The new axle and balanced tires made the drive so much smoother and without the worry of, "Will we make it?" We pulled into camp at the Mathers campground which was full and made our way to our sites. I love the Grand Canyon campgrounds because all the RV sites are a horseshoe pull through. They are very big and not stacked on top of each other. We were close to the restrooms and water which makes life at camp a little more enjoyable not having to hike for either one. The restrooms are heated with outlets for a quick charge or for the ladies to plug in a blow dryer or curling iron. The campground is close to the market, showers, and laundromat. The showers are $2.00 for 8 minutes, the laundromat has vending machines WiFi and TV so you can catch up on news while washing. They have an ice machine just outside the laundry to fill up the ice chest. The market is large and stocks everything from knick-knacks to fresh veggies and meat. Firewood is $7.00 a bundle and it burns well.
The campsites are large and well maintained.
Trailer sites are pull through.
The South Rim is great camp and offers a lot of activities and areas to explore. There are miles of trails to hike and the area is rich in history and wildlife. Mule deer and elk walk freely around and have no fear of any tourists. The Kaibab squirrel look quite a bit different on this half of the rim, they are leaner and red/brown with tassels on their ears.
The elk are everywhere in the park.
Young calves graze along with the cows, the bulls have velvet buds right now.
The river below can be seen in many of the turnouts. The native tribes of the area made their home on the river in the winter when the valley floor was cooler and summered on the North rim during the hotter months.
The tower is another great place to explore.
During our camp I tested a few new gadgets that we truly loved. The IL05 Solar Portable LED Camping Lantern Light and Cell Phone Charger and the Dynamo Solar Powered LED Lantern. These both were great lanterns and charged quickly during the day. Our youngest loved that she could plug her IPod into the IL05 and charge it along with the lantern. My favorite upgrade was the pull out drawer and cooler light. It was so nice not having to heft the cooler around or bend and stoop while juggling a light to find things inside in the dark. Our splurge also made the trip a bit more enjoyable, we found reclining camp chairs and they were great to relax in while enjoying the campfire. The only thing I didn't like about them is they don't fold up very small making them bulky to pack away.
The two lanterns to the left are the new solar lanterns and glow much brighter than the battery powered lantern on the right.
The small solar panel charges the IL05 and provides energy to charge other devices too.
The cooler was a dream in the new pullout. I added insulation to the walls and one bag of ice lasted 5 days with only 1/4 cup of melted ice.
I love camping in the trailer while I continue to build because it gives me ideas and shows me what is working and what isn't. One thing I decided to upgrade next and mainly because of the snow and wind is upgrading to a tent canopy that attaches off the galley and provides a screen room or fully enclosed galley area. I've also decided to build two more chuck boxes but I plan to tweak their construction to fit our needs. We had an issue with our solar controller and I ordered a new controller when we reached home. I'm going to take this opportunity to move the unit to an area where it doesn't get bumped or knocked around.
When we arrived back home I started back into work on the trailer putting the finishing work on the pullouts. Once these are finished the galley work aside from a new galley lid will be done. You have no idea how happy I am that one area of the trailer will be complete and it will allow me to put my energy into the remaining projects. If the weather holds this weekend I am going to build the nose cabinet and put the cedar on the back wall.
The pullouts start as just plain wood construction.
I bent and added tin to the stove pull out for easier cleanup from grease and messes.
I added my beautiful burl wood to the pullouts.
A rich stain to match the rest of the galley.
When completed the pullouts will match the drawer faces. I have a surprise that I am adding to the faces to really make them pop.
I have to share some important information with anyone who has purchased a trailer from Crybaby Teardrop Trailers/ Surfside Custom Camping Trailers, please check your axle for welds and have your tires balanced. These are important safety issues that have not been addressed properly by the builder. I have been contacted by many owners who have shared some scary stories with me including having the galley latch fail on the road causing the lid to fly open and the doors not installed properly causing them to open while traveling. We've had that happen to us and lost a good set of wheel chocks because of it.
I'm going to end with a couple of photos this time. Until my next post, be safe and enjoy your camp!
Duck Rock.
Looks like Fred Flintstone had a cool teardrop of his own! We couldn't resist stopping at Bedrock to get a snapshot with the first tear!
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