Winter is almost here, and that of course means putting away the summer toys. I brought up the r-pod last December and we had arraignments to store it outside next to Renee's work in Anchorage. I didn't really like the camper being exposed to the snow and ice all winter, so this year I decided to give the Alaska Fairgrounds another try.
I had previously stored the boat out at the fairgrounds in 2011. I had no issues with doing this, except for the fact that load-in day is in the first part of October, and load-out day is around the 15th of May. I didn't like having to wait until mid-May to get the boat out. The boating season is short enough as it is, and I don't like to wait. Shrimping starts April 15th, and by the time the boat is out and ready for the water, we've lost a whole month! I made other arraingments for the boat (see Goodnight boat, 9/13), but the camper is not as time sensitive.
Storing the camper was one of the last items on my "to-do" list before the big international trip. There were two days assigned to load-in (Fri & Sat), and Renee suggested that I get there sooner rather than later. I took the morning off from work to pull the rig out to Palmer (about an hour away) where the fairgrounds are. There was a flurry of activity going on, but I must have been in between groups of people loading in their summer recreational vehicles, as I didn't feel rushed and no one was behind me waiting to load. I had a few minutes to talk with the guys from the fairgrounds helping with load-in. The said that I made the right decision bringing the rig in early. The "first come" people get the best spots towards the back of the barn where the effects of the ferocious winds are minimal. Since the r-pod was so small, and I was there early, they decided to put me in a totally enclosed area of the barn where normally they show the giant cabbages during the Alaska State Fair.
I always hate storing my "toys" off site, but there is no room at the Inn, and this is a great alternative to anything uncovered in Anchorage. The price is actually reasonable for covered storage, and I know it is secure. That morning I completed the required winterization of the rig, so I drove away pretty confident that the camper would be in the same condition as when I dropped it off. Come May, we will be ready to hit the beaches of Seward, and all we should really have to do is pick it up, load some food, and head on down the Seward Highway!
This is a BIG barn. During the fair it is filled with antique tractors, farm animals, and giant vegetables. The fair is smart to utilize this building in the winter for storage, otherwise I imagine it would sit empty for half the year. It was amazing to see how they loaded all of the big rigs for winter. One of the staff there describe it like playing Tetris. With all of "toys" being put away for winter there has to be a system to make sure there is no wasted space. There were some big boats, lots of motorhomes and campers. Some people were even storing their camper and truck in the barn. Nice structure to keep the snow off and minimize the effects of the wind. The barn was paved two years ago, making it even nicer.
This area is adjacent to the large main room. Large equipment won't fit here due to the low roof. I was lucky to be early. This is a prime storage area. During the fair this area is filled with chickens, rabbits, pigs and ducks. Funny to see it empty now. Does smell better though. I like this area because it is totally enclosed and will suffer zero effects from the wind. If you look carefully you can see the r-pod on the right tucked in next to a 24' Tollycraft boat. The camper is in good company. Goodnight camper, see you in six months!!
