A Few Fun Things From the Trailer-Toys Collection

Common thread among the Girl Campers: Collecting fun things that end up as trailer toys.

These are the items you could do without, as they have nothing to do with the basics of shelter, food,  and safety. But hey, we're GIRLS, and as such, we tend to collect things that please the eye and tickle the fancy--our own, and that of fellow campers.

In other words--we love our junque!

This is how the Girl Camp Lodge--the trailer whose theme is 'girled-up hunting & fishing cabin'--came to have its very own stained glass window of a deer.

Sure, you could pack your toiletries into a plain tote of some kind--but the fun is in customizing something that only you will have.

Unless you count chocolate cake as a necessity, every item on this table is purely optional. But, put them all together, and what you get is some very fun Girl Camping eye candy.

Purses, pitchers, paintings, funky postcards...fun to find, and fun to play with after you have them.

Farm Chick, Trailer Chick, Sister Chick, Travel Chick...all of it makes you a Fun Chick!

Wouldn't you agree?

Let's Discuss: Dry Camping (By Request)

Dry camping: To camp without power or water hook-ups; also known as 'boondocking' (e.g., camping out in the boondocks--can be applied to parking-lot camping as well).

We've had a request to offer some tips on how to camp comfortably in your travel trailer when no power or water hook-ups are offered.

This practice, known as 'dry camping,' may be called for when...you're traveling, and not able to stop for the night at a full-service RV park; you take your trailer out to the boonies for a period of getting away from it all; you attend a trailer-camping event at a venue that offers parking only, no hook-up amenities.

Ironically, the majority of vintage travel trailers were designed, to large degree, FOR dry camping. The whole idea of having one was to be able to go anywhere, anytime, with complete self-sufficiencey.

Lights, stove, and heater all ran on propane carried in a tank on the trailer. Showers and plumbed toilets weren't included so didn't need water or power. If a trailer did have a water tank, it was small, with just enough water for sponge baths and washing a few dishes. People did not have, nor rely on electrical appliances to the extent that they do now. (Which is why your typical small vintage trailer came with one electrical outlet, if that.)

But today...


* Many old trailers have had their propane systems removed, and been re-wired to all-electric.
* Quite a few women whose trailers still have a propane system are afraid to use it.
* Later and larger trailers were made more for comfort in an RV park than for boondocking on your own.
* And let's face it--we've let ourselves become dependent on the electricity that runs everything from our hairdo appliances to our toothbrushes and cell-phone chargers.

What to do, what you need, and where to get it:


* Pare down to basic needs--which amount to warmth, a nighttime light source, and (speaking for Self here) a way to make coffee. Bring more blankets, get an alternative-power lantern, skip the electrically-enhanced hairdo and wear a hat instead.

* Picture your trailer as a tent. Then visit a camping store. You'll be amazed by the variety of camping items made to run on solar, battery, or gas-canister power. We'll leave it up to you and your budget on whether to buy or borrow, once you pinpoint a useful item (battery-operated fan, let's say, or a single-burner backpacking stove that'll heat coffee/tea water and one-dish meals).

* Ask more experienced dry campers to share their tips and favorite gadgets with you. With as many camping/glamping groups and social-media sites as there are, you'll readily get some answers.

Speaking of which...


The Comments floor is now open for your own great tips. Girl Campers do share, and lots of the Newgals (we like that better than Newbies) will really appreciate the additional advice.

There Comes a Time (the Dreaded Winter Tuck-Away)

Girl Camping Girl and many of her sidekicks live in the Pacific Northwest, where a change of seasons usually means...you guessed it...rain. As we all know (or should), moisture is the enemy of any vintage trailer, so the little fun-palaces eventually need to go under cover so they can be protected from what falls out of the sky.

Some gals take their trailer to a rented storage unit, some keep them in private garages or sheds, some use tarps or manufactured trailer covers as protection.

It's an established fact that some Girl Campers can't be satisfied with just one trailer, and GCG is one of those. 'The Fleet' is too big to all get into one shot (there are two more trailers tucked in behind these three), but it does make for an entertaining tour of trailers all in one snug spot.

Plus--the wine tastes just as good!