Teardrops n Tiny Travel Trailers

First, I think buying a Chalet four years ago was a good move. It lets me do lots of camping while I continually refine my ideas of the perfect camper. At my current rate it will be ready for replacement by the time I finally build my dream camper. Only 15 years till my youngest turns 18 and I retire....

Those ideas keep changing. The ones that haven't changed since day 1 are: Indoor toilet/shower. Outside kitchen for summer. In the winter though I go back to wanting to have an indoor kitchen. If not for this desire my design of a tear would be set- one and a half scale from a 4x4x8' design. Here is a post with my basic idea:

http://tnttt.com/viewtopic.php?t=343

So what about an indoor/outdoor kitchen? Does anyone have an example of one that would work? The only design I've seen is the Glen-L Sequoia: http://www.glen-l.com/campers/sequoia.html

Not very sexy but it might get the job done. In fact the local trailer fabricator (Carson Trailers) could provide me with a shell including the doors and windows- I'd just do the inside.

Any ideas out there with a bit more style?

Thanks.

Jim
Still Dreaming

how about something like a t@b clamshell but have a removeable rear wall to allow for inside cooking too.

I simply didn't put any upper cabinets in my teardrop so in effect I have a pass through galley. In a pinch I could cook indoors - though I'd want both windows and the vent open!

Joseph

Gambam wrote:how about something like a t@b clamshell but have a removeable rear wall to allow for inside cooking too.

I guess that would work. My mega 2+2+bathroom teardrop design has the master bed raised up on a platform for utilities/storage/wheelwells underneath. That puts the bed up even with the countertop so although you could access the countertop, you wouldn't have access to the cabinets.

It's interesting that after having a conventional TT and a motorhome back in the '80's, and now the Chalet- The "cute" factor is important. Teardrops have it in spades, the Chalet does in a different way. Some TTT's do but many don't.

The Glen-L floorplan above is a possibility with some mods. It just isn't very cute. I tend to prefer the really vintage look such as teardrops and canned hams or the really modern look but not the in-between styles of the 70's, 80's, and 90's.

Speaking of modern I saw a Haulmark enclosed utility trailer yesterday that actually had pretty nice lines for a box. They have nice radius edge pieces and a good looking front cap. Checking their website I see you can get 6' or 7' wide by 10' or 12' long, inboard or outboard wheels, flat or V-front, standing headroom, etc. They have a lot of options and I don't know how tall it would end up- they use torsion axles so it might be possible to specify the ground clearance. They mention a "dropped floor" option. Configuring it as a shell with a couple windows, RV door, and 6' long 48" high swing up catering door would put the list price around $4,000. I believe the base weight would be around 1,000 pounds. Not cheap but a very clean looking unobtrusive trailer. Definitely not vintage looking though.

I could do the inside as I see fit while not worrying about the exterior, sourcing trim pieces, etc.

The 12'+V nose would let me put bathroom and closet at the front, double bunks at the back, a 6' indoor/outdoor kitchen along the curb side and a sofabed on the street side. I could even go with a standard 10' RV awning and add-a-room. If I didn't omit the rear clamshell doors I could have the rear bunks removable and get a "Toyhauler" style sofabed that folds flat against the wall for a combo toy hauler/ cargo hauler/ tailgater trailer.

The more I think about it $4,000 for a complete shell including windows, doors, trim seems like a good value compared to the time and effort to do it myself.

This is really just rambling. If I didn't already have a trailer the option of a pre-built shell would be ideal. It could be used as a tent-on-wheels as the work progressed.

Only $20,000 for Haulmark Tailgater.

Not exactly what I'd do but it's based on a Haulmark V-nose trailer with bathroom in front, clamshell doors, and a long awning door on the side.

Another thought (duh) is to just put the kichen at the rear and use the clamshell doors for access. I still have the layout issue of putting a double bed, two bunks, and a bathroom in it.

http://www.dealsonwheels.com/search/det ... 608-000026

THE HAULMARK TAILGATER TRAILER! IT'S PERFECT FOR PARTIES AND YOU CAN TAKE IT TO ANY OF YOUR FAVORITE TAILGATING SPOTS!! TRAILER INCLUDES, BBQ GAS GRILL, GENERATOR DOOR, AWNING, ALUMINUM EXTERIOR, SURROUND SOUND SYSTEM, SINK AND BATHROOM FULLY PLUMBED, 15 GAL BLACK WATER HOLDING TANK, 15 GAL GRAY WATER HOLDING TANK, 30 GAL FRESH WATER! ELECTRIC DRUM BRAKING SYSTEM, V-NOSE, ELECTRIC VENTS, SATTELITE TV RECIEVER, TOILET, SINGLE AXLE, ROLL OUT AWNING, KEG COOLER, AND A 32" FLAT SCREEN TV!!

Full spec's here:
http://www.chicotruckandrv.com/inventor ... X15DS3.htm

Jim,

I've been mulling around your idea of an indoor/outdoor kitchen and I've run into a road block. The real issue I see is the difference in height between the trailer and the ground. If you build the counter height so it's comfortable inside the trailer, it's way too tall when you are outside. The opposite is true if you build for outdoor comfort. A compromise would make indoor and outdoor both uncomfortable. To me, the Glenn-L design was a way to open up the trailer to the outside by providing a pass-through from the inside galley.

I ran through some ideas of a slide-out kitched that could somehow be lowered, but that ran into too many engineering type problems. There might be some other idea but I'm not coming up with them.

If you come up with a good idea I would be interested in hearing the solution.

Joanne

I've got a few internet pics from other campers throughout the world. Check out the album http://s33.photobucket.com/albums/d99/jagular7/Camper/Stuff%20n%20Design/

Some swing out, some drop down, some pull out,




Then in Austrailia, there are kitchens that are their own setup with stainless steel, cabinets, etc.

I agree that the height issue is one of the big hurdles. I've also been thinking that the goal of standing height/garagable is tricky. What if my next house has a standard 7' door instead of my current 8'?

One solution that addresses both is to use an air bag suspension that could be dropped to just a few inches ground clearance in the campsite and for garaging. That would put the floor only 6" or so above the ground.

But.....
That is getting more and more complex and expensive. Possibly a better alternative is to give up on the idea of standing height inside and plan that any cooking would be from a seated position. That way I could have something like 27" counters inside and 40" outside (our home counters are 42" and I find them perfect even though I'm only 5'10").

Another reason driving my non-standing change of heart was looking at cargo trailers. Last weekend I took my son camping and I kept looking for standing height 6x12 trailers. In comparison to the Chalet those things looked huge. I think even with a V-nose anything 2-1/2' taller than the tow car will provide a lot of wind resistance.

On the other, other hand I had a great weekend camping in the Chalet. It's going to be several years before I have any rational reason to replace it.