Two month trip advice

labcamper · 03-31-2017, 10:21 AM

Hi all,
Need some advise on a two month trip.
1-food, where do y’all eat? We can’t cook burgers on the grill every night or pizza. Do you mix it up with restaurants, precooked and campside meals?
2-house sitters. Where do you find a reliable housesitter? Housesitter.com or trustedhousesitters.com. We were going to put an ad at the local colleges for a sitter.
Thanks a bunch.

dblr · 03-31-2017, 10:46 AM

We cook most of our meals at the camper, besides the stove and oven we use a crock pot and also a electric griddle, plus of course the bbq grill, with planning it's just like at home.
As far as house sitter we still have a son that lives with us as he is still in school, so lucky there for us.

BandJCarm · 03-31-2017, 10:56 AM

I don't leave home without:
outside (most cooking done there)
Rec Tec Smoker
Vector portable smoker/grill uses 20lb LP
griddle ..uses small lp bottle

Inside:
T-Fal grill
Instapot Duo80
(still haven't 'baked' anything in the convection microwave...need to learn)
Nuwave induction cooker
Big honkin' toaster oven
and if all else fails, the camper stove and oven! LOL

We do not diet AND camp!!

hammer55 · 03-31-2017, 11:01 AM

we precooked some, enchiladas, pre-made burger patties, had lunch meat for traveling, cooked steaks on the grill, ate out some, next door neighbors to just watch the house,

Quote:

Originally Posted by labcamper

Hi all,
Need some advise on a two month trip.
1-food, where do y’all eat? We can’t cook burgers on the grill every night or pizza. Do you mix it up with restaurants, precooked and campside meals?
2-house sitters. Where do you find a reliable housesitter? Housesitter.com or trustedhousesitters.com. We were going to put an ad at the local colleges for a sitter.
Thanks a bunch.

bubbles · 03-31-2017, 11:02 AM

A house sitter? We only hire a mowing service for the 2 months we are gone. No issues for 10 years.

fanrgs · 03-31-2017, 12:22 PM

That's all we do too. Hired mowing service for two to three month trips. We cook nearly every meal in the trailer, but always take 4-5 days worth of home-cooked meals to reheat for our first week on the road. On the road, we eat frozen pizzas, pot pies, and Lean Cuisine instead of eating out. We also use a small crockpot for cooking meals while we are out exploring. For the most part, this is the way we eat at home, so being on the road changes our eating habits very little.

spock123 · 03-31-2017, 01:00 PM

We cook most meals but still eat out some just like at home. We cook inside very little, I have a two burner LP stove plus two grills. I get neighbors to watch the house plus hire someone to meet the grass cut. My son doesn't live to far away. We hope to stay gone at least eight weeks this year plus more trips

timfromma · 03-31-2017, 01:19 PM

Eating out is a big expense. One of the benefits of a camper is the money savings of preparing our own meals like we do at home. That's not saying we never eat out but it's a rare treat, even on the road.

twojump36 · 03-31-2017, 01:24 PM

We haven't been out that long, but you can't take that much food with you to last that long so whether it's a 2-week trip or a 2-month trip, I'd approach it the same way I think...
We take snacks and a few meals worth and mix up eating out at a local place... (traveling so part of the experience is to eat locally and see what is there)
I find I don't eat nearly as much while traveling as I would at home... so we don't need as much. We find a local grocery store for fresh meat or milk and salads, beverages and such.... but then again we like to see what's there in town before we commit to buying fish and chicken then deciding not to cook and eat at the local place on the ocean.
Stock up on things like bottled waters and normal stuff you'd have at home... then go have fun.

oldsmasma · 03-31-2017, 02:11 PM

We eat pretty much the same way while away as we do at home. We tend to do lunches out more than dinners both home and away. Crock pot. Convection oven/microwave. Electric frypan and stove top. Hibachi. I carry staples onboard. I do treat myself to some grocery store premade salads and some dinners like BBQ chickens. For the house, luckily our son lives nearby and is happy to help.

BamaBob · 03-31-2017, 02:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by labcamper

Hi all,
Need some advise on a two month trip.
1-food, where do y’all eat? We can’t cook burgers on the grill every night or pizza. Do you mix it up with restaurants, precooked and campside meals?.

Mostly cook in the coach. a InstantPot is your new best friend as is one of the infrared fryers

a good portable pellet smoker is a big plus too!

A good mod for any camper that does not have it is to ditch your stock Microwave and get a Convection Microwave (really opens up your cooking options AND you can start planning on taking out the Propane stove and putting in more storage

)

Quote:

Originally Posted by labcamper

2-house sitters. Where do you find a reliable housesitter? Housesitter.com or trustedhousesitters.com. We were going to put an ad at the local colleges for a sitter.
Thanks a bunch.

Can't help ya there - we sold ours

RitaB · 03-31-2017, 03:02 PM

What do you eat at home??? I make the same food when camping as I do at home. There is always canned soup if you don't feel like cooking. Also unless you are boondocking a hundred miles from human habitation, you can usually find a Walmart or other grocery store. Restaurant only for special meals, while sightseeing or to break up a long day of driving.

johnruff · 03-31-2017, 04:11 PM

Take some meals with us that we have cooked and frozen - Spaghetti sauce, chilli, we also cook on the smoker/grill and use the crock pot (a bunch). If we eat out, it is something we do not usually cook or is local - seafood, Mexican. However, we do not go out often as we think ours taste better and is a lot less expensive - especially the steaks and burgers. Paper plates are the rule except for steak. The slow cooker is great for soups, beef stews, chilli, etc and we prefer to come home to a good home cooked meal. When on the road, we have a game we play to try and have us both eat for $10 or less - Fun to try that sometimes - use our own drinks so it is not too difficult.

dbledan · 03-31-2017, 04:21 PM

Depends on where you plan to camp. We are usually at camp grounds within 15min of something. If going for the weekend I bring something quick to reheat Friday and the condament container from home fridge. Maybe breakfast if we think we could get in late or nothing nearby. The rest we buy at the nearby store. I don't want to store it all in the trailer for the drive. We target to arrive no later than 5 so we can setup and eat. We eat what we do at home and mix it up with nights out mostly non-chain restaurants or carry out places. Part of the fun of travel is to try new things for us.

I cook mostly outside with an induction burner outside. I have gas burners but lose less heat when cold with induction. I also grill. The grill has an adaptor for propane off the trailer so no need to haul extra tanks. I used that same connector for the burners if I want to use gas burners as I bought adaptors. When it rains we cook inside or go out to eat depending on what we have and are in the mood for. I have a turkey oven sized electric smoker for the road that does ok as well if you are just hanging around the campground all day.

For the house we have a smart home and watch it via cameras and sensors. It also allows us to manage lights independently as well as temp. We pay the neighbor kid to bring in packages and mail and take out trash if gone for more than a few days. We also pay someone to mow the lawn. The neighbor kid can also check other things we see if we text him.

ncebeemer · 03-31-2017, 06:49 PM

We have been doing two month trips for six years. My wife likes to cook. We bring standard staple items, but fill in on the road at local grocery stores. Our larder includes canned, fresh and frozen items, especially Costco's tender loin strip cut into steaks. If you go, go as you want to be comfortable. Live good while you can!

Stank Bait · 03-31-2017, 07:25 PM

"We were going to put an ad at the local colleges for a sitter."

I did... No Problem

spock123 · 03-31-2017, 07:28 PM

Believe it or not but we live on a budget at home and on the road too. We budget groceries for the week and we budget eating out. I like to take DW out at least once a week, she deserves it after putting up with me all week. We save for our trips. We are retired now so we can't spend what we don't have

Bluepill · 03-31-2017, 11:33 PM

Our "Eating Trick" both at home and on the road is this:

We eat at restaurants that have decent food and large portions. We usually show up for our meal at about 2:30 PM. Things are not as busy or noisy at that time, and Lunch Menu pricing is in effect. We take the leftovers with us as a late night snack if we end up staying up, or lunch for the next day.

Having an average cost per meal of 6 or 7 bucks per person and not dealing with shopping, prep, cooking, and cleanup makes sense for us.

mtnlvr · 03-31-2017, 11:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bluepill

Our "Eating Trick" both at home and on the road is this:

We eat at restaurants that have decent food and large portions. We usually show up for our meal at about 2:30 PM. Things are not as busy or noisy at that time, and Lunch Menu pricing is in effect. We take the leftovers with us as a late night snack if we end up staying up, or lunch for the next day.

Having an average cost per meal of 6 or 7 bucks per person and not dealing with shopping, prep, cooking, and cleanup makes sense for us.

X2- I eat like that alot also. I live in a semi rural area where there aren't many food/ restaurant choices. So, I get excited about eating out, particularly trying the local cuisine such as fresh seafood.

Pockets · 04-01-2017, 06:47 AM

We have been on the road since 2 Jan. We grocery shop every 3 or 4 days to pick up supplies for cooking. Rarely eat out. As the DW says, this is healthier for you. We have a full kitchen outside. So when the weather is nice, I use the outdoor stove. Bacon always gets cooked outside, easier to clean the stove outside, then in. When you go shopping look at the sales, and buy more then you need. Meats, can be frozen, to be eaten later. In the 3 months since we have been gone, we have dined out 3 times. Some of the RV parks have pot lucks. Go for it. You get more then you put in and you get to meet your neighbours who can tell you of interesting places to visit. Travelled 8300 miles Daughters still live at home

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