Camp Delta

The new travel trailer in the winter months.

So it has been a minute since I gave an update on the living situation (or any situation). Long story short, major upgrades. But first from background.

Camp Alpha was my first first camp. That was just a simple weatherproof tent that was on the ground. It was largely weatherproof, but it was super cold and didn’t do a great job of holding up over time.
Camp Bravo was my attempt to get a large seasonal structure going and get a big shelter tent going. However, it was short lived as the wind got it and it ended up in the forest. There were environmental consideration lessons learned.
Camp Charlie was my longest camp. Basically after I got the shed / shelter delivered, that was a really great storage setup, and I was able to use one of the lofts for a bed. It wasn’t fancy, but it was nice enough. In retrospect, for as long as I had it should have been insulated and get some other niceties in it.

The next step was something a bit more permanent but also portable. After toying with different ideas, I finally got serious on getting a travel trailer. But there are a TON of options out there. I decided against against a motor home as for the most part, it’s just going to sit there and it is another vehicle to maintain. The camper van life is interesting, but I certainly won’t be that mobile as I still work from an office, its another vehicle to maintain, but it’s also pretty small. Fifth wheels are luxurious, but I didn’t want to swap out my current vehicle for a truck with a fifth wheel. Finally, I am not ready to build something permanent out there, but I want to get some more permanent features like a bed, kitchen, toilet, SHOWER. So, travel trailer.

I selected a new travel trailer model by Grand Design. Travel trailers are generally poor in reliability, but Grand Design has a well earned reputation of making higher quality travel trailers and with good track history of honoring warranties. While used would be a better financial choice, many of the travel trailers manufactured during the pandemic era were rushed, suffered supply chain issues, and of poor craftsmanship. I chose a 2024 Grand Design 22 BHE.

For me, I wanted a smaller travel trailer so that I could take it into national and state parks, so that’s about 30 foot (9 meters) maximum. Additionally, I really wanted to have something could maximize versatility, so I selected one with a Murphy Bed / living room configuration.

Finally, I DID NOT WANT a bunk bed area, but yet I got one, because I am able to use that area for storage, and an office!

One of the other reasons I chose this one was that… its light color scheme. For sooo many years RVs just had the dark dark schemes and woods. This is much more enjoyable. Had I purchased a used one with the dark color scheme, I would have been repainting it.

One of the other things I liked about this particular trailer is the full kitchen, which has already served me well on numerous meals. I still have some trouble with getting the oven to light from time to time, but thats an issue for another day. I am pretty sure thats user error. The range, fridge, pantry space, and sink work well for the size of the trailer.

Few other things of note. There is a good amount of storage underneath the bench seating. Most of my tools live there and a few other electronic bits and bobs. Things like the extra fuses, wires, and other things I need to customize the trailer but also keep up with the AC and DC portions of the fuse box (something I wasn’t previously used to).

The trailer is also extremely well insulated. Last winter I stayed in it over night (despite the snow) and it worked out extremely well. The skirting under the trailer also helps keeps the tanks warm, as does the rest of the trailer. The onboard HVAC system works well, but I have yet to be able to run the Air Conditioning off grid. I keep trying with various electrical systems and also using a soft start. But no such luck yet with that and my portable battery bank.