Organizing storage in the back of your Tow Vehicle?

RedDoorGals

We've camped for months at a time, for several years with our T@B 320CS and a Toyota Tacoma pickup as a tow vehicle.  We put lots of extra "stuff" in the back of truck, usually loosely organized in tubs or milk crates.  I'm thinking I'd like a little more organization "back there", so I'm looking for ideas/photos of how you've organized the back of your TV truck.  I built a small shelving unit to fit along one side of the back to load all the large soft items like chairs, awning, tent, floor mats, etc.  Other ideas? Appreciate any thoughts/images.

jkjenn

If my spare tire wasn't stored under the back cargo area of my Grand Cherokee, I would get a set of ARB drawers, for sure.

Mouseketab

I struggle with that also. The back of the truck is a Tetris puzzle for the outside stuff. Although at the present, we don't go on many "traveling" trips. We drive to a destination, unload everything, camp, load it all back, and go home. BUT we do have the camper set up to where we actually don't "need" all the stuff in the back of the truck to use the camper, except for the BAL leveler and cooler. So if we did go on traveling trips, we would pare way down to just two chairs and the visor. All of our clothes, and kitchen items travel in the camper.

Tampakayaker

RedDoorGals said:

We've camped for months at a time, for several years with our T@B 320CS and a Toyota Tacoma pickup as a tow vehicle.  We put lots of extra "stuff" in the back of truck, usually loosely organized in tubs or milk crates.  I'm thinking I'd like a little more organization "back there", so I'm looking for ideas/photos of how you've organized the back of your TV truck.  I built a small shelving unit to fit along one side of the back to load all the large soft items like chairs, awning, tent, floor mats, etc.  Other ideas? Appreciate any thoughts/images.

Is the back open or does it have a cap or a tonneau cover?

I saw a post that someone made sliding racks that held tubs.  The racks slide on a piece of masonite in the truck bed.  He used those furniture sliders on the bottom of the racks and had some guides attached to the masonite to keep the racks straight.

cottonmouth

The more organized and packable you make the back of your Taco, the more careful you will need to be with payload. You can pack a lot of weight back there before you realize it.

GatorEgg

We have a topper on our Tacoma.  Aside from the box with our Weber grill its mostly empty back there.  What should I be carrying?

DougH

@GatorEgg ; Folding ebikes, inflatable kayaks and SUP boards, an RV washing machine, extra chairs, chainsaw for clearing the occasional blocked NFS road. And of course the paramotoring setup. To start with.  

I was hoping to find a lightweight semi-permanent cover system, maybe 3-4 feet high, 5 feed wide, 6 feet deep just to keep prying eyes off any bicycles or other goodies in the back of a short bed, or back of an SUV with the seats folded down. Just something to make it a little less likely for a truck topper to get broken into or the rear window to be busted out by sticky fingered folk. A tarp would be an invitation. Couldn't seem to find such an animal.

RedDoorGals

Thanks folks. We carry a lot of food back there (to keep nosy rodents and bears out of the T@B); folding chairs, awning, small folding table...Things that a lot of folks might pack into the T@B itself.  We find that keeping peripherals in the truck back (yes, with a canopy top on it) means we don't have to unpack it all when we arrive at our campsite.  We tend to be travelers rather than "campers"...so we don't go and sit in one place for weeks at a time. Rather we might be one place for 3+ nights, then move on...so being able to store surplus in the truck is easier for us.  Thanks again.

Lloyd

One comment to add that I haven't noticed in this thread is to strive to place the heavier items either over the TV axle or forward of the axle if possible. Generally this would be either a generator or a 5gal water container.

Denny16

Good point Lloyd.  Any weight behind the axle, reduces your tongue weight capacity.
cheers