Trailer Trial

 

Over the Fourth of July we spent a week visiting Shawn's parents. As a trial run, we decided to live in the camper the entire time. We brought Percy with us and worked remotely from the trailer for several days. Besides visiting family, our goal for this time was to test out the camper space and plan specifics for the trip.

The trailer is currently not hooked up to any water supply or discharge, so we could not test out the plumbing systems. Fortunately, Shawn's parents' house is a short walk away and there is a portable toilet by the pond during the summer. So, for showering or using the restroom we had nearby access. We just had to leave the trailer. The location does have a power hookup, so we were able to use anything electrical.

In preparation for this trip, we got on the Starlink RV waiting list months ago. It arrived a week before our stay. We set up our Starlink satellite internet for the first time the evening we arrived and worked several full days using it. Both of us connect to remote desktops for our jobs so having solid internet was important. We considered several ways to get the Starlink receiver outside where it can see the sky but still be connected to the router inside by cable. In the end, we decided not to install an exterior cable port or anything along those lines, and instead got weather stripping that we can use in one of the sliding windows. This allows us to run the cable outside while maintaining a good seal (and we can easily take it out when the satellite is not needed).

Percy took a few days to adjust to the new environment, but he settled in after he got used to it. We have more detail on this in a previous post, but this part of the test went quite well. By the time we left he was zooming around and flopping like normal.

The biggest hiccup so far: after one night, we went out and bought a replacement mattress. The previous one was over a decade old and no longer supported any weight comfortably. With a fresh mattress, we slept great the rest of the week. The new mattress is much bulkier, but totally worth it.

We had to close the door to the bedroom to keep Percy off the bed, and even had to add a draft guard to the door so he couldn’t squeeze under it. At home, he has all the space under our bed to himself, including a carboard maze to hide in, but the trailer bed is on a storage platform. Percy was relentless jumping onto the bed and running all over us while we tried to sleep. He even spent the entire first night loafed at our feet! As cute as that is, it’s not a great long-term arrangement. With the door closed, we realized the HVAC vent in the bedroom was not forcing enough air into the room. We’ve ordered an outlet fan to replace the bedroom vent which will force more of the cooled/heated air into the bedroom as needed.

We also discovered that the floor near the bed was wet after a rainstorm, but after investigation this turned out to just be from the "basement" storage exterior door being left unlocked and therefore slightly ajar. Once we securely closed this door, it stayed dry through the next storm. To be safe, we also replaced the weather-stripping on these storage doors to ensure the best seal.

A lot of measuring and storage planning took place. We have already begun planning what clothes, etc., to bring given the space, and have purchased several items sized to fit in specific locations. To optimize our work-from-home space, we cleared out the back of the trailer. This space will perfectly fit a large, 6 ft. folding table so Shawn can use a monitor and spread out while working. We can still store items under this table and Percy will enjoy having something else to hide under. We will also be able to take the table outside on nice days.

Overall, it was a very encouraging test, and we're more excited than ever for the trip.