More lessons from travel trailer rookies
Having a lunch (left to right): Nia, my sister, Denise, Kizzy and Zander have lunch in the Hideout "U" shaped dining area before heading for their home in Richland after a camping trip to Potholes State Park. Note the clock on the wall behind Denise. It is taken down during travel and is held in place by a special hook that will not damage the wall.
MOSES LAKE — My wife, Garnet, and I took the big step in 2007 of purchasing a travel trailer. The journey of learning about trailer camping was recounted in the Herald’s Summer 2010 Hook and Bullet.
However, space did not allow all of the lessons we learned to be communicated to readers. Today we present the rest of the story.
MOSES LAKE — My wife, Garnet, and I took the big step in 2007 of purchasing a travel trailer. The journey of learning about trailer camping was recounted in the Herald’s Summer 2010 Hook and Bullet.
However, space did not allow all of the lessons we learned to be communicated to readers. Today we present the rest of the story.
Black-water holding tank
Let’s get to the down and dirty stuff first. We didn’t have any problems with the black water tank in our first trailer. I would pour bucks of water down the toilet to make sure it was cleaned thoroughly after each trip.
Our new, less-than-a-year-old, 26-foot Hideout travel trailer has a built in black water tank sprayer. There is one available on the market, which involves hooking it to a hose and sticking it down the toilet.
On the hideout there are two hose hookups on the outside of the trailer. One is for freshwater use and is hooked up to the potable water faucet. The second one is for the black water tank sprayer.
A white hose indicates use for potable water, but, of course, a second hose is used to clean the black water tank. We use an old garden hose for the sprayer. This means we need to transport a second hose. Does it work? We think so, but how do we know? It sure beats pouring buckets of water down the toilet.
We adhere to the advice of using RV toilet paper, which is said to breakdown easier than regular toilet paper. We also use a chemical made to breakup all the material in the tank. This chemical is also a holding-tank deodorant.
There are several on the market, some are measured and poured into the tank, but the easiest is in packets. Open the container, grab a packet, drop it in the toilet and therefore the holding tank, add a gallon or two of water and the job is complete.
A couple of other ideas we have heard about, but haven’t tried include filling the black water tank half full and then dumping a couple of bags of ice down the toilet before driving to the next campsite. The ice is supposed to help break up any residue.
A second tip is to use a liquid dishwashing soap in the tank, which is, again, supposed to break things up. We don’t plan to change our procedure as long as we aren’t having problems.
Wheel chocks
We discussed wheel chocks briefly in the Hook and Bullet story. Craig Dorsing saw the article and told me there are chocks which go between the tires and are expandable until they rest firmly against the front and rear tire. He said these chocks also add stabilization to the trailer.
These would be worth a try. They are a bit on the expensive, but would be worth the experiment. Craig also said if these chocks are used on both the left tires and the right tires, the trailer would be even more stable.
Most trailers have four stabilizing jacks, one at each corner. They are not to be used for leveling the trailer, but to make it a bit steadier. We don’t notice much give once the jacks are down, but steadier would be better.
Keep refrigerator and pantry stocked
We would empty the refrigerator after each trip in our first trailer, unless we were headed to the campsite within a day or two. Kris and Bob Chudomelka told us they keep their trailer stocked and ready to roll. They simply run an extension cord to it after parking it at home.
This makes sense to us. Bob was in construction and has used their trailer for months at a time when out of town. What’s the difference between Bob living for two months at a job in Salem, Oregon with the refrigerator full and running and us keeping ours full between camping trips?
This is fine, but the food must be rotated in order to keep it fresh and used before the expiration date.
Planning the food and stocking the trailer
Garnet takes great pains in planning the food for a trip. I think this part of a camping trip is most enjoyable for her. In fact, stocking the pantry required considerable planning and insight, a job in which she excelled.
She also decorated the inside with additional items, such as throws for the chairs and couch, a clock for the wall, various towels and bedding. We also keep a second set of toiletries in the trailer.
On our last trip, Garnet made a comment about having too much stuff.
“I need to go through the entire trailer to see what we don’t need,” she said.
Indeed, I suspect this will be a constant subject for us to consider. It goes along with a travel-trailer education never being complete.
Outside shower
Both our first trailer and the new one were equipped with an outside shower. The first one required careful wrapping to secure the hose inside the cover, which made the chore difficult. Therefore, we didn’t use it much.
The Outback shower hose is stored in the wall, making it easy to put away after each use.
Extra space
The pass through storage area at the front of the trailer is extra large. Hideout made it this way for the western United States, so a medium cooler could fit inside.
There is also storage space under the “U” shaped dining area, under the bed and at several overhead cabinets. Plus we have a floor to ceiling, six-inch wide pantry.
Not every inch of storage space is full. We have more storage in this trailer, but we don’t have to fill it up either.
Education never complete
Stay tuned; more travel trailer tips are sure to be coming, as a travel trailer education is never complete. Plus we welcome any suggestions from readers.
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