The Parker Travels

Here it is! What a long day. We left the house around 7:30am and didn't get back home till around 6pm! But it was totally worth it. We went to McGeorge's RV out in Ashland, VA. We had been there before back in September, 2016 and really liked the place and the service. The salesman we were paired up with was 'Doc' Holiday. We made sure to ask for him this time around when making our appointment to look at the PUP and he was really grateful for that! Doc was very informative and showed us the PUP inside and out. He told us everything that was good and bad about it and what to expect. He also showed us how everything worked, what every switch, knob, door and drawer were for and then showed us exactly how to put the whole thing down and prepared for towing. While inspecting the PUP we found some added surprises! Inside one of the dinette bench storage compartments was a screened in "add-a-room" that attaches to the awning on the outside of the PUP! ...

We bought the Tekonsha 90195 P3 Electronic Brake Control  and Tekonsha 3040-P Brake Control Wiring Adapter for Toyota . The installation was fairly easy, it was a plug and play. But the difficult part was grounding the plug. There is a screw that we had to attach the grounding wire to that was in the most difficult spot to reach in the truck. So we had to bring in the big guns. Thanks to Jeff we were able to finally get the screw out. Kyle finished the installation easily after by grounding the wire then installing the mount and plugging in the brake controller. Kyle then tucked the wires up under the drive shaft and out of the way. We are all set and ready to tow now. This brake controller is nice because it snaps on and off easily so we can take it off when we aren't towing and store it in the carrying case that came with it.

Well my job is done. I found a PUP that is perfect for us! These are the photos from the RV Dealer's website out in Virginia. We made an appointment to go out next Saturday, 10am to check it out!  This is a 2003 Coleman Niagara Pop Up Camper. This PUP has a slide-out dinette which is such a nice feature to have. It really opens up the space inside the PUP. There is even a front storage box to throw camp chairs or other things in. I love that! The dry weight is around 2,800lbs. and the max is 3,200lbs. There are 2 awnings, an outdoor shower, and 2 propane tanks plus the battery on the outside. There is an AC unit on the roof and a heater inside the PUP. There are 2 awnings, one on the front and one that goes over the dinette pop-out. This photo shows one side of the canvas open and the other closed. On the inside there are 2 King sized beds, one for us and one for Toby...(he is so spoiled). Also the dinette folds down into a full sized bed. There is a shower...

Here she is! A used 2012 4Runner Limited with 70,000 miles. It was quite unexpected but she has all the features Kyle wanted and the price was right! Next comes the pop up camper! Theres a roof rack, it is set up for towing, the inside is nice and spacious with leather seats that fold down flat. The front seats have heaters, it has bluetooth, navigation, back up camera, Sirius XM, and even a "Party Mode" sound system for tailgating also a moon roof for stargazing. There are plenty of spots to plug in a usb/aux/chargers even some power outlets for plugs! It is set up for AWD and can tow up to 5,000 lb. Perfect for our little tent trailer. Toby was excited too! Kyle, so happy with his new toy! Plenty of space for camping! Love how excited Toby is about our new car!

We have finally found out that we will be moving to Lemoore, CA sometime this summer. Our ideal plan will be to drive from Maryland to California, camping along the way in a pop-up camper (aka: PUP). So now the search begins. We need to buy a car, preferably an SUV of some type, and the camper itself. Kyle's job is to find the car, my job is to find the PUP. Kyle plan's on buying something used, yet comfy for those long drives. He is looking at cars that can tow what we need and also have plenty of space for us, Toby and all our camping gear! So far the Ford Explorer, Dodge Durango, and Toyota Sequoia have been thrown around. He hasn't settled on anything yet though. I have been looking into used PUPs. I like the idea of having a slide out but that isn't a requirement. Doesn't matter if it is older, I plan on painting the cabinets, maybe replacing the flooring and reupholstering the cushions in whatever we find. What does matter is that its in working condition,...