I like the idea of a large bed and being able to get into the trailer easy to get stuff without having to tilt the tent so if someone is napping etc.. it wont disturb them ?
so easy storage access without having to disturb other parts of the setup
also being able to get to stuff while inside the tent is nice
I like slide out kitchens but want mine to be able to be pulled out all the way and moved to a table etc... so this I will build custom
twin water tanks in case one gets contaminated etc..
How do you know when a watertank has been contaminated? Funny smell or taste? Discoloured? Those would be the only way I could tell...
But, I think I would fill the holding tank prior to leaving on my trip, and that way be assured that I was using fresh/clean water since it came out of my home tap. I also think it would be a good idea to keep a smaller container of water for emergencies, something like a store bought 2 or 3 gallon water jug, or couple of 1 gallon jugs etc... Just keep the jug(s) tucked away in the corner your storage area.
As for the slide out kitchen...
I was thinking about tire carriers that are mounted on the rear bumpers of a lot of rigs. What if instead of a slide-out kitchen, you installed a swing-out instead? I doubt I will adequately describe what is in my mind's eye, but here goes:
You have a side box on the passenger side of the trailer, 4 or 5 feet long, and then 16"x16" for the width and depth. This box would separate and the outside long wall of the box would pull away as the whole assembly swung out, pivoting on a large spindle mounted at the front area.
The outside wall of the box is also the backsplash for the kitchen, and you could have a leg, or pair of legs for stability that would swing down and be hinged from the end of the kitchen that is opposite the trailer.
The box part that the kitchen swings into could have a lip bent up to make a mounting surface that the swing out part can contact with. And on this surface you could have foam or rubber padding to seal it against the elements. Several latches would be used to make sure that the outside wall would be secured tightly against the box.
The part that I'm thinking might cause problems is around the pivot point, and the outside wall section... There might be some interference between the piece that makes up the outside wall, and how does it rotate into the box when you open your kitchen?
Just thought it would be a neat and different design compared to the slide-in style.
Alternatively, and probably a lot easier to implement would be a flip-down kitchen. The outside wall of the box would be hinged at the bottom and when you unlatch it, just fold down like a p/u tailgate. A bit trickier to build the sink into though...
And accessing the gear inside the trailer while the tent is up.
I thought about keeping the roof solid and not have it open at all. The access for the main trailer compartment would be through the tailgate, and you could build an open topped box on slides that would pull out and you would have easy access to everything inside. This setup would add weight to the trailer though as you have essentially built a box inside of another box.
But, you'd never have to worry about disturbing someone in the tent by grabbing some gear.
You would have to make sure that wherever you parked the trailer, you had enough space to pull the drawer out of the rear.
Also, not sure how you would access the cargo area while you are IN the tent... I'm scratching my head on that one...
EDIT: Feel free to rip apart my ideas.
