"Ultimate" dream list of trailer features?

[The Adam Blaster]

I'm trying to decide if I want to build a trailer for camping/exploring and what that camper should have on it.

I would be interested to see what others would include on their "custom built dream trailer" if money/weight/clearance were not an issue.

EDIT: I'm really looking for unique features that you would like on an exceptionally thought out and well built trailer - slide-out kitchen, unique storage solution etc. etc...

 

[The Adam Blaster]

No one has input on this?

 

[UK4X4]

I'll bite

frame 24" off ground - independant suspension

due to my family we've grown out of the RTT and the dog refuses to sleep downstairs, so we've had to revert to a ground tent.

I think if I built another trailer it would a TVan type expandable hard top

fabric or hard sides, no worries

all the usual water etc cooking outside, just sleeping room inside and changing/ potty .

Higher -more room than a tear drop when opened, but similar to one closed

I don't see a point in "camping" inside

Fuel I've found with planning I almost never use

 

[walking eagle]

I'm trying to decide if I want to build a trailer for camping/exploring and what that camper should have on it.

I would be interested to see what others would include on their "custom built dream trailer" if money/weight/clearance were not an issue.

It'd help if you would say if you want to sleep in it or not.

For me - I want light weight, 37" tires, slide out cooler, and a slide out camp kitchen. Maybe a water tank? Propane and gas are easy enough to put on the tongue or rear. Sleeping in or on makes it more expensive / complicated.

 

[The Adam Blaster]

It'd help if you would say if you want to sleep in it or not.

For me - I want light weight, 37" tires, slide out cooler, and a slide out camp kitchen. Maybe a water tank? Propane and gas are easy enough to put on the tongue or rear. Sleeping in or on makes it more expensive / complicated.

Well, for me personally I'd probably put a large family sized RTT up top.
I like the idea of the clamshell design, but then the interior of the trailer can hold no, or very little cargo...
But in imaginary dreamland, which this thread is talking about maybe there would be a way to build a trailer with a sleeping area on top of the storage compartment? Maybe a teardrop with 20" of extra of height, and have storage in drawers accessible at the bottom? I haven't really looked at AT's version of the teardrop yet, maybe they have another solution in place?

I really like the idea of a slide-out kitchen, if I was able to acquire the appropriate hardware, I'd build that into my "dream" trailer.

I started this thread to see if anyone had some unique ideas in mind that I hadn't seen yet. Granted, I've gone through a bunch of trailer build threads in here already, and there are plenty of great ideas. But, I'm sure someone, somewhere out there has got this cool little nugget of an idea that they may or may not be willing to share. Maybe this thread will inspire some intellectual generosity.

As for a water holding tank, I keep thinking about mounting a large one underneath the trailer's frame. Something like a big rectangular cube with baffling that wouldn't be too deep (for clearance issues), but because of it's large surface area, would hold a lot of water. A skid plate of some sort would likely be needed to prevent a puncture/rupture.
I think under the frame would be great placement to keep the COG down low when you're talking about water weighing approx 8.3 pounds/gallon and you have a tank that holds 30-40 gallons. Having 200-300 pounds of weight just above the axle would help keep the trailer planted pretty firmly on the ground.

The other little idea I was thinking about regarding keeping the battery bank charged, is a wind turbine on an extendable pole. Collapse it down when it's time to move, and set it up at camp if you're staying there for a couple of days. It would help supplement a small solar panel.
I haven't read of anyone doing this yet, but if it's cloudy or rainy for a few days, the S.P.'s aren't going to be able to charge very much...

 

[R_Lefebvre]

Yeah, it's really hard without knowing what you're looking for, or what you're looking to get out of this. I obviously built my trailer already, and it's pretty well set up, but it was still a whole bunch of series of compromises. I don't think there can be one "Ultimate" because everything is a compromise. Any luxury you bring, adds weight. Any choice you make on a feature, will offset something else.

For me, the key point was fast camp setup and take-down. I wanted to be able to stop, and have the sleeping quarters set up in minutes. I also wanted to be able to stop and make lunch on the side of the road in minutes. Teardrops are great for this, but they are too small for a family of 4. Also, teardrops don't offer much weather protection other than a warm and dry sleeping area. They also don't offer much storage space for gear, unless you put it in the sleeping area, and dump it out on the ground when you go to bed?

That's why I went with the idea of taking a teardrop, turning it sideways, kids will sleep in the box, with a RTT on top, storage in front. Extra weather protection will be available with all-around awnings.

The frame had to be strong enough to take all that, plus a couple of dirtbikes across the tongue. Etc. etc. etc.

So it seems like my trailer "has it all", the downside is it's friggen hooge.

I don't think there's a good answer to this question. A trailer can be anything you want.

 

[R_Lefebvre]

Looks like Adam was posting at the same time as me. Sounds like your thought process is heading largely in the same direction I did.

I think the "storage drawers under the teardrop" idea has a lot of merit. I have a "basement" on my trailer. No drawers, but it can take a lot of junk. I think you could easily build a set of 18" tall drawers under a teardrop. Upshot is it raises the level of the bed above the fender wells. You could therefore achieve a bed that could be 60" wide. Lots of space for a family! 4 drawers, 2 in front of the axle, 2 behind. Maybe water storage between the wheels. Mattress on top.

Another thing I'd thought about, would be something like a teardrop, but the sleeping area could be made larger by using drop-sides, similar to a hybrid camping trailer. It would take only a minute to drop the sides when it's time to sleep. Actually, this is what I'll be doing when the kids outgrow their current 4x5 sleeping area.

 

[Mr. Leary]

I want a trailer that is big on the inside and small on the outside! :coffeedrink:

 

[The Adam Blaster]

I think what I want out of this thread, was not what I was asking for in the my original post - I worded it poorly...

 

[The Adam Blaster]

Looks like Adam was posting at the same time as me.

I noticed that as soon as I finished that post.

 

[The Adam Blaster]

I want a trailer that is big on the inside and small on the outside! :coffeedrink:

You want a pop-up then!

 

[cruiseroutfit]

Design Feature #1: Do you really need a trailer?
Desing Feature #2 - 999: What your budget, style and needs allow.

 

[The Adam Blaster]

Design Feature #1: Do you really need a trailer?
Desing Feature #2 - 999: What your budget, style and needs allow.

I'll open that link right now.
I think a trailer with an RTT is what I'm going to want/need after all my thoughts on getting an RV, or truck with slide-in etc.
This trailer with tent will be my weekend camping outfit for the next few years before I can afford what I really want - F-450 + 12V Cummins transplant with flatbed and custom built camper on the back. The 450 will be something that I can confidently take up to northern Alaska, and all the way down to Terra Del Fuego, carrying my whole family for the trip(s).
I was looking at other options that would handle my growing family for the next 5 years or so, travel trailer, Class C motorhome etc.
After considering (and getting a phone call about this just yesterday) that I'm going to be back in school by fall of 2011, financially committing to a $10,000 - $20,000 trailer or RV is just not the smartest idea right now.

So, I'm going to put my overall travel plans for the next few years on the back burner, and focus on much smaller trips that are closer to home.
So, a small lightweight trailer that can actually be towed safely by my 2002 Durango, and the "mostly" offroad-only Cherokee seems to be the way to go.
Building it myself, it will keep the overall costs somewhat limited, even with adding a large RTT I think I should be able to come in under $5000.00.

And after I do acquire that F-450 dream rig, I can still keep this trailer for booting around on the shorter wheeling trips that I might just take the kids on and leave the wife at home. lol

 

[Herbie]

Since there was one BIG reason that we didn't end up with a trailer (going poor-man's-sportmobile-build instead), I'll add it to this thread:

We absolutely MUST have sleeping for 2 Adults + 1/2 children AND a toilet you can use without going outside. I'm a backpacker, so getting up to dig a cat hole in the middle of the night is no biggie for me, but having to put on shoes/coat/whatever to go outside to relieve herself (or escort the little one to do the same) is one of the things that will keep my wife from even GOING camping.

At the time, I thought this limited me to vehicles like vans or a pickup with a flip-pack that I could build the interior to include a cassette toilet. With more time on ExPo forums I see that more is possible with enough imagination, so I'd really like somebody to build an offroad trailer with a toilet you can get to and use without putting on shoes.

 

[Titanpat57]

How about sleeping on the top for two adults and let the kids sleep inside the trailer?

RTT on top, pull out the gear (10' x 10' popup awning, Cabelas kitchen, chairs, water and cooler on front)...plenty of room for two sleeping inside.