Message Forums

We are getting ready for our first trip away with our new Cabanon Athena and new trailer. Both actually second hand but new to us.

Hubby should have been home today to help but has been delayed, so I am here on my own trying to pack the trailer for the first time. Read below then please advise.

I have been told I should be putting the heaviest weight over the axel and the front however.....

First attemp:   The Poles from my frame tent only go in vertically (front to back as opposed to side to side I dont mean upright LOL) as does the canvas and sun canopy. So far I have laid out our airtex groundsheet at the bottom of the trailer as it is dirty with ingrained dirt and thought it might add a little padding. I was hoping to put my poles vertically in the middle but if I do that the canvas does not fit beside it. so I have put them side by side with sun canopy alongside and piling the fold up chairs, camp kitchen and fold up table and chair set ontop, with pegs and littlee stuff stuffed around the edges but the sides are not too high. I also have a 2 smaller normal groundsheets we use for under the bedrooms and a large tarp we used under the airtex mat in wet weather. I was intending to drape these over the top to sort of smoothe out the edges before putting the trailer cover on.

BUT am not happy as I am worried kitchen etc could infact fly off the top if we braked hard despite the million bungees etc we intend to use.

So I have half emptied it and come in for a cuppa and am thinking about doing

Plan B:

Airetex sheet on bottom as a liner,flat folded camp kitchen down one side on trailer and fold up chair and table set down other side of trailer. Poles in the middle, sun canopy, the fold up chairs beside poles then the canvas ontop with samll things shoved in here and there then the other groundsheets ontop before the trailer cover. DO you think that would be any safer?  The theory is teh canvas will weigh down on the chairs underneath and be a flatter top to the trailer.

 - Please help am getting worried and all hot an botherd. How do you pack yopur frame tent into yours?

Also forot to say we have a spare trailer wheel to fit in somewhere as well as we have not had time to attach it anywhere ourselves yet.

Not sure about the size of your trailer, but this is how I pack mine..

All flat items, tables, kitchen, cooker I put standing up near the hitch front and sides. The frame tent bags then go on the bottom in the middle - top to bottom as it doesn't fit side to side.  Rest of camping equipment, gas bottle, drawers are then put at the back.  Everything else is stuffed down the sides. - Gosh that sounds not a lot ... cannot think what else I pack as I have an Erde 142 + side extentions!

Only things I have in the car are clothes and bedding.

We lay ours fron to back.
Also you can build "sides" to the trailer with some of your stuff which will give it a little more height.
Small stuff can be squashed into gaps.
I always use a cheap tarp over my stuff - apart from anything else it proctects your stuff against the elements.
A million and one bungees it good - criss crossed - side to side, front to back, and at a diagonal.

Hi there,

On my first trip with a trailer I laid the canvas and the poles side by side.  The screws which hold the mudguards on the trailer rubbed against the canvas bag and very nearly rubbed a hole in the canvas. 

Since then the canvas has always gone in the boot of the car. 

I wouldn't worry about things flying out if you are using bungees - Things do move around as the trailer bounces but I have found that they tend to push stuff towards the back rather than up and out.  I can understand the logic of putting the weight over the axles but in practice I now start with the poles hard against the back of the trailer because that's where they are going to end up.

I'm not sure I'm being much help here - but the only real tip I can think of is to put the stuff you need first near the top - ie pack it last so that when you arrive on site you don't need to empty everything because the eground sheet is on the bottom of the trailer.

Good luck

---------------------------------
Brainhertz (clique of 1)

Good point Brainhertz about the screws damaging stuff.  I managed to 'hole' a couple of bags like that so now I'm always carefull no to put easily damaged items where they might get torn.

Our trailer is out on the drive ready to go later.  I've put the tent canvas, coolbox, clothes and bedding in the boot; everything else in the trailer.  I leave the trailer loaded up but don't leave the tent canvas in there.

Steve

Have you ever had anything get wet in there?

Well I have been playing for a few hours now and have hopefully got it packed although I am n ow wondering whether or not to take out the canvas.  I put int in the middle near the top but am now thinking of anything may rub against the bag its in.

Now I am worried too about the back of our trailer, cos the the back board lifts out and one corner has slightly splayed away from the top corner of it at one side. Perhaps I should take a hammer to it.

Thanks for the tips and advice. Keep it coming cos I still have more to pack.

Hope your OH feels better soon Rex and you get away soon.

Ratchet straps are useful for securing loads to trailers...you can get a tremendous tension in the straps.

.... http://rover.ebay.com/rover/1/710-5232-2978-1/1?AID=9479574&PID=1428744&mpre=http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/HEAVY-DUTY-Ratchet-Strap-1-x-15-feet-SWL-500lbs_W0QQitemZ250028307834QQihZ015QQcategoryZ36632QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

HIya REx, hope mRs rex gets better soon x

Ali