Here's our home for a little while! (and our weekend camper forever!)
Link to tour with video walk-through!
It is difficult to find a reasonable camper that sleeps nine people. We didn't want to pull a massive house on wheels, so we decided to build our own.
We had a short list of requirements:
- permanent beds for 7 kids
- individual storage space for 9 people's clothes and travel items
- storage for food and cooking supplies
- as small and light as possible
- heat and a/c to extend our camping and visiting season
- permanent work space for J
With those goals, we purchased a 24 ft cargo trailer. We had hoped to have 6.5-7 ft ceilings, but craigslist options are limited, so our interior height is right at 6 ft.
The kids' beds were the priority. Anyone who has traveled with small children understands the importance of consistency in bedtime. They each needed a place that was theirs, where every night they could sleep with their "special sleeping things" in their safe, familiar bunk. (Honestly, this was for us as parents! Simple bed time is a blessing to the whole family).
Each bunk has a storage loft above the foot end of the bed and is tall enough for an adult to sit up comfortably. They are standard twin bed length (75") and cot size width (30"). I had to custom size Ikea mattresses to fit, which meant that 9 mattress covers had to be disassembled, cut, and re-sewn to the right size. Some of the kids had a lot of practice with the seam ripper!
The hope is that the kids can use their bunks for reading, drawing, some schoolwork, and simply a private retreat when they need some time alone. The storage loft holds baskets for their clothes and traveling items. Some have filled them with stuffed animals, others with painting supplies or drawing pencils and paper.
We built a pull-out sofa/queen bed for J and me. Underneath the bed is the electrical system for the whole camper. J learned a ton about ac/dc camper electrical circuits. Everything works great!!
Our first camping expedition was a great success. We only had battery lights, but the kids slept great and we learned what we still needed to add.
We started work on a kitchen and pantry area in the back. We purchased a 12 v fridge cooler and installed it on drawer slides. J built a custom pull out pantry with shelves and added drawers below for food storage.
Everyone has ONE cup. They can hold warm drinks, have lids and straws, and have a specific shelf where they are stored.
I spent so many hours with my sewing machines. Each of the kids' bunks was fitted with custom, extra thick curtains to give them privacy and finish out the bunks.
We have a small port-a-potty we keep in the back, and a portable shower we can use if we really need it. However, the plan is to mostly use campground facilities.
The back tailgate folds out to make the outdoor kitchen! We cook and wash dishes out here. The door at the back opens into the indoor kitchen.
Heating and cooling are done with a min-split we (brother-in-law Jess) mounted to the tongue. With a bit of help from my father, we got it all hooked up and running. It keeps us warm in 15 degree temps!
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