Hi all and thanks to all of you that have given me your thoughts!
UPDATE....
Well, I’ve made a few small revisions on my custom travel trailer floor plan for better weight distribution and I added an additional foot in length...now 23' (and that made a big difference)
I’ve now been talking with builders! Yeah baby!!! In response to some of the issues raised on this forum here are some things I’ve learned;
- The walking floor starts above the wheel wells so their location is irrelevant to the floor plan... meaning you don’t have to position cabinets over them as you start out with a clean flat floor over them.
- They can build them up to 8' floor to ceiling interior heights and 8 ½ feet in exterior width.
- Glass/screen slider doors are now one of the most request custom items and I’m going with it.
Your thoughts....
1) Since this is a custom built trailer I am thinking about going with a 10 cu foot residential style refrigerator instead of the standard Dometic/Norcold etc. In doing so I would be spending 1/3 the price, getting more space, more of a residential feel to it and unlike my last rv refrigerator I think it will actually keep my stuff cold. Now I know there are some issues like I will have to forfeit the DC/propane connection when I’m not hooked up, but I am thinking maybe I could just use a bag of ice in the salad bin (didn’t they use ice boxes before modern refrigeration?)...and I know a residential refrigerator does not lock closed, but I found that installing a child proof lock will be just as good) Does anyone have any opinion as to going this route?
2) What is a good rv toilet.... non-electric, quiet flush, ceramic, residential style, low maintenance? I am thinking of the Thetford Aria Classic.
3) I have a choice to have this built out of a wood frame or an aluminum frame.... I know aluminum is lighter, but is there really a difference once the walls are on it?
4) I have a choice as to an electric awning or a manual awning..... I initially thought I’d go with the electric (I like the idea of some that don’t have the support struts on the side), but I have read quite a few complains online about electric models. Do they make a manual "strutless" awning?
oh, here is my revised floor plan...
Jack Mayer said
10:45 PM Mar 20, 2013
Some places may not allow you because of the sliding patio door making you a "park model" even though you are not. Not many, but some. Just so you are aware.
There is not much clothes storage. But I'm not familiar with your intended purpose so it may not matter.
A 36" shower "box" is small for me - 39" is far more comfortable. It may work fine for you.
The residential refrigerator is viable even boondocking if you have an inverter and a battery bank of any size. Solar can easily support it. You do not detail your electrical system plans so that may be covered.
There are components that take out from you storage space. Like the furnace, the hot water heater, etc. I assume you have accounted for them in your cabinet layout? It can make a big difference in a small RV.
PamINaJAM said
11:01 PM Mar 20, 2013
Great input Jack! (You are a thinking man and I like that...and you're fast...I just posted that too).... Pam
As for storage... well, there are quite a few overhead cabinets, a small hanging closet and a full truck bed. In addition the builders have told me that they can build these things with basement storage (about the height of a fresh water tank).... so I’m loaded with storage....more than I’ve ever had....I’m going to have lots of empty cabinets for sure.
Sliding door denoting a "park model"???..... are there really parks out there like that? I don’t even know if they make 23' park models. I could see them having a problem with length or if the thing had a brick chimney on it, but doors?
My electrical plans are developing but I really do like the idea of a residential refrigerator. It certainly would give a "homely" feel to things.
Yes, I did account for the placement of the furnace, hot water heater, water pump, etc.... I want to use most of the under sink counter space for that (that is why there are no doors in most of that space....just an access panel.)
Thanks again Jack!
bjoyce said
01:37 AM Mar 21, 2013
Your under sink counter space comment made me think about a lunch time discussion today with another RVer about filtered versus Reverse Osmosis (RO) water. Filters won't remove salts and iodine, for that you need an RO system. The person I was talking to had no room to install an under sink RO system, but found they wanted one. Mainly I was think about having a bit of room here and there for surprises like an RO system you didn't know you needed/wanted.
Jack Mayer said
05:54 PM Mar 21, 2013
I have become a big fan of RO systems. My next coach will have whole house RO and I will always run off the pump and store in the fresh water tank. Except when long-term boondocking. My current RO system is an under-sink system that feeds my residential fridge and a dispenser at the sink. That is all most people do.
kb0zke said
02:02 AM Mar 23, 2013
Two comments: 1. It still looks like your design is tail-heavy. To a certain extent that can be compensated for by the location of the axles, but that will make for a larger turning radius. A 27' trailer isn't all that small, so I'm guessing that you will actually be looking at a turning radius closer to that of a 30' trailer. That might make some places more difficult to use. 2. Making up that couch in to a bed each night and back into a couch each morning is going to get old quickly. Those things are also not as comfortable as a normal bed. I'm guessing that it won't be long before you start wanting a real bed. Of course, you may be quite a bit younger than me!
SnowGypsy said
10:58 PM Mar 25, 2013
We had a 24 foot travel trailer and I am just wondering with the floor being level over the wheels, how tall this unit will be? When I visualize it, short in length and tall in height, the balance seems off. Having had a variety of sizes of refrigerators in hot and cold climates while camping and having lived through power outages, my guess on that bag of ice is that it won't cut it. Keep in mind that ice boxes are generally small and better than a bag of ice is a block of ice. When using ice, it gets kind of muggy in there just like an ice chest and the freezer, if you have one will start to defrost. I'm also curious as to the size of your water heater. I'm guessing you'll have a ducted furnace and a/c? I don't like RV toilets so I don't have an opinion on that. Have you done anything with the lower level as far as tank location, etc.? Just wondering, kind of exciting isn't it? I worked at a manufacturer that did custom units and it was interesting to say the least on what people wanted and trying to see it put together into the final product.
Hi all and thanks to all of you that have given me your thoughts!
UPDATE....
Well, I’ve made a few small revisions on my custom travel trailer floor plan for better weight distribution and I added an additional foot in length...now 23' (and that made a big difference)
I’ve now been talking with builders! Yeah baby!!! In response to some of the issues raised on this forum here are some things I’ve learned;
- The walking floor starts above the wheel wells so their location is irrelevant to the floor plan... meaning you don’t have to position cabinets over them as you start out with a clean flat floor over them.
- They can build them up to 8' floor to ceiling interior heights and 8 ½ feet in exterior width.
- Glass/screen slider doors are now one of the most request custom items and I’m going with it.
Your thoughts....
1) Since this is a custom built trailer I am thinking about going with a 10 cu foot residential style refrigerator instead of the standard Dometic/Norcold etc. In doing so I would be spending 1/3 the price, getting more space, more of a residential feel to it and unlike my last rv refrigerator I think it will actually keep my stuff cold. Now I know there are some issues like I will have to forfeit the DC/propane connection when I’m not hooked up, but I am thinking maybe I could just use a bag of ice in the salad bin (didn’t they use ice boxes before modern refrigeration?)...and I know a residential refrigerator does not lock closed, but I found that installing a child proof lock will be just as good) Does anyone have any opinion as to going this route?
2) What is a good rv toilet.... non-electric, quiet flush, ceramic, residential style, low maintenance? I am thinking of the Thetford Aria Classic.
3) I have a choice to have this built out of a wood frame or an aluminum frame.... I know aluminum is lighter, but is there really a difference once the walls are on it?
4) I have a choice as to an electric awning or a manual awning..... I initially thought I’d go with the electric (I like the idea of some that don’t have the support struts on the side), but I have read quite a few complains online about electric models. Do they make a manual "strutless" awning?
oh, here is my revised floor plan...
There is not much clothes storage. But I'm not familiar with your intended purpose so it may not matter.
A 36" shower "box" is small for me - 39" is far more comfortable. It may work fine for you.
The residential refrigerator is viable even boondocking if you have an inverter and a battery bank of any size. Solar can easily support it. You do not detail your electrical system plans so that may be covered.
There are components that take out from you storage space. Like the furnace, the hot water heater, etc. I assume you have accounted for them in your cabinet layout? It can make a big difference in a small RV.
Great input Jack! (You are a thinking man and I like that...and you're fast...I just posted that too).... Pam
As for storage... well, there are quite a few overhead cabinets, a small hanging closet and a full truck bed. In addition the builders have told me that they can build these things with basement storage (about the height of a fresh water tank).... so I’m loaded with storage....more than I’ve ever had....I’m going to have lots of empty cabinets for sure.
Sliding door denoting a "park model"???..... are there really parks out there like that? I don’t even know if they make 23' park models. I could see them having a problem with length or if the thing had a brick chimney on it, but doors?
My electrical plans are developing but I really do like the idea of a residential refrigerator. It certainly would give a "homely" feel to things.
Yes, I did account for the placement of the furnace, hot water heater, water pump, etc.... I want to use most of the under sink counter space for that (that is why there are no doors in most of that space....just an access panel.)
Thanks again Jack!
1. It still looks like your design is tail-heavy. To a certain extent that can be compensated for by the location of the axles, but that will make for a larger turning radius. A 27' trailer isn't all that small, so I'm guessing that you will actually be looking at a turning radius closer to that of a 30' trailer. That might make some places more difficult to use.
2. Making up that couch in to a bed each night and back into a couch each morning is going to get old quickly. Those things are also not as comfortable as a normal bed. I'm guessing that it won't be long before you start wanting a real bed. Of course, you may be quite a bit younger than me!