I would personally check with whatever agency handles permitting in your area to make sure it's legal. I would bet the drum/drainfield approach would work in your scenario but it could cause you some problems in the future. Septic permits can be easy or very difficult depending on where you're at.
Once the system is in just be careful about what goes into it (no feminine products, baby wipes, excessive garbage disposal waste, etc) and pump it periodically. Do that and they're generally pretty trouble free. The system at my house is over 25 years old and still works fine.