Day 0: Arrival
Originally posted to deafferret on 2016-05-05.
I’m writing this on RV life day 5. The last 4 nights have been great. We’ve been parked on a level spot with electricity and all the RV systems working. But the most interesting story is the night Minnie and I arrived here, so I’ll tell that story.
Saturday April 30th we planned on leaving Omaha by 2pm to arrive in SE Iowa before dark. Unfortunately the final packing of the house and RV took a lot longer than I anticipated (as most RV things have so far, when I’m doing them for the first time). We didn’t roll out of Omaha until 6:30pm so we were soon driving across Iowa in the dark.
We finally arrived around 1:30am Sunday morning (whoops), but everything should still be fine, right? We had reservations for a week, and the 120 acre campground should be almost empty. So how hard could arrival be? I had been to the Old Threshers Reunion grounds many times during the festival, and I knew the campground was just south of (and attached to) the grounds I had walked many times. So I drove past the entrances I’m familiar with, prepared to pull into the next gate to the south.
We found the entrance. Across it was a heavy, padlocked chain and a big sign reading “Old Threshers - CAMPGROUND CLOSED.” But… but, I talked to 2 different people and they took my credit card already, how can the campgrounds be closed? Was the padlock not actually locked? Nope, locked tight. Commence cursing.
1:30am, the chill night made far colder by a light rain. Exhausted by the drive I stared at the sign, unable to process my options. Do I park on the street and drop the tent bed out and sleep until morning? Obviously there’s no one around to ask.
Eventually I decided to drive around the campsite looking for other entrances. The next street was dirt (currently mud), heading uphill into the dark. No way I’m risking at attempt to pull the trailer up that into the unknown. I followed paved streets, circling the grounds.
Eventually I found an open gate across the railroad tracks into what I assumed was a back part of the grounds. Might as well! Pulled in, wandering around in the dark, and eventually found a parked RV next to a power pole! I must be close! No other poles around here, so I pulled the RV around, near the one presumed camper and walked around with a flashlight for what seemed like an hour trying to figure out where I’m supposed to be.
Eventually I located a little green sign that said “I” marking a section of rows of RV outlets. I had been told to park in “E” or “F”, so the on-foot searching continued. I eventually located a little “F” sign with two more RVs. But they seemed to have the only plugs on power poles? (I missed dozens of other plugs in the dark.)
Eventually I found a spot that looked perfect. A nice little plot between an old church and schoolhouse, would have my own lawn to myself. Plug is marked “F”. (But also “E” and “W” and “1” and “2”? What the heck? Later figured out those indicated East and West sides since there’s 4 hookups on each pole.) It’s marked handicapped, but the campground is empty, so that doesn’t matter… right?
Will the rig be OK on the soaked grass? Is it OK to drive on this grass? It must be OK, right, hundreds of vehicles do this every year?
Pulled the rig down an incline to the power post, put the legs down in the rain. Exhausted. Plugged the power in – nothing. The LED lights in the trailer are barely on. Is the trailer broken? Did I break something? Did I drain the battery running the fridge on the drive over from Omaha? I thought it ran on gas while travelling?
So tired, wet, cold. Dropped the tent and tried to make the dog comfy. There’s a heater in the RV right? I’ve never turned it on. How does it work again? We’ll be OK until dawn, ya? Slept like a boulder.
Sunrise.
OK… So is this power outlet dead? Or is my RV dead? What did I do wrong? The circuit breakers are fine, did I blow a fuse? Do I pull every single fuse out one at a time checking them?
Talked to a guy walking by, he suggested trying another plug. LOL. Ya. Will the RV get out of here? The ground is mush. Pulled the RV around, trying to find another plug to try. There’s huge rows of RV plugs, but which ones are on? Found one by a fence line. Pulled the RV to it. Plugged in. The lights all flared to life.
… nervous laugh. Success.
Am I officially an RV guy now?