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20 Essential Safety Items for Your Travel Trailer

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20 Essential Safety Items for Your Travel Trailer
Now that we’ve owned our 2020 Scamp 13’ for almost four years and have done a bit of travelling in it (205 nights at 116 locations so far, but who’s counting?), we’ve had a chance to identify some essential safety items one may consider (especially if travelling to unpopulated locations with no cellphone service, like Bureau of Land Management areas).  We’ve created our safety item list below.  Before all else though, it’s important to note that having a reliable tow vehicle (keep maintenance up to date and run it regularly) is a major key in keeping out of trouble.

#1.  Smoke Detector
Our 2020 Scamp 13’ did not come with a smoke detector and the service representative I spoke to at Scamp couldn’t say why Scamp doesn’t install them.  Perhaps the reasoning for not installing one is that the kitchen is in the same room as the bedroom and false alarms might happen often.  Regardless, we feel having one is a very important safety item, so we purchased a smoke detector with a 10 year battery and installed it in the far corner of our Scamp under one of the cabinets.  We are happy to have it installed and there hasn’t been one false alarm!

#2.  Fire Extinguisher
All RV’s are required by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) to have a fire extinguisher.  The fire extinguisher should be located within 24 inches of the main exit to provide means of escape in case of fire.  Travel trailers should come with them from the factory and they should generally be replaced every 10 years (or after use).

#3.  Carbon Monoxide / Propane Gas Detector
It’s essential that every small travel trailer has a carbon monoxide / propane gas detector alarm because carbon monoxide and propane gas exposure can be lethal.  Carbon monoxide (CO) is a poisonous gas that cannot be seen or smelled and is produced by liquid propane.  CO gas can potentially enter the travel trailer via a gas stove or gas powered water heater (or gas powered heaters and generators).  Carbon monoxide is especially toxic when built up in a small enclosed space like a small travel trailer.  Propane gas is an asphyxiating gas, making it difficult or impossible for one to breath if exposed to large concentrations.  So, it’s really important that the detector is functioning properly, tested regularly using the test button, and is replaced by the manufacturers recommended replace date.  It’s also imperative that an alarm be taken very seriously as it could mean the difference between life and death.  If an alarm does sound, the recommended procedure is to quickly exit your trailer and turn off your propane tanks outside (leaving the trailer door open to ventilate).

The Atwood Carbon Monoxide / Propane Gas Detector in our 2020 Scamp 13’ is located near the front door under one of the dinette seats.  It has a Test/Reset button which we use on a regular basis to make sure the alarm works.  If the fan on our Scamp isn’t running and bringing in fresh air, the detector often has false alarms when we shower (related to moisture).  For more information on false alarms, click here.

Atwood rates the detector’s lifespan at 7 years, after which time its sensors are no longer reliable and should be replaced.

Propane Safety
Propane gas is highly flammable and can start a serious fire or explode, so never drive with open LP tanks (although some people do, so they are able to run their propane refrigerators on long trips – tip:  if you have a 3-way refrigerator that can run on 12V, consider a DC-DC car charger – click article here).  All it takes is a small leak when the propane valve is open and one spark (perhaps from a flat tire, road debris, or the refrigerator’s pilot flame) and the trailer can go up in flames.  If propane isn’t necessary in the campground (e.g. not needed for cooking, furnace, refrigerator, etc.), then consider keeping the tank valves closed as a safety precaution.  And, if pets are being left in the trailer (even for a short time), keep the tank valves closed (to prevent catastrophe if a pet accidentally turns on the stove).  Lastly, when cooking with propane, always make sure the window above the stove is open and the fan is running to vent the fumes to the outside of the trailer.  Note:  we use our fan on low setting and keep a window open when we sleep (regardless of the outside temperature or if we are running the furnace) to make sure the air is fresh inside.

#4.  First Aid Kit with Case
Without a doubt, this is an important safety item anyone travelling in a travel trailer should have.  There are a couple ways to put the kit together.  One is to buy an already made kit, like this one.  Or, you can put together a customized kit by purchasing a first aid bag and individual items.  We decided to do both so we can have the basics hanging on our wall but also have a more comprehensive first aid bag with specialized items in our Scamp’s closet.  At a minimum, the first aid kit should have adhesive bandages, gauze, tape, wound disinfectant, and pain relief solutions (pill and topical).

Our Scamp 13’ custom first aid kit includes:

Supplies (click on links below):

Bag

Disposable gloves

Adhesive bandages

Self-adhesive bandage wrap

Cloth tape

Neosporin Antibiotic Pain Relief Ointment

Sterile Gauze Pads

Calendula Cream (rashes, skin irritations, bites, sunburn)

Hand sanitizer spray

Surgical wound glue closure

Emergency wound closure device

Medications:

Pepto Bismol  

Antibiotics to treat infections / gastrointestinal illnesses (by doctor prescription)

#5.  Cellular Phone
This goes without saying, but in many cases having a phone can really save you in case you need to call for help (and the most recent iPhone has an emergency satellite communication feature).  If one plans on travelling often to areas without cellular phone coverage, then considering an iPhone with satellite communication or a satellite phone / messenger may be a good idea.  Cellular phones are also great for providing maps.  We recently started using Gaia GPS and think it’s great.  It offers up-to-date maps (including National Geographic maps and high resolution satellite imagery, which can be downloaded for offline use), shows trails, and can record and map hikes (providing detailed statistics).  At the time of this writing, the “Outside” membership is discounted to $24 for the first year.

#6.  GMRS Radios
Two way radios are a great way to stay in touch at the campground (when cellphone service may not be available).  GMRS radios are like walkie talkies, but generally have better range and can receive NOAA weather channels.  They can also be used on GMRS repeaters to greatly extend their range.  We use them when backing up our trailer into a campsite, allowing one of us to stand outside and behind the trailer to give the driver directions.  We also like using them when one person stays in the Scamp and the other is walking around the campground.  We really like these radios because they are rechargeable (and can be charged during our trips via their USB-C connectors).

Note:  an FCC license is required to operate GMRS radios in the United States, but no test is required.  Simply go to the FCC website, register and pay the $35 fee (at the time of this writing) which covers the entire family for 10 years.  This should only take a few minutes and the license is usually issued within 24 hours.

#7.  Flashlights
When things get dark, you need these!  You can’t do much in the dark without light.

Nice small one:

https://amzn.to/45G2wB8

Medium sized:

https://amzn.to/3sLjfV8

Lantern lights:

https://amzn.to/3LdeB8U

#8.  Portable Car Battery Jumper
If your tow vehicle battery goes dead when you are out in nature (or anywhere), you are going to need help to jump start your car battery.  If no one is around, and it’s in a remote area (as seen in this video when we stayed at Alabama Hills), the situation could be very serious.  If you bring along jumper cables, you will still need to find someone with a car who is willing to help (and no one may be around).  However, if you get a 12V lithium (rechargeable) portable car battery booster, you will not need anyone’s help!  These devices can jump start a car battery using their own power and cables!  (This is what many AAA tow truck drivers now use to jump start dead batteries).

We went with the Hulkman Alpha85, which can jump start gas engines up to 8.5 liters and diesel engines up to 6 liters.  We really like the Alpha85’s large display and high capacity (20,000mAh).  A nice feature of this battery is that it has auxiliary ports (12V DC, USB-A, and USB-C) which can be used to charge a variety of devices like cellular phones.  It also has a built in flashlight and has different flashing modes.  It comes with all the necessary cables and fits in our Volvo XC40’s inner trunk area, even with its complete packing box (with all cables inside).

The Alpha85 is rated to hold charge for up to 18 months and provide up to 60 jump starts on a single charge!  Even so, make sure to leave it in your trunk with a good charge and remember to charge it periodically (e.g. every 3 months).  It charges from 0% to 100% in about 90 minutes using a wall charger.  Don’t leave home without it!

#9. Portable Power Station (Lithium)
Speaking of charging up auxiliary devices, having a portable lithium battery dedicated for that purpose leaves your trailer house battery energized to focus solely for its main tasks (powering lights, water pumps, furnace blower, fan, …).  We purchased this Jackery 500 in 2020 (hint:  it’s often on sale on Amazon, also check Costco deals) and use it for charging our camera batteries, drone batteries, phone batteries, electric toothbrushes, smart watches as well as running our Scamp’s 12V television when we are without electric hookups.  The Jackery 500 has 3 x USB ports, a 12V/10A DC port, as well as an inverter for a 110V plug.  It can be charged while driving with the included 12V DC cable, using AC with the included 110V wall charger, and with optional solar panels (Jackery sells solar panels separately or as an add-on with matching input plugs).

#10. Car Tire Inflator
Having a portable air compressor on board the tow vehicle is a great idea.  It’s inexpensive and small, so it’s easy to carry in the trunk.  It can be used to inflate car tires as well as camping air mattresses.  We purchased the Hausbell Portable Air Compressor.  It has a nice digital display and runs off the tow vehicle’s (or trailer’s) 12V DC outlet.  One sets the desired pressure and turns on the unit and it pumps and turns off automatically when it reaches the set pressure.  We use it at the start of every trip to ensure our Scamp’s and Volvo’s tires remain properly inflated.  This can save on fuel as well as make the car/trailer’s handling reliable.

When our Scamp is plugged into an AC outlet, we use this AC-DC converter accessory and plug it into our Scamp’s auxiliary 110V outside outlet.  We then plug the air compressor into the converter so it’s not necessary to use our tow vehicle’s 12V DC outlet.

#11 & #12. Shovel & Tire Traction Boards
There have been times during our travels when a shovel and tire traction boards would have been a godsend.  One was at a remote location near Trona Pinnacles, California.  We were on an off-road trail (due to bad signage and directions) and the temperature was over 100 degrees.  You can watch a video of us on this trail here.  Fortunately, we did not get stuck, but we did break a water pump underneath the Scamp.  On another recent trip, we were temporarily stuck in sand when we were unable to turn around at a beach campground due to the turnaround being washed out by a recent storm.  We were able to get out by unhitching our Scamp and having another camper push our tow vehicle.  In scenarios like these, where the tow vehicle’s tires lose traction with the ground (e.g. sand, mud, snow), having a small shovel and tire traction boards can mean the difference between being stranded (or getting an expensive tow) and quickly solving the issue yourself.  If the tow vehicle is stuck and the driven wheels are just spinning, use the shovel to dig sand/mud/snow away from the front of the driven wheels and insert the tire traction boards under each of the tires before attempting to drive out.   It’s best to do this right after traction is lost to prevent the tow vehicle from digging itself in too deep.  Having had close calls in the past, we recently purchased this shovel as well as this tire traction board set.  The shovel folds into a small bag and is made of high quality powder coated carbon steel and only weighs around 2 pounds.  The mini recovery traction boards are made of reinforced 100% Nylon and are only 22” long (so they easily fit in our Volvo XC40’s inner trunk along with the shovel and car starter).  The “tooth surface” of the boards’ “recovery track” provides a “bite effect”, or friction, to help the vehicle climb out of the situation.  The boards are rated to withstand extreme temperatures and weights up to 22,000 pounds.

#13. Wheel Chocks
Heavy duty wheel chocks are essential for properly securing one’s trailer.  The chocks keep the trailer’s wheels from moving.  Upon arriving at the campground, the wheels should be chocked before the trailer is unhitched.  We have been using these wheel chocks for almost two years and have never looked back – they are the best chocks we’ve ever used.  These rubber chocks are large and heavy (4.2lbs each) and provide solid support for our Scamp 13’ (they are also rated for aircraft, boats, trucks, and RVs).  They are described as “slip resistant, weather resistant, and oil resistant” and rated for heavy usage.  They have a long connecting rope between each chock, so it’s easy to pull the chocks away from the wheels when one is ready to depart the campground.    We ordered two pairs for our Scamp 13’ (one pair for each wheel).

#14, #15, & #16. Receiver Hitch Pin Lock, Trailer Coupler Lock, & Safety Chains & Trailer Brakeaway
One significant concern to most trailer owners is the possibility of the trailer becoming unhitched from the tow vehicle.  This could possibly lead to a devastating crash or, in the case of a parked tow vehicle/trailer, the trailer being stolen.  To mitigate this risk, one can use a high quality hitch pin lock to secure the trailer’s hitch to the tow vehicle’s hitch receiver and a premium trailer coupler lock to keep the coupler secured and locked down on the hitch ball.  Note:  safety chains should always be used to secure the trailer to the tow vehicle just in case the two become disconnected, as well as the emergency breakaway which activates the trailer’s brakes if the trailer and tow vehicle become separated.

Instead of using a traditional hitch pin & clip, to secure the trailer’s hitch and ball mount to the tow vehicle’s hitch receiver, we opted for a more secure hitch pin which securely locks on the end (vs. a clip that can be pulled out).  This provides piece of mind that the hitch pin will stay secure while driving (locked end less likely to fall off than a clip) and while parked (preventing easy theft of the trailer).  With a clip, thieves can easily pull it out, swing the trailer away from the parked tow vehicle and attach it to the getaway truck (thieves can use a trailer dolly if the trailer hitch weight is too high to move the hitch manually).  We also use a trailer coupler lock to keep the coupler secured and locked down on the hitch ball.  This not only keeps the coupler from opening while driving, which could result in the trailer detaching from the hitch ball (tow vehicle), but also prevents thieves from easily opening the locked coupler when the tow vehicle/trailer are parked and stealing the trailer.

#17. Repacking Wheel Bearings and Brake Adjustment
The wheel bearings on a trailer are located inside the wheel assembly hub (behind each tire).  This connects the wheel to the axle to allow for frictionless movement.  Greased bearings allow the wheels to spin freely.  However, over time, the bearings can get dirty or damaged which can lead to serious issues on the road.  Feeling the wheel hubs (center cap of wheel) immediately after driving the trailer can help to identify issues – the hubs should be somewhat cool after driving (not hot).  If the center hubs are hot (which can occur when there is resistance with the bearings or brake issues), this indicates a problem.  But, it’s best to be proactive and not wait for a serious problem to occur with the bearings and brakes.  Instead, have them serviced on a regular basis.  Service interval recommendation times vary – however, a general recommendation given by many mechanics is that RV bearings should be repacked with grease every year or every 10,000 to 20,000 miles, whichever comes first (brakes should be checked and adjusted, if necessary at the same time).  Still, there are varying opinions on the interval.  When we first had our bearings repacked two years ago (after about two years of regular use), the mechanic said the bearings were still super clean so he recommended coming in every two years.  We take our Scamp 13’ to Sonrise RV in Escondido (San Diego).  They currently charge around $270 per axle (the Scamp has only 1 axle with two wheel hubs) — to remove our Scamp’s wheels and drums, clean and inspect the brakes, clean/inspect & grease/repack the bearings, replace the seals and reassemble & test brakes.  The brakes are adjusted by jacking up the trailer and spinning each wheel.  The wheels should spin freely with little resistance.  After the brakes are adjusted, the trailer should be test driven on hills and, then, the hubs should be checked.  They should be cool or lukewarm to the touch in most cases.

#18. Replacing Travel Trailer Tires
Important Note:  Never use passenger tires on travel trailers!  Passenger tires are usually rated at Load Range B to allow for flexible sidewalls for a smooth ride.  They are not engineered to stabilize heavy loads or handle the temperatures that build with them.

Recommendations on when to replace travel trailer’s tires very widely.  Various recommendations found online are:  every 10,000 – 15,000 miles, when the tread is worn down to 2/32nds of an inch, between 3 to 6 years,… How and where the travel trailer is used are very important considerations on replacement timing.  For example, if the trailer goes off-road often or is stored outside in the sun then these factors could expedite the need for tire replacement.  Risk tolerance is also a factor – more conservative trailer owners will replace their tires more frequently.  Because tires are so critical for travel and a blowout on the road has the potential to be disastrous, our rule is to replace our Scamp 13’s tires every three years (even though the tires appear fine).  Tires for small trailers are inexpensive and can be replaced at local tire stores, like Discount Tire (America’s Tire).

Our Scamp 13’s first tire replacement was last summer.  We purchased Hartford ST175/80R13 tires at Discount Tire for around $50 each.  Since the Scamp 13’ is single axle, there are only a couple of tires to replace which makes the process inexpensive.  These Hartford tires are rated to carry a maximum load of 1360 lbs (C1 index).  The index indicates the maximum weight a tire can support with proper inflation.  These tires have a speed rating of up to 87 mph.

Amazon also sells similarly rated trailer tires, like this one.

#19. Sanitize Fresh Tank
Algae, bacteria, and other harmful microorganisms can grow in your trailer’s Fresh and Grey tanks as well as other parts of the water systems such as the pipes, hoses and water heater.  It may be possible to see the algae or it might just be that your water has a funny smell.  Algae and other microorganisms have the potential for not only making the trailer water smell funny and clogging up water lines, but also could be dangerous to one’s health.  Personally, we only drink water that we bring from home that is produced in our reverse osmosis system and stored in 4 gallon BPA free plastic jugs.  But, even showering and washing dishes and hands with contaminated water could be potentially dangerous (e.g. skin, stomach, and lung issues).  Whenever possible, use a water filter when filling the Fresh tank.

For complete instructions on sanitizing tanks, click here.

#20. Keys & Cash Stash
There may be a time when having cash or access to your extra trailer/car keys will be a life saver.  When we first started travelling in our Scamp 13’ we never carried cash.  However, over time, we found that carrying cash is a good idea for a number of reasons.  First, cash is sometimes needed to pay Iron Rangers (metal lock boxes sometimes found at BLM and other remote campgrounds).  We found this to be the case at Valley of Fire State Park in Nevada.  It is one of our favorite campgrounds and we wouldn’t have been able to stay there had we not had cash.  Cash also comes in handy for paying small businesses one might encounter when travelling.  For example, we enjoyed a great horseback ride when visiting Alabama Hills and cash was the only payment method accepted.  Finally, when on long trips, we find it very convenient to have several rolls of quarters in our Scamp’s closet so we can use coin operated laundry machines.  We recently used our quarters when doing laundry at the Laughing Alpaca RV Park & Campground in Cave Junction, Oregon.

Along with cash, we keep a set of backup keys in our Scamp 13’ (the Volvo backup keys) and Volvo XC 40 tow vehicle (the Scamp backup keys).  That way if our keys for a vehicle aren’t able to be located we likely will have access to its backup keys.

We use a small zippered pouch to store the cash and keys together in our Scamp 13’.  The pouch prevents loose bills from getting lost as well as keys from moving around or falling into gaps.  In our tow vehicle, we use a small compartment in the center console to hold the cash/keys.

Final Thoughts on Travel Trailer Safety
We use many of the above items and ideas every day we travel, and others we carry for peace of mind (an insurance policy) which, hopefully, we will never have to use.  Or, it might be that we use them to help others.

Beyond the above mentioned safety products, there are other serious considerations to think about when taking adventures with your travel trailer.  It’s important to make sure that the “house battery” (the one that powers everything electronically operated in the trailer, such as lights, pumps, blower fan, etc.) is capable and that solar panels (we carry a solar panel briefcase) are available to charge the house battery if necessary.  It’s also important to make sure you carry enough propane if you have a gas powered furnace, refrigerator, stove, and water heater.  We carry two 17# Viking composite propane tanks, making sure each is full for every big trip.  We’ve been on 20+ day trips where we’ve completely exhausted one tank and have had to switch to the 2nd tank.  We’ve seen unexpected snow showers, watching campers run out of their single tank of propane exposing them to freezing temperatures.  Our advice is carry two propane tanks if you plan on taking trips lasting more than a week.  Packing enough food and water for your trip is vital, as well as carrying appropriate clothing (including hats, jackets, sunglasses, and sunscreen).  And, your small travel trailer should also have sleeping bags and blankets just in case the furnace malfunctions (or propane runs out).  With proper planning and utilizing appropriate safety essentials, stress levels will fall and the odds of having a safe and fun trip will be greatly increased!

 

Disclaimer:  You will get the same great Amazon price by clicking on the links here compared to buying directly on Amazon, but by buying here you will also be supporting the continuation of this website as we get a small commission from each sale.  These are products and procedures we use for our own Scamp that we selected and developed from our own research and experiences.  However, we do not endorse any specific product and cannot guarantee that the products we use are exemplary and the procedures we use are complete, accurate, detail the correct recommended procedures, or apply to your model small travel trailer.  It’s always best to double check with your manufacturer or operation manuals to ensure you are doing everything correctly. 

No Hookups, No Problem!

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No Hookups, No Problem!
While going through my pre-trip checklist (see my article “Use Checklists to Prevent Problems”) right before heading out to Yosemite a couple of weeks ago, I noticed our heavy duty surge protector hadn’t been used in a while.  The surge protector has been sitting in its cardboard box on the top shelf of our garage cabinets and collecting dust for some time.  In May 2021, we were fortunate to be able to stay within the park at Yosemite (Upper Pine Campground), but had to plan for no hookups as the Yosemite campsites don’t have any (which is often the case in National and State parks), so we didn’t need to take the surge protector.  During the trip, we used our 100W solar briefcase (two 50W panels) every day, and even though our campsite was mostly shaded, there was always enough sunlight to keep our Scamp’s batteries well charged.

Our campsite at Yosemite also lacked any other hookups (e.g. water and sewer).  However, there is a central dump station at the entrance of Upper Pines Campground and drinking water spigots at each bathroom.  We dumped on the way into the campground and used our Holy Grail Portable Grey Water Tank Solution so that we didn’t need to move the Scamp all week!  I filled up our portable Grey tanks (four 5 gallon jugs) once during the week and drove them to the central dump early in the morning when there is little activity at the dump station and poured them out.  Filling our Fresh tanks was easy using our dolly and 6-gallon water jug.  The water spigot near our campsite was just a short walk away and the spigot had high pressure, so filling our Fresh jug was super-fast.  I made two or three water refill runs during our Yosemite stay.

Having had a chance to reflect back on the past year and a half since receiving our new Scamp 13’ using our trip log book (see my article “Take A Page From Star Trek and Log Your Travels”), I was surprised to realize how few times we actually used any types of hookups!  We sometimes used electrical and water hookups while staying in the driveways of family, but for the most part, our stays have mostly been at National and State parks where no hookups were provided.  And, these stays have usually been at locations where central dump stations and water spigots were available and our solar panels (along with our Jackery 500) served to maintain a sufficient charge on our Scamp battery.

Along with solar panels, we rely heavily on liquid Propane during most of our stays.  Propane does a great job of powering most of our appliances which can run on this gas.  Propane is efficient and can last a long time.  Appliances in our Scamp that can run off propane are the gas stove, refrigerator, furnace, and hot water heater.  The great thing about propane is that you can carry a lot of it (we always carry 2 Viking composite propane tanks) and it can be run without hookups.  One tank can usually last us over 10 days even in very cold weather when we run our furnace.  One just has to take care to follow proper safety protocols when running propane.  Small travel trailers are usually outfitted with combination carbon monoxide/propane detector alarms; the one in our 2020 Scamp 13’ is located near the front door under one of the dinette seats.  It’s essential that every small travel trailer have one of these alarms because carbon monoxide and propane gas exposure can be lethal.

After almost two years of travelling with our Scamp 13’ to mostly State and National parks, we’ve learned that during our stays water is usually available via spigot (or it can be brought in containers) and electricity can most often be provided by the Sun using solar panels (assuming good weather).  We’ve noticed that the Scamp’s electricity demands are not high (especially if using a battery bank, such as the Jackery 500 in which to run non-essential tasks like watching the 12V television and charging devices like phones, cameras, etc.) and propane can also be used to alleviate electricity demand by powering our refrigerator.  And, lastly, we’ve learned we can extend our time between trips to the Dump Station by as much as 5 or 6 days by using portable containers to hold Grey Water.  Ultimately, it’s the Black and Grey tanks that force us to a Dump Station (see my article “Why It’s Smart to be a Zen Boondocker….”).

So, instead of steering clear of campgrounds without hookups, embrace them and expand your options for adventures.  And, once you understand the constraints of your small travel trailer, you can plan your trips so that Dump Station stops occur when you need them (such as every five or six days), allowing you to stay in one place longer and more easily (by using portable Grey Tank containers which can be dumped independently of your trailer).  Happy Camping!

Disclaimer:  You will get the same great Amazon price by clicking on the links here compared to buying directly on Amazon, but by buying here you will also be supporting the continuation of this website as we get a small commission from each sale.  These are products and procedures we use for our own Scamp that we selected and developed from our own research and experiences.  However, we do not endorse any specific product and cannot guarantee that the products we use are exemplary and the procedures we use are complete, accurate, detail the correct recommended procedures, or apply to your model small travel trailer.  It’s always best to double check with your manufacturer or operation manuals to ensure you are doing everything correctly. 

Why it’s Smart to be a Zen Boondocker, Even if You Never Plan to Go Off-Grid

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Why it’s Smart to be a Zen Boondocker, Even if You Never Plan to Go Off-Grid
If you plan on using your small travel trailer anywhere other than at a RV park or home with hookups, it will benefit you greatly to have the skills to go off-grid (even if you never plan to do serious off-grid camping).  Many National and State Parks (as well as regional parks) offer no hookups (although shared water spigots are very common and sometimes central Dump stations are available).  On a recent visit to Joshua Tree National Park, we discovered some water spigots at the entrance, but no hookups at the end of the long road at the Jumbo Rocks Campground.  Taking ample water supplies for our kitchen and shower along with fresh drinking water made the trip there very pleasurable.  And having solar panels and a separate battery power station meant we didn’t need to worry about running down our Scamp’s onboard 12-volt battery.  Propane provided power for our gas stove, refrigerator, water heater, and furnace.  And, using our Holy Grail Portable Grey Water Tank Solution effectively doubled our Grey Water tank capacity and, in turn, staying capacity to about 5 – 6 days!

To make things even more interesting and enticing to be a Zen Boondocker, there is also often a significant daily rate difference for sites with and without hookups for campgrounds which offer them.  We discovered this on our visit to Oceano Dunes Campground in Pismo Beach.  Hookup spots (Electric & Water only) at this campground were $40 per night and only $25 per night without hookups at the time of our trip!  While it’s tempting to select campsites with hookups over ones without if they are available, there is often another substantial benefit other than monetary to choose a non-hookup site instead.  Hook-up sites are sometimes at newer locations within a campground which may be less scenic and/or with sites much closer together than older sites farther away from the utilities. For example, at Oceano Dunes, the hookup sites were much smaller and closer together all clustered at the front of the campground in a parking lot near the entrance.  And, the non-hookup sites were much farther back from the entrance in their own section with much more green space surrounding them (each with a picnic table and fire pit!) and alongside a scenic lagoon and walking trails.  So even when visiting campgrounds with hookups, it’s still a great benefit to be able to choose a non-hookup site and go for a few days without having to plug into an electric outlet, hookup to a water hose, or connect to a dump line.

Another great benefit of being a Zen Boondocker is that it makes staying on friends’ and family’s driveways and Boondockers Welcome sites nice and easy (even if they don’t have a water hose or electrical outlet at the driveway).  No problem!  We’ve found that for longer trips (e.g. travelling from our home in Carlsbad to northern locations like Lake Tahoe or even Oregon) stop overs at family homes in Santa Barbara, Oakland, and even Boondockers Welcome locations provide great break points to reduce overly long tiring drives.  So, being able to easily spend a night or two with no concerns about water, power, or dumping makes our small travel trailer truly self-contained and very useful.

Site availability is another factor which allows Zen Boondockers with small travel trailers more campground options.  It’s not uncommon for the larger sites with hookups to completely book out very quickly, often leaving the smaller non-hookup sites as “scraps”.  However, we’ve found these “scraps” to not only be more likely available but also often ideal and more desirable.  For example, at D.L. Bliss State Park in Lake Tahoe, we skipped the larger hookup sites farther from the lake, and, instead, opted for a tiny 15’ spot in the tent camping area.  The site we chose was the closest to the lake and had no hookups.  However, there was a water spigot close to the site and we were able to set up our solar panel.  It turned out the site was fantastic and we could see the water from our bedroom!  After looking over the entire campground, we felt our site was probably the best one because it was so close to the lake and had a fantastic view.

Factors for Zen Boondocking
Here are the essential factors to consider in order to become a Zen Boondocker and enjoy all of its benefits:

Conservation
We try to use water sparingly, but are not overly obsessive about it.  Many boondockers are super conscious about catching water and reusing it, taking bird baths or only bathing once per week, ….  Our philosophy is to be comfortable during our trips while still being able to extend our stays without having to relocate.  We do try to rinse our dishes outside if water is available and it’s allowed at the campsite.  But, we also take short hot showers at the end of each day and brush our teeth at the sink.  In order to compensate, we plan our trips so we are not dry camping more than a few days straight which means with the measures taken below it’s possible to be a Zen Boondocker and glamp out (2 showers a day, etc.) at the same time!

Food & Water
It’s helpful to know how long you will expect to be gone on your trip to help plan out your food and water needs.  Provisioning (e.g. store shopping) during the journey may be necessary if it is a long one.  We’ve found that for a 10-day trip, we can carry all the food and drinking water we need in our SUV.  However, we do need to resupply our fresh trailer water reserves during the 10-day trip around every four days (assuming we are carrying our two 6 gallon jugs of resupply fresh water for sink/shower/toilet).

Food
We always map out our trip before leaving and write down every meal for each day (breakfast, lunch, and dinner).  We turn on our Scamp’s refrigerator a couple nights before our trip and then fill it the day before we leave (our Scamp is stored in our home’s garage and has electricity).  We load most of our food into cardboard boxes and store them in our SUV.  We can carry up to 12 days (enough for 2 people) of food in cardboard containers within our SUV.

Drinking Water
We always bring two 4 gallon BPA-free water jugs in the back of our SUV for all our drinking and cooking needs when we go on a typical 10-day trip in our Scamp.  We fill these tanks at home by using our reverse osmosis system.  By carrying an additional 8 gallons of fresh water in our tow vehicle, we are effectively increasing our Fresh water tank supply by 67% (12 gallons Fresh increased to 20 gallons)!!!  This gives us a lot more fresh water supply.  Health experts typically recommend a person drink eight 8-ounce glasses of water per day (8×8 rule), which is about ½ gallon of water per person per day.  So, by using this rule, two people would bring 10 gallons of water on their 10-day trip (1/2 gallon/day x 2 people x 10 days).  We tend to drink slightly less water than this amount because we also drink coconut water, macadamia milk in our cereal, oat milk in our tea, sometimes soup for lunch, and we eat a lot of juicy fruits (like oranges).  So, for us, bringing 8 gallons of fresh water on a 10 day trip works out great (we always have extra water when we return home).

Fresh Water for Trailer
In addition to bringing drinking water, we also will fill two separate 6-gallon jugs if we are heading straight for a dry campsite (no water or water spigots nearby).  We use these to refill our Scamp’s fresh water tank (12 gallons + 6 gallons in hot water heater tank) when it runs low (usually after a couple of days with 2 people showering daily).  We stayed at a Boondockers Welcome location right outside Joshua Tree National Park which had no hookups.  Having the extra 12 gallons of fresh water to fill our Scamp’s Fresh water tank made a couple day stay smooth.  And, with our portable jugs, it was easy for us to refill them at a visitor’s center close by without having to relocate our Scamp.  We can go about four days before having to refill our Scamp’s Fresh water tank.

Electricity
It’s best to start your journey with your small travel trailer’s 12-volt battery completely charged.  We plug our Scamp into our 110-volt outlet in our garage a few days before we leave and keep it plugged in while we run our refrigerator before the trip.  The trailer’s 12-volt battery will also charge while we are driving since the Scamp is plugged into our tow vehicle and receives a charge.  To keep our 12-volt battery charged when we are at the campsite without hookups, we bring a 100-Watt solar panel briefcase and hope the sun is shining.  The solar panel does a great job of keeping our batteries fully charged during the day and provides enough power so our 12-volt battery can easily last the night.  We can still go a couple of days without the solar panel if we are careful to just run the essentials sparingly (LED lights, water pumps, fan, etc.).  To help reduce the draw on our Scamp’s 12-volt battery, we also carry an auxiliary battery power bank (which we also fully charge before we leave home).  Our Jackery 500 is a 518Wh lithium battery which we use for charging our phones, cameras, drone, television, and an electric toothbrush when boondocking to reserve all of our Scamp’s 12-volt battery power for essential devices/functions.  On longer trips between campgrounds, we usually place the Jackery 500 at the back of our SUV and charge it with the tow vehicle’s 12VDC port so the Jackery 500 energy is replenished during our drive.

Propane
Propane does a great job of powering all our appliances which can run on this gas.  Propane is efficient and can last a long time.  Appliances in our Scamp that can run off propane are the gas stove, refrigerator, furnace, and hot water heater.  The great thing about propane is that you can carry a lot of it (we always carry 2 Viking composite propane tanks) and it can be run without hookups.  One just has to take care to follow proper safety protocols when running propane.  Small travel trailers are usually outfitted with combination smoke / carbon monoxide detector alarms.  The one in our 2020 Scamp 13’ is located near the front door under one of the dinette seats.  It’s essential that every small travel trailer have one of these alarms because smoke and carbon monoxide exposure can be lethal.

Holding Tanks
These are the tanks that hold the Fresh, Grey, and Black water.

Fresh Water Holding Tank
The Fresh water holding tank has already been addressed above within the Food & Water section.

Grey Water Holding Tank
The Grey water tank is generally the Achilles heel for small travel trailers.  This is the place where used fresh water goes (e.g. waste water from the sink and shower).  For us two people (taking 2 showers each night), our Scamp’s twenty-one gallon Grey tank fills up in about three days.  To extend our time off-grid, I developed the Holy Grail Portable Grey Water Tank Solution.  Using this solution (which utilizes four 5 gallon jugs), we are able to almost double the off-grid capability of the Grey water tank.  And, it certainly is nice not having to limit campground visits to only 2 – 3 days due to Grey water tank size.  For the Scamp’s 21-gallon Grey tank, this system effectively doubles time between dumps from 2 – 3 days to 4 – 6 days (depending on water use).  And, it’s also really great not having to pack everything up and drive to a central Dump in the middle of a trip and then have to drive back to the campsite to set up the trailer all over again (which we had to do in the middle of our 3-night stay at D.L. Bliss State Park at Lake Tahoe).

Black Water Tank
This is the holding tank for the toilet – it holds sewage and waste water.  In our Scamp, we’ve found that the 9 gallon Black tank takes much longer to fill than the Grey tank.  Our Black tank usually takes about 6 days (two people) before needing to be dumped.  There isn’t really a clean way (pardon the pun) to extend the time between Dumps for the Black tank.  Some people dump this biohazard material into portable containers to extend their time off grid, but we choose to only drain Black Water at a Dump station.  In turn, our Zen Boondocking needs to be refreshed with a Dump every 5 – 6 days.

Conclusion
Being a Zen Boondocker will open up new worlds for you and your small travel trailer.  You will not only be able to go to remote off-grid locations, but, more practically, enjoy the many advantages of choosing campsites without hookups and extend your stays at these locations.  For example, you might be able to stay at more scenic and roomy campsites for longer periods of time at a lower cost than campsites with hookups.  And, visits to places without hookups (such as Joshua Tree National Park) will no longer be limited to just an overnight stay.  So, find your center, and become Zen with your Boondocking spirit!

Disclaimer:  You will get the same great Amazon price by clicking on the links here compared to buying directly on Amazon, but by buying here you will also be supporting the continuation of this website as we get a small commission from each sale.  These are products and procedures we use for our own Scamp that we selected and developed from our own research and experiences.  However, we do not endorse any specific product and cannot guarantee that the products we use are exemplary and the procedures we use are complete, accurate, detail the correct recommended procedures, or apply to your model small travel trailer.  It’s always best to double check with your manufacturer or operation manuals to ensure you are doing everything correctly. 

14 Transformations to go from Camping to Glamping!

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14 Transformations to go from Camping to Glamping!
When the Scamp delivery driver pulled down our street with our new 2020 Scamp 13’ we were super excited.  We would soon have the “golden ticket” to stay within campgrounds throughout North America.  And, upon inspection, the Scamp 13’ seemed to have everything we needed for wonderful and comfortable trips.  However, although the Scamp does indeed have everything we need for our journeys, it took about a year’s worth of trips to figure out some critical enhancements needed in order for our Scamp adventures to go from Camping to Glamping.

(1) Cushions & Memory Foam Pad
The most obvious elements within the Scamp 13’ which absolutely needed change were the cushions.  The cushions are fine for sitting, but, for us, are too hard to sleep on.  In fact, on our first trip, I kept waking up because I felt like I was sleeping on a hard board (which brought back memories of a business trip to Shenzhen, but that’s another story!).  We thought an easy solution might be to just add a memory foam mattress cover on top of the cushions.  However, the 2” memory foam failed to keep us from feeling the “board” cushions underneath.  We considered thicker memory foam, but didn’t like the idea of having to roll up and store such a thick cushion each morning.  Ultimately, we decided to replace the cushions with ones which have softer foam inserts.  In addition, we wanted a covering material that was easier to clean (and wouldn’t hold dust) compared to the original cloth.  We found a great local upholstery shop and they crafted wonderful comfortable cushions with softer foam and fantastic “faux leather” covers which are great looking and super easy to clean!  We still use the 2” memory foam pad on top of the new cushions and find the combination provides a heavenly night’s sleep!  Click Here for full details on the cushion transformation.

(2) Double Sleeping Bag & Liner
Once you are out in the elements and have busy days, the last thing you want to do is to spend time and energy making up your bed every day.  And, for small travel trailers, it’s common to have a kitchen dinette table that converts to a bed.  So, making up the entire bed every evening from scratch with sheets is a definite no for us!  Fortunately, we discovered that double sleeping bags are very comfortable bedding and can be made up almost instantly (and store really well in our Scamp’s small cabinet above the larger coat cabinet).  The trick is to select the right size bag to fill the sleeping area.  We ordered the big 54” bed on our Scamp 13’ which is extra wide compared to the regular bed.  We found a really nice and comfortable bag called the Big Agnes Dream Island (rated down to 15 degrees F) that is also super wide and covers the Scamp 13’ 54” bed completely!  To make things extra comfortable and easy to clean, we also use a sleeping bag liner.  Liners come in all types of materials, but we chose one that is a polyester fiber, which is breathable and durable.  When we are done with our trip, we just pull the liner out of the bag and wash it at home.  The use of the liner means the sleeping bag (which may require a commercial washing machine due to its size) may be washed less often.

(3) Thermostatic Shower Wall Mount
All travel trailers should have these shower controllers as standard equipment and we would never go without one again.  Just set the desired water temperature on the controller and leave it.  The only thing to do when starting the shower is to turn on the water volume!  The water comes out your perfect temperature every time!  No more wasting water and time trying to adjust the water so it’s not scalding or freezing cold.  With the stock shower head, we usually spent several minutes each shower doing this type of fine tuning and wasting lots of water!  In addition, with the thermostatic valve, it’s easy to completely turn off the water while lathering up and then turn it on and resume without having to reset the temperature.  And, these types of wall mounts are relatively inexpensive and not extremely difficult to install.  Click Here for complete details on how we transformed our Scamp 13’ with a thermostatic shower wall mount.

(4) Powerful Water Efficient Shower Head
Most small travel trailers come with small shower heads that deliver slightly more than a trickle on a good day.  We eventually grew tired of how slow it took to rinse off.  After a bit of research, we found Oxygenics Fury and never looked back.  The Oxygenics Fury puts the shower back into RV showering!  We went from a placid drizzle with our Scamp’s stock handheld shower head to a real blaster with the Fury!  The nice thing is that the Fury actually conserves water and ramps up pressure by mixing air into the shower head.  This results in a really powerful efficient stream.  We’ve found showering takes less time as well since it’s a really fast rinse with better water flow.  It’s also super easy to install – just unscrew the old hose /showerhead  at the shower wall mount and screw on this hose / showerhead.

(5) Soap and Shampoo Dispenser
The floor on most small travel trailers is small enough without having to make room for shampoo bottles (which tend to roll around if you bump into them or leave them on the floor when driving).  Instead, use a wall mounted dispenser and just add your favorite shampoo!  This dispenser sticks to the wall of the shower with two way tape.  Just pop the top and fill with your favorite shampoo / liquid soap and cover and you won’t ever have to deal with rolling bottles on your shower floor again!  The dispenser has a nice pump button that makes it easy to squirt out shampoo into your hand.  We fill with a natural 3-in-1 Soap (Shampoo, Body Wash, Bubble Bath), eliminating the need for more costly and bulkier multi-dispensers.

(6) Paper towel holder (suction cup)
Having paper towels next to the sink is a great idea, but there is limited table space in the Scamp to hold them.  This paper towel holder solves the space problem – it has a strong suction cup and sticks to the wall above the kitchen sink!  We’ve had it in position over a year and it hasn’t come off the wall yet!  We use it extensively on every trip and really like it.  (One thing we did notice though is that it’s a good idea to secure the paper towels in a closet while driving or they tend to unroll by themselves into the sink!)

(7) Toilet Paper Holder (suction cup)
The wet bath in a small travel trailer has generally pretty tight quarters!  There’s usually a shower area and the toilet right behind it.  So, it’s a great idea to partition out the space and keep the toilet area as dry as possible (see article called “How to Turn Your Wet Bath into a Comfy Dry Zone”).  A great addition to the toilet area is a holder for toilet paper.  This will help keep it off the floor, from getting wet, and give easy access.

(8) Teak Shower Floor
To keep your feet elevated off the shower floor (which can be damp or wet), we recommend using a teak “mat”.  It is a really nice way to stay elevated from the floor while also allowing water to fall between the slits into the drain.  Additionally, it may provide some anti-slip properties versus standing directly on potentially slick fiberglass flooring.  We purchased this one (measure your floor area to make sure the mat you purchase fits).

(9) Two Propane Tanks
A single propane tank can last a long time when used occasionally for short trips in good weather.  However, we’ve found having two propane tanks takes the stress off wondering when the gas will run out.  We discovered this while on a trip to Oregon in October.  We were cooking breakfast and all of a sudden, the flame on the stove went out.  I immediately checked the gauge on our propane tank and it still showed Green.  Unfortunately, faulty readings like this are fairly common.  Fortunately, we had a second tank and as soon as I moved the switch over to the 2nd tank we were back in business!  At some of the locations on that recent trip, the temperatures dipped down into the teens at night and we would have been very uncomfortable had our propane powered furnace stopped working.  Now, we usually make sure both of our Viking tanks are filled before leaving on any long trips so we can be confident we will have we will have plenty of gas to power our:  hot water heater for nice hot showers plus hot water at the sink, refrigerator, and furnace.  Click here for more information on our composite Viking propane tanks.

(10) Battery Power Bank
A luxury item that could be essential depending on how you travel is a large external battery power bank.  The independent power bank can power many of your essential items while reserving your travel trailer’s battery power for your super essential items like lights, fan, and pumps.  We purchased the Jackery 500 which has 518Wh of power (which can power a lot of devices for a long time).  It has a 12V cigarette socket, USB ports, and even a 110V outlet.  We use it to charge our phones, drones, cameras, electric toothbrushes and power our 12V television in our Scamp.  It can even be used to run your portable air compressor.  You can charge it in your car while driving between camping locations, with 110V power outlets at campsites, and also with a solar panel.

(11) Solar Panel
A 100W solar panel is a great option to help recharge your small travel trailer batteries daily when camping without hookups.  We’ve found our solar panel can maintain our Scamp’s battery at 12.5V (a good place) for days on end as long as the sun shines. The solar panel may also be used to recharge your independent power bank.   Click Here for more information on our Solar Panel setup.

(12) Volt Television
Sometimes it’s nice to come back to your small travel trailer after a long day of hiking and watch a good movie.  After all, you can probably stay up as late as you want and sleep in the next morning!  Without the usual pressures of the outside world, being in the wilderness affords a nice opportunity to really enjoy some quality entertainment!  The main piece of equipment you will need to enjoy a good movie in your small travel trailer is a television (LCD TV) that is powered by 12 volts.  Being powered by 12 Volts allows you to use the TV off grid (e.g. no hookups).  This type of TV can be plugged directly into a 12V socket and powered by the travel trailer’s 12V battery or an auxiliary battery power bank, which is desirable when you have no hookups in the wild.  We enjoy watching: over-the-air HD TV when digital signals are available, services like Netflix and Amazon Prime when we have access to a WiFi network, and movies we download to our phones from these services and play back via a cable to the TV when we are in remote areas.  Click Here for a full description on how we watch movies in the wild.

(13) Electric Tongue Jack
One of the first few things we replaced on our Scamp travel trailer was our hand crank tongue jack.  The tongue jack sits on the front of the trailer and allows one to raise and lower the ball coupler so the trailer can be attached to the tow vehicle.  It didn’t take too long to understand how much cranking is required when hitching and unhitching the Scamp travel trailer!  Not only can cranking over and over be repetitively hard on your arm, shoulder and joints, but it takes a lot of time and energy.  It’s also the time when you want to be concentrating on other parts of the process and cranking the jack up and down can be distracting.  Fortunately, changing the tongue jack is super simple! We switched to a quality electric tongue jack.  Click Here for more information on how we went from a manual to electric tongue jack.

(14) The Holy Grail Portable Grey Water Tank Solution
We used to constantly check our Grey water holding tank level and limit our boondocking stays to just a couple of days to make sure our Grey tank didn’t reach its limit.  This also meant being super cautious about our water use even when water spigots were available at the campsite.  However, we discovered a simple and inexpensive solution by bringing along four 5 gallon jugs and some specialized equipment to almost double our Grey water holding capacity which allows us to go around 6 days without dumping our Grey tank!  Click Here for more details on our Holy Grail Portable Grey Water Tank Solution.

Well, sure, it’s entirely possible to enjoy your small travel trailer completely stock.  Similarly, many will say they are perfectly comfortable flying in coach class on 14 hours trips to the other side of the world.  However, having tried it both ways, we can definitely say Glamping is definitely way more fun and comfortable!  Glamp on!

Disclaimer:  You will get the same great Amazon price by clicking on the links here compared to buying directly on Amazon, but by buying here you will also be supporting the continuation of this website as we get a small commission from each sale.  These are products and procedures we use for our own Scamp that we selected and developed from our own research and experiences.  However, we do not endorse any specific product and cannot guarantee that the products we use are exemplary and the procedures we use are complete, accurate, detail the correct recommended procedures, or apply to your model small travel trailer.  It’s always best to double check with your manufacturer or operation manuals to ensure you are doing everything correctly.