I am a new Camplite 11FK owner

Hi - my name is Tim, and trailer camping is a past time I’ve grown to enjoy more and more over the years.  However, I am fickle, actually very fickle, when it comes to owning a camper.  In a span of about 8 years, I have successively owned a T@B camper, an Airstream Bambi, another T@B camper, and another Airstream Bambi.     Not all at once, of course, and I have had good reasons, in my opinion, for parting with one, only to buy the same model a year or two later.     Friends and family think I am a little bit crazy.

Nevertheless, I am now on trailer number 5, something completely different this time, a 2015 Livin' Lite Camplite 11FK hybrid off-road camper.  It is red, very red, and I think it may easily be visible from the International Space Station.   I call it "Rudolf", or "the 11FK" for short. 

One of its biggest attractions for me is its small size: tipping the scales at around 1900 lbs. and a length of only 14’ 6”, according to the advertising specs.   I have always favored smaller trailers that are easier to tow and offer more campsite availability and maneuverability than larger campers.   It has an aluminum frame without a stitch of wood in its construction.   So it should make for easy towing up and down the mountains in the Colorado Rockies with my Nissan Xterra (tow rating 5000 lbs.).  

It is a hybrid with a tip-out canvas-covered bunk at the rear, similar to the bed configurations seen in pop-up trailers.   It is also an off-road model with relatively high clearance.  Once I get the hang of this trailer, I am looking forward to trying it out on rougher terrain without sacrificing the conveniences of an onboard toilet/shower, heater, 3-way refrigerator, and stove, not to mention the other appliances like the AC and TV that can be used with shore power.   Rough'n it?  Not so much.  I love the outdoors as long as I can take some of the indoors with me!

On the way home from the dealership, we stayed the first night at a KOA in beautiful Buena Vista, Colorado. Happy to report the 11FK performed like a champ. Although my backing-up skills are a little rusty. It took me 3 or 4 tries, but I was eventually able to angle into our campsite.  I had to remind myself of my trailer-backing mantra: "Put hand on the bottom of the steering wheel then turn the steering wheel in the direction you want the trailer to go. " Why is that so hard?

Long story short, I am excited to be back on the road again with a new camper. This blog is intended to share the (mis)adventures and trials experienced with owning the 11FK. Thanks for stopping by. I hope you will join Rudolf and me for the ride!

If you go: Buena Vista is located about 120 miles SW of Denver, and it is about a 2 1/2 hour drive. We stayed at the Buena Vista KOA, which offers many amenities such as a laundry, hot showers, flush toilets, game room, horse rides, ice cream socials, breakfast canteen, wifi, and pizza on Fri and Sat nights. The campground is mainly dirt/rock roads on a terraced and groomed hillside. Many sites have water and electricity, and some have sewer hookups. For the best unobstructed views that overlook the campground and the Arkansas Valley, I recommend sites B28, B27, and B47.