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 Topic: What do you keep in your folding camper?
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23/6/2016 at 10:29am
Location: Essex coast living on a boat!
Outfit: Vango Stargrove 600xl
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Wondering how much space there is to keep things packed in a Pennine Fiesta 2+2 when its folded down, and how much stuff people leave in their folding campers?
I am assuming that the space between the beds/sofa is available for packing stuff and I know that low flat stuff can go just under the cover because the awning and groundsheet are packed on top of ours, can you keep anything anywhere else other than obviously the cupboards and storage under the sofa and in the plinth on the other side.
I know that you can leave the bedding on the beds (does this include a mattress topper AND a duvet, though?)
I have bought Pack Mate bags for the pillows so they can go elsewhere, same for the cushions I have bought for the sofas (can definitely recommend the Pack Mate bags, excellent and no vacuum needed!)
I think I have pretty much everything now in the way of kitchen stuff to go in the cupboards, and a stock of basic condiments and spices, oil, washing up liquid, even a selection of stock cubes which I have packed safely in a small spice tin!
I even bought extra phone chargers and a plug usb adapter!
The idea is to have the camper fully ready for the off at short notice, so that we can take full advantage of every chance to get away, even if for only a couple of days.
To be able to do this, we want as much as possible packed and ready, so that we only have to throw our clothes, toiletries and wash things into the back of the Land Rover, plus the camping loo as well, which will stay in the awning for night time only use!
If anyone has any ideas or tips that would be great, I'd love to hear what you keep in your folding campers and ingenious ways that you maximise your space?!
Thanks in advance,
Jane.
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Enjoying life beyond kids, new love, living on a boat and a new lease of life in my mid 50s! Never too old to reinvent yourself.....
Mum to five - 4 girls, 31,28,25 and 22 and one boy, 20
Engaged! Wedding June 2020!
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24/6/2016 at 12:46am
Location: essex
Outfit: Swift Challenger 570
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WE get everything either inside or on top for a family of 4, we have up the front by the cupboards porta loo, the shelf unit 4 chairs fresh and waste containers. Then between seats a table on the floor we pack our sleeping bags in the bag they come in that go on top of table, then we pack 5 holdalls 4 are a bag each for clothes other bag towels t towels etc behind this we put walking boots and coats, the pillows go on top of the left hand sofa, in the right sofa box is the awning and poles and the tv goes in the left side rear cupboard on top we take the bbq and step, In the gas locker is gas bottles, chocks , pegs, mallet, hook up lead and toilet fluid, we also put in a cool bag basic food items milk, bread, butter,etc and this we put just inside the trailer door. Crockery cutlery pans are in front cupboards also we leave inside throughout the seaon salt pepper oil washing up liquid and a few other bits.
One tip that may be of use to you is to each have a wash bag at the beginning of the season we fill with all the toiletries for each person so in our case 4 of everything after a trip we wash flannels dry out bags and reload so we don't need to do it when we go away and also nothing is forgotten we also do this with towels n t towels we wash n dry them on return then re pack ready for next time
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25/6/2016 at 12:32am
Location: notts
Outfit: Outwell Oakland xl & Bear Lake6
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Like Claydon camper we plan to keep chairs, tables, cooker and cupboard in the TT that are only used for short stays. The front box will hold all the extras such as boxed cups, teapot, cutlery, plates, kettle lights etc.. If we go for longer then it may need adding to.
We keep a box in the garage with essential food - tea, coffee, herbs, pasta, crackers, etc. and top these up upon our return. In the box we also keep bottles/jars so we can top up with whatever.
And like richardandjo2010, we have separate wash bags that is topped up ready to go again. These are kept in our spare room together with other items such as my bag that has handcream, moisturiser, mirror, brush with bobbles etc., and crocs that we only use for camping.
I have an old duvet bag that we keep towels, tea towels, blankets, so it's just lift and go.
Even the dog has a box that is filled with his holiday toys, poopa scoopas, fleece, water bottle and treats.
As you know we are thinking on the same lines as you and hoping to simplify all of the above even more, but I am a list person - and if we can get camping in a tent off to a tee (apart from up and down in the loft) I'm hoping it will be so much easier in the TT. Mr. Floppy hates packing the car to the hilt and also sees us making life a lot more simplified as we'll virtually be packed already with the TT.
I must admit I do write things down when I'm away, as I think I'm going to remember them when I get home - but never do.
I know we have a different set up from a folding camper but it's not that far off - both of us are entering new ground but it has to be simpler!
By the way if you have any tips do let us know!
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May - Dorset
July - Saundersfoot
September - S. Wales
October - S. Wales
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26/6/2016 at 2:59pm
Location: Essex coast living on a boat!
Outfit: Vango Stargrove 600xl
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How great to read all your ideas and the way you store things in your FCs!
Definitely food for thought and pretty much along the lines I was thinking, which is encouraging!
Because our Fiesta is a different layout to many others, I think we may be slightly more restricted with regard to spare space, but think we should be able to get most of what we need in.
I don't expect to get our chairs in the camper, these will go in the back of the Land Rover along with the cool box, tv, camping loo and our clothes bags plus the dog and his bed and bowls. That won't take very long, which is what we want to achieve.
A few people mention the toiletry bags, we too have ours packed to go away but at home, and we just keep them restocked and ready to grab at a moment's notice, we also have a first aid bag that goes with us, just basic plasters, paracetamol/ibuprofen etc, but that is pretty much habit to pack alongside clothes etc.
I have some camping towels that we will take with us but again they can go in our clothes bags, and of course come home for washing along with the tea towels, and of course the sheets, pillowcases and duvet covers, I think I will have a designated bag that anything that needs to go back into the camper for the next trip is kept.
As our camper is kept in our industrial unit, it will be easier to just put anything back on the next trip out rather than open it up in the unit just to do that.
Of course, the fun will really begin when the camper has its first wet pack up and we have to open it out in the unit to dry....
Jane.
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Enjoying life beyond kids, new love, living on a boat and a new lease of life in my mid 50s! Never too old to reinvent yourself.....
Mum to five - 4 girls, 31,28,25 and 22 and one boy, 20
Engaged! Wedding June 2020!
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19/8/2016 at 9:58am
Location: Essex coast living on a boat!
Outfit: Vango Stargrove 600xl
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Well after our first trip, we now have packing our camper off to a fine art, the only things that go anywhere other than the cupboards are the heater, duvets and pillows, waste and fresh water containers and the camping loo!
I will remove the loo and the water containers when we go down to the unit to air the camper, don't like the idea of them staying in there long term
(and will of course be able to give them an extra clean)but for short term storage i.e when travelling and the first couple of days after returning home, this works well for us, the loo goes in the right hand corner next to the kitchen unit, the fresh water in the opposite corner, the waste water next to the table stored in its brackets, and the pillows in the space between the table and the left hand bed. Duvets are in between the table and the right hand sofa, and we also roll up the mattress topper for the left hand bed and put that with the duvets as we've found it has to come off the bed to be able to fold the camper down flat.
No doubt we will refine our set up as time goes on, but for just the two of us there is no need for too much stuff, as long as we have the camper set up ready to go with only basic preparation, we will definitely be able to make the most of going away at the last minute whenever we get the chance - just as I'd hoped!
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Enjoying life beyond kids, new love, living on a boat and a new lease of life in my mid 50s! Never too old to reinvent yourself.....
Mum to five - 4 girls, 31,28,25 and 22 and one boy, 20
Engaged! Wedding June 2020!
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19/8/2016 at 4:54pm
Location: Essex coast living on a boat!
Outfit: Vango Stargrove 600xl
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Hi Phil,
Glad you had a good trip!
Yes, the swinging pole that comes down to support the first bed still swings down easily beyond where the loo is placed, and it does sit where it should. We put our shelf unit flat on the floor between the sofa and foot locker, and it sits on top of one duvet and under the other, so is nicely cushioned.
Nice to have your next trip planned for 3 weeks, we are not sure when we will get away again as our work is pretty busy again as of next week and so we won't know if we will get a break again this year unless we get a quiet few days here and there, we're happy to go away at any time of year with the camper so are pretty flexible, even in the winter!
Have a good trip when you go 
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Enjoying life beyond kids, new love, living on a boat and a new lease of life in my mid 50s! Never too old to reinvent yourself.....
Mum to five - 4 girls, 31,28,25 and 22 and one boy, 20
Engaged! Wedding June 2020!
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30/8/2016 at 2:22pm
Location: Essex coast living on a boat!
Outfit: Vango Stargrove 600xl
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I am well versed on swingers, Phil 
When we bought the camper, we had a proper demo of how to put it up and down again and the chap that took us through the process was very thorough in his instructions, and the shelf unit was placed on the floor when folded when we bought it, just thought cushioning it with the duvets made sense.
60MPH winds do sound a bit challenging to say the least, we had 45MPH last year in Scotland in a Cabanon Espace 8 tent, didn't have too much of a problem thanks to our ratchet strap construction inside the tent, as well as extra guys and strong pegs outside, but 60MPH might have been a bit of a stretch, even for my liking!
I am still hoping that we will get away again in the FC soon, my husband sometimes has a couple of odd days where things go quiet (we work in the Film and TV industry, so not predictable at the best of times!)
Autumn and winter camping doesn't bother us that much, we're always well prepared to cope with cold weather, even have electric blankets at the ready as well as a heater, so as long as we have EHU and plenty of warm layers plus blankets to add to the beds as necessary, we will be able to enjoy our FC all year round, I have always wanted to camp in snow, so maybe will get my wish this year!
So pleased that we decided to go for buying this camper, it will open up a lot of possibilities with last minute trips away, which is what I was hoping, and we intend to make the most of it.
Jane.
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Enjoying life beyond kids, new love, living on a boat and a new lease of life in my mid 50s! Never too old to reinvent yourself.....
Mum to five - 4 girls, 31,28,25 and 22 and one boy, 20
Engaged! Wedding June 2020!
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