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11-30-2014, 06:52 PM
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#1
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2 Rivet Member
2014 28' International
San Jose
, California
Join Date: Jul 2014
Posts: 52
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What You Include?
Hi .... we are now full-timing and wondering what many of you take with you in terms of life-style amenities. Such might be ... do you carry an outdoor carpet, do you carry more chairs than the number you are (1 or 2 or 3)? Do you carry a picnic table .... or a picnic table set. Do you carry roll up table(s)? Right now ... when we do our first boondock ... we will have nothing more than a charcoal hibachi and two chairs .......... oh ... and two generators. Maybe that is enough ... suggestions? I think we would benefit from a picnic set, but the designated driver thinks we just need a roll=up aluminum table. Look forward to hearing what the experienced and the pros do. thx
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11-30-2014, 07:17 PM
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#2
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Rivet Master
2007 Interstate
Normal
, Illinois
Join Date: Jan 2009
Posts: 18,051
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It's enough to get you started.
Take a pad of paper and a pen, make a list on your first trip of items you can't be a without.
Don't try to figure it all out at once. The process is part of the fun.
Have a great time!
Maggie
__________________
🏡 🚐 Cherish and appreciate those you love. This moment could be your last.🌹🐚
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11-30-2014, 08:57 PM
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#3
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Rivet Master
2012 25' Flying Cloud
Battle Lake
, Minnesota
Join Date: Jun 2009
Posts: 7,714
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Stay with what you have and get some time out there before burdening your self with upgrades, stuff, and more "amenities", they add up quickly if not careful. Only you know your lifestyle and how it evolves in extended travel.
Travel and adventure in reasonable comfort is the goal, not collecting gear.
__________________
Doug and Cheryl
2012 FC RB, Michelin 16, ProPride 1400
2016 Ram 1500 Laramie Crew Cab 4X4 Ecodiesel 3.92 axles
The Truth is More Important Than the Facts
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11-30-2014, 09:11 PM
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#4
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Rivet Master
2005 39' Land Yacht 390 XL 396
Common Sense
, Texas
Join Date: Sep 2007
Posts: 5,319
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We've learned over the years that we need to carry more "stuff" than some others, and what we've done is when on a trip and say, "gee it would be nice if we had____", and the next trip it's in the truck.
Those things have evolved into a gas grill, roll up table for it to set on, a plastic outdoor carpet (keeps the interior cleaner), an extra pair of folding chairs for when someone walks by, and starts a conversation they have a place to sit, and a pair of folding bicycles. Many times some of this stuff never comes out of the truck, and most all of it doesn't for a one-nighter, but that's the way we like to do it.
"Stuff" in the trailer, well that's a whole other story.....
__________________
Regards,
Steve
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11-30-2014, 09:48 PM
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#5
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retired USA/USAF
2001 30' Excella
Somerset
, New Jersey
Join Date: Jan 2009
Posts: 2,418
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You will quickly figure out what to leave behind or what to add as you go. We've run into a few places where there is no tables on sites so it's good to have something if you enjoy sitting or eating outside. Chairs, it's nice to have an xtra or 2 in case of company but not essential so only if space allows. Camping World has a nice aluminum table with legs that expand to give added height. It's lightweight and folds up nicely. That's on my bucket list one of these days. The outdoor matt is a " must have" for us.
__________________
Roger in NJ
" Democracy is the worst form of government. Except for all the rest"
Winston Churchill 1948
TAC - NJ 18
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12-01-2014, 08:12 AM
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#6
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Figment of My Imagination
2012 Interstate Coach
From All Over
, More Than Anywhere Else
Join Date: Dec 2011
Posts: 10,868
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When I first bought my Interstate, on my first camping trip I took just these items:
Spare fuses, clothes, food, minimal cookware, paper plates and plastic tableware, basic hand tools, wheel chocks, all of my manuals, a sleeping bag. That's it.
Every time I said to myself, "Self, I sure wish I had…" I made a note of it, and before my next trip I bought a… (whatever it was). Since you're a full-timer and don't have the option of switching out gear for different trips, your plan propbably ought to be different. I suggest, if it's safety equipment, get it as soon as you think about it. If it's comfort equipment, don't get it until at least the second time you find yourself wishing you had it. Because if you find yourself missing it more than once, it's probably something worth finding space to carry.
Addressing specific questions of yours:
Patio mat - Yes I carry one. I don't use it on concrete because it's just as easy to sweep the concrete clean, and I don't use it on grass because covering up nature's own beautiful green carpet is silly. But I do use it on gravel, sand, weeds or patchy grass, or bare soil.
Table - I used to use one of those aluminum roll-up tables, but I find they're not terribly sturdy. Now I carry a folding plastic table with metal legs, and have a silicone baking sheet that I put down as a big placemat to prevent hot items from damaging the table. If the campground provides picnic tables I don't bother with my folding table, but I have camped at places with no picnic tables. And the folding table is also handy for rally potluck dinners.
Chairs - It never hurts to have at least one extra. I travel solo but carry two chairs. That way, if someone comes up and wants to sit and chat, they don't have to shlep a chair of their own.
Hibachi - I use a Cobb Grill (their "Kitchen in a Box" set, available from Firecraft.com). A little more versatile than a hibachi, but just as frugal when it comes to using charcoal; an entire meal just uses a dozen bricquets.
Items you didn't mention:
Patio lights - I have some, and use them occasionally. Especially for late fall to early spring, when it gets dark before I'm done grilling dinner, it helps to be able to see what I'm doing. Lights strung along the outer edge of the awning serve admirably.
Rake - Especially for fall and winter camping, sometimes you need a rake to get rid of the pinecones, small branches, and dead leaves that can constitute a tripping hazard around the campsite. I discovered this after I stepped on a beer bottle left over from a previous camper that was completely covered by fallen leaves. That was a nasty tumble that left me with pulled muscles from a bad attempt to catch myself before I fell. I found a small rake with a telescoping handle that I can carry in my RV's closet.
Folding bike - I used to carry one, but I realized that walking is just as good for exercise, and often more sociable since it's easier to stop and say "Hello" when walking. So now my favorite outdoor toy is an inflatable kayak, that rolls up to store in a package the size of a large backpack or medium suitcase (smaller than many folding bikes). Except for rallies, where I don't get to pick the venue, the vast majority of my camping trips are to lake projects, and early mornings on the water before the loud obnoxious yahoos with personal watercraft take over the lake are the most peaceful times I can imagine.
__________________
I thought getting old would take longer!
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12-04-2014, 08:14 PM
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#7
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Rivet Master
2002 31' Classic
Currently Looking...
Monroe
, Iowa
Join Date: Jun 2014
Posts: 649
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We have been camping, mostly boondocking, for 46 years. In that time we have decided that there are certain things we do need to take along.
An extra chair.
A small grill. We now have a small Coleman propane grill. (We carry extra little propane tanks.)
A small wooden slat roll up/fold up table, about 3 ft square.
A very small, low plastic fold up table to put between our chairs to set our drinks on.
A Coleman white gas/gasolene lantern.
A small rug outside the camper door.
A small chain saw and an axe go in the bed of the truck along with a Yamaha generator. They only come on trips where we think we will need them.
That's about it for the outside stuff.
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12-04-2014, 08:42 PM
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#8
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Rivet Master
2012 25' Flying Cloud
Battle Lake
, Minnesota
Join Date: Jun 2009
Posts: 7,714
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terryV, good (short) list, 46 years of camping teaches us something.
__________________
Doug and Cheryl
2012 FC RB, Michelin 16, ProPride 1400
2016 Ram 1500 Laramie Crew Cab 4X4 Ecodiesel 3.92 axles
The Truth is More Important Than the Facts
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