Size Matters

When I first saw my trailer I was amazed how every inch of space was so completely used. Mine is laid out to sleep eight people in a eight foot by thirty foot box. The beds are four bunk beds, a fold-down sofa, a convertible dining table and a queen sized bed in the front. The bath room is only slightly larger than an airplane lavatory, with a small shower added. The ceiling is so low that my head goes up into the skylight when I use it. It took a few tries to learn how to use it.

The kitchen is a marvel of cramming five pounds into a two pound bag. There is a miniature three burner propane stove, a microwave oven, small two compartment sink and about one foot of counter space. There is hardly enough room to put a small coffee pot on the "counter".

Our trailer (kindof)
Image borrowed from Scamper.com
(I hope they don't mind)

Trying to find a place to put the stuff necessary to carry on a reasonable facsimile of a normal life into these confined spaces is a challenge. There is no closet or dresser, only two small wardrobe cabinets and couple of shelves (one with a hinged door). There is also considerable "hidden" storage, under the dining benches, under the beds and some "outside" storage, accessible only by going outside.

FEMA helped out a lot by providing a number of essential items. I got for tiny pillows (these must be the surplus airline pillows recently removed for the planes), two very thin cotton blankets, four pairs of flat sheets (none large enough for the queen sized bed), a stack of small towels and a box of fifty pre-moistened towelettes. The kitchen was similarly well equipped, I got six large plastic cups, six sets of plastic eating utensils and a genuine Coleman camping cooking set.