u/jeff10236

I'm considering ordering a trailer with some of what I want already installed, but I'm also still considering buying something already on the dealer's lot and doing most of it myself. I'm probably buying sometime late fall or early winter to give myself time to get it completed enough to camp in by next summer at the latest, and hopefully by early spring. There are some things that are obvious, but there are several options for which I want to hear your thoughts (especially if you've already done this).

Windows:

This may be the most intimidating part of the build, once you've cut a hole in your trailer, there is no going back. If you cut too small, you can fix the error, but the other direction is hard to/impossible to fix. For wider windows where you are cutting into the supports, you also need to do something to shore it up.

I don't have most of the tools I'd need (I have a drill and impact driver). While, a few hand saws of different types may be ideal, I've seen people do it online with just one cutting tool and make it work: sawsall, jigsaws, hand held circular saws, oscillating tools, even one guy using tin snips to cut the aluminum skin (I do have tin snips, but I am not attempting that). Each seems to run about $100 minimum and a decent tool is about 50% more to double that.

The price difference between buying a decent window on Amazon and having the factory do it seems to be about $100-150 per window (depending upon the size of the window). Originally, I was thinking two 30x30 emergency exit windows, but if I use the back door as the emergency exit, I can probably get by with smaller windows. The smaller windows are cheaper (with a lower price difference between doing it myself and having the factory do it), but on the other hand, a smaller window installed between support beams so as not to have to cut the supports would be something I'd be more willing to take on myself.

So, did you do this yourself, or have the factory do it? Do you regret your choice and wish you did it the other way?

Electric:

I am not an electrician, and this is neck and neck as far as intimidation value with the windows. It definitely seems very time consuming to do a full electrical job as well. However, one of the common RV issues is poorly installed electric, and I doubt these cargo trailer companies do a much better job. Should I pay them to do electric for convenience, or go with an alternative?

My alternative, would be something that seems common with the van build community... a 20v electric port. I'd probably cut two in order to use two heavy duty outdoor extension cords (probably using a 30a to 20a adapter so I can run two extension cords from a campground pedestal), using one for my AC or heater, and the other connected to a surge protector/power strip for everything else. Battery would be two power stations I already have (one Jackery and one EcoFlow). Eventually, I may put in a full 30amp system after taking a class or two at the local community college but the electric port would get me started and may be all I need. Anyway, cutting one 2 1/2-3" hole in the side with a hole saw attachment and then screwing it into the walls takes pretty much all the intimidation value out.

Insulation:

It does seem that to have it done at the factory is not significantly more money than doing it myself. It may cost $100-200 more for the entire trailer. While shopping these in person, it seems the plywood in the walls uses a TON of screws. While not a difficult job, it looks like a very time consuming job. The time savings may be worth the cost.

However, watching videos online, it seems very common for people to find problems behind the walls that they can fix with the plywood walls removed. Needing to seal seams and corners seems very common, and easy to do with the walls removed. If I have the factory insulate it, I'll never see these issues to fix them.

Structural:

Obviously any major structural changes (extended tongue, 16" or 12" on center beams, thicker skin, etc) have to be done by the factory. I want the .080 Polycore for a better looking trailer. Beyond that, what is really needed? I'll likely do a flat front, so an extended tongue won't really be needed. If I get a v-nose, I'd prefer it, but is it really necessary? I want a one piece roof for less likelihood of leaking, but if I get one off the lot without it, I guess I'd just have to seal the roof every year or two like with an RV. Closer beam spacing than standard will give added strength to the walls/floors/roof, but will it really be needed for a cargo camper?

So, I'm looking at cargo trailers from 6x12 through 7x14, both single and double axle. Most 6x12s by far are single axle, and maybe around half (or just over half) of the 7x12s are single axle. Most single axle trailers do not come with trailer brakes. I'd much prefer to have brakes. I watched a bunch of YouTube videos on installing brake install kits, and I'm not sure I'd be comfortable doing it myself. However, a Google search shows that installing brakes on a single axle trailer without them can run from $1000 to over $2000 to have them professionally installed. Usually the difference between a 6x12 single axle and a 7x12 double, or a 7x12 single vs. a 7x14 double is about $1000 for something of comparable quality.

I see a lot of people out there who are running smaller trailers who use single axle trailers. I have to assume most of them are running without brakes since to add brakes (unless you do it yourself) will cost as much or more than a larger double axle trailer. Of course, some may have added brakes since there are reasons that people may want the smaller trailer where cost comparisons to a larger trailer aren't important (better for overlanding, less capable tow vehicle, simple preference).

Now, I plan to tow a lot. I am a teacher and will be out for weeks at a time over the summer and plan to see the entire country over the next decade. In 6 to 10 years I'll be retiring and then I'll be travelling even more. So, I'm not entirely comfortable with the idea of going without brakes. However, given that they are almost all sold without brakes, is it really needed with a 6x12 or 7x12 single axle or am I being overly cautious?

I would prefer a cargo conversion over a dedicated RV. I'm a teacher, so I'll be out for weeks at a time over the summer, and I'm 6-10 years from retirement when that will expand from there. I also want to do some occasional disbursed camping and not just use dedicated campgrounds, so I want it to be able to handle light off roading (unpaved roads and trails, nothing too extreme). To do a dedicated RV that can handle that well would be 10s of thousands of dollars more than a cargo conversion. However, I'm not a woodworker, so I need some fairly humble plans (in the future, after some community college non-credit classes, and buying some woodworking tools, I may upgrade the interior later).

First, I don't want to commit to a layout right away, I will likely be buying a Weighsafe hitch and doing some trial and error to be sure I have a proper tongue weight percentage. I will probably put either the bathroom or kitchen in the V-nose, but I may also do them in the very rear now that I've decided not to do a permanent bed.

This won't be quite a no-build camper, but there won't be a lot of custom work either... maybe we'll call it a "light" build (light referring to the work, not the weight... some non-woodworker solutions will likely cost more in weight than something someone may custom build).

Trailer:

I'm going small, but I want it big enough to be comfortable when staying indoors due to weather during my long trips. I may go 6x12, but it will more likely be 6x14, 7x12 or 7x14 (another recent post helped me determine that these sizes should likely work for what I want plus fit nicely within my truck's capabilities). I want rear barn doors, but the vast majority seem to be ramp doors, so we'll see. I want it to already have an RV style door latch. My summer break is almost over (teachers return in 2 1/2 weeks), I may buy within the month and work on it on weekends to be ready to travel by next spring (in which case, I'll do some pre-build camping with cots, folding chairs and tables, etc.), or I may order with a few things done by the factory (electric, extended hitch, windows, etc.) a couple months before I need it.

Bed and Seating:

I will be going with a sleep sofa. I'm undecided if I'll build one and use a trifold mattress, or if I'll buy a sleep sofa (likely the Alvdalen, Friheten, or the Grunnarp from Ikea as they also have storage), find a way to connect them (maybe permanent, maybe just straps and cargo tie downs while traveling) and call it a day.

Kitchen:

I will mainly be camping (living mostly outdoors), so I just need a kitchen for supplemental use in case of inclement weather. So, just a little storage and counter space, and maybe a sink. So, it won't be super wide... I'll probably use a pre-made (just need to assemble it) kitchen sink or bathroom base cabinet (preferably one with a built in counter top already) from Ikea, Lowes or Home Depot. Though, this is where the outdoor kitchen out the back of the camper may be nice, you can have more storage (both lower and upper storage) with only taking 1 1/2 to 2' of trailer length by having longer cabinets along the camper width. Either way, I'd only need a shelf or counter somewhere else in the camper to prepare food and put up an electric or gas burner for temporary cooking space when the weather is bad (putting the kitchen up front would give a similar set of advantages to the rear kitchen, but it may add too much to the tongue weight, and most of the time I'd want to cook outside anyway).

Water:

I don't want to have to winterize, I want to be able to use this as a 4-season camper. My drinking water will come from those 5 gallon water cooler bottles that offices often use (you can exchange or fill them cheap at many grocery stores), my bathing and dish cleaning water will come from one or two 5 gallon collapsible camping bottles (I already have one) and/or Jerry cans, and my gray water will go into one 5 gallon Jerry can.

Bathroom:

I do not plan to do any plumbing initially (and possibly ever). I want this to be a 4-season camper (see above). Initially, I'll use the bucket camp toilet I already have, and soon I'll upgrade to a Thetford chem toilet, a composting toilet, or a Laveo toilet. Initially, for the shower, I have one of those rechargeable pump shower heads that I get the water from a bucket. I will get an immersion heater so I no longer have to boil water for my showers (and finish quickly enough before the water gets cold). I use a folding dog bath as the basin. It has worked well with my tent "glamping" when I didn't want to use the campground facilities or where there weren't any. If I decide I want to upgrade (likely), I'll get a shower basin and might build a wall using fiberglass wall panels (or use a shower insert), a portable water heater, and drain the shower through the floor to a rolling gray water tank (I won't build one in). The portable water heater may get a city water connection, but it would be a short connection with nothing else connected (to minimize winterizing).

Electric:

I plan to go simple. If I order a trailer, I'll have them do it (30 amp service). If I buy on the lot, I'm not an electrician, and I will probably want to get started before I would be ready to do it myself. So, I will do 2 15amp/120volt ports, one to send to my power stations to recharge (or to a surge protector if I'm not using the power stations), and another to independently power the AC. In case the campground's pedestal can't run 2 15 amp cords at the same time, I'd also buy a 30 amp to 110 volt adapter with a split for either 2 or 3 110v cords. Then, in the future, if I decide to put in 30 amp service, I'd replace one of the 15 amp ports, but leave one (since it would already be there) for when I'm someplace without 30 amp service and just not buy an adapter.

I won't do separate batteries. I already have a couple Power Stations (an Eco Flow Delta and a Jackery), so I'll continue to use those, and when I replace or add to them, it will be more of the same for the flexibility they give over batteries.

Solar will be the soft suitcase style 100W panel I have now, and when I expand (nearly immediately), I think I'm sticking with suitcase style panels (whether hard or soft) so that I can park in the shade and move the panels to a sunny spot.

AC:
I have an EcoFlow Wave 2 for my tent "glamping" so initially I'll just use that. So, since I will have to cut holes for the exhaust and intake, I'll likely go with another, more powerful, portable AC when I upgrade. Though, that will take floor space, so I might go with a home window unit.

Windows and ventilation:

I want two large windows in the back. I may do a small one in the side door (and in one of the rear doors if I do the barn doors). I do want a fan in the ceiling or wall. I will likely wire it into a cigarette lighter style plug so I can plug it into my Power Stations.

Storage:

In addition to the lower cabinet from Ikea, Home Depot or Lowes, I might buy some kitchen upper cabinets from them (at least for the kitchen area, maybe for elsewhere as well), or Ikea Kallax with cabinet inserts (the one and two cube versions can be wall mounted). I'm also thinking a locking tool chest with a wood top may be a good option (the lock will keep the drawers from opening while traveling), some of the Kolbalt brand ones at Lowes have some interesting color options. The tool chest will also allow me to lock things away more securely when I'm not on the campsite.

I am a teacher so I'm off during the summer. I want to see the country over the next few years, so I will be gone for half or more of the summer. I retire in 6-10 years and then plan to travel much more extensively at that point. I was going to buy a standard camper, but they don't tend to be put together all that well, unless you go to very high prices (Intech, Airstream, a fiberglass camper), and they still likely will have issues. With a self build, the quality may be better, and I will know how to fix or replace things and not have to be dependent on RV tech schedules. Also, I would love to occasionally do some light overlanding (more just dispersed camping on state or federal forest lands, so rough, unpaved or gravel roads more than serious off roading) and I think a cargo trailer would stand up to that much better than any purpose made camper until getting into some fairly high prices. While it is just me and the dog, and when the weather is good I'll be camping so living outdoors (outdoor kitchen, outdoor seating, outdoor camp bathroom tent, etc.), which would suggest a smaller trailer, I also want it to be a comfortable place to be when taking refuge from the weather. So, at minimum I need a seating area (whether separate seating, or some version of a sleep sofa or convertible dinette), and counter space for a cooktop to cook when the weather is too ugly to cook outside. I also want room for an indoor toilet (for my tent glamping right now, I have a bucket toilet, but I'll probably upgrade to at least a portapot, and possibly a Laveo dry flush toilet). At minimum, I want floor space for a temporary camp shower (for my tent "glamping," I already have a battery pump operated hand shower that draws water from a bucket that works with a folding dog bath as the tub), but I'd love a more permanent wet bath.

I don't want to pick something too small and feel cramped when in all day on rest days or bad weather days. However, I don't want to go bigger than I need either. I'm noticing that cargo trailers tend to have heavy tongue weights for the weight of the empty trailer compared to RVs, and with the wheels being much further back than in RVs, a lot of what I'd add would put more weight on the tongue. I will be towing with a Toyota Tacoma (640LB tongue weight max). A smaller camper will likely be a little cheaper than a larger trailer (both in the initial cost of the trailer itself, but smaller size also means less materials which means less money). Also, smaller also means less work when insulating and flooring the trailer, and doing the walls if I want anything other than the standard plywood. So, I want something big enough to be comfortable and functional when stuck inside for a nice chunk of the day, I don't want something that is little more than a teardrop. Yet, I also don't want it to be any bigger than I need.

I am nearly 6 feet tall, so I'm thinking 7' wide would be nice for an east-west oriented bed for best space efficiency, but I would consider something 6' wide (I am a side sleeper so I might still be able to do east-west, and if I did north-south, I'd be looking for something like the sleep sofa or convertible dinette so as not to lose as much living space).

Sizes I'm most seriously considering:

• 6x12 or 7x12: I think it would probably barely work, but my visual spatial skills aren't the best and it won't leave much room for error. With a sleep sofa situated north-south, I think I'd be left with enough floor space for a small kitchen in the V front, and still be able to temporarily set up a camp toilet or shower/bath with the bed in sofa mode.
• 6x14 or 7x14: Probably the best combination of enough space, with possibly some margin for error, while not being overly large. I would be able to do more than just my minimum, and have a full service kitchen or bathroom (and probably both with good planning)
• 7x16: At this size, most seem to be around 300-400LB tongue weight empty so I would have to be careful on the where I set everything up (I'd probably buy a Weighsafe hitch and leave it hitched up when positioning materials before deciding exactly where everything would go). However, it would definitely give me the size needed for something nice (likely a dedicated kitchen, bathroom, permanent bed, and possibly seating that could be turned into a second bed). It would obviously be the most expensive option, both for the trailer and the materials to fill it.

As for weight, I am not much of a handyman. I'd likely use Home Depot, Lowes, and Ikea for as much of the build as possible, and kitchen cabinets meant for a home will not be very light, and I won't have the skills to fabricate everything myself with an eye to limiting weight.

So, I guess I would love to get opinions from those who have done this before on which size trailer would best fit my needs and desires. Again, I need the smallest that would comfortably do what I need.