Mooney
Santa Barbara, Ca
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Joined: 09/10/2002
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btggraphix wrote:ReadyToGo wrote:
We do have two rules. Nothing is out of the way, and we don't have to be anyplace at any time.
I just want to say, I like your rules. I'd like to adopt them someday......
Love it!
'08 Ford F550, Lariat, Link Air Suspension, Roll-A-Long Conversion, Twin Turbo 6.4, TorkLifts, SuperHitch, "Monster Duty Truckasaurus"
'09 Host Everest, Dual Pane, AM Solar, Link 1000,Prosine2.0,Tank Htrs,Honda EV4010,HD Motosat,Wave 6.
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wjkdan
youngsville nc
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Joined: 09/07/2009
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JUST GOT BACK FROM 30+ DAYS IN POP UP NORTHSTAR. HAVE HAD CLASS A MOTOR HOME AND FIFTH WHEEL. THIS WAS BEST TRIP WE HAVE HAD BY FAR. WHEN YOU CAMP AT CAMPGROUNDS MOST OF THEM HAS LAUNDRY FACILITIES. YOU WOULD BE SURPRISED HOW MUCH YOU CAN PACK IN SLIDE IN. WE PACKED ABOUT TWICE TOO MANY CLOTHES. OF COURSE WE PACKED FOR COLD AND WARM WEATHER BUT STILL WAY TO MANY. AS FAR AS FIG. GOES PLENTY OF ROOM FOR COUPLE DAYS AND HEY IF YOU ARE TRAVELING YOU GO BY A GROCERY STORE EVERY DAY. WE USE COOLER AND PUT UNDER TABLE TO PUT CERALS-BREAD-ETC IN. IF TWO PEOPLE YOU DON'T NEED BUT 2 SPOONS 2 FORKS 2 KNIFES 2 PLATES ETC. WE HAVE SHOWER AND TOILET. 30 GALLONS WATER WHICH CAN LAST US ABOUT WEEK AT DRY CAMPING. WE NEVER STAY IN CAMPER EXCEPT TO EAT AND SLEEP. SINCE WE HAVE CREW CAB BACK SEAT FOLDED DOWN WILL HOLD EVERYTHING WE NEEDED. PUT A BLACK SHEET OVER ITEMS IF WORRIED ABOUT SOMEONE STEALING. ONLY SUGGESTION I WOULD HAVE IS TO HAVE SMALL GENERATOR WITH BATTERY CHARGER JUST IN CASE IN WILDERNESS AND USE UP BATTERY LIFE OR TRUCK WILL NOT CRANK. OTHER THAN THAT ENJOY, IF YOU GO WITH FLOW AND DON'T TRY TO TAKE EVERYTHING IN HOUSE THEN YOU WILL HAVE PLENTY OF ROOM.
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sleepy
Oak Ridge,Tennessee
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Joined: 04/07/2003
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Ramblin' Ralph wrote:I'm just finishing up my fourth session of traveling/living in my TC for 6 months.
I have never had any problem with someone breaking into my TC or truck in a campground or elsewhere. The back of my extended cab truck is filled with "stuff". I rarely park in urban areas, however.
I stop about every 10 days and do my laundry in a laundromat. Not sure how you'd escape that, unless you drop it off and come back the next day to pick it up.
Have fun,
Few people do 6 month trips... those of us that do know that it's much easier if you don't plan too much and if you don't worry all of the time.
We've only got 848 nights boondocking in our truck camper since Nov 2002... and we've never had any of the horriable things that others obcess about happen to us.
This is one case where you REALLY want to look at the experiences of the advisor!
2003 Lance 1161 Camione Chateau,/slideout/solar cells/propane generator/Sat dish/2 Fantastic Fans model 6150/AC/winter package
AirFoil, Trimetric, LED lights
2003GMC K3500 LT/Crewcab/duramax diesel/allison/dually/4x4/OnStar/front reciever mounted spare
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sleepy
Oak Ridge,Tennessee
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or is it abcess about?????
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Wasatch Lance
Park City, Utah
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Joined: 02/11/2005
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I wish you a fantastic trip, and suggest you consider a detour to the Grand Canyon as well as the National Parks in southern Utah: Bryce Canyon, Zion, Arches and Canyonlands. It's awesome country and it would be a shame to miss them.
Either way, have a great trip!!!
2002 F-350 CC 4X4 PSD, Stage II Injectors, Garrett BB Turbo, AFE Air Cleaner, Chip, 4" Exhaust, Gauges, Extra Leaf Springs, Air Lift Bags, Hellwig Sway Bars, Rancho RS9000XL shocks, American Racing Wheels, Toyo M/T Tires (4,300 lb rating),
2003 Lance 1121
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BobTowne
Fairfield, CA, USA
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Joined: 10/21/2003
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Please see my (humble) comments below...
ReadyToGo wrote:We have pulled the 5er for 12 years now, usually 4 to 6 months at a time. Usually go to one place and stay there the entire time.
This year we are going to use our 8 ft slide in camper that is a popup. It is really a good quality TC.
We will driving from MN to Texas to NM to Ariz. We know what we want to see so that is not an issue. This will be a 6 month trip.
These seem to be the issues:
1. The small frig and of course the freezing compartment. So what are good food alternatives that don't require a frig. We have a 6 cu. ft. refer and can hold enough for the two of us for at least two weeks. Yours is probably 4 cu. ft., and my thought is that you shouldn't have to shop more often than once a week...
2. Washing of clothes. Hate to thing of spend time in a laundromat. Try to take clothes that you can wash in the sink and hang to dry. We do this on trips overseas, and it seems to work for us for many things. The author, Rick Steves, is a good source for this subject.
3 Portapotti and use. I don't like the though of getting up in the middle of the night and walking to restroom.
4. Potential breakins when we are parked at a grocery store/hiking/etc. Is a camper too inviting to thieves? We haven't had problems in this area...
5. How to hide things we have in the back seat of the truck. Since anyone walking past can see into the truck would doing something like putting a blanket/sheet over the boxes stop or invite thieves? My feeling is that your camper is probably a more secure storage place - plus, people can't readily see into the camper.
6. What things can double up on usage. (for instance we found that a George Foreman is a good grill and also makes toast.)
7. Should I take the camper off if we decide to stay in one place for a week or more. I don't like taking the camper on and off and on but maybe that makes things more enjoyable. The only thing we feel we gain by taking the camper off is gas mileage. I don't generally take the camper off in the campground.
Thanks. We are leaving in one week from today.
We do have two rules. Nothing is out of the way, and we don't have to be anyplace at any time. Great rules to live by. Happy camping!
GreatWhite
2004 Dodge Ram 3500 Quadcab Dually
2004 Alpenlite Santa Fe 1150
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Eycom
Fl to NY
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Joined: 09/12/2004
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I typically do one to two month trips with a 2-3 week break in between. But I have spent 6 months at a time in my camper. The sad part is mine is mostly business travel.
You've received some good info and I'll try to add a little. My 6 cub. ft. fridge is more than adequate until I try to fit the 5 quart ice cream container in the freezer with the meats and ice cubes. Doesn't leave much room for frozen veggies, so I do canned goods. Although, I'm kind of limited because of sodium content. I probably shop more often than most at road side stands and farmers markets for fresh veggies. I usually pass 5 or 6 every other day. Oat meal, grits;(both made by adding water and doctored with various items); eggs, and toast are staples for breakfast.
I carry a little "fold & go" Coleman gas grill. Great for one or two people. Takes up little space and easy to clean. Got a griddle and wire cook-top accessory for frying outside. Tend to carry the George Foreman in the summer and the crock pot in the winter. Always have the small toaster oven for toast, baking, and broiling.
Wish I had an answer to the laundry issue. I have to wash, dry, fold, and.... get this.... wait for it.... IRON, every week. Sometimes the State Parks have laundry facilities; usually a Passport America park has one. But more often than I like, I'm in a laundromat. Most of them aren't as bad as RVers make them out to be. But some... there's just no words to describe. And I have used the Ford-O-Mat on a few occasions.
I've never had a problem with camper security. Likewise, I carry expensive electronic and computer equipment in the back seat of my truck while working with nary a problem. Of course, I keep everything locked and I'm never too far or gone for very long. Insurance gives me peace of mind. When I'm in an area I'll be working for more than a couple of days, I off-load the camper in a campground. It just makes it easier for me in the cities and suburbs.
Enjoy your trip. Travel safe.
F-350 PSD
Lance 1121
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BirdSongPlace
San Diego County, CA
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Joined: 11/08/2004
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I don't have much to add. The longest we have been out was 7+ weeks. The laundry is a necessary evil. One thing that we do is we both wear dark shorts/pants and white or dark shirts. This makes laundry sorting easy......A dark load and a white load. I have also been known to take some clothing items that were just about ready for the rag bag ....and discarded them instead of laundering them.
Another thing we did was take the back seat out of the truck. John then built a platform that allows us to have "double decker" storage. I have found that there are lots of nooks and crannies in the camper to stash valuables.
I'll be watching to learn what sort of hints others will suggest. Have a great trip. I wish we were going out too!
2000 Ford F350
2004 Adventurer
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silversand
Montreal
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Joined: 09/12/2004
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This has been our experience:
1) a large capacity plug-in DC fridge will work fine to supplement your existing fridge, the type of portable cooler/fridge that draws very little DC;
2) the way we minimize doing laundry is bringing enough clothing for an 8-day stretch, and washing every 7-days at a campground laundromat;
3) if your camper has no toilet, buy a very large porta-potti, one that sits higher off the floor than a small 3-gallon model and store it under the dinette table while traveling (we're lucky enough to have a near walk-in closet, and permanently keep our large porta-potti in there);
4) break-in potential can be reduced to NIL at the grocery store or in urban areas if one of you (the DW for example) stays with the rig! While out parked at the trail-head, install a loud automobile alarm horn attached to an inside motion sensor that will trigger if camper window(s) are broken or if someone enters; even if thieves destroy the horn, after just one blast, the horn has already done it's trick (i.e. alerting someone within a half mile or so of camper);
5) we have very dark windows completely blocking the view of anyone attempting to look into the rear area of our Silverado (very dark, but just legal), however this requires some forethought and is not a "last minute fix";
6) I have nothing to add here...;
7) I see no reason whatsoever to taking the small pop-up off your truck ever during your entire time out. We leave ours on 24/7 365 days a year, and have never ever had an access issue in any way shape or form (this includes having our entire rig in garage bays for service at GM or anywhere else; parking, even in down-town Montreal (one of the largest and most congested cities in the World), any urban areas; or in any other situation we've encountered.
If I could digress, why would you have put yourself in the position of the 7 constraints listed above, only days from departure??? Some of the above could have been mitigated by addressing said over say a 4 week pre-plan...especially since you are heading out on such a long voyage.
Good luck,
Silver-
Silver
2004 Chevy Silverado 2500HD 4x4 6.0L Ext/LB Tow Package 4L80E Michelin AT2s| Outfitter Caribou
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Oldtymeflyr
Littleton, CO
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Joined: 04/18/2004
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there is something to the concept of "just do it."
Breakins, if you would not walk in the area then I would not be there, I would go somewhere else. The reverse is also true, if the camper would not be safe, then I would not want to be there. Breakins do happen. I don't think that a truck camper is any more likely to be broken into then any other type of camper.
There are supermarkets all over the country. Its taken me a while to get the wife to understand that. If we go to the back country for a week or we were out on the boat at Powell, its not that hard to work out a menu then buy to your needs.
As far as washing clothes, take a sufficient supply and hit the laundry early on a mid week day, there is no one there, take the computer and a book, remember the TC is outside and you can work on that at the same time.
We use a dark cloth to cover up whatever we have in the back seat of the truck.
We do not carry anything that we cannot replace easily. No expensive watches, guns, cherished items etc. About the only thing that is a concern is the computer, that has a lot of data on it and I usually download it when we leave and minimize financial and other information on the computer.
We have a popup camper with the electric jacks and its a piece of cake to take it off and put it on. If you don't have the electric jacks, consider them.
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