Loading Gear in Truck Bed

[RobWNY]

How much camping gear do you put in your truck bed when you go camping. Obviously the 5th Wheel hitch takes up a lot of room, but do you pack gear all around it or just closest to the cab, closest to the tail gate, none at all?

[Dave_H_M]

Hmmm, i am not going to admit to trucking firewood around the country. :W

[TxGearhead]

Most truck beds have indentations on the inside to put a 2x length of lumber across the bed. I have a 2x8 cut to fit across mine. Really helps to keep things in place.

[alexleblanc]

I’m currently at Watkins Glen for the NASCAR race, being camping in a muddy field for 4 days I had to bring my Generators (two Honda 2000’s), my enxtended run tank (12 litre boat tank), a 4 gallon gas jug and two 4 gallon water totes. I was able to secure the fuel tank, and three jugs in front of the bed and both my generators out back on the passenger side, nothing is in the way of the hitch or the electrical cord and breakaway cable, worked great for the 900+ miles I drove between Wednesday afternoon and Thursday to get here.

If you secure your load carefully and properly out of the way from the hitch head and cord/breakaway switch you’ll be fine but it cannot be loose items as the wind will move it around.

[ol_Bombero-JC]

RobWNY wrote:
How much camping gear do you put in your truck bed when you go camping. Obviously the 5th Wheel hitch takes up a lot of room, but do you pack gear all around it or just closest to the cab, closest to the tail gate, none at all?

Is this a poll?

Load whatever YOU like in a manner that works for YOU.

~

[N-Trouble]

6.5’ bed and typically only load in front of the hitch. Just wide enough for a good stack of firewood up to the window. Sometimes load my Davey Crocket smoker in the bed also. Definatey nothing light weight goes back there.

[TazFord]

This is funny, and wish I had read this before I loaded my truck bed. However, my brake cable did get caught and pulled, but, it was on the hitch frame itself where it got caught. As with everyone else, it did take a few minutes to figure out why the rig wouldn’t move when stuck halfway into the street and half in the parking lot. I honestly thought I had caught a tree limb. And the winds, my TT never had turbulence issues with things blowing out. 5ver is a different story. I don’t know how many times I’ve had to stop to tie things down, or once, retrieved a green water jug from 1/4 mile back on the side of the highway that I happened to see go airborne in my side mirror. Pretty tuff container though.
I do put my water jugs, Honda 3000 up front and extra 20# propane by the tailgate and a 5 gallon bucket. it’s the ride home when the jugs are empty that the chaos begins.

[mileshuff]

goducks10 wrote:
Plenty of storage in my front bays. I just take more than you.

Probably! I just can't imaging needing anything else as I have so much as it is! The exception is if I go somewhere to fish I might take tackle boxes, poles etc. that wouldn't typically be in my 5'er already.

[austinjenna]

I just have firewood back there, everything else is in the fiver

[goducks10]

mileshuff wrote:
Everything we need is in the 5'er. Do people have 5'ers without enough storage for their things?

If we are dry camping I'll take an ice chest in the bed but thats about it. If we don't have time to put our clothes in the bedroom closet and drawers I'll just toss our bags inside by the door. No need for much in the bed.

Plenty of storage in my front bays. I just take more than you.

[goducks10]

Allworth wrote:
I hope you mean "120Volt; 50Amp electric cord".

I too snagged a emergency brake cable when I was new at this. Lucky not to be blocking anything but a driveway, but it took a while to figure what was wrong. That trailer had straight electric brakes which were silent. With my current Electro/Hydraulic system I can hear the pump running.

240V 40A welding cord that I put 120V ends on to run my gen out a ways from the 5er.

[mileshuff]

Everything we need is in the 5'er. Do people have 5'ers without enough storage for their things?

If we are dry camping I'll take an ice chest in the bed but thats about it. If we don't have time to put our clothes in the bedroom closet and drawers I'll just toss our bags inside by the door. No need for much in the bed.

[2112]

SabreCanuck wrote:
Agree with above wind stuff but also keep in mind the brake cable and the electrical cord. You need to ensure they don't get snagged on anything in the back of the truck. I have seen one idiot load firewood between fifth wheel and tail gate, then turned a corner and brakes locked up on trailer. Took that d-ass quite a few minutes blocking traffic to figure out the brake-away cable had snagged on firewood and locked up the brakes.

Signed,
Above mentioned idiot.

I'm happy to know I'm not the only idiot. My cable snagged on a cooler.

[FLY_4_FUN]

Normally I only carry firewood, spare water and my Honda 2000 (locked) in the bed. Lost a lot of stuff early on before I found out how turbulent it gets (empty jerry can, recycling etc)

[Allworth]

I hope you mean "120Volt; 50Amp electric cord".

I too snagged a emergency brake cable when I was new at this. Lucky not to be blocking anything but a driveway, but it took a while to figure what was wrong. That trailer had straight electric brakes which were silent. With my current Electro/Hydraulic system I can hear the pump running.