Packing?

[Smurf]

For those who tow with a truck, which is most. Do you load the bed of the truck up or load most everything in the trailer? Is there a benefit as far towing for doing one or the other?

[Octopus Prime]

If there is an obvious place for something in the trailer, like clothing and towels, kitchen items, and stuff that stays in the trailer storage anyway (extend-a-line, EZ up canopy, outdoor rug, etc.), then it goes in the trailer.
We pack things like the stroller, a bike, coolers, etc in the bed of the truck.

[ALJO]

with most trucks TT combo's most have to go into the TT as the payload from the truck gets eaten up to fast. But balance the load in the TT so one point is not over the specific rating.

[Kenelz]

In the truck bed goes bikes and dirty stuff like firewood, grills, generator, etc. Everything else goes in the trailer.

[sasiki]

I throw the bikes and small weber grill in the back of the truck. The other stuff has a home in a storage compartment or inside the camper.

[North of 49°]

In the truck bed goes the stuff I need to actually park the camper: wheel chocks, box full of wood blocks, Andersen levelers, bucket that goes over the tongue jack, a tool box with the wrench for the BAL X-Chocks and the bar for the WDH. That stuff is usually the last to be packed after hooking up, and the first to be needed when unhooking, so it's easiest to put it in some place that's easy to get to, and I don't care if it gets a little dirty.

[dmward]

Anything that you wouldn't want in the TT (bikes, BBQ, Rhino stinky slinkies, some firewood, etc.) goes in the truck bed. None of this stuff is super heavy to take up payload. Bikes just take a lot of space because of their shapes.

We actually store our stand-up paddleboard in our TT because of it's length (10'). It's always clean, but we still wrap it in a tarp.

[TheB2B]

Originally Posted by North of 49°

In the truck bed goes the stuff I need to actually park the camper: wheel chocks, box full of wood blocks, Andersen levelers, bucket that goes over the tongue jack, a tool box with the wrench for the BAL X-Chocks and the bar for the WDH. That stuff is usually the last to be packed after hooking up, and the first to be needed when unhooking, so it's easiest to put it in some place that's easy to get to, and I don't care if it gets a little dirty.

Ding, ding, ding, ding. I'm the same way along with a home built box that I store my WDH in and the necessary tools to fix anything along the way then I add firewood, that's it. Putting items in the box chews up the GVWR fast, better to go in the camper even if that means on the floor.

[NewBlackDak]

In the Truck bed:
Bikes
Fuel
Firewood
Water totes

Everything else goes in the trailer.

[jlechmanik]

I seem to be the minority. Nothing goes in the truck. Except trips to water. Then 1 to 4 kayaks go in the bed or on the rack. Bicycles are on a rack on the back of the trailer. Our BBQ is small and goes in the trailer (in it's own bag). We don't take firewood. But I might have to reconsider camp chairs in the truck bed.

We have a small 12v refrigerator that we carry in the back seat of the truck. It carries about a case or so of 12oz drinks. This way we have cold drinks available while driving. When we hit camp it goes into the trailer so we limit our opening of the trailer refrigerator.

[Flyrotor]

With exception of clothing, food, and fresh water, the trailer is ready to go year around.

In the 8’ truck bed, 3 kayaks on the rack, bikes, extra coolers, some firewood (most firewood is gathered at the campsite).

Honestly my truck is capable of pretty much anything I need to throw in there without overloading my GVWR and I always travel to the campsite with a full fresh water tank (90 gal).

[TWP723]

I'm about 50/50. Wood, Corn Hole game, canopies and coolers go in the truck. The rest in the camper over the axles. It also depends on where and how long we go. We pack light for shorter trips and of course heavier for longer trips. Most times on the shorter trips, I can put most in the bed.

[Camper_bob]

Originally Posted by Flyrotor

With exception of clothing, food, and fresh water, the trailer is ready to go year around.

In the 8’ truck bed, 3 kayaks on the rack, bikes, extra coolers, some firewood (most firewood is gathered at the campsite).

Honestly my truck is capable of pretty much anything I need to throw in there without overloading my GVWR and I always travel to the campsite with a full fresh water tank (90 gal).

This is basically what I was going to say.

My truck had well more than enough payload capacity for anything and everything we needed.

That being said, most "normal trips" the truck bed was empty because everything had a home in the trailer. If we were going to the beach, our canopy and beach cart would ride in the truck. I would put bikes up there on a rack I made. If I decided to bring our "Little Red Campfire", it and its propane tank would ride in the truck. Of course, the canoe went on the truck.

For longer multi-night treks, the truck would haul an air compressor and associated hoses and fittings, generator, 10 gallons extra fuel in Jerry cans, a little extra water, some extra fluids for the truck, and probably a few other things I'm forgetting.

That was one of the nicest things about having more than enough truck; it didn't matter what we needed, the truck could handle it. I often wondered if I even owned enough stuff to overload the truck. I know for sure I didn't want to load/unload that much "stuff", so it was a purely cognitive exercise! LOL!!

[citgodan]

Full bed of firewood if more than 2 nights.

[SOMBATFAMILY]

For the life of me I can't understand why I would put anything for camping in th bed of my pickup truck if I had a pickup truck. I carry the kitchen sink and bathroom shower and 3 beds and dinette with me in the camper. Anything we use for camping and camper is transported on or in the camper like bikes, kayaks, and foods. Air compressor and spare tires for camper stay in trailer.

[NewBlackDak]

Originally Posted by SOMBATFAMILY

For the life of me I can't understand why I would put anything for camping in th bed of my pickup truck if I had a pickup truck. I carry the kitchen sink and bathroom shower and 3 beds and dinette with me in the camper. Anything we use for camping and camper is transported on or in the camper like bikes, kayaks, and foods. Air compressor and spare tires for camper stay in trailer.

I don’t carry gasoline(for the generator) in the trailer. I don’t care if it spills on my bedliner, but I don’t want to breathe the fumes if it spills in the trailer. Firewood goes into the bed, because it minimizes the chances of insect infestation in the trailer. Water totes go in the bed, because they’re big/heavy with no way to secure them in the trailer.

[SouthCo]

Everything needed to camp or wanted while camping has a place in/on the camper including bikes on a rack, small propane Weber grill, fishing poles, air compressor and 12’X12’ canopy.

The only things that goes in the bed of the truck are the golf cart, ramps for the golf cart, a floor jack, cooler and sometimes a charcoal grill.

[bdreinv]

Everything goes in the camper, except a truck load of firewood. With a fiver don't want a bunch of stuff blowing all around in the truck bed. Thanks

[hboy]

Originally Posted by Smurf

Do you load the bed of the truck up or load most everything in the trailer? Is there a benefit as far towing for doing one or the other?

In my opinion, I like to get as much as possible in the trailer. especially if I am up against a weight rating for the tires, axle, or truck payload. 100 lbs of cargo in the truck bed is typically less than 20 lbs payload on the truck if it is loaded in the trailer.

The other reason being security. The kids bikes can be stolen easier from the truck bed than locked in the trailer.

I probably would rather not load fuel or something stinky/dirty in the trailer tho...

[2edgesword]

Originally Posted by North of 49°

In the truck bed goes the stuff I need to actually park the camper: wheel chocks, box full of wood blocks, Andersen levelers, bucket that goes over the tongue jack, a tool box with the wrench for the BAL X-Chocks and the bar for the WDH. That stuff is usually the last to be packed after hooking up, and the first to be needed when unhooking, so it's easiest to put it in some place that's easy to get to, and I don't care if it gets a little dirty.

I do the same. All the towing stuff and things need for setting up the trailer (leveling blocks, chocks, etc.) are in the bed of the truck in addition to anything that is used outdoor (chairs, BB grill, canopy, etc.). I also keep a small toolbox with assorted stuff you never want to need but want to have if needed.