Now where the heck did I put that?

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I know I'll get better at this as I do more trips (only two weeks under my belt so far), but I was wondering what some of you vets do about organizing your "stuff" in the small confines of our fiberglas wonders.

My Casita has enough cabinets to keep just about everything I will need for just about any length journey-- that and the capped 8-foot truck bed up front. Often on this last trip I would find myself searching through cabinet after cabinet for something I needed AND HAD JUST SEEN, but couldn't seem to find! I used a couple of plastic boxes from the housewares wonderland at WallyMart and these worked well for small, easily misplaced items like spare keys, batteries, plugs and cords for electronic stuff. Dishpans seem to work pretty well for organizing cooking and cleaning gear under the sink. I've started stowing clothes in the rear and side dinette cabinets. Rolling, instead of folding, them seems to work pretty well. The closet needs help, but I'm not sure shelves are the best answer for me. So far I have a couple of right-sized cardboard boxes and a small, cheap toolbox (stored on end for ease of access) in the closet, plus the hanging clothes of course. I haven't done it yet, but a plastic container or two for under the bed in back,since I am going to pretty much leave it made up all the time, (darn those mounting post fittings!) would be very useful I think.

So...what are you favorite "secrets" for keeping the inside of your gem reasonably tidy and organizing your stuff? I'm anxious to know.

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I have a computer database program that I constantly update, citing item stored and location.

That way, it's a simple matter of doing a "search" on the database for the particular item ....

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I'm joking, I'm joking!

Robert, with only two weeks under your belt, you can't possible start keeping track of stuff you have or need. Give it some time!

You'll probably find out that most of the stuff you are carrying, you really don't need or won't use ... and some stuff you buy tomorrow will be stuff you use all the time.

Both Morgan and I built large drawers for our tow vehicles. For ease of access, I keep most of my stuff in the drawers ... a place for everything and everything in it's place. (Do a search for drawers).

Also in the tow vehicle, on top of the drawers, we have assorted plastic flip-top tubs, each with it's own specific contents, such as bulky heavy clothes, extra food stuffs, extra little-used kitchen appliances such as toasters or griddles, big stock pot.

Inside the rig ... since Pam and I are "shelf people rather than hanging people" I did build shelves. Like our closet at home, I only have a little bitty corner ... Pam is in charge of the rest.

We have the Liberty Deluxe model Casita ... and use the king bed option. During the day, we leave the back down, in what we call the "couch" mode. Under that portion, are a couple of sliding bins, in which Pam keeps assorted items, including most can goods, etc.

The overhead compartments are pretty much just stuff like unmentionables, personal items, etc., except for the rear overhead where we keep extra blankets, beach towels and my big screen 5" tv.

But, as I said, what you report about "now where did I put that" will evaporate as you camp more and weed down your "stuff" to a bare-minimum ... then assigning a place where you always put or store it.

Aside from that rather large, stinky, spouted Idaho potato that traveled with us for several months, we rarely misplace stuff.

But we've been doing it for years, camping hundreds of nights and pull around our "stuff" for thousands of miles.

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I have a voice activated computer data base to find where my stuff is stored.

I just yell, "Lee, where is my framus?"

Very soon, my framus is in my hand. ;)

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Morgan
I got one of those voice activated computors too. It costs a fortune to maintain.:laugh :laugh The only problem is that every once in a while it freezes up and then my work is cut out for me.;)

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Orginally posted by Chester Taje

Morgan
I got one of those voice activated computors too. It costs a fortune to maintain.:laugh :laugh The only problem is that every once in a while it freezes up and then my work is cut out for me.;)

Ches,

You confuse cost and value. Think of all the benefits that outweigh the costs. The difference is the value. :)

Congratulations on your new moderatorship. :thumb

You'll have this board straightened out in no time. :wine

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good idea. I could put it on my PDA as I don't take the big PC with me. Now where did I put that PDA??:conf
One plan I had was to put a list of things in this cabinet on the inside of said door. Then I could tell at a glance what was missing. I guess it would help with a search IF someone put it back where it belonged. I never did it, too many other uses for a MH, but the trailer!! I might have to bring that idea to the front. I think I read one of the all timers does this list thing in the doors. so give it a thought. THEN you can just run around checking doors till you find the right one.

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It's called "senior moments"
I have it big time! I has nothing to do with the trailer storage space.
I can lose something within a 4 foot area in three seconds! And not find it for days.

I figure the best thing to do would be to tie strings on everything and attach the other end to my wrist. Mobility could be a problem tho.
I also lose my "voice activated computor" mostly in stores. I turn my back for one second and she's gone! I then spend a hour wandering through the store looking for her. It's amazing!

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>>It's called 'senior moments'
I have it big time! It has nothing to do with the trailer storage space.
I can lose something within a 4 foot area in three seconds! And not find it for days.

It happens to me ALL the time. Amazing how large that 4' radius is! But, I hate to disagree with you, Pete. They're not 'senior moments', they're 'intellectual overloads.' You see, once you get as much experience as I have, then the brain goes into overload and has to take a moment to figure out where the memory is filed. I do not have a dizzy brain, I have a busy brain. And too many darned files! ;)

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That's what I really meant to call it for sure.
My own little computer brain keeps saying "disk full".
Which forces me to use a PDA for the extra data.
Of course then I can't find the PDA.

I need to retire and take my Burro someplace warm. Then I could just delete all the files.....

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Orginally posted by Morgan Bulger

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE

Orginally posted by Chester Taje

Morgan
I got one of those voice activated computors too. It costs a fortune to maintain.:laugh :laugh The only problem is that every once in a while it freezes up and then my work is cut out for me.;)

Ches,

You confuse cost and value. Think of all the benefits that outweigh the costs. The difference is the value. :)

Congratulations on your new moderatorship. :thumb
.

You'll have this board straightened out in no time. :wine [/quote]

Morgan-------- Thanks. You sure have a way of putting things in there proper perspective.;)

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In answer to Robert's original question, every time out we seem to travel lighter. We find what we don't need for certain types of trips and decide what we will add for a different type of trip. (Sometimes we camp strictly in the wilds, other times we head for state parks or places where we know we'll have full hookups, etc.) The same applies to equipment as well as clothing. So it's a learning experience that will hopefully never stop. At least we no longer have to worry about how many bags the airline will let us check.:shg

And speaking of PDA's, we (Joyce) got one for Christmas. What a great little machine. It now has a record of our campground reservations, including confirmation number as well as an excellent address book, date book etc. on a small, very simple and inexpensive device. And it ''hot-syncs'' to the computer, which keeps duplicate information on the hard drive or CDRW. Of course we keep the same information elsewhere too, just in case. This is one tiny solution for some of our ''senior moments,'' or old-timers disease, as I prefer to reference it. If you don't have one, get one, you'll like it.:thumb

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you probably already know this, but I'll say it anyway. keep the battery charged or changed. If you let it go dead you loose every thing on that PDA. was told this by my daughter who has one you change the batteries in and I felt all superior with my Chargeable one. they go dead too, even when your not using them. that memory thing gets wiped out. not a good thing.

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That's right, keep the PDA charged. And the ability to back-up the information on the computer is valuable--most PDA's offer that hot-sync feature. Of course all the information is still someplace else, too, on some scrap of paper or some physician's card, but where did I leave that?

But we digress. Where do you keep your stuff in the trailer?;)

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We have a floor plan of the trailer on the computer. Everything that is in it is listed in the area of the trailer it goes with the weights of each item. (we had problems with sway on the former Tent trailer. All the storage was on one side)

We have numerous floorplans depending on the type of camping...weekend, week, travel etc. and time of year and if we are taking extra kids. We also usually don't camp at hydro sites so have all hydro related things in a bin we can take if we know we'ell have hydro. Of course when travelling the hydro stuff always goes with us.

We too have really cut back on what we take especially when travelling. If we don't use it on one trip it doesn't go the next.

We added a storage box above the propane tank to keep outside related things in. Like the BBQ, Coleman stove, ropes, pegs, axe, etc.
The more you camp the more you discover what is convenient and what is needed.

Nancy

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Nancy;

Why haven't you posted a picture of your storage box? I haven't seen one above the LP tanks before. Let's see what that looks like! Please? :lol

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:wave Yoohoo, Nancy! Got a picture of that storage box? I sure would like to see it. ;)

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Right now the box isn't on it. The box is a large black plastic cargo type box from Walmart and we bolt in on a frame my husband built. We took it off for winter. Right now the frame is covered in about a foot of snow but I'll see if I can get some sort of picture tomorrow.

It was really tricky designing the frame around the propane tank and battery and also the dolly wheel swings up above the frame. A welder really would have been handy.

We haven't used the box camping yet as he just built in last Sept. but for years we kept the outdoor stuff in a bin that sat on the floor of the trailer during travel and we set outside upon arrival.
Nancy

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My contribution to your dilemma is this..Since you keep the bed down as I do, I found a tray about 12''x16''x2'' and put tracks under the tabletop/bed and that holds all cutlery and works with bed up or down!.When travelling I secure with 2 bulldog clips.
Also I have found that 2 toy hammocks from the $1.00 store slung diagonally from the corners are great for paperbacks,rolled towels etc and can be removed when not needed.
I cannot easily get to the storage pods at the head and foot of the bed ,has anyone put in access doors from outside? I could have this done but would lose a little side light ??