The little/light Camper Trailer Thread...

OMG, this had me lol! I am a career firefighter on a department with 3 of us women and over 100 men. Let me just say this about that The guys WAY out talk us hands down! Cracks me up That camper looks cool btw!

Thanx Ffchick!!

....and Thankyou for the job you do!


oh btw......yeah, OK.......the guys may talk more then the womens do......but it's usually about seriously important stuff!!

Suddenly I have a new appreciation for the vintage teardrop trailers ...



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I was with an inmate at Daytona and he picked up one of these little beauties. Two hundred eighty pounds with a queen-size bed and an air conditioner. Pretty cool. It's a BunkHouse by Bushtec.

I'm spending way too much time this morning looking through this thread! Here is my humble contribution.

Like most of us on advrider, I was looking for a toyhauler for a couple dual sports. Here is my Haulmark 5x8 vnose I bought back in 2009. Ordered with a few factory options.

• -1/2 inch insulation
• -E-trake sides and two removable wheel chalks inside.
• -Side door. This was somewhat uncommon for a 5x8 to have a side door, I wanted it for sleeping though
• -I choose gate rear doors instead of rear ramp style, because I found on my previous trailer, the ramp was less convienent for camping. And side opening doors could be opened in smaller driveways.
• -Rear jacks: I was really glad I got this option, because it allowed me to disconnect the trailer from the truck and not have it tip backwards when I walked past the trailer axle.
• -Extra vents
• -Side window
• -Electric brakes

Here is a shot of the trailer on my property. I lived in this rig for 18 months off and on while I built my cabin home. Minnesota winters get chilly even with 1/2 inch insulation foam board. A Cabelas 7 foot cot fit with plenty of room in the trailer and 3 sleeping bags helped keep me warm, but going outside each night in -20 degree weather when nature calls, wasn't fun. Speaking of that, a 2x6 board and two tree stumps was my toilet for more than a year!

(window not visable is facing Lake Superior)


Now my house is done, so I plan on adding a few camping features to the trailer. I'm going to take advantage of the aux power on the 7 pin bargman connector, and wire up an isolator circuit to charge some deep cycle 12volt batteries. I enjoy throwing my Honda XRR, a mountain bike and kayak on the truck and trailer, spending weekends in the Superior National Forest doing just about whatever I fancy.

Also, I got these from Cabelas. I think i saw them on here somewhere. They are quick and easy cupboard space in a trailer that is used just as much for utility as camping. I like being able to remove them quickly, they clip on and off my wall e-trek with a couple carabiners.

Mmmmmm BULLEIT! Bourbon AND Rye

That much hooch in the kitchen could keep a guy on the road for a while

or off the road as the case may be.

jwalters - awesome tips!

You sir are a hardier man than I. Wow!

Just took the first step towards camper ownership... swapped out the SUV for a truck. Nissan was offering insane rebates and they gave us a bunch for our trade. It can tow 6100 pounds.

Nice looking. And should be about perfect for the trailer you're getting.
Will it carry your scooters while towing the camper?

I want one, but I'm offended by the gas mileage. When I buy half a truck, I want double mileage. But they're great looking and very comfortable. I really do want one.



Added bous: Girls driving pickup trucks = sexy. Yes, I may have lived in TX for too long.

No on the scooters, we wouldn't be able to load/unload them into the bed without help. But we will take bicycles with us.

So, without reading through a bajillion pages of this thread... anyone have a link to some good packing tips for campers? Seems like there are a hundred things to pack and a list would be helpful.

Just like having a vacation condo . . . only smaller.

I would think:
dishes - Corelle Ware dishes are cheap, lightweight and break/chip resistant - better than regular dishes
flatware
cooking utensils
pots/pans
coffee/tea pot - for use on the stove for when there's no electric
splash guard if you're into bacon
Dawn dish soap
sponge, wash rag, etc
linens
bath consumables - tp, shampoo, soap, medicine cabinet must haves
sun screen
bug spray/repellent, etc - maybe citronella candle for outside at night
paper towels
large plastic wash tub if you only have a single bowl sink
(assume something large enough to wash dishes in)
extra pillows, blankets, etc - for guests or when it's just cold
broom & dustpan
(dishwashing wash tub can double for clean up duties)
a couple of those blue 7gal water jugs if you're going to be doing any boondocking
toilet/black water tank chemicals
spare water hose - water supply hose (and maybe a water filter)
at least two lawn chairs - you'll be spending more time outside than in
small parson's table for outside for drinks, nosh, etc.
BBQ length cigarette lighter - just in case there's a problem with your stove's igniter
you'll probably want to add a second battery to the power system - they typically only come with one
small BBQ - easiest to get the ones that take the little propane bottles - for outdoor cooking
maybe even a small propane - camping style - cook stove for outdoor cooking
cooler/ice chest to augment the fridge and for outdoor use
small ac/dc inverter if your trailer doesn't already have one, so you can charge laptops, iPads, iPods, e-readers, etc.
lots of folks like to take a section of "astro turf" type stuff for outside the front door to keep from tracking in dirt and walking on gravel in bare feet

One other item. If you're going to be gone for any extended periods, lots of books take up space and add weight. That's why if you each had a Nook or a Kindle (e-reader of any description) it would be nice. Storage, and shifting of loads during travel, ceases to be an issue this way.

heavy duty extension cord
shower shoes or flip flops
headlamp(s)
carefully edited list of inmates that will loan you bikes and gear.

Edit:
I'll augment this list here if/when anything else comes to mind.

Thanks, Hannda!

The inverter thing, can't I just plug into the outlet in the camper to charge things up?

If your camper has a 110v outlet in the wall, like you have at home, then it already has an inverter built into it. You have that, you're good to go. I mentioned it only as some of the smaller, lighter weight units don't come with them.

You might like a few of these as well:
http://www.homedepot.com/p/Coleman-18-Watt-Solar-Charging-Kit-58033/203241551#.UV2ao5Ozd2A

And/or a small Honda generator. I believe even just this one small unit will run your a/c.
http://powerequipment.honda.com/generators/models/eu2000i

Light weight, quite and will charge your batteries or let you do about anything else you'd want to do in your new camper. Including running the a/c.

One more thing. A heavy gauge extension cord, at least 50'. Sometimes you're at campgrounds, sometimes you're boondocking. But on your trips there's a good chance you'll be beached in inmates driveways and side yards. Being able to get 110 power from the house would be helpful. Especially on hot and humid nights when the a/c is necessary. Why run your generator when you can top off your batteries and run the entire camper for $1.00/day in juice off someone's home? I won't charge you and I'm sure we've got enough hose to top off your fresh water tank.





Last thing. It wouldn't hurt to take, at a minimum, your helmets. You never know when you'll be someplace where there are a couple of Sherpas you could borrow for the day.

Hannda list is excellent but he left out lighting. I like lanterns but headlamps are the bomb for doing things in the dark and saving house batteries.

That Honda generator is awesome too. I've had one for years and it's an excellent investment.

Have fun!

We're having a good time with the planning and preparing.

Good catch.
Besides, there's nothing attached to the camper that'll do you any good if you decide to head to the campground's toilet/showers or camp's store after dark.

Oooh, that reminds me. Flip flop sandals (shower shoes) for when you're going to use the campground's shower instead of the one in your camper.

Off to edit the original list.