Here were my high level criteria. I decided that my travel trailer should be:
- A pleasure to tow, functional, simple, stylish and durable.
- Equipped with a comfortable bed, a place to store and prepare food, a place to eat and an emergency toilet.
- Able to sleep 2 adults and 2 large dogs. (Which probably equals 1 more adult)
- Inexpensive – less than $5,000
The only trailers on the market that come close to meeting these criteria are USED popup trailers (any trailer that requires setup) and teardrop trailers. Let’s discuss the disadvantages of each that kept me from buying (or building) either one of them.
Pop up trailer
Popup trailers are not very simple (at least not “open-the-door-and-step-in” simple). Their required set up makes them very inconvenient to use until you reach a destination. Their folding doors, zipper windows, canvas walls, and roof mechanism all provide points of failure. So durability can be an issue. No one is ever going to comment about how nice your popup looks. They simply aren’t stylish inside or outside. They are also surprisingly heavy.
Teardrop trailer
Teardrop trailers lack standing room which can become an issue if the weather is bad for a couple of days. There is no place for a toilet. The galley is outside (the rear hatch lifts up) so rain or wind can make fixing even a sandwich problematic. The dogs would have to sleep in the bed with you and there is no dinette (unless you are willing to eat in bed).
Vintage Canned Ham Trailer
As I researched, it became clear that what I wanted was a modern version of the canned ham trailer. I like the style and layouts from the vintage trailers but I wanted one that was even lighter and sparer in amenities. I began to look at layouts and distill the list of essential features to the minimum.