Griswolds in the making

Since you are now introduced to BJ & Shanna’s family and have seen pics of what seems to be the start of a perfect road trip with their new RV, it is time to see their Griswold moments. As novice campers, they are learning the “RV ravages of the road”, and have learned sadly what can happen in a split second.

Day 3 started with the first damage to their new travel trailer. As BJ said, “I could have waited a little longer to have the camper damaged.” Excited for the day’s travels, he leaned the level up against the trailer and started to hook up the truck to the trailer. As he lowered it onto the hitch the level crunched the side. A loud squeaking sound and uggg….the first damage. Thank goodness no major damage…yet.

A little disappointed, but they wipe their frowns away and head on down the road. They figure “hey, that is why we purchased insurance.” RV Insurance is something we will discuss in a future blog, and I am sure BJ will be able to share all he experiences when filing his claims. Yes, I said claims because this is just the beginning.

Traveling through bad weather is always expected, however, the severe winds and rains they encountered in Minnesota, South Dakota and Montana was much more than they wanted to experience. They have hunkered down in Florida through several hurricanes, but being in a travel trailer during bad storms or pulling one down the road, that is a whole different story.

First, the extreme wind quickly blew the awning off the side of the trailer, damaging the roof and the air conditioner. The wind and rain was so severe they didn’t even realize the awning was ripped off the side. To be highly entertained, you will want to hear BJ’s & Shanna’s story in their own words, please watch…..AND SUBSCRIBE https://youtu.be/k58qtKPtAtM

As soon as possible, BJ did some of his fancy repairs to seal up the holes. It wasn’t pretty but he hoped it would keep the rain out. He was very satisfied with his hard work and ingenuity!

At this point, the roof and awning will have to be totally replaced, but at least the truck has gone unscathed…until some nice person dances into BJ’s lane, and BAM…damages the truck mirror. Thank goodness he has cameras to backup that trailer. Still, BJ will not let all this dampen his spirit, he is happy and having a great time.

Then more bad storms and hail. Really??? Now the hood of the truck and the trailer looks like they were ambushed with pellet guns.

Bad enough that they will have at least 4 deductibles for the damages to the truck and trailer, but poor BJ did not remain unscathed either. He did not escape the ravages of bad fast food and somehow he fell on the trailer stairs and they won.

Just two days from home and one of the tires on the trailer is pretty much destroyed. We met up with them and our son-in-law helped change the tire since BJ did not have a jack that would work. Although we hated to see them incur more hiccups to their trip, we were happy to share some time and get some highlights of the Griswold moments and invite you to see some of the “not so much fun” part of the trip on our youtube channel.

For all us wannabe Camper Crazy individuals, the lesson we learned is that we need to be “prepared for the unexpected”. When purchasing a new RV, most RV retailers require the new buyer to learn everything about their new RV in a class before they can take their camper home. Whether they discuss what to do when encountering damages from storms or what products to use to make temporary repairs, we are not sure. We will research and share in a future blog. At a minimum we can see a good first aid kit is a must. If purchasing an RV from an individual, a novice Camper Crazy buyer should review our future blogs for tips on what to purchase for situations like BJ and Shanna encountered. Perhaps a visit to a local RV store to inquire as to what to buy to be prepared for a first RV trip, (especially if you are planning to go in remote areas) is probably a good idea. Better safe than sorry as they say, because of course, we all want to be “Happy Campers”, just like Jax.

Their baby Jax has some special needs and the travel trailer worked out very well for Jax. He was able to get down and play on the camper floor once they parked each day, and a reason to purchase an RV. They did not want Jax crawling around on the nasty floors of hotel rooms. Carrying suitcases and baby equipment into hotels every night and day for 30 days was not something Shanna was looking forward to either.

With all the challenges to their trip, Shanna said, “I liked it much more than I thought I would,” and BJ said, “If Shanna said, ‘okay lets turn around and go back out west – I would say, ” LETS GO!!!”

Mark & I have now visited two camper sales stores close to our location and will be asking questions and posting what we learn. Planning on visiting a couple this week in Alabama and Mississippi. Will be asking lots of questions and posting info on future blogs.

Don’t forget to subscribe to our youtube channel and watch the video at: https://youtu.be/k58qtKPtAtM


New Camper Crazy Family

Excitement and adventure is their dream as they load up their new Grey Wolf trailer by Forest River and leave the heat of Florida for the cool Canadian landscape. The camper layout is great for their family with a Queen bed and twin corner bunks and nice sized pantry. Purchased new from Camping World they are ready to be Camper Crazy World Travelers. https://www.campingworld.com/ Learn more about Forest River Grey Wolf trailers at:

https://forestriverinc.com/rvs/travel-trailers/grey-wolf?RegionSelected=1

However, if we look closely at their smiles and eyes, Shanna seems somewhat apprehensive and Mia has a grimace radiating a little fear…is her dad a bad driver or is she just dreading this trip? BJ, Colton and Jax look genuinely happy and ready to set-off and leave Central Florida for their first stop in Stone Mountain, Ga.

The first day took longer than they expected. They had to make extra stops for the baby so they arrive to the site late in the day. They decide that they must get up earlier in the mornings and get things wrapped up so they can reach their campsites while still daylight, although they all realize it just isn’t in their nature to be early birds. Every stop has been carefully mapped out by Shanna using RV Trip Wizard. http://rvtripwizard.com The website touts itself as the Best RV Trip Planner. Shanna, following the suggestion of mid-life crisis couple Chuck & Dana, signs up and plans her trip. We will find out later if RV Trip Wizard is all it says it is.

Days 1-6

The first couple days are just casual driving through the hills of Georgia and Tennessee heading to Minnesota. First few days are very enjoyable.

Kids are not miserable and in fact Mia and Jax are quite happy traveling through each state. Colton is not totally bored, but then…his internet access has not been interrupted too much. So all is well for now.

Not sure how BJ is living without his Starbucks drive through coffee. Do you think he brews Starbucks in the camper?

The circle of love – so far a great family trip. Look at those happy smiles. We will get Shanna & BJ’s comments about the campsites they stayed in a little later and will post on our YouTube Channel.

As we can see BJ is ready to do some laundry. They purchased a portable washer and dryer. We don’t have the details, as of yet as to how well they work. However, they store the washer under the main bed and haul the dryer in the back of their pickup. We did not realize they made such portable washers and dryers but are anxious to find out more about them, since I am not a fan of using laundromats. He looks so happy doing the laundry. I wish my husband looked like that when I ask him to throw some towels in the washer. Unfortunately, strong winds and hazardous steps cause some Camper Crazy drama. Stay tuned for future blogs. In the meantime, enjoy a video of their trip so far @ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DmijHYW2QGI&t=19s

What is all the Buzz about???

Camping, Glamping & the World of Recreational Vehicles

“Oh, the places you’ll go!” Dr. Seuss

My husband calls me Camper Crazy because I have been nagging him for the past 3 years to buy an RV.  I keep pitching the idea that we should live full-time in an RV when we retire… just a few years away! 

However, he thinks I am Crazy…Irrational…and just plain NUTS!  My husband is a workaholic and not one that likes to try new things.   The thought of buying a camper totally stresses him out.  So we have decided that we need to entrench ourselves in finding the pros and cons of camping and glamping and figure out which RV would work best for our circumstances and our future goals. 

We have visited many blog sites and watched 100’s of videos on different types of RVs…..MANY ARE SO BORING. Plus, they have done nothing to convince my husband that an RV is something we need to buy, let alone live in.  Let’s face it, you can only watch so many RV Salespeople showing you the features of an RV and then you find yourself…. snoring and dribbling spit on your pillow.

This site is a multi-family combined effort featuring the World of Camping, Glamping and Recreational Vehicles.  Why should YOU subscribe to our blog and follow us on You Tube?  Because we will give you the  Buzz of info to be off and running as another CAMPER CRAZY, FUN LOVING INDIVIDUAL!

  • We will follow some RV trips of new campers and experienced campers.  We will share their likes and dislikes, pros and cons. 
  • We will learn the dos and don’ts – tips and tricks – and share Hilarious, Outrageous  stories!!!   
  • What kind of RV works best for young families, working couples, seniors, and single people?  A CLASS; B CLASS, C CLASS?  No we are not talking about school for you non-campers.
  • But wait…Mark and I have been involved in construction all our lives.  In fact, we volunteer a lot of our time in helping with disaster relief work.  Wow….you would think he would want an RV to be able to do more in this type of work. 

Is retrofitting an older camper more logical, economical and conducive to a more attractive interior?  We may be retiring in a few years but I don’t want our RV to be classified as a Grandpa’s or Grandma’s Camper.  Jeez, that is why we call ourselves Pa and Gigi to our granddaughters.  If you didn’t know…Gigi is a grandmother but so much cooler!  So, for me a Cool Awesome Camper is absolutely a necessity. Plus, my 8 year old granddaughter would never want to vacation in an ugly camper with her Gigi. Gigi & Derby Adventures are never boring and are very cool.

  • What do we buy for our RV, when we determine which one to buy? After all, we want our married children and their families to travel with us on family vacations.  Our son, Shane is so much like his father and thinks RESORT = NO RV.  But his wife Kelli, would love joining us on RV trips.  Our daughter Summer is with me.  She would love to get an RV and is trying to sweet talk her husband Garth so maybe…just maybe they can join in on the family fun with our grandbaby Cookie.
  • And what about food?  What meals are the healthiest and easiest to make on the road? 
  • What campsites are the best?
  • We will also share pics and videos of areas you may want to visit and more!

This site is dedicated to finding the answers and featuring REAL LIFE CAMPERS in REAL LIFE (sometimes messy) RVs.  Most of all, it is dedicated to helping everyone become Camper Crazy!!! 

Next up….The First Time RV Family

                YOU DON’T WANT TO MISS THIS…A young couple with 3 kids on their first RV trip from Florida to Canada, driving a Ford F-250 pulling a new Grey Wolf Travel Trailer, (their rig on top of blog page).   So far, this trip falls somewhere between the movie RV and the National Lampoon Griswold Family. If anything can go wrong on this trip, so far it has.

Stay tuned to the adventures of Brent (B.J.) & Shanna, with the teenage son who likes video games and computers, the 9 year old daughter who likes to run 5k races with her mom and their adorable baby who has some special needs and the motivation for BJ to purchase an RV.

And then….Chuck & Dana

                A mid-aged (mid-life crisis maybe?) couple with 3 married children:  their eldest son and his wife and their travel friendly puppy, Tokyo catch up with their parents in California and travel up the coast, then they will be joined by their daughter, an Irish dance instructor and her husband.

Chuck and Dana are traveling from Florida to Vancouver on a six week trip in their brand new Winnebago View.  Their children are taking turns flying in to travel different legs on the trip with their parents.  This trip got off to a rough start, but the pics and videos are amazing.  You won’t want to miss being a part of this trip.

Traveling with them on this trip are her parents:

                Danny & Mary Ellen, who are Totally Experienced Glampers to the Extreme!  From previously traveling in a coach fit for a King and Queen, to now traveling in a new Pleasure-way Class B, they offer so many tips and tricks.  But, don’t let their fancy lifestyle fool you.  Danny is also an experienced Kayaker and Hiker.  He is a true camper and can help us learn the best items to use when camping in a small tent in the wild…yes with wild bears and snakes and bugs of every sort.  You can check out some of his hiking trips on YouTube @ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ngBadyvqGEM

So, now we are off…let the Adventure begin….join us at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-KjzYdmcJRpcRS3AAEEjQA and subscribe to join the fun. Our goal each week is gaining 100 subscribers to our channel and our blog. Can you help us reach that goal?

Please subscribe on the Blog Home page so you can get all the Camper Crazy Buzz!

Welcome to Camper Crazy Buzz!

This site is dedicated to all things camping, glamping and RVing…

We are Mark and Emily, married 45 years…and yes, all that time to each other!

Reaching another phase in our life, it is time for another adventure. Unfortunately, we are at a by-pass and not sure which direction to go…. we may be… OMG Senior Citizens (tough to even say), but in our minds we are still 17. I am ready to buy that RV, travel and live full-time in it once I retire, but Mark says….hmmm I don’t know about that.

After 4 years of dragging him through RV Shows and RV Campgrounds, we finally did it! We bought our first RV trailer. And of course, we did it the year of a PANDEMIC. Well I am not ready to retire just yet, so this year we may not travel much but we will continue to make plans and learn. Oh, and I forgot….my husband only agreed because he needs a travel trailer for his business. So much for my vacation paradise!