Reloading while RV "Camping".

I've had a travel trailer in my life for well over 40 years. Recently bought my third one and am planning on some trips to the "wide open spaces" for some informal target shooting or maybe a few Prairie Dogs.

Am interested in any tips from those who have carried their loading equipment along with them while traveling with their MH/Travel Trailer. My biggest question is what would make a good press holder when you don't have a solid picnic table to clamp your range setup to? Storage tips for components?

With my current Travel Trailer I am self contained and only need to refill water and dump about once a week. Carry my own power so I'll be mostly boondocking on BLM/Public Land without the normal campground amenities. I see myself sitting under the awning and loading enough rounds for the next day. I do have a B&D Workmate that I've used before for a press mount but am interested in any ideas others have come up with when doing similar.

There are several you may think about, a metal grinder stand for the press, the workmate would work very well done that myself, if your trailer has a toy park in back, saw a hinged work bench for all your reloading equipment.

...,

I have a suggestion that worked for me. I got a work bench from Harbor Freight that can be disassembled and added a heavy butcher block top to it.
I am using this in my small condo as a reloading bench with a Dillon press.

https://www.harborfreight.com/adjust...ion-46725.html
https://www.webstaurantstore.com/cho...64WCB1824.html

I hope this will help, it worked for me with 45ACP loading and a single stage press for .223 and .308 casings.

Good luck..

https://ads.midwayusa.com/product/62...eloading-stand

I've got one of these, have 2 Lee Single stage presses mounted, pretty stable. The weight might be an issue for you in an RV, but legs fold up when moved, so it might work for you in terms of not taking up too much space.

I don't do what you're proposing, but I have a thought anyway. Don't forget......this is the Internet ;)

Most reloading can be done from an ordinary, light weight, folding table; however, you really would like to have your press mounted on something sturdy. I have mine mounted on a large, very heavy bench. Of course, it's at home and you would never want my bench in your RV. In fact, you don't really want anything heavier than necessary in your RV.

If you look around, you are blessed with something which is actually heavy and sturdy, the RV itself. So if it were me, I would figure out how to use a multi-tasking portable table for holding stuff, etc.; all except the press. You must already have such a table. Then I would find a way to mount my press to the RV. In fact, I would fabricate at least two such mounting points. One inside and one outside. You might want to reload outside on nice days. The press mount need not be very large if you can locate your table close by, but it should be very stiff, strong, and easy to attach/detach.

A press on a lightweight table will never make you happy 'cause it's just too wiggly. But it should be easy enough to bolt your press to a small, strong base which you can then quickly attach to a clever mounting device permanently affixed to your RV wall/bulkhead/ladder/hitch or what have you.

Check out the Inline Fabrication quick change top plate device and the Lee Bench Plate system for ideas on quick change press bases. You might be able to adapt one of these base systems to a fixture bolted to your RV.

...

I just use the Lee hand press for portable reloading, not real fast but will work for low volume shooting. I can even throw some together at the range, I just roll them back and forth a few times to simulate "handling".

Sent from my VS987 using Tapatalk

If you don't need to FL size anything while on the road you could go with a small arbor press and Wilson dies to greatly simplify things. The dinette table in your camper will be more than sufficient for reloading with an arbor press, and you can just keep everything in a tote or two in the storage area under the bed.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by MrFurious

If you don't need to FL size anything while on the road you could go with a small arbor press and Wilson dies to greatly simplify things. The dinette table in your camper will be more than sufficient for reloading with an arbor press, and you can just keep everything in a tote or two in the storage area under the bed.

---

I just got back from a short trip with my new Travel Trailer. Went to a forest service campground for a few days along the river and deep in an old-growth forest. I took along a large box of brass I wanted to F/L size and trim when not walking and exploring with the dog. My press setup is an RCBS Partner mounted on a scrap piece of 2X6 and clamped to the end of a "two ton picnic table" (It's legs are buried a foot or two in the ground and the slabs are four inches thick so it isn't moving :) ).

Only had one quick clamp with me but by moving it back and forth I found the point where it kept the press steady when pushing both down and pulling up on handle. Next time I'll just run some 3" Deck screws through the 2X into the table top. Using a Whidden F/L bushing die I got exactly the same shoulder bump on each case. Since I was in no hurry I checked each case. For case lube I used the One-Shot but also found that loading in a forest campground also requires a nearby can of "Off Deep Woods" bug repellent. Mosquito's were thick and huge.

I'm building a battery pack to run my Chargemaster to finish the setup. All should fit in one tote that will fit in the drawer under my Dinette.


For campgrounds without a picnic table I think I'll just toss a Workmate in the back of the truck. That worked all the time I was living in an apartment before getting married 32 years ago.

Mine was built into the bottom of a storage cabinet. Maybe not doable for you.

Just doing pistol at the time so the RCBS Junior was all I needed.

Here's the pic of my campground setup.

https://uniim1.shutterfly.com/ng/ser...891117/enhance

Dog was interested at first but after 50 cases or so became totally bored. Napped at the end of the bench.