Packing up
- Thread starter icetechaus
- Start date
What makes it worse is 2 adult children who drag everything out and don't put it back, then 1 shoots through before pack up day and the other conveniently goes into hiding somewhere in the park!
To make it worse I get home to find the set top box and cable modem has died while I've been away. An hour on the phone to Telstra and a quick trip to Kmart for an el-cheapo STB and I think I am back on track.
For what it's worth Hamish, I saw what you described happening all over the caravan park.
For what it's worth Hamish, I saw what you described happening all over the caravan park.
I am not sure what's worse.... My kids who sleep in their own tents had to be motivated to clean up. Usually results in bickering and me constantly having to keep them on the task at hand.What makes it worse is 2 adult children who drag everything out and don't put it back, then 1 shoots through before pack up day and the other conveniently goes into hiding somewhere in the park!
Pack-up will be slower today - down one pair of helping hands due to broken Clavicle and Humerus - Collar bone & upper arm!
Good thing it only happened yesterday and not the start of the trip!
Has taken a few trips, but kids now have their jobs and have learnt to keep the van tidy without being nagged - makes for a more pleasant holiday and an easier pack-up.
Watching families pack up and the arguments and bickering at the campsites can be an interesting affair!
What is worse are the families that set up camp next/near you and then proceed to argue and shout with each other throughout their stay - can easily ruin what would have otherwise been a pleasurable holiday for us!
Good thing it only happened yesterday and not the start of the trip!
Has taken a few trips, but kids now have their jobs and have learnt to keep the van tidy without being nagged - makes for a more pleasant holiday and an easier pack-up.
Watching families pack up and the arguments and bickering at the campsites can be an interesting affair!
What is worse are the families that set up camp next/near you and then proceed to argue and shout with each other throughout their stay - can easily ruin what would have otherwise been a pleasurable holiday for us!
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What if you pretend your caravan is a self contained unit when you go away:
A: So everyone in the family packs all their gear into their travelbag (clothes, ipods, ipads etc)
B: The van includes shade screen to setup, table, chairs and cooker for outside and probably a gazebo.
C: All food is in the car along with the everyone's travel bags as if you are travelling to a unit. Fridge food is in fridge.
D: Upon arrival setup van, shadescreens, furnitue, gazebo and cooker (roughly 30mins)
C: Everyone then unpacks their own bag into their appropriate cupboard plus fill grocery cupboard and put bags + grocery boxes back in car.
D: Enjoy holiday but making sure everyone keeps their stuff in their cupboard as you do groceries.
E: Upon departure day everyone packs their gear from cupboards back into their own bags, left over groceries go back in boxes and into car.
F: Wash and wipe up and put items back in cupboards and clean inside of van as you would do if staying in a unit.
G: Pack up furniture and cooker plus shade screens and gazebo. (About 30mins)
H: Hook up and leave
I: Upon arrival home all that should be needed to be done is unpack each persons kit plus groceries from car.
F: Remove minimal items from van, fridge items, air out, another wipe down, mop floor and wash exterior.
DONE:
Seems easy if you look at a plan like this, but it never works!
A: So everyone in the family packs all their gear into their travelbag (clothes, ipods, ipads etc)
B: The van includes shade screen to setup, table, chairs and cooker for outside and probably a gazebo.
C: All food is in the car along with the everyone's travel bags as if you are travelling to a unit. Fridge food is in fridge.
D: Upon arrival setup van, shadescreens, furnitue, gazebo and cooker (roughly 30mins)
C: Everyone then unpacks their own bag into their appropriate cupboard plus fill grocery cupboard and put bags + grocery boxes back in car.
D: Enjoy holiday but making sure everyone keeps their stuff in their cupboard as you do groceries.
E: Upon departure day everyone packs their gear from cupboards back into their own bags, left over groceries go back in boxes and into car.
F: Wash and wipe up and put items back in cupboards and clean inside of van as you would do if staying in a unit.
G: Pack up furniture and cooker plus shade screens and gazebo. (About 30mins)
H: Hook up and leave
I: Upon arrival home all that should be needed to be done is unpack each persons kit plus groceries from car.
F: Remove minimal items from van, fridge items, air out, another wipe down, mop floor and wash exterior.
DONE:
Seems easy if you look at a plan like this, but it never works!
Yep, packing up is a depressing job, took us 2.5 hrs after a 2 week holiday.......cleaning/wiping stuff adds time. Sometimes help can slow you up, like when you know where and how things go and they end up different or when someone goes to do something and you know they don't know how so you end up doing 3 things at once......just saying!
What's worse, is that I should have been in trip/setup mode today and this should have been posted from the banks of the Tumut River, alas I'm still home laid up with the van sitting in the yard not going anywhere 
Oh well! way it goes sometime I guess, we may still manage it for a fews day things are on the improve.
Oh well! way it goes sometime I guess, we may still manage it for a fews day things are on the improve.
For me I would need to add approximations of time for realignment of kids focus as they get waylaid with anything else that took their attention away from packing.What if you pretend your caravan is a self contained unit when you go away:
A: So everyone in the family packs all their gear into their travelbag (clothes, ipods, ipads etc)
B: The van includes shade screen to setup, table, chairs and cooker for outside and probably a gazebo.
C: All food is in the car along with the everyone's travel bags as if you are travelling to a unit. Fridge food is in fridge.
D: Upon arrival setup van, shadescreens, furnitue, gazebo and cooker (roughly 30mins)
C: Everyone then unpacks their own bag into their appropriate cupboard plus fill grocery cupboard and put bags + grocery boxes back in car.
D: Enjoy holiday but making sure everyone keeps their stuff in their cupboard as you do groceries.
E: Upon departure day everyone packs their gear from cupboards back into their own bags, left over groceries go back in boxes and into car.
F: Wash and wipe up and put items back in cupboards and clean inside of van as you would do if staying in a unit.
G: Pack up furniture and cooker plus shade screens and gazebo. (About 30mins)
H: Hook up and leave
I: Upon arrival home all that should be needed to be done is unpack each persons kit plus groceries from car.
F: Remove minimal items from van, fridge items, air out, another wipe down, mop floor and wash exterior.
DONE:
Seems easy if you look at a plan like this, but it never works!
I used to keep a supply of nerf balls on hand to assist with refocussing of children that had managed to drift off into an alternate dimension.
Ahh yes I remember that first time too... Such a buzz.I am actually looking forward to having to pack up the Expanda (which we haven't had a chance to use yet), because we've had an old wind-up Jaydove for the last five years... the Expanda is a dream, in comparison
Be careful mate!I am actually looking forward to having to pack up the Expanda (which we haven't had a chance to use yet), because we've had an old wind-up Jaydove for the last five years... the Expanda is a dream, in comparison
Once they realise that it's easier to pack the expanda and see that it is bigger, the more gear they will expect to take!
Be careful mate!
Once they realise that it's easier to pack the expanda and see that it is bigger, the more gear they will expect to take!
Ha! Don't be so hard on the chicks - it's actually my husband who tries to pack heaps of gear in
We're transferring things over from the wind-up to the Expanda right now - I suggested leaving most things out for this trip, and anything we find we miss, we'll take next time. Usually we go bush, so we do need a few extras, but we have a crazy amount of gear!
Maybe try what another forum member on here did! I think could have been @chartrock , guessing.
Take evrything you want to take, put one of those red stick on dots on each item, when you use it take the dot off.
Whatever is left after trip with a dot on it, remove from van!
Ha! Don't be so hard on the chicks - it's actually my husband who tries to pack heaps of gear in
It's ok as long as they are mantoys !
Since we're transferring everything over, I've taken out anything we've never actually used. Found some stuff in there I didn't even know we had!