, my experience pulling a trailer is very, very limited. We’re taking Bean out of storage three days ahead of our first trip for practice.

Before the drive: Practice Attaching the Camper to the Jeep & Brake Pre-check

When towing a trailer, that small trailer hitch is a big piece of the puzzle. The first action is to ensure that the electronic brake system is working and that we know how to attach the trailer hitch with the sway bar .

Plus, we need to know how to detach the sway bar for backing up purposes.

• Electronic brake system – The electronic brake, Bluetooth based Echo and the app was set up, calibrated and demonstrated by the folks at Nature and Me RV when we took delivery. This system connects and communicates our Jeeps brakes with the trailer’s brakes to ensure safe stopping.
• Trailer Hitch with a Sway b\Bar attached – The hitch with the sway bar attached minimizes swaying of the trailer when driving. Think interstate travel and big rigs driving by. An important note: backing up with the sway bar attached is not recommended as it potentially causes damage to the swaybar or something else!

Practice Driving for the Glamp Trip

True confession! My first backup up attempt was a nightmare. Now after understanding which direction to gradually turn the wheel for backing up the trailer, I need to take the mental learnings to practice. Many times over.

Three days in a row with cones in big and tight areas combined with our curvy driveway on a hill will give a great foundation.

We’re driving to a parking lot with cones. Then it’s backing up, pulling through, and many turns. Rinse and repeat with different configurations. After the parking lot, it’s backing up on our driveway which is a hill with a curve. Wish me luck!

When it comes to which direction to turn the wheel. The best video on how to do this? A quick 2 minute one! Backing A Trailer Like a Pro below makes it super simple.

Plus, we have many curvy, tight roads with hills that offer another practice field for driving and handling. That’s part of the 3 day test drive too.

In addition to safety on the road, our desire is not to be the campgrounds entertainment as we park the camper into our space.

#2: Hooking & Unhooking: Setting up the Bean (camper) for Driving

Practice Attaching and Detaching the Camper to the Jeep

Another must-know is how to hook up and unhook the camper. We’ve practiced attaching and detaching the camper. Setting up the Bean for safe camping requires several steps.

After test drives, test ‘runs’ of setting up the camper is next. It’s not a detach and you’re done. Sound like a glamp trip yet? Nope, not yet.

While we can’t do a test run of the water and electrical connections at home like at a campground, we will do a test run of setting everything else up. What does setting up include?

Note: At a real campsite, before unhitching Bean, we need to make sure all of the electrical, water and sewer connections reach their sources and attach. Imagine setting up and then the electrical outlet is two feet away from reach. That’s a big mental note!

Setting Up the Camper for Glamping

Let’s take a look at the steps to unhook and securing your camper.

1. Remove sway bar before backing up.
2. Pull your RV to the location. Before unhooking your camper we need to a) ensure the electrical extension cord reaches the power source and b) the water hose reaches the water source and c) your sewer hose reaches the sewer connection.
   • By checking the reach of your cords and hoses before detaching? You prevent re-parking!
3. Before detaching, check the side to side level of the trailer with your leveling tool. We’re using the BEST Level Durable Cross Check T Level Tool.
4. Leveling side to side is the first step and one that takes practice, trial and error until you get it right. If the surface is uneven, then using levelers under the wheel or wheels may be required. Beech Lane Camper Level 2 Pack Kit includes levelers and chocks.
   • For those who love their apps, there’s one for leveling your camper that looks pretty cool. We’re taking our first trip and doing it all manually before investing in the LevelMatePro.
5. Leveling front to back is easier than side to side. Raise and lower the jack until the bubble in your leveler is in the middle.
6. Then, lower the stabilizers (they do not level the trailer!). Some campers prefer using leveling blocks for these (we are not planning to at this time due to the locations we’re glamping this trip are relatively flat and solid surfaces).

Remember this is Fun!

Truthfully? When I think of the above steps, they’re not the most exciting. But, if we want to be game on for travel, they are camp trip critical! Now that we know how to drive, backup and get the camper ready for glamping, it’s time for planning our trip.

Yes! Where do we want to go? Many places! Think of the possibilities. Anticipation of photography in multiple locations. Immersed in exploring experiences with my hubby and dogs.

We’re Almost There!

For our first trip we’re traveling down routes and places we know and want to return. The sources for glamping travel make it easy to plan your trip. For campground locations, starting with google searches of destination campgrounds opens a whole new world.

Plus, there’s a fabulous resource for making your travel a journey to your destination. Recommended to me by two seasoned campers, Harvest Hosts creates a win/win experience for campers and hosts.

Imagine, sleeping in a vineyard, or on a farm with Alpacas en route to your destinations. With 2 plans to choose from (Classic or Classic and Golf) the annual members fee is currently in the range of a single night at a budget hotel. With your membership, one night stay-overs offer travelers experiences with hosts who offer wonderful wines, sights off and on beaten paths. For more information see: Harvest Hosts.

Next up? We’ll share the resources we’re using in to plan our first trip. Happy glamping!