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Peanut_13's avatar
Peanut_13
Explorer
Mar 26, 2021

Travel Trailer Floor Plans

Hi all! Have been loving our 19' Travelaire for many many years but now would like to get one just a bit bigger (yes, 2ft-itus has set in along with arthritis so we need a little less crawling about!). The problem is I am finding I am very picky about certain layouts (the way I want it to be, that makes perfect sense, doesn't seem to exist except rarely, and not all in the same unit lol!) So I guess this post is directed at any RV manufacturers/layout designers who might be reading! Couple BIG pet peeves here and maybe some other campers might feel the same! I also wonder if anyone has seen a unit with all these things I'm looking for and can tell me the brand name etc!

1. This one is an absolute deal breaker for me. First thing I look at when I am trailer shopping. Please don't put the toilet as the visual when the bathroom door is open. I have seen ones where the toilet is hidden over to the side behind the wall so not visible when the door is open and the nice vanity is what you see. It's nice to be able to have the door open for the feeling of a little more space. That to me makes sense - it's just good feng shui in my mind to not have the toilet as the focal point! It can done! We all know it's in there somewhere and won't take much effort to find it so it doesn't need to be "on display".

2. Please situate the kitchen window/work area/sink on the same side as the entry door to the trailer. I like to be able to still see and engage with my family/friends when I'm slaving away making deliciousness, not have my back to them. Also, it's creepy if you are at the trailer alone working in the kitchen to not be able to see who might be coming up to the door as they approach.

3. I need less sink more counter space! Since I won't be bathing in it so I don't need a giant wide double that leaves me 2" of useable counter space - a smaller double sink/more counter would be ticketyboo please!

4. This one is trickier....how to get an actual "walk-around" bed, not a "scoot halfway down before you can get out" bed. I know it is to give room for the outside storage but it's getting a little silly in the newer trailers - that storage hump starts halfway down the bed so making it and getting out is a bit of a challenge. Again, I HAVE seen ones with much shorter storage humps that still left tons of room for outside storage so it can be done!

Anyone else have any of these same peeves? What are some of yours? Wouldn't it be great if you could just go in and order your trailer to suit you? Well I suppose you can if you have your own Franklin Mint out back!

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  • Lynnmor's avatar
    Lynnmor
    Explorer
    Mar 26, 2021
    Most of what you want are rather easy modifications, just buy a door side kitchen model and rip into it. Hide the toilet with a curtain or divider, replace the countertop and install the small sink, now just eliminate some storage by eliminating the areas that intrude too much. All of this is basic carpentry skills and basic materials. I've done much more than that to customize and improve mine.

    You should be looking at important things like tire and wheel sizes, carrying capacity and structure. The thing is of little use if it is barely roadworthy. Try to eliminate the marginal trailers and only then pick and choose from the few that are left.
  • Peanut_13's avatar
    Peanut_13
    Explorer
    Mar 26, 2021
    okeydokey - thought this might be a friendly site with a bit of a sense of humour AND maybe a couple of suggested options for trailers that might have the some or all of the floorplan ideas I'm looking for but apparently not!

    Big thank you "jdc1" for trying to help - I will check out Forest River! Happy camping to you!
  • trailernovice's avatar
    trailernovice
    Explorer
    Mar 26, 2021
    ok....now you've opened the can of *&^%$ with the 'what are YOUR pet peeves' issues...mine:
    --something in my trailer will eventually fail...i'm not happy about this, and wish the manufacturers would ensure no failures, ever...they WOULD, if only they cared about customers...but they're greedy....which, to me, is wrong, even though they're in business to make a profit

    --it's not as big and comfortable as my house...they should make one that IS as big and comfortable as my house...that would be road legal...and light enough to pull behind the truck I've already got

    --the entry has steps....it's not as if I belong in a trailer park

    --ours doesn't have a garage...and even the toy haulers (except the semi-truck type) don't have a garage big enough to fit my truck and my motorcycles into

    --Because of the limited kitchen counter space, I can't have a coffee maker and a popcorn popper and a toaster oven and a toaster and an electric can opener all out at the same time

    --it only has two kitchen drawers....which means, as horrifying as this sounds, we have to mix up the 'big' utensils (grilling utensils) with charcoal lights, and spare batteries, and flashlights, and other misc. 'stuff', all in one drawer instead of having separate drawers for everything

    I could go on and on...but you get the idea
  • Gdetrailer's avatar
    Gdetrailer
    Explorer III
    Mar 26, 2021
    Peanut#13 wrote:


    Anyone else have any of these same peeves? What are some of yours? Wouldn't it be great if you could just go in and order your trailer to suit you? Well I suppose you can if you have your own Franklin Mint out back!


    Your being a bit over picky about the little things in life.

    All of your peaves basically are because it is a RV and as such there WILL be quite a few sacrifices or compromises in layout, placement, materials, craftmanship, colors, curtains, countertops, showers, toilets and comfort..

    No one is forcing you to camp in a RV.

    If you don't like what you see, pass and move on, otherwise try building one the way you like yourself.. Odds are you will find it difficult and very expensive to manufacture it the way you want. There are not many "one off" custom RV builders and the ones that do exist are not cheap.

    Myself, I am over the layout thing, I buy and I use it, since I buy used RVs, I have very little choice in what I get and adapt.. Basically the RV is nothing more than a shelter for sleeping, eating and getting out of the rain.. Otherwise I am outside enjoying life instead of suffering over the fact that my toilet sits in plain view when the door is open.
  • valhalla360's avatar
    valhalla360
    Navigator
    Mar 26, 2021
    In a 19ft trailer, there is only so much space to work with. As you get bigger, it's easier to accommodate.

    Our old 27ft Sunnybrook met all those (plus a big sink which I don't agree with eliminating). But as indicated, that's about 1/3 larger.

    1)Honestly don't care if I can see in the bathroom or what I see (as long as no one is sitting there doing their business.
    2) Lots of units have a passenger side kitchen. It's probably the most common layout.
    3) It's a trade off, particularly in small trailers. We have a cutting board that covers part of the sink, that way we can wash a big pasta pot or get more counter space depending on what we need at the moment and it still leaves part of the sink open when in place. Some smaller trailers have switched to a 2 burner stove to open up counter space but then you lose the oven.
    4) Our current Gray Wolf 22RR has a walk around bed. I would prefer an extra foot at the base but we were purposely downsizing.

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