Packing a camper is hard work and expensive

[Just Whipperwhirl 24]

Im exhausted - We took a trial run of our camper last weekend - just two nights about 15 miles away from home - we came back at least three times for stuff we needed but neglected to pack. We are going away for a week starting on Saterday, much farther away and I have been making lists and packing what I can so we are in better shape. Two days I have been outside - inside - then back outside. Culling things we brought too many of and adding what I wished for last time. I have been to the dollar store (that I havent been in since I was 18), walmart, target, home depot and bj's looking for the right stuff. I have single handedly filled our trash bins with packaging. I ordered a memory foam mattress online and I am going to need to cut that to fit the bed, still have not figured out the best way to use our existing sheets and blankets. I thought our camper was a good size when we brought it home but now I am creating space - adding shelves, hooks, hanging laundry bags - just so we dont end up cluttered like the last time. I think I am going to get a few locking trunks for the trailer part of our camper to keep stuff that just won't fit! I hope this gets easier - I can't imagine what its going to be like when we add the baby to the mix.

[mouseketab.....Carol 1,261]

You sound like me!! But relax!! It took me over four years to get my setup "perfect" and I'm still adjusting!!! The idea of locking bins on the outside rack sounds great!!!! Everybody does that to their trailer, hooks, plastic drawers, extra shelving, it's all part of it!!! A lot can be gotten from regular stores, but there were a few items that I got from actual RV places. Things like the mounted soap dispensers and a few other gadgets made specifically for RVs that hold things in place while traveling.

[Discamper 394]

It will get a lot easyer. It took me a few years but I now have in down I can be on the road in 15 mins with no planning my TT is ready to go at all times. In the past I may come home from work on Friday and say lets go camping and off we go

[HappyCamper...Deb 61]

I feel your stress. We recently traded in our old TT for a new one. Though it has double the storage, it's still taking me several trips to get in the groove of how to best organize. I keep switching plans when we come across cooking and sleeping arrangements.

For me, though, it's a sick and twisted obsession...to get things right. My house is not all that together, but my camper is a different story!

[mouseketab.....Carol 1,261]

I feel your stress. We recently traded in our old TT for a new one. Though it has double the storage, it's still taking me several trips to get in the groove of how to best organize. I keep switching plans when we come across cooking and sleeping arrangements.

For me, though, it's a sick and twisted obsession...to get things right. My house is not all that together, but my camper is a different story!

AGREED!!! This should be titled the obssessive/compulsive campers unite!!!!

Also, every time I go camping, especially with other T@Bs I see other's ideas and have to incorporate them!! It NEVER ends!!!!

I hate to say it, you should see the pile of stuff in my attic that I tried, but didn't work and have pulled back out.

[Roller ... aka Ed 351]

AGREED!!! This should be titled the obssessive/compulsive campers unite!!!!

Also, every time I go camping, especially with other T@Bs I see other's ideas and have to incorporate them!! It NEVER ends!!!!

I hate to say it, you should see the pile of stuff in my attic that I tried, but didn't work and have pulled back out.

I'm beginging to think most of the Fiends have OCDCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disney Camping Disease)! :rofl2:

[HappyCamper...Deb 61]

Okay, I'll also take the time to admit that not ALL of the stuff we took out of the il camper went back into the new. My garage has a pile of to-go-through stuff!

Now, on the day we actually PACK for a trip, the family knows beat to let me enjoy stacking in the cereal boxes just so and making the most out I our fridge space.

Yup, we're a sick (but happy) breed!

[Discamper 394]

I also had a pile of stuff when I went from my MH to my TT I just started giving stuff away I have no room to store things.

[doodlebug....Cherie 461]

Yup an RV is is a continual work in progress. We went from traveling with four of us and no dogs. Now we are just @ and 6 dogs. Things come and things go but once you have the essentials it gets easier :banana:

[momofmany...Christina 17]

I feel your stress. We recently traded in our old TT for a new one. Though it has double the storage, it's still taking me several trips to get in the groove of how to best organize. I keep switching plans when we come across cooking and sleeping arrangements.

For me, though, it's a sick and twisted obsession...to get things right. My house is not all that together, but my camper is a different story!

This is going to be me exactly when our TT finally comes home. :banana:

[BouncingTiggers 98]

Like Cherie said once you have the essentials it'll be easier. Just try not to go to crazy loading it up. By the time next season rolls around you'll find you've accumulated way more than you use. That is what happened to us & we ended blowing a day weeding out stuff we didn't need. Having that awesome front cargo area will help alot with some bins on it. Lowes sells the large locking aluminum diamond plate truck boxes at the best prices.

[BradyBzLyn...Mo 2,023]

You sound like me!! But relax!! It took me over four years to get my setup "perfect" and I'm still adjusting!!!

Ditto! And just when I thought I had it all good to go.... we bought a new TT.

And then after thinking we had it mostly perfect in the new TT... we went and rolled it across the highway and had to start over. :argh:

The weird thing is that even though we replaced it with an IDENTICAL camper, I'm already tweaking the way we had things setup this time around. It's all mostly the same, but I've made a few changes to just make things more easily accessible.

The weird thing is, we retrieved about 99% of our stuff from the totaled camper but when I sorted through it all and finished loading the new one, there are some cabinets that are a LOT less full than they were before. That's a good thing, but weird how it turned out that way.

... I keep switching plans when we come across cooking and sleeping arrangements.

For me, though, it's a sick and twisted obsession...to get things right. My house is not all that together, but my camper is a different story!

Me too!!! When we first got the new camper after the hybrid, I think it took 3 or 4 camping trips of me shuffling things around before I got it the way I wanted it.

Oh and my house... a bit of a chaotic mess. Camper spic and span!!

Maybe I should just move into the camper!

I'm beginging to think most of the Fiends have OCDCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disney Camping Disease)! :rofl2:

Hi, name is Monique and I have OCDCD.

[doodlebug....Cherie 461]

Ditto! And just when I thought I had it all good to go.... we bought a new TT.

And then after thinking we had it mostly perfect in the new TT... we went and rolled it across the highway and had to start over. :argh:

The weird thing is that even though we replaced it with an IDENTICAL camper, I'm already tweaking the way we had things setup this time around. It's all mostly the same, but I've made a few changes to just make things more easily accessible.

The weird thing is, we retrieved about 99% of our stuff from the totaled camper but when I sorted through it all and finished loading the new one, there are some cabinets that are a LOT less full than they were before. That's a good thing, but weird how it turned out that way.

Me too!!! When we first got the new camper after the hybrid, I think it took 3 or 4 camping trips of me shuffling things around before I got it the way I wanted it.

Oh and my house... a bit of a chaotic mess. Camper spic and span!!

Maybe I should just move into the camper!

Hi, name is Monique and I have OCDCD.

Could this be why we are all Fort Fiends :rofl2:

[ftwildernessguy 778]

I have found with time it has gotten much easier. We are pretty much down to packing a bag and throwing it into the trailer and we are ready to go. I have a locking storage shed next to the trailer with stuff like the easy up, water hoses and stinky slinky in it that I just throw in the back of the truck before we go.

[Roller ... aka Ed 351]

Could this be why we are all Fort Fiends :rofl2:

Alcoholics have AA - OCDCD patients have FF :rofl2:

[BradyBzLyn...Mo 2,023]

I have found with time it has gotten much easier. We are pretty much down to packing a bag and throwing it into the trailer and we are ready to go.

Very true. At this point it's just chuck in a few clothes and some food and we're out the door.

Even when it comes to food I keep some dry/canned good staples in there during camping season so it's really mostly snacks and whatever needs to go in the fridge.

Most things stay permanently stocked...

dog toys, treats, leashes

kitchen staples (these all come out when we close it up for the winter)

some clothes

medicine cabinet/toiletries - easier to just buy 2 of everything than forget to pack something

outside stuff - chairs, grill, random holiday decorations (depending on when we're going to the Fort)

BAR

If Brian came in the door now and said "get ready, we're going camping" I guarantee we'd be pulling out of the driveway in about 30-40 minutes.

Geez... I really wish he'd do that....

[doodlebug....Cherie 461]

Very true. At this point it's just chuck in a few clothes and some food and we're out the door.

Even when it comes to food I keep some dry/canned good staples in there during camping season so it's really mostly snacks and whatever needs to go in the fridge.

Most things stay permanently stocked...

dog toys, treats, leashes

kitchen staples (these all come out when we close it up for the winter)

some clothes

medicine cabinet/toiletries - easier to just buy 2 of everything than forget to pack something

outside stuff - chairs, grill, random holiday decorations (depending on when we're going to the Fort)

BAR

If Brian came in the door now and said "get ready, we're going camping" I guarantee we'd be pulling out of the driveway in about 30-40 minutes.

Geez... I really wish he'd do that....

This is what we do too. It makes last minute trips so much easier :banana:

[texasrose 1]

Well, we are gonna need ALOT of your experienced and handy advice here....we just (I mean like it just got brought home 2 days ago!) moved from a pop-up life to a hybrid TT and are overwhelmed. We used to have everything besides chairs and whatnot loaded in our truck in bins and bags...then shifted it all to be crammed into our pop-up once we got to the site. Did that for 5 years. Now, we have to load this camper and I am afraid we will bring WAY too much or not enough. We have 3 boys, one being 20 months old, so we have alot of kid gear that goes in and out...we are headed to Lowe's to get some items for it and to the Dollar Tree for some storage items too but besides that, we are clueless! If anyone has a stock 'list' of goodies you take on each trip that you store 'in' your trailer while travelling, we would be much obliged I love this forum...it is so helpful!

Happy Camping!

[momofmany...Christina 17]

Well, we are gonna need ALOT of your experienced and handy advice here....we just (I mean like it just got brought home 2 days ago!) moved from a pop-up life to a hybrid TT and are overwhelmed. We used to have everything besides chairs and whatnot loaded in our truck in bins and bags...then shifted it all to be crammed into our pop-up once we got to the site. Did that for 5 years. Now, we have to load this camper and I am afraid we will bring WAY too much or not enough. We have 3 boys, one being 20 months old, so we have alot of kid gear that goes in and out...we are headed to Lowe's to get some items for it and to the Dollar Tree for some storage items too but besides that, we are clueless! If anyone has a stock 'list' of goodies you take on each trip that you store 'in' your trailer while travelling, we would be much obliged I love this forum...it is so helpful!

Happy Camping!

I started a thread about what to keep in your camper a few days ago. I think it is right under this one if you want to check it out. Everyone had great suggestions. We are in the process of buying our first TT and had no idea what to put in it. We have 5 boys, 1 girl, and a baby on the way. We will be packed in, but it will be so much fun!!

[BradyBzLyn...Mo 2,023]

Here's the thread - good info there as well!

http://www.fortfiends.net/forum/topic/3317-what-to-keep-in-the-camper/

[ImDownWithDisney 342]

We are at a point now where we can grab some clothes and perishable food and be ready to go. I do like to rearrange things and find handy gadgets for the 5'er. We never had enough room for storage in the previous campers (van, TT, small 5'er), but now we have many empty cabinets.

[Keylime359 2]

Oh and my house... a bit of a chaotic mess. Camper spic and span!!

Maybe I should just move into the camper!

Hi, name is Monique and I have OCDCD.

I could have written this word for word (except Allie rather than Monique). Camper, you could eat off the floors. House, meh Not dirty, just not showroom new.

[Keylime359 2]

Whip,

Let your kids help! Give each a job for each trip. This will lessen the chance something is forgotten.

[texasrose 1]

Thanks for the thread info It just takes time I know....plenty of trips to the ole Wal-mart getting those things you forget. With the pop-up we just had to bring things along from the house, with the TT, we have to stock up double on things, but it sure will make packing ALOT easier! We are in the process of getting it all together. We are about to head out on our maiden voyage with this camper and want to be prepared. Garner state park in TX...get our feet wet before we spend time at the Fort in December! Can't wait for it :) Good to hear from ya'll! Happy Camping! :)

[HappyCamper...Deb 61]

Thanks for the thread info It just takes time I know....plenty of trips to the ole Wal-mart getting those things you forget. With the pop-up we just had to bring things along from the house, with the TT, we have to stock up double on things, but it sure will make packing ALOT easier! We are in the process of getting it all together. We are about to head out on our maiden voyage with this camper and want to be prepared. Garner state park in TX...get our feet wet before we spend time at the Fort in December! Can't wait for it :) Good to hear from ya'll! Happy Camping! :)

Any photos of this new TT?