5x10 Cargo Trailer - camper build

[calicamper]

Take the tires off if its parked / stored on the street/ visible. Trailers are easy to steal and it happens a bunch. No tires it won’t go missing. ?

 

[cmgraves]

wheelsee - That is incredible. Can you send me any further details / links on the battery. Also, what over equipment did you purchase as part of your electrical build? Any schematics to help me out? Electrical is my greatest weakness. You can dm if you prefer.

calicamper - the trailer fits in our lockable garage and is stored there during extended period of being parked. I do have a tongue lock, but I am considering of getting a wheel lock as the thing weighs close to 1400#s dry, and would be very doable for someone to pull it away with a cable connected to the truck's hitch and around the tongue frame. But yes, good points with the trailer being easy to steal.

 

[billiebob]

wheelsee - That is incredible. Can you send me any further details / links on the battery. Also, what over equipment did you purchase as part of your electrical build? Any schematics to help me out? Electrical is my greatest weakness. You can dm if you prefer.

calicamper - the trailer fits in our lockable garage and is stored there during extended period of being parked. I do have a tongue lock, but I am considering of getting a wheel lock as the thing weighs close to 1400#s dry, and would be very doable for someone to pull it away with a cable connected to the truck's hitch and around the tongue frame. But yes, good points with the trailer being easy to steal.

yep, an equipment trailer loaded with a Bobcat was stolen in Kelowna. The RCMP pulled it over in Golden, 200 miles away, because it had no trailer lights. they had wrapped the break away chains around the truck bumper.... and driven 200 miles. If the wheels turn it is easy to steal.

 

[billiebob]

While I was working on the inside, the wife was working on the outside painting. the paint we got and what she did turned out way better than I expected. Finish product look great. We painted over majority of the joints, which made it tighter for water, and the UV reduction really worked and did great with keeping it cool inside in 40 degree weather (100 for below the border folks).
'
this is the product we got, and works great for the exterior:

for the interior, it was so/so. it does provide protection, but it did not finish flat/smooth, and had a lot of voids for dirt to get stuck, and does not sweep out, and always always looks dirty. I'm looking at a rubber product to install down the road. but for now, this performs well, and we use outdoor rugs to catch the dirt, and easier to clean up. so it does the job, just not pretty.



View attachment 690585

View attachment 690586

and the best part, the wife hand painted an orca on the front panel that turned out spectacular.
View attachment 690587

thats a killer paint job...
For cool, have you considered a tarp maybe 10x16 to cover it all plus add awnings on each side? Kinda like a fly on a tent. The air space might be all you need. A reflective tarp might work best. But BIG windows with HUGE old school opening, like 1970s Jalousie windows with 100% opening allowing fabulous sea breeze ventilation might be the best choice.

 

[AeroNautiCal]

You're doing a lovely job with your compact travel cabin, I particularly like the kitchen box mounted at the ideal work height.

Great job on the insulation too.

Thanks for sharing your build.

 

[cmgraves]

For the awning, during the 3 seasons, it works perfect with no walls (tested in heavy rainfall and stayed dry while cooking and working underneath. It is much larger than it looks. For the winter months, when am able to get a lot more spending money, I plan to get the AluCab awning side wall kit ($2200 CAD including shipping and taxes).

270° Shadow Awning Side Panels

270° Shadow Awning Side Panels includes three windows, entrance door, and two extra legs. Bag size: 600 x 300 x 300mm ( L x W x H), Height: 1900mm – 2100mm

www.alu-cab.com

Thanks for the comment AeroNautiCal! I am very pleased with how it turned out and only have very minor changes/improvements that I would make to the setup performance exceeded my expectations (small compact and light, yet provides adequate space for our intended purpose. The kitchen on the side has worked out so incredible well. The biggest successes is the ability to pull off on the side of a road and have full access to your kitchen in under 30 seconds. and when setup in camp, the large counterspace to cook and prepare food works so well with keeping it organized. This allows for less time cleaning/organizing and more time to play.

 

[cmgraves]

I am currently planning to take it winter camping this March for a week. Plan is to camp at a ski hill parking lot and get 5-6 days of skiing in. I bought one of those cheap diesel heaters (from China) off of amazon and will be installing it in the next week or two. Now that the package has arrived, I have a better idea of how it works and how to install it. I have 2 main options I am looking at and wanted to try to get input with others that have experience:

1. Install the heater and fuel tank directly inside the trailer (or in the cabin):
pro: cheaper and easier to install. Direct access to it and able to keep a better eye/ears on it for not working properly.
cons: the gas tank will be installed in sleeping quarters (risk of spilling when filling it) - minor concern but a factor
-the exhaust will be ducted directly underneath the trailer(below sleeping quarters) and possible to fill cabin (egress through wood floor)
- risk of fire inside (likely a very minor occurrence as i read many have them installed in sleeping quarters)

2. Install a metal tongue toolbox on the front of the trailer - to house the heater and the fuel tank - duct the air to the side window
Pro: complete separation from living quarters with fuel tank and heater.
exhaust will not be discharged under the trailer (not possible for fumes to egress inside living quarters)
Cons: $3-400 for the box and requires additional efforts for install (cutting box, need tubbing to duct the air)
possible the duct air will lose a lot of heat during very cold nights before entering living quarters (about a 6-7 foot run


In short, I prefer installing the unit inside the trailer/living quarters, (avoid additional cost and time to install), but if is confirmed a safety risk and not recommended, then I will just go with the trailer tongue box install.

thanks in advance with any ideas or suggestions to help me out!

 

[ricoisme26]

thanks in advance with any ideas or suggestions to help me out!

I've never installed one of these and I'm not 100% familiar with them, particularly the model you will be using, but here are some quick thoughts.

I agree I've seen many people install these in the living quarters, you however mentioned routing the exhaust out the floor below the trailer. Could you not route it out the side wall of the trailer to eliminate the risk of it permeating back into the living area through the wooden floor or, more worrisome, holes/seams in the floor?

Is the fuel tank part of/attached to the heater? Or is there a fuel line to the heater? Could the fuel tank be kept outside and the fuel line routed to the heater that is inside? This may not be possible given the model heater you have, this also could raise concerns for diesel gelling in cold temps outside but I would imagine while towing inside the trailer would reach temperatures close too if not as cold as the weather outside so this may be a non-issue.