Newbie just gettin started

[rollinstoner]

I want to convert a cargo trailer into a camper but I need the trailer for hauling too. I buy and sell junk so I need it for work mostly but the wife and I like to go camping too so I need one to do both. For starters, my tow vehicle is an SUV. A Toyota 4Runner with a six cylinder in it that is rated for 5000 lbs tow weight.

I like the low profile trailers for better areodynamics. Im thinking of getting a 5x10 cargo trailer with a ramp and a side door. I dont need to stand up in it because I cant even in the tall ones so height inside isnt a problem. I will just sit or lay down and crawl for the door when I need to.

I live in Central Texas and we get hailed on every year. I see lots of aluminum trailer beat to hell around here. So Im thinking maybe I should get a steel sheet exterior instead. ???

I plan on going all over the western us with this camper so I need it to be well insulated. What do yall recomment for inside the walls? Should I use a vapor barrior?

[lonerider]

Kinda' my plans too!
I'll watch for the answers you get.

[rollinstoner]

What do yall think of the low profile trailers for a conversion? I looked at a lot of 5x8s but that seems a little small. The 6x10s seem huge. They not only get longer and wider but taller and Im not sure if I could haul that big of a trailer full of junk around with my 6 banger.

[Prem]

6x10 with a 6-cylinder, no problem.

[Prem]

P.S. Aluminum is superior: No rust, less weight towing. Hail? Coat the roof with RV elastomeric roof coating. (Comes white or silver.) Put it on thick and sloppy with a push broom. Tape off the edges real good so that it doesn't go past the roof line you want. It seals; it insulates a little and it will protect dimples from hail better than any other coating. Yeah...insulate the walls and ceiling against winter cold and summer heat. Check out some of the other threads on this forum and see what they did for removable acomodations like you want.

My son towed 3.500 pounds from the East Coast to the West Coast in a 6x10 with a 4 cylinder Toyota pickup. It was slow going over the Rockies, and he was overloaded, but it worked even with strong head winds.

Best wishes.

[Nathan N]

I don't know the answer on the vapor barrier. Prem's idea on the roof coating makes sense to me.

Your thoughts on a 5x10 versus 6x10 and associated heights are right in line with mine. I have a 6x10 that is a bit over 6' tall. I have a 6 cylinder Dodge Dakota and while it pulls it I find it is like dragging a large wind sail.

Our 5x10 teardrop fits within the lines of the truck/topper and tows wonderfully. I researched various brands of cargo trailers and found that the 5 wides are generally 4.6' to 5' tall while the 6 wides jump up to 6' tall. Of course one could order non-standard wall heights on a new trailer at an additional cost. Or hope for a used trailer meeting your needs. The overall height would be a consideration if you have a "standard" garage door.

I wasn't sure that 5' height would be enough however I found a used 5x10 with that height and I can stoop over and get along. I jumped on this trailer and am now gathering pieces and planning on the design. BTW the 5x10 cargo also tows well behind the Dakota.

I think most folks use the polystyrene sheets for insulation.

Good luck with your endeavor.

[Gonefishin]

No problem making it so you can use it for hauling too. When converting, just remember that if it takes too long to install, it will take too long to remove. Think "easy in, easy out." I can clear the floor in mine in under 5 minutes, and clear the walls in about the same. Everything is secure, yet not permanently attached. A few screws, hooks, screw eyes, and bungees secure every item, and I have no indoor plumbing to worry about. 12 volt power only.

Think about a v-nose to reduce drag a little with your V-6. I don't see a towing problem with the sizes you're considering, especially if you keep the contents weight reasonable. PUt the really heavy stuff inside the 4-runner.

[rollinstoner]

Great info! This is a big help. I also wonder about the aluminum sides getting scraped up when driving through brush. My wife and I like to go rock hounding and we tend to plow through the cedars sometimes and that really marks up the sides of the 4Runner. It doesnt dent it or scratch it badly just scuffs it up. I was just thinking that it might do more damage on aluminum though. Is the weight factor of steel skins really that big of a deal? Because it sure seems like it would be a lot tougher. There are two new 6x10s sitting in the local HomeDepot parking lot for sale that are aluminum and they are all dented up from shopping carts. Yall all seem to be sold on aluminum. Doesnt it dent up a lot easier?

[Prem]

There are two new 6x10s sitting in the local HomeDepot parking lot for sale...

The one's at our local HD are low quality. One had a leaking front cap that stained the interior wood black.

Some older Wells Cargo trailers came with corrugated, steel sheeting on the sides. That's what you need to keep from denting and dinging the sides offroading. Any steel or aluminum flat sheet is going to show the damage. I've seen firewood sellers with steel sheeted cargo trailers that have the sides curved in between each of the steel uprights in the walls from rubbing again bushes out in the woods on narrow dirt roads. (Rivets might start to leak under those stresses.)

You could build your own trailer with painted MDO plywood sides and roof and not have to worry about tearing the sides up. That's the most durable stuff there is for abrasion and impact.

What gonefishin said is spot on. He built what you're considering: a dual-purpose trailer.