Hello Friends! Welcome to part 3 of the Considerations for Buying a Trailer series. If you are new, I would recommend starting at the introduction post here, and be sure to check out parts 1 and 2 where we looked at why you want to purchase a trailer and the size of trailer that would be best suited to your needs.
This week I want you to think about the features that you want, and don’t want, included in your new trailer. Sort the list into non-negotiables, deal breakers, and maybes – both for things that you want and don’t want. For instance, if you can live without a multimedia system, but wouldn’t despise having it, this would go onto a list of maybes, or things that you are on the fence about. It wouldn’t stop you from buying a trailer, but if it wasn’t there you wouldn’t be upset.
The below list of features to consider is in no ways exhaustive, and it is in no particular order. These are the main things that I have come up with in terms of things that are worth considering, but I think that there are most likely things that would be important to you that I have not considered below.
1. Permanent vs non-permanent beds
The bigger the trailer, the less likely you are to have non-permanent beds. Conversely, you are more likely to have non-permanent beds, or convertible beds, in smaller trailers. One type of convertible bed is a gaucho bed.
A gaucho bed is like a sofa bed, but when you put the bed away, the bed itself becomes the couch. I wasn’t sure about this idea until I saw it in action and considered the benefits. If you don’t need the couch, or the extra space, you can easily leave this bed out permanently. But if it is cold or rainy out you can put fold up the bed and have a nice couch and sitting area inside your trailer. This can make a huge difference for smaller trailers without the disadvantage of your primary bed also being your primary table.
Other non-permanent bed options include tables that convert to beds, or cupboards that convert into bunks. Tables that convert into bunks may not be ideal for your regular camping experience if you plan on eating indoors regularly. But if this doesn’t bother you, or if you plan on eating outside of your trailer, they are a great option for adding extra beds to a small trailer, or to accommodate guests.
2. Fridge Size
The first question you should ask is if you want a fridge. While most large trailers will have a fridge by default, some smaller trailers may not, so the fridge question could dictate your trailer size to a certain extent.
In our case, the fridge was something we decided to up size. We’ll lose a small amount of cupboard space, but we’ll get a lot of fridge space, and a good sized freezer. After years of dealing with coolers, and a small fridge, we decided that the large fridge, and the ability to carry frozen foods, was important to us.
3. Storage Space
You may think “the more storage space the better,” but this is not necessarily true. The more storage space you have, the more likely you are to fill it, which adds extra weight to your trailer. You may also pack a lot of extra stuff that you don’t need. So make sure you balance these considerations when you think about how much storage space you need.
That being said, good storage solutions can make all the difference to your camping experience. Look for storage that will meet your needs without being cumbersome. And look for how the available space is used. Some things to consider – do you have at least one outdoor access for tools? Do you have/need somewhere that you can hang clothing or jackets? Do you have a drawer for cutlery, or a cupboard where you can add a pull out cutlery tray?
4. Winterization
This may not be applicable to you, but if you live somewhere with winter weather, it is very important. Not only do you need to make sure that you know how to winterize the plumbing, but you also need to know how many outside access areas or gaps you need to block up. The last thing you want is to open up your trailer in the spring to find that a family of squirrels has made it their winter home. Other things to consider are places where moisture might enter your trailer (you want to avoid mold), and whether you need to cover the trailer in the winter.
5. Indoor Cooking
Do you plan to cook inside your trailer or are you going to exclusively cook outside? I would recommend you think about this with a long term eye. It can be a great advantage to have the ability to cook inside your trailer, even if you rarely use it. Consider those cold, rainy days or weeks and how nice it would be to be able to prepare a warm meal from the comfort of your warm, dry trailer.
You should also think about the type of cooking that you want to do. Do you need a stove only? What about a microwave or an oven? If you have the option to customize though, don’t just go with a bigger stove or oven because it seems like a good idea. If you aren’t going to use it, an oven will just be wasted space.
6. Power and Water
Do you want electricity and/or water in your trailer? If you are just looking for something to get you out of a tent, you may be fine with a trailer that doesn’t include water or hydro, but again, try to think long term. In terms of electricity – even if you don’t go with anything fancy, it can be very useful to have electric lights in your trailer. Your water consideration will be linked with whether you want washroom facilities, and whether you want the added maintenance of plumbing, but the advantages may be worth the extra work.
If you plan on doing off grid camping, it might be worth it to consider a solar panel system to allow you to still have electricity while on non-electric campsites.
7. Bathroom Facilities
If you don’t want to deal with plumbing, then you won’t be able to have bathroom facilities unless you use a porta-potty type situation. For us, a toilet was a non-negotiable in a new trailer. Even if we continue to use the park facilities, there is something to be said for not needing to leave your trailer first thing in the morning or last thing before bed… not to mention the middle of the night! For us, the extra work was worth it.
Also consider whether you want a shower. At first we didn’t want the extra hassle of a shower when we were content with the park showers. But the more we thought about it, not only can park showers be less than enjoyable, but with the current situation, there is a chance that shower facilities could be closed. Even if we rarely use it, opting for a shower gives us greater flexibility.
8. Heating and cooling
If it’s generally hot in the places where you plan to spend your time, then you may not even consider a heater, but you may consider an air conditioner to be essential. Even if you plan to camp in areas that can get cool, heat may not be high on your list if you don’t mind adding extra blankets, and plan to camp exclusively in the summer. Think about what will work best for your type of camping, and what will make you the most comfortable.
In our case, a heater was non-negotiable, but we weren’t fussed on an air conditioner as long as we had good ventilation. It can get cool in the evenings where we camp, and having a heater can make all the difference to our camping enjoyment, especially if it’s a whole week of damp and rain. We also wanted the option to be able to camp in more seasons.
9. Spending time indoors
How much indoor space and seating do you need? We wanted to ensure that we had sufficient space and seating to be comfortable eating indoors or spending a few days indoors during inclement weather or at colder times of year. During good weather we spend quite a bit of time outdoors or in our dining tent. Because of this, we didn’t need as much indoor living space. If you plan to spend more time in your trailer, make sure that you have enough space to accommodate that.
Our trailer has a gaucho bed that will probably stay down most of the time and a table, that can convert to a bed, but will mostly stay in table position. Based on how we camp, we know that this will work for our needs and will give us the comfort of spending time indoors on those less than perfect days.
10. Multimedia and extras
Multimedia features are generally options or add-ons, so if you don’t want any of these features you should be able to avoid them, but consider them if they could add to your camping experience. Features include anything from integrated radios and sound systems to televisions with DVD or Blu—ray players. There are probably even more features that I haven’t considered.
Music is essential when we camp, so we opted into a built in sound system with a bluetooth radio, but elected not to get a television system. We also discovered a number of extras along the way (such as reading lights in the bed area) that will add to our camping experience but weren’t part of our initial research – so it is always good to be open to those.
These are just 10 features considerations that I considered while looking at trailers, and I think that they are worth considering for most people looking to purchase a trailer. Are there any features that you would add to this list? What features do you consider absolutely essential in a trailer? Let me know in the comments!
Until Next Time,
