Let me be one of the first to welcome you aboard! You are right, you will love camping in a TM, especially if you have a little one. We never tried tenting with an infant, but I bet it is challenging. A TM makes everything so much easier.
Getting old? I don't think so! If you have a kid on the way, that would certainly put you in the younger half of this board.
When you buy a TM, the dealer or previous owner will show you how to set it up and take it down, and how to work all the appliances and other doo-dads. It seems overwhelming until you actually do it. Then all of a sudden it is like the Staples ad with the big red button - you say to yourself "Well, that was easy". I find most of it easier than setting up our big 4-man wall tent, for example. You'll make a few mistakes at first, but that is just a learning tool. It will all smooth out quite quickly.
By the way, the term "dry camping" means camping without utility hookups of any kind. The three basic utility hookups are water, sewer, and electricity, and you will find these at almost any commercial campground. And of course you pay more for a site at a commercial campground, and this is part of the reason why. Dry camping means that you bring your water with you (or there may be a central spigot so you can carry water to your TM), you collect and dispose of your own gray and black water (there may be a dump station on the way out), and you provide your own electricity (from the TM's battery, which is charged by your tow vehicle). Fortunatley, most of the TM's electric appliances also operate from propane, so the need for electricity is minimal. Dry camping is usually associated with campgrounds in national and state parks, BLM land, and more outdoorsy areas. The cost of a site is less in such places, and the sites tend to be bigger, prettier, and more scenic, and nicer in so many ways. But the price you pay is that you have to dry camp, which can get to be a hassle after 3-5 days. Some people prefer one, some prefer the other.
Where do you live? It is quite possible that there is a TM owner nearby who would be willing to walk you through everything when you get your TM. We're a pretty helpful bunch. If you are anywhere near greater Phoenix or southern Maine, I could certainly do it.
And in the end, almost anything you want to know can be gotten from this group, either in previous posts, or by asking the question.
Bill
|