Ben Hirsch, Chief Operations Officer, and Laurie Hirsch, Human Resource Manager, the husband and wife team from Campers Inn RV, are on a four-week road trip in a Grand Design Reflection Travel Trailer. Along for the adventure are their three children Avery (10), Ellie (8) and Nick (6). Their goal is to visit 17 of the 19 Campers Inn RV locations.
Day 1 and 2: From Jacksonville, Fla., to Stone Mountain, Ga.
Ben:
For the first leg of our trip, we drove from our home in Jacksonville, Fla., to Campers Inn RV of Macon-Bryon in Byron, Ga. Our kids were excited about the adventure. We had packed the trailer on the 4th of July, and they spent the entire day in the bunkhouse imaging all the fun they were going to have.
Before we left, we decided to upgrade to a Blue Ox Sway-Pro hitch. We were happy we did. We are towing a relatively heavy trailer (over 9,000 lbs. loaded), and we experienced no sway when a tractor-trailer blew by us. I’ve towed many RVs in my lifetime, and I was glad to know our family was safe with this hitch setup.
Laurie:
Having moved nine times, Ben and I have developed a pretty good routine together. I tend to focus on the livability of a space — how well it accommodates eating, sleeping, cleaning up, etc. — and the Grand Design Reflection fits all my needs. It has large windows, plenty of storage and outlets everywhere. The color scheme is pleasing, and it’s easy to make it look just like home with a few personal touches.
The bunkhouse fits all three kids’ stuff and the shower is roomy enough for my 6-foot-tall husband. Even the small details, like the hinge for under-bed storage, are awesome. Did I mention the closet has a washer dryer hookup?
Campers Inn RV of Macon-Byron
Ben:
We pulled into Campers Inn RV of Macon-Byron just after noon. It was a busy Saturday. Customers were browsing our parts store, service was completing a delivery and our RV matchmakers were helping families find their new home-away-from-home.
I chatted with several customers, including a retired veteran who was taking delivery of a new Prime Time Crusader fifth wheel. As a veteran myself, I enjoyed connecting with him over our prior service experience.
We met another couple who were trading in their RV for a newer motorhome when Ellie started playing with their beautiful Pekepoo puppy. Then, Ellie turned into a salesperson as she explored a Prime Time Sanibel fifth wheel in the showroom. She must have made it look comfortable because another family quickly decided to make it their future RV!
Laurie:
I was amazed to see how this dealership has grown since it first opened 10 years ago. With all the improvements they’ve made over the years, you always feel welcome the minute you walk in the door.
Ben:
Catching up with the team in Bryon was great. Randy Goodwin has been in a leadership role since we opened the store, and he has created an amazing culture here. Everyone works together so well, and I could feel the positive energy in the store. I was also eager to hear feedback from our technicians about how we can improve our service operations.
Stone Mountain Park, Ga.
Ben:
After several hours speaking with customers and team members, we headed to Stone Mountain Park Campground just outside of Atlanta.
The winding roads around the lake to the campground were beautiful, and Stone Mountain looked surreal in the background. It is tough to describe, but try to picture a huge, 700-foot-high weathered rock rising out of the Atlanta terrain. We pulled in around 8 p.m., hooked up and got some dinner. The kids were excited to spend their first night in the new RV. Avery and Ellie got the top bunks, and Nick slept on the larger fold-out bottom bunk.
We began the next morning by riding the Gondola to the top of the mountain. It was a quick ride that everyone enjoyed, except Nick – he was clenching my leg in fear we were going to plummet to our doom.
The scenery was beautiful, and the sculpture carved into the mountain was in full view. Once we reached the summit, we walked around and sat on the side of the mountain to view the Atlanta skyline. Ellie decided to spend some time absorbing the warmth of the rock while the other two just sat and looked out. The weather was perfect, and Laurie loved the breeze at the top of the mountain.
After coming down, we visited the attractions in the park. By far, the highlight of the day was the SkyHike. It was a huge, three-level ropes course with dozens of obstacles that got harder as we went. Even though we were all strapped into a harness, it was still a little scary going across the various obstacles in the sky. Nick was slow at first, but he gained confidence the entire way. Avery kept right along with Laurie and me, and Ellie, our energetic firecracker, finished way ahead of the rest of us. “Did she run through the course?” we wondered.
Our energy was spent after the SkyHike, and we decided to head back to camp. We went to bed early and missed the laser show, but that was ok. Laurie and I were very happy with all the bonding time our family was having. There is nothing like camping together to create lifelong memories.
Laurie:
This state park was a great stop, and I wish we were able to stay longer. The park has some of the friendliest staff, and its conservation and environmental efforts were noticeable. I recommend buying t-shirts and honey butter as souvenirs. The kids were exhausted after rock wall climbing, playing in the dinosaur playground, watching the “4D movie” and seeing the rock. It was so nice to be able to come back to the RV, have everyone shower and sleep in our own beds.
Next week: Ben and Laurie visit our Atlanta-area stores, including our newest dealership in Acworth, Ga. Then, they travel north to Tom Stinnett’s Campers Inn RV in Louisville, Ky. Follow along to learn about our latest upgrades, our ongoing service-improvement project and more.
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