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How to: Go Cricket Camping

11/7/2016

10 Comments

 
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We talked a lot about our adventures Cricket Camping. We maybe haven’t talked enough about the basics of camping in a Cricket trailer; we will walk through our process from leaving home, setting camp, breaking camp, and preparing the Cricket for storage. A word of warning for current campers that tent camp or RV in a more traditional unit: hitting “Read More” will cause Cricket envy.
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We store the Cricket in our garage. so packing for our next trip really starts shortly after returning from the prior trip. We return towels and sheets back to the Cricket to await our next trip. Typically a few days before we leave, we start loading for the trip. We put groceries into the camper as we return from the store, and pack gear as it is ready. We also check the air pressure in the tires, plug in the battery to charge, and take a quick inventory of anything we may need to replenish. On our travel day, we load pillows, clothes, toiletries, and last minute items. We typically do this before work so when we get home all that is left is to hitch up, plug in brakes, chains, break away cable, lock the doors and go. If we do our preparation correctly, we can be on the road in 15 minutes. We keep a note on our laptop that serves as a checklist to make sure we don’t forget anything.

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Once we arrive at the campground, our routine varies depending upon the length of the trip. If we are overnighting and not leaving the campground, we will park the trailer, move gear out of the floorspace, and pop the top of the Cricket, which takes about 90 seconds. If we are staying longer, we of course unhitch. We start by leveling the Cricket with leveling blocks if necessary and use wheel chucks to block the tires. We use a jack foot in place of the wheel on the hitch to reduce bounce in the Cricket. Next, we crank down the stabilizer jacks, pop the top, and then plug into the electricity and water.  If the trip is long enough, we set up an outdoor space by putting out a rug, chairs, awning, screen room, camp table and side table, fire pit, camp stove, and toys.

Inside the camper, we almost always start up the ice-maker along with a water kettle and blender for making bulletproof coffee in the morning.  Floorspace and counter space is at a premium in a Cricket, so we have to be tidy as we get settled. We tuck shoes under the bed, store food on the shelves, and put clothes in the space around the beds inside packing cubes. We keep bulk gear in the back of the 4Runner. If we go all out setting up everything, this is about a one hour process.
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Breaking camp, although it seems oversimplified, is the same thing in reverse. All of the gear is cleaned and put away in the Cricket. We strip the beds and toss sheets, towels, and clothes in a laundry sack. We do have to drain the gray tank if we have sewer available. If we are camping for multiple days, we typically drain the gray tank every three days and the cassette toilet about once a week. Once we hitch up, we always take a lap around the Cricket to confirm that all cords, hoses, blocks, and other items are packed. Again, this takes an hour at most and depends how much gear we set up. On the way home, we add any items we need to replenish to our to-do list or grocery list.
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Once we return home, we wrap up the prior trip and start preparing for the next trip. Once we back the Cricket into the garage, we take everything out that doesn’t stay onboard. We take time to wipe down the surfaces, sweep or vacuum the floor, make sure no food is left behind. Every few months we wipe down the exterior of the Cricket down with Simple Green. ​
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That is our process. This may sound like a lot of steps, but we notice other campers spend considerable more time on these processes than we do. The simplicity, in addition to the easy storage and quality construction, is what drew us to the Cricket and has us committed to this product as long as it remains the best option for our family. We are planning Thanksgiving and early December trips now, so stay tuned to hear about more adventures as we head out to go Cricket Camping!
10 Comments
Dave
11/20/2016 08:14:47 pm

So, the kids bunks are suspended from the ceiling?

Reply
Shane
11/21/2016 08:21:11 am

Dave,
In the front they are suspended so they can be either down for sleeping or pulled up to increase headroom. In the back they are attached to the rear of the camper. We had our first trip this weekend with temps below freezing and the kids stayed warm in their bunks.

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Rick Spradlin
12/7/2016 09:37:58 am

Love your blog. My wife and I are picking up our new Cricket this weekend. Can't wait to use it!

Reply
Shane
12/8/2016 01:29:45 pm

Rick, that is exciting! Let us know if you have any questions we can help you answer. At the end of our first season, we are still certain the Cricket is the perfect camper for us. We already have a full season of camping booked for 2017.

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Jerry
3/11/2017 07:16:49 pm

Great blog. I'm interest d in getting a small trailer that I can tow with my Subaru Outback. I've narrowed my options to a cricket or an Aline popup. The Aline popup is about $10k less, but I like the look of the cricket better. My kids are 10 years old so I'm wondering how the sleep berth would work.

Reply
Shane
3/12/2017 05:57:51 pm

Jerry,
Thank you for checking out our site! Our daughter is nine and she is about as long as the berth. As our kids get taller (longer) we aren't sure how that will work out. On the Taxa Trailer Owners Group on Facebook, some owners have built cots that will support adults. I suggest exploring that before you make a decision. One thing we did like about Cricket is dedicated beds for kids, a rarity for smaller campers that aren't pop ups. Good luck!
Shane

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Nick
6/18/2017 09:04:02 am

Love your blog. It is the only one I have found that talks about a family using the cricket. I was wondering if there is still space for the kids on the cots if you have to bring the top down due to bad weather?

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Shane
6/19/2017 09:46:10 am

Nick, thanks for reading! The kids cots are the same with either the top up or down. However our bed is tight with the top down with the bunks, we wouldn't be comfortable sleeping like that. We have weathered a few intense storms as well as cold night with the top up and had no issues. If the weather gets bad enough that we wanted the top down, we would probably head to the bathhouse to ride the storm out.

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Julie C Will
7/28/2017 01:27:48 pm

Hi, Love the blog. We just bought a new Cricket. We are thinking about adding stabilizers to the front. Do you think that would be helpful or maybe a waste of money? Appreciate your advice.

Reply
Shane
7/28/2017 07:25:49 pm

Julie,
So glad you enjoy our posts! Thank you. I do think front stabilizers would be a good addition. We've tried switching to a foot on the hitch instead of the wheel, but there is still some bounce in the front. I think front stabilizers would solve the problem. I think you can find the same set as the rear on amazon. If you add them, I'd like to hear your feedback. Enjoy the Cricket!
Shane

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