What did you find you did not need?

Funny, I was thinking about adding a toaster oven :).

I use my crockpot constantly, but I might experiment with bringing a 'hot pot' instead. It's an electric pot, but it can get hotter, like for frying things. Or it can be turned down low like a crockpot. It might be a more flexible choice... I will have o see how it performs.

I am gradually working on a shift away from the habit of buying things in bulk. Stocking up when stuff is cheap is less practical in a minivan :).

Funny story: On my first four trips in a row, my DW always wanted to bring a watermelon. There's no good place to put it but in the sink, so it doesn't roll around. When we needed the sink, we had to move it, which was a pain. Each time, it got eaten after we got back home, so it wasn't really a necessary item to pack.

Now, when we're packing, I always ask the kids if we should get a watermelon. Each time, the answer is "NO!!!!!"

The first year I had to winterize after my first snowbird run, I emptied my MH.

OMG! I could not believe how many storage tubs I took out of it AND how much they each weighed!! Heavy stuff creeps up on you in a MH!

Also I found that the habit of having canned food on hand at all times for that 'rainy day' syndrome ingrained from your parents is hard to kick. When I emptied that MH and put the various cans into a tub? What an eyeopener how much THOSE weigh all together! Cans are no longer allowed in the RV.

I might have been within my CCC when I left but I'm sure I was well over it by the time I got back. :C

When I bought my first trailer, I got the "starter kit". The only thing in there I actually needed was the dump hose. Total waste of money. Aside from that, I'm concerned about weight so have been very careful about what I add and don't really have anything that's not needed.

There needs to be a line in the sand as to what you take for Snowbirds and what you take on vacation. Both have needs and both have discounts. We use pretty much nothing but paper plates, 4 set silverware, 4 coffee mugs and of course, wine glasses, old fashion glasses and bloody mary/iced tea glasses and so on. Our trailer is a 40 footer and we have the room but normally it is loaded for a 6 month trip with about 65% of the cabinet space used.

rockhillmanor wrote:
All the stuff I used to put out when I pulled into a CG, matt, tables, awning lights, chairs, bbq etc.etc.

After a few years on the road full time all that nonsense wears off especially when you have to put it all away each time you move! I gave it all away to fellow campers in my travels.

Now it's pull in, put in park and ONE chair goes outside that's it! :C

I 'm not a full timer but I've learned not to pull out all the junk each time as well.

Four fishing poles and a tackle box, one pole & Penn reel for salmon fishing in Lake Michigan. Hauled around full time now 3 1/2 yrs, never touched. But, you never know.

sdianel wrote:
If we haven't used it in a year and it's not an emergency type of item, out it goes. If we haven't worn clothes in a year they go to charity. We purge every 6 months and every time we buy something new, we have to get rid of something. We full time in a 33' class A.

We purged every 6 months.
If I had used it during that 6 mos.....it went to charity.

Our motto '1 bag in-2 bags out' LESS is MORE

Less clutter, basics, just what was used......all the other was just 'stuff' (George Carlin) :B

That was why we hit the road.......travel and less complicated lifestyle

I can open any drawer, cabinet, storage compartment and SEE everything in them.

All the stuff I used to put out when I pulled into a CG, matt, tables, awning lights, chairs, bbq etc.etc.

After a few years on the road full time all that nonsense wears off especially when you have to put it all away each time you move! I gave it all away to fellow campers in my travels.

Now it's pull in, put in park and ONE chair goes outside that's it! :C

We were forced to purge in 2010 after we rolled our rig. When we looked inside the trailer we saw all our stuff thrown around and we were amazed at how much stuff it was! We managed to salvage about 1/3 of the stuff and even then it was too much stuff.
We left behind:
toaster oven
little electric washing machine (bucket with an agitator)
blender
various baking pans
piles of linens
piles of paper products
piles of ceramic mugs (or rather, mug pieces)
piles of clothing
extra chairs (which got broken up anyway)

It might not like seem like much, but when you see it in a jumble you realize just how much stuff it is.

The one appliance that we did salvage was our crock-pot, which somehow managed to not get broken. I use the crock-pot just about every time we camp.

We now have a much smaller rig which has limited storage capacity. We think very hard before we add anything to it--where will it go? what will have to be removed to make room for this item? We don't need 15 towels and 3 sets of bed linens. We don't need 3 of anything!