Packing is overwhelming. Suggestions?

[gussie]

Just got the RV home yesterday. It is a 40 diesel with lots of storage. For a first timer I feel lost as to what or how to pack the kitchen etc. Don't want totake too much but what I will need. Considering paper goods for this first trip even though I am conscious of the environment. Have a nice 4 door fridge/freezer so have cooked and frozen entrees ahead. We will be boondocking a lot according to my husband. Suggestions appreciated.

[suesodyssey]

Gussie, don't let it overwhelm you. First off, look in your house kitchen, what do you have 2 of...take one to the MH. Dishes..suggest Corelle, won't stain like plastic or break like pottery. Cookware..think light. How are you going to cook? Big meals, small meals, eat out much. Your life style depends on what you pack. I have glass glasses..use a glass glove (foam sleeve, get them at Camping World) If you pack corning ware or other glass cook/bake ware, make sure you put some skid proof between them..keeps them from ratteling and breaking. In a MH you will be aware of every rattle from your dishes. For boondocking, I would use paper and plastic...less to wash.

Don't worry about getting everything in the right place the first time. I have been in my new rig 11 months, and still change things around...drives my husband nuts!! If you have a washer/dryer, you don't have to worry about a lot of dishtowels and cloths...

Just think small. When you are out and find something you could use, make a list so you can get it when you go shopping or when you get home. Buy small stuff..you won't have room for giant economy sizes.

Sue

[gussie]

Sue, thanks for the input. We will eat in mostly. Starting off with entrees I have frozen-can reheat in a skillet or micro. I do see that small jars of mayo etc. will fit better in the fridge. I may have to "fight" with my hubby for a couple of the kitchen drawers that he has his eye on for "guy"stuff. I have decided that the right attitude will go a long way on this initial trip especially. It isn't that we will be miles away from a grocery or a shopping area. Do you use a GPS? Do you use a Wi-Fi laptop and if so do you find places often that have access? Thanks for helping. Love this site!

[suesodyssey]

Gussie, we don't boondock. We have a fifth wheel and tow with a freightliner. I guess I am just spoiled and like my elect, water and sewer hookups!! We have lots of membership campgrounds that are away from the cities and out in the boonies. That gets me out in the wild areas, but still have my comforts at the rig!!

We had a Data Storm installed on the roof. As long as we don't have to fight trees, we are ok with internet and TV. We don't like parking under trees anyway...just too much sap on the roof.

As far as hubby getting kitchen drawers...mine got one drawer at the bottom of the fridge...and that is only because I like to keep a screwdriver, pliers and a few other tools in the rig. He has the big basement and the back basement. That is more than enough!! Front basement has the freezer and light stuff!

Sue

[billadams]

Here's the best advice I can think of. Take a look at all of the things that you want to bring and throw-away half of it. You are NEVER going to use all of that.
As long time full-timers we still go through the coach about once per year and get rid of anything we haven't used in the last year or so.
You don't need more cookware than can fit on the stove/oven/microwave/convection oven all at the same time. Don't "junk it up" and take what you need and not what you want.
Full timing is the most freeing experience of your life and getting rid of all that "crap" you never needed in the first place is the first step.

[winnie95]

We have a 34' class A. When it came to supplying it we looked at all the storage areas to see what we could add to contain all the Stuff. We finally decided that all the stuff that you think you will need is really not necessary.

We then decided to move across country in just the motorhome and the small suv. That when you are really surprised on what your rig will hold. Amazing.

Good luck.

[ccintrigue]

It takes awhile to get any kind of RV outfitted just right. My best advice is to purchase everything you need for the RV so you don't have to pack it up from the house every time you travel. I even keep an extra set of spices in the MH. At the end of every trip whatever needs refilling gets taken care of right then. So when we want to leave on the spur of the moment, just throw in some groceries and a few clothes and we're off.

My parents used to camp too, and several years ago Dad broke his hip while on a trip. DH and I had an hour to get packed, hitched up, and leave. Really taught me the value of keeping the RV in ready-to-go condition!

[hickbran]

I have been RVing in a 32' MH for 7 years. Put in the RV just the items you always use. Leave the rest at home. I have a laptop and use wifi when I can get at RV parks or my cell phone using Verizon wireless. Good Luck, Sherry

[gussie]

Thanks for all of the advice. I have most things I need in and put away. Amazing amount of storage. I have kept the kitchen "stuff" down to the essential. I too want to have things so we can leave quickly. This first trip preparation has been labor intensive with cleaning and lining drawers, etc. Our rig was used, 99 diesel with 17,000 mi. on it in really great condition but still needed some TLC and "tweaking". Hubby has his tool drawer!

[timkelmom]

Sounds like a good start Gussie. Remember, there are a lot of things you have to do the first time that you won't have to do each time.

I agree with everyone that said you will need less than you think. Less is more. I am getting rid of stuff I "had to have" all the time. Even the kids get rid of more and more all the time.

Don't sweat it, just have a great first trip.

[ccintrigue]

Gussie, I woke up this morning thinking about your question!

Last summer we traded up from a TT to a MH. I'm still outfitting it with everything I want/need, so I sympathize with you. Ours was also used, so I went through that thorough cleaning, outfitting stage just like you are now. My must haves other than the obvious are melamine dishes (Pfaltzgraff has some wonderful patterns now) polycarbonate, and Tupperware. All lightweight and unbreakable. And another thing is a good small gas grill. We have a new Weber Baby Q that we really like. Instead of cooking everything ahead of time, I prepare meats and freeze them with the marinades already in the bag. Then just thaw the night before and pop them on the grill.

Have fun on your first trip!

[gussie]

The meat/marinade is a great idea. Thanks for your input.

[smoorect]

I have a LARGE griddle with a large pan cover. On it I can do stir fry, hash, eggs, pancakes, steak whatever. One 2 quart pan, 1 quart pan, both with covers. One small casserole with cover. A small iron fry pan - one egg size. I used to carry a large lobster pot when we went down east. A gas stove/grill toaster contraption. Four place settings of correll, two travel mugs, french press coffee pot for those days with no electric, electric coffee pot. Throw away plastic food containers. Paper plates for on the road meals, plastic cups for cocktails.... Plastic to carry open cereal, flour, suger, crackers etc.
Good set of knives which hang inside the sink cabinet. Also consider carrying a small electric roasting oven for cooking all sorts of things outside. One drawer full of kitchen stuff - opener, flipper, spoons, etc.
Have fun

[alabam]

I'm new here and also soon to be new to rving for travel, moving and temporary(at least) living.

Thought this would be as good a place as any to say hello for the first time since I enjoyed so much this ladies thread and was delighted to see a section just for gals.

I found a *lot* of the advice given to Gussie very helpful as well.

We've been living in a single wide mobilehome since we married and are now a family of nine and moving out. I'm thankful for getting used to getting along without a lot of "stuff" already and am hoping that RVing will just feel second nature.

Looking forward to learning more, finding the exact RV the Lord has for us and maybe even making a friend or few.

las

[southpaw]

Gussie and Alabam,
First off I would like to say hello to fellow rv'ers!
Secondly, less is more in an rv. Like many suggestions that are expressed here, pack only the essentials--enough to get you thru. You can always go to a dollar store and find items cheaply if need be. Alabam, don't be to concerned--just make sure you find an rv that has PLENTY of storage drawers, etc. Look at the rv twice before deciding to buy it, making sure it has all the amenities that you want. My husband and I full-timed for 4 yrs before buying another house. It was the greatest time, of having the freedom of no mortgage and all those bills and concerns a house brings! Now, our 5er sits alongside the house, just begging us to take her out. We have no children, but bills do go on so we don't use her as much as we woud like. May the Lord bless you in your endeavor in finding the right rv and in your ministry! :)

I'm new here and also soon to be new to rving for travel, moving and temporary(at least) living.

Thought this would be as good a place as any to say hello for the first time since I enjoyed so much this ladies thread and was delighted to see a section just for gals.

I found a *lot* of the advice given to Gussie very helpful as well.

We've been living in a single wide mobilehome since we married and are now a family of nine and moving out. I'm thankful for getting used to getting along without a lot of "stuff" already and am hoping that RVing will just feel second nature.

Looking forward to learning more, finding the exact RV the Lord has for us and maybe even making a friend or few.

las

[ccintrigue]

Alabam, welcome to the group! We spent a couple of years looking and praying about our new rig. Then out of nowhere a dealer we had visited a couple of times called us - two days before we were leaving for a week at the beach - and said they had coming in on trade the next day something they thought we would really like. So we looked at it the next day, spent our vacation shopping around and looking at other brands, praying constantly, and came home and bought it with full peace of mind that it was our intended rig!

I would love to full-time, but my DH wants "roots" somewhere, so we're thinking about downsizing the house. Maybe build a small port home on some land in the country that we inherited from his parents. So lots more praying!

[alabam]

southpaw and ccintrigue! Whew! I was wrong about my stuff. We have way more than I thought. Here I felt like I had been diligent in decluttering all these years. But when you begin to think about living in an RV, you realize a lot more of your stuff has to and can go!

Who was it in this thread that said full time rving was the most "freeing" experience of her life? I'm just asking the Lord to help me get rid of what He wants me to and not anything He doesn't. I do have a tendency of being too zealous in my decluttering as it certainly can be freeing!

What we're thinking right now is that we need at least one BIG bed in the RV as our infant, nursing twins both currently co-sleep with their father and I. Our family also likes very much to sit at a table for meals together. If we end up living in our RV in the winter months, it would sure be nice to have an RV with an indoor table that would seat us all. Then, with all of the other children, someone recommended "entertainer" coaches having bunks? Last on the wish list would be a sound proof(as much as a bus can be) mini-recording/producing studio. All of this makes me think we would have to have an RV made custom which makes me see too many dollar signs *unless* the LORD... He's able. But at this still somewhat early season of our lives, I don't know if He's willing.

southpaw, you said, "May the Lord bless you in your endeavor in finding the right rv and in your ministry!" I'm curious as to whether you remember what may have prompted you to say that as I don't think I suggested we had a ministry did I?

[missmary]

Just get rid of it all to a local church that can give your stuff to people who lost all in Katrina or any other disaster..!! Seems there are plenty of them to go around, unfortunately... I ususally decide if "I haven't used it in a year , I don't need to drag it around"//!!... Happy rv'ing,,, mary

[ccintrigue]

We're planning to downsize our home in a few years. Building a tiny RV port home on some land we inherited out in the country. Hope to travel 6 months of the year. I'd go full-time, but DH wants "roots" to come back to. We've already started downsizing our possessions, and what a chore! It seems like the more I get rid of from the house, the more junk that surfaces! Hopefully with yard sales, ebaying, and local charities, within 2 years we'll be down to what will fit into our new house. It's just amazing the stuff I have that I've forgotten about.

[annjacoby]

I don't understand what "quote" means, but here goes. I really enjoy packing, especially the kitchen. I always prioritize items that have multiple uses, are light weight and nonbreakable. It has gotten a bit more complex now that I'm convinced that we shouldn't be microwaving in plastics, stryrofoams, even paper they say. (It makes sense to me that the microwaves would alter the chemical molecules and release stuff into the food.) So this means I have to carry more glass containers. Anyway, be prepared to creat on ongoing list of items you wish you'd brought with you, and add them for the next trip. Without the list, I will NOT remember when I get home. And remember, it is a delight to have unused space, so you can easily access items, rearrange, quickly hide extra items.
have fun,

Just got the RV home yesterday. It is a 40 diesel with lots of storage. For a first timer I feel lost as to what or how to pack the kitchen etc. Don't want totake too much but what I will need. Considering paper goods for this first trip even though I am conscious of the environment. Have a nice 4 door fridge/freezer so have cooked and frozen entrees ahead. We will be boondocking a lot according to my husband. Suggestions appreciated.

[ccintrigue]

And remember, it is a delight to have unused space, so you can easily access items, rearrange, quickly hide extra items.
have fun,


Annjacoby, you can use quote if you want to respond directly to a comment someone else has made. And just like I did above, you can remove part of their comment to just highlight one particular area.

Yes, it is a delight to have unused space. We use between half and two-thirds of our available space. Hope to keep it that way.

[stampgirl]

Before I packed our TT for the first time, I jotted down MANY things I thought I would need. After my list was complete, I keep the notepad in my house kitchen. As I prepared meals, I would either remove or add an item to my list...as we seem to eat about the same when camping as we do at home. After a couple weeks had passed, my list had changed dramatically from what I started with. THAT was the list of what I really needed.

[gussie]

Just back from our first trip. Do you all take out your canned goods, spices, flour etc. after each trip? Summers are hot and I wonder about leaving items in a closed MH. Also I am concerned about drawing in bugs like ants. Same question for toiletries. Not sure how soon we will get to go on another trip.

While going down the interstate, a pick-up pulling a trailer with loosely loaded steel shelves passed us and a piece of shelving flew off and into our MH. We sustained some damage but not nearly as bad as we feared or could have sustained had it come through the windshield. We are talking with the drivers insurance people and will need to get it fixed before another trip.

Did appreciate the advice to not overpack. Had some things we didn't need. Missed taking things I wish I had. Isn't that the way it goes? All in all a great experience and we went over 3000 miles and were gone 6 weeks. Needless to say, I learned a lot.

[ccintrigue]

gussie, so sorry to hear about your accident. But thankfully no one was hurt! That's a scary situation, and it could have been so much worse.

I leave all my toiletries in the MH all the time with the exception of winter. When we winterize, I remove everything that's in danger of freezing. As for canned goods, spices, etc, I've always removed everything after each trip until now. I'm gonna try leaving spices, flour, sugar in the MH all summer. They are all in sealed Tupperware, so I'm hoping for no bugs. As for canned goods, I think it depends on your particular situation. Our MH is under cover in the shade and doesn't get too hot in the summer. We leave various windows open to get air circulation and, since we plug into electricity, leave a small fan running in the summer and a heater in the winter. I figure it's no worse than a home kitchen in the days of no air conditioning. In any event, if I do decide to bring things in, I use color-coded T'ware - one color for the MH, another for the house. So if I need to grab in a hurry there's no question about what I need to pack.

If your MH sits in the hot sun with the windows closed all the time, such as at a storage facility, I'd take everything out at the end of each trip. If your MH is stored at home, it's probably a good idea to leave the windows open as much as possible. Otherwise you may develop a mold problem.

[stampgirl]

Glad to hear your first trip went pretty well except for the "accident". You said you had things you didn't need and there were things you didn't have...so now you know a little more about what to or not to pack. It is all "Learn as you go" for everyone. As for me, I leave almost everything (canned goods, flour/sugar kept in "tupperware", toiletries etc) in the TT until the end of our camping season...of course we live in MI so we don't get scorching hot summers. Hope you RV gets fixed quickly so you can get back out on the road. Happy Camping!

[scrappycrafter]

I hear all the time that I have too much stuff. My kitchen is pretty well equipped, I like to cook. I don't have room in this rig for my toasteroven, well, I got tired of putting it on the floor between the two slides everytime we moved. I miss it because it doesn't heat up the kitchen in hot, humid Iowa in the summer. May get it from our storage shed, we visit, put stuff in, I do use a Foreman Grill alot. I have a small hand mixer and a salad shooter, a small blender for fruit smoothies and a mini chopper. We use Corelle and put some scoot guard in between plates. Tupperware and rubbermaid. Have to have whisk, rubber spatulas, measureing cups and spoons, regular spatulas and spoons for cooking, also potluck containers. Many parks have potlucks, so a 9 X 13 or a covered casserole that you would use for that favorite dish that everyone wants you to share your recipe.

As for clothes, again I have too many, but will be weeding out. In my previous posts, I said was on the heavy side, so I have a couple sizes, but with my yogurt smoothies and following a healthy eating plan I have lost a pants size. Hope to visit the shed for more sizes down. I also have to wear navy shirts and khaki pants for my summer job, so that takes up space.

As for boondocking, we are in 5th wheel, so we have a generator that is in the back of the truck. We use a stove top coffee pot and toaster for mornings, can use the generator and inverter for the microwave and tv, laptops and phones. We also charge he phones in the truck and can charge the video camera, etc with an inverter we keep in the truck. The laptops have good batteries. We use the Verizon cell phone for internet. Sometimes we don't use the generator if we are just a night or two. We enjoy playing cards by battery lantern light. My husband enjoys going back to the basics sometimes. I want a good shower after 3 days!!

We we were boondocking with our Montana Owners Club in Quartzsite, 2 people let us all connect to their wifi, and we all had our generators going when neeeded. What a fun group. Windy, not many campfires. That's roughing it! Judy

[frogbaby007]

dear first timer, I have been fulltiming for 4 years and have 3 children who are with me, we bought Hughesnet for home schooling. and we have learned to use any wasted space for food. funny thing is I quilt and sew . so I have utilized alot of storage for my fabric and supplies. just think of things you can use that stores well, ie. can goods, dry pasta mixes,just take it easy on can goods, lord knows u dont want to weigh 10 tons while driving.. good luck and enjoy your travels.

[sunshinesue]

We just started full timing in Aug. We actually sat in driveway for a couple of months and that helped. One thing I used for the wine glasses is old socks. We packed 4 of each plates,, bowls, glasses etc.
I do have way to many towels on here and winter clothes. And books, think I will donate some soon to park. I am still re-arranging.

[elainefaith]

Boy sue you are right about packing. On a recent 4 mo trip i took too much. Had to pack for 2 seasons. Next time i'll get jackets and sweaters at goodwill, drop off shorts and tee shirts.

[kareninthewoods]

Yes, like you, my kitchen is well equipped too. We rarely eat at restaurants.

hint? I use a lot of zip lock bags... for condensing down from large bulk items bought for the house... or for storing leftovers too, as you can set a bag in a container and pour in soup or casserole and let it freeze in a block shape, then remove from the container and place blocks of frozen foods in the freezer. You can have the container available for another thing.

Also we boondock a lot, so we use the icemaker when we happen to be parked with hookups or at home first before leaving, and store the frozen ice cubes into gallon zip locks in the freezer, and when boondocking we turn the icemaker off. It's a seperate unit from our fridge/freezer. I hate filling and stacking and spilling ice cube trays in the freezer... a ziplock bag of premade is a lot more compact than trays takign up space for just a dozen cubes or so.

We leave in clothes, can goods, and spices. Only reload the perishables in the fridge. After we get home and do laundry, it all goes back out in the rig, clean and ready for the next trip.

We use our microwave/convention oven more as a bread box than an appliance. Mainly because we boondock or camp in national forest parks without hookups. Sadly, we only have the micro and convention combo in our motorhome. Seems big rigs are now lacking the LP gas ovens! Who wants to hear a roaring generator at 6 am for baking muffins or sweetrolls in a convection oven? Or run it for hours on end for a lasagna or roast?

Our solution is a new item by Coleman. It's a tabletop LP gas oven that runs on the 1 pound cylindars or can be hooked to a 20 pounder LP tank too. It's great because the heat of normal summer camping added to a baking indoor oven is quite a lot in the rig. So having this oven, sitting out on the picnic table, is a great alternative. It can take a 13 x 9 pan and bakes evenly and is my favorite kitchen tool now!

KarenInTheWoods

[karlandlois]

When we sold everything to full-time I was sad to see so much go. I got over it and don't miss a thing. I have a well stocked kitchen, corelle dishes, acrylic "glassware". baking pans to fit rv oven. Hand held mixer ,lots of silverware. We have storage in our chairs, so that is where we keep dish towels, etc. I have 2 large bowls by corelle. There is one thing I have been hauling around that is going and that is my kitchen-aid mixer. I love it, but don't need it on the road. I have a toaster ,electric fry-pan,hand mixer,coffee pot and cutting board. My husband has the front and lower basement and that is where he keeps things. We de-clutter everytime we are somewhere for a week at least. We winter in RGV TX and summer in northern Minnesota. Lots of travel in between . We just keep it simple.