Jeremy Shakes Down the Ember Overland Series 191MDB

For years Stephanie and I have been advising RV owners to take their first "shakedown trips" at campgrounds that are close to home. Plenty of people like to pick up a new RV and head out on a big adventure. But getting a new RV can bring the most seasoned RV owners to their knees! There are new systems to learn, and there are almost always unexpected issues to deal with.

So taking a long road trip and camping in unfamiliar territory has its risks. If you stick close to home you can always just go back if there is a problem. Or you can run to your local big box store if you forget something. Camping close to home when you get a new rig is just a smart thing to do. But just like Stephanie did with her Airstream Basecamp--I disregarded our own good advice. Instead of staying close to home I went 4.5 hours away for a shakedown trip in the Ember Overland Series 191MDB.

Picking Up the Ember Overland Series 191MDB at White Horse RV Center

My new Ember Overland Series 191MDB was ready for pickup at Monday at 2pm in south Jersey.  I had a beachfront reservation at Assateague Island National Seashore for the next day. I live in central New Jersey. So I had a decision to make. I could drive 1.5 hours to my dealer, White Horse RV Center, in south Jersey and then drive the rig back home 1.5 hours for the night and then leave for Assateague Island the next day. Assateague is over 4 hours away from my house. This seemed like a lot of senseless driving to me.

So I went with another option. I decided to pick up the Ember Overland Series 191MDB in south Jersey and head straight to Lums Pond State Park in Delaware for Monday night. However, I would need to pack up EVERYTHING to outfit the new rig in the back of my truck. Then I would need to unload the truck at Lums Pond. I thought it would still be preferable to driving back home and then retracing my footsteps the next day. I left at around 12pm Monday morning with all of my stuff in the truck, and Maggie the camping dog by my side. It was exciting to get back out on the open road, and I was very excited to pick up the new rig.

To listen to Jeremy and Stephanie talk about his shakedown trip in the Ember 191MDB, click on the media player above--or subscribe to the RV Atlas wherever you get your shows.

Lums Pond State Park, Delaware

Lums Pond State Park ended up being the perfect place for an overnight stop. It was less than 1.5 hours away from my dealer, and then it would be an easy two hour tow down through Delaware to Assateague. Lums was really beautiful and it offers full hookups at state park prices. I pulled in an hour or two before dark and got everything out of the truck and into the Ember Overland 191MDB. My site was also really nice with lots of space on either side.

I picked a site next to tent camping spots because I knew there wouldn't be tent campers there in March during the week. It was a good strategy because it felt like I had a massive site. I could see the water through the trees as well. Maggie also enjoyed a nice evening walk on the trails right behind my site.

A Quiet and Peaceful Night in the New Rig

After I unpacked the truck and got the RV set up I realized that it was 9pm and I was completely starved. Unfortunately the around Lums Pond State Park is pretty quiet at night. I couldn't find something close by for dinner. So I grabbed a sub at Wawa and called it a night! I was really exhausted after a long day, and I slept like a baby in the new rig. A good sign considering that I am very sensitive to noise in RV's. The Ember Overland 191MDB is packed with tech. But it is pretty darn quiet for sleeping. For that I am very thankful!

Onwards to Assateague

I spent some time in the rig the next morning just getting myself situated, and then headed south to Assateague.