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Just curious, what are everyone's opinions on packs using the money they raise to buy a trailer? I joined pack last that had a good popcorn season a few years ago. They bragged on the fact that they raised so much money that they bought a trailer for their pack.

 

Fast forward to this past season, the trailer moved once. That was for a Webelos camping trip in which everything carried could easily gone in parent's vehicles.

 

So my question is, can anybody think of a good reason for a pack to buy their own trailer?

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Well, if you are only using it 1x per year, it probably is a bad purchase.

 

If you are an active camping pack, it can be very helpful.

 

If you buy the right type, it can also be used for storage, avoiding rental fees fom a local storage place.

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A few years ago the makeup of the Pack was different. Perhaps when the trailer was purchased the Pack camped often.

 

Perhaps it was purchased with the thought that with the next good popcorn year they could purchase Pack camping equipment to keep in the trailer. Which is actually not such a bad idea. Lots of Packs don't camp much (or at all) because Pack families, many of whom have never camped before, do not want to shell out the money for camping equipment that they will not get a lot of use out of.

 

While it is recommended that the Pack borrow equipment from the Troop, if they have no affiliated Troop finding a Troop who will loan equipment to families they do not know can be difficult.

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We are a pack that camps regularly twice a year. I think it would be a waste to purchase a trailer for two camping trips a year. With family camping, the pack has little to no pack camping equipment. In the past we had a dad with a pickup truck and that was plenty to carry what pack equipment (pavilion, grills, coolers, etc.) that we borrowed. This past camping trip we had no one with a pick up truck going so one dad volunteered to rent a U-haul trailer. I think it cost about $110 and was well worth it. Instead of buying and having to deal with storage, maintenance, etc. of our own trailer we are going to rent for those couple times a year we need the trailer.

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Our Pack camps regularly (2 times a year). We are fortunate to be in a Council with one of the biggest indoor camping programs in the country. Our camp has 30 cabins to use on weekends thoughout the year. We don't have tents or dining flies but we have accumulated 10 large tote boxes of cooking equipment, towels, dishes and silverware. We rent a U-Haul for each camp to the tune of $75 a trip ($150 per year).

 

We finally have a Webelos I den and a Bear den that will do the campout option for their Outdoorsman badges when the time comes instead of the easy out of going for a hike. The camping equiment will probably now get 3 outings a year, adding another $75 to the camping costs for the year.

 

Our camping families have paid for the equipment and split the cost of the trailer rental. It has increased the cost of camps a bit. But our big brother troop doesn't lend anything. They offered to rent us stuff to the tune of $10-20 per person per weekend. It was cheaper for us to to the dollar store and get cooking equipment and linens. We didn't even ask about using one of their trailers (they have 2).

 

Although a trailer would be nice and a great place to store the camping equipment (instead of my garage and basement)I agree it's a huge expense for most Packs. Just because the current families camp doesn't mean the ones in 5 years will. Our Pack is already comtemplating what will happen to the equipment when the current campers leave the Pack. I can't imagine trying to justify a trailer expenses to a group of non campers.

 

I hope our Pack keep camping after I'm gone, but it could be a rough go. The Webelos II don't camp, it's a 4 letter swear word, Webelos I and Bears camp, Wolves don't camp. My only hope is the new Tigers will camp. They have a camping DL. Hopefully he can keep the pattern alive.

 

On the whole a trailer is a nice extra but not worth the expense. Use your money and take all the kids to the District day camp or Coucnil resident camp for free. Go on a cool overnighter at a museum for free. Or in true Scouting spirit help some less fortunate kids to Scout in your Pack or help them start their own Pack.

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A trailer could be used for storing non-camp equipment, especially if the CO doesn't provide much space (or any space) for storing flags, posters, ceremonial stuff, etc. It'd be much easier to have a trailer at the edge of the parking lot than hauling stuff from different homes once a month.

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But our big brother troop doesn't lend anything. They offered to rent us stuff to the tune of $10-20 per person per weekend.

That's pretty hokey, unless there is some history of damaging or not returning equipment. Go ahead and pay them the money and then charge them admission when they want to have a crossover for your boys. By the fact that you call them a "big brother troop," I presume that you are chartered to the same organization. Maybe they think they have a monopoly on your boys and don't have to do any "marketing." I'll bet you could find a neighboring troop that would be more accomodating.

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Depends alot on the Pack. If alot of gear gets transported multiple times per year, or if there is storage needs, then it could make sense. Remember though, you need someone with a vehicle to tow it. Also remember that there are maintenace costs (brakes, tires, weather sealing), and could be theft issues of the trailer and it's contents.

 

As for the U-Haul option, we used that a few years ago, thinking that it was a good idea to save money. That was until we got it loaded and, luckily for us, discovered a huge crack in the hitch underneath. We would up showing up two hours late for the campout, after unloading the gear, taking the trailer back, and getting a new one. I guess that's better than the alternate scenario of having the hitch break with all of our gear in it on the interstate. I guess the moral is to make sure that the person picking it up checks it closely.

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In my opinion, most packs don't need their own trailer, particularly if they only camp a couple of times a year. Having said that, I purchased a used one this year, which I use about half for pack/Webelos campouts and half for other things. I'm bringing it to our Webelos campout this weekend, and although it makes my life much easier to bring it, it could and have stuffed the equipment in my van in previous years. In other words, even though we're a pack that camps frequently, we could get by without a trailer.

 

If you store things in the trailer, you'll have to worry about things getting stolen.

 

For pack & Webelos campouts, we have borrowed equipment from Cub families (mostly our family). However, this spring we had our first annual rummage sale to earn money specifically for the purchase of pack camping equipment. Pack families donated the bulk of the items, and we netted over $300. We purchased mostly cooking equipment this year (propane stove, pie irons, etc.).

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Our Chartered Partner asked for two 15 x 15 storage sheds to be designed and built as Eagle Leadership Service Projects.

 

The IH allocated one to the CAP youth squadron the CP sponsors. It allocated the other to the Pack it sponsors.

 

That's a better solution than a trailer, which does require insurance and licensing ...

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"That's a better solution than a trailer, which does require insurance and licensing ..."

 

Insurance - The a trailer on property, may or may not be covered by your CO's insurance. The contents also may or may not be covered under you CO's insurance. You should check into this. While being towed, it "may or may not" be covered by the tower's personal insurance, once again, check. A lot of "may"s in this category.

 

Licensing - Depends on the state, use, and distance. For instance, in Kentucky, a cargo trailer (I think it's under 12,000 lbs) that is for non-commercial use does not need to be licensed if it is not taken out of state.

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"Short answer: no.

 

Since the trailer was already purchased, isn't this discussion moot?"

 

 

scoutldr,

Forgive all of us on this thread for wasting your time. I was under the impression that this was a friendly forum for sharing ideas and opinions. My mistake. But if you actually read my original posting, it was a general topic thrown out for discussion. It just included an example. But I guess you missed that.

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Our pack owns a trailer, purchased it 2.5 years ago with popcorn proceeds. The CM at the time had a large pickup which he used to transport all our gear that was stored in several locations throughout our church, including a nice kitchen box prior to getting the trailer. He was able to store the trailer at his house since his POA didn't have any regs against that. He's moved on, I'm the CM and we rotate the trailer between my ACM and myself as our church doesn't have any room in the garages for our trailer. The troop trailer is in bay, the church van is in another.

 

We camp 3 times a year summer, fall and spring and we go to Resident Camp and this year the Webelos will be den camping (finally!) It is a handy storage system for us, the load plan is pretty well tweaked and it was nice to be able to load a bunch of gear in it to haul into our Resident Camp site.

 

We did have a new leader with lots of experience in other units outside our Council and he and his wife wondered why the heck we had the trailer. After their first camping trip with us they understood. It works for us and the way we camp.

 

Included in the trailer are 4 5 gallon drink coolers, a large cooler for perishables, a small cooler for ice for drinking, 3 4 gallon water jugs, 2 folding tables, 1 wooden kitchen box, 1 camp kitchen set-up, 2 grills, a plastic storage container for our breads, 2 large plastic totes with lids for our dry goods, a screen canopy, fire pit, trash can, sports equipment, lanterns, propane canisters, etc. It's a tidy little package in a Car-mate trailer. There are 4 spare sleeping bags in there but no tents. We debated the issue of purchasing some tents and the committee decided not to do that but to encourage borrowing or buying your own.

 

As our Webelos do their den camping this year we will probably start to transition from classic car camping to a little more primitive style camping for them in preparation for Boy Scouts. We have access to some private property and to a new camp site at our favorite local park (one of our Troop's Eagle projects, should be done by the end of August). Both should allow us the ability to drive in some of the equipment and then let the boys hike in for less than a 1/2 mile.

 

Insurance is provided by the CO when the vehicle is on their property, when it's on mine it's covered under my homeowners policy and my auto policy when I tow it. My ACM rents so there is some exposure there.

 

It works for us, YMMV.

 

YiS,

 

John Collins

Cubmaster

Pack 13

 

I used to be a Buffalo

and a good ol' Buffalo too...

SR-893

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