# i live in a trailer - where to store food



## tpawebdesign (Jan 22, 2015)

Hi there, I live in a trailer and have no space to store food. I was thinking about buying a small pull behind trailer to use as my storage unit. Does food have to be kept cool?


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## TheLazyL (Jun 5, 2012)

Cool and dry is good.

Hot and/or wet is bad.


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## Grimm (Sep 5, 2012)

Take a walk around your trailer. Look at every space from a different view point than you normally do. Stand IN closets and look around the inside. There is unused space above the door. Put a shelf there and store food on the shelf. Now do this for every inch of your home. You'll find a way to storing your food inside.

I did this when we lived in an apartment. Found ways to store tons of food and water. Also consider 'prepper furniture'.


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## Genevieve (Sep 21, 2009)

when you say "trailer" do you mean a mobile home or a travel trailer? they have different dimensions so thats why I ask. what I could store in a mobile home is much different that in a travel trailer lol

I would suggest to look at under the bed storage. move the mattress and see what the box looks like and then see if you can store things inside that.

Using buckets to make side tables with a table cloth thrown over to hide them is good. Same for a coffee table. Or a "solid" coffee table that the lid/top comes off and you have storage inside that. Using trunks as tables work also. ottomans with inside storage works.

think dorm room storage units. they have to be able to store stuff but not permanently and folks have come up with some great ideas for that.

search online for small space storage ideas and see what pops up. if you have a pinterest account check on there


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## LincTex (Apr 1, 2011)

A typical older 14x70 has tons of room, really.

I am assuming you are in a "Travel Trailer"

You can keep a lot of canned goods stored in plastic totes under the trailer itself. Make sure they can't get wet.
Bugs and mice won't bother the canned goods themselves, but rodents might nibble on the edges of the plastic tote. I have never had problems with critters bothering 5 gallon buckets, though some here have. I have a 5 gallon Home Depot bucket full of pinto beans that's been in an outbuilding for 7 years and nothing has bothered it.

Anything in plastic bags (noodles, etc) or boxes (hamburger helper) needs to be in containers that even the very tiniest of bugs cannot get into. It's not the bugs you have to worry about... it's the microscopic larvae worms that find their way through the tiniest of cracks and then grow up into adult moths after eating your food. A lot of these things can be stored in Canning Jars with tight lids. The filled jars can be stored in boxes under the trailer as well.


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## Elinor0987 (May 28, 2010)

If you live in an area where you have cold winters it might be a problem to store canned goods or liquids in glass jars outside. I don't know much about digging below the frost line or how far down you would have to go. What others have said about the five gallon buckets or waterproof containers would be good to hold those items and keep where the temperatures are stable if you're planning to keep them outside.


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## gundog10 (Dec 5, 2014)

If you have a dresser, pull out the bottom drawer(s) alot of food storage in that wasted space.


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## Woody (Nov 11, 2008)

tpawebdesign said:


> Hi there, I live in a trailer and have no space to store food. I was thinking about buying a small pull behind trailer to use as my storage unit. Does food have to be kept cool?


Howdy and welcome to the forum!!!!

You didn't give us too much information to go on, so advice will be pretty general.

Your suggesting a 'small pull behind trailer' sounds like you are on the move a lot. Do your travels cover a lot of territory or do you travel around in a relatively small area, such as a state? If you travel extensively and cover thousands of miles, you are limited to what space you have o hand. If your travels are within a certain area, you might consider a BOL or cache or supplies along the way. You would only need to have enough gas, food and water to get you to your BOL or Stash.

If it is a small unit and you travel many miles, you are going for dried or FD foods and a way to collect and purify water along the way.

I traveled in a 10 1/2 foot self-contained slide in with two other guys for a 6 month trip over the U. S. many years ago. You would be surprised how storage necessity trumps convenience. Examples?... We would take turns sitting solo at the table. We had stuff stored under it so the side with two folks, the one by the window would have to squat, or have his feet under where the other person sat. The other person would have his feet in the center of the camper. That nice big bed above the cab? More valuable as a one person spot and to store all lighter items in!!! We had it chained to a wooden flatbed and all that space on either side was great for strapping stuff that wouldn't mind the weather. If you camped at a populated spot or a place of questionable honesty, it was a ritual to bring it all in each night and fill the back hallway with it. Hey, you're sleeping! All you need is a small crawlway to make it to the bathroom.

Just look at space differently than if you lived in a 'home.' In a home, you have a couch with room to seat three, and you only use one. No big deal as there is lots of room in the living room. In a small trailer, that is space that can be used!!! Take a bit to realize what space you actually use, and what is wasted. If it is just you in a small trailer, sitting at the table, that leaves three peoples worth of foot space to store stuff! If you regularly entertain, just leave space enough for them. If you rarely entertain, than it might be worth the time to just move all the crap out so you can have a party then move it back.


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## Moby76065 (Jul 31, 2012)

As you can tell more info will get better ideas.


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## oldasrocks (Jun 30, 2012)

Storing food outside in a trailer is not a good idea. Temperatures, both hot and cold extremes is damaging to all foods.


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## Genevieve (Sep 21, 2009)

seems to me that this is a hit and run post


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## Outpost (Nov 26, 2012)

tpawebdesign said:


> Hi there, I live in a trailer and have no space to store food. I was thinking about buying a small pull behind trailer to use as my storage unit. Does food have to be kept cool?


Not sure what kind of trailer it is, but, if you don't mind the inconvenience of less-than-easy access, the undercarriage may provide some space that isn't currently used. House trailers (mobile homes) usually have a good number of "I-Beams" running the length. It's not a difficult task to cut some plywood that fits in-between them to make a cubby-hole or shelf. If you want to get fancy, put hinges on them for drop-down trays.

Of course, this kind of storage is going to be for things that will withstand the temperatures of your area. You *should* be able to store water in those shelves if you've got skirting. Here in New Hampshire, we've been dipping easily into the -18 range lately at night, but the water pump keeps working, and the lines don't freeze. (There's enough heat escaping down there to keep things working, providing the "skirting" is intact.)

Providing it doesn't get below freezing, canned goods should work, and providing you can keep things protected in some kind of critter-proof bin, any dry-goods will sit there happily for a while.

It really depends on what kind of "trailer" you're in. Otherwise, I think you're probably looking at a root-cellar. (which IMHO, is NEVER a "bad" idea!)

-All the best.


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## Outpost (Nov 26, 2012)

Genevieve said:


> seems to me that this is a hit and run post


You're probably right, but it's not a bad "intellectual" exercise. I sort of found the question interesting.

We live in a double-wide and we're starting to get a little.... well... "tight", shall we say?


I can only *WISH* it was because we had so much spare food on-hand!



-Cheers!


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## tpawebdesign (Jan 22, 2015)

Sorry, new to all of this. I live in a travel trailer. What about a small enclosed trailer with an ac for food storage. I don't think I can hide a years worth of food for four in our trailer.


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## tpawebdesign (Jan 22, 2015)

Sorry, new to all of this. I live in a travel trailer. What about a small enclosed trailer with an ac for food storage. I don't think I can hide a years worth of food for four in our trailer. I am currently in southern Florida, so freezing isn't really an issue. Though if we go North in a bug out situation that would become a problem. 

Which brings another couple of questions....

What is the point of storing up a years worth of food, supplies, etc. but having a bug out bag ready to leave everything behind? That confuses me.

Is 800 miles too far to travel to your retreat?


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## LilRedHen (Aug 28, 2011)

I don't have a/c. Yes, I'm sure the heat has an effect on my canned goods, but I'm a lot more worried about my canned food freezing. You are either going to have a heat source wherever you are keeping your food (unless it is dried) or below ground in a cellar of some sort.


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## Grimm (Sep 5, 2012)

Climate controlled storage unit.


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## cnsper (Sep 20, 2012)

The benches for the table usually have storage under them.


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## cowboyhermit (Nov 10, 2012)

tpawebdesign said:


> ...
> 
> Which brings another couple of questions....
> 
> ...


The point of a B.O.B., or a B.O.L. for that matter, becomes pretty clear if you think about if for awhile. When thinking about preparedness in any form you will find yourself coming around to the idea(s) of redundancy/back-ups/plan-B/two is one, one is none, etc.

Why have a generator when you have perfectly good grid power?
Why have another source of heat for your house when you have a furnace?
Why have cash on hand when you have a perfectly good collection of cards?
Etc, etc.
Because someday you might need it.

Why have a B.O.B when you have a perfectly good location planned out? Because someday you might need it.

Is 800 miles too far? Heck yeah, 800 meters is too far, but an option is better than no option.


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## OldCootHillbilly (Jul 9, 2010)

We plan on buggin in lessin there really ain't any other choice. Were setup ta do that, but, there be thins what can drive ya outa yer home. Floods, tornado, fire and such. That be the reason fer havin a good bob. Also be the reason fer a bol, just a backup casein thins go south at the fort.

Ta toss another stick in the wheel, not a bad idear ta have a 72 hour kit. Be a bag ya grab ifin ya need ta leave fer just a couple days. This can also double as yer get home bag. Carry it in yer vehicle so if a problem strikes an yer not at home ya got food an equipment.

Storage in a travel trailer. Do ya move it around er is it perty much set in one spot? If yer movin it round a lot, gonna have ta keep the weight a food over the axels as much as possible. Don't get it up high like in cabinets an such (light weight dried thins would be ok, not alota canned goods). The idear a storing it in a pull behind trailer could work, although ifin yer planning on takin yer travel trailer yer gonna need two vehicles ta pull both trailers. If yer gonna keep it in a small trailer, I'd check inta the climate controlled storage. Small trailers get stole quite often and one with a ac unit on it an plugged in be like havin a bullseye on it.

I'm not a huge fan a dehydrated food (gotta have alotta water ta go with it) but might be a answer in yalls situation. Just try an find some with lower salt content.


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## readytogo (Apr 6, 2013)

*Life in a trailer.*

Many years ago I too lived in a trailer with a wife and kid and in the out scares of a small town with cows and deer all around so to avoid many trips to the store I implemented and build shelves and spaces all around the trailer, nothing outside because it gets hot in TX and because of the many little critters in the woods, but inside was easy, like the coffee table and night stands where wooden boxes/chest with a hinge cover very nicely varnish and full of food/first aid/even ammo. Take for instance a queen size bed, with a 5x6.5x1 feet wood frame=32.5 square feet of storage space under the mattress, more if the frame is higher, the shelve over the toilet can also give you space, my dining room table had a removable top, that's where I keep some of my weapons and ammo, you`ll never suspect that one, I even build corner shelves and even in the kitchen a wall to wall unit loaded with essentials, I guess what I`m trying to said is that if you look around the house you can find spaces to store goods in to.


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## Grimm (Sep 5, 2012)

tpawebdesign said:


> Sorry, new to all of this. I live in a travel trailer. What about a small enclosed trailer with an ac for food storage. I don't think I can hide a years worth of food for four in our trailer. I am currently in southern Florida, so freezing isn't really an issue. Though if we go North in a bug out situation that would become a problem.
> 
> Which brings another couple of questions....
> 
> ...


You asked about why store a years worth of food. I take it you are new to the idea of prepping. Yes a years worth of food would be nice to have but if space and money are an issue start small.

Work on gathering a weeks worth of the everyday foods you and your family eat. Once you have that work up to a month and so on. Gather enough food so that you feel comfortable with what you have stored.

There are those of us who have a year or more of food. We each have our reasons why we have this much and they are all different. I have food stores to protect against job loss. Others look at it as protection from crop failure.

My goals are to have enough food stores to see us through to the harvest of our garden and for possible crop failure. But because it takes time to gather food stores my storage will see us through job loss and free up any funds for bills and rent.

In short start small and slow. Don't try to bankrupt your family gathering everything too fast. You'll burn out. Only store what makes you comfortable.


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## Magus (Dec 1, 2008)

tpawebdesign said:


> Hi there, I live in a trailer and have no space to store food. I was thinking about buying a small pull behind trailer to use as my storage unit. Does food have to be kept cool?


I too live in a tin mansion, for Y2k I cleared out a 4X4 corner in the kitchen, put down a wooden palette and stacked food in screw top 10 gallon buckets, I had six months of food for 1 person, almost a year of cigarettes, and a year's worth of various liquors all in that area stacked to the ceiling.


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## Will01 (May 19, 2012)

tpawebdesign said:


> Hi there, I live in a trailer and have no space to store food. I was thinking about buying a small pull behind trailer to use as my storage unit. Does food have to be kept cool?


You actually have considerable space to store your food. Think medium sized boats not Trailers..

Go under your trailer make a scale diagram of the locations of all your water tanks, potable, grey & black..

Scale 2 or 4 inches representing 1 foot.. (This allows 1 or 2 inches (respectively) to represent 6 inches .

You will notice many spaces between the underside of the trailer floor and the bottom rails of the frame.. *

Perform the same procedure on top of the floor marking all cabinetry, walls etc on on transparent vellum (a partially transparent paper)..

Lay the two pieces over each other.. Note those areas you have access to.. 
You can see places where dry goods may be placed beneath the floor.
using removable access panels in the floor.. Those panels do not need to be huge.. just sufficient for you to place the goods you want thru.

You will have to build water tight compartments beneath.. They can be built of Fiberglass covered wood, aluminum, sheet metal.. even heat moldable or glue-able plastic.. You must decide the material you can work with and afford. Keep in mind the loads you will be dealing with and support accordingly.. Unless your making the storage bins from sheet metal (bolted in place thru the floor using counter sunk bolts) be sure to use some supporting bands to take shock loads during travel..

One thing you will need to do and probably should be doing already..

Conduct a full inventory of existing goods.. making a list.. Item, quantity etc.
Take 3x5 cards and place them with the specific inventoried good in each cabinet.. tools etc.. (I do this still on shelves)

Make a Master Plant Map with the locations of all inventory goods..

I wound up living for more than a year on my Boat and ultimately made my Master Plant Map into Plasticized Place mats for my dining table.. 3X5" Cards inside each cabinet listing of all goods contained therein. I maintained a master inventory list on a clipboard by my kitchen sink. This allowed me to keep a running total of goods used and made replacement a simple task..

"A place for everything and everything in it's place" is much more than a silly phrase..

When the lights go out in the middle of a storm and you blow a hose and lose power in rough water with a Oceanliner bearing down on you perfectly (which happened).. I had at best 10 min to effect repairs..Knowing where the replacement parts were, where the appropriate tools where..where the water displacing spray for electrical components was (Having those things on hand) kept me from playing PT 109 in 40 degree water...

mmmm come to think of it.. sounds a lot like prepping to me.. LOL :laugh:

* after you have completed the project.. Depending upon need consider popping on an inch of Foam insulation and a plastic cover (I have used the plastic panels used for making shower walls from Home Depot for this as long as they are supported properly on the edges where they are attached.. (make a steel belt) they hold up reasonably well now it is possible to find better sheet plastics depending where your at.. Now you have insulated the underside of your trailer and if fully enclosed (including the tanks) you have at least for the bottom of your trailer created a 4 season rig.

Best of lucks.


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## headhunter (Nov 21, 2008)

I'm not sure how this will work for you. It is not good for really hiding "stuff". We have a 24' travel trailer so there is not too much space.
The standard storage areas will be filled. The under the seats, closet, around the toilet, around the water tank will be full. Have you noticed you don't exactly use all the space 24/7? 
During the day the beds are unused and the floor, the table, and couch, and toilet get more use. At night large totes can be put under the table and atop the table, atop the table seats, on the floor and in the shower as well as on the couch. During the day those same totes can be stored on the beds. A privacy curtain on the bunks may keep these totes out of cursory sight. 
Yes, it would be nice to not rearrange the totes 2X daily , but we're not talking about a standard camping trip. Keep the totes low when you're on the move. You will probably want to reset your trailer brakes. Good luck!

Addendum: If this isn't enough space you may choose to extend your rear tailer bumper and build a box for the new space. This may require a second set of tail lights to be legal. Remember this will be cantilevered out so watch the weight. The reason I suggest this is because a second trailer (double bottom) is illegal in MN unless the first is a fifth wheel. The fifth wheel- tow vehicle and trailer are regarded as a single unit.


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## gam46 (Jan 24, 2011)

Another "trick" to increasing storage space is to minimize its need. Basic ingredients rather than prepared foods allow lots of flexibility in less storage space. Wardrobe items which mix and match decrease need to store complete outfits. Most tools and utensils do jobs which can be done efficiently by a few well-used basic ones.


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## jimLE (Feb 25, 2015)

*here's a lil something that might help.i have a complete bed set,in which it came in plastic bags/cases with zippers.i keep my summer sheets in them during the winter.and my winter sheets,in them during the summer.and in turn,that adds to my storage space.and that allows me to add even more items to the tote in which i keep that stuff in..plus that cuts down on the musty smell between use's..*


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## tleeh1 (Mar 13, 2013)

Those vacuum-seal bags for clothing/bedding are great for preventing mold/mildew and save a lot of room, too.


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## jimLE (Feb 25, 2015)

i like what i get free even more..  ..those plastic cases with zippers,are a added plus for me.on account i didnt have to pay for them.so to speak..


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