quick newbe question

What does everyone keep stored in their trailer? I would like to keep in some dry goods and some bathroom stuff (shampoo soap ect..),but I don't want to draw bugs into the trailer. Should I just put this stuff in ziplocks or totes? Thanks

[B_and_D]

We keep everything we need to go camping except fresh foods. I put some things in bags, most of it has a place to stay either in one of the cupboards or drawers.

We empty it completely at the end of the camping season, because I wash the interior, every place I can get my hand, including behind the drawers. All dishes go through the dishwasher. The dishes, kitchen supplies and bathroom supplies are then returned to the TM.

In the Spring we stock up with canned and boxed goods that stays in all through Spring, Summer and Fall.

We do not have a problem with mice. Others do.

Due to a mouse problem we put all dishes, towels and bedding, paper goods, etc. in totes we leave in the camper.
We have not had any problem with them attacking the toter. It may also reduce the desire to come inside.

Years of boating taught us to remove all paper and cardboard from the boat, so I try to use that concept as much as possible in the TM to reduce the chance of cockroaches, which in FL are big enough to saddle and ride...

I use metal and some canvas bins in the cupboards as well as Rubbermaid storage boxes for the storage areas. Makes it a lot easier to sort and store than to dig around.

[MariaG]

I think the only food I leave in the camper all the time is salt/pepper/Lawry salt/coffee/sugar and those are all in plastic containers with screw on tops. I keep some things in ziplocks, like plastic cutlery etc., and most dishes and utensils in small plastic totes - makes getting stuff out of those low cabinets easier, too. I keep things like toothpaste and so on in a small plastic tote in the bathroom cabinet.

The TM is ready to go all the time with everything but fresh foods. There are can goods, paper products, dishes, spare clothes, etc . . . just nothing that requires refrigeration. So far no uninvited guests!

Everything but fresh items and frig items stay in the camper. Found that placing bounce dry sheets throughout the camper keeps critters away. I put freash ones in at the end of fall after I clean everything for the season.

Gym Shorts

[Wavery]

Living and camping in SoCal, we have no insect issues except maybe ants in some CGs.

However, I traveled all over the world in my sailboat and some of the places were heavily insect infested areas. If you live in insect country ziplock bags aren't good for permanent food storage. Neither is any plastic bags or paper boxes. Insects go right through that stuff and invite their whole family.

If you live in the tropics, never ever bring paper shopping bags or cardboard in your camper (or home). They may have tens of thousands of cockroach eggs in/on them. Wash all fruit and vegies really well before putting them in your camper. You never know what country that stuff comes from.

One time we were in the middle of the Indian Ocean (1000 miles from land) and discovered that we were infested with Weevils. They were in everything that was packed in plastic. We had to throw 100# of rice, 60# of pasta, all sorts of vegies and freeze dried foods in the ocean. They got into everything except canned goods and items in the fridge/freezer. When you're that far from land, it's a weird feeling throwing all that food to the fish.

Thankfully, we always kept a 9 month supply of canned goods on-board.

We leave non-perishables in during the season but at the end of fall, we remove everything, clean really well and then set up the mice defense system which includes cotton soaked with peppermint oil hanging around in tea balls, mouse poison stations and some of those self contained plastic mouse traps. We also keep it plugged into AC and put one of those sonic rodent deterrent noise maker thingys in there. We had no mice last year. Honestly though, our neighbors have a new "mamma cat" that has been keeping the rodent population to almost nothing....haven't seen a chipmunk all spring and the squirrels have disappeared so I'm attributing most of our "no mice" situation to her and her fantastic hunting skills, discounting all of our voodoo like efforts to warn them off ;-)

Phil

PS- Mice will make nests from things like towels, paper towels, napkins, drier sheets so get all of that out there.