Since we didn’t have a pickup truck to tow a fifth wheel, we decided on a 32′ Sun Valley Road Runner travel trailer from a local dealer. Our first camping adventure took place directly after leaving the RV dealership. The Doll Mountain campground located on Carter’s Lake in Gilmer County, Georgia is one of the jewels in the Army Corps of Engineers’ recreation areas. Among its amenities include 34 campsites (roughly half of which are RV sites or dual purpose), 2 boat ramps, laundry facilities, picnic areas, and shower houses. The grounds are well kept by a full time staff and the campground is open from April-September.

When we first arrived I made several attempts to back in to the site and it took about 15 minutes, and the help of a friendly camper to get us backed straight into the site. Hooking up was simple after the mandatory orientation given by the dealer. Lighting the furnace for the hot water heater was a little more difficult but once the pilot was lit correctly the system fired right up. Within 45 minutes all the systems were running and our awning, chairs and tables were setup, ready for some serious relaxation. That’s when it hit me. Had we been tent camping we would have spent the rest of the trip gathering firewood, running back and forth to the bathroom to take showers and do laundry. Instead, we had a closet full of clothes, stove, microwave, oven, shower, and toilet. We spent the rest of our three day weekend wondering if we were ever going to go tent camping again.