New RV – New Adventures. RV and Campground Review

So we picked up our new Cub 175BH last Wednesday, just in time to take it to Fort Langley this past weekend to lovely Brae Island Regional Park. Not sure why this was our first trip here. just 45-minutes east of Vancouver, it is a lovely alcove nestled inside historic Fort Langley. From here, it is a stones throw into the historic fort, the Fort to Fort Trail, or visiting artisan shops in the town. Other popular activities include biking and hiking area trails, as well as kayaking and other paddle sports.

The campground is large, owned by Metro Vancouver Regional District and management is contracted out. It is clean and well laid out, entering through a gate house where you check in, you are also provided a scan card for in/out access at the main gate. We were in K17, a site providing water and 30/15 amp electrical access. There is a convenient sani-dump that is free for registered guests. There are also plenty of full-service sites offering either 50 amp or 30 amp electrical service. The check-in process was smooth and finding out site equally so. We were also provided a schedule of weekend activities happening for the kids. This weekend was Outer Space themed with their partners at the HR McMillan Space Centre.

Similar to many private campgrounds, the sites are packed pretty close together, with minimal to no privacy. A good opportunity to meet other like-minded campers, but can go either way. On one side our neighbour struck up a conversation right away, and on the other, they put up a privacy screen. To each their own!

Of disappointing note, Metro Vancouver opted to not replace their aging pool this year, and as such, the pool is permanently closed and filled in. There is a centre stage where they do various activities, an activity building, playground (albeit a bit aged), convenient and easy trails throughout and around Brae Island. There was no shortage of activities nonetheless. Maddy was also excited to be provided an FRS radio and being allowed to explore the immediate campground loop on her own and meet new friends, which she met many of throughout the weekend!

A little stroll into Fort Langley town took us to a quaint little sushi restaurant called Tokyo Garden Japanese Restaurant. Given the geographic area, it was fairly decent in quality but at a price we definitely couldn’t complain about. There are few Sushi restaurants that will give you Vancouver pricing out in the valley.

While extremely convenient with proximity, access to fun and family friendly activities, this campground is LOUD! Beware, a train will pass nearby every 20-30 minutes during the day, sometimes you get a bit more reprieve. They also come at night, just not nearly as often. And if its not trains, there are plenty of planes! Nearby Langley Municipal Airport and Pitt Meadows Airport puts lots of student pilots in the skies above us.

Overall, we’d give this campground a 7 out of 10. Its convenient and beautiful location is shrouded by constant noise and the loss of its pool.

The Cub

The review of the cub will be relatively brief as this is our first run with it. So, access to and maneuvering into the site were relatively easy despite the extra 5 feet in length and 1.5 feet in width we are now towing. Setup was equally simple, with only the added step of detaching the E2 Weight Distribution Hitch (will review more in-depth later on) being added onto my setup process. The site was already quite level, and the electric awning is a little convenience we never thought we’d appreciate so much!

Our Camco 30 amp circuit analyzer (Link below) got its first use as well (went first season without one, oops!), showing us the site was properly wired, and the added surge protection provides peace of mind. Another first on this trip was the Camco water filter, another item overlooked last year for extra peace of mind. Don’t forget your pressure reducer to prevent burst pipes in the rig!

Click here for Camco 30 amp Surge Protector on Amazon

Camco TastePURE RV Water Filter on Amazon

The first thing we noticed and love about the Cub is the extra width makes a world of difference. Three of us getting dressed at the same time, while Jacob was sleeping, without bumping elbows! At breakfast the next morning, both kids eating at the dinette made clean up a breeze, and kept Jacob’s dirty hands off our bed sheets (we didn’t want to eat at the picnic table).

The added Bluetooth stereo system is also a nice feature. With two speakers inside and two outside, we have the option to isolate to one or the other, play FM radio, or straight off the iPad via Bluetooth. We also opted to mount a 24″ LED TV for the particularly rainy days, which saw no use this weekend.

The Cub is also lit up galore! Both inside and out we have a multitude of lighting options including stabilizer lights, the A/C will be a nice touch for when we have shore power on hot summer trips. The furnace ran well, heating up the whole trailer within minutes, and the hot water heater on this rig has both a gas and electric option. The fridge is double compared to what we used to have and they even threw in a nifty milk container cut-out that fits a 4L jug perfectly. Once setup and on 30 amp power, we switched it over to electric power seamlessly.

The queen bed is a nice touch for us, and an added mattress topper makes it almost as comfy as home. The bed is quiet in contrast to our Profil, with one less noise to wake Jacob up from his slumber. Maddy loves having easier access to her bunk, and now has her own window so she can “spy” during the day. The Cub is also pre-wired for solar, which we will be testing out on longer, no service trips later this summer.

While just starting out with our Cub, we do believe this will be a strong love relationship. I’ve asked Maddy to think of some names for the Cub, we’ll let you know what she comes up with! Next trip July 5-7 at Golden Ears Provincial Park before we go on a week long adventure to the Interior.