Revised: How Do the Airstream Basecamp and the Zamp 230-Watt Solar Suitcase Match Up?

"Harvest Host" camping at the Kepler micro-farm

"A little knowledge can be dangerous," so the saying goes. What I've found with my first true experience of using my travel trailer with a solar suitcase is that a little knowledge just left me with the desire to know more. Before I explain any further--yes, the Zamp suitcase/Airstream Basecamp configuration worked, keeping the trailer up and running for my two-and-a-half-day trial. Luckily, posting my original version of this article a couple of days ago prompted some useful reader feedback--so useful that I've decided to revise and update this article. No read on for the new and improved version!

Because I was working on some deferred home maintenance with my son, I had put off a camping trip; however, I still wanted to try out my Zamp 230-watt suitcase with my AS Basecamp. My solution was to camp "off-grid" for two days in the driveway. If I couldn't get to the campground, the campground could come to me!

I had hooked up the Zamp once when it had first arrived by mail just to make sure it was in good working order--and it was. Since the Basecamp comes with an exterior Zamp plug-in, even that initial set-up was easy, consisting of opening up the suitcase, connecting the array cord with a Zamp solar extension cord I had also bought, and then plugging the unit into the Zamp receiver on the trailer. The array controller was even default matched with an AGM battery, so I didn't even have to choose the battery type. The unit worked, and after an hour I packed the suitcase up and put it in the garage.

Fast forward to a fine spring day, three days of sunshine forecast, and then a string of ten days of rain and thunderstorms predicted. I decided to combine my house spring spiff-up with two days of driveway camping, relying solely on the Zamp solar suitcase. My wife wisely suggested that I keep notes. 

The result of my three days and two nights on solar was that the suitcase kept me in electricity--lights at night and 24-hours 12v refrigeration. However, especially after reading my notes after completing my "experiment", I realized that I didn't fully understand what all the numbers and figures I wrote down meant. My notes coameme from two monitors, the Basecamp battery monitor and the Zamp controller monitor. After posting the original article to some travel trailer camping groups on Facebook, one kind and helpful member of the Airstream Basecamp group explained "what all the numbers and figures" meant. 

One clear result was that the Zamp 230-watt solar suitcase fully charged the batteries every day, drawing from the full spring sunshine ample power. Each day by around noon to two P.M., both monitoring stations would indicate 13.6 amps, with the Zamp controller also including "FUL" on the monitor. As one FB comment state, "Your central observation is correct: [your solar suitcase] is sufficient to keep the lights on and the beer cold!"

I'd read the manuals and so understood that the Zamp charges the batteries and then goes into "float" mode, which means it just adds more charge with necessary, once the batteries are fully charged. What I didn't understand was why the monitor numbers kept changing. I knew that I was just going to have to continue reading and researching in order to better understand the significance of the data the monitors provide. In the earlier iteration of this article, I provided a list of five aspects of the solar charging and monitoring that I didn't understand. I had even confused readings as amps instead of volts. My list of confusions did generate some good information, though, so I've deleted the list of what I didn't understand and have replaced it with what my further research and FB advice from one fellow camper revealed.

• The Zamp solar control panel provides three display numbers: Battery Voltage, Charging Current, and Charged Capacity (in Amp-hours). The Basecamp "SeeLevel II Monitor Panel" displays the battery voltage.
• Regarding what is the safe battery level, the FB advice was as follows: "In short, your Basecamp should never consistently go below 12.0V. That is the 50% point of an AGM battery. For maximum battery life, AGMs should not drop below 50%. There’s a proper way to measure this that most do not realize. When you have loads, such as your DC powered refrigerator running, the vent fan, or the water pump, you will get a “worse than actual” reading. To accurately verify your battery voltage, turn off these three devices, wait about 30 seconds, then take a reading. If you’re 12.0V or higher, you’re fine. If 11.9V, no need to worry, just make sure you charge soon and remove all but critical loads, for example, the vent fan. At 11.5V, you should charge IMMEDIATELY to prevent long term damage to the battery. At 11.0V, damage may have happened. However, if you charge immediately, “damage” likely means your battery is only 95% of its rated value." (I assume this last sentence that the damage would be a permanent loss of five percent of the battery's capacity.)
• Regarding the Zamp's "Charging Current" reading, useful explanation was also provided. Essentially (as I understand it, anyway), this reading can be used while positioning the panels to ensure the highest charging, both in terms of direction and time of day. Amp input will vary because of time of day and cloud coverage. "It is not uncommon for amps to float +/- 5 amps on a partly cloudy day and even more so if there are more clouds. You can generally ignore all readings on your controller but amps. Use amps as your 'peaking meter' to achieve the highest rating so that you know you are peaked at the sun. For maximum efficiency, you can 'track' the sun throughout the day."
• I was concerned (and still am) about the capacity of the batteries to keep their charge and maintain the trailer's capabilities, especially 12V refrigeration, while traveling. If I travel for three days, for instance, and stop at night where I can't plug in or set up the solar panels, will the batteries be excessively drained and damaged? More practical advice: "Real damage is done to AGM batteries when they sit at these low voltages for long periods of time, such as days or weeks. If you drop to 11.5V and you charge the next morning, you’re fine. If you drop to 11.5V and park your camper for a month, that can cause real damage. Those on this thread who have bought a used Basecamps and your batteries struggle to make it through the night likely have batteries that have suffered from this practice." What this means for me is that over time and use, I will become more familiar with the Basecamp's 12V battery capacity. I will know when I need to stop and plug in, or if I can keep rolling down the road.
• More information was provided about how battery charging works. "A quick word about how charging works. In simple terms, there are 3 stages: Bulk, Absorption, and Float. You can Google more about it, but it’s important to know about these three stages when charging. Unlike lithium batteries, which charge similar to your smart phone, it isn’t a 50% charge to 100% and you’re done proposition. AGM and 'wet' batteries require an absorption period. During this absorption period, your batteries will typically be at around 13.8-14.2V or so, with emphasis on the 'or so.' Don’t get nervous if it floats around a bit. This absorption period can take 3-4 hours, depending on the battery. If you cannot meet the absorption period criteria due to lack of sun or enough amps, no big deal, but your batteries will lose charge a little bit faster than a battery that has met the absorption period. Think of the absorption as the time when AGMs go from 90 to 100%. Finally, the float voltage is just that. Float is usually 13.3-13.4V or so, but once you unplug or the sun goes down, it will slowly drop to 12.7V. 12.7V is 100% charge. The biggest advantage to Lithiums are twofold. 1) You can drop to about 10% power without any damage. The battery will 'shut off' before any damage is done. 2) There is no absorption period for Lithiums. They charge from 10 to 100% during the 'bulk charge,' similar to your cell phone. The end result is one Lithium is nearly the equivalent of two AGMs, and they charge faster since there is no absorption period. If you buy two Lithiums, you get nearly double the power of two AGMs."

Trojan 24-AGM 12V battery

I intend to research more, including learning more about my AGM batteries, which are Trojan 24-AGM 12V batteries. I spent a bit on an afternoon getting to the batteries in the Basecamp, which are in the front of the trailer below the storage cabinets. It was a bit of work getting to the batteries, which are stored in a steel box (which had a broken latch). I was surprised at what I thought was a pretty shabby job with the cabinetry access, which required some shimming by me to keep the cabinet floor level after accessing the batteries. 

My first experience with solar power has been a success, though. The solar panels do provide power. Even though the Zamp solar suitcase weighs about fifty pounds, I can manage tit. I can go boondocking now at Iowa's primitive campgrounds and "keep the beer cold."

My next experiment will be to go off-grid for a while without the solar panels to see how long the batteries will last just by themselves, say if my wife and I were traveling for two or three days and not plugging in with shore power or solar power. (I realize there will be some battery charging while towing.) Will the batteries be up to such a task, even with us being careful with power usage? I also understand from my reading that outside temperature plays a big role in battery capacity, so "How long will the batteries hold?" is a moving target. I want to establish a rough baseline, though. I want to know that, yes, during mild spring weather I will be able to run the refrigerator and a few lights for so many days and nights--for instance, three days and two nights, and then I will need to connect to 30-amp shore power the third night--something like that. 

I had a lot of fun experimenting with our new trailer. I've learned a lot from the advice shared with me from readers of the first iteration of this article. I now have confidence in trying boondocking, even though there's not much "wild" in Iowa's wilderness. The state is mostly farmland with pockets of land set aside for recreation and conservation. However, some of those pockets of land are pretty nice, and I have a few in mind, a couple pretty close by home, where the campground consists of an outhouse, a fire ring and maybe a table, campgrounds where you pack in your water and pack out your trash. This isn't like camping on BLM land or in national forests, but it's what's available. I probably won't be sighting Sasquatch, but I might see a friendly neighborhood groundhog or maybe a raccoon. I'll be off the grid while camping in my Airstream Basecamp glamper. Nice!

Any further comments, suggestions, or advice from readers of this revised article will be appreciated. Thanks, all!

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RTTC Bears in the Wild: A Book About the Adventurous Tiny Trailer Camping Life

It was a simple beginning, a simple and innocent introduction. Seventeen miles from my home in Iowa is Lake Darling State Park. "Why not go on an overnight bicycle camping trip?" I thought to myself, so with a song in my heart and a great tail wind, I found myself one Saturday morning camped next to the lake and talking to two wonderful ladies whom I discovered later to be the Traveling Teardrop Sisters. One of their tiny trailer teardrop campers was a Rustic Trail Teardrop Camper, a Grizzly model. A couple of months later, I owned my own RTTC tiny trailer, a "standy" Polar Bear model, and three years later, I've written a book about the travels and adventures of RTTC tiny trailer owners, RTTC Bears in the Wild. 

I write about what I'm doing; I've always done that. I think writing helps me understand and enjoy my life. As the saying goes, we don't just write to explain; we also write to understand. Soon after buying my tiny trailer, I was happily writing about the adventures of the "Green Goddess" in my blog, Green Goddess Glamping; and then I was also writing about the adventures of other tiny trailer owners, profiles and travelogues. Many of those articles for the blog were about RTTC owners because they were my first contacts in the tiny trailer world. 

My new book, RTTC Bears in the Wild, is a compilation of articles from Green Goddess Glamping about the exploits of RTTC tiny trailer owners, such as trips to the Canadian Maritime Islands and forays through desert and forest; it's about times with new friends sharing ocean vistas. The book begins with the second article I wrote for Green Goddess Glamping, "Why Such a Tiny Trailer?" It ends with a longer chronicle of my trip to the Carolinas to have my trailer's roof replaced after a limb bashed a hole in it during a storm. 

Some of the travels my wife and I shared are included in the book, but my favorite stories are those of other RTTC tiny trailer owners--some just plain fun but also some truly adventurous, such as one travelogue where a woman traveling solo passes through a wildfire. “Without a doubt the most challenging day was driving in California from Trinidad to Lake Tahoe. I chose the forested road, which happened to be having fires. I could barely see, had no cell service, was on a road too tiny to turn around on, and I was ALONE. This is the only day on the entire trip that I doubted I could handle this all by myself, but in fact I was able to, which is pretty cool."

RTTC Bears in the Wild is my first book that includes color photographs. The photos add to the beauty of the book, even if they also triple the printing costs. It's not my first non-fiction book based on blog articles, though. I've also published I Write: Being and Writing and A Day Out with Mom, two books compiled from articles written for my writing blog, Tom Kepler Writing. Those two books were more personal, one about my perspective on writing, and the other about my family. RTTC Bears in the Wild, though is about the tiny trailer community, and not just the RTTC community. 

"Kicks on Route 66," one chapter in RTTC Bears in the Wild

Camping in tiny and little trailers is a lifestyle that evokes Conestoga wagons and the Oregon Trail. Truly, the book is about people who launch themselves into a lifestyle of discovery and simple living. It's a book about taking the saying "Less is More" and making it real, making it roll down the road and set up camp at the end of the day, the light of the campfire flickering among the pine trees. 

I proud of this book, the most expensive to publish because of its color photographs. Those photos  help the stories told come to life, though, about how when it's raining cats and dogs, tiny trailer owners are snug in their campers with their cats and dogs, warm and dry and waiting out the storm. I invite you to read and enjoy these tales of "Bears in the Wild," these stories of people who decided to get out of their houses, away from their TVs, and to get out into the "wild," to travel and get away from it all--or to get to the source of it all by enjoying nature. I hope RTTC Bears in the Wild opens up the world of tiny trailer camping for you, just as the Traveling Teardrop Sisters opened up that world for me. The book can be purchased both as a paper book and as an ebook on Amazon.

• Purchase RTTC Bears in the Wild
• Tom Kepler Amazon Author Page
• Tom Kepler Books
• Facebook Tom Kepler Writing / Green Goddess Glamping

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Airstream Basecamp Shakedown Camping Trip Journal

A simple camp at Jefferson County Park Campground, Iowa

I'm a new Airstream Basecamp 16 owner, having picked up our Basecamp three days before Christmas last year. We managed to take the trailer out twice during the winter for a two-nighter and a one-nighter, but those quick trips were local and with the rig still winterized. Those trips and some planning time while the trailer was in the driveway allowed my wife and me to outfit the camper and get some good ideas of what the Basecamp experience would be.

We weren't new to trailer camping, having owned and camped in an RTTC Polar Bear "standy" tiny trailer for three years; however the "Green Goddess" was a simple trailer, wired for 15 amps and having no plumbing features. It was a great trailer that provided wonderful adventures and memories, but it was a tiny trailer, not a little trailer, a small but significant difference. Moving into the Basecamp was quite a revelation, even with our winter camping ventures. Room for both of us to stand and move around! A kitchen and refrigerator! There was a learning curve with the new Basecamp, and the winter and driveway camping allowed me to become accustomed to the electrical and heating and cooking systems. I learned to punch the Truma heater panel icons and dial in my heating needs. We cooked a few times on the propane stove, and set up the toaster oven and Instant Pot. We experimented with the bed set-up and realized what works best and easiest for one or two people. (I can sleep easily on the half-bed; the two of us use the full bed when together.)

However, we had never used all the trailer's functions before, especially the water systems: toilet, shower, and sink. It was time for a full-on shakedown to make sure all systems worked. When I learned that our local county park--four miles from our house--was opening up two weeks early, it was time to take the baby out for a spin and see what she could do. 

Day 1, Monday, April 26, Arrival

Today and tomorrow will be hot for April in Iowa, in the mid 80s. I was in no rush to get to Jefferson County Campground. My wife Sandy and I had cruised the campground on Sunday and seen that there were plenty of spaces. Besides getting the Basecamp stocked, I also had some house and garden chores to finish. It was in the afternoon that I seriously finished packing and hitching up.

Prior to hitching up, I decided I wanted to add some water to the trailer's fresh water tank, just to see how that went while still at home. I unwound the new drinking water hose, attached the Camco filter, and filled the tank to about sixty percent. My only moment during the process was at the beginning, really, when I had to figure out that the water tank cap on the trailer doesn't unscrew; it's one of those that you twist half a turn and then lift off. I did realize toward the last that I had not shut off the fresh water tank drain ("What's that water down there beneath the trailer?"), so I closed that and added a bit more water. The tank filled easily, and my main final challenge was getting that new hose wrapped back up so that it would fit in the storage area above the propane tanks.

The campsite I chose was close to the children's playground in case our grandkids came. It turned out that they didn't, but I was entertained by a local preschool class arriving. I didn't have to level the camper, which is always frosting on the cake, and since I arrived just before the preschool kids, I didn't have to worry about dodging children as I backed in. Since it was a hot day, I was able to play around with the air conditioner for the first time. It worked well, even if it was a bit noisy--but, honestly, what ac isn't? I filled up the fresh water tank from the camp spigot and then rested till the evening cooled.

Day 2, Tuesday, April 27

My task this morning was to discover why our water system wasn't producing hot water. Because I was new to self-sufficient trailers, I had taken the Basecamp to a local dealer to have it de-winterized, the (non-Airstream) dealership agreeing to walk me through the steps. The process was easier than I had anticipated, but the technician had not de-winterized a Basecamp before, so it was a process of following water lines and discovery for both of us. He flushed the antifreeze from the lines and said I was good to go. I learned from his instruction and our discussion, but I did want a shakedown camping trip because I also knew that he was working with a new rig. As it turned out, my caution was justified--no hot water.

One Facebook Basecamp group discussion had mentioned that the best way to get hot water for a shower was to turn the hot water tank heater control to "Boost" on the Truma control panel. I didn't want to do that, though, until I was sure that the hot water tank was open and full of water. I didn't want to be boost-heating an empty water tank. 

I decided to watch again a YouTube video where Basecamp owner Dan Moller explains how to winterize his 2018 rig ("How to Winterize an Airstream Basecamp 2018"). I figured that I could follow the process step by step and determine if the valves were all in their proper settings for the full use of the water system. What I found out was that the valves were correctly set for filling the hot water heater tank. However, one valve was open that should have been closed, the bypass valve after the hot water tank that allow the hot and cold water to mix, which was used during the winterizing process of filling the pipes with RV anti-freeze. I closed the bypass, set the heating tank to "Boost," and twenty minutes later checked the hot water at the kitchen sink. Success! Feeling very handy, I set the water heater to the "Eco" setting and decided my work was done for the day. As far as I understood, the Basecamp was now fully functional, and all I had to do was to become more familiar with the systems.

Driving home (the Basecamp still at the campground), I parked the tow vehicle in the garage, since I would be returning to camp on my bicycle. Our children had had some car difficulties, and we were loaning them our second car. I was leaving our Nissan Pathfinder for my wife, and I'd be adventure cycling back and forth from camp to house every day. 

I cooked myself a wonderful lunch of fresh garden asparagus at home, piddled around in the garden, watering more since it was another hot day. After lunch, I had eaten a small piece of chocolate cake for dessert, and for some reason it hadn't agreed with me. Perhaps it was the heaviness of the cake and the heat of the day. Who knows? When I got ready to ride my bicycle back to camp, it was about three o'clock and windy. For some reason, I had no strength and was looking forward to just getting back to camp, turning on the air conditioner, and resting.

Back at camp, I ended up lying in bed, wondering if I was going to throw up, and sure enough, I experienced three "events" within the next hour and a half. Then I napped for a bit and woke up feeling that I was past the unpleasantness but still needing some quiet time. Luckily, I was alone in the trailer, so I decided to fill Sandy in on my trails and tribulations the next morning. That way she wouldn't have to worry, and I could just stay in camp and rest. Looking back on the experience, I can say that it seemed that my body was saying, "You want a shakedown? I'll give you a shakedown!" 

Day 3, Wednesday, April 28

Wednesday was a day of rain, forecast to arrive in the afternoon. Since I had forgotten to bring my rain gear, I elected to ride my bike to the house in the morning when it was cloudy but not storming. I arrived prior to the rain and planted some spinach in the garden. So far this week, I've planted potatoes and spinach, probably a bit late for each, but we'll see. 

Garden fresh

I had another great lunch of fresh asparagus and then headed back to camp. And if you've been waiting for this moment--yes, the rain hit! As I was leaving, I saw the rain beginning to fall, so I headed back inside the house and geared up for rainy weather--rain pants, jacket, and hood. Rain was falling, but I was dry because of the gear I had from my bicycle camping days. About halfway to camp, though, the weather really hit, a deluge. I was glad I had chosen to ride to the campground on paved roads rather than the bike trail, much cleaner! 

My boots were waterproof, mostly. My rain gear worked well-mostly--which is normal for bicycle riding in heavy rain. Since it wasn't extremely cold, I was enjoying myself. Riding a bicycle in the rain is always a noteworthy experience, each sense so activated with the sight, sound, smell, and touch of the rain. I've never felt sleepy while riding in the rain. 

"Rain Shower"

I arrived at camp at probably the heaviest rain of the day. My Topeak Trunkbag rear panniers (with rain cover) were full of some extras I was packing, and by the time I unloaded, I couldn't have been any more wet than if I were standing in a shower. I just walked straight into the Basecamp's shower and took off my rain gear there, hanging it up to dry. Now with water outside and inside, not able to open the roof vent because of the driving rain, I broke out the tiny Pro Breeze dehumidifier to help with the moisture. 

Using our toaster oven for a baked potato dinner

I dried out, rested, read, and baked a potato for dinner--baked potato, butter, salt and pepper, and sprouts from home and arugula from the garden. Here's to say that the trailer doesn't leak. After looking over the proof of the book I've just written, RTTC Bears in the Wild, I went to bed in my snug little trailer, looking forward to finishing a good mystery I'd been reading. Peaceful dreams, Tom.

Day 4, Thursday, April 29

Since I had the trailer up and running, I decided to have the day be "cook in camp day." For breakfast, I scrambled an egg and made myself a breakfast burrito, tucking eggs and sprouts into a tortilla. That was an easy meal, and I was able to use the inside propane stove. I also received a pleasant reminder of how easy it is to clean a cast iron skillet. I washed the dishes outside and then spent the rest of the morning writing up my handwritten journal notes. 

My day of cooking continued on with lunch, which I decided to cook using our Instant Pot pressure cooker. I whipped together a vegetable pilaf, using tri-color rice, vegetables I had pre-cut at home prior to the trip, and nuts and raisins. It's a simple meal, and half a bouillon cube, Herbs de Provence, a little oil, and salt make for a flavorful one-pot meal. Today I didn't add tofu because I planned to have some for dinner. My wife cooks a similar meal but makes it a fish stew by adding more water and, of course, fish. The Instant Pot is a handy cooking device for a little trailer. I used the table outside, though, because the day was so nice. 

Like breakfast, I washed the dishes outside. Being used to washing dishes in camp using the "three-station" set-up of washtub, rinse tub, and drainer, the inside sink in the Basecamp feels pretty cramped. Also, outside I can use our induction burner to heat water for washing, thereby not draining the fresh water tank or filling up the holding tank. Since this was a shakedown trip, though, I promised myself to use the inside sink for dinner dishes at least once during the trip.

A simple meal

I wanted to shake up my shakedown a bit, so for dinner I decided to steam fresh asparagus from home on the inside propane stove in order to find out how steamy the interior became. Because of the pleasant seventy degree day, I was able to steam the veggies with the side door open and the ceiling fan on high--kind of cheating the "test," but I can report that we passed with flying colors! After dinner I kept my promise, washing the dishes in the kitchen sink. There was plenty of hot water, of which I didn't skimp because I want to make sure the black water tank is at least seventy-five percent full for tomorrow's dump station emptying experience (my first). One thing I did discover--when closing the sink lid, make sure that the on/off water spigot valve is turned downward. I had left it facing up (the hot area), and when the lid closed, it turned the water back on. I couldn't figure out why the water pump kept chugging and then peeked in the sink and saw the water running.

Besides cooking more in the Basecamp today, I had promised myself to use the shower. Therefore, after arriving back at camp in the late afternoon from my time at home, I took a shower. During the cold weather, I had added a turn-off switch for the showerhead (YOO MEE shut-off valve), but it turns out that the 2021 model Basecamps have an on-and-off button on the showerhead, so I'll probably remove the added valve, although it isn't hurting anything, I suppose. The shower began with my heading to the Truma console, selecting "Boost" for the water temperature, and then waiting twenty minutes. I'll save you the shower details except to say that I took a quick "Navy" rinse, soap, and rinse shower, stopping the water flow between steps. Although there was some fiddling with the hot and cold to get the right temperature, I can definitely say the process was easy and will probably get easier with more experience.

Day 5, Friday, April 30, Departure

It was a beautiful morning for heading back home, the sky clear and the air fresh and clean. I didn't have much packing to do since I hadn't set up the "visor" awning. Today my only shakedown item was to flush the black tank, my first time. Securing everything on the inside of the trailer, I turned off the Truma heat, water heater, and set the electric option to the 700-watt electric setting. One last inside console task was to pump enough water to the black tank so that it was at least seventy-five percent full. That done, I hooked up and drove to the campground's dump station. I had watched a You-Tube video by Basecamp owner David Waldrip, which illustrated the process.

I didn't really think flushing the black tank would be that big of a deal, and I was right. The steps are few and straightforward. Since this was my first time, though, I double-checked each step before proceeding to the next because any error I made could be messy! First I hooked the new elbow to the new dump hose. Then I hooked the hose to the flush pipe on the trailer, checking that twice. I was ready to open the trailer's drain valve but first got my five-gallon bucket out and filled it with water. With the elbow in the dump station drain, I opened the flush valve, and out drained the blackwater. After the tank emptied, I lifted the drain hose, noodling toward the elbow, and was surprised that there was still quite a bit of blackwater in the flexible pipe. It had looked like a straight downhill run. 

Having completed the basic flush, I packed the five-gallon bucket of water into the trailer and dumped it down the toilet to flush the tank and line, as I had been told at our RV One owner orientation in Des Moines. Then I repeated the five-gallon bucket step again, just because I felt like it. That done, I disassembled the drain hose, starting at the trailer, and then flushed water down the pipe to the elbow and station drain. Plugging the tube ends and rinsing the elbow, I put everything away. Removing my plastic gloves, I sprayed my hands with my covid alcohol spray (seemed like a good idea) and then wiped them again with a hand wipe. My last dump station task was to add some more water and powder to the black tank, according to my brand's instructions. The whole dump station process for the Basecamp was no more difficult than cleaning our little Camco portable water toilet--just a on larger scale. 

My last shakedown task I'll do at home--putting up the Basecamp's visor awning. (From what I've read, I will probably be considering a larger awning option at some later date.) After having mounted the awning visor, I will have utilized all of the Basecamp's systems except our new Zamp 230-watt solar suitcase. I'll do that on a different trip.

I have a few final comments about what I've realized from this shakedown trip. Remember, I'm new to any trailer system other than plugging in an extension cord, so please realize I'm working on a beginner's level.

• The larger space in the "little" trailer, rather than a "tiny" trailer, makes a real difference when weather keeps you inside. I'm sure this will be even more true with two people. 
• I'll have to keep an eye on the refrigerator temperature, making sure it doesn't rise above 40 degrees or drop below freezing. The thermometer I bought will really help. ("How Necessary Is a Thermometer for Camping?") The trickiest times will be travel or sudden weather changes. During travel, the trailer might get much hotter or colder than usual.
• Many of the habits I've adopted from tiny trailer camping will help keep me from filling up the blackwater holding tank too quickly. I like washing the dishes outside, for instance. Having camped with no trailer plumbing for years, I've learned to be conservative with water consumption.
• Sleeping at an angle with only the bed put up half-bed is okay for just me, but I think setting up the full bed will be the norm when my wife and I camp together.
• I found putting the kitchen-side table up in the morning and putting it away at night was much like setting up my tiny trailer's living space--table top strapped to the side bench and the leg just stuck under the bed for easy access in the morning.
• I've decided it's just prudent to turn off the water pump when leaving for the day or when traveling. If a water line breaks while I'm away, then it won't activate the pump. 
• I need to keep a list of small warranty items for a run to the Airstream dealership sometime this season. For instance, during the heavy rain, I noticed a drip of water leaking from the kitchen door lock, about once every ten seconds, indicating the door locking mechanism isn't completely waterproof. Over time, that might have an impact on the door's integrity. Also, I noticed that the rear hatch door hook has one screw that won't tighten. It will need to be replaced, possibly with a bigger screw.

Truthfully, the more we use the Basecamp, the more possibilities we see for greater efficiency and economy. And as Basecamp owners have said, I'm going to have to get used to answering questions and letting folks poke their heads into the camper. Even early in the camping season this trip, three groups of campground hikers stopped for questions and a gawk. The Basecamp's kind of a retro rocket ship, hearkening to the classic past and the space age future at the same time. Maybe I should use  Google Maps for the route to Mars and then have Jules Verne ride shotgun as my navigator. That would be quite an adventure, and wildly and weirdly enough, it doesn't seem impossible!

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