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Wrong or Missing Gear Page
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updated January 1 2019
What will we need for 2019? Every year the same question. This is, for as long as we tow, a work in progress. We update it when experience so dictates. The following is a run down on how and why we have it with us.
We spent 9.5 weeks Fall 2007 as a shake-down trip for this adventure and determined pretty well what we needed and didn't. We carry almost all the gear items in the truck bed and in the trailer's two storage compartments. The truck's on-board gear takes up the truck's bed length and only up to the tonneau cover (not a camper shell). If needed, we could swap the tonneau cover for a higher and larger capacity shell but we are heartily opposed to this. We wore out the paint finish on the tonneau cover at ten years. Should we replace it with a camper shell now? Nope, tonneau cover still closes with room to spare. Get it repainted. Done.
We have eliminated only a couple of other things along the way. For example, we found new owners for the 10' EZ-Up gazebo we carried for two years and rarely used. It was great for rally parties, something we might do a couple of times yearly. We carried a plastic 2 gal gas can and just didn't like watching the extent to which it swelled during summertime (and so replaced it with a 2 gal steel safety can). We swapped one set of de-mountable mud flaps for a pair that permanently attach to the wheel wells.
The biggest change we've made in our belongings is how and where we place things. We first moved a bunch of clothes from the storage locker above our bed to a tote in the truck, after the storage locker partially detached from the wall not once but twice. Although Jim did a yeoman's job reattaching it (the second time), we decided we need keep only fluffy light things (down lap blanket, fleeces) above the head of our bed. Too, we move things between the storage unit and the wheeled units (truck and trailer). For example, some years we carry backpacking gear and other years we don't anticipate hiking so leave it behind.
We found space in the truck for the weighty box of paints/cleaners/chemicals from the under-bed storage bin at the trailer's rear. We no longer store the 30 amp shore power cord in the trailer's bumper. These changes involved moving weight from the trailer to the truck so we stay within the trailer's gross vehicle weight rating (gvwr).
An Escapees rally provided wheel-specific weighing for truck and trailer. We learned our trailer's axles weren't loaded equally, indicating out-of-level condition front to rear. Since we had not measured recently this was no great surprise and easy to remedy. We adjusted the hitch head height to lower the front of the trailer. Problem solved.
We also learned at that weigh-in our truck was several hundred pounds heavier at driver's side than passenger. Never had thought about it, but the 45 gallon gas tank we installed is on driver's side. Plus Jim placed the big tool chest and genset and log chains on the driver's side. Relocated toolchest and genset, removed log chains, and at next reweighing we're okay.
What gear do we wish we didn't bring?
The golf clubs -- it's so darned expensive and not nearly as satisfying as tennis is for us. We finally stored the clubs Spring 2011 and put tennis bags in their place. Much better. We for a couple of years carried tools for trail building and tree trimming while we played at fixing up our mountain camp. As much as we wanted not to accumulate stuff, we wanted a rake, mattock, shovel, pruning shears, pole saw, chainsaw and axe. We figured out we didn't really need that stuff anywhere except at the mountain camp so we off-loaded those tools. Somehow the tools multiplied. Only the work gloves and pruning clippers ride along with us.
What gear do we wish we had with us?
Really, just about nothing. We rearrange the bed of the truck several times each year and, somehow, always net more space for stuff each time. There are a few books, a couple of replacement tools, and some amateur radio gear (especially a 60' tower and beam antenna) it would be nice to collect along the way. We'll have to then eliminate their predeccessors, because who needs stuff they aren't using anymore? The short list of missing items we can pick up when we swing by our storage unit is very small - we'd like to keep our tennis bags with us, we need to have our solar panel tilt rods. Who knows what else we'll want for 2019?
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