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Hi there

Were going away for the first time in a camplet on friday just for the weekend so I'm sorting everything out.  Were taking 2 double quilts and 1 double sleeping bag; toilet; wardrobe; table and chairs; 4 chairs for outside in the evening (looks like the weather will be nice albeit a little cold), plus clothes, plates, etc.  Do you advise we have a dummy run before friday morning.  I had planned for us to just fling it in the car and off we go but looking at the mountain of stuff we will be taking there is no way its going to fit.  We were planning on taking everything so we could just pack up with most of it inside ready for when we go again in June, so then its just clothes and sleeping bags, etc. 

Any advice would be grately appreciated.  If OH was here we would most definitely be squabbling by now!!!

With 2 adults, 3 kids and a very excitable cocker spaniel - we have to be organised. There is no way I could leave it to the last minute!

Last summer, I put together a list of everything I wanted to take, then whittled it down to everything I HAD to take. Any additional room for luxuries was a bonus. When we came home from our main 2-week camping holiday, I crossed off anything we didn't use (or very often) and added a couple of things I missed.

I still use that same list and I must say, it makes sorting out all the easier!

As this is your first trip, take only the essential bits and bobs (it's only for the weekend anyway) but definately have a trial run to make sure you have room! Nothing worse than squabbling on the morning you are supposed to start your hols! Either that, or pack the night before.

Hi

I remember when we used to do the Eurocamp thing and we'd see other folk who had broght their own gear, and we'd be flabergasted at how they managed to pack such vast amounts of kit into a car and a trailer. Second nature to me now, of course! So it can be done.

If you've not done a trip with this kit before, then definately do some sort of dummy run, if not you could swallow up loads of Friday working out how to do it, and squabbling, then you'll get to the site late.....

Have you got a roof box? I don't think we could manage without ours. We put a chair in there (the other three fit in the trailer), with any bulky kids stuff, and then pack it out with the towels etc which aren't in bags.

And do you have a front box on the trailer? We put our toilet in there with allsorts of other stuff, like the big fridge if that's going. Charcoal in one or the other.

Any duvets / sleeping bags should be compressed into some sort of bag. Ours then go in the storage boxes within the trailer.

Have fun!

TT

Quote: Originally posted by CaddyClan on 02/5/2007

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With 2 adults, 3 kids and a very excitable cocker spaniel - we have to be organised. There is no way I could leave it to the last minute!

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We used to have a cocker - I know what you mean! (Oh the memories..)We miss him, but I've got no idea where he'd go when we travel now! He might have to sit on the bonnet like a mascot.

TT.

Gonna do a major rethink and see what we need.  Going to get some of those spider webs stretchy things to see if it fits over the rack on the lid of the camper.  At least the weather is nice today and this evening (I can imagine we will be outside for quite a while tonight)

Will get OH to look into whether we can have a storage box for on top of the car.  Its a company car and we had to get their permission for tow bar to be fitted. 

Were both at work tomorrow with me until 9 so its too late tomorrow eve although I could get him to pack the car tom eve while i'm at work - actually I wont   his idea of packing is a nightmare!

Thanks for your tips.  Have no doubt we will enjoy ourselves.  I can't wait, packing aside.

Thanks again

Hi mandslady

If you can do a trial run then do. We didn't and wished we had! We took our camplet away at easter for the first time. Took far too much gear - badly packed and spent lots of time on easter monday attempting to get better organised for our next trip as we packed away.

Now we have almost all our gear stored inside the trailer. Quite a jigsaw and will have to try and remember where it best fitted when we pack up. All our kitchen gear is stacked inside the kitchen cupboard with a picnic rug protecting the underside of the cooker.

The ground sheet (which is needed straight away), coolbox and clothes go in the car. Also agree that the frontbox is very useful - ours has loo, pegs, all kitchen cleaning stuff and bbq charcoal in it.

Haven't needed to put on our roofbox, although for our first long trip (week in scotland end of may) we will put it on for extra clothes and walking gear.

Have a fun weekend - we're away too and can't wait - we all slept so well on our easter trip (til 9am - never been known under canvas!)

Let us know how you get on.

Jo

Quote: Originally posted by CaddyClan on 02/5/2007

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With 2 adults, 3 kids - we have to be organised. There is no way I could leave it to the last minute!

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we've learned how to pack more into the TT itself.

you think you're overcrowded with stuff, we used to have a citroen AX, with a trailer on the back.....2 adulst, 2 kids, 1 large frame tent and away we went - ooh strangely how we miss those days

We loaded stuff on top of the trailerfor the time being and it looks like we will manage with stuff in the boot as well.  Just taking enough clothes for what we need but will pack up and put as much of the stuff inside that we can, so when we go to cornwall in June it shouldn't be too bad.  I'm so excited I hardly slept last night.  We also tried out the kettle and our new cups after we sorted out what we could and the tea tasted quite nice!  Can't wait to hear that whistle when we are there.

Thanks again for your advice.  Very much appreciated.

We went to Lickhill Manor Caravan Park in stourbridge.  Fabulous site with clean facilities and an excellent play area for the kids. 

We were pretty crowded in the car going but when we packed up we managed to get most of the stuff in there that we wanted to ready for our June hols.

We had a brill time.  Kids cried when it was time to come home.  Just wished we had discovered camping years ago.  I'm well and truly hooked.