I needed to come to the experts ...

[Main Street Matilda]

... which so many of you are. We are taking our RV to FW in November and for the first time, my parents will be with us on a camping trip. My DH and kids are easy to travel and camp with but my mom is ... how should I say it ... somewhat particular. I'm concerned on how to handle a couple of things.

FOOD - We are bringing food from home and will have some of it frozen. With 7 people, we'll need to freeze more than our little RV fridge can hold. Is one of those portable freezers worth the cost or should we just use our cooler and keep replacing the ice? Any suggestion is welcome.

BUGS! - I use spray for the kids, but perhaps I should buy one of those area bug repellents. Do they work? Any recommendations?

As always, thanks for all your words of wisdom for us "newbies".

 

[DaveInTN]

If you don't plan on making a lot of RV trips where an extra freezer would be needed, I wouldn't spend the money on one. They aren't cheap, and for much less than the cost of one you could eat out several times on your trip. We are a family of 6 and I've always found I can fit much more in our little RV freezer than you would think, especially if you freeze your meals laying flat in ziploc bags or in those low, flat rubbermaid containers that can stack several high. We can freeze quite a few meals that way, and when augmented with the pantry food like pasta, canned goods and dry goods we can pack enough food for a week easily. Now if you need to pack for more than a week and won't have a car to run to Walmart or Publix to restock, you may need to think about another approach.

 

[Bearikens]

If you do choose to use the cooler for your frozen items, here is a tip that I use. I freeze water in two 1 gallon plastic jugs. When filling the jugs with water remember to leave an unfilled space of 1 1/2 to 2 inches to allow the ice to expand. The ice in the jugs will melt much slower than individual ice cubes. Refrain from opening the cooler. I've driven to Florida from Colorado and my frozen items stayed frozen the entire trip. Some folks use loose ice cubes in addition to the jugs. Oh, I recommend a 5 day cooler...a regular cooler will work, but the 5 day definately makes a difference.

 

[BradyBz12]

re: bugs
We go in November all the time (I think we've been there every week of November at some point in the last 6 years) and have never had a big problem with bugs. You might see a few mosquitos if you're sitting outside right at dusk, but otherwise no issue - and if there's a biting bug within 10 miles, they WILL find me.

The only bug bites I've gotten in November were walking the dog out in the grassy walk along the canal behind 300. Not sure what those were, but I did get a fair number of bites on my feet/ankles. Serves me right for wearing Crocs with no socks.

 

[FireEngine70]

As far as the food, invest a a Yeti or a Eva-cool cooler. Granted they are pricey, but they will keep ice for about 8-10 days, they are unbelievable. I keep a Yeti cooler in the back of my truck in the South FL heat with no problems, and ice stays for days on end.

And for the bugs, November shouldn't be bad, they are calling for a cold winter which should pretty much keep the bugs at bay. If you find yourself needing a bug deterent, go pick up a couple of thermacells ($20). i use them while hunting in the swamps, and DO NOT have problems with skeeters. just set them up around your site and you'll be good to go.

 

[Disneylitch]

We use the comfort station and not our shower, so we mounted a refrigerator/freezer in its place. It was about $200 at Home Depot. If you don't want to do that and don't have a car, you can always rent one. Alamo has pick up at The Fort and if you reserve on line you get a 20% discount. This is what we do. If you are going for a week, you should be ok.

 

[Bearikens]

re: bugs
We go in November all the time (I think we've been there every week of November at some point in the last 6 years) and have never had a big problem with bugs. You might see a few mosquitos if you're sitting outside right at dusk, but otherwise no issue

I agree, when we've been down in November the bugs weren't bad at all. Skeeters love my DW! One of our night-time activities sitting out under our awning is watching the bugs flying into our bug zapper...something about the larger bug impacts...ZAP...reminds me of the fireworks at the parks.

 

[dblr]

I would agree with packing things flat andou can fit in ziplock bags, you can fit alot that way. Also freezing water in gallon jugs is also a great way to use in the cooler that is what we use to do in our tent & popup days,then you also have water to use if needed.
I am sure you will get alot of good ideas here, have you planned your stops for the way down and back yet, we just did the drive this year from De. let me know if you would like some spots to stop.

 

[mikeymouse1]

I would not worry with the bugs in November. If you get Thermacell it will cover most problems. Next I would not worry so much with food storage and go shop when you are there. There are a number of grocery stores near Disney Walmart, Publix (The Pub Rocks) Whole foods and a lot of others with in 15- 20 min at the most. Goodings supermarket is at downtown but is pricey

 

[Main Street Matilda]

I would agree with packing things flat andou can fit in ziplock bags, you can fit alot that way. Also freezing water in gallon jugs is also a great way to use in the cooler that is what we use to do in our tent & popup days,then you also have water to use if needed.
I am sure you will get alot of good ideas here, have you planned your stops for the way down and back yet, we just did the drive this year from De. let me know if you would like some spots to stop.

Thanks to all for the suggestions! I'm leaning towards just getting a good cooler since my family of 5 doesn't usually need more than the little RV freezer. My mother is a typical Italian mama and she just wants to keep feeding people and I just know that she's going to be packing far more food than 7 people can eat in a week. (Hence my ongoing relationship with Weight Watchers.) I love the idea of freezing the gallon jugs - my biggest issue with a cooler is the melted ice.

The only planned stop is between midnight and 4 am just to get a little rest. We have 3 drivers, so we can pretty much manage going straight through - but I'd love it if you had any ideas on a good spot for even a short break. Around that time we'd be in South Carolina.

 

[dblr]

We usually spend the night @ a campground but I am sure a Walmart lot would work for a few hours. There are plenty of rest area's that folks seem to use I know in Fl. there always seem to be a state trooper there all the time @ night. Also look for a Flying J or other travel plazas ( truck stops) but try to park away from trucks incase they idle all night long. Have a safe trip, oh and by the way we love camping with a Italian mama let us know well try to help you eat all that good cooking

 

[MadFF]

The only planned stop is between midnight and 4 am just to get a little rest. We have 3 drivers, so we can pretty much manage going straight through - but I'd love it if you had any ideas on a good spot for even a short break. Around that time we'd be in South Carolina.

This may not be what you want, but....when we went down in 2008, we stayed overnight in a room at the Florence, South Carolina Holiday Inn. Easy on and off highway, large parking lot. We parked our rig out back, took long hot showers, had a good sleep, and enjoyed their complimentary buffet breakfast in the morning.

Might be something to think about with a "particular" Mother!

 

[Soladaddy]

Bugs aren't bad in November. Disney does some pest control because the low bug count isn't normal here. Citro-guard candles are doing a good job right now.

For food, the 5 of us still need a larger cooler and fridge to hold our food.