Quote:
Originally Posted by BrucePerens
External steps set into below-floor area rather than hanging from bottom of trailer. One or two internal steps built in at door.
Shells overlap the below-floor area when closed.
AC, tanks, batteries, heaters, wheel wells, plumbing, spare tire, wiring, gas piping, converter, solar controller, torsion bars, water fills and valves all in below-floor area and fully enclosed except for necessary ports to outside.
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All the 'below floor' ideas will basically increase the overall height of the trailer by at least 1', quite possibly 2', or, be some combination of decreasing the available height of interior cabinets, etc on lower half and increasing overall height of trailer. Bottom line is, opened up, you will have an increase in height, and when closed, that increase has to be absorbed somewhere. My parents had a travel trailer that was what the industry called a 'basement model' - meaning all that stuff you mentioned, was below floor level. The 'basement' was 2' high. Gave you lots of actual usable cabinet space inside, since holding tanks, etc, were subfloor, and plenty of external access storage areas as well (and face it, no one wants external storage areas that are only 1' tall, hence the reason I think it would have to be 2' tall). But man, that trailer was honking HUGE. In a TM, that increased height would then mess with the wind resistance, and add weight to the trailer as well.