Next weekend we’re taking Bojack out on his maiden (Wait…is there another adjective I should be using instead if Bojack is a “boy” camper? Does it matter?) camping trip!
Our plan is to head somewhere local, and we primarily plan to spend the time figuring out systems. We got a campsite at Chatfield State Park, which is about an hour northwest of us, near Littleton, Colorado. You can see it on the map to the right. We lucked out, too, when we learned that the water would be turned off in the park right after the weekend we’ll be there.
So one of the things we want to figure out is a “to do list” of tasks and things to be checked before you hit the road. This will be a pretty long list, right?
- Close the windows
- Close the roof vents
- Close the doors
- Close the cabinets
- Secure all loose items
- Power off entertainment system (in our case, it’s basically a radio right now, we don’t have a TV yet)
- Power off A/C
- Close/lock doors
- And so on
- And so forth….
The list gets even longer when you want to check the exterior. We can’t forget to check the wheels, outlets, water caps, hitch connections, 7-pin plug, battery disconnect switch, etc.
And then there’s packing lists, too, right? Packing lists for kitchen wares, linens, first aid, paper goods, and anything else you might not want to keep in the camper full time.
I’m personally feeling a bit overwhelmed at the moment.
However, I’m hopeful — next weekend Dave and I plan to systematically step through the pre-trip steps and write down what we have to do.
Checklists already exist out there. We wanted a starting point. I’ve started a Pinterest board that includes checklist ideas that others have come up with. And we got a couple good ones in an RV users group we’re part of on Facebook.
Ideally, I’d love to get one of these Air Force pilot checklist binders, be able to check off tasks with an erasable marker, and leave it in the camper to use each time we take it out.
When we come up with a finished product, I’ll share it with the world, starting right here!
Do you use checklists? Feel free to share your checklists and tips for making the roll out process easier.