Roll-Off Camper For Small Trailer

[chips ahoy]

Gents,  I decided on an alternate plan.  I am getting old, 68 years young, but starting to feel my age.  So I Googled "Cargo Trailers", And found one that is only 500#.  It is 4x6, but has a pointed nose, so it is actually nearly 80 inches of interior length in the middle.  It is only $1600.  I will be asking the dealer if putting in a side door, and adding a roof ceiling fan is possible, as well as customizing the interior with cupboards and other things to make it at least livable for a basic camper.  The nice thing about this trailer is it is pretty tall, so there should be plenty of room along the top area for cupboards.  Of course, I need to learn how to make nice cupboards and drawers that are also light weight.  That will be where I have to ask help from all of you.

 I think this is the better way to go.  It eliminates my trashing a lot of wood because of my inexperience in wood working.  I usually have to go through two to three tries before I finally come up with something that looks halfway decent, and that can be expensive.

At least this trailer can be towed with my little SUV, if I can keep the weight down below 860#'s

Thanks for your suggestions.  It got me thinking more rationally.  CaleyAnn

See if you can contact Msnomer here on the forum.She built a van camper for herself and husband.She may be able to offer you so good advice about cabinets.She built her own.Very talented lady.

Mel

[tnff]

Since you mentioned a conversion of a small cargo box trailer, you might want to check out some of the already manufactured ones at a trailer or RV dealer.  I've seen some that are just what you describe, basically a small cargo box with flip up bed, some cabinets, and vents already installed.  Not a true RV in that sense of the word, but a bit more than just a box.

[Lynden]

The nice thing about this trailer is it is pretty tall, so there should be plenty of room along the top area for cupboards.  Of course, I need to learn how to make nice cupboards and drawers that are also light weight.  That will be where I have to ask help from all of you.

If weight is a concern, you can build your interior cabinets with foam.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ucf2FVIdr1Q

https://www.youtube.com/results?search_q...d+cabinets

[TDKPE]

I keep hearing about Harbor Frieght trailers, but when I go online to their site, they do not have them listed.

They do some weird stuff sometimes over at HF.  Items disappear for a while, then come back, often listed double, with two different stock numbers.  I suspect they'll be back, and when there's a coupon, they can be pretty cheap.  I wouldn't be surprised if they're in stock in some stores.

But there are other sources for exactly the same thing, likely stamped out on the same line in the same factory in China.  Like the Northern Tool trailers.

5' x 8' non-folding, for extra room.  https://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/..._200612541

4' x 8' folding.  https://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/..._200612544

4' x 8' folding aluminium.  https://www.amazon.com/Ultra-Tow-Folding...B071XZ2ZCY

Put some larger wheel and tires on it for long distance work.  I would also take a leaf or two out of the leaf spring stacks, to soften the ride up a bit, since you're not looking to carry heavy cargo.

[MsNomer]

Most of the conversion process, with photos, can be found here--a kind soul was able to save my primary threads on the Promaster forum.

https://msnomer.neocities.org/msnomer/hi...adise.html

My heater install is here:

https://msnomer.neocities.org/msnomer/we...stall.html

I am almost finished with a website on which I collect all my threads associated with the build. The problem is that I spend so much time enjoying the van that there's little time for much else.

Certainly, I'm open to any questions.

[photobug]

If you have an SUV, I would look for a used trailer.  I bought a nice older 19 foot travel trailer for around a grand, fixed a few things on it and sold it for more than I had into it.  While teardrop's are cool they are also sought after, and probably go for a premium.

An older 14-16 foot travel trailer would be your best bang for your buck.  For a few grand you can get a bed, bath and kitchen ready to go.

You can look on RVtrader.com or on Craigslist.  It would be a lot less work fixing up a well designed trailer needing a little work than building something from scratch.

[CaleyAnn]

photobug,  I have a 2001 Honda CRV, with the smallest engine.  Technically it wasn't designed to tow anything, but I got U-Haul to install a trailer hitch so I could make my move from California to Florida.  I hauled the U-Hauls biggest single axle trailer fully loaded, but only averaged about 50mph due to the load, and my fear of losing control of the load.  I eventually moved back to California with the same setup.  But that was when my car was only a few years old.  It is now 16 years old, and doesn't like a lot of weight behind it when going up hill.  Therefore, any trailer over 8 feet and over 860 pounds will not work.  I need a few hundred pounds of weight to include as cargo for no more than 860 pounds which a friend told me was just about how much my car could handle

 I would love a bigger travel trailer, but right now I am paying off debt like my mortgage and credit card.  This is first priority before a new vehicle, or fancy trailer

 So I am stuck with trying to modify a trailer that will fit my specs, or just build a roll-off box for my little Snowbear utility trailer.  If I had my druthers, I would buy a used 18-20 foot motor home camper, or if I could find one, a Toyota cab-over camper truck.  I missed out on a Toiyota by 3 days for $2500 when my friend told me about it.  But I live in southern California, and all the lists I have looked at have had such things, but they get snapped up so quickly, it makes your head spin.

 Anyway, back to wood type stuff, like finishing the inside of a enclosed trailer.  If I do buy one this Tuesday, I will come back for advice, and lots of questions. I've getting what they call "Gold Fever".  Digging for gold is fun, and if I work hard, I can get about 1/4 ounce in about a week of the powder type stuff that the old timers weren't interested in.  So a camper is a must.  Motels cost an average of $50 per day, which basically kills whatever money I would get from the mined gold.  CaleyAnn

[windfalla]

Just another way to go:
http://www.clcboats.com/shop/boats/recre...ml#faqshaq

[CaleyAnn]

Windfalla,  That is one beautiful work of art.  Unfortunately I live in the high desert of southern California, and I do not have a garage or a carport.  That woodwork would deteriorate in just a year or two regardless of what I did to preserve it.

I am beginning to wonder if this trailer is actually big enough inside for my purpose.  The interior dimensions are only 84"L x 41"W x 48"H.  So there's not a lot of room to work with when it comes to a raised bed that can have some storage beneath it.  And I really wonder if I can somehow fit some 12x12 cupboards along the top on one side.  The weight is ideal for my little Honda CRV at just 460 pounds, but I am beginning to think I need to try a trailer that is one size larger, 5x8.  Or maybe I just need to hope I can build something.  

My carpentry skills are pretty bad.  I just attempted to do mortises and tenons, and it was an extreme failure.  My mortises I tried to drill and then chisel out, but I still had crooked sides even with the fact I used a jig on the drill press to make the initial holes.  For some reason the drill bit still wandered.  It could have been that I tried to use a 1/2 inch diameter drill bit to create the holes, and then try to cut out the material between the holes with that same bit.  I just don't have the experience on how to use these big power tools.

I have similar problems using my band saw with the 1/8 inch deep saw blade.  I try cutting a straight line in wood, but the blade seems to wander.  Knowing how things are, the blade probably was not deep enough for cutting like that.  My drill press only takes 1/8 thru 3/8 inch blades.  So I have a very steep learning curve right now.  So right now I am doubting that I have the ability to actually build something like this.  CaleyAnn

[CaleyAnn]

I did a little more research on my cars trailer towing capacity, and apparently my friend was wrong. I can actually go up to 1300 pounds according to a chart I found on an Australian website. I also discovered that the dealership I am going to visit has a 5x8 trailer with a side door that runs only 700 pounds, which gives me a few hundred pounds to play with.

I also looked at YouTube videos of this size trailer, and the conversions some people did. I was totally floored what people created inside of these boxes. One person had a bed that folds up to the side. Attached to the bottom of the bed was a fold out table. I think a modification could be done to have that fold up bed so that it rests on a bench on the opposite wall. The bench would contain storage underneath.

Anyway, this bigger trailer is more doable. Tomorrow is the big day to make that decision, once I see what is available at the dealership. CaleyAnn