Do you use glass dishes?
 

I am going to be loading up our HiLo this week and I would like to use glasses and "regular" coffee cups, etc. Do you do this or do you just use plastic? Do I need to worry about things shifting a lot and breaking during travel?

Thank you,
Cheryl

Glass dishes
 

Hi Cheryl, we use a combination of both. We have found it best to use plastic where the items are going to be stacked, and could stand the chance of serious sliding during travel. We also try to store heavier items in the lower cabinets. Thing like coffee cups, which have a low profile don't usually cause any trouble. If you prefer glass, you could pack them in a cardboard box on the floor, them put them in the cabinet when you arrive at your destination.

Happy camping
Richard

2003 27' Tow Lite
2000 29' Classic
2002 F150 Super Crew

My wife uses a "rubberized mesh material" in the cabinets to keep the dishes from sliding. It comes in rolls and in different colors. She even puts it between the plates and saucers. It also helps to prevent breakage. You can get it at Home Depot, Walmart, etc. Happy camping!

Bob

I am a bit obsessive and have about everything imaginable including margarita and wine glasses but mostly we use paper plates, paper starbucks cups for coffee, pop-up dixie cups, ziplock bags, foil pans for cooking. We don't go camping to do dishes in a tiny sink. We also have a good assortment of heavy plastic dish ware. Teflon skillets and saucepans are a must. Easy cleanup is our goal.

We use mostly disposable goods. Saves on dishwashing. Nonstick pots and pans.

We use plastic plates and glasses too. (The reusable kind.) We have a mixture of nylon camping flatware and stainless steel. For coffee, we have insulated, covered cups that hold about 16 oz, since we like to be outside, even when it's cool.

When we wash, we usually fill a small tub with hot soapy water from the sink and take that outside too, to the picnic table.

- Jack

Cheryl,

We use melamine plastic dishes. They are reusable and not as heavy as "real" dishes. If we were to use "real" dishes, we would choose light weight Corelle that can be purchased at Walmart.

For the shower curtain. We actually use 3 curtains. For 2 of them, we chose plastic pvc curtains that were weighted at the bottom. We cut 2 inches off the bottom and they work perfectly. We overlap them by 3 links at the seams, with the opening away from the shower head.

the 3rd curtain is a lightweight plastic that we run behind the others to make sure and keep water off the woodwork and wallpaper.

Glass dishes
 

I have two small plastic dishpans in the Rv. We boil water on the inside stove and wash dishes at the picnic table. One tub is for soapy wash water and the other tub is for rinse water. We water the grass or trees when we are done.

Thanks, Everyone.

I would like to use corelle but I don't know how much they will jostle around while we are driving. I don't want them to break. I'd like to use "real" glasses and coffee cups, too.

I have some of that foamy stuff for lining the cabinets. That is a good ideas to use pieces of it between the dishes to cushion them. I don't think that will work for glasses and coffee cups though. Do things move around much?

Oops.......

We do about the same thing. Almost everything is plastic or paper, except silver ware, pots and pans. Depending on the road conditions, sometimes things move around a lot. Unseen dips in the road or pot holes are the worst. Even on major highways there are dips or raised spots at bridges. Be sure to pack breakables securely, Even though you think you will drive carefully, unexpected things happen.

I have a set of Corelle dishes that got jostled around in one of the cabinettes but didn't break. Here are a couple of things I have used. I, like most, keep dishes packed in a tub as well, and put them into the cabinette when I get to my campsite.



Camco RV - Stack-a-Plate - Kitchen Gadgets - Camping World

Msm Industries - Grip-It Plate & China Separators, 4pk - Non-slip materials - Camping World

We use real silverware too. As Richard points out secure the cabinets. We use small bungies on the top ones and I slide an expandable curtainrod in the handles of the 4 lower ones and pull it out. None of the doors can open more than an inch or two.

Breakable glass wear
 

90 25ft. HiLo Classic,nothing shifts around in trailer as we travel. Only in the Br cabinet things shift around,no breakage. I guess you will find out how your trailer is on your next trip.

Hi Cheryl,

Like many others, when we started camping we used extra and or old stuff from our home. Over the years we've evolved to using plastic (the washable kind), in our Hi-Lo. Thinking back, we didn't purposely decide to change from ceramic and glass, it just happened as we periodically replaced a broken glass, plate, or cup. We are careful packers, and stuff towels around the plates, etc.... but there is always that one unmarked bump or dip that can upset the best packed cupboard.

We generally use plates and bowls, but do carry and use plastic GI mess trays when attending a camp pot luck. Our cookware and flatware is an old mixed set of stainless and aluminum, long retired from home use, or found at a thrift store. Hah, our cooking kit would NEVER get a good review in Home and Garden magazine!

We are now empty-nesters, and with only the two of us, washing dishes is not a big issue. If we took all of our kids and grandkids to a group camp, we'd probably go with paper plates, etc. for ease of clean-up.

The other thing that I like about plastic ware is the lighter weight. The cupboards and cabinets take less of a pounding and it shaves a few pounds off the total trailer weight.

Hope this helps!
Jim



Hope this helps