Making a lighter load.

MKirkland wrote:
What have you found that you don't need for camping that you absolutely thought you would need? I found the following:
toaster
blender
vacuum cleaner
wood, during hot summer
black/gray water carrier
dishes heavy
Electrical cords, extra
Water hoses, extra
etc

Although my truck can handle the extra weight from stuff I don't use, it just seems that I am endlessly digging for what I do need.

Every year during the winter, while I am dreaming about camping, I go through my TT and get rid of anything I have not used often.

Good grief! I resemble these remarks! A buddy had a flat on his motor bike, and I said wait! I think I have a tube! And I did, didn't fit my bike but it fit his! Had to move 3 campfire axes to get to it.

I think you need a new a new RV, just so you can start over.

Norm

My bride likes to have it all just in case. Several times she's been right. I tell her she can load anything she can carry as long as it's in front of the axles. Needless to say we're not lacking for tongue weight.

One person's excess is another's must have. We guess what we will need and take it. If not used we leave it home on the next trip. If we forgot something, we do without or stop at Wal-Mart.

Some item fall into the maybe group. A bug tent is a burden till you need it, then it is a God send. It same with a small air compressor.

Take what you want and thin as needed. Remember the DW has the last say.

dewey02 wrote:
But the follow-up question is:
What do you do with this stuff once you remove it from your trailer? Does it just go in the garage or the basement on the hunch that you might use it? Or does it go to the Salvation Army thrift store for someone else to buy and put in their camper?

If there's no use for it in the house, we donate it to Goodwill. (Didn't do that with the sockets - those are useful.)

Flatfoot-Rogue wrote:
I tried leaving the wife at home...thinking more room for beer....didn't work out well...lol

I keep pulling over and ask my wife to check the passenger side rear tire, but she never gets out of the truck. :B

I once saw a post from someone (many years ago) who would lay out a big tarp in the driveway and take everything out of the RV and organize it on the tarp. That gave him a big picture view of what he had packed around all season.

He removed the junk/stuff that he didn't use that season.

We camp for five to thirty days at a time. If we were weekend campers we could get along without a lot of things we take. Our truck pulls the TT with ease.

I tried leaving the wife at home...thinking more room for beer....didn't work out well...lol

We have definitely downsized what we carry with us. It's truly amazing the **** we took out of our trailer that we never used, but though it was a must have when we put it in. My tool and spare parts kit has also downsized from a kit big enough to rebuild an engine on the side of the road to just a few basic tools and a BCAA membership.
The beer part definitely did not get downsized.....