Galley / Emergency Toilet / Shower cargo trailer needed!

[Ringer]

Has anyone ever built or designed a small cargo trailer that functions as galley/emergency toilet/shower area? My thought is to tow such a small unit ( 4x6 ? ) behind a midsized suv that can tow 1500 lbs. Think CR-V for bedroom and the cargo  trailer for most everything else. This size all aluminium cargo trailer should weigh around 500lbs plus the added items. I'm  looking for a design  that requires little effort to "set up" and use for the intended purposes while camping. When stealth camping in the city I think I can strap a chair or two on top and the public will simply think I'm  somewhere in the moving process.   Thank you in advance.

Notes: I have no interest in a teardrop design. Real plumbing is not wanted. Gravity works fine for me. I'm  a big believer in the KISS method.

 

[rvwandering]

Welcome to the CRVL forums Ringer! I can't recall any builds like that but it sounds like it would be easy to accomplish. A work table, portable stove and a few water containers for fresh and waste water as kitchen equipment. Large basin and conduit loop with curtain for the shower. And a bucket. The only problems I see are a way to get rid of shower water and the height of the trailer may not allow you to stand up. I think you could incorporate many of the ideas used in more elaborate van and cargo trailer builds.

To help you learn the ins and outs of these forums, this "Tips & Tricks" post lists some helpful information to get you started. We look forward to hearing more from you.

 

[bullfrog]

We started out with a topper on our 4 cylinder Tacoma 4x4. Then we towed a 4x6 utility trailer behind our truck for a year or two using 8 yellow top 20"x30" totes to haul tent camping gear. Any trailer is going to decrease MPG of you vehicle. Next we decieded to enclose the cargo with a box large enough to sleep in as well as secure cargo so we went to a 6x10 trailer with a box 8' long by 80" wide by 6' tall. We had been using tents, pop up shelters and a cap on the back of the truck up to this point. This year we have added on 4' to the lenght of the box to include a shower and C-Head toliet. The box is now being mounted on a 24' trailer that will haul a small 4x4 (Samurai) and be towed by a 3/4 ton Suburban. In the begining I had thought like you of a small bathroom/ shower trailer but any trailer whose profile is larger than the tow vehicle and has an on board water system is really gonna affect you MPG and any trailer will limit where you can camp. Less is more lots of times and a two room pop up shelter works pretty good if you are living out of the vehicle. Maybe consider a hitch rack/ box with a surround rather than a trailer?

 

[Ringer]

Thank you both for replying.   I really find it hard to believe that no one has a posted an actual finished product or at least provided a previously well thought out design. Because of what I  believe to be poor build quality  in the new style vans combined with poor gas milage of any  big van available in the USA,  a small "support" cargo trailer is my only option. I envision a drop floor or floor hatch  combined with an elavating roof portion obove to give me stand up shower / changing room. A slide out galley with Colman stove / 10 lb propane tank and simple water works should be enough for the intended purpose. Mounts for attaching a tarp over the galley would provide shade / rain protection  while in the woods or campground. For extended travel city use I  could pay a storage fee and park it and still have access when needed.  A Honda or equivalent quality vehicle would provide comfortable  stealth urban camping options ( with dedicated sleeping platform ) and relatively good gas milage when traveling. Assuming of course that the cargo trailer IS smaller than the tow vehicle while in motion. I think a  3.5' X 7' footprint would work well and provide extra storage. Keeping the overall height  at 4 to  5 ft while in motion hopefully won't affect MPG too badly. 

I understand this rig would have negatives. It won't go too far off road and would be less than ideal in bad weather. With the money I  would save from buying and building out and fuelling a big conversion van I  could buy  a lot  of state park campsites or the occasional weekly rate at a hotel. 

FYI, this design wood work well for weekend  campers as well as extended travelers. Not having to pack and unpack after might lead to more visits to the local campground. 

If any one knows of other websites that I could research that would be appreciated.

 

[user 15857]

If any one knows of other websites that I could research that would be appreciated.

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