It’s torture, isn’t it? You’ve read the article on what to think about when buying an HC1 or HCT, maybe you visited the virtual showroom, you’ve contacted Happier Camper and placed your order, you have even been admitted to the Facebook group for owners (yay!) and now - you wait. And you wait. And you wait. Or at least that is what it feels like. The lead time from the time you place your order until it’s ready to be picked up or shipped to you is going to be months, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t anything you can do. There are LOTS of things you can work on as you get ready for your shiny new camper.
Search the Facebook Owners group
There is a treasure trove of great advice and ideas from the people who own a Happier Camper in the group and you can finally access it! Everything from whether the dry flush toilet is worth it (a definite yes in my opinion) to checking out the custom bar that one of our highly skilled owners built and installed with hardware he got from HC HQ, it’s a great place to while away the hours, dreaming about your first camping trip. Remember to search inside the group - chances are there is a thread already there with the information you need.
Are you ready to tow your Happier Camper?
This is an important step and even if you have a tow vehicle and a hitch, you still have to make sure you are ready. Check out this article on what to know about towing the HC1 or HCT.
About braking
There has been a spate of recent posts on the FB Owners group on this topic so let me first share the fundamentals, starting with - yes, the travel trailer comes with brakes. And yes, while you could pull your camper without hooking up the brakes, it is not recommended (I confess that we never used the camper brakes with the HC1… I know, I’m a bad person). Which brings us to the topic of brake controllers.
A brake controller is a simple concept - it triggers the brakes in the camper, based on the tow vehicle driver applying the brakes up front, through that 7-pin trailer wiring. The most popular one on the FB group looks to be the Echo Mobile Brake Controller. The Auto Brake has been noted as well so check that out too and leave a comment below if you’d like to see an article dedicated to braking.
Buying all the things you do (and don’t) need
I think kitting out the camper might be just as fun as using the camper! The lead up until your HC1 or HCT is going to be ready is a great time to think about how you want to camp and what you need to buy. We wanted to be able to walk out of the house, hitch up the camper and go with minimal fuss, so that meant having everything we need to camp ready to go and preferably already in the HC. Here are the major categories we use when making sure we are good to go:
Cooking & cleaning
Bedding & linen
Campfire stuff
Security stuff
Hooking up stuff
Toiletries
Outside the camper
Dog stuff
I know… it is a lot of stuff, but remember, we glamp. If you’d like to see an itemized list of all the stuff we have in the camper in these categories, leave a comment below and I’ll get on it.
Insurance & registration
How important the timing of this is depends on whether you are picking up your rig or having it shipped. If the former, best to call your insurance agent and get the VIN from Happier Camper so you can a plate before you get that magical email telling you it’s time for pick up!
And…
While these are the big categories to think about, there is so much more… Planning to name your camper? Want to get a decal to let everyone know what that name is? Have you thought about where you are going to store the camper in the off-season? Inside or out? If out, best start shopping for a camper cover if you aren’t going with one from HC! Are you getting the solar kit? If not, best start researching generators. The list goes on and on and it’s part of the fun of getting ready to receive your Happier Camper - enjoy it!
Let me know in the comments below if there’s something you are interested in hearing more about -