As far as keeping it simple..... When I was researching for my build I poured over all these build journals here and just drooled over all the beautiful trailers with full galleys, all the lights, fans, outlets, hot and cold running Coca Cola, disco balls, entertainment systems, and etc. and I wanted it ALL. I started buying parts before I had even made my first sawdust. By the time I got around to cutting out my walls I already had a sink, water tank, manual pump faucet and all the related plumbing, a drop in counter top propane stove, a vent with fan, electrical boxes, RV lights (DC), and more. The pile of parts I had accumulated took up a space about equal to my whole galley, and I didn't even have a house battery, charger, or a dozen other things that would have been required. (I ended up either selling or returning most of it in the end. The rest of it will probably be for sale at the CRA.)
But after I got into the build a ways, had started getting anxious and fearful over how complex the project had become, had begun to doubt that I would ever complete it (or be able to afford it) and had begun wondering if I was even going to have room left to store a bag of chips and a can of soda after it was all in, I started thinking about the fact that we had lived for 5 years on a variety of sailboats that had very simple systems, and had boat camped extensively (and quite comfortably) on even smaller boats that had NO permanent systems, so I knew that none of it was essential to have fun, and that sometimes complicated systems (and the maintenance of them) can be an absolute impediment to fun. The reason I say that they can be an impediment to fun is because when you have them, and you become reliant on them, it can really throw a wrench in your gears when they don't work for some reason. And any time at all that you spend working on fixing them is time you are missing out on doing other fun things. Our philosophy was always, the less parts, the less things that can fail. In the end we decided that the K.I.S.S. philosphy had served us well for years, why do anything different now? Once that decision was made my stress level came down 10 notches in an instant.
As for the plumbing.....we had a sink, hand pump and tanks on most of our boats. The sinks were barely big enough to wash a coffee cup in, the manual pumps were slow and needed to be rebuilt constantly. On a boat where you may be away from land and a source to refill your small water tanks the slow pumps can be a good thing because it keeps you from wasting water, but whenever we were anywhere that I could hook up a garden hose I always ended up doing dishes in the cockpit in dishpans. I had more room to work and wasn't taking up space and splashing water all over the counters inside the boat. I decided dishpans and the hose or portable jugs would suit me just fine in the teardrop as well. And the dishpans take up no room in transit because you can store other things in them.
Electrical....We decided to go with the Caseydog Super Simple electrical system and will enjoy running whatever we wish with 110 when it is available (which for us will probably be most of the time.) But we are prepared to have no electricity and still be able to camp in comfort.....
For lights we have several Coleman lanterns, battery operated flashlights and LED stick-up lights, candle lanterns, and solar walkway lights for outside the teardrop . The vent/fan was replaced with a straight vent. (If the weather is sufficiently hot at night to require a fan in order to be comfortable we will make sure we camp in places with shore power available and we will carry a small 110 operated fan that we can just plug in. A battery operated boom-box type radio or our iPods suits us just fine for music or listening to a ball game. If 110 is unavailable the only inconvenience might be charging the phones with the car if necessary. Everything else we can do just fine without.
The drop in counter top propane stove has been replaced with Coleman 413D, 425C, and 502 stoves . I was especially happy with that decision after I read a few threads recommending that you keep the stove out from under the hatch, which will keep your galley grease free, odor free, and easier to clean. A folding Coleman camp kitchen and possibly a hibatchi grill will complete the galley equipment. (We were originally planning to tow with a car, but have since purchased a truck so gear storage is no longer an issue.)
I really admire all the elaborately done trailers. Being able to flip a switch and have anything you want is very nice, and there may be times I will wish I had it all. I will also admit that wiring scared the heck out of me and if my skills were such that the wiring was easy for me, I probably would have done it "just because I could." But I know from experience that I will not miss out on anything important because I don't have it.
That's just my 2 cents. Other's opinions will most certainly vary. Good luck with whatever you decide.
