Home Team, Combined Driving
This was a test of concept. Many places that have enough space for cross-country or marathon courses are a long way from civilization, or at least the nearest cheap hotel. With a half-hour drive, checking on a horse after dinner becomes an hour-long project.
Set-up was simplicity itself. Pulled up next to a spigot. Attached the hose we brought. Rinsed the back. Inflated the air mattresses with our electric pump plugged into the truck. Lay them down. Threw down sleeping bag/blankets. Done.
Food was a combination of eating out of coolers and eating at restaurants. Still a work in progress.
We had a blast this time. We’ll see how it goes.
Pro
Location. Being able to check the horse early & late. Napping for a few minutes after lunch. Getting up early. Sleeping in.
Money. Saved.
Weather. We totally lucked out.
Packing. Everything is always with you. No unloading at the hotel. No deciding what comes with you to the show & what stays in the hotel. When you leave, no repacking. Simply shove everything back in the trailer.
Independence. We didn’t have to move lockstep for eating, sleeping, or horse-checking.
Con
Lights. The parking lot lights stayed on until 12:30 am.
Electricity. Battery operated lights for living. The problem was charging our devices. We had to remember to do so during the day.
Weather-preparedness. We had none. Hot. Cold. Rain. Our main back-up plan was to scamper to a hotel. In fact, we had purchased the air mattresses for Milton’s Tennessee driving show [Not a Post]. Then we found out the forecast was for below freezing. That’s a big nope.
Meh
Things that should bother me but don’t.
Sleeping where my horse poops. Meh. I’ve slept in worse places.
Walking through the barn in my PJs to the shower. Meh. T-shirt & sleep pants. While the outfit was obviously sleepware, it was as decent – and cleaner – than what I had worn the rest of the day.
Seeing other people sleeping on the grounds in fancy RVs. Meh. Good on them. A separate rig would mean two drivers. Coming home on Saturday evening it was nice to have two people in the truck. Particularly when we finally lost the rain lottery and Greg found himself piloting a trailer, in the dark, late at night, in a downpour.
Thank you for reading,
Katherine Walcott
Virtual Brush Box 
Fascinating!
I’ve done my share of rough sleeping and this sounds like a good setup.
Rain is tough. I use an empty yogurt container for a personal Port-A-Potty instead of nighttime excursions in the rain.
As for the light, yes a big pain. However, I use it as a reading light and I’m usually so tired that I do fall asleep.
Looking forward to your further adventures.
Chamberpot? That’s another nope. Also, showers are a must. Back in the day, a horse show could be in the middle of a field. These days, most shows – even events – are at horse parks. Still in the middle of nowhere, but with showers.