Roll clothing together by outfit. Pants on the outside, then shirt, underclothes and then socks. Roll up and then stow in lockable storage bins kept either under the beds outside of the camper or in the back of the TV. Once a day, before bathing, everyone picks out the outfit for the next day and whatever sleepwear for the night. That is the only time alloted for going into the clothing box. Saves a lot of "shuffling". Shorts & a T-shirt (or a set of sweats) double as PJ's at night, and can be stuffed into a pillowcase for daytime storage, next days wear stows in the pillowcase for nighttime storage. If you have a luggage rack on your TV, all you need are the bins and a bungie cord type cargo net to make this work.
Plan, Plan, Plan! DH was a submariner and we find ways to make space count.
Plan your meals, make use of leftovers for snacks or lunches. A snack of cut fruit salad can be a fruit cobbler for dessert, or the makings of a waldorf salad for lunch.
Take foods out of boxes, zip bag, label or tear off the instructions and stow inside them, then store the bags flat in a large open topped basket. This saves you the space that the box takes up. Store canned goods in a layer under those baskets--you only need four corners to hold up the baskets so the space between is usable. A piece of cardboard folded so as to be doubled works great for making a shelf. BTW, do this in the storage bins.
Stack, Nest, Compress! Stacking campers pots; nesting tumblers, nesting cups, "spooning" measuring devices, compress linens and Pillows in vacuum bags
An old GS trick was to put clean clothing in a pillow case. Use a pony tail holder to keep it shut and use that as your pillow. As your clothing was dirtied, you put your dirty clothing back in the pilow case. This kept all your clothing in one place and allowed an easy job of laundry when you got home. Works well with extra blankets, too.
Plan shoe needs by what can do double duty. ie., the daily flip flops could also be pool/boat/shower shoes/slippers. One pair of tennis shoes may suffice for each trip.
Travel sizes do save space--and there are travel toiletry kits that hang from the bathroom walls. Alternately, a large pencil pouch works well for the smaller children, and a wire clotheshanger can be cut and shaped into an over the wall hook for hanging storage.
Family use items (toothpaste, floss, med kit, etc) should be kept small and stored in the bathroom cabinets. It's better to refill after every few trips than take too much and not be able to store it all.
A car top storage option is well worth the investment,especially when you travel with children and animals. However, you can really pack for multiple week stay with just 7 days of clothing, some pre-measured laundry supplies, a roll of quarters and dimes, and a menu plan. Those pop up hampers are wonderful for dirty clothing you may wash on site.
So the best answer is to consider all your usable space and how best to fill it and still be able to use it. Our 3023 has a long and narrow vertical storage space under the front of the rear bed. Our stick vac, collapsable broom/mop/squeegee, go on one shelf along with the tool bag and shower helper. The other shelf has some see through shoe boxes and then other baskets stacked on top to best use the space. Makes a great pantry area!
Stow whatever you can in the microwave (my coffee maker fits in mine), in the toaster oven (my spice rack), the oven (the knife set and cutting boards), the tub (the toaster oven), bathroom floor (the microwave), the sink (drainer/board, paper towels & holder, over cabinet light). Think of yourself as a cat, where could I run if the TM were shut down, and find a way to use that space.
|