Tips for Packing Your Travel Trailer
There are two types of people: those who camp with as little as possible and those who camp with what they need to make their trailer feel like home. Neither one is necessarily superior to the other, but if you find yourself in the latter camp, the question of how to pack all the things you want to bring will be a persistent problem. Not to worry, we here at Sumner RV understand what it’s like to have more that you want to bring than you safely can. We’ve created this brief guide to give you some tips for packing your trailer as intelligently as possible. If you need service for your RV or are in the market for a new RV, stop by our dealership in Sumner, Washington. We serve customers from places like Fife, Seattle, and Olympia, and we’ll help you find everything you need for your next RV trip.
Make Your List(s)
Santa isn’t the only one who keeps a list year round. Smart campers keep a running tally of all the things they find indispensable for living in their trailer. It’s tempting to just sit down a day or two before the trip and try to pull together everything you can remember needing off the top of your head. But if you keep a single list going between trips, you’ll be able to add things you found yourself needing or drop things that proved unhelpful.
A good list is comprised of multiple smaller lists that all fit together to cover all the things you need to live. Try creating separate lists for the kitchen, the bedroom, outdoors, safety and emergency preparedness, and other subjects. You can also create a trip-specific list to cover all the specific gear you’ll need for the environment you’re heading into. For example, if you’re taking a break from your normal trips into the woods to head to the ocean, this list will contain all the things like sandals, a beach towel, umbrella, swim suit, and anything else you might need.
What to Leave at Home
There’s no accounting for taste, and the way you spend your time is your own business. So there’s no point in telling a gourmand that they shouldn’t bring food, or an adrenaline junky that their dirt bike is just added deadweight. However, there are a few things you can leave at home that will give you much more space and weight. First, make sure your water tanks are totally empty. Water is extremely heavy and you could save yourself hundreds of pounds by emptying these. Same goes for firewood. While the wood provided at the campground is often more expensive than bringing some from home, many people find the space saved even more valuable. Finally, try not to bring extra. While that may sound vague, it’s easy to imagine that it’s necessary to bring an extra fifty pounds of food on your three day weekend because who knows, maybe the whole group will develop the appetites of Siberian tigers. This never happens, and the more things you bring “just in case” the less truly important things you’ll be able to bring along.
Weight Distribution
On the subject of cargo and weight, one of the most important considerations is how you physically load your trailer. This may not seem like that big of a deal, but weight distribution will affect the condition of your tires, your fuel efficiency, and the way your tow vehicle drives. The two main things to keep in mind are that the weight should be evenly distributed from side to side, and mostly loaded over the front axle. Having the weight disbursed evenly across the trailer will help distribute the weight across all the tires. By loading it over the front axle, you’ll put the correct amount of weight on the hitch so that the tow vehicle drives correctly but the hitch won’t pop off the ball joint.
Packing your trailer isn’t rocket science, but it’s important. Make sure to leave behind the deadweight, keep yourself organized with lists, and load the weight into the trailer correctly.If you’re looking for a new trailer to start your camping adventures, check out Sumner RV. Our team of highly experienced RV enthusiasts will make sure you find the trailer that will offer everything you need. Located in Sumner, Washington, we’re the home of RV sales for Fife, Seattle, and Olympia. Stop by today!