We can officially call the trailer ours now that we’ve given it its first battle scar. But it could’ve been much, much worse. When checking out the forest service campground at Silver Lake East, we came a bit too close to the trees. More than once. Luckily, we only put a good sized mark on our awning. It didn’t even tear through. But I’m actually surprised we didn’t rip the whole thing off. At one point prior, I looked back to see another tree about to rip off out range hood vent. That’s when I decided to take it a bit slower and to never get ourselves into a similar situation ever again.

It didn’t help to be confronted head-on with a big diesel pusher coming through the campground loop in the wrong direction. I guess we were both pretty dumb. Or stupid. Thankfully he realized I wasn’t about to turn around. So a few words of advice for checking out campgrounds where you are not certain you will fit:

• Park the rig and walk the entire loop first to see if any spots are available and that you can maneuver your rig all the way.
• Have your navigator get out and walk behind the rig to communicate any unseen obstructions.
• Use walkie talkies to communicate with each other when maneuvering and backing up.
• Know your limitations.

And here’s one more tip for tight spots from Campground Manager Jim at Silver Lake West: Measure the pull rod for your awning against your slide-out when fully extended and use it to identify any obstructions that might be too close.