Airstream Basecamp 16-Foot Review, a 4-Year Owner's Review

2024 Memorial Day Weekend

Having just finished a full-time year of teaching 4th Grade after ten years of retirement, I'm now retiring . . . again. Oh, I'll probably be doing a little substitute teaching next year, but working 1-2 days a week and taking off 5-6 days a week--that's retired, isn't it?

I am, therefore, beginning my re-retirement with a review of our 2021 16-foot Airstream Basecamp. First, though, there should be some discussion about the subject this blog has been focused on during the years--tiny trailers, trailers that provide an inside living space, keep you comfortable during inclement weather, and provide a safe, secure place to sleep. Some tiny trailers are little more than "hard-sided tents" (which isn't necessarily a bad thing), and some tiny trailers are touted as self-sufficient living spaces. Most tiny trailers are truly tiny, providing a space for sleep and for sitting with legs crossed. 

My 16-foot Airstream Basecamp resides at the opposite side of the tiny trailer spectrum; I actually feel more comfortable labeling it a little or small trailer, one having enough room for a bed/dining table, a bathroom, and a kitchen. There are other little trailers that are slightly smaller which provide a self-sufficient living space, the Tab 320 being a notable example. However, with Airstream's years of experience building travel trailers and its innovative Basecamp design, the Airstream Basecamp 16-footer is right up there at the top of little trailers that, as my wife's son recently said after camping in the Basecamp for a week and a half, "provide everything you need and nothing you don't."

It should be noted that the tiny trailers camping philosophy is that choosing a small camping space inside means that one spends more time outside. Minimalism is the key word for tiny trailer camping, and minimalism begins with towing a very small living space which can generate descriptors all the way from "cozy" to "cramped," depending on the campers and weather. Our Basecamp is no exception to the dilemma of "How big is too big? How small is too small?" We still debate the trade-offs, sometimes with our individual selves! I have previously written about tiny trailers trade-offs in the article "The Airstream Basecamp Is a Little Camper--and We're Glad."

Positive Qualities

The current Basecamp is an innovative new iteration of an older idea, with the camper resurfacing in 2018 onto the market with a similar but upbeat design. Here are the features my wife and I like.

• At six and a half feet wide, the trailer is easily pulled by my Nissan Pathfinder SUV. Although not absolutely necessary, I've added inexpensive extension mirrors which lessen the blind spot behind the camper when towing. 
• The kitchen provides ample space for cooking equipment and supplies. The roof-level netting storage areas work well for us. We use REI storage bags for clothes and have found that the front net storage holds light food items well even without storage bags. We still cook quite a bit outside, but having an indoor space is a real treat when the weather is bad or buggy.
• We still use campground facilities a lot but have found the indoor toilet convenient for nighttime and inclement weather.
• Like all small trailers, there is quite a bit of setting up and breaking down the bed/dining area, but the Basecamp's configuration has been good for us. 
• The air conditioner and Truma  heating system work well; sometimes I use a space heater for a more "fireplace effect."

We've found the Basecamp to be solid and dependable. Our warranty issues were centered around three weaknesses that were identified during the first years of the trailer's reiteration: the air conditioner securing screws working loose (company fix with Loctite), the door window becoming unglued (re-sealed by the company), and door locks not strong enough in windy conditions (longer screws added by the company), As we turned the Basecamp in just now, we are having the visor over the rear door re-caulked because a leak during rain. We were told this is a known problem, that the caulk dries out and needs to be renewed. Other than those issues, we've found the unit delivers.

Design Issues

The quality of the materials used in the Basecamp we've found excellent, and the set-up of the unit is thoughtful and utilitarian yet still elegant. However, there are a few issues in the design that cause occasional consternation. 

• The overhead fan is noisy even at its lowest setting. There are quieter fans out there.
• The venting side "van" windows are classy to look at and really add to the unit's beauty; however, they provide less air circulation than some other options. This especially becomes a problem if the front door is closed at night for security. Adding windows with low air circulation with a noisy fan has caused some frustration. Why not use the air conditioner, you might ask? The ac is a solution but is more noisy than windows open and a quiet ceiling fan would be.
• The back door can provide nice ventilation if the area is secure. However, the snap netting, although it works well for mosquitoes isn't much of a barrier for crawling bugs, such as stink bugs that we once battled. Also, I use a swimming noodle and bungee cord to secure the back door to eliminate strain on the manufacturer's standard hooks.
• My wife and I eventually bought two-inch latex foam pads for sleeping to augment the standard Basecamp cushions. The factory cushions were minimally acceptable for me but a definite no-go for my wife. I later succumbed to the allure of greater sleeping softness and have never felt any guilt. 
• I've added a roof vent cover for the fan so that I can open the vent during rain. The cover definitely disrupts the sleek design of the roof, but having the fresh-air option during rain is too practical for me to take a "pass" on.
• The Basecamp design puts its electronic controls next to the door on the wall, a place that can attract excessive condensation inside the shell, which has shorted out some models. An after-market #D-printer spacer is available for the Truma control panel, discussed on a Facebook owners' group. This link should be available if you belong to the group Airstream Basecamp Owners. The spacer has venting on three sides. I also use a little dehumidifier when there's a lot of condensation. It provides some relief, taking out about a cup of water a day when I'm camping alone.

I've tried to discuss issues specific to the Basecamp and not pro and con issues that are common to all tiny trailers owners. My wife and I realize that buying a larger camper would create a new challenge for every challenge the larger camper would solve. Likewise, buying a tinier trailer would also both solve and create problems. Times change, needs change, but the Airstream Basecamp 16 is a pretty sweet rig, compared to any other camper its size. 

We do think fondly of our first camper, a little standy we called the Green Goddess, a Rustic Trail camper, Polar Bear model. Also, Rustic Trail is now manufacturing some new, innovative models. We've even talked some about someday owning both the Airstream and a Rustic Trail camper! Those are fun conversations, but the main reason I'm writing this review now is that my wife and I have just traded our Basecamp in at Blue Compass RV in Des Moines, Iowa, (where we bought the Basecamp, formerly RV One) and have bought a  16-foot Airstream Bambi. 

It wasn't that we were dissatisfied with the Basecamp, not in any fundamental way; our decision was based on our lifestyle. Right now I am retired and my wife is still busy with her consulting business. With the Basecamp, if she were working and I was resting, we were both together in the back of the Basecamp with either the bed half-made and one table set up, or with both tables set up and with me resting on one of the benches. With the Bambi, there is a permanent bed in the back and the dinette table (which can convert to a bed) up front, which provides separate spaces for each activity. The main reason this is possible is that the Bambi is wider than the Basecamp, eight feet wider rather than six and a half feet.

We know we'll miss the Basecamp with its unique design. I describe the Basecamp as having a modern aesthetic design, whereas the Bambi has the iconic, retro Airstream silver bullet look. Both looks are beautiful, but we'll have to get used to owning an iconic aluminum classic travel trailer rather than owning a spaceship cleverly disguised as an Airstream travel trailer. We look forward to new adventures, though, and will share our stories with you.

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A Case Study of a Self-sufficient Tiny Trailer Camper--3 Years on the Road

His June 3 Facebook post begins like this: "Day 879 in the camper." Yes, Allan Finley has been on the road with his Rustic Trails Kodiak tiny camp trailer for over two years. In 2022 I wrote three articles about Allan's travels (listed and linked at the end of this article), and now I'm back to write about his further exploits. Also, be ready to view some truly awe-inspiring photographs because Allan parks his camper in some of the most spectacular scenery in the United States.

The June 3 entry tag may have been how many days Allan and his faithful canine sidekick Finley have been on the camping trail, but the details that follow are riveting.

"Well, it had to happen sooner or later. Had one of those heart-in-mouth moments today. We were cruising along Rt 89A in Arizona on the grade down to Lees Ferry. I’m tooling along at 60 mph when this idiot driving a big F350 and pulling a 25-30’ travel trailer comes barreling down the road at 70+ and begins to overtake me. Just as the bed of the truck passes my door, he lurches to the left and then corrects, which starts wagging the tail of the trailer. I slam on the brakes as the last few feet of the trailer pass, and he just squeezes by. A moment later on the brakes and the trailer would have hit my truck. He fishtailed back and forth for another quarter mile or so before he got it under control. He was super lucky it didn’t roll over."

Allen finishes his Facebook post telling us he's back in camp, indulging with a glass of wine to settle himself down. "Be careful out there, fellow campers." 

The Rustic Trail Teardrops and Friends FB group administrator Jim Cook commented with his legendary wit and insight, "So glad you are safe. The incident was all your fault. If you had not been on his road, it would not have happened." Many times traveling dangers occur because of the over-confidence and lack of experience of others. Or as Mark Twain famously said, "It ain’t what you don’t know that gets you into trouble. It’s what you know for sure that just ain’t so." We can count Allan among experienced travelers with his seasons and years of camping and traveling experience.

The lead photograph of Allan's rig is a vision of self-sufficient, off-the-grid camping. Although not a standy camper, his Kodiak is tall enough to hunch and get around, and there is plenty of room for sitting and relaxing. For himself and his dog, there is plenty of room--if you subscribe to the tiny trailers mentality. As mentioned in my first article on Allan's travels, his travel trailer has a refrigerator, a propane heater, and a solar system, which he had installed when purchasing his unit. The solar panels are raised in the photo, and the propane tank is mounted on the trailer's side. Also in the photo is a table mounted to the trailer, an awning, a storage chest up front, and a bicycle hitched to the back of the Kodiak. His tow vehicle is a Ford Ranger.

February 23, 2024, Kofa National Wildlife Refuge, Yuma, Arizona

One observation of Allan's travels is that he spends the hot summers in the north and the winters in the south. The northern latitudes (in the northern hemisphere) are, of course, cooler; and the southern latitudes warmer--tundra or desert, to keep it simple. However, elevation is also important, and Allan makes good use of the fact that higher elevations are cooler. For instance, the Kofa National Wildlife Refuge that Allan camped at in the middle of the winter has an average elevation of 1,496 feet. It's average high and low temperatures in Fahrenheit for February are 68/49 degrees. Describing the desert, Allan said, "The desert is so green and vibrant. I feel so lucky to be here," and then he added, "The sunsets turn the mountain almost glow-in-the-dark orange. It’s extraordinary!"

September 17, 2023

The annual trip south began in September 2023. "The leaves started turning shades of amber, yellow and gold and flights of Canadian Geese were arriving south, so it was time to leave our little slice of heaven in Montana and follow them!" Allan's trip south took him to the Devil's Tower National Monument, skipping Yellowstone this year because of flooding.

Heading a leisurely way south, Allan enjoyed the fall September weather, keeping in mind that winter in the mountains was on its way. "We have been enjoying the most exquisite weather and glorious scenery as we work our way across southwestern Colorado. Some of the vistas have an almost fairytale quality, and Finley has had lots of cows to bark at! We are high up above Pagosa Springs, heading for Durango." Allan mentions on September 25, "We’ve been enjoying amazing fall weather in Colorado but winter is coming! It was 21 degrees this morning up at 9500 feet."

Summer was high up in the mountains, some of Allan and Finley's adventures taking place Idaho's Sawtooth National Recreation Area. Dog and man were camping at around 7,000 feet in elevation. Planning for the possibilities of summer weather high in the mountains in early July, Allan said, "I plan on staying at that same elevation I'm at for just over a week. Not planning on bringing a heater, though. But I do plan on bringing attire for 30-90ish degrees. I expect to see both."

Man and dog had to deal with human drama, though, even in the wilderness. I'll just let Allan tell the story.

"A very stressful occurrence and a potentially dangerous encounter has happened, both centered around Mr. Finley, which forced us to up stakes and leave our lakeside paradise and search for a new campsite……….. on a Saturday………….. in July. So explore we did and discovered an amazing campsite that may be even better!! So gorgeous up here!

"Finley had a bite incident with a forest ranger. It really wasn’t his fault, and she should not have walked into our camp, especially when I yelled at her to not come forward. I did not even know that Finley had bit her. She did not say a thing, she didn’t inspect her leg and said she was fine. She then told me about a bear sighting close by and that I should aware. (I always am.) She then left. Later in the day her supervisor, and a sheriff’s deputy showed up and asked for my ID and all of Finley’s health records. She showed me a pic of the ranger’s leg that had some scratches but no bite marks that I could see. They said that protocol forced them to report the incident and that I would get a ticket from the Forest Service. I pled Finley’s case and told them that she should not had entered the campsite without permission and that Finley was tethered. All to no avail. She told me that I should also let any neighbors know not to walk through the camp. Later in the day three dudes came along, and I told them that Finley was tethered and could they just make sure not to walk through our camp to access the lake. The oldest guy just said, 'I’ll shoot any dog that tries to bite me.' That did it for me and we packed up and left."

One important travel and camping skill is knowing when to break camp and get the hell out of Dodge. Allan displayed his experience by following his gut feelings and finding another campsite. And he found one better than his original! The two above photos capture the grandeur of his new camp. 

Even with challenges, Allan and Finley's adventures have been rewarding. On January 7, 2023, Allan posted a message on Facebook about the nature of his years-long odyssey. "Well, we just passed our one year anniversary living full time in our Kodiak Stealth and what an amazing year it has been! Here are some interesting facts."

• We drove 24,528 miles while visiting 19 states. 
• 242 nights boondocking in the wild.
• 51 nights in Forest service campgrounds with no electric
• 33 nights in state parks with electric
• 22 nights in in state parks and RV parks (just 4 nights) with full service
• 17 nights with Harvest hosts no services.
• I am proud to say we did not stay a night in a Walmart/Cracker Barrel/rest stop.

Allan added, "Finley and I have seen so many fabulous sights and had such wonderful adventures in this amazing country. With year 1 in our rear view mirror, we look forward to look forward to an equally inspiring 2023 which will take us north through the Eastern Sierras and up to Bellingham, Washington, to catch the ferry to Anchorage, Alaska, and all the way up to the Arctic Circle. We will also visit some Canadian provinces before spending the fall in the UP and then down to Florida for next winter. Should be a decent walkabout. Stay tuned to this channel!"

A year later, on January 7, 2024, Allan posted the following: "Yesterday was out two-year anniversary of being on the road full time in our little Kodiak Stealth. We have traveled over 40,000 miles in that time and have had countless adventures. We still have lots more of this wonderful country to see, so here’s to future adventures!" Notice the lack of statistics. It seems to me that this is an indication that Allan has really settled into his nomadic life. We don't keep track of our daily routines; for instance, exactly how many times have you done laundry this year? We don't keep track of our daily living, for the most part, and traveling through North America is now Allan's daily routine. He can glance at the odometer, though--that's straightforward!

In November of last year, Allan wrote, "I’ve gone over to the dark side, traded my gravel bike in for a new e-mountain bike. Happy early birthday to me!" Allan's bike is a Ride1Up, Prodigy XC with a 14ah battery and a mid-drive motor. I've just bought an e-bike myself, an Aventon Level 2. Like I told Allan, "E-bikes make hills and headwinds disappear!" The bike rack is manufactured by 1UpUSA.

Allan has promised to answer a list of questions regarding his multiple years on the road. He will probably email his answers . . . eventually. I'll love writing another article if he does provide me some insider's travel tips. However, I'm also perfectly happy if Allan is too busy or too in-the-moment to get that email written. With so many beautiful vistas while on the road, I actually hope that emails are not Allan's top priority. That's kind of the point, isn't it!

Earlier Articles About Allan's Travels

• A Rustic Trails Tiny Trailer Travelin' Man Travelogue, Part 1, Sept. 21, 2022
• A Rustic Trails Tiny Trailer Travelin' Man Travelogue, Part 2, Dec. 4, 2022
A Rustic Trails Tiny Trailer Travelin' Man Travelogue, Part 3, Dec. 20, 2022

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Camping as a Means to Get Away from It All

We are not in control--at least, not as much as we would like to be or assume we are. We have the most control over our actions and that does have an influence on consequences. Happenstance, however, well--we have to learn to go with the roll. 

 I remember once on my wife and my trip to California, I was draining our Airstream Basecamp's sewage tank during our overnighter in Kansas. The dang thing just wouldn't drain! I pulled the valve open, and there was no flow after repeated attempts. Frustrating! After checking all the connections to no avail--all was as it should be--I suddenly realized I hadn't removed the drain plugs that came with the drain hose. Nothing was flowing because the line was plugged close! Obviously, I was tired, and the result was that I had been wasting my time. 

However, sometimes events occur that are not of our own doing. I've read and written about those occurances on this blog--axle breakage, flat tires, drunken and violent neighbors, wind shear that pushes you off the road. In all those instances, the small trailer owners dealt with the situation, muddled through, and went on to camp and enjoy. 

Sometimes the unexpected is ironic and not so bad, a kind of cosmic learning moment, if we are open to possibility of life's lessons coming our way and opening our minds. My wife calls these moments "the irony of camping to get away from it all." If the world is as we are, then there is a certain irony, a certain piquant, dark humor to some happenings. 

One recently happened to Sandy's son Thomas while he was camping at Indian Lake Campground in Farmington, Iowa. Thomas's first two camping experiences using our Airstream Basecamp 16 had been with his sister's family--two adults, three dogs, and niece and nephew. He enjoyed it, and there were some days he was camping when they were gone; however, he was hankering for that experience of "getting away from it all." 

And what is the "it" that we all want to get away from? I imagine that it is somewhat different for different campers since campers are a diverse group. However, I think we can make a few generalizations. "Getting away from it all" for some means less complexity, for others fewer rules or boundaries, away from people and hustle-bustle for many, and for many others the search for silence away from the noise and buildings and back to nature. Yes, getting away from it all means in some sense removing mankind's footprint, or as Jack London wrote, iron heel. 

So Thomas elected to camp by himself at Indian Lake Campground, to spend time alone in the silence. Indian Lake Campground is an old-style campground with a rear camping area beneath the trees where you can pretty much camp where you want as long as your plug-ins can reach one of the two 30 amp stations at each end of the area. Thomas reserved a week, drove the forty miles to the campground, set up, and then kicked back to enjoy the silence. He was alone and had achieved his goal; he'd gotten away from it all, from his sister and her partner, from the kids and the dogs. It wasn't that he didn't enjoy being with everybody; he just wanted to try something new. He was living the life.

You all probably are feeling that this is the moment where the plot turns in an unexpected direction, and you're right! The fickle finger of fate reached down and blessed Thomas with a "learning moment." 

Some neighbors arrived--nice folks, no one dangerous or disgusting. However, a lot of nice folks! A rig pulled in next to Thomas, a family consisting of three dogs, eight kids, and two parents. When Sandy told me the news--that Thomas had called to tell--she was (sweetly) laughing so hard I thought she said "three dogs, eight kids, and two parakeets! The only other time in our twenty years of marriage I had seen Sandy laugh so much was the time we went to an Asian restaurant and I taken a big bite of "cucumber" that turned out to be very spicy ginger! She took one look at my face when the intensity of the ginger hit me (who had been expecting cooling cucumber), and laughed until she was gasping and teary eyed. Now, that's true love!

Thomas had his surprise and, not surprisingly, learned that things weren't all that bad. The eight kids weren't coming over to hang with him, the dogs weren't mooching food, and the adults acted like adults. Not quite the silence or open vistas he had anticipated, but camp was quiet enough, and Thomas also had some good 45-minute walks around the lake. 

Sometimes we have the good fortune of getting away from it all both mentally and physically. Sometimes we have to find that quiet place inside even though it's a bit busy outside around us. We all develop our mechanisms for finding peace, and I've found camping to be one of the more enjoyable. How about you?

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A Beginner's Experience of Camping in a Little Trailer

Rainy Day Getaway

"Look at this!" my wife's son says on Facetime from his campsite an hour's drive from our home. What we see is a plastic storage bin at the rear door of our Airstream Basecamp travel trailer, water dripping steadily from the top of the door seal. That drip-drip-drip is one more lesson in a beginning camper's experience of being on the road alone--in this case during a driving rainstorm. 

My reply via Facetime was to say, "Yes, that happened to me once. How's the bin catching the drip?" Since it was raining hard but the plastic bin was catching the drips, that was the end to my part of the crisis. The next morning I called Thomas and suggested that he should check the rubber seal. Sometimes in the heat it pulls loose when the door is opened. After checking the seal, the evidence was that there was a wrinkle in the seal, and Thomas said he would readjust the seal and wipe down the closure area. Problem solved . . . we hope.

For anyone who has gone camping, we know that things come up--and that there is a learning curve. Experience and knowledge are good things and can ease the bite when chance reaches out and nips us. I've been enjoying teaching Thomas and helping him enter his first year of small trailer camping. He's doing a great job, and interacting with him during this camping season has been a great walk down memory lane plus a good venue for us to get to know one another better.

The first step in teaching Thomas how to tiny trailer camp was towing. I already had a hitch and ball, so we mounted that on his Tacoma pick-up and then had the electric brake controller installed. In order to learn how to back the trailer, Thomas followed the same steps I had used: hitching up from my driveway and then rounding the block and backing in; then pulling out in the opposite direction, rounding the block, and backing in again, thus backing in from both directions. After about three mornings of practice, I told Thomas he was ready to hit the road. To be perfectly honest, he was a much faster learner than I was. 

Memorial Day Campsite

His first camping experience in the Basecamp was at our local county park, about five miles from our house. Thomas didn't have towing set up on his Tacoma yet, so since he was going to camp with his sister and her family, they towed his trailer out to the campground after setting theirs up. It was a great experience for Thomas, seeing how the campground is peaceful on weekdays and more lively on the weekends. He also learned a bit about planning--packing bread and mustard for sandwiches, but forgetting the other ingredients! We've all done that, right? On his current trip, he came back to visit us the next day because he had forgotten something vital--coffee! And so the beginner's experience of camping grows, becoming more adept and rich. We dream, then plan, and then learn through trial and error. 

Belva Deer Campground

On his second camping experience towing, Thomas was a little late getting ready, and his sister and company showed up early for their trip to Lake Belva Deer Park campground. They caravaned together to the campground, and the early departure meant a few items were left behind; however, he was more philosophical about his lapses, realizing that he had the basics--a place to stay, food, clothing, and good company. 

At an Older "Retro" Campground

On Thomas's current trip, he has towed the camper himself for the second time, set it up, and is enjoying his first solo camping experience. Yes, he burned his leg on our Solo stove, but he is happy, taking 45-minute walks around the lake, riding his bike, or just lying back in the chaise lounge at camp and reading. The Basecamp provides him with a self-sufficient, safe haven, a true "basecamp" for him to explore and relax. 

I am reminded of my little learning lessons, such as when a raccoon opened my ice box and stole a baked potato I was going to cook as home fries the next morning. Or the time during a big rainstorm when a limb fell and bashed a hole in my first trailer, the Green Goddess (link to article). I also remember the time my wife and I traveled to Carlsbad, California, to visit her parents. When backing the trailer into their driveway, having to be very precise so there was room for the parents' car to still get into the garage, I had to finally tell everyone, "I can get the trailer exactly where we want it. Just be patient and let me do it with twenty tries instead of two." My retired major Marine Recon father-in-law graciously listened to me, and by-golly I finally got the rig where we wanted it! I could go on and on, and I know that many reading this article could add their own stories, ones we fondly look back on now but which were a bit tense at the time they were happening. 

We learn as we go, and it has been my joy to see Thomas successfully negotiate his learning curve from beginning camper to Old Man on the Mountain. Even though there are no real mountains in Iowa, you get the idea: one more experienced camper is now enjoying the great outdoors. 

Bambi, the Apache, Mickey, Minnie, and their pet Godzilla

You may ask, What about my camping? What about our camping, my wife and I? The short answer to that is that after coming out of retirement and teaching full-time for one year, it's just plain nice to kick back at home and to spend time together with Sandy. Also, Sandy and I have a little visual aid in the house to keep our dreams alive and our curiosity lively!

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Off the Grid or Within the Grid?

For those of you who have been keeping track--probably no one has since even I haven't--it's been a year since I last posted, December 20, 2022, to be exact. I wish I could say that I've been off the grid, way out in the boondocks, and haven't had access to the internet. Yes, that's why I haven't posted! The reality, however, is that I've been within the grid, so to say, since I've been teaching school again, last school year as a substitute teacher for the spring of 2023, and this year since the fall as a full-time 4th Grade teacher. 

A little substitute teaching morphed into a one-time, one-year offer to teach in my old school district, Van Buren County Community School District, where I've been teaching in the little town of Douds until the end of the year when my position will be filled by a permanent teacher, one of several who are in the building completing their student teacher training. How do I feel about going back to full-time teaching after retiring for ten years? My answer is the same as it always has been: I'm always happy and excited on the first day of school, and I'm always happy and excited on the last day of school. 

My camping experience last year consisted of a weekend at the local county park four miles from our house. I've immersed myself completely in teaching, not trying to live two lifestyles at once, knowing that my commitment of one teaching year will end and then I can get back to a more relaxed, outdoor life. This situation is easy to accept because I am teaching a wonderful 4th Grade class this year--exceptionally kind, polite, and curious students. It's a wonderful encore for my teaching career.

Not all has been teaching, though. About eighteen months ago, my wife and I bought thirty-five rural acres in Van Buren County, around forty miles from our home, mostly wooded acreage that we've developed with some gravel, electricity and water, and a sewage storage tank for our trailer. We were considering how to add a small cabin to the land when we decided to do something we swore we'd never do--buy an "apartment on wheels." Yes, we bought a twenty-five foot Dutchment travel trailer that we had towed to the land and which now completes our small, self-contained space out in the country. On reflection, what I had always said about larger RVs is that I'd never tow one; I never said that I'd never own one. For a reasonable price we now have a small living space on our land that just happens to have wheels. 

Owning this land is fulfilling a lifelong desire for my wife, and I've enjoyed sharing the experience with her. So far we've only had a chance to spend one night this last fall in our new camper on our land, but setting up the land and the camping area has been a real learning experience for us. We've fixed fences, cleared brush, mowed grass, and generally opened up a private camping space for ourselves. The land has some beautiful features, but mostly the appeal is the privacy, the chance to truly be out and about without rubbing elbows with many strangers, their animals, and their chugging generators, unrequested playlists of music, and the social issues they're working out with friends and family. This doesn't mean we don't like to socialize; it just means that it's nice to have the option of solitude. 

We are looking forward to when school is out and we can turn our lifestyle more toward camping on our land. We want to try a "one-eighty" and live on the land Monday through Friday and then come back to our house on the weekends to shop, do laundry, and see the grandkids. Since we have Starlink, we will be able to set up a strong internet system on the land so that Sandy can work there with her consulting business. It will provide us with a good experience of living on the land and just having some private time for ourselves, and it's six months away.

December 19 photo of the river from the bridge by a fellow teacher

This next spring, perhaps in April, I have a camping project that should be fun. My school is on the Des Moines River. It's an eighteen-mile commute to work, and every day I cross the river to get to school. There is a small two-spot county campground down by the river, just before the bridge, and I hope to camp there next spring so that I can just walk across the river to get to work. The campsites have 30 amp electricity; however, there is no water, nor are there restrooms. With my little self-sufficient Airstream Basecamp 16, though, I'll be perfectly comfortable. Looking forward to that!

For long-term camping plans for the next season, we have hopes to travel to Michigan and/or Washington state this upcoming year since we have family in both areas. We even are considering on spending a winter in South Carolina sometime, enjoying cold (but not as cold as Iowa) winter walks on the beaches. 

For now, though, I am focusing on doing the best job I can teaching my wonderful students. At halfway through the school year, I have a good sense of the routine, the technology, and the curriculum. First years always have their challenges of so many new specifics, but my 35+ years of teaching experience provide a stabilizing influence on the day-to-day requirements. I love the people I work with--over a dozen people are former colleagues or students. Yes, many of the school's teachers and paraprofessionals are my former students!

I look forward to continuing my Green Goddess Glamping blog as time allows. Don't be surprised, though, if the posts are infrequent until the end of the school year. I'm still here, and look forward to the new year with all its variety of experiences. Happy New Year!

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