We just couldn’t wait and went on our first campervan trip the very next day.

All packed, water tank filled, dog restraining system improvised by using her harness and my captain seat, and off we go.  Tony is taking the van slowly out of the driveway, trying to get the feel of driving the van when it’s fully loaded; nothing to it!  No rattle in any of the compartments, which we dreaded, easy to drive and very maneuverable.

We then took the first turn at cruising speed and all of the drawers flew open.  Turned the other way and they closed, turned, and they flew open again…you get the picture.  We pulled over to inspect and found that one latch broke and all the other drawers needed to be adjusted.  Did we overload the drawers?  Doesn’t look like it.  Solution: we made a stop at Walmart to buy bungee cords to secure the drawers, which worked just fine and drove on waiting for the next “bump in the road”. So far so good.

This was also the first time that we left Emma in the van by herself.  She is a known thief and an accomplished fridge/cabinet break-and-enter artist, and we weren’t sure what she will do left to her own devices.  We returned to find a small fan club watching her sitting in the front seat waiting for our return.  Looks like her separation anxiety trumped her hunter-gatherer instincts.

We spent the night at Ferris Park, a small provincial park in the Trent Hills; quaint, quiet, with trails along the river.  At this point we are eager to go to sleep and check out how comfortable the van is to sleep in.  We chose to sleep on the 2 twin beds configuration rather than set up the king size bed. part laziness and part just to see if it will be comfortable.  Setup was a breeze and we went to bed.  I should mention that the Toronto area, and indeed, most of the western hemisphere experienced constant heat waves this summer. Sleeping at home was challenging because of the heat and we didn’t think too much of it when we packed 2 light blankets for the van.  Well that was a mistake.  It was cold in the hills…

we kind of slept on and off until we turned the heater on in the morning.  Good news: the heater was very effective and heated up the van almost instantly.  TIP: have bedding for all types of weather ready to use in the van to prevent surprises.

A bit tired, but eager to drive on, we continued to Prince Edward County.   The views were breathtaking, but we were a bit preoccupied with the novelty of being in the campervan and we are focusing on what is working and what isn’t. I mentioned that we are seasoned travelers, but we are now reduced to campervan newbies.  A bit humbling. We are starting to realize that the biggest adjustment that we will need to make is to respect each other’s space.  The van is small and the dog is always underfoot, so barging in to get something while someone is cooking and trying to squeeze behind them may not work and can be irritating, especially if you are already hangry.

We are slowly adjusting to the space and its limitation while adapting our behavior accordingly.  If one is cooking inside, the other can take the dog for a walk or prepare part of the meal outside. Even the dog is moving slowly and more deliberately around, but that can also be because she is getting really old.

Prince Edward County is a lovely place, but a bit touristic.  we drove to one of the many tips of the peninsula and were lucky enough to find an awesome beach off the beaten track. Oh, the benefits of being able to leave the dog in the van with the air conditioning running while we go for a swim is refreshing. She is double coated and would take about 24 hours to dry off – we are not brave enough to let her swim and then come into the van and fill it with the aroma of wet dog. I will talk about travelling with dogs in a future post, but back to Prince Edward County for now.

We drove around the peninsula, had a great burger at Pollywags, and took the scenic route home. The weather couldn’t have been better. All in all our First Campervan Trip Ever was a great success, but now back home to figure out how to keep the drawers closed and plan our next trip!

BY THE NUMBERS: 

• Distance driven: 505 km
• Average fuel consumption: 7.2 km/l (16.9 mpg)
• Expenses (gas, camping fees, entry fees, restaurants): C$114.5

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