A 12 ft. FEATHERLITE conversion

[Prem]

Questions answered:

The shiny aluminum tractor/trailer box on the back that opens to make a galley I cut so that it's half as deep now. The other half is the clothes storage box under the futon. The drawer has aluminum trim covering the cut edge, a cabinet handle and felt strips on the bottom for easy sliding. The half on the rear door that makes the galley is attached using aluminum angle, thru-bolted on the rear door. The back of the box is actually the face of the rear door.



Here's the website of the company where I got it:

http://www.800toolbox.com/underbody/underbody.htm

Mine was a "blem." Big discount.

Prem

[Prem]

Yes, those are choke chain doggy collars from the dollar store holding up the galley lid.

Prem

[Prem]

Acrylic, double-glazed skylight from ReStore, NIB for $20.


The view out the skylight laying in bed. (Stars at night.)



Nose cone interior makes a 12-foot trailer seem much bigger. (Must get that ugly chair covered in something nice, maybe Route 66 print material.)



Inside kitchen. In cabinet: 12-volt ice chest (vented), food, single-burner stove, cooking utensils, Bazooka (20 rounds of bubble gum), Gin, Tonic, Tequila, Limes, 2 pounds of salted sunflower seeds, English-Latin dictionary, Bowie knife, electron microscope, copy of the Magna Carta, Large Hadron Collider, telescoping fishing pole, et al.



Road atlas pouch. Just a little rain came in open window once and stained it. Must oil the leather.

Prem

[digimark]

(Re: Large Hadron Collider) Ah, so that's why it hasn't been lit yet -- it's gone missing in Prem's cupboard.

Prem -- is the cabinet home-made or store-bought, and any details available on source/cost? Depending on the dimensions, that looks like it might fit a spot in my trailer and buying one would be easier than building, for sure.

[Prem]

Digimark,

I got the cabinet doors at the local RESTORE (Habitat for Humanity), $5 each with hinges, brand new. I built the cabinet to fit. The Formica came from Habitat also.

Scrounging beats retail!

Prem

[Prem]

P.S. The party animal loves to go camping and especially swimming.

[Curtis in Texas]

Been lurking here for most of the year and have really enjoyed the creativity of you folks.

Prem, I have to say that is one nice Cargo Trailer you have built.
I acquired a 16' Cargo trailer a few months back, but as of yet have not decided how to fix it up. I’ve been a little busy with a bunch of other projects.
I will definitely be showing the wife your pictures to let her know the possibilities are and what I have in mind for it.
We'll post up a build up thread on it when I get started, and an introduction of us. I finally became a member today.
You see, I retired from my day job the 31st of July of this year so maybe I'll have time to do it right, when I can get time.
It will be a bit but, once the wife heals up from her surgery and gets back on her feet I'll get out and get started on it.

Again, Great job!
Curtis in Texas

[starleen2]

Been lurking here for most of the year and have really enjoyed the creativity of you folks.
Curtis in Texas

Welcome Curtis! - I know a lot of Curtis's from Texas - where about are you?

[Curtis in Texas]

Been lurking here for most of the year and have really enjoyed the creativity of you folks.
Curtis in Texas

Welcome Curtis! - I know a lot of Curtis's from Texas - where about are you?

I'm on the Expedition Forum some, but mostley the ADV Web Site.

We are in Rhome. It's between Fort Worth and Decatur. Our claim to fame is Hwy 114 and Hwy 287 intersect here. Oh, and we are such a small town we don't have any traffic signals. Flashing or Red light! Only stop signs.

We moved up here from the Metromess 9 years ago so I could retired, and did as of last week.
Loving the Country life!

[Prem]

Curtis,

Thanks so much.

So glad you joined us by getting a trailer and by posting.

I just returned from a teardrop gathering. There was one Vardo there, my cargo trailer and 18 teardrops. Guess which two were the most gawked at and talked about!



Prem

[Curtis in Texas]

Curtis,

Thanks so much.

So glad you joined us by getting a trailer and by posting.

I just returned from a teardrop gathering. There was one Vardo there, my cargo trailer and 18 teardrops. Guess which two were the most gawked at and talked about!



Prem

Thanks for the warm welcome Prem.
My trailer won't get touched until my wife goes back to school. (School Teacher) She just had foot sugery and I'm busy taking care of her.
Once she's back on her feet I'll start up a build thread and post up some pictures.
Looking forward to getting time to get back in the shop.

[Prem]

I'll start up a build thread and post up some pictures.

Prem

P.S. Been camping the last ten days in the forest on a lake on the Oregon-California border. No bugs, just stars so bright you don't need a flashlight! And everybody asks to look in my trailer at the campground. Three of them have said they are going to build one. The contagion spreads!

[Prem]

By the way...

If you want a shallow v-nose trailer with a steel chassis but aluminum skin and solid aluminum trim where the roof meets the walls, CARGO MATE makes two models. A friend has a 5x8 and my son has a 6x10. No plastic/fiberglass front cap on the two v-nose models, just aluminum over steel structure.

http://www.cargomatetrailer.com/default.asp?page=guide&choice=enclosed

This one is especially nice:




Prem

[Prem]

A couple of people have asked why I didn't put plumbing in my cargo conversion.

I've built full plumbing into two prior builds, both of which I used for 5 or 6 years and traveled as far as the tip of Baja. Dealing with black water and gray water is a pain and then there's the smell, the volume limitation, the weight...and (yuk) the foul dump station procedures and the occasional leak.

I now highly prefer the Zen-like atmosphere of a plumbing-less RV.

Confession: There's a peat moss, double plastic bag porta-potty in the trailer's closet if it were ever needed. I'd rather walk to the restroom, outhouse, pit toilet or into the woods.

Hand washing? Five gallon container with a spigot goes on the picnic table.

After adapting to a bare bones teardrop (before the cargo conversion) I like the simplicity of no on-board plumbing.

Prem

[Prem]

Choices:

This one:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/cargoconversion/3859485755/

Or this one:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/cargoconversion/3860271544/

Prem