7x14 enclosed trailer camper conversion build thread.

I could really use some help while I'm in the brainstorming process and if I'm being honest I'm trusting this community more than others to help me. There are some things that are confusing like do I make the back fold down door a deck with the bed right there or do I wall it off and use if as something else, if a deck should I build a door and windows into a wall right behind it or what are the pros and cons to that. Here's a basic list though and please let me know if you have thoughts on this:

Spring over axle conversion
4 camera security system
6,000 watt battery bank (already have)
21 gallon fresh water tanks x 2 (already have)
920 watts of solar (already have)
Midnite solar charge controller (already have)
1,500 watt 24v pure sine wave inverter x 2 (already have)
Instant tankless water heater (already have)
Full size mattress
2x3 Horse trough shower (already have)
Flame King 2 burner stove (already have)
Little Buddy heater for when I don't have shore power (already have)
24V 3 stage charger converter (already have)
24V to 12V step downs (already have)
Sink
28' monitor (already have)
Alarm I can switch on in the event I see people tampering via the cameras
Chest freezer to fridge conversion (already have)
Window AC unit mounted inside, I have an interesting idea for mounting/using this (already have)
14' roof vents x 2 (mounted under solar panels so they can be open in the rain)
4" roof insulation, 2" walls, and 3-4" in the floor
Propane tanks (mounted in an area with the ac unit back side and hot water heater)
SHURflo 3.5gpm 45psi water pump (already have)

Anyway, that's what I have for now but if you can think of any creature comforts or anything I'm missing I would love to hear. I'm going to take the next month to tweak this design and then get started on the actual build.

Thanks a lot for any help or thoughts on this!

 

You may consider spray foam insulation. For the back, I would put the "kitchen" back there. Designed so it can be accessed from inside the trailer or outside and turn the ramp into a deck. That would also provide an area to mount the window AC. Build it so there is a louvered opening in the ramp that seals to the back of the AC. Or build a sliding cover on the outside (and inside) that can cover the hole while driving in rain/dust and when the ramp/deck is down so you dont have an open hole.

 

Subd

 

So I figured I would update, it'll be slow going over the next 12 weeks but that's my time frame to get A LOT of this done including the roof rack for the solar, the flooring, insulation, the framing for the interior, wiring and at least get it functional if not complete. I bought the following aluminum, there's 300" feet of angle, six sheets of 5x10 diamond plate, and six sheets of 4x10 1/8th inch. I decided for the floors it would be cheapest and lightest to go with 1/8th and brace up the flooring in the areas I'm walking as 1/8th will be fine under places like the bed, sink and couch areas. I'm eventually going to do a wood flooring when I find a deal on some and this will give me a solid anchor point for the wood as well.

This is what 765 pounds and $1,147 in aluminum looks like. I'm SUPER happy I'll be all aluminum though so I'm sure I'm adding less weight than the OSB that was in it weighed.

The beat up trailer you see is a monster mess bolt together monstrosity some dude sold me long ago for $50, I found the fenders, welded all the seams on the thing, added the rail around the top from some scraps I had, put down expanded metal and have done nothing but tires and pack bearings on it for over a decade. I should sell it but it's basically worthless and it's served me well for a long time!



Here's the floor plan, I cut all the parts to scale and this was pretty much without question the best arrangement that allowed for easy plumbing and propane runs, storage, a functional living space and so on. I had many other ideas and if you're seeing something I may have missed I'd love to hear but this is the best I've come up with in months of trying.

 

Figured I would add this while I'm at it in case you've ever wondered what $540 in polyiso rigid foam board insulation looks like. I'm going to end with with R12 walls and floor with R15 in the roof and I calculated weights while I was at it, replacing the OSB walls and flooring with aluminum is a dead wash weight wise after I factor in the insulation and the fact that I'll be doing the ceiling in aluminum as well. If I'm comparing apples to apples it would be 600 with the OSB and 400 with the Aluminum which is a fairly huge savings. That said since I'm not hauling cars and such I'm going with thinner aluminum so there would be no actual weight savings if hauling toys or cars were required.

I did manage to find a dude to sell me a $500 Lowes card for $320 and I used a 10% off coupon so I'm pinching pennies on this one without compromising.

Oh and the lumber is for a deck I'm building, nothing to do with the trailer.

 

bump

 

Just to update a little, it's been hovering around 110 degrees here and that's taken some of the steam out of me. I've still been getting supplies, got my vents the other day and got some new solar panel, been doing a lot more research and building a shed, deck and some other things around the house. I have gotten some argon bottles, a tig welder, figured out how to supply a 12v battery bank with a charge from my 24v bank and so on but for now I'm waiting for some cooler weather before I dive in all the way. Also, wanting to buy a van to pull it with so I don't murder my Tacoma!

 

Any updates?

 

Thanks for checking in. I really haven't made much progress actually, I have all of the supplies to do this build ready to go but adjusted my goals. I was hoping to be on the road July 1st and if I'm being honest the heat got to me, it's amazing how unmotivating 110-115 degrees can be.

With that said I have a couple projects to wrap up and I'm going to dig in on it in a month or so when the temps cools some. I also ended up making friends with a REALLY good welder and machinist so the parts I was most intimidated by like structural aluminum welding I feel much more comfortable with. I am certainly not forgetting though.

 

I'm looking forward to see how this turns out. As I'm sure you are too. Hopefully things cool down and you can get some work done.

 

I just read through all of this thread just to get the the last post of @MO Tacoma then no response?? I was on the edge hoping to find pictures, step by steps and other goodies! Darn, @TucsonAZ I hope all is well and you have made some progress!

(No I don't own a Toyota, hope that's not an issue)

 

Trust me, nobody is more disappointed than you! Honestly, I have too many projects which I need to focus on selling off and with the trailer, I have basically featured funked myself into decision paralysis. I have EVERYTHING sitting here to complete this build and yet it's all just sitting here and now we're on year two of the monsoons and the heat. I have gotten a lot of projects down, I even got a tiny house shell with a loft built but this still sits in my drive waiting for me to start on it.

And sadly, I wanted to travel so desperately I started looking for a RV of some kind. Now I have this Lil Snoozy I'm going to have to sell before I can dig into the trailer. The Snoozy is actually amazing and they're pretty rare but well designed, all the same, it won't work for what I want to do so that's more time and energy not going into my project.

Are you working on something like this as well?

 

I love these types of builds. I wish I had the skills. Been obsessed ever since I saw a sweet bed setup on YouTube.
https://youtu.be/t6V8nzRNBfo

 

@TucsonAZ Almost a year since you last posted and you reply that quick!? Very nice.


Yes, I am working on something like this as well. It started out as a 2007 6x12, single axle, I5, drop door that I picked up for about $1500 (Market Value where I am is about $3000-$3500).

After getting that one I kept looking and was beating myself up for getting such a small trailer. I found another trailer on OfferUp. 2004 Tandem axle, 7x14 Cargo Mate, barn door (Market value $4000-$4500). I traded the trailer plus $1000. So I got the trailer for about $2500.


With that being said, I am now onto planning/demo/reconstruction. I am consulting a guy in my city who owns a RV repair shop. He has been there for the last 50 years or so and he father owned it before him. That is all he has done so I will be doing some things a little different than most because I will heed his advice.



2004 Tandem axle 7x14 (Barn doors, RV side door)


List, in order of what has been done so far (not much):

1. Pulled walls
2. Pulled Floors
3. Sanded rust
4. Sprayed rust area with sealant
5. Cut corrugated plastic to fit bottom of frame
6. Cut Reflectix to match corrugated plastic*
7. Used self-tapping screws to fasten corrugated plastic and Reflectix to bottom of frame/cross beams (Pain in the butt near axles (drilled top down on cross beams)) **
8. Bought 4 sheets of marine plywood (Cut 3 to size (Not perfect cuts)) ***
9. Trying to figure out the curve for the 4th sheet near the nose (Not a V nose)
10. Found out front top plastic piece of trailer had cracks
11. Found Water Damage on front wood
12. Ripped off front of trailer (Aluminum && Wood)
13. Sprayed rust sealant...again.

* - The guy that I am talking to said he has done many cargo trailers with just the corrugated plastic and Reflectix (With underbelly spray to seal) and it has held up far better than using actual insulation or blue boards (I thinks that is what they are called.)

** - Going to do this same thing on the walls and ceiling. He has built many trailers and every other trailer with actual insulation pales in comparison. He compared 2 trailers, one with full insulation and one with just reflectix. Full insulation was freezing by morning while reflectix was at internal temp of about 42 degrees.

*** - He said to go with this instead of buying plywood and sealing


Now I am at the point of installing electrical while the trailer is torn apart. This guy is also a certified electrician . I should have the quote by tomorrow (8/9/19).


I would like to use this trailer to travel around the US with my wife, service dog and sometimes daughter. However, this is not the final trailer. I am building this trailer as a test to see what I like, dislike and would change. Then ill custom order the size that I want and do another build.


What I want to be able to do with the trailer:

• Take off and be able to live off grid if need be

What I currently have for the trailer:

• Husky 5000W (6250 peak) generator with Subaru motor
• New vents
• New RV door latch
• Battery kill switch
• 12v warm white recessed lights
• 12v air mattress that pumps itself and deflates itself
• Windows
• Fridge (110) I bought for my theater room but may use in trailer

The following is a jumbled list of what I want for the trailer:

• Solar
• Deep cell marine batteries
• Power Center
• Platform for generator/Batteries/Propane
• Tankless water heater (Shower and sink)
• Sink
• Microwave
• AC (Mounted on top)
• Fridge is their is a better option for me
• Self-Contained toilet
• Outside/or inside shower
• External power outlets
• Water tanks
• Switches for powered items
• Cabinets
• Lifting/fold up bed
• A design for the trailer (I have no clue how I’m going to do it! 18" garage in back to store stuff and mount electrical? no clue)
• Latches to hand stuff

That’s all I can think of now


Wow, well I have rambled for a while. Not sure if that’s ok on here or not but that's what I’m up to. I would like to have it all completed by September. Maybe I’ll start a thread and post some picture or video? (I have some on my phone and GoPro)

 

All sounds like good stuff and the right attitude to go into it with (you'll never get the first go right) as well as a good size. I wish I'd got a 16 footer but it was $4,000 for my trailer and with the deal I got on it I would have had to pay an extra $1,000 per foot, not worth it to me as all aluminum trailers are already uncommon. I also wish the wheels were inset but I guess that's whatever as well.

The Reflectix has an INSANE level of misinformation surrounding it, too much to even get into. If he told you that and you believe him and that all makes sense to you I won't debate it but the second law of thermal dynamics might disagree. Also, why corrugated under it? I can't say if it's aerodynamically better or worse, I'm just curious. What I've settles on for my flooring is 1/8th aluminum with a layer of

$8 3M VHB 100x200mm~ (4" X8") Double Sided Foam Adhesive Sheet Tape 5952 Automotive Mounting Industrial Grade Very High Bond 5952 (1 Sheets 100x200mm)

3M VHB and rivets every 6 inches. I do not want any wood or plastic to be structural in any way shape or form and I want to avoid the chemicals of engineered wood products. Hence the entire setup being tig welded aluminum and everything being bolted to that.

We all have different budgets and needs and wants, travel styles and goals. I'm fairly annoyed that this is still a project I haven't finished but it has saved me a good deal of things I would have ended up changing later. Like I'm going to switch to mono panels, delete any form of gas cooking, likely create a different system for the bed so I can rotate it 90 degrees and have a back door with a couch under the bed (much like you see in the Safari Trek motorhomes). I also perfected the flooring installation to something I can better live with in addition to moving from lead acid batteries to lifepo4 batteries.

But again, we will see right, it all takes time and energy and I haven't been in the right space to get it done as accurately as I would like. I also really have no help and if you saw the two shed/tiny house shells I've built this year you'd understand why I'm worn out.

 

He is sort of the reason I decided to lift my bed. It's really tough having only 7x14 feet to work with and not wanting to compromise on too many things. It becomes a design nightmare in some ways where you have some core sense of what you want to do and you know you logistically have the space but it requires all the moving parts to function together well. For example, I need two sleeping spaces, one that can be used for seating, I want an exit out the back, I want a storage area accessible only from the back (large trailer door down, second wall behind it with a window, screen door and so on) with enough height to store a washer and a dryer of some sort. The list goes on and not only the space but the load displacement becomes harder and harder to figure out.

Come to Arizona, you can live in my yard well we build them together.

 

Yeah, I knew I wouldn't get it perfect on the first go around. As for the reflectix, honestly I don't know much about insulation (My expertise comes in regarding Cyber/Networking). When I spoke with him there were many reasons. First was that if, somehow, moisture gets in that will ruin the thick insulation (fiberglass i think) which would in turn rot and so forth. Then came the actual R value. The small (4" or so) space from the bottom of the trailer frame to the top of the frame acts as some sort of "barrier" or something. The biggest reason I went with it (when he first told me, I wasn't going to) was because he build two identical trailers, took them to wherever (he told me i forget right now), and camped out overnight. Killed ALL power to both trailer at the same time and the one with reflectix came in significantly warmer. I'm not sure why and with the little knowledge I have of thermodynamics I wouldn't dare take a guess. But again, i'm willing to take the leap on this trailer because I only plan on having it for a year or so then upgrading and improving upon a new trailer that fits me (I'm 6'8"). Either way you won't achieve perfection without a complete redesign in siding, roofing, barriers, vents (automated), etc. Im just looking for something that I can reasonably keep cool when its warm without to much power and something I can keep warm without to much power.

 

I think that this is the style bed I will end up going with. Possible use electric motor/pistons/winch with all four corners in rails that goes straight up and down? Not sure, but great video!

 

What he's giving you with the Reflectix isn't an insulation, it's a radiant barrier and there is a huge difference. It's like using a mirror to focus the sun on a spot and increase the heat, this works because the mirror is radiating that heat away from the mirror surface and redirecting it. Alone it has zero r, in needs an airspace as well as a place for the heat to escape. I'm pointing this out because notice he told you what it did to retain heat but that isn't the only goal of insulation, it's also to reduce thermal gains. Anyway, I wouldn't sweat it, it's better than nothing and the floor isn't a huge source of those gains/losses anyway. For the future, a foil backed XPS would do the same thing along with giving you a true R-5 per inch.

I have a tall friend with the same issues relating to height, I've always been thankful to be 5'8", taller than 90% of women but still short enough to fit the world and be able to wash 9 pairs of pants at a time.

If you have any questions feel free to ask, I know a lot about solar as well. Mostly, just have fun and figure out what things are a must have for you and what things are not.

 

I really appreciate your feedback and input. I forgot to answer your last question about “why corrugated plastic”. Lightweight and with a seal of underbelly it should be tough enough to handle most of what I will throw at it.

As far as the reflectix, it has about 4” or so of dead space in between it and the marine plywood. I guess the biggest goal is to have the inside of the trailer least effected by the outside elements as possible. Being able to manipulate internal temperature with as little energy cost as possible. With only about 2” on the walls and ceiling should I use actual R-5 or R-10 foam board (they sell at Home Depot) to insulate instead of the reflectix?


I could ask you a million questions about solar haha. I want to get a system that can adequately charge (I know depends on sunlight) 2 deep cycle marine batteries while using utilities (maybe a shower, ac for an hour, a couple lights on). Just imagine camping for a month and everything you would use in that time in a self contained trailer. What solar “direction” should I go?