Best way to pack gear into TV and trailer?

[Silver.Sanctuary]

Originally Posted by PKI

No fires - it is too dry and hazardous for campfires. Just don't do it. Pat

Even if the wood has no possibility of spreading bugs, wood weighs quite a bit (unless it is basswood or balsa). I find it tended to get put behind the wheel wells of the truck, which added effectively to the tongue weight, and added to the overall weight.

Then there were PLENTY of places where they were not allowed due to fire restrictions from dry conditions. I don't want to think about the gas I wasted towing firewood to a place and then back home. It is probably cheaper to buy it on site IF it is at a location you can actually light a fire, than to drag the stuff all over and not even get to enjoy it.

The wife and I like fires, and about the only thing we have seen that was not restricted in Colorado earlier this year is a propane fire ring, Wanting to keep the space dedicated to a minimum, we got the Camco Little Red Campfire which really takes no more space than a box of firewood, is likely to be something you are allowed to use and actually can be used with the green cyclinders if you get an adapter for about 10 bucks, so if you don't have an access port from your bottles for a barbeque, you don't have to bring along an extra tank if you don't want to.

I like real wood fires better, but a propane fire is better than no fire at all. And IF you are lucky enough to find a spot with no restrictions, you can still buy local firewood if you want to

[Acheron2010]

Having just done this, my sage advice is, pack, and then spend the night in your driveway or local campground.
Then, in the morning, remove all the things you now know you will not need/never use, and put them back in the house. This is a constant refinement.
I have five bins in the back of the truck - two for tools, two for food and pet food, and one for winter clothes (full-timer). Extra TP and paper towels, water. All else is in the trailer.

[Larry C]

Originally Posted by cgseanp

I actually have a bunch of heat treated mahagony, so there should be no pests. Some of my wood is too warped to use so I figured I’d chop it up and use it.

If you truly have "heat treated mahogany" (whatever that may be), you should look for somebody who turns wood, and either sell it to them, or give it to them, then go get some local firewood..

Just sayin'
Larry C

[Protagonist]

The best advice on packing for travel probably comes from Susan Heller (sometimes mistakenly attributed to Mark Twain)… “When preparing to travel, lay out all your clothes and all your money. Then take half the clothes and twice the money.”


It's true. You only need a week's worth of clothes— at most— for any trip of any duration, along with a roll of quarters and some Tide Pads (easiest and most compact way to carry laundry detergent) in a Ziploc bag so you can do laundry along the way, plus a duffel bag to carry laundry in. And if you choose separates that all share a color scheme, so that any pants/shorts/skirts match any shirt/blouse that you carry, you'd be surprised at how small your travel wardrobe can be.

[guskmg]

Good advice, but your own experiences make it even better.
Remember, unused places like inside of sink, lavetory, shower, microwave, and oven, make good storage places.
Pack heavy things foward and down in TV & TT.
Put light things in small places.
And remember, don't stack the cannon balls on top of the eggs.
guskmg

[rmkrum]

Originally Posted by guskmg

———-snip———
And remember, don't stack the cannon balls on top of the eggs.

guskmg

Wait! What’s wrong with ... Oh, wait! No wonder...!

[Len n Jeanne]

We've learned to really pare down what we take along if space is an issue. Ways to do this are:

1. Small, modular wardrobes. (Everything goes with everything else. Nothing that easily shows the dirt.)

2. No special bulky appliances. We use the drip coffee method on the stove vs. a big separate coffee maker, for example.

3. We suggest leaving the firewood at home. If there isn't a fire ban where you are going, see if you can buy (or gather) firewood there.

4. Nothing large when a small one will do. For example, no giant BBQ gas grill, when a table-top model is available.

5. Those plastic bins are really helpful for organizing items.

Then the what-goes-where of packing is more of a question of accessibility.

[slowmover]

Fill the fresh water tank and propane tanks. Add food & clothing. Done.
(Keep it simple).

It’s far too easy to add far too much.

[ROBERT CROSS]

Originally Posted by Rzrbrn

Read somewhere that you can tow 10 lbs for every 1 lb you can carry in the TV.

Not with our AS you can't....max load 676Lb, try that on for size.👎

Bob
🇺🇸

[VaTravelers]

It takes a few outings to figure out what you need to bring along. I pay attention to how the weight is longitudinally and vertically (in the trailer) distributed. I also load my TV so things I know I’ll need for set-up are easy to reach and near the tailgate. I have been carrying our bikes in the TV but am having a Fiamma rack installed on the rear of our 28’ International. Not sure how we’ll like it but getting the bikes in and out of the TV is always a royal pain. I have carried fire wood but our kids bought us an Outland Firebowl that we’re going to take on our next trip. It looks like fun and is easy to deal with. If you can stop by a CAT scale and see how you’re loaded. Have fun!

[CaddyGrn]

We camp in a Bambi, so when we are packing we try a couple of things.... I pack a lot of what I think I need to take in clear plastic tubs and put them in the back of the truck. One might go in the trailer. I work hard at minimizing what we take. For example, I take cereal, etc. out of the boxes and put them in a plastic container that fits perfectly in my small cupboard, I try to take enough clothing for about 5 days and if I need to wash something by hand, or make a stop at a laundromat I can do that while buying groceries, etc. We pile everything in one area, and prioritize what we want to take, and we often decide to leave a bunch of stuff at home.... less is more.

[PKI]

Now that is a plan. You have it well worked out. What we all try to do and end up taking that extra wrench (just in case), that pan we wished we had last year (but hardly ever use), and that extra pair of pants in case we roll around in the mud (but never have in 15 trips). Well done. Thanks for sharing and encouraging everyone that they can do it too. Pat

[thiel]

I tend to favor loading things in the trailer because I am near capacity in my truck (and I don't like digging around all the time). Heavy stuff near the axles of the trailer. Spillable stuff down low.

I keep all the dirty outdoor stuff in the truck: rugs, grill, lawn games, generator, hitching supplies. Not much more than that.

[Smileylogjr]

I'm a newbie so bear with me, but what's a "TV" that you keep referring?

[GCinSC2]

Originally Posted by Smileylogjr

I'm a newbie so bear with me, but what's a "TV" that you keep referring?

TV is a tow vehicle.

[Smileylogjr]

Originally Posted by GCinSC2

TV is a tow vehicle.

Thanks...duh to me!