stocking your first trailer

[steve dunham]

I'm getting my first travel trailer and i am wondering what to stock in the trailer. I want to carry the least amount (weight) i can ,but i don't want to run to the store constantly.
What items are necessities and which are luxuries ??
I,e. I know people who tell me they always bring lawn chairs, others say don't bother , camp sites have picnic tables to sit at. We will be doing camping trips of 4 days or less and mostly within 300 miles of home

thanks steve d

[Mike Magee]

Here's my list:

Blankets and pillows
Towels, washcloths
Hand/Face soap and dishwashing soap (I take liquid in a 4 oz or 8 oz bottle)
Plates and cups (paper or otherwise), flatware, kitchen utensils
Toilet paper
Whatever personal care items you can't live without (like deodorant)
Clothing
Food and drinks - plan your meals
I also keep a broom in the closet to sweep the floor with, and a tool box with basic tools.
Extra electric extension cord, and plug adapter for 30 amp -> 20 amp.
Fresh water hose with pressure limiter attached
Wheel chocks
A couple extra short pieces of 2x4 for leveling wheels
If applicable, a portable grill with fuel
Something to do: a book, a deck of cards, a frisbee, whatever you like

I do take a lawn chair. We're talking, what, 5 lbs each for some of these? I'm out there to relax and be comfortable, and sitting on a hard bench without a back is not my idea of comfort. All this sounds like a lot of stuff, but you'll be surprised, small quantities of all these things and it does not necessarily have to weigh a lot.

Most of this stuff I leave in the trailer all the time. Once you get it stocked, you only need to grab food and drinks, personal care, clothing and clean towels to be ready for departure.

[Ray N]

Ditto on bringing lawn chairs. We enjoy reading while we're camping and the picnic table just doesn't cut it. If we wanted to sit inside and read we would have stayed home.

[Darnelle]

My thoughts exactly on the chairs. We also use crank flashlights so never worry about flat batteries and always have a rope for a clothesline (you will always have wet towels if nothing else).

You might want to take a 1 night trip very close to home -- it can be amazing what one forgets or discovers is a personal necessity! Camping styles can be very different so your wants/needs will be unique to your family. I've camped my entire life and we have camped for years together, but our needs change over time. We still add and remove items occasionally -- especially when getting a different camper.

[Donna D.]

I stocked my trailer with all the double stuff I had in the house. How many mixing bowls does one need anyway? Everything else came from garage sales and second hand stores.

EXCEPT my LAFUMA!! "Don't leave home without it." I sit in an office chair five days a week. I'm not about to sit on a piece of wood without a back when I camp YMMV

[Anne H]

One way to think about it is to make a list categorized by the rooms in your house (bedroom, kitchen, bathroom, etc) and then list the essential things you use in each room - ex. bedroom: bedding, pillows, clothes; kitchen would include food for meals, pots/pans, plates, cups, silverware, paper towels, soap, etc.

Very few things are really, really essential. However . . . .

• If you're going to hook up to campground water, be sure to have a water regulator (reduces the water pressure to something your camper can handle) - otherwise you will spring a leak and have water all over the inside of your trailer (ask me how I know this )
• If you're going to hook up to campground electrical, it's a good idea to have a selection of electrical adapters. You want to make sure that your electrical connection will fit whatever outlets the campground provides. It can get very cold if you counted on having electricity but can't hook up!

Have a great time with your new trailer!!

[SherryNPaul]

Pie irons, and aluminum foil for campfire cooking packets.
A percolator, French press, or Melitta pourover for making coffee.
Sunscreen and insect repellent. A 12 volt charger for your phone if you're drycamping.

I definitely vote for carrying your own chairs.

I think Donna's suggestion on starting with items you already have works. We eventually outfitted the trailer with its own gear, so I didn't have to remember every little item (can openers, for example, are so easy to leave behind...) After you've packed and repacked a few times, you'll figure out what you really want for your camping style. For example, I think a tea kettle is a necessity; many of my friends don't own one.

Sherry

[jen b]

Some stuff I added today as I am stocking up my own first trailer:

*small fire extinguisher
*extra little ketchup-to-go-sized packet of that grease you put in the electrical connector to protect it from rain
*a fistful of rags and a package of baby wipes for unexpected cleanups
* the right sized wrench for connecting and disconnecting the metal straps that hold the propane tank on the tongue.

I also checked to see whether my car's flat-tire jack and tire changing tools would work for the camper. answer: the car jack is okay but I needed an additional tire iron.

My next thing is hitting up the local Goodwill for a few kitchen things and then I should be good to go.

[CarolnJim]

Sleeping bags and pillows instead of blankets (always ready - easy to put away)
can opener, spatula, sharp knife
Chairs - carry to the campfire
small table - for outside or inside
mat for outside the door
flashlight, emergency radio,
Pets? food and bowls, Rabies certificate etc.
emergency numbers, friends phone numbers and addresses
portable electric heater (unless your trailer has one)

Carol

[steve dunham]

Originally Posted by sherrynpaul

pie irons, and aluminum foil for campfire cooking packets.
A percolator, french press, or melitta pourover for making coffee.
Sunscreen and insect repellent. A 12 volt charger for your phone if you're drycamping.

I definitely vote for carrying your own chairs.

I think donna's suggestion on starting with items you already have works. We eventually outfitted the trailer with its own gear, so i didn't have to remember every little item (can openers, for example, are so easy to leave behind...) after you've packed and repacked a few times, you'll figure out what you really want for your camping style. For example, i think a tea kettle is a necessity; many of my friends don't own one.

please forgive my ignorance but being from minnesota i have never heard of a pie iron. Sounds interesting , could you please explain and please go slowly it's still cold up here and
it's harder to hear with a wool cap over your ears.
Thanks steve d

[Bill K]

Google is your friend

Welcome to Pie Iron.com - home of the original Rome sandwich cooker

Bill K

Originally Posted by steve dunham

please forgive my ignorance but being from minnesota i have never heard of a pie iron. Sounds interesting , could you please explain and please go slowly it's still cold up here and
it's harder to hear with a wool cap over your ears.
Thanks steve d

[Paul Braun]

I consider myself an expert on what we call the "Pudgy Pie Maker". If you look for one to purchase consider the following:

• square rather than round
• heavy rather than light
• larger rather than smaller
• teflon lined if the above conditions are met
• wooden handles to make handling easier

Grilled cheese, pies and meat sandwiches are all possible. I am sure there are many more options I have never tried. Kids love them because they involve a fire.

[Brian Gibbon]

A basic tool kit - screw drivers, wrenches, knife, pliers, level...

[steve dunham]

[QUOTE=Bill K;243861]Google is your friend

Welcome to Pie Iron.com - home of the original Rome sandwich cooker

Bill K[/QUOT

THANK YOU! I WENT TO THE WEBSITE AND NOW I UNDERSTAND.
IT LOOKS LIKE A VERY USEFUL UTENSIL AND I THINK MY GRANDKIDS
WOULD REALLY ENJOY COOKING THERE DINNER OVER THE CAMPFIRE.

STEVE D

[theresa p]

once our trailer is packed, everything "lives" in the trailer and doesn't come out. when we get home, the towels/linens are washed and returned to the trailer..so at time of departure, it is simply food and a few clothing items to pack.

in my experience, taking things out and re-packing with each trip only ever set me up to forget something..or a number of "somethings". that's why nothing comes out.

and we DEFINITELY take lawn chairs! picnic tables are fine....but not as our sole spot to sit. i need a back to lean on.

[Bridget T]

Originally Posted by Donna D.

EXCEPT my LAFUMA!! "Don't leave home without it." I sit in an office chair five days a week. I'm not about to sit on a piece of wood without a back when I camp YMMV

Reading this incorrectly made me laugh.
I had no idea what a lafuma was, and at first glance read Lafonda, otherwise known as Kip's new girlfriend Lafawnduh from the Napolean Dynamite movie.

Anyhow, google gave me the correct information, so now I can tell them apart.

Bridget

[Donna D.]

I DEFINITELY meant the chair Bridget!

[Herb Sutton]

Work out a list. What do you need for breakfast, lunch and supper. Do you want sheets and blankets to sleep or will sleeping bags be more convenient? Towels and toiletries. We furnished our trailer with things bought in garage sales. Utensils don't have to be pretty to function. After all you are going camping.

We have stayed at a number of campgrounds that did not have tables and benches, as recently as 3 days ago.

[Joy A]

Then no matter what we tell you, you'll find items that you took and didn't need and then conversely didn't take and did need.

I agree with Teresa. Leave all you can in the trailer as trailer items. Other wise, you'll drive yourself crazy packing and unpacking. It's kind of like having two homes. Well, Duh....I guess I do. One movable and one not.

I 2nd, 3rd, and 4th the lawn chair. Get the most comfy one you can. Lounging out in the woods is wonderful. A cup of coffee, beer or whatever you like and a pair of binoculars to watch the wild life whether 2 legged or 4 legged and whether it walks, flies or swims.

Oh yes, don't forget the munchies to go with the liquid.

[Bruce Thomas]

looking in our camper I cannot for the life of me remember how we ever were able to camp using tents...Im amazed at whats actually in our camper that we "just hafta have".
Gonna wire for and install a small flatscreen this spring too