Where to put two large suitcases?

[Dogman]

We do enjoy visiting the grandchildren and now our newest Great-Grandchildern. Our drive takes us 5-days from Florida to the northern part of Utah, Salt Lake City. A wonderful fun drive when it's not raining or snowing. It's funny to see gate guards pulled down to block access onto HighWays, and 1000s of Windmills. I learned the tip of a fan moves normally at 500 MPH.

The wife has a system when we travel and sometimes makes stops at Hotels for the night or on arrival at our daughter's home. As we were both elderly, yup, I had learned this point when I was in the hospital. As the doctor and 5 medical students entered the room talking about me. I questioned why I was considered as elderly. I was informed when you are over 60 years of age you are considered elderly. Now at 74, I must be ancient, oh well I'll need to ask my great-granddaughter when she can talk.

Back on packing the campervan "Greta" in the coachmen Galleria I can take two full-size suitcases and turn them on end and they both set well together between the rear doors and rear bench seat. We keep a good supply of tote bags each for daily wear items and a carry bag we take into our hotel room, for that night's visit. I have learned to enjoy some workout time and free breakfast. Also, a Washer and dryer when needed and a little Starbucks before hitting the next morning road trip, Sadly I do admit I'm slowing down from 12-hour road trips each day to 8 to 10 hours and driving much slower speeds. So all of this works out to 2300 miles one way and five days on the road.

Does anyone have any packing suggestions? But please nothing outside of the VAN.

[booster]

Originally Posted by Dogman

We do enjoy visiting the grandchildren and now our newest Great-Grandchildern. Our drive takes us 5-days from Florida to the northern part of Utah, Salt Lake City. A wonderful fun drive when it's not raining or snowing. It's funny to see gate guards pulled down to block access onto HighWays, and 1000s of Windmills. I learned the tip of a fan moves normally at 500 MPH.

The wife has a system when we travel and sometimes makes stops at Hotels for the night or on arrival at our daughter's home. As we were both elderly, yup, I had learned this point when I was in the hospital. As the doctor and 5 medical students entered the room talking about me. I questioned why I was considered as elderly. I was informed when you are over 60 years of age you are considered elderly. Now at 74, I must be ancient, oh well I'll need to ask my great-granddaughter when she can talk.

Back on packing the campervan "Greta" in the coachmen Galleria I can take two full-size suitcases and turn them on end and they both set well together between the rear doors and rear bench seat. We keep a good supply of tote bags each for daily wear items and a carry bag we take into our hotel room, for that night's visit. I have learned to enjoy some workout time and free breakfast. Also, a Washer and dryer when needed and a little Starbucks before hitting the next morning road trip, Sadly I do admit I'm slowing down from 12-hour road trips each day to 8 to 10 hours and driving much slower speeds. So all of this works out to 2300 miles one way and five days on the road.

Does anyone have any packing suggestions? But please nothing outside of the VAN.

We don't use suitcases because they are too set in their shape and size and hardness. We use duffel bags instead and normally they can ride anywhere in the van. Under the bed, on the floor in the aisle, on the bed or couch, etc. At night if they are in the way (we never stay in hotels) they move to the front seats where you can easily stack 3 or more on each seat.


Of course, if you have a no wrinkles fanatic in the mix you can get into complaints, but when we travel it is a casual and relaxed time so a few wrinkles is not a concern.

[Punkinhead]

Suitcases are good for air travel but not for vehicle travel. We use soft bags like duffels or packing cubes. They're much more space efficient.

[Dogman]

TRUE, as do we but when you hit the road for a month you have to carry much more with you. In our Class B Coachmen Galleria 24FL, we learned that the bench seat up the two large suitcases fit nicely between the rear doors and seat. As you state, we use cube bags and a tote bag we take into the hotel, leaving the larger bags, when just doing an overnight stay.

[booster]

Originally Posted by Dogman

TRUE, as do we but when you hit the road for a month you have to carry much more with you. In our Class B Coachmen Galleria 24FL, we learned that the bench seat up the two large suitcases fit nicely between the rear doors and seat. As you state, we use cube bags and a tote bag we take into the hotel, leaving the larger bags, when just doing an overnight stay.

We did a month on the road last fall that included no hotel stops and no shore power at all. Grand total of one meal in a restaurant on DW's birthday.



We each took a large and medium duffel bag and had one smaller one under the bed with things like extra medications other rarely needed stuff. The bags lived on the bed while driving and on the front seat at night without issue as they have for 15 years of camping in our 07 Roadtrek 190 Popular which is much smaller than a 24FL. Our bags are always accessible without hassle and rarely in the way of anything.

[Dogman]

Originally Posted by booster

We did a month on the road last fall that included no hotel stops and no shore power at all. Grand total of one meal in a restaurant on DW's birthday.



We each took a large and medium duffel bag and had one smaller one under the bed with things like extra medications and other rarely-needed stuff. The bags lived on the bed while driving and on the front seat at night without issue as they have for 15 years of camping in our 07 Roadtrek 190 Popular which is much smaller than a 24FL. Our bags are always accessible without hassle and rarely in the way of anything.

happy it all worked for you both as I had learned that between the bench seat and doors was the room I did not know about the first few times out and was just sharing the idea of unknown storage space.

As for time in camping, I'm in my 70s and started before I was 10 in a POPUP with family. In both winter and summer tents before jumping up into Boondocking, Base camping, Sporting events, Art Shows, Rallies, and today seeing our grandchildren. I'm new to the Class Bs I did not like having little storage space. But stepping back I found there is much more room than I first thought. This is what I was trying to showcase.

I once visited an active Navy ship with a crew and was shocked by the small amount of living space for each crew member. As for the space under the bench seat. I can not fit a large suitcase under it. I do have RV supplies in a plastic box under the seat and made a protective board to keep anything from sliding on the floor from under the bench seat.

It's good you can still use them military duffel bags to pack and not have to go to the bottom each time for something you need. I'm not that good of a paker and like to see what I have when I open something up for the day's usage. Now here is a look at just my bags as my wife has her own set.

https://www.classbforum.com/forums/m...icture2119.jpg

[jojobafanzi]

Yup! Agree with everyone about soft bags, no hard suitcases. My better half and I are on the road for 2 months in the tightest Class B. Clothes are stored where we are not sitting or standing. We leave the bed deployed due to the custom topper to make it comfortable. Cloths go on that. During sleeping hours, the bags of clothes go on the driver and passenger seats. Dirty laundry bags go on the toilet seat.

[Dogman]

Originally Posted by jojobafanzi

Yup! Agree with everyone about soft bags, no hard suitcases. My better half and I are on the road for 2 months in the tightest Class B. Clothes are stored where we are not sitting or standing. We leave the bed deployed due to the custom topper to make it comfortable. Cloths go on that. During sleeping hours, the bags of clothes go on the driver and passenger seats. Dirty laundry bags go on the toilet seat.

I do understand, and it sometimes makes you nuts having to move things here and there. We have learned coats and some tote bags in the RV Storage cabinet areas. Once in a while, we will stop at a hotel with Washers and dryers, for a day or so to wash and drop off stuff for the dry cleaning. But we put extra tote bags full of stuff types of clothing in the suitcases for longer storage needs. mainly what we don't need for a while. But in our carry bags, we will need for the overnight stay. The carry-in bags go with us to our room. Doing this makes it simpler for us. When ready to go after dinner I'll pick up all dirty clothing and head for the washers, and dryers and a plus if next to the gym otherwise I work on the computer. But nicer if close to the gym for a one-hour workout. In the morning, we have our breakfast. But whatever works for you is cool. I know this is not for everyone, but works for us and is simpler. The nice part about the bags we use they are guaranteed for life. You can find bagging ideas at " RvXplor ".

[MsNomer]

Dogman, what is your connection with RvXplor? I sense a good amount of shilling.

[Davydd]

We have lots of clothes storage in our 144 wb Sprinter in a hanging clothes closet for coats, overhead shelf above the cab mainly for duffel bags, an open floor under the refrigerator used in the past for a kitty litter tray and now for shoes, two large clothes drawers under the lower bunk bed that could hold th contents of a hard suitcase, and back storage adjustible shelves that could hold large hard suitcases if we wanted to travel that way. We don't need to as we have more than adequate inside storage and duffel bags are more practical. We can get four duffel bags in the overhead cab shelf. Then if we need to, like Booster, we have traveled with duffels on the bed and at night transferred them to the cab area but not much anymore. We may put out our clothes on the cab seats we will wear the next day. We carry backpacks as well as duffel bags. There is not anything to move around and it is stored conveniently. We do move the dirty clothes hamper from the bathroom floor to the cab passenger floor at night.

We use hard suitcases and check them when flying and backpacks in case the overhead bins are full. Backpacks can be put under the seat or under your legs if you have to. Backpacks are just go bags for essentials and stuff you want to keep in your possesion.

[Viperml]

I use same things for airline travel, car travel, rv/van travel etc
First cubes from ebags
https://www.ebags.com/accessories/
Second air boss to put things in.
https://www.redoxx.com/products/air-boss

[Texasnielsen]

Wondering the same thing as MsNomer.

Cases are for air and cruise ship travel. Soft-sided luggage for RV, Yacht, car-camping, etc. to argue otherwise is as MsNomer suggests.