Timing the setup and break down.

[BetterNowlinLater]

Has anyone timed how long it takes them to set up and break down their trailer? From parking to relaxing, how long as a beginner and how long as a more experienced traveler?

[Goal15]

In fourth year with our AS. Setting up..... from the time the trailer is parked until the lights are on and water running, about 35 to 40 minutes if I go at a leisurely pace. Add 15 minutes for awning to be put up if we are doing that.

Breaking down . . . I shoot for an hour but find that it usually takes 90 minutes from full camp set up with chairs deployed, bicycles out of the pickup, etc etc. Part of the difference in the time is that obviously, who wants to go home lol

Dana

[perryg114]

It depends on what you are doing. 30 mins should be enough if you are just staying a night and you are not going to put all the garden gnomes and pink flamingos out. Some folks must spend hours putting up lights and a pole with their name on it etc.

Perry

[Bill M.]

Not really. After 10 years or so I can tell you it really does not make any difference. I am relaxed when I stop the car. How long to get anything done after that matters not.

[badkat]

We take our time as full-timers. Mistakes have been made when we rush so we just work at our own pace and check everything 2 or 3 times if necessary. Loving our life on the road.

[scamp]

It all depends if we're staying for a couple of days or a week ,if it's a couple of days I don't on hitch from tow vehicle unless it's realy not level and almost never put the stabilizers down, so about 15 -20 minutes and if I put stabilizers down and unhitched from tow vehicle add another 10 minutes.

Don

[AnnArborBob]

It takes us about 30 to 40 minutes to set up and about the same amount of time to break camp. We do not have a fleet of flamingos or other ornamentation to deal with.

[AWCHIEF]

I can be set up and relaxing in 20 minutes when no one interrupts me. Breaking down depends on how much I have to put up. I try to take care of the inside the evening before departure. Outside and double walk around can then be completed in about 30 to 45 minutes. Dumping the tanks if necessary is the major time user.

[BetterNowlinLater]

Thank you!!
I have been searching for this information on and off for months. Your responses gave me exactly what I wanted to know. The set up time scared my husband a little until I reminded him of the 7 or more hours needed for a 2 hour flight with renting a car.

[Stefrobrts]

Less time than you'll spend in the airport waiting to get frisked by TSA, that's for sure

I'd guess we probably only spend 20 minutes or so. There's never any rush. It's not a race. We have a checklist, and work our way through it, usually while taking breaks to greet friends.

[CBWELL]

Directly proportional to A: The weather, B: Who is there to greet us, C: If the Grain Belt is COLD. In reality, about 1/2 hour to set up, and about 40 min to take down and double check everything before hitting the road.

[BAB]

Really depends on where I am and how long I've been there. For an overnight (on the way to somewhere), I may not unhitch, may not use stabilizers, may not even hook up to anything but electric....then departure is pretty fast. OTOH, if I've been at a rally, or have put down some "roots" ....it takes more time, some time much more time. Like others who've posted, I'll do some pre-departure prep the evening before. I HATE to rush through the departure process, as I like to follow the same process to reduce stress and ensure I'm not forgetting something. With my new trailer, I now have to remember to retract the satellite dish. I think I'll put a note on the instrument panel that says, "satellite dish?"

[FL Crackers]

Well, we don't glamp and stay inside, so we take a significant amount of gear that takes time to set-up and take-down. This includes an outdoor kitchen (coffee is often the only thing prepared inside) bikes, vintage awning, carpet, chairs ... Gotta get the dog situated, the gas flowing, the water heater lit, an adult beverage or two mixed ... It takes what it takes. I agree that starting the take-down the night before safes time and stress. It you don't need it for breakfast - pack it up. Sometimes, taking the awning down the night before saves the drying time the next morning. But no matter how we plan it, the outdoor carpet, being the last thing we takk up is the nastiest job there is.

[BoldAdventure]

15 minutes.

[BetterNowlinLater]

Thanks again…this is great information.

[Len n Jeanne]

Setting up goes quickly--20 minutes or so-- if you don't unhitch and just do your hookups & stabilizers. But if setting up includes locating the RV park manager who's left the office, cooking dinner, setting out drinks and snacks, needing to wash and dry a load of very ripe laundry.... well, you get the picture.

We find that breaking up takes longer, mostly because having coffee and a leisurely if simple breakfast is a nice thing to do in an AS-- and then there's the washing up. Also, in addition to unhooking the hookups, possibly hitching up, and definitely putting up the stabilizers (we broke one once when we didn't count to 4), we have to make sure everything is road-ready (hatch down, toilet bowl drained, windows closed, nothing left at the site, and so on.) Generally we track in enough grunge to need to sweep the floor. Then there's taking out the trash, and a probable trip to the sani-dump if we don't have full hook-ups. That's not counting showering, or your early morning dog-walk.

For a quick getaway, we are hitched up the night before, and take a sack breakfast made the night before (like muffins and boiled eggs) with a thermos of coffee for the drive.

Of course we could buy breakfast somewhere, but then we have lost some of the time savings that way, also. Besides, we can stand only so many morning grease bombs at fast food restaurants.

[BetterNowlinLater]

Yes, I love the idea of the laminated check off sheet. Maybe I should add 1,2,3,4... I thought about notes stuck to the steering wheel for the really important reminders and someone else suggested placing an old wheel chock on the front seat every time he stopped and used them so not to forget to remove them.

[m.hony]

It seems like a very short time to:
1. back in
2. chock the wheels
3. plug in to shore power
4. hook up city water
5. uncouple from the truck
6. deploy steps
7. turn on air conditioner
8. turn on water heater
15 minutes or so for those basics/bare necessities- then:
9. get something to eat
10. build a campfire
11. visit others at their campsites
12. and so on and so on and scooby dooby doo-

[paulwhite]

I could get my 31AS into just about any camp sight; leveled; hooked up to services in a 1/2 hour; the longer you do it the better you should get; for people that only go out once /year it might take longer;

[mefly2]

Under 15 min to set up (including unhitching) and 20 for breakdown...wife helping.
We use a checklist (one in Eddie and one in Silver TV) - very important for pre-departure... both leaving home and leaving the camping location.