Project: Weekend Warrior 72

[Backwoods Rambler]

Good call. I remember reading that somewhere, but I had forgotten about it amongst all my other research.

Thanks!

[rebapuck]

If the kids are still so young, perhaps you could gain some space by making less than full size bunks. Especially in the length.

[Mark519]

Good work on the planning! I also did a lot of thinking before building.

My suggestion is to see if you can put the bunks on the passenger side and the bench and shelving on the drivers side. The bench and shelving might as well be as wide as the counter. Or instead of a bench and shelf go with a counter all the way with storage cabinets underneath and shelving overhead. Then find a way to build the bunks to fold down. There are a lot of ideas on fold down or removable bunks here. You could have just a single bunk and let one kid sleep on the floor. Our daughter sleeps under our bed and the older boys sleep outside in a tent. Thermorest pads work fine for kids.

What about a toilet? I guess you are going to use a pop up shower tent for out door showers? What about heating the water? If you use good hose and connectors you should not have water leakage problems. You may decide you want a small on-demand water pump.

I don't like propane inside at all, even though just about everybody does it. Remember you need outdoor air when you run those portable heaters. There are vented propane heaters that are safer: See http://ventedcatheater.com/

I had my spare tire mounted to my ramp door when I ordered my trailer and they increased the spring to compensate. Since you are going without hookups you probably need two batteries.

If you don't want the tires to stick out, see about having them built inboard - called "narrowed axle". Are you going with spring or torsion axle and how are you raising it up? Just curious.

Since it sounds like you won't have hookups you may want to leave space on the roof for a solar panel. A single panel with a Batteryminder Solar Charge Controller SCC180 might be worthwhile.

[Backwoods Rambler]

@ rebapuck... The kids that will share the camper are VERY young right now. 2 & newborn. I considered shorter "toddler bed/crib size" mattresses to save 10 linear inches, but I wanted the camper to be able to "grow" more with the family as I assume I'll have it for a very long time..

[Backwoods Rambler]

@ Mark519... There's a lot to think about in your suggestions so I thought I'd tackle them in a quote & reply combo.

I figured I should have started my thread with this...

I've had a fancy popup before with heated water, a 3-way fridge and electric on-demand water pump and a built-in furnace, shore power/water, etc. I really don't want all of that. I really just want a fancy, no/VERY minimal-setup-time, tent for boondocking down a narrow FS Road in the Rockies. I really love music, but I'm not even 100% sure I'll add the stereo & speakers. Especially since I could just use some portable speakers with my smartphone.

The intention isn't to make a "home away from home", but basically a fancy tent that I can pull off the road with and catch some zzz's on my way back from Moab at 2am and sleep comfortably.

Good work on the planning!

Thank you! I pride myself on planning well.

My suggestion is to see if you can put the bunks on the passenger side and the bench and shelving on the drivers side. The bench and shelving might as well be as wide as the counter.

Why swap sides with the bunks & seating?

My reasoning for the bunks on the far side of the door wall is to minimize the sardine can feeling of using such a small setup. I feel like if the entrance of the camper is "closed in" by any obstruction, it will feel less "open". So the plan is to leave the door side/area of the camper as open as possible.

Or instead of a bench and shelf go with a counter all the way with storage cabinets underneath and shelving overhead.

Funny you mention increasing the counter space. I wasn't planning to put a cooking space inside at all until the better half asked where we would cook during a thunder storm. That prompted a minimalist cooking area that I added. My decision to use a bench and shelf is to maximize seating area of the camper in the event of inclement weather and/or having friends in for a card game, etc. When using such a small footprint setup, I feel like maximizing the seating space for those rare occasions we'll need it is paramount. Also, regarding the shelving/cabinets above... I don't want too much going on up high in the camper. I'd like to keep the center of gravity as low as possible.

Then find a way to build the bunks to fold down. There are a lot of ideas on fold down or removable bunks here.

That's the second time a folding bunk setup has been suggested and I definitely plan to look into that.

You could have just a single bunk and let one kid sleep on the floor.

That could definitely work! And it would lower the center of gravity.

Our daughter sleeps under our bed and the older boys sleep outside in a tent.

Under your bed, just on the floor, or on one of the Thermorests? How much headroom does she have?

Thermorest pads work fine for kids.

I was planning to use something similar to that and made the bunk dimensions accordingly.

What about a toilet?

There will be no toilet. Remember: Fancy Tent...

I guess you are going to use a pop up shower tent for out door showers?

A pop up shower tent is the plan B if I can't devise some sort of shower curtain setup that can be easily hung up and removed from the side of the camper.

What about heating the water?

The closest I'll get to heated water would be a solar shower bag. Fancy Tent...

If you use good hose and connectors you should not have water leakage problems.

That's true

You may decide you want a small on-demand water pump.

Probably not. My experience is that electric water pumps lead to wasted water and I REALLY want this to be a VERY simple setup. To the point of preferring to be outside of it, instead of inside, which is the point of camping in the first place. Minimal "luxuries"

I don't like propane inside at all, even though just about everybody does it. Remember you need outdoor air when you run those portable heaters. There are vented propane heaters that are safer: See http://ventedcatheater.com/

I'm definitely doing my research on this! My plan is to use a Mr Buddy propane heater. It has a low oxygen detector and a tip-over shutoff. In addition to that, I will have a carbon monoxide detector inside the camper AND I will likely have a window or 2 cracked open as well is a roof vent open. I don't camp in arctic temps so it's not much of a struggle to keep my setup warm. The reality is that I will likely just fire it up shortly before bed, turn it off to sleep, then fire it up again in the morning before my official wakeup

I had my spare tire mounted to my ramp door when I ordered my trailer and they increased the spring to compensate.

I assume you mean on the outside. If so, that's an excellent idea!!

Since you are going without hookups you probably need two batteries.

Also a great idea and probably exactly what I'll do.

If you don't want the tires to stick out, see about having them built inboard - called "narrowed axle".

I actually want my tires outside the trailer box. Mostly for stability.

Are you going with spring or torsion axle?

If I can get a torsion axle, I would prefer it, but I'll take whatever I can get inside my budget.

How are you raising it up? Just curious.

If it's a spring suspension, I'll do a proper spring over conversion. If it's a torsion axle I will utilize a reinforced lift block setup. I've done one of each of these types of axle lifts before and they've both worked very well.

Since it sounds like you won't have hookups you may want to leave space on the roof for a solar panel. A single panel with a Batteryminder Solar Charge Controller SCC180 might be worthwhile.

I've thought a lot about solar. It doesn't have to be terribly complicated and if I find that I need it, I won't hesitate to add it.