Date: Sun, 23 Aug 2009 20:08:56 -0500
Reply-To: Jim Felder <jim.felder@GMAIL.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Jim Felder <jim.felder@GMAIL.COM>
Subject: Re: Friday: Learn From My Lessons
In-Reply-To: <4A91CCDC.4040700@gmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1
I guess I use my camper more than some and less than others. I stay in
it about a month and a half each year or a little more, these days, as
my tourism work keeps me on the road to meetings around the state and
my family camps with me the rest of the time as we can. I am on the
road for working meetings up to eight days straight, often I will be
back for one day and out again a day later for several days. I've
learned a thing or two about not forgetting stuff, and I have to even
keep up with stuff like dress clothes. Hardly a a week goes by that I
do not go somewhere out of town.
I have two kitty litter bins under the westy's rear seat. One contains
oils and additives and nozzles and funnels and the like. The other
contains anything that could possibly be hooked to the utility
outlets. The leftover space keeps a sleeping bag, saw, shovel, a few
spares and pillow full time.
The pantry holds pots and pans, and the rear cabinet holds bentleys,
tools, charger, inflator, mosquito control , etc. The back-of-the-seat
organizer holds flashlights, first aid, straps, sunglasses, sunscreen,
OFF, etc.
The double cabinets under the rear table contain plates and cooking
stuff that won't fit in the westy drawer and bath stuff, weather
radio, and gadgets respectively.
All this stuff never leaves the van.
The stuff that does leave the van gets stored in two places. In the
garage is the grey water tank, chairs, portapotty, diesel can, kayak
stuff, grill and camp table all in one place. In the kitchen in a
cabinet is all the stuff that it takes to cook a meal with that would
degrade in the heat or freeze in the cold if left in the van.
And that's that. With one glance in the garage, one glance in the
kitchen and a trip to the market for fresh stuff, I'm in and out
without a doubt.
When I travel, only the back is used to hold the things I take. I
refuse to let the main cabin hold anything (other than the NATO can of
diesel strapped to the front table leg) because traveling with
anything more is a pain. I eat well, I drink well, I fare well because
of it.
If I travel with others, they use the main cabin to hold their stuff,
and that works better because my stuff is not in the way.
Jim
On Sun, Aug 23, 2009 at 6:12 PM, Rocket J
Squirrel<camping.elliott@gmail.com> wrote:
> On 8/21/2009 1:17 PM Mark Tuovinen wrote:
>
>> The van has its own supplies which stay with it.
>
> A commendable practice, one I wish I would emulate, but our van is also
> used for various hauling errands, including diverse items like
> grandchildren, IKEA furniture, bags of recyclables, etc.
>
> I think my plan to move the camping gear into to the little ladybug
> trailer will reduce "musta left it at home"-itis.
>
> --
> Mike "Rocket J Squirrel" Elliott
> 84 Westfalia: Mellow Yellow ("The Electrical Banana")
> 74 Utility Trailer. Ladybug Trailer, Inc., San Juan Capistrano
> Bend, OR
> KG6RCR
>
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