Where Do You Stow Stuff?

[John Blair]

Hi,

I have been enjoying this site and have spent hours reading the archives. I am about to order a 16' Scamp-side dinette (unless I find a nice used one in the meantime) and I am trying to figure out where things will go in case I need any factory modifications. I will be towing it with my Windstar minivan and it will include my wife and I and our 3 big dogs. :-) Specifically where do you stow the following items while traveling and also at your site should you not need them:

-a couple of portable solar panels (50-75 watt)
-small generator (planning on a Yamaha 2400)
-5 gal gas can
-waste water tote for dry camping
-5 gal water container to go get more water if needed
-HughesNet and Directv satellite dishes and components
-screen room
-outside table and folding chairs

plus anything else I am likely to have forgotten.

Thanks!

John

[Brian B-P]

I mounted my solar panel on my van's roof rack - not just for carrying, but that's were it operates. Strange, but you asked...

My lawn chairs ride in the van, while the outside table is on the floor in the middle of the trailer (I chuck it outside on arrival). My drinking water container sits on the floor of trailer for travel, and up on a stool in the trailer at camp.

I don't carry a generator (or its fuel), waste water tote (I drive to the dump site), satellite TV stuff, or screen room.

For anyone really running out of room - I have found a storage box (by Thule) mounted on the van's roof rack handles some bulky stuff well. It stands up pretty high, but still not as high as the trailer. You can see it in the photo in my post in Show Us Your Rigs. I stand in the open doorway of the passenger-side sliding door to reach into the box. The solar panel is on the driver's side of the rack, beside the box and out of view.

[Roger H]

John, you're not going to like my answer, but you really need to either buy a pickup and carry the gas and genset in the bed, or not carry them. Gasoline and passenger/living spaces just don't mix.

For everything else, there's plenty of room in the van and/or trailer for while you're going down the road. When you're set up, and not using the 'stuff', there's usually adequate room under the trailer to keep it out of the weather.

Unless you're planning on a steady diet of 'boondocking', I'd get the trailer first, and then add the accessories after you've had a few outings and decide whether or not you really need them.

Roger

[Donna D.]

I agree with Roger about the gas and genset. If you don't want to purchase a truck, but can mod the tongue area, you might want to consider webguys solution:
Some Casita Mods

[Gina D.]

Hi and welcome!

You have almost all the same junk I have, so here goes:

a couple of portable solar panels (50-75 watt)

In my 13, my panels were the first out and last in, leaning them up against the front dinette and tilting the lower part of the frame into the trailer so it rode over the axle.

I my 17, they ride sideways between the bathroom and kitchen cabinets.

I secure the frame stand for the panels to the back bumper with a kryptonite U lock when away from camp. If REALLY unsure about your sorroundings, stash inside the trailer when gone. Not much use that way, but it keeps them from walking.

There are kinda cumbersome to steal, and that probably keeps the casual thief from nicking them, but if someonbe REALLY wants them, they cut the frame and run.

-small generator (planning on a Yamaha 2400)
-5 gal gas can

I carry mine (Gen set) inside, but the gas strapped to the tongue. You still will get some stink from the generator inside, but not nearly as much as if the gas can is in there too.

-waste water tote for dry camping
-5 gal water container to go get more water if needed

I use a 7 gallon kerosene can, never had Kerosene in it. Empty jugs can get tossed "Where ever" as they weigh nothing. If properly dried, you can just toss them in on top of everthing else.


-HughesNet and Directv satellite dishes and components

Can't help ya there. I had a fold up one, looked like a big briefcase. Easy to stow.It had a compartment in the case for the electronics.

-screen room

Long things like umbrellas.. on the bed.

[Frederick L. Simson]

Specifically where do you stow the following items while traveling and also at your site should you not need them:

-<strike>a couple of portable solar panels (50-75 watt)</strike>
-<strike>small generator (planning on a Yamaha 2400)</strike>
-<strike>5 gal gas can</strike>
-waste water tote for dry camping
-5 gal water container to go get more water if needed
-<strike>HughesNet and Directv satellite dishes and components</strike>
-screen room
-outside table and folding chairs

plus anything else I am likely to have forgotten

I won't be much help, but I'll share anyway.
My Fiber Stream's floorplan is similar to a Casita Liberty Deluxe.
Under the Streetside bunk is the water system, the converter, and the inverter.

Under the curbside bunk is a storage area with a big outside hatch.



My spare tire is in there (12" wheel has a tire about 24" in diameter total) along with a 5 gallon water supply container and a 5 gallon waste water tote. I use the tote to drain my gray water tank (13 gallon capacity) daily. My black water tank is also 13 gallon capacity, and it does not fill up as fast as the gray; it usually only needs to be dumped once per trip.

The screen room rides in my Honda Odyssey. If I'm not going to set it up, I'll slide it 's case under the trailer out of the way.

My "folding chairs" are actually the 2nd row seats out of the ODYSSEY.



The table is the main table out of the trailer, on a set of "Porta-legs".

[Chester Taje]

I mounted my solar panel on my van's roof rack - not just for carrying, but that's were it operates. Strange, but you asked

I like that idea.

[Frederick L. Simson]

I mounted my solar panel on my van's roof rack - not just for carrying, but that's were it operates.

Hmmn. I like that Idea, too... But I don't have a roof rack...

[Gina D.]

That keeps them out of the way, but what do you do if you leave camp in the car?

[Carl O]

I believe this is a sub-topic of this thread..

I plan on buying a 13' trailer, most likely a Scamp, and am already thinking of having a foam mattress cover for the dinette sleeping area. I know others have talked about doing similar. Where do you store it during the daytime? I have 2 little kids who'll be using the bunk beds and I can see having breakfast for them at the dinette, but the foam top and bedding / sleeping bag would need to go somewhere, but where?

I'll be pulling my trailer with a Honda Ridgeline, so I'm set for a 2k Honda generator and gas, but bedding is an issue.

What do others do?

Thanks,

-Carl

The solar panels are an intriguing thought. May want to pursue that once I get the trailer.

[Bill F.]

I believe this is a sub-topic of this thread..

I plan on buying a 13' trailer, most likely a Scamp, and am already thinking of having a foam mattress cover for the dinette sleeping area. I know others have talked about doing similar. Where do you store it during the daytime? I have 2 little kids who'll be using the bunk beds and I can see having breakfast for them at the dinette, but the foam top and bedding / sleeping bag would need to go somewhere, but where?

I'll be pulling my trailer with a Honda Ridgeline, so I'm set for a 2k Honda generator and gas, but bedding is an issue.

What do others do?

Thanks,

-Carl

The solar panels are an intriguing thought. May want to pursue that once I get the trailer.

You will likely find that most people who have added a full matress in the back of their trailer also have a front dinette(2 seater). Some newer trailers come this way from the factory, and some older ones are modified by their owners. If you have this configuration and only two people using it you can eat at the front dinette and leave the mattress in place all the time. In your case with 4 people this won't work unless you can eat outside all the time, or as you have already suggested you find a place to stow the mattress(can't imagine you're going to wrestle that in and out on a daily basis). Our Bigfoot 13.5 has the factory front dinette, but also retains the option of using both front bunks if we sold it to someone with 2 kids. If the front bunks are there it's necessary to use a removable post style dinette because the top bunk folds down over the wall area where they typically mount the table support hardware.
Bill

[Tirah]

I believe this is a sub-topic of this thread..

I plan on buying a 13' trailer, most likely a Scamp, and am already thinking of having a foam mattress cover for the dinette sleeping area. I know others have talked about doing similar. Where do you store it during the daytime? I have 2 little kids who'll be using the bunk beds and I can see having breakfast for them at the dinette, but the foam top and bedding / sleeping bag would need to go somewhere, but where?

I'll be pulling my trailer with a Honda Ridgeline, so I'm set for a 2k Honda generator and gas, but bedding is an issue.

What do others do?

Thanks,

-Carl

The solar panels are an intriguing thought. May want to pursue that once I get the trailer.

We also have a Scamp 13' and two small children. We originally thought we'd want to eat at the dinette table or have the kids eat there, but we discovered we preferred to "hang out" in the screenroom (which we setup so it's connected to the trailer door) rather than at the dinette table, and we liked having the double bed always available for afternoon lounging or naps. So now we have decided to keep the dinette bed in bed position all the time. We're going to bring a folding table and chairs for the screenroom on our next trip. I also have some tiny folding tray tables that could be used inside the trailer for times when we want to have a snack while we watch a movie or something.

I would think if you still wanted to use your dinette table, you could stow everything in the tow vehicle or in a very large plastic bin outside the trailer. The times we used our dinette, we stowed the bedding out in a large tub in our screenroom (major pain in the butt, though).

[Adrian W]

We have a 16' SD Scamp, when visiting the factor in Backus the summer it was in line to be made, we saw several Scamps with a reciever hitch welded on the back pumpers. This option was not listed, so we asked them and yes, they do put them on. We added one to out list of options. We wanted it to add a bike rack and had planned on getting on added after market. Cost only $50. It is nice and sturdy. I have seen photos of carrying racks being hooked to this and storage boxes being fasten to the racks. This my plan to get a carrying rack and a storage box to keep our generator and gas can in. I have keep both in the back of our pick-up but would like them on the trailer, closer to use. Some of the other stuff you mentioned might be able to store on or in it as well.

I have wonder about attaching a solar panel on top of the AC but haven't gotten up to see how this might be done.

It took several months from our ordering the Scamp to it getting ready to be picked up. March to August.

We like it. Very happy with it.

We wanted something which holds more water than 5 gal. We have one of these: 16 Gallon Sprayer Tank and added a 12 volt pump to it. Makes it so much easier than carrying 5 gal at a time, been there/done that. We still carry a 5 gal and have another to use to empty gray water if we need to.

http://www.northerntool.com/webapp/wcs/sto...970_22287_22287

http://www.northerntool.com/webapp/wcs/sto...970_16817_16817

Cargo Carrier something like this:
http://www.northerntool.com/webapp/wcs/sto..._6970_9901_9901

http://www.casitaclub.com/forums/index.php...ost&id=4814

AW

[Brian B-P]

That keeps them out of the way, but what do you do if you leave camp in the car?

Since we have so far used the solar panel only for charging a portable power pack, and the pack goes with us if we leave the site, it has worked for us.

I agree that this would be an issue if using the panel to charge the trailer's battery, if you leave with the tow vehicle during the day. It's certainly not a general solution... like I said, it's a strange setup.

[Roger H]

I have seen photos of carrying racks being hooked to this and storage boxes being fasten to the racks. This my plan to get a carrying rack and a storage box to keep our generator and gas can in.
AW

While it appears to be an attractive option, I'd be really hesitant to mount anything back there but bicycles on a really REALLY light weight carrier. While it may appear "sturdy" it really was only designed to carry bikes on. Every pound you hang back there unloads a specific amount of tongue weight which can lead to really unstable towing and potential major sway issues. Five gallons of gas in a can weighs a little over 6 lbs/gallon at room temp. Five gallons plus the can, plus the weight of the box and hitch mount, plus a Honda EU2000 at 53 pounds will quickly run you up over 200 lbs of dead weight bobbing up and down past the rear of your trailer as you go over bumps. You may find that it could get really uncomfortable really quickly, as well as stress your frame in directions it was never designed to be stressed in.

Roger

[Adrian W]

Roger H, I agree somewhat, it is the main reason we have not done this mod, but I would not use a 5 gal can, but a 2 1/2 gal, not a lot but a little lighter, and if one puts weight in back you would have to add counter weight to the front to balance it out somewhat. One would have to be careful with the amount placed on the back. Use a small box, maybe make a smaller carrier, etc.

I may try it this summer, just to see. I've added a little weight up from with a pair of BAL stablizer jacks to the tongue.

Another idea has been to add a place on tongue to hold the generator.

Someone did one at this web site:

http://www.casitaclub.com/forums/index.php...nerator+storage

I would want to have the storge raise up above the propane tanks. But do not think I'll try it.

I leaning toward the minnie rear carrier.

Photo of the BAL jacks we will use to stablize the side to side.

Thanks!

AW

[Dan B]

Roger, I must agree with you about tongue weight. I notice my 16 tows better if the water tank is left empty until we reach our destination.
I made the mistake of towing a 16 ft boat behind mine for about 120 miles. It was 3 hours of white knuckle driving. Have since learned a bit more about loading and towing and added a sway bar. Will most likely do it again this year but will not be as unprepared as before.

[Christi W]

"The table is the main table out of the trailer, on a set of "Porta-legs"."

Frederick - Getting ready for our first trip What kind of porta-legs did you come up with? I, too, am trying not to look like Sherman's March to the Sea and still have what we need. Ilike the movable table top idea. I was thinking a folding stool would be helpful inside, small and work for a"low" table base. Thanks

[Frederick L. Simson]

"The table is the main table out of the trailer, on a set of "Porta-legs"."

Frederick -
What kind of porta-legs did you come up with?

They came with the trailer when I bought it, but I've seen them available in [b]most RV supply stores, like <strike>Camping World</strike>.

on edit: I thought I saw them in the San Marcos, CA store, but I may have confused that store with one of the 6 competitors that Camping World has in San Diego county.

[Vivian]

Although most folks seem to prefer the foam mattress toppers, we use a fiberpad topper similar to down, but it is synthetic, and is very soft and comfy. It rolls up nicely to store in a large mesh bag which can easily be stored in the tow vehicle.

We also use a small aluminum folding table in front of the bunks along with a folding stool, all of which stows compactly in the closet. Both were inexpensive items from Wal-Mart.

We find the collapsible plastic 5 gal water containers to be useful. Also an inexpensive Wal-Mart item.

Vivian