So this happened . . .

Code Red

Adventurist
As I get more antique, I find that the backpack makes less sense and a little more comfort is not to be scoffed at. A few amenities also persuade my sweetheart to come out there in the colder seasons and thus make for more trips. So after many many years of resistance, I took the plunge.

2019 Turtleback Adventure. It's the cheapest one they sell, with a few options like trailer brakes and a spare tire carrier, but the tent setup allows for stand-up headroom, a place to get out of the weather, and a place for the pooch. Otherwise its a blank slate with a big empty box, a tent, a little lighting, and a battery in the nose box (which I banged up unloading it grrrrrr). There are a few ports on the side for the water fill and accessories that come on the model with the kitchen, and they threw in the bottle opener for free. My understanding is that you can add the kitchen later. We kept it empty at this point because we kinda like being able to cook where we want, and a folding table is easier to move than a trailer. We'll use it a while and see what evolves.

Dave and the guys at Turtleback were great to deal with. I got lots of personal attention and several calls with the owner despite the fact that I was ordering off the bottom end of their price scale. All we've done so far is set it up to make sure all the parts are there, but the quality and attention to detail appear to be every bit as good as their reputation suggests.

Setup - for 2 people who had never done it before and refuse to use instructions - took about 10 minutes from unhooking the trailer to walking in the tent. But we didn't level it side to side, or stake anything out. We were just taking inventory, and not in a hurry. That doesn't prove anything, but I'm optimistic. Tear down was maybe 15. As expected, the tent cover was most of the operation in both directions. But its at rib-height, and soooooo much easier than one on top of a roof rack.

We did not try to set up the (included in the base price) additional room. It extends off the back and appears to double the size under canvas, but I'm told it takes a more time and foul language to set up. We'll try it out this weekend and see. The base setup is bigger than anything we've ever used, so I'm not sure how often the additional room will get set up. But it would have been nice for those 3-4 days of liquid sunshine at Expo East.

Also had some drama getting it off the trailer, but that's a story for another day. We'll get it out to play this weekend.

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2019-03-26 - First Setup.jpg
 
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