Storage in a Small Place

White Dog

White Dog

Senior Member
Joined
Sep 12, 2011
Messages
164
Location
Niverville, Manitoba, Canada
The reason we are getting ready to order a FWC is because of its reputation for ruggedness, its light weight, and its compact format which allows us to get anywhere we can get the tuck. The penalty for the compact size is the relatively limited storage space when compared to larger campers. I would be interested in hearing and seeing other folks storage solutions. So here are some leader questions:

1) What would you never leave home without, no matter what?

2) What have you learned to live without since moving to a smaller camper?

3) What 'work-arounds' have you developed to compensate for stuff you left at home?

4) How have you organized storage inside the camper for efficiency?

5) How have you added storage space on the outside of the camper and in the truck?

I think it would also be interesting to hear about people's experience with off-road trailers. I can think of lots of advantages and disadvantages but I'm curious to see what trailer uses have to say.

Lots of questions I know. Pick one (or more!)and have at it. I look forward to the discussion and pictures.
 
The first thing we did was toss in all of our car camping, back packing, and general camping stuff and go camping for a day. We sorted it all out and packed the stuff we thought we would need into the camper -the rest got tossed back into the bins in came in and was later put away in the garage somewhere.

Second - we have a list that goes in the camper every trip. We add stuff we need to pack, stuff we want to do, stuff we ran out of, notes, etc. It is also our trip log/diary. Before the next trip we check the list make any changes, add stuff, etc.

As for storage - I have 2 of the small Rubbermaid action packers. One if full of 'truck' stuff, if we are going off the beaten path, it is intended to fix most minor truck related disasters and save a bunch of time rather than waiting for a tow truck for something minor. It only goes on some trips. The other action packer gets filled with trip specific items that don't go on every trip - like sand castle supplies/kites/toys for the beach - or extra dry food for longer trips - etc.

The bins fit on top of the camper on the roof rack - but also fit inside the camper on the floor. The lower bed/couch folds out with the bins still in the camper and sit 'right' on top of the bins with zero clearance.

Extra bulky junk that gets in the way in the camper gets tossed into the cab of the truck and is retrieved as needed.

Going from car/truck camping and backpacking - it feels like we have SO MUCH STUFF!! We don't feel at all like we are living without anything. :D
 
Here is a small part of my history:

I started out backpacking, when I moved to kayak touring I thought I had so much room to work with. When I started traveling in my little Subaru I thought I had so much room to work with. When I started canoe tripping I thought I had so much room to work with. When I started sailing I thought I had so much room to work with. When I started "camping" in my topper I thought I had so much room to work with. I think I will have so much room to work with in my FWC.

In the end it is all relative.
 
5) How have you added storage space on the outside of the camper and in the truck?


A Thule box can hold an amazing amount of gear. If you need extra space this is the first place I would look to add. Even a cargo rack or basket with things stuffed into dry-bags.
 
Both of you mention putting gear on the roof. This is going to make it more difficult to raise. The Canadian distributor for FWC thought adding a canoe to the roof would be impractical and its only 65 lbs. I've tried lifting the roof empty and it seemed pretty easy. Any thoughts on what your practical limit for roof weight might be?

Like Overland Hadley, I started by backpacking and canoeing where everything got a very a serious second look before it went along. Still canoe a lot. During my career, I move a lot of gear around by bush plane. Again, everything go weighed and the 'leave behind pile' got pretty big sometimes. Now we live in a 24' travel trailer in the winter. It never seems very fully. I firmly believe we spend the first third of out life wishing for stuff, the second third collecting it, and the last third getting rid of it.
 
Both of you mention putting gear on the roof. This is going to make it more difficult to raise. and it seemed pretty easy. Any thoughts on what your practical limit for roof weight might be?

A lot of people get around the "too heavy to lift" issue with this:
roof lifting helper shocks thingys

There are other threads here covering the same fix, I think.
 
Must bring? Sleeping bag and beer. Really all depends on the length of the trip and whether I'm solo or grouping.
 
Greetings White Dog,

I have put kayaks and my canoe on the roof. It is fine, a bit tall loading and unloading, but works fine. I called FWC once and asked regarding weight limits on the roof rack that comes as an option, which I have. They say 175 lbs. ish max. That works for my 42 pound canoe or my two short 9 foot rec yaks. I am too cheap to mod the lifter thingys to assist in lifting so I remove the items each time on and off. Pain in the A__. But that is the price of my lazy gene!!!

Storage wise, it took a few trips to dial in what to take and what to leave, but it seems to be a never ending game. Each trip we learn a bit more. We have had our 2009 Hawk about 2 years and have a month in Alaska, several week long trips, and many many weekends and each time I either meet a fellow camper that clues me in on a new idea or I discover a new one!!

Great camper for our use. My only complaint is it is a bit tough on those mid-winter ice fishing trips when it is
-30 F and windy!! But, hey I tried it and a motel room here and there aint gonna kill me.

-mike
 
Must bring? Sleeping bag and beer. Really all depends on the length of the trip and whether I'm solo or grouping.

OK maybe not the sleeping bag.
 
I have to say that lack of storage has been my biggest gripe about the FWC. Not so much the camping gear as 90% of that stuff fit into bins and into the storage areas but things like recovery gear, tools and spares parts. Much of this stuff is heavy/bulky so loading it on the roof is not really an option. Since much of our travels are very remote and many times solo, we need to be self sufficent so it does require a little more gear than your typical tow truck accessable dirt roads.

I am currently in "design mode" as to do I keep the standard truck bed or move to a flat bed. I have bought an aluminum flat bed I picked up off Craigslist. Now it's just figuring out which way makes more sense. Both have pros and cons.
 
There is good storage along the bed accesed by the little slide doors. Put things in waterproof bags. The propane compartment will hold a lot of tools. Shovel and TP for emergency. There are a few bins under benches in the dinette seating model. I would get that over the bench for sure
 
Great post White Dog! I am in the same boat and hope to order in October. I am monitoring with baited breath! Thanks to everyone for your input.
 
Great post White Dog! I am in the same boat and hope to order in October. I am monitoring with baited breath! Thanks to everyone for your input.
 
Great post White Dog! I am in the same boat and hope to order in October. I am monitoring with baited breath! Thanks to everyone for your input.
 
OK maybe not the sleeping bag.


Beer but no sleeping bag! Hmm . . .

Lots of good ideas here. I'm not sure I'm too worried about a bit of weight on the roof. I can still portage my canoe for a couple of kilometers (that's 1.242 miles for you American folks - we Canucks may convert you yet!). The Thule box (Yakima in my case) is a good idea for light stuff.

I'm curious if anyone has come up with a way of storing the jacks. Leaving them attached while travelling seems like an invitation for disaster and FWC has made them pretty easy to get off. To me, one of the great advantages of a FWC is its compact size. It will let me go down narrow 2-tracks without worry. The Canadian dealer says he always leaves them at home; he's never had any need to take the camper off while travelling. I can see that but I guess I'm a little more conservative. Any thoughts anyone?
 
I have thought about the advantages of having the jacks along during trips. But the jacks are heavy (over 100 lbs) and bulky, and I would not drive around with the four corner jacks on. Too much risk of twisting the camper frame, plus the added wind drag.

The other problem is that if you want to go inside the camper the floor needs to be supported. So that means also taking along some kind of saw horses.

Too much weight and space for these little campers, in my opinion at least.
 
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