Galley or no galley?

[2one8]

I tried to search, but "galley" is too common on a word and it won't let me search it...

I'm on rev 3 of my next trailer build, and I can't decide if I want a galley or not.

The biggest things we decided we wanted to change from our current 5x8 are interior space and interior storage for things like clothes, games, etc. I recently bought a Tacoma and I'm building a GoFast stye wedge camper for it (for solo trips), and part of that build will be slide out kitchen and storage built into the truck bed, plus we will have all the truck bed space on top of the drawers for storage. This has me questioning if a galley is really needed or if that space could be better utilized inside. The next trailer plan is a 5x10 squaredrop.

For those of you without a galley, do you miss it?

[tony.latham]

if a galley is really needed or if that space could be better utilized inside. The next trailer plan is a 5x10 squaredrop.

One reason the basic teardrop design has thrived for nearly 80 years is the lack of setup time. Park, level, put the chairs out, and you're camping.

Since you're stepping up to a 5' x 10', you've got lots of room for a fine galley.



I can't imagine owning a teardrop without a galley... and my wife would think I was nuts if I built without one.

Tony

[S. Heisley]

Where will you store your food, so the bears and raccoons won't tear your truck bed apart while you're sleeping? Do you only take those animal-proof coolers? What about dry food? Will you store that in an animal-proof cooler too? Do you hang your food? Are you a sound sleeper? How will you lock things up? Do you have a locking metal cover on your truck bed? (I've seen coolers etc. stolen by two-legged "animals". I lock most everything up.)

Consider resale value, too. Most people want some sort of galley, even if it's a simple one with just shelves.

[TimC]

I'm voting for a galley as well. Sharon and Tony bring up good points. Though some folks may still enjoy their galley-less camper I can't imagine not having a place for essentials for prepping food close by without walking to my tow vehicle.

[Tom&Shelly]

I also vote for the galley, although we keep our food locked in the truck in bear country. I'd rather a bear try and get in there then in the teardrop while we are sleeping!

Also, with food and cooler in the truck, we always have lunch fixen's while out exploring.

Moral: Perhaps it's every one needs to consider their personal camping desires.

Tom

[working on it]

Where will you store your food, so the bears and raccoons won't tear your truck bed apart while you're sleeping? Do you only take those animal-proof coolers? What about dry food? Will you store that in an animal-proof cooler too? Do you hang your food? Are you a sound sleeper? How will you lock things up? Do you have a locking metal cover on your truck bed? (I've seen coolers etc. stolen by two-legged "animals". I lock most everything up.)

Consider resale value, too. Most people want some sort of galley, even if it's a simple one with just shelves.

My "galley" isn't the cooking area, I set up a sturdy folding table to the side, under half of the 8x8 canopy (the other half is covering the 4x8 trailer) where I can sit in my chair, shielded from rain or harsh sunlight, while cooking. The "galley" is actually a storage area, 48" high x 46.5" wide x 22" deep, where I have:

• 1) on the bottom: an onboard pull-out, swing-out generator, a cooler (for my frozen foods and/or fresh meat), and master electrical switches and breakers (hidden),
• 2) on the shelf above: a 7-gallon Aquatainer, Coleman gear (lantern, stove, fuel, and extra wicks, etc,), and a 3.5 gallon extended-run fuel tank (gravity-feeding the generator), and
• 3) the bulk of the storage space is filled with my onboard, hidden, 5000 BTU window-shaker A/C unit (mounted in the rear inside wall), with insulated exhaust ducting routed to an outlet on the curbside of the trailer (so I can lock the hatch at night, and still operate the A/C).

canopy over trailer.jpg (243.54 KiB) Viewed 1439 times

galley, & storage layout.jpg (200.64 KiB) Viewed 1439 times

I don't have to worry about bears getting my stuff around here, but it's the two-legged thieves I would worry about. There are always people driving thru our campsites, either gazing at, and admiring (? maybe not so much at my trailer) or perhaps "casing the joint" to see what they could steal. Since I lock up most valuable items when I leave the campsite to go eat at night, sometimes, and there's always a group member still watching over the site, there's little chance of a major heist around our group. P.S. we're all armed!

[Pmullen503]

I tried to search, but "galley" is too common on a word and it won't let me search it...

I'm on rev 3 of my next trailer build, and I can't decide if I want a galley or not.

The biggest things we decided we wanted to change from our current 5x8 are interior space and interior storage for things like clothes, games, etc. I recently bought a Tacoma and I'm building a GoFast stye wedge camper for it (for solo trips), and part of that build will be slide out kitchen and storage built into the truck bed, plus we will have all the truck bed space on top of the drawers for storage. This has me questioning if a galley is really needed or if that space could be better utilized inside. The next trailer plan is a 5x10 squaredrop.

For those of you without a galley, do you miss it?

I don't have a galley and don't miss it. But for decades did "canoe camping" and have a lightweight "kitchen" set up I use. I still mainly use it as a "hard tent" for winter camping or one night canoe trips. So i'm probably not typical.

Maybe you could frame in what you would need to add it later if you want and use the space for the time being as storage.

[2004harleyguy]

Teardropside (2).JPG (120.77 KiB) Viewed 1372 times

Bought mine with no galley. Don't miss it. My towing car only has a tow rating of 1800 pounds

[twisted lines]

I started #2 before finishing the inside of #1
Yes I miss it.
If it was 10' inside instead of outside it may have been enough
So #2 is a few ft longer & lighter with less drag. Don't know about faster, yet.

[pchast]

Neither my wife nor I were much on cooking so, when I built, it was without one.
Now I don't miss it.

I've always been ok with light lunches and dinner out.
Its simple to carry cereal and milk in a cooler for breakfast.
Its a tent for me to sleep in on trips.

Perhaps not really camping.

[Ron Dickey]

my first trailer had no galley, we soon realized that if we want to stop and eat it was peanut butter and Jelly.

Our new one will have a galley so we can stop, open the galley and get a proper meal.

[2one8]

if a galley is really needed or if that space could be better utilized inside. The next trailer plan is a 5x10 squaredrop.

One reason the basic teardrop design has thrived for nearly 80 years is the lack of setup time. Park, level, put the chairs out, and you're camping.

Since you're stepping up to a 5' x 10', you've got lots of room for a fine galley.



I can't imagine owning a teardrop without a galley... and my wife would think I was nuts if I built without one.

Tony

Thats just it though, all that ease of setup by having a galley with everythig ready is just in the back of the truck vs the back of the trailer. Really the only reason I'm building another trailer is the A) wife sleeps better with hard walls, and B) when we do stay in one location for more than a day we can leave the trailer to hold the site or location.

Our trips are become more and more remote with less time spent at one location (think the over-used term "overlanding"). The truck is being built to be completely self sustaining and a one-stop-shop for trips. All kitchen items and food are stored in the truck, truck bed is completely enclosed, sealed, and lockable, kitchen and flat space pulls out, fridge is built into a platform in the back seat of the cab, dry food will be in metal bear proof containers (likely Alubox even though they are spendy. Buy once cry once I guess!). Some of our adventures make for long days away from camp, so having all kitchen and food in the truck allows us to cook wherever we are. If I didn't have the truck with a pullout kitchen and such then a galley would absolutely be needed. Whenever it's just me in the truck I have a RTT that replaces the roof of the cap and I don't even bring the trailer.

Maybe a better question would be rear storage space or no rear storage space?

Where will you store your food, so the bears and raccoons won't tear your truck bed apart while you're sleeping? Do you only take those animal-proof coolers? What about dry food? Will you store that in an animal-proof cooler too? Do you hang your food? Are you a sound sleeper? How will you lock things up? Do you have a locking metal cover on your truck bed? (I've seen coolers etc. stolen by two-legged "animals". I lock most everything up.)

Consider resale value, too. Most people want some sort of galley, even if it's a simple one with just shelves.

See the above response, our truck will be set up for all of that.

I have thought about resale, especially with the direction our travels are going I wonder how much longer we will use a trailer, but on that same token I've always bought/built for myself and not the next person. But it is something to keep in mind in this case.

my first trailer had no galley, we soon realized that if we want to stop and eat it was peanut butter and Jelly.

Our new one will have a galley so we can stop, open the galley and get a proper meal.

True, we have stopped places to make lunch, however all of that stuff is in the back of the truck and I designed it to be still accessible and usable while being hooked up to the trailer.

I don't have a galley and don't miss it. But for decades did "canoe camping" and have a lightweight "kitchen" set up I use. I still mainly use it as a "hard tent" for winter camping or one night canoe trips. So i'm probably not typical.

Maybe you could frame in what you would need to add it later if you want and use the space for the time being as storage.

I suppose I could just have a door with a couple shelves in place of a full galley, if I don't use it much I don't use it, but it's available if needed. I just really like the idea of having easily accessible space for a full sized spare on the back, or wall space for mounting things. I've also contemplated if we really need a 5x10 if we don't have a galley, maybe another 5x8 would be plenty then.

[S. Heisley]

Your logic seems very sound. Do what works best for you.

[Onajourney]

Galley for sure. It's the heart of my trailer.

[Shadow Catcher]

Ours is a 6X10 lots of inside storage. One of my goals was to make meal prep and cleanup as easy as it is at home. The water heater is part of that, which many wives like.