I got the garage re-organized and I found quite a bit of extra room after compacting everything down and spreading it out along the walls. I have been waiting to pull the truck in until more snow melted off and not get all over the garage floor. Almost everything that could get damaged by water is up on top of some plastic tubs and bins but I don’t want the mess on the floor.

I made a trip to town this morning and when I came back I got the truck in the garage again! It was warmer than predicted so the snow and ice have been melting off fast; driving down the highway took care of some too. so there was not much left on it.

It has been a long time since my truck has been in the garage. It will be nice now that the ice and snow are falling along with the temperatures – I can get in a warmer and drier truck. But, the drawback is I cannot move anything else up from the basement if the truck is inside. I have room for more stuff or truck. but not really both. Something I need to ponder.

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With Meghan leaving me theirs, the two extra ones I already had plus the two in my trailer, I now have six grill-size propane bottles. SIX!!! That is a lot of propane but they are never all filled at the same time because I don’t need that much propane and don’t really want to haul that much. It would also be a lot of money.

I carry two on my trailer and that set-up has an auto-switch regulator/valve that switches to the full tank when the first one is empty (which it did yesterday since I have had the heat on). It is a very handy thing to have, but you still have to be frugal with your resources. Since I have four others, I can use one (or maybe two) of them as spares and I will sell off the others.

Part of being frugal will be my electric blanket on my bed when I am on shore power. I can turn down the furnace and save a little propane. If I get an additional battery to store solar energy I can maybe use the inverter for it but I would have to check on that.

Another thing is a while back I bought a new cookset that is induction-compatible with removable handles and it also nests. The induction burner will go in the trailer and will get a lot of use on shore power. I am not sure if the microwave works on the inverter but I do not think it does. I need to know for sure; heating up prepped frozen food is a pain without a microwave.

I look at my affect on the environment when I do most everything. I avoid plastics as much as possible in everything I buy and try to purchase things in recyclable containers. and minimal packaging It is nearly impossible to cut it all out but you can get rid of most of it and cut back on your usage. Same is true for my utilities when I camp. If I have electricity I will use it as much as possible for my needs. If I am boondocking that is a different type of energy need – solar and/or propane, conserving solar/battery as much as possible.

I have seen a few videos on some new ideas for storage in my trailer so I will be trying out a few of these that I thought might be useful. I have already done a lot but a few more ways to keep organized is always good especially in a small or odd-shaped space. There are also some ideas online for things you would never think of. Getting through sone if it is tough though.

One thing I see is a lot of storage ideas. Most all are clever, but…just because you have room does not mean you need to fill it. Organizing is one thing, but making more room to haul more is never a good idea. You ALWAYS have to consider the GVWR. The more stuff you bring, the less water and food you can carry plus it affects gas mileage.

Personally, I prefer to have empty space if possible to start a trip with then I spread out. I can think about how I use the storage and then make it logical to use. Most generally I have a place for everything that works well, but I do have a couple of storage areas (a drawer or two and some cabinet space below the oven) that I am not really satisfied with how they are set up. The space on the floor below the oven has a back that is not screwed in so I need to fix that and that will really help make that space bigger. And of course you are (at least I am) always reassessing the things you have to see if anything can be left behind next time. No need to take it if it isn’t being used.

As I mentioned above, I have had the furnace on in the trailer. I turned it on last week and hung out in the trailer a few times since. I put RV antifreeze in the drains, have the tank heaters on (when below freezing), and the furnace keeps things at 45-50° F inside. I have not winterized since I will have to unwinterize it when I leave. It will be cold for a while longer so I will need to go get a couple of tanks refilled – one to replace the empty and one or two for full spares. One of my extras has propane in it so I will use it up on the trailer just to empty it out then sell two.

I am still debating a vehicle change. I have considered getting rid of my trailer & truck and getting a van but I don’t know. That starts running into a lot of money these days. A used vehicle is crazy expensive but a new one is prohibitively spendy.

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Got a full freezer of prepped meals and some sides. I mean there is a lot of food in there. I am still going to make a few more things and I will be stocked up for a good, long while. I am eating stuff as I go so I have plenty of room to restock. If I cook more now I get more things out of the pantry so there is less to move plus my meals are microwave-ready for quite some time and I don’t need to cook for quite some time.

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So that is what’s up today. Just thinking about the next chapter and beyond. I have done it before so I can do it again.

See you next time…

Shawn