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How long it takes to breakdown camp and take off


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Last week I saw the question asked on a Facebook group, “ How long does it take to pack up camp and leave?” I decided to film and time my tear down as I had to move anyway and these are my results. Some video got corrupted so I could not make the video I was hoping for so no need to watch the entire thing but if you do Thankyou!

 

 

Jed Arnold

2015 flagstaff V-lite 28WRBS
2x Battle Born Lithium batteries
2000 watt Ames inverter/charger
King Quest DirecTV sattelite

2011 Ram 1500 Quad Cab Big Horn 4x4 for tow vehicle

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Well, I find the longer we stay in one spot, the longer it takes. Last job a year long and we we're 2 days getting out. All fairness though, I was busy being set up for new job, safety council, weld testing, etc. DW was alone with this. We have way too much stuff also.

2003 Teton Grand Freedom towed with 2006 Freightliner Century 120 across the beautiful USA welding pipe.https://photos.app.goo.gl/O32ZjgzSzgK7LAyt1

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5 minutes ago, GlennWest said:

Well, I find the longer we stay in one spot, the longer it takes. Last job a year long and we we're 2 days getting out. All fairness though, I was busy being set up for new job, safety council, weld testing, etc. DW was alone with this. We have way too much stuff also.

I'll agree with that^ .

We just finished a Summer ( 6 month ) commitment . I started getting things ready for the road a good week before we left . 

But , I like to take my time . 

When just an over night stay , it takes maybe 10 - 15 minutes , without rushing .

Goes around , comes around .

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I would say 10-15 also. Maybe less when in travel mode. Biggest time consumer, at least it feels like it, is prepping the toad. Need to run it for 3 minutes in neutral. DW is faster at breaking down camp than I am but she will multi-task. I tend to single thread.

We also review out checklist before we take off.......................very important.

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As others have stated the longer in one spot the longer it takes to get going. Even when we are in travel mode it depends on whether or not we unhitch or have hooked up to sewer. If we do not have to unhook from sewer or re-hitch to truck we can get going in about 15 minutes. Rarely, however, are we in that big of a hurry preferring a more relaxed start which sets us up for a more relaxed day of travel. 

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It takes slightly less time to break camp than it did to set up camp. It doesn't matter if you stayed a night or a month. Pay attention to how long it took you to set up then you'll know how long to plan to break down.

When I was not towing a car and only plugging in electric it went very fast. In that scenario it actually took me a bit longer to secure the inside than to do the outside. If I needed to dump and fill I usually did that the night before departure because filling takes a long time if you use filters.

Linda Sand

Blog: http://sandcastle.sandsys.org/

Former Rigs: Liesure Travel van, Winnebago View 24H, Winnebago Journey 34Y, Sportsmobile Sprinter conversion van

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From the time we get up and take care of everything (breakfast, dogs, tear down, and hook-up) to the time we literally pull out is usually about two hours.  Other tasks that may have to be accomplished like tire pressures, lubrication, torques, etc., are performed the day before.

Rex & Karen

Libre y pobre en La Casa Rodante

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We considered not just the amount for time but the "ease" or lack thereof in setup and takedown. When it's not the 2 of us, I solo for part of the year. I am very comfortable handling the Class C with toad by myself. The night before departure, I stow the bike inside the CRV and put away the chairs, grill etc. If the awning is dry, I'll retract it after sundown. Then I need 1 hour to pack up, connect and go.

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On travel days, we set the alarm for 2.5 hours before our desired departure time... but almost two hours of that is for breakfast, coffee, and headlines. During the last 30 or 40 minutes, I'm doing the outside stuff (satellite antenna, water and sewer lines) while my wife finishes the inside tasks. It takes less than ten minutes to actually pull in the slides, back the truck under, and raise the landing gear. Obviously, if there's a real need to get the heck out of Dodge (like an approaching winter storm last year), we can get going a lot faster!

Rob

2012 F350 CC LB DRW 6.7
2020 Solitude 310GK-R, MORryde IS, disc brakes, solar, DP windows
Full-time since 8/2015

 

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We have never timed ourselves.I know that when we are overnighting we are up at about 7Am and on the road by 9/9:30.We do not rush. We are in no hurry.We have been doing the RV thing for 20 years plus so we kind of know the routine.

Helen and I are long timers ..08 F-350 Ford,LB,CC,6.4L,4X4, Dually,4:10 diff dragging around a 2013 Montana 3402 Big Sky

SKP 100137. North Ridgeville, Ohio in the summer, sort of and where ever it is warm in the winter.

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We always dump the night before, so the hoses are stored and often we also unhook water and run off of the tank for the night.  Same holds true for when it is an overnight stop.   For overnights we don't bother putting out the front slide, just the bedroom slide.   Taking down the tripod/satellite dish is probably the longest chore outside.  Inside, it is just a matter of making sure all drawers/doors are closed, bringing in the bedroom slide, securing things then starting up after last coffee is secured.   Like most everyone has said, we are in no hurry so departure is usually between 9 and 10 am and we stop about 4 hours later.

Barb & Dave O'Keeffe
2002 Alpine 36 MDDS (Figment II), 2018 Ford C-Max HYBRID
Blog: http://www.barbanddave.net
SPK# 90761 FMCA #F337834

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Dumping, putting away the lawn chairs, BBQ. etc. the night before does not decrease the time it takes to break camp it just spreads it out.

The most time consuming aspect for us is stowing all the things that we have used like the ice maker, satellite dish, satellite receiver, TVs, computers, external wifi antennae, water hose, sewer hose, electric cord, leveling jacks, etc. If we have unhooked then of course we have to hookup the trailer. While not something everyone does, I check tire pressures, check the trailer lug nuts, check the trailer break lights and turn signals.

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How long does it take? I say it depends on the situation. Normally a couple hours. Having coffee and slowly putting things where they belong. However when the sheriff stopped by and said there is a very large storm with possibility of tornado coming within the hour. GET OUT. We were gone 10 minutes or so. There were several of us 2 campers and 2 tents. We were only 12 miles from home so everyone came to our place and we had burgers and beer in the shop and watched the storm. It did take a few hours the next day to sort through everything and put it away properly.

Farmer, Trucker, Equipment operator, Mechanic

Quando omni flunkus moritati-When all else fails, play dead
I'm a man, but I can change, if I have to, I guess.

 

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We give ourselves an hour but it really takes around 45 minutes from the time I get up from my chair till we are driving off.

However, as someone already mentioned, there is actually more time given to getting ready to move than what we do the morning of the move.  Usually the evening prior we put our outdoor rug away, dump black water, put the PVC clothes drying rack away, lube the hitch, etc.  Also, inside there are things we do like clear the kitchen table, sweep, and, in general straighten things up.  Even as I'm getting ready for bed I take my evening meds and put the pill holder away for travel.

Of course, all I just described from the night before can be done in 15 minutes.

If I put it all together, I'd say it takes an hour total on the average.

Our "Here and There" Blog

 

2005 Safari Cheetah Motorhome

 

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We're full-timers, so we're always going from one campsite to another. The big awning is never out unless we're home AND it isn't windy. The little awnings stay out whenever we're in a campsite unless it gets really windy (>25 mph). The night before we leave I put away as much outside stuff as I can. On travel day, after we've finished breakfast and I've washed the dishes, I go out and do anything else that I can while Jo Ann is finishing putting away the inside stuff. When we're about 15 minutes from departure I start the Detroit, followed by the generator. Then I go out, turn off the breaker, and unplug. By that time the air is up enough that the coach is, if not completely ready to roll, at least it is off of the tires, so the tire covers are ready to be put away. I do one more outside check, then come in and double check that everything inside is ready to go. Since we're usually in a back-in site Jo Ann moves the Jeep out of the way and I take the coach to where we will hook up. Hooking up takes only a couple of minutes, and then we're on the way.

I prefer to dump when we arrive, and I don't let the water tank get all that low before refilling anyway, so dealing with hoses isn't something that I have to do when leaving.

One time we did have to leave quickly. We were in a State park near a river and were going to be there for a week. We arrived in the afternoon and got set up. No one said anything about any potential problems. The next morning about 6 a.m. the ranger was knocking on our door. The river was rising, and everyone had to be gone by noon. We ate breakfast a bit quicker than normal, did our normal departure routine, and were pulling out shortly after 8. We didn't bother hooking up the Jeep, as we were just going across town to another park.

David Lininger, kb0zke
1993 Foretravel U300 40' (sold)
2022 Grand Design Reflection 315RLTS

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We are full timers, and it usually takes us 3 hours from the time we roll out of bed to the time the coach wheels start rolling.  Part of that time is showering, shaving, walking the dogs, checking mail, etc. 

 

Also, there is a significant portion of time allotted to loading the kayaks on the roof rack of the toad and tying them down.  This part of the breaking camp procedure (and the embarkment procedure) has resulted in much discussion between the wife and I.  In fact, the wife discusses the kayaks with other people.  As many people as possible. 

 

Most of those discussions involve suggestions that the kayaks could be sold at a cheap price, or they could mysteriously disappear during the dark hours of the night.  For some vague reason, I am thinking my wife doesn't really like the kayaks that we've been hauling around for the past 2 years.  I don't quite understand this, as she seemed to enjoy paddling around with them for 15 minutes the one time I convinced her to get them in water. 

Mike and Retha Hopkins

2014 Fleetwood Discovery 40G

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This morning, from the time we were awakened by our 4 legged alarm clocks, it was 1hour 15 minutes to rolling out of the park.  This included 2 showers, coffee, breakfast- eggs-sausage, close the inside and secure everything, water, sewer, power, grill, and propane tank, slides in, hooked up and pulling out of our spot.... only to reverse back into our spot, plug power in, lower SAT antenna, wind power cord back up, and resume pulling out of our site.  When we got to the end of our row, Chris and Stacey (13speed) came out for a chat.  They have a beautiful rig!  So actually leaving the park took another 45 minutes....

Alie & Jim + 8 paws

2017 DRV Memphis 

BART- 1998 Volvo 610

Lil'ole 6cyl Cummins

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I'm a minimalist and don't leave much outside, plus I seldom have full hookups.  Also, I drive a motorhome without a toad, so no hitching anything up.  I put my single outside chair away the night before and never go to sleep with my awning out. So, all I have to do is put in my slides, stow my TV, toss any loose items into sink, unplug electric and unhook water hose and I am ready to go.  Breakfast is usually after I have been driving an hour or is a McDonald's breakfast sandwich on the way.

If you timed me, I could be packed up and headed to dump station in 5-7 minutes.  Dumping tanks might take another 10 minutes.

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We try to do ready preparedness the night before. We are fulltimers and usually stay a week but often just 2-4 days. We don't put much outside cause seems most places midwest to east coast are buggy. I am a big hater of bugs. I am highly allergic to bee and wasp bites. (I have epipens) Mosquitos do a great job on me too...I get giant welts from them. Being this past year was our first fulltime year. We discovered a lovely bug called NoSeeUm. Well, I SAW UM...right after each one bit me. My husband says I must be super sweet cause everything bites me.

The pups are pure white with super pink skin so I have to be careful as white dogs with real pink skin get sunburn easy and react bad to bites.

So we don't do outside alot. Only pack up out there is grill (once cooled off) that hubby cooked dinner or lunch on and one or two chairs sometimes. If we were there a week, he will remove tire covers, mirror and wiper covers. Hook up toad if we disconnected. Premake dogs food up so can feed on the road as they eat 3 small meals a day.

Check out is normally noon, sometimes 11am. We are night owls so we use up all the time they give us. We don't eat breakfast so, his job is, unhook all wet bay goods. Put down Antenna. Both our TV's stow into cabinets electronically so I put them on and stow last. So the dogs think things are normal. They don't like pack up, they are senior and makes them stressed.

I make sure ice maker and induction cooker is stowed. Cabinets/drawers secure. 2 Fans we store on bed as well as 2 air purifiers. I secure inside of frig, outside of frig with U bar. Now stow TV's, Hubby goes on roof to check slides (and awning if it was out) for leaves, water etc and cleans. I close up 2 large slides and 2 small slides....setup pets beds for riding. Hubby unplugs electric, I start engine and get it warming up, lift levelers, quick check our list....ON THE ROAD AGAIN!

All total takes us together on pull out day....between 20 and 60 mins, depending on the variables.

When we first started in May....it took us 2-3 hours to pack up and go and took us 2 days to setup...lol

Blessed Travels,
Judi, John, Peanut and DeJae' (Our baby girl DeJae passed 7/21/2019)

 

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