Troop Trailers

[vpalango]

I'm wondering about people's experiences with troop trailers. Our troop committee has been debating the issue for some time, and there is definitely a divided opinion on the topic. It breaks down to essentially two camps....

1) Troop Trailers are Good.

- It's a permanent place to store much of the troop gear.
- It dedicates car space to carying scouts, rather than equipment.
- It allows the troop to acquire/use larger items like patrol boxes, troop pavilions, etc...

2) Troop Trailers are more trouble than they are worth.

- It relies on someone to have a big enough truck to tow it.
- For those trips where we need one, we can just rent it temporarily
- how do we insure it
- Who is it registered to?
- It costs alot of money in terms of purchase, and maintenance

What are your experiences with troop trailers? Is this something you think we should pursue, or is it not worth the expense/trouble? Our troop definitely has the fund-raising resources to acquire a trailer, the committee is completely divided, however, on the purchase, however.

YIS,

[hops_scout]

Here's my experience with a trailer (two-axle):

Pro:
-Can haul a lot of equipment
-Don't have to pack up much equipment before a campout
-There's almost always extra equipment in there somewhere
-Waterproof/animal proof storage at campsite
-Great for summer camp equipment

Cons:
-Take too much stuff.
-I consider it an eyesore in campsite
-Rely on trailer too much
-Requires large truck to haul


We use our trailer for all campouts, but our canoe trips. We carry 4 patrol boxes, several dutch ovens, four dining flies with poles, and a bunch of other stuff. 18 tents! We carry too much stuff and never venture away from the trailer.

[WeeWillie]

One troop in our council had their trailer stolen with all their troop gear.

[wagionvigil]

If you need a trailer you are taking way too much stuff. Troops today take everything including the Kitchen sink. WHat happened to making do? Packing Light?EVeryone taking their share?
Just my opinion

[WVBeaver05]

Our Troop has a small trailer (under repair right now). I have also watched several other Troops who bring them to summer camp and camporees.

Here are my thoughts.

Pro - The let us pack at the Monday meeting for a weekend campout or summer camp, rather than meeting again on Thursday or Friday.

If there is a shortage of transportation, it can take all the equipment leaving room for the Scouts.

Con - You tend to just take everything, which I consider to not be effectively training our Scouts (and, SCOUTERS!).

There are added costs as mentioned - license, insurance, and MAINTENANCE.

Having said that -- my summary: I DON'T LIKE THEM. I don't think we need one for a weekend campout or Camporee, and I certainly don't think we need them for summer camp. I want to teach the Scouts (and SCOUTERS!) how/what to pack.

However, there are times when I would consider them useful. For example, if your Troop is hosting a Camporee and needs to get a lot of stuff there. There could be some other examples that I could agree to, but I can't think of any right off.

There you have my opinion.

YiS

[hops_scout]

Summer Camp we really need our trailer. We eat in patrol campsites and the troop supplies all of the patrol equipment. This year the camp provided us with two-burner stoves and propane because the guys unloading the trailer didn't realize we had put the stoves inside the patrol boxes. Everything else we supplied so summer camp the trailer is needed.


I wish we would go away from using the trailer on every single campout. There are a few campouts I don't mind seeing the trailer, but most of them we can do without.

[FrankJ]

Unless you have a small troop, a trailer is really usefull. A sedan cannot carry 3 scouts and all their gear unless you are doing coffee can camping. A single axle trailer can be towed behind most cars.

The maintenance cost is very small. Tires will last for years on a trailer that is only once or twice a month. The trailer is considered to be part of the car towing it for insurance purposes. Our trailer tag was $12.00 last year.

The trailer is owned by the charter org. as is all troop gear so that would be the name it is regerstered to.

As for scout & scouters taking too much: that is more of a management issue. Set a troop policy and stick to it. Good training for the quartermaster & ASPLs.

[616kayak]

I dislike trailers. They promote car camping. I would never bring more gear than i could carry on my back on a campout.
My troop trailer was stolen less than a year after it was bought.

I would suggest you buy a trailer if you are having trouble getting enough people to drive on a longer trip and need the car space. If that isn’t the case then it isn’t worth it.

[riverwalk]

Yep, trailers are often stolen. Kinda common here in the Metroplex, whether Scouts or mowing, whatever. Trailers are targeted. Yet they serve a place in some Unit's program. Lots of useful comments so far, on pros/cons. Just check the BSA issues also, when reviewing other Transportation concerns.

[Mrw]

We have a trailer now. It took a long time and was put aside when we had regular drivers with pick-ups that could move gear. Then we reached a point where our drivers could fit only the kids and persoanl gear in small cars.The troop gear is stored in a small shed that we share with our chartered organization. The only other storage space is a small closet.

Prior to getting the shed space, the troop gear was stored in the SM's extra garage bay. When he moved on, it became a real chore to get it picked up and dropped off each campout.

The church will not allow us to park the trailer on their property, so it lives at a scout family's house and is fairly secure there. It was partially donated to the troop, so the cost was fairly minimal. The troop also bought a wagon/cart thing to transport gear from the parking lot to the campsites a few years ago. This seems to encourage overpacking more than the trailer. The guys still carry their personal gear, but don't need to worry about over loading the patrol boxes, etc.

[JazerNorth]

My troop are minimalists, leave no trace camping. We pack in and out only what we need (not want). This last camp out, I forgot the propane... oh no! They had so much fun figuring out how to cook their food over the fire. Well, I started cooking mine over the fire, and they followed suit. Now we only take personal gear, tents, and a couple of pans to cook over the fire (oh they turn black, but who cares), and a few other minor things. All wood is found, chairs are made out of the wood they find, tables are made or if present used. They have lots of fun doing these things.

I can get 5 boys gear, Troop gear, and Leaders gear into the back of a Ford Explorer. That is all we need. Do they want more at times? Yeah, but they don't need it.

JazerNorth

[Billiken]

We bought a trailer about a year ago. Could not operate without it.

This past June we took 16 people to summer camp. We always do our own cooking and sleep in what's called "outpost" (our own tents/gear).

The trailer held tents (took 10), our food (6 coolers), three patrol boxes, dining fly, and some personal gear.

Each boy had a cot, sleeping bag, and, obviously, clothing.

The trailer was full as were the personal cars/vans/SUVs that transported everyone.

In July we had 8 scouts/scouters go to upstate NY for a week of biking and hiking. Trailer held all 8 bikes, backpacks, tents, and food/coolers.

My dad's troop (the one I grew up in) now has their own bus. Last 3 rows of seats were removed and storage racks were installed on both sides of the aisle.
The bus is, right now, making its second trip to Philmont (from southern IL).
(Three Scouters have the special license for driving the bus.)

[vpalango]

Billiken...

How does the troop fund this equipment? If I may ask, how much was paid for a bus, etc... How much is insurance/year?

As we consider this issue, this is a major concern for us, as we don't want to create an undue financial/fundraising burden on the troop.

YIS,

[Billiken]

Billiken...

How does the troop fund this equipment? If I may ask, how much was paid for a bus, etc... How much is insurance/year?

As we consider this issue, this is a major concern for us, as we don't want to create an undue financial/fundraising burden on the troop.

YIS,

Our troop has been around for 65 years. The trailer cost around $2,200 and we paid for it with funds on-hand.

As for the troop I grew up in......I honestly don't know what the used school bus cost. The troop, I think, has quite a bit of money (they give $1000 scholarships/enlistment bonus to all Eagle Scouts).

Liability insurance is $600/year and they can take the bus anywhere in the continental U.S.
A local auto body shop owner painted the bus for the wholesale cost of the paint (free labor).
Four new rear tires last year cost around $1,000. The tire shop owner sold them at his cost and mounted/balanced them for free.
The COR (local Presbyterian church) lets the troop park the bus on the back corner of their parking lot...well lit and visible from two streets.

The troop takes the bus every third summer on a BSA High Adventure trip (like Philmont, Northern Tier, or the FL SeaBase). In the other years they take a troop trip. They've been to Charlseton SC, DisneyWorld, Black Hills/Badlands (S.D.), Washington D.C., and others that I can't recall.

They do allow the local Girl Scout Troops to use the bus (day trips) for the cost of the gasoline and any meals the driver might need.

The total cost/boy for the current trip to Philmont was $520, including all food and lodging on the way to/from New Mexico.

The community is just over 7,000 people in rural Illinois, about 50 miles from St. Louis.

vpalango -- YGM

[FrankJ]

We camp mostly in public areas and average around 30 scouts. Where we are it is not possible to practice leave no trace camping and use found wood for fires & scoutcraft projects. Having a trailer make the logistics of getting to camp a lot easier. If you don't have the need for a trailer, more power to ya.

The dealer we bought our trailer from gives a substantail discount to scout. It always worth it to ask. The maintenance cost for a trailer is very small.

We park our trailer in a well lit corner of churh & use a tounge lock.

[616kayak]

Fencing in your trailer in is the best defense. Our trailer had a tongue lock and some kind of lock for the tires.

where near GA are you camping where you cant find any wood for fires? A parking lot? There are all kinds of great places to camp North of Atlanta.

[Mrw]

We have certainly camped in places where you are requested not to pick up wood for fires - even wood that is already on the ground.

Ohio State Parks for example. It is pretty common for us to take fire wood to the camp outs with us when we can.

[FrankJ]

616kayak your are right. They are a lot of great places to camp in north Ga. But to find enough wood for five patrols to cook on & have a group fire overstresses most public use areas especially state & federal camp grounds which are in use continuously..

On a personal level I can almost always find enough wood for a small fire, but not for a large group.

[rich5665]

We have decided to try and use our trailer a lot less during camp outings. Our goal is to have our troop carry what they will need and pack light. In order for us reach this goal we have started looking at personal stoves, light weight tents and the like. We have also been going over the proper way to pack a backpack with our troop. Hopefully the only time we'll be taking the trailer anywhere is Summer Camp.

[wagionvigil]

Good for you!
Trailers are not Good For Scouting