Help me make a new trailer shopping list! (Ikea, Amazon, WalMart, et al)

[FunSteak]

We have a lot of experience in camping and traveling, just one of which was in a rented travel trailer. The biggest challenge have is food. We make a lot of our own and use the stove and oven a lot. I thought the TT kitchen would be like using a hotel room kitchen but the lack of hookups and early generator cut-off time made for a terrible match-up. We were waiting to eat until the cool of the day after sunset, but that was also the no-generator time. Even packing sandwiches and prepared foods like yogurt and hard-boiled eggs was extremely time-consuming for 6 because we had no space to have several people working on it. Food prep will definitely be our achilles heal.

Regarding food prep, we use some techniques that worked well from our tent camping years to make it quick, easy and of minimal impact to comfort in the coach.  DW and I will prepare large batches of pasta sauce, chili, marinated chicken, etc, at home, and use the FoodSaver to vac seal appropriate portions.  We then lay the sealed bags flat in the freezer, so they freeze nice and flat.  Those are easily stacked into the RV freezer just before we leave, which helps cool it down much more quickly.  When it's time to prepare the meal, you can simply place the bag into boiling water for a few minutes to heat it, then cut the bag open and serve.  No pots and pans to wash, minimal time needed to prepare. 

If it's something like marinated chicken, it's still quite efficient.  Just cut the bag open and pour into a pan for cooking.  Still makes it much faster and fewer dishes to wash.  We find that spending an afternoon doing this in advance saves us a lot of time while camping.

 

[UTTransplant]

I think the OP is soon to be a full timer RVer, planning homeschooling her children. I still think a lot of the ideas are useful for her. Meal prep in quantity works if you bring a big crockpot or Instant Pot plus a freezer. It is hard to find nesting cookware that has a big enough pot for 6 people, so look for a nice one from home. I had four kids and frequently we camped with one of their friends along for a total of 7 people, and 3 of those would be teenage boys (aka bottomless pits). I got good at staging meals in courses rather than full sit down,everything ready at once because we had at most a two burner stove (pop up days). Lots of grilling will probably be in your future too.

 

[FenderP]

It took us many years to acquire everything that is needed for the camper, but nothing comes out of the house anymore. Clothes, linens, cookware, etc. all live in the camper. Laundry is washed, and goes right back outside.

Packing for a trip means putting food onboard, unplugging the cord and driving away.

My dream, HW.

 

[RoadSchool]

Anytime you find yourself saying "We might want to...", leave it home. Especially if its something you could pick up at a store along the way later.

Thank you for the wonderful advice!

But all I can say is, it must be nice to have so much money you can afford to buy a duplicate of something you already own that's sitting unused at home right now.

I am right there with you! I bought stuff like an entrance rug, 1 set of towels, cooking utensils, etc today at a discount store and still spent a fortune! I very quickly started thinking instead about what we could bring from home!

It took us many years to acquire everything that is needed for the camper, but nothing comes out of the house anymore.

I was thinking we could start there but after one store I see why it would take years to get there!

Regarding food prep, we use some techniques that worked well from our tent camping years to make it quick, easy and of minimal impact to comfort in the coach.  DW and I will prepare large batches of pasta sauce, chili, marinated chicken, etc, at home, and use the FoodSaver to vac seal appropriate portions.

That?s a great idea! We do similar for camping and short-term travel putting foods in ziplocs in the cooler. I?ll need to try to figure out which foods would freeze well. Probably soups, right? When the genetic lottery was handing out short straws, we got the ?foods you can eat? one. We?ll need to make some menus with your idea as a goal in mind! I?m going to think through our core foods...

Breakfast
Chia pudding, buckwheat porridge, quinoa porridge, chickpea frittata, eggs (hard-boiled, scrambled, omelet, quiche), breakfast sandwiches, breakfast burrito, sweet potato with almond butter, toast with nut butter and fruit, yogurt parfait, smoothie, pancakes/waffles, toast, English muffins, biscuits (and gravy)

Snacks
Yogurt, cheese and crackers, nuts/seeds/trail mix, veggies and hummus, chips and salsa or guacamole, pretzels, raw fruit or veggies, nut/seed butter, hummus, yogurt, olives, pickles, popcorn, popped sorghum, energy bars, roasted chickpeas, french fries, cookies, cupcakes, fresh hot buttered bread, hard-boiled eggs

Lunch
Sandwiches (PBJ, PB banana, chickpea salad, egg salad), wraps, soups, salads, raw or cooked fruit and veggies, chickpeas and yellow rice, curry and rice

Dinner
Classics (burgers, mac & cheese, shepherd?s pie, sausage, pierogies)
Curry (chickpea, kidney beans, lentil, split pea, potato, cauliflower, Thai jungle curry, etc)
Indian (samosas, curries, daal, gobi, biryani fried rice, pakoras, bhaji fritters, roti)
Ethiopian (shiro chickpea stew, gomen collard greens, tikil gomen cabbage and carrots, fesolia green beans and carrots, key sir alicha beets and potatoes, ater kit split peas, lentil wots, injera bread)
Hispanic (burritos, tacos, tamales, papusas, enchiladas, guacamole, salsa)
Veggies, especially roasted or baked (asparagus, broccoli, cauliflower, brussels sprouts, sweet potatoes, squashes, carrots, green beans)
Soup (lentil, potato, corn chowder, minestrone, veggie)
Middle Eastern & Mediterranean (mujadara, falafel, shakshouka, braised white beans, pita, dolma, zaatar, veggies with tzatziki, moussaka, saffron rice, pita)

Dessert
Baked or stewed fruit (apple, pear, compote) with whipped cream
Pie
Popped corn or popped sorghum
Cupcakes
Ice cream, Popsicles
Rice pudding

 

[RoadSchool]

I think the OP is soon to be a full timer RVer, planning homeschooling her children. I still think a lot of the ideas are useful for her. Meal prep in quantity works if you bring a big crockpot or Instant Pot plus a freezer. It is hard to find nesting cookware that has a big enough pot for 6 people, so look for a nice one from home. I had four kids and frequently we camped with one of their friends along for a total of 7 people, and 3 of those would be teenage boys (aka bottomless pits). I got good at staging meals in courses rather than full sit down,everything ready at once because we had at most a two burner stove (pop up days). Lots of grilling will probably be in your future too.

;D
Thanks!! I do need to acquaint myself with grilling! I see lots of foil packets in my future! 


I don't think I'd have room for a second freezer in my current TT. I saw one video of a family with a deep freeze and saved it as TT Goals.


My husband's been really wanting an Instant Pot. I think he'll be thrilled! Our most-used appliances at home are the Vitamix, bread machine, crockpot, and Keurig. It'll be a change for sure! I'm so grateful for your advice, having BTDT before us.

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

I **DO** understand the weight rationale behind the philosophy being espoused here.
But all I can say is, it must be nice to have so much money you can afford to buy a duplicate of something you already own that's sitting unused at home right now.

I don't think anyone was suggesting that you just go buy all new stuff.    Further, the weight & space consumed for an item is the same whether you buy it on the road or bring it from home.  The mantra is to avoid bringing (or buying) things unless and until you are sure they are really needed.  However, that may mean once in awhile you end up buying something you already have at home. That's the risk of trying to guess what will be needed.

 

[RoadSchool]

I don't think anyone was suggesting that you just go buy all new stuff.    Further, the weight & space consumed for an item is the same whether you buy it on the road or bring it from home.  The mantra is to avoid bringing (or buying) things unless and until you are sure they are really needed.  However, that may mean once in awhile you end up buying something you already have at home. That's the risk of trying to guess what will be needed.

I understand. ❤❤❤ It's all a balance!