Time Spent Setting up Camp

[randywebb]

[Steelhead]

trying going to burningman. Some people seem to be setting up camp all week.
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'77 Bay Window / '89 Caratsburg (aka. the Stormtrooper)

[joseph928]

That's why I got a tin top westy, saves me at least 2 min. over having to pop that top open. The sooner I camp the better. Bed 15 sec. chair 15 sec. Shady Boy 4 min. gas camp fire 30 sec. beer 5 sec. total 5 min. + or - 10 sec.
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1987 syncro westy tin top sun roof , GW2.3, rear locker, decoupler, Gary Lee tire rack & winch mount, lift, south african grill, big brakes , rhein alloy ,15 BFG AT, Fiamma 10 foot awning ,140 watt rear 85 watt front solar , mppt, truckfridge, automatic fire extinguishing system, tencent oil cooler, And a RMW SS exhaust! - 1971 bug convertible 1776 engine- 2010 Subaru turbo - 1993 Toyota 4x4 truck - 1999 Harley 95 CI, big bore, Andrews cams . Also 80-84- vans. Stock 65 sunroof bug.

[desertrefugee]

Great thought for a thread. For me and the Westy, camp is set as soon as the chairs and table are out, top popped and awning out. Maybe 10 minutes.

But, in my RV (5th wheel) days, some of the most fun was kicking back and watching the rookies "set up camp". Oh, the stories I could tell...
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- 83.5 Westfalia - 2.2 GoWesty "power"
- a bunch of vintage motorcycles
- Numerous telescopes of various size and function

"For I have loved the stars too fondly to be fearful of the night." - Sarah Williams

[kamzcab86]

[bjrogers86auto]

The best part about the Westy quick set up is it gives me WAY more time to mess around with tarps and side tents and dining shelters and chuck boxes!!!!



Brian
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86 Vanagon GL Westfalia 2.1
18 Nissan Frontier Pro 4X
19 Honda Civic Hatchback

A little rudeness and disrespect can elevate a meaningless interaction to a battle of wills and add drama to an otherwise dull day. Calvin and Hobbes.

[chojinchef]

Depends if the wife is around, then it takes longer. Or if my 6 year old son is there 'helping'.

Generally, 10-15 minutes to get van level, music on, top up, awning out, chairs set up, kids stuff picked up and a beer in the wife's hand.
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Its a mistress; an expensive, whiney, needy bitch of a mistress. She is a chunky, dirty girl with bad skin, little motivation and yet she always makes me smile. She sure has been around before shacking up with me. She has a direct line to my wallet, plays with my emotions, is consistantly jovial yet with a sarcastic and sardonic side, is consistant in her inconsistancy, and every once in a while gives me a great ride and a fantastic memory.

[Bruce Wayne]

depends if I'm going to need the Wasserstopper,BBQ,etc that night.
20-30 minutes.

[Nachtfalter]

Park van.
Get out, open slider, grab beer: 1:00
Guzzle half the beer, pull out step stool to unload top box: 2:00
Remove surfboards: 2:00
Open Easy-Up then slide next to van 3-5:00
Open another beer: 1:00
Pop top, make bed up top, put portable stove (we dont use the kitchen) and food on picnic tabe: 3-5:00
Open folding chair, sit down: 1:00

16-20 minutes.

[cellerdoor]

Varies based on how much campfire butt sitting we are doing. If we bring the sports gear our setup is under 15 minutes since we are just using the westy as a bed. if we are deep in the forest we spend an hour getting our scene perfect with a lot of gear (outdoor kitchen, awnigs etc) since we will be sitting around.
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1986 Westy

[a2d2]

Setting up to stay a while and make a meal etc could take me 30 mins if I was OCD enough to clean and organize everything enough... which happens most of the time.

On the other hand, setting up camp to sleep for the night is as quick as walking from the front to the back and closing the curtains on the way. I may be delusional but I've always felt that a tintop is more "stealth" than a poptop for those nights when you're camping somewhere that's not quite considered a camping spot...
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1981 Vanagon, Aircooled 2.0 AFC
1978 Baywindow Bus (R.I.P.)

[tam_shops]

Do any of you that are setting up in 15min or less have kids?

I think it took us an hour!

Have to set up a tent for everyone's clothes, bathing suits and car seats. Car seats can't get wet and while I could put them in the front seat, the 4 bags of clothes (1 duffle bag each) have to go somewhere and the floor of the vanagon ain't it!

Then, set up the BBQ, propane, dish pans, kitchen tools and put out a table cloth.

Pop the top.

Level Vanagon. I got the Fiamma set from gowesty, but it only came w/ 2 ramps. No idea how dh managed to get the Vanagon pretty level in both directions when the bubble was off the chart in both directions. I want a 2nd set...should check for the Lynx ones next time I'm at Walmart.

Set up both beds w/ sleeping bags and fluffy pillows.

Oh, and I put a sheet on the lower bunk to protect the fabric in case something gets spilled. Even though I don't let the kids eat inside the Vanagon b/c then I'd have to clean it!


Then, this last trip, we went for a week, I set up that side tent. Loved it, it was great, a second place to change and I put the cooler and food boxes in it. No animals in the area, but there are seasonal fruit pickers that apparently steal food in the night. LOL Seems someone is always trying to steal your food when you're camping. We could have done w/ just the one tent, but since the car seats can't get wet, they also can't go into the floorless side tent!

It was too much work and I've already got rid of a bunch of stuff I packed for this last trip, and taken it out for the next trip, which means fewer buckets/stuff, less work!

tam
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1987 Vanagon Westfalia GL Automatic

Making it special:
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=545885

[zeohsix]

[r39o]

2 minutes to remove stuff from back

2 minutes flop open bed.

1 minute to pull out something to cover up and pillows.

Time to rest......

Of corse, if bed is out, then park and sleep, done.

It takes longer if I set up the TV, though.
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"Use the SEARCH, Luke" But first visit the Vanagon FAQ!

1990 Multivan EJ 22, Rancho trans 0.82 4th, Small Car front AC, CLKs w/ 215/65-16, homemade big brakes 303mm, Konis, Recaros, etc....

Click to see my ads for Cup holders, Subaru clutch fix and CLK wheels (no wheels currently)

[IrideWheelies]

now that I have a hightop I hardly do anything. All I need to do is put the Magma BBQ on it's mount, tie up the dog if required and put out the camp chairs. Oh yeah, grab a beer too.

The chairs are really nice for watching my buddies unfold their rooftop tents and unload all their stuff from the back of their SUVs or pull the tent out of their subaru and set it up.

We have it pretty good in vanagonland
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89' Dove Blue Syncro Hightop

[1621]

Oh yeah, kids add a whole new level of enjoyment. We sleep five in the van; one in the cot and two up top. Takes an extra couple minutes to do that. I also include closing the curtains in that timeframe, and pulling chairs out of the top.

Sure, setting up is quick, but getting all into bed and then reversing the process in the AM is a bit of work when you've got we're ones to look after. I sometimes joke with my wife that if it were simply us, we'd be 15 miles down the road by now.
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'85 Westy

[GWTWTLW]

[BitterBeerFace]

I'm flying solo on recent trips, and spend zero time setting up awnings or anything like that.

so assuming the spot is relatively level, I'm "set up" in about 3 minutes.

Park van.
Hop out, turn on propane.
Walk around to slider door, hop in and open the pop top.
Toss misc stuff into upper bunk.

Yep, I'm ready for the evening at that point.
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1980 Full Camper, been in the family since it was brand new!
1989 Full Camper, great-great-aunt's since brand new!

[Robw_z]

I have a tin top and got one of these Coleman Instant Tents to keep setup and teardown time down. I recommend it, good tent as long as it doesn't get too rainy or windy.

-Rob

[Timwhy]

A few minutes but less when I hurry!


Link

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'15 Audi A3 Quattro
'09 VW Tiguan (dead)
'87 VW Westy
'91 Tin Top
'90 Cabby
What the Westy wants the Westy GETS


http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/album_search.php?search_author=Timwhy&show_results=summary

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