Camping
with Eddie Griswold…or the Clampits ARTICLE AND PHOTOS BY ALI SCHWEITZER
Camping was a part of my life growing up; I have so many fond memories of sleeping in the pop-up camper or roughing it in a tent next to the lake. So it only made sense that when I had kids, camping was going to be a summer past-time… and believe me, it has been.
RIN TIN TIN
Prior to kids, my husband and I loved to do more backcountry-style camping that required us to pack in and pack out, so the light two person tent we snuggled in on cold nights was a must. Enter kids and, on that first camping experience with a toddler and a dog in that tiny little tent, we knew it was not going to work for us anymore. We quickly realized that our camping life needed to change slightly and, with my husband’s growing fear of bear attacks (?), we decided we needed a camper. So, we set out to find an older camper we could buy in cash and enjoy for years to come. When I was pregnant with our second child, we found this great deal on a camper that we could gut and remodel to our liking… with a baby on the way, that was easier said than done. We got our 1984 Nomad camper gutted and then she sat on our yard, killing our grass for over a year. When we decided to sell her I even talked a buyer out of buying her because he had the same intentions of remodeling her with a new baby on the way…no way that was going to happen. But she went to a great home and when she was finally remodeled, the pictures the couple sent us were amazing. We used the money we made on that camper to buy a smaller, older, but already remodeled camper. Enter Rin Tin Tin, our 1969 Aristrocat low rider. She was a looker for sure, but she was small and could be pulled by our SUV and we didn’t have to worry about fixing her up…or so we thought.
SNOW WHITE!
Our first time out with her over a Labor Day weekend with friends was great, and we had a blast! Our son (then 5) only asked once why our camper was so much uglier and smaller than everyone else’s (LOL). After that first trip she was put on the side of our house until the next season. Rin Tin Tin did not fare well over the winter months and when we opened her up for our Memorial Day weekend trip, we were welcomed by a major leak and mold all over the back end of the camper. So that camping trip was spent in our friend’s camper, while we contemplated what to do with ours. We decided to fix her up, and my husband and I spent most of the summer arguing and getting frustrated with each other over the amount of time and work that went into fixing up Rin Tin Tin, but we did it. And while she didn’t look quite as good as she had before (not saying much), she stayed dry and—even though we always looked like Eddie Griswold or the Clampits pulling up to any camping spot—she was the perfect camper for our little family of four, until last summer. Our son (now 8) was tired of sharing a bed in the camper with his sister, and I was tired of not having a toilet for those late night “I gotta go scenarios.” So, we decided it was time to let Rin Tin Tin go and upgrade (just a little). The hunt was on and it didn’t take us too long to find the next best camper, this time a little bigger and a little newer. Enter Snow White, complete with bunk beds, a bathroom, a heater and air conditioner. (And no fear of turning on the stove and blowing up the camper either.) Well, with a bigger camper comes more responsibility and last summer was our summer of learning. Learning that if you don’t have full propane tanks, you won’t have heat; if you don’t put in the water plugs, you won’t have water; and, yes, one can still use the toilet if there’s no water, but cleaning it when it won’t flush is pretty gross. And then you have to winterize it…who knew? It’s a good thing we have such great friends and seasoned campers who were able to help us on the journey of owning a “real adult” camper. And now we embark on our second season of camping with Snow White, fingers crossed that we winterized her correctly and won’t have to do any more remodels. All in all, though, I wouldn’t change the past nine years of camping for anything. We’ve had great experiences and loads of fun, even with our janky Rin Tin Tin, and as we continue to camp, it will only get better! Dr. Ali is the owner and chiropractor at Active Family Chiropractic & Wellness. You’ll often see her and her family out on the trails, well adjusted and having fun. :: calendars, blog & more @ MTPARENT.COM ::
summer 2022
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