Excellent article and advice. It's too easy to overload your vehicle for a camping or road trip. If your vehicle is overloaded and the vehicle is in a collision then you may find that you are not entitled to an insurance claim.
Whenever I see a backpacker carrying wide-mouth Nalgene bottles, I cringe, because I know that three of them add 15 ounces to the weight of their backpack, that could be easily eliminated.