Teardrops n Tiny Travel Trailers

So, how do you keep things from moving while going down the road? More specificly; an AC, a microwave, a permanent propane stove (a portable, but I want it permanent mounted) and last, what type of latch to keep the cabinets closed.

Hey D,
We just pack tight. The doors on mine just have the regular holders on them you can get at HD. The drawers in back open alittle, but the hatch keeps them from going to far. I made some drawers under the sides of mine for more room. you can see them in my album, they are still not finished yet. I am going to make the fronts out of diamond plate so it matches the box on the front. Work keeps getting in the way!
Your frame looks great on your blog. I am going to put a hitch on the back of mine this year. Maybe put the bikes back there for the short runs. If not them a platform type thing for the cooler and smaller stuff. That will make a good bumper too.

Erv

Velcro is second only to the wheel for best inventions.

Scott G.

Some things are Velcroed, others are held down with bungee cords. The bigger things are bungeed...AC, microwave, toaster oven. Smaller things are Velcroed...speakers, etc.

I've got Coleman white gas stoves and drill the foot bumps on it and through bolt it with a wing nut...makes it removeable. You'd want to make sure that there is an air gap under your stove. Doug

I put an eye bolt on each side of microwave, petcool and battery, and used ratchet straps to hold them in place.

Small things are placed on bed with blanket over them...

in galley, bungee cords hold drawers shut, and loose things have an old bed spread on top of them...

Toddler safety latches are your best friend to keep the drawers closed and the stuff in the cabinets .... in the cabinets.

There are lots of semi-permanent solutions around. You can get these at an RV place too but they seem to cost more.

http://www.pacificrvparts.com/ProductDe ... goryID=641

http://www.mypreciouskid.com/tv-quake-strap.html

When you build your cabinets, keep the bottom lower than the face-frame edge rather than making it flush (this will keep things from sliding against the doors) and build your shelves (both fixed and adjustible) with a lip protruding above the shelf. For keeping doors shut, I have seen two excellent products but I only know them by their trade-names: Southco and BullDog catches. If you use toddler safety latches, make sure you do not get the kind that you must open part way before you can release the latch.

Best,
Tom

doug hodder wrote:I've got Coleman white gas stoves and drill the foot bumps on it and through bolt it with a wing nut...makes it removeable. You'd want to make sure that there is an air gap under your stove. Doug

I did the same thing with a Coleman propane stove. Mounted it to a slide-out from my galley.

Jim B / Utah

I bought a roll of 3/4" wide nylon webbing and a box of the little plastic slide buckles.. you know, the kind on back packs and such..

one great way its to make a slots in the shelf for end of the web to go through, then slip the webbing with the end folded over and stitched into a loop. once it goes through the slot, I slip a 3/8" dowel through the loop. it's solid but easily removed and it looks neat and tidy..

the stuff is cheap if you buy a roll of it.. I got mine at a camping supply store

tk wrote:When you build your cabinets, keep the bottom lower than the face-frame edge rather than making it flush (this will keep things from sliding against the doors) and build your shelves (both fixed and adjustible) with a lip protruding above the shelf. For keeping doors shut, I have seen two excellent products but I only know them by their trade-names: Southco and BullDog catches. If you use toddler safety latches, make sure you do not get the kind that you must open part way before you can release the latch.

Best,
Tom

WHY ?

DH,

Basic simple cabinet catches, friction, or magnetic, should be enough.

A stove should be fine with rubber feet.
A microwave should be fine with rubber feet, but could be further secured with a bracket if top heavy.

If you have trouble with things flying about, the suspension system on your trailer may need attention/fine tuning.

You can drive down the road in your car, with a coffee cup in the cupholder...without it ending up in the back seat.
Your trailer suspension won't be quite that soft, but things shouldn't "move around" and doors shouldn't open by themselves.

If you have a trailer that rides hard, and you can't adjust the suspension, then brackets to secure appliances and positive latches on doors may be needed.
If they are, just bolt 'em down so they'll be where you left them when you get there!

Rob

For my microwave I got some 1/4" high rubber cups from the hardware store. I screwed them to my counter top. Then slide the oven in and place the microwave feet inside the cups. For the doors I used the previously mentioned Bulldog catches. I've been using these for the last 25 years and love them. They are both self aligning and hold very securely. For drawers I have used locks as my way of keeping my galley drawers from coming open when accelerating.

48Rob wrote:DH,

Basic simple cabinet catches, friction, or magnetic, should be enough.

A stove should be fine with rubber feet.
A microwave should be fine with rubber feet, but could be further secured with a bracket if top heavy.

If you have trouble with things flying about, the suspension system on your trailer may need attention/fine tuning.

You can drive down the road in your car, with a coffee cup in the cupholder...without it ending up in the back seat.
Your trailer suspension won't be quite that soft, but things shouldn't "move around" and doors shouldn't open by themselves.

If you have a trailer that rides hard, and you can't adjust the suspension, then brackets to secure appliances and positive latches on doors may be needed.
If they are, just bolt 'em down so they'll be where you left them when you get there!

Rob

I guess I'm more concerned about what happens during extreme manuvers then just pulling down the highway.

Actually, I've had the coffee slosh out of my cup while in the cup holder while crossing the I-55 bridge into Memphis

Then again I drive a Jeep, not a Caddillac