Teardrops n Tiny Travel Trailers

First of all, I am glad to have found this forum. A lot of questions I would have asked have already been discussed, and numerous examples and pics upload to collaborate ideas. I hope to be as creative as most on here.

Now, I am from the southern Texas area and have been increasingly enjoying the camping lifestyle with my wife. We have been doing primitive tent camping as well as cycling and kayaking. We have done several trips now with kayaks on roof, bikes on rear rack, and wife sitting Indian style in front seat(due to Chevy Tahoe packet as much as possible). We have been good about bringing only what we need, unfortunately we need more space. Now this has just been the wife and I, now we have 2 children that we are going to start bringing with us. One teenager and one almost toddler. Now that takes us from 2 people, 2 bikes, 2 kayaks, and all the camp gear..... to now 4 people, 3 bikes, 3 kayaks, camping gear and baby toys........

The following are things I have been debating as I have been researching for this project:

1. Bathroom (This is my first topic because, several of the campsites we stay at it is a good bike ride to the restrooms. We have had several nights sitting by the campfire and wished we had a closer facility. And now with the kids we do not want to have to make midnight walks or drives to restrooms.) Bathroom topics such as toilets, shower, hot water, plumbing, etc...

2. Electrical (I have a long list of items I would like to seeing my CTC, however I am a realistic person as well. Do I need an ice-maker or can I have a cooler like everyone else... Anyways, I am an Electronics Engineer by trade and understand the working of items such as inverters/converters/chargers/etc/etc/etc. I understand the theory, but what I don't understand is the practical application of these into a moving box.) Electrical topics such as Inverter vs Shore power. 12v vs 120v. Necessity or desire...

3. Kayak and Cycle Racking (I decided on a CTC over a toy hauler or RV because I want the leisure to setup the racking and cargo space as I liked. Like I mentioned before, I currently have 2 bikes, 2 kayaks to bring. Well soon 3 bike and 3 kayaks. My wife and I are really tired of racking the kayaks on top of Tahoe, and we have no idea what will would do with a third one. We have been thinking about auto loader system for top of Tahoe, but most of the equipment would weight more than the kayak and would need to be installed on and off.) Racking topics will include Kayak roof top as well as interior, Cycle racking exterior or interior.

4. Cooking and BBQ (I am a big fan of BBQ, not a big fan of camp ground bbq pits nor am I a fan of putting my dirty pit inside vehicle for transport. I want to bring my BBQ pit, which I need a new one once I figure out what will work best.) Topics will include storage and transport.

5. Last but not least Trailer (In my mind this is the least important item. I would rather I make sure that everything I need/want will fit into trailer. Also if I should order custom, ie door location, hatches, V nose, tilt, straight axle, extended tongue, etc, etc, etc. I also would like to not over order. I do not want to be pulling a 16 footer if I dont have too.) Topics include 6' vs 7'... 12 vs 14 vs 16... There are several websites to build trailer online like cargooutlet and diamondcargo. I am not sure how reputable these are, or even what the quality is like. I live near Houston, TX so I do have several places to look at. I have even been toying with the idea of relocating pass-side door, possible closer to axle or even in front on VNOSE, if VNOSE is purchased.

Anyways, I put them in that order because of importance when planning the build to myself. I want a fulling working bathroom, Place for my kayaks and bikes, setup for BBQ and cooking, and trailer that is just big enough. Thanks for the read and future responses.

Welcome! It looks like you have a well thought out set of priorities. Some may depend on how much you want to spend, and what you are willing to tow. With a full-time bathroom and holding tanks you will need to look into trailers that are probably 14 feet long or up in size. You might be able to squeeze into a 12 footer if you rack your kayaks on the roof etc.

There is a lot of information on here, but much of it is buried in past posts. I have been reading for quite awhile now and I haven't even scratched the surface.

I suggest that you look around on the forum for a bit, and then start laying out some floor plans on paper. After that use some masking tape on a driveway or garage floor to try out your ideas. That should give you an idea of what will work for you.

I have even seen some builds that had kayaks. I just can't remember where!

Welcome, kurkmoore-

You've got a lot on your mind! I have a few thoughts.

In the smaller trailers, space fills up quick. Sounds like the bathroom is a priority. Between that and a queen-size bed, you will have a bit of room left but not much. Consider placing the galley at the back so you can open the barn doors, and stand outside and cook. A 7' wide trailer will allow you to orient the bed sideways and save a foot or two of space.

Your boats might fit inside, but you have to decide if you want the water and mud dripping on your bed. Most likely not, but getting them on the roof is a real bear, as you said. If you go with a 6' wide trailer, you *might* be able to hang low-profile kayaks on the side without exceeding your allowable width. As long as they don't stick out any farther than your fenders, you are good to go!

If you leave enough floor space, the bikes will ride nicely inside, especially with some tie-downs. Then they aren't susceptible to theft and weather.

Usually the V-nose is desirable for better aerodynamics and more interior space, but you would make good use of the space on the tongue for your BBQ.

Lots of good ideas here. Ditto on the advice given. Also consider what your going to tow your CT with when you decide what size of CT you will end up with. This is very important, I have seen way too many folks out on the highway that were headed for an trouble or were already there from having the wrong TV. You probably have a better graphics program than most of us being an EE. But if you don't give Google Sketchup a try for designing it along with pencil and paper. You will need more erasers than lead. I have received lots of good help here, but don't be afraid to try something different if the mood hits you. I planned mine out for almost two years before I actually got my CT. I saved many pictures from builds here of ideas I liked. That was a big help.

Good luck and have fun with your build.

Earnest

Welcome Kurk,

Your plans sound a little familiar. Best advice I found here was:

-Buy a larger trailer than you think you will need...
-Install windows high and offset front/rear
-Fantastic vent fan in roof
-Go ahead and spend the extra for a factory installed RV door

Special ordered ours from a Cargo Craft dealer, then finished it out, think they have a plant in Corsicana, TX (Mine came from the Georgia plant, I would buy from them again if I had too).

These CTCs fill up fast:


Kids are gone: (thats the general idea...)


Bikes fit into PVC bike rack inside and outside:

Btw, the PVC bike rack rides inside across the trailer just behind the RV door and anchors with kayak straps to the E-track fittings on the wall.

Here was our minimalist approach to kids/kayaks/bikes:
http://www.tnttt.com/viewtopic.php?f=42&t=48345

Discussion on bunks:
http://www.tnttt.com/viewtopic.php?f=42&t=49766

We used to put the boats on top of the van, and bikes in a hitch mounted rack, camped out of two tents. I would have done the CTC a lot sooner if I had known how useful it was...Now even take it on day trips sometimes.

We bought an awning and decided to cook outside, specified barn doors on the trailer for easy loading and unloading of our types of toys.

Don't forget some form of climate control if you live in Texas: We modded a window unit into a removable closet. Lots of options for this step.


Since we moved from tent camping to this, for a bathroom, Cassette toilet is probably next for us. Maybe the outside heated shower project as well. We wanted to stay simple and modular, but with a CTC, the options of course are endless.

Look for posts by Gadgetman, His build is 'off the charts', and I think he built a different kayak rack system for the inside of his trailer.

Have Fun!

David

Dito on go bigger than you think you need now. I am in a build at present, glad i went as big as I did, space goes away faster than your money. 7 ft wide is pleasent to pull, keeps the wheels outside the body and gives ok room inside. Potty, I went with Thetford Curve, nice size, easy to empty and power flush. As said tow vehicle, keep your weight in check. If you want a bigger unit look at all aluminum as a option, if the vehicle is smaller. I have pulled a lot of stuff, anytime you get within 2/3 of your rated weight it is going to be a handfull at times. Best advice, get what you think you need now and for the next 3 years and add at least 2 feet, you will not regret it.

As promised I have been working on the bathroom first since this my first priority. I work on oil rigs so they always try to squeze everything in a small space. I thought I would share some pics of the bathroom on my current ship. Sorry if blurry, I took them real quick when I woke up this morning.

Well there is lots of research done for just bathrooms alone. I have selected a few products I think I will be going with. Might have to look until cheaper alternatives and even size restrictions once I have the floorplan laid out. As for now after reading about each of these items this is what I have come up with. Thanks for the input from others. I am very open to experiences and suggestions about these or alternative products.


This is the Rheem Tankless/Propane water heater, it has a flowrate of 3.3gpm@77degrees. Total BTU of 150k, 120volts@60w(Normal)2w(Standby) weight 54lbs, $550

This is the Rheem Electric 10Gallon water heater, 120volts@2000w (ofcourse that is max watts and this is for hookup sites so I dont waste propane), $297

This is the Thetford Porta Potti Curve, 4gallons fresh, 5.5gallons waste, $150

This is the Flojet Water pump, 50psi/2.9gpm, [email protected], $70

Nice floor and cabinets. Making great progress!

As promised I have been working on the bathroom first since this my first priority. I work on oil rigs so they always try to squeze everything in a small space. I thought I would share some pics of the bathroom on my current ship. Sorry if blurry, I took them real quick when I woke up this morning.

That is a great bathroom you have built I wish you would give more details on what you used and how you did it.
holding tanks >ect? that toilet in the photo dosent look like the other portable toilet photo?
If I were to build another trailer I would like to have a better bathroom than I have now,the shower is fine but the toilet I have is a portable type that I built a outside drain so I can empty it easily.
It's OK for just me but I wish I had put more thought into it.

jwhite wrote:

As promised I have been working on the bathroom first since this my first priority. I work on oil rigs so they always try to squeze everything in a small space. I thought I would share some pics of the bathroom on my current ship. Sorry if blurry, I took them real quick when I woke up this morning.

That is a great bathroom you have built I wish you would give more details on what you used and how you did it.
holding tanks >ect? that toilet in the photo dosent look like the other portable toilet photo?
If I were to build another trailer I would like to have a better bathroom than I have now,the shower is fine but the toilet I have is a portable type that I built a outside drain so I can empty it easily.
It's OK for just me but I wish I had put more thought into it.

lol lol. Yeah I will have to upload the plans so you can see. Needed to install the cabinets first because they are hidding most of the appliances and plumbing, etc. Bathroom planed is 24x32 with Thetford Porta Curve(already purchased). I work offshore so these were the only pics I had on my phone to upload. I also needed to put in the cabinets for the power center to get the basic like the lights. The bathroom was deff the number one item in the planning stage and design based around it, however in the construction phase it ends up being the last thing going in. Also like I said above those other items came before even purchasing a trailer, however couldnt start building until trailer purchased(I think that is obvious). Anyways it is coming along good. Wish I had the most recent pics, will have to wait for a couple of weeks until I return.