Coyotetrips DIY Squaredrop Camping Trailer Build

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galley of the camping trailer
Take your time to design the galley (kitchen) of your camping trailer. It's the place where you and/or your partner will spend a lot of time cooking meals. We decided that we didn't need a permanent sink with faucet and pump, but would rather use a collapsible sink and then have more counter space. By having a portable stove and sink, it allows us to move out to a picnic table to cook and clean, something my wife prefers when the weather is dry.
galley of the camping trailer
galley of the camping trailer
There were of course some design restraints. On the right side I had the slide out for the cooler, which created a higher counter than I would have wanted. On the left side is the electric cabinet with the battery. Between battery and cooler I had a little space left, which I used for a small but deep drawer for pots and pans. I put a lid on this drawer, which created a place to put our stove. For the galley shelving of the camper I measured storage boxes, our camping stove and water canister to determine the length, height and depth of the shelves. galley of the camping trailer
galley of the camping trailer
We are very happy with the galley, but you may have different needs or expectations. One thing is for sure, plan on more storage than you think you'll need, because you will fill it up.
I have angled the LED lights for the galley at 45 degrees into the galley. This way they don't blind you at night, but rather light up the shelves and cooking space nicely.
For the handles of the drawer and the battery and cooler doors I used simple lockable flush pulls.
galley (kitchen) of the camping trailer
installing trim on the camper
To protect the corners of the camper and to create a color accent I got 1"x1" aluminum angle for the bottom edges and 2"x2" galvanized roofing trim for the top edges. I painted them black to go with the black windows and door. To attach the trim I wanted to use black head screws but they are ridiculously expensive, so I got galvanized screws and spray painted them black. installing trim on the camper
installing the galley hatch on camping trailer
For the galley hatch I used 1/2" plywood, which I painted and then framed with aluminum U-channel.
As the hinge I used a aluminum hurricane hinge, which is supposed to be waterproof opened and closed. During heavy rains it has dripped when open though. It's sealed when closed.
To lock the hatch I used locking T-handles and locking cams. This setup securely locks the galley hatch.
As seal for the hatch and the home-made doors I used a P-shaped seal that has a large adhesive surface with a compressible O-shape as sealing surface.
installing the galley hatch on camping trailer
installing gas springs in camper
The gas springs for the galley hatch are essential in my opinion, but I've seen teardrop campers with a stick holding up the hatch, which works too. The drawing on the right shows my design of how to mount the gas springs, which works well with the selected gas spring. Feel free to copy and/or share it.
installing gas springs in camper
installing gas springs in camper
You can make this a science project and calculate for hours. Or you can use your best guess and buy different strength gas springs if you got it wrong. I'll provide a couple of formulas for your consideration - good luck.


As final touches to the camper I added stabilizers on all 4 corners and levels for easy leveling the camper.
installing gas springs in camper