Storage in a Small Place

My $0.02:

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

Pretending to be McGuyver is part of the fun for me. I always either forget something or break something. Improvising is just part of being 'out there' to me. But I have to say, we don't forget many important things with the camper now. Maybe a kitchen utensil or something, but most things stay in/with the camper when not in use, so we no longer forget them.

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

Bins! Rubbermaid 18 gal. They are light, tough, water/small critter proof and fit between the seat and cabinetry nicely. One for cooking/kitchen gear, one for dry/canned food like chips, scotch, etc. Flashlights, lighters, batteries, TP, etc all go in the slider cabinet. Not much left to organize.

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

I added some wood "doors" on hinges to close in the space between the camper and truck bed wall. I store firewood behind these flaps. Still trying to figure out what would store best between the camper and front wall of the bed. I always have about 2" there. Also added a bottle opener to the outside back wall.

6) 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.

I considered an off road trailer. Killed the idea because 1) turning/backing on a tight trail off road is near impossible 2) tent trailers don't have heat 3) tents are noisy 4) wife wanted a more protected feel in bear country
 
1) What would you never leave home without, no matter what?
One or both of my kids :D , chocolate, sleeping bags, marshmallow, nissian noodles, pillow pets, bikes in the summer, sleds in the winter, pots pans and decomposable spoons, metal knifes forks.

2) What have you learned to live without since moving to a smaller camper?
space. privacy. daily showers.

3) What 'work-arounds' have you developed to compensate for stuff you left at home?
Fill up in gas/water as close to camping as possible; this could be as close as 100 yards for water or 100 miles for gas. Don't fill your gas tank before you climb the steep grade, sometimes gas at the top is cheaper. Paper plates double as kindling. Compost-able forks/spoons are way lighter than a mess of metal ones, get the good decomposeable ones, the cheap ones melt in hot water. Don't take "wet" or canned foods. Dry foods are easy and light.

Hope this helps.

Roger

4) How have you organized storage inside the camper for efficiency?
When in travel: Clothes toward the front (least accessible)food and potty near the back door of the truck. While pop'ed/camping all clothes bags/sleeping gear in the "nest" (cab over sleeping). In the winter keep 1 change of all "warm" (jacket/pants) clothes in the truck cab. I have a folding ladder behind the couch to help clear snow off the top in the winter.

5) How have you added storage space on the outside of the camper and in the truck?
Added a hitch and a "swing daddy" bike rack. I am thinking of buying a hitch "storage porch" from Harbor Freight. I keep wood and the gray water bladder in between the camper and the side of the truck. If something is thin you can put it in the space between the can and the camper.
 
Some things depend on your weight considerations also. Basically I don't concern myself with weight. The truck can handle all I can carry easily. If I had the room I'd carry my big chair, bbq, 3 burner stove and such all the time so I'd only have to grab clothes, food and beer before heading out.

Jacks depend on what vehicle you have too. I never carry mine. The truck is stiff enough it doesn't move when sleeping or moving around. Well once maybe I wished I had them, camping on the ocean during a storm but thats only once in seven years.

I did make a few considerations to space. My pots and pans are all stackable. I make sure things like chairs and bbq all have their own zippered covers (keeps things cleaner that way too).
 
I thought long and hard about a trailer, and I use to own and use a pop up travel trailer. But for me the magic of camping with my truck is being free to be on the move when the mood strikes. Sometimes I end up in a store parking lot, or at a trailhead, or the end of a long lonely road, but I rarely end up at the place I started from. My travel style at this point in time just is not conduesive to a base camp. If you like having a base camp I think a trailer would have many advantages.

MPG can also really suffer with a trailer.
 
2) What we live without- We eat really easy simple things like soup, noodles, etc that store easily and are quick and easy to fix and don't require lots of cookware & utensils. We just try to keep everything small and simple.
4)Organization- One modification I made was to put four small eyebolts in the wood that supports the bed when it pulls out. I can then attach a cargo net with carabiners and store some cushions and a few bulky items in it (I still have to remove the items to pull out the bed). We use Kelty Binto & Mountainsmith Modular Haulers that seem to conform to tight places a little better than hard plastic containers. I found a thin fishing tackle box fits well in the couple inches of space between the cabinets and front wall. I put some small stuff like cable ties, hose clamp, first aid, extra toiletries etc in it.
 
Here is a small but, to me, important addition. This is from my travel trailer but a similar installation will be one the first additions to my FWC. I made and installed this rather simple bracket for a flashlight and bear-spray beside a full sized fire extinguisher just inside the door. I haven't seen the factory installed fire extinguisher on a FWC but most of the ones on other RVs are cheap small throw-aways. I quickly disposed of the factory extinguisher and bought a real 5 lb model from a reliable supplier. Cheap insurance and being close to the door I can grab it on the way out of the trailer in an emergency or quickly reach in and snag it if I have an outside fire or one in the truck. The need for the flashlight close to the door is obvious. The bear-spray is less about my concern about bears and more about other dogs deciding to have a run at my favourite four-legged travelling companion.

A small addition but it works great.

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Especially in a vehicle that goes off highway, check that fire extinguisher frequently for compaction.
 
Especially in a vehicle that goes off highway, check that fire extinguisher frequently for compaction.


Very good point. I would never have though about compaction of the powder in the extinguisher. I assume an occasional shake is all that is necessary to solve the problem?
 
Very good point. I would never have though about compaction of the powder in the extinguisher. I assume an occasional shake is all that is necessary to solve the problem?


A good shake and a whap with a rubber mallet is what the fire extinguisher certification guy does....
 
Shifting gears a bit (pun intended), I've found it much easier to keep my tools and repair parts in relatively flat containers. These can be stored either on edge or flat. I always seem to be able to find a little corner somewhere that would otherwise be wasted space. What has worked out well is the cases that come with most power hand tools (drills, routers, etc.). I almost never use these once the tool comes into my shop so I recycle the good ones by stripping out the liners and packing them with task specific tools and parts: electrical in one, tie down straps and rope in another, and so one. I suspect these will find their way into the space between the camper and truck box when I finally have the FWC - wrapped in heavy plastic bags of course to keep the moisture out. I'll see.

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I also looked for a cheap but comprehensive tool set and found this one at my local Canadian Tire for less than $50. Must have been a lost leader.

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I know some of you may be professional mechanics or serious amateurs and look at this tool kit only to start shaking your head. However, I leave the good stuff at home and take this kit because if I lose or break one of the tools, it won't ruin my day. Also, it doesn't seem to matter how well I try to guess what tools to take from the home shop, I always leave the one I need at home - Murphy's Law. This cheepo kit has almost everything I could need except pliers, cutters, etc.

Finally, some of the boxes get heavy and the last think I want is to have one open while bouncing down a 2-track. So I watch the garage sales and thrift stores looking for used straps to keep the boxes closes. Since the straps are cheap, I don't mind cutting them to length.

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This tool storage system seems to work well for me. Takes up little space and is pretty cheap too.
 
Like others have said, I keep most things in the camper. However I always have a paper list of things that should live in the camper. I add things and cross out others as the trip progresses.

I always bring a little air machine/tire filler, an extension cord, and an ammo can with camper-specific tools in it along with a kit like White Dog mentions above.
 
However I always have a paper list of things that should live in the camper. I add things and cross out others as the trip progresses.


This is a really good thing to do. On each trip if I think of some thing that I should have packed I write it on the list, and if I am annoyed with something that I am not using I can cross it off. This creates a concise list of things I need to have with.
 
Like others have said, I keep most things in the camper. However I always have a paper list of things that should live in the camper. I add things and cross out others as the trip progresses.

I always bring a little air machine/tire filler, an extension cord, and an ammo can with camper-specific tools in it along with a kit like White Dog mentions above.


Also for long trips you need a hose for filling the water tank. I use a 25 foot long small diameter coiled hose and cut the male end off to better fit the intake.
 
Speaking of lists . . .

On my travel trailer, I typed out a check list of stuff I need to do before starting in the morning. I can quickly run down the list to make sure I haven't forgotten something that will come to bite me later. Got the idea from my son who is a pilot. They use them all the time. Hope I don't need one for the FWC; it's a lot simpler to pack up. Then again, the memory isn't what it used to be either.
 
Put the top down. Close the door.


Put the top down, Latch the top. Close the door.

I say this after driving almost 100 miles in Canada with the top unlatched :oops:
 
Speaking of lists . . .

Hope I don't need one for the FWC;

I have a laminated 4"x6" card that I leave in the cab of the truck to remind me what to do before I drive off.

1) Close and latch the top
2) Close and latch the fridge
3) Close the roof vent
4) Close and LOCK the camper door
5) Turn off the Lp at the tank (I may or may not do this everytime...)


I drove 20 miles down I-5 in Southern California with my rear door OPEN after failing to check my list after a restroom/snack stop.... Ooppps! Luckily I didn't lose anything.
 
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This tool storage system seems to work well for me. Takes up little space and is pretty cheap too.


Have you tried soft sided tool bags? I used to run hard sided tool boxes/containers but switched to soft ones a few years ago. SO much better!! Easier to pack into small spaces, lighter weight, they don't tip over when you are trying to balance them on some rock in the middle of nowhere, come in all sorts of sizes, cheap, etc, etc...

I have them in all my vehicles now.

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