Fast Forward: Camper Remodel 2021

    

     I do want to keep talking about how we got to where we are now, but there is a lot happening with the camper that I do not want to miss. 

<Sparks First Makeover>

    At this time we are in the beginning stages of remodeling Spark (our Casita Spirit Deluxe). After a little bit of winter camping this year we found a few problems and some upgrades we would like to do to Spark. I had already started this before I started this blog. Here is a list of stuff we would like to do:

• Replace the floor 
• Solar 
• Build closet
• Add USB and 12 volt jacks to charge phones, laptops and other devices
• Add new fuse panel 
• Expand battery bank
• Add Safe
• LED light for walking area and hookup area
• Build shelf under table for shoes and gear 
• projector and screen
• adding a few coats of polyglow to the outside 

     Spark's floor started to get crunchy this winter letting us know that there was water trapped in the wood floor between the fiberglass. There is a lot on this list we want to do but don't know how much we will get done.

<No Carpet>

    As of now we have removed the carpet and placed tar paper down and are about to add the plywood on top. We will be adding supports to the frame where the seems of the boards are to support it. The solar is in and I have been testing it and like what I have seen so far. We went with two 200 watt units, four panels in all with two charge controllers. I do understand that is a bit over kill but backups are good, that is why we all carry a spare tire, right? Or in my case a spare tire, air pump and patches. We plan on just plugging in the panels when we need them and storing them in the truck when not in use.

<just testing the solar system>

    We are trying to not have to use the inverter when boondocking so we are adding USB and 12 volt jacks all over the camper. Most of our devices are USB like our phones, cameras and flashlights, even my laptop can be charged with the right 12 volt power supply. We had to talk a long time on if we wanted solar or a generator. With how we live we don't use the AC that much at home and that is the only 110 device that we would need, we are just happy with the USB fans that we have been using. Watch us change our minds this fall when we go to the Grand Canyon. That and when we are boondocking we like the quiet, so solar. 

    Storage is always a problem in a camper. After talking to a few people on some different forums, remodeling the closet to add shelfs seems like a good idea. We will still have a little hanging room but there is a lot of dead space in there and dead space is wasted space. Also as we were tearing up the floor we saw that under the table could use a little shelf to store shoes under and a laptop, gopro and games on top. Last of all under the bed will also be having storage added as well. The far back is where we will be adding the battery bank. A long safe and maybe a pull out shelf will be added to make the most of the area.

     We will add updates as we get stuff done and tell you about any problems or changes we do and why.

    Griffin

    

Our First Big Trip

     The Smokey Mountains 

    There is a quote that is now stuck in my head from Keep Your Daydreams:

            "The trip starts once you get in the truck, don't rush to get there."

                                                                                        -Marc

    So this trip started poorly because we were not in the truck on time and so early in the morning with limited coffee in my body was not good. But from that we have learned. Don't try packing up in the morning, stay up and pack the night before. There will be a lot less broken things if you pack early and better to start tired than start mad. Luckily we made breakfast the day before. It was nice.

<Blueberry Pastry that I did not look up a recipe>

    The drive was not that bad. It took us a little bit to get used to not having to stop for snacks and drinks at a gas station because they were already in the camper. It was awesome stopping at a Loves gas station and not having to buy anything. There was even one time I had to go to the bathroom and it was filthy. I walked out of the gas station and was just going to go to another one and then remember that we brought one with us. 

<First View Of the Smokey Mountains>

    Backing into our camp spot turned out to be a bit of an ordeal. At that time I did not know that my power steering had started going out and I was not able to back into the spot as pretty and straight as everyone else. We tried over and over and each time it got worse. I knew my anger was going to start coming out because I was getting over whelmed. So I did like I would at home. I pulled up and turned as hard as I could and drove across the grass just to make the turn. Now this was the nicest campground that I had ever been to and it felt a bit out of place for me to do it that way but I had no other option.

    At this campground is where I learned that there are many different RVers. There are the two weekend a year people, the live in a large 5th wheel people, the Vanlifers and the retirment homes on wheels and each one does stuff differently. Some bring there own fire pit, some try to use a torch on a whole log( which that will not ever work) or there are people like me that have grown up camping that make their kindling and start a fire with a match. (Thank you Mum & Dad for making me go through boy scouts and all of the family camping trips.) And there is nothing wrong with any of these differences. Well, except the guy that tried to start a log with a torch. Just stop.

<First Night's Meal>

    That first day of the first long trip we had learned a lot and we were excited to see what the next nine days would hold for us. And we were not going to let anything stop us from enjoying this trip.

Griffin

Welcome

     Welcome,

This is our blog of our travels in Spark. 

We named our 22 year old Casita travel trailer Spark because it will be the spark to all of our adventures.

    In 2020 we bought Spark and knew very little about campers. But we knEw we needed something in our life to change. With jobs and life issues we were getting over welmed. Just a few months before we went to South Dakota to meet with some friends and as we were camping in the Badlands it hit us and we knew we needed a camper, for nothing else we could not keep sleeping on the ground.

    It took a few months of searching and we could not find a camper in our price range that would be worth it. There was a small fiberglass camper we could see peeking from behind a hill that had a for sale sign on it but I have seen the prices of Scamps and Casitaa and I knew it would not be in my range. After months of driving by it my wife made me stop and ask. So I did. After talking with the owner for about a hour I learned that it was 22 years old and they have traveled all across the USA and even to Alaska. I knew it was well used and needed some repairs and updates. But we were excited so we made the deal. 

    Now this camper had not moved in 4 years and was not covered. It needed a bath. The vent fan had leaked some time as it sat there but most of it still worked. The refrigerator and AC worked well and later on we would learn how to start the hot water heater if only on gas. 

    

    Over the next month we watched about a thousand YouTube videos and read hundreds of how-to blogs. We searched local stores to finds all the water, sewage and electric parts that we needed. My wife found the bedding, pots, pans, and the cookware for inside. We were finally ready to take it on its first trip.

    We must of had a lot of faith in this little camper because we planned our first trip just one week before our big trip to the Smokey Mountains. We went to a camp ground just 3 hours away from home called Beaver Springs Campgrounds. If you are ever in south Missouri I would highly suggest them. It's a beautiful campground and is still one of our favorites to this day.

    We found out the there was still a lot of things we did not know about this camper. The battery died on the way to the campground and we were fearful of the food spoiling. Then the sewage hose did not want to stay in the pipe. And after 3 days we needed hot water so I found a video on the right way to start the water heater. That first shower was so nice. But we were not put off by all the failures with the camper, we knew the Spark had taken ahold. 

    This whole thing started about a year ago. I plan on showing what we have done and what we are doing at this time over the next few posts.

Griffin