Repacking the tow vehicle

[AC0GV]

Some times you just need to start over. This was from 2023 just before the September boondocking and South Dakota bison round up trips.

[Casita Greg]

Not near as much crap, most of which I also seldom if ever use, that I always pack anyway. Just sayin'. Heck even with that pile, you're still carrying a lot less than I normally haul along.

[AC0GV]

Originally Posted by Casita Greg

Not near as much crap, most of which I also seldom if ever use, that I always pack anyway. Just sayin'. Heck even with that pile, you're still carrying a lot less than I normally haul along.

When he was loading the new "LONG LONG TRAILER".

[Casita Greg]

Originally Posted by AC0GV

When he was loading the new "LONG LONG TRAILER".

Hey, you can never pack too much stuff!

[jerrybob]

Years ago when we got our Casita......we were cleaning out a stick built we had for several years.......because the stick built had more space......we found we were carrying 3 toasters......some camp chairs we've never sat on......a canopy we never used.....and a bunch of other crazy items. Now....we have a rule.....if we didn't use it on the last two trips.....we don't need it. The only exception.....a few tools I always carry.

[Casita Greg]

One of the first things I load on the floor in the truck, for any trip, whether towing the trailer or not, behind the drivers seat of the truck is my 65 Lb. tool box. I wouldn't ever even think of not having it. It's first on my list of load-out items. And yes, there have been several occasions I was glad to have them.

[Meadowlark]

When we drove to Rice to pick up our 2011 Casita, the back of our Tundra looked as if we were packing for Mars. We even took the recommended vacuum cleaner...and I don't mean a handheld duster buster, no it was an upright Hoover. ;-)


We've pared stuff down to just the basics. Now we do what Jerrybob does...did we use this the last two trips? No? Back into the garage it goes.

But we do pack things that we just might need: an extra hitch ball, nut and wrench (because the original nut was lost somewhere on the highway. How THAT happened I have no idea). for instance.



somethings we DO take. For instance, an alternator in the tool box. What? Well, this 2011 Toyota Tundra has less than 90K (as we use it solely for towing) and is on it's THIRD alternator. Yes. It went out last summer at Gold Beach, OR and only because we managed to get it into a repair shop (Kern's Automotive in Gold Beach. I HIGHLY recommend them) before we got deadlined in HWY 101...and they very kindly took us in right away..were we back on the road the next day. Used to be you could repair an alternator in less than a day. But: Now TOyota buries the alternator in the engine (it's a five hour job just to get it out) and no longer are alternators 'repairable'. I learned how to change out an alternator core but now they're made in China and aren't recyclable.



Otherwise, the things we pack: campchairs, a 'hot box" (carries the campstove, propane bottles), a Kitchen box (all the stuff you need to cook with) and the Clam (to cook and ejoy the camping in). A horseman's mounting block (because I'm too old now to balance on the bumper to get into the back of the pickup) camper) and the side compartments of our 'contractors' cap) has boxes for chock blocks and a rack for stuff like a speeder wrench for the jacks, the rods for the awning, a small rake to clean up after that last batch of campers, and a poking rod for the firewood. And a telescoping rod with a dust mop to clean the Clam off before we pack it back up.

Oh and a cooler, just in case.



Sorry to say, the one thing I have dropped from our packing list is my cat's litter box. Sable the Siamese LOVED to go camping. Oh gosh, all you had to say was 'camper' and she'd go running to get in, let's GO CAMPING mom. I trained her to both go on a leash and to remember what our camper looked/smelled like from the outside, so if she happened to get out without our permission, she'd know where camper home was. The looks we'd get when we'd go walkabout in camp!. She was a magnet for conversations. But she's gone, now, :-( and our other cat stays home.

[Casita Greg]

Originally Posted by Meadowlark

Sorry to say, the one thing I have dropped from our packing list is my cat's litter box. Sable the Siamese LOVED to go camping. Oh gosh, all you had to say was 'camper' and she'd go running to get in, let's GO CAMPING mom. I trained her to both go on a leash and to remember what our camper looked/smelled like from the outside, so if she happened to get out without our permission, she'd know where camper home was. The looks we'd get when we'd go walkabout in camp!. She was a magnet for conversations. But she's gone, now, :-(and our other cat stays home.

Sad to hear. I have always been a life long cat owner, (although my cats don't like to travel, and the next door neighbor "cat sits" when we travel,) And we also reciprocate, watching their house when they're gone.
When I have to put one of my cats down, I cry like a 4 year old girl. A sad event for sure.

[jerrybob]

Yep.....them little critters become your best buddies......we do rescues.....we always have at least two shop kitties and a least one dog.......I like our animals better than most people.....our dogs (only one now) travel with us.....the shop kitties stay home and....like Greg....get fed by a neighbor.

[Casita Greg]

Originally Posted by jerrybob

Yep.....them little critters become your best buddies......we do rescues.....we always have at least two shop kitties and a least one dog.......I like our animals better than most people.....our dogs (only one now) travel with us.....the shop kitties stay home and....like Greg....get fed by a neighbor.

Bless you jerrybob for adopting some "shop animals". I'm sure they bring joy into your life, as my cats all have. I just hate losing any of them, but that's what being a pet owner entails. They all enjoy a good spoiled rotten life while they're here.

[Meadowlark]

I've had to have cats and horses put down. It's NEVER easy. Not ever. YOu bet I cry.



But...it is usually the right thing to do. Every one of my pets, horses and cats, told me when they were 'ready to go'.



And I know they're all waiting for me at the Rainbow Bridge.


And I think of it this way, it's much worse to die before they do. When I see ads on Craigslist saying 'Need to rehome my mother's cat, we can't because............." it just breaks my heart, because I know the cat or dog or horse is wondering where Cat Mom or Dog daddy is. No one knows your pet better than you.

[Iowa Dave]

We do some repeat site trips that sometimes require “specialty” equipment we usually learn this after not having it the first time. This would include things like extra chairs if we are meeting friends, extra electrical service cord, extra lumber for leveling, extra tarp etc.These items are on the checklist and if we’re not going to need them, we mark them off with a notation and hopefully we will catch their importance on the next trip. The Highlander limits how much cargo area we have but after 11 years we have things pared down pretty well.

We do own a lot duplicates so we don’t have to fully unload each trip for things we use in the house too. Like flashlights, tools, paper towels, batteries, etc.

On our last trip my electrical cord was just a little short in that it arced down from the camper and back up to the box making a nighttime trip hazard. I had an extra drop cord and while getting it out of the side box I saw my 50 to 30 amp adapter. I plugged it in the 50 amp receptacle and to the camper cord . It was just long enough to let the cord hang straight down and lay flat all the way to the Escape. Worked well for the setup we had.

The two adapters are always along , the 50/30 And the 20/30. I’ve got several heavy duty triple taps
but rarely use them camping, just around home. I have used two cords coming out of the power bush, one for the camper and one for an auxiliary draw aways from the camper.

Iowa Dave

[John in Santa Cruz]

Originally Posted by AC0GV

Some times you just need to start over. This was from 2023 just before the September boondocking and South Dakota bison round up trips.

thats nothing. you should have seen what we packed for our 4 month Mexican trip Jan-Apr this year. In addition to just about every cabinet inside the 21' Escape being full, we completely filled the cargo space of a Ford Expedition with 2nd and 3rd seat rows folded flush, plus 2 ebikes on the back of the trailer, and a roof rack on the truck with a 2nd spare for the trailer and a couple 5G water jugs for emergencies.


(beach campground near Teacapan)

[Meadowlark]

Wow, John, what a great site you had there! Right on the beach!!

[John in Santa Cruz]

Originally Posted by Meadowlark

Wow, John, what a great site you had there! Right on the beach!!

We stayed at quite a few places right on beaches...