Teardrops n Tiny Travel Trailers

I am so glad I found this forum with all this great info.
I am about 3 weeks from getting my new 7x16 enclosed trailer and I can’t wait to start my conversion with everything I have bought.
I like to compete in Sporting Clays Tournaments and they are mostly held way out in the country at hunting preserves or resorts and everyone has a golf cart to carry shotgun shells guns and everything that goes along with the sport.
I wanted something that I could stay in with out having to leave plus some of these clubs have full or partial hook ups.
I had to have a trailer custom made with 12inches of extra height so the golf cart will go in because it has a lift kit and big tires.
I went ahead and had a 30x30 window installed along with a screen RV door and a fan powered roof vent.
I did have a question before I start my conversion.
I really don’t like cold weather so I probably won’t use it when it’s cold but will use it in warmer weather so I bought a 12000 BTU portable AC that I plan to vent out the floor, I will use a Honda 2000 generator with a 50ft cord.
I know that more insulation is better than less and I plan on putting it in the roof but I wonder if it is that critical in the walls? I see some here have removed the walls and installed insulation but I hate to tear out and replace what was installed from the factory?
I have thought about just adding some nice thick carpet on the walls instead of adding the insulation in the walls, we did this before in my early Camper Van days but I haven’t seen anyone do it on a cargo trailer conversion? Is there something I am not aware of about carpeting the walls?
I would like to hear opinions about how much insulation is ok for warmer weather.
I plan to take a lot of photos and video and maybe do a Youtube video after I am done.
Thanks in advance.

If your having the trailer built they will insulate it for you if you want.. I had mine insulated, But I ended up taking all the walls down anyway. I filled any gaps in their insulation and ran wires where I needed them. Its not really hard to take the plywood down.. Now is it worth insulating the walls? I don't know, But I haven't seen them Not insulate walls in a house ever. So my guess is its probably worth it even with such thin walls.

Another point to ponder; insulation not only keeps cold out, but keeps cold in. With you being in GA; you might want that bit of insulation to keep from running the AC full time.

it also helps cut down on noise. especially in a hard rain.

Wow ... a 7 x 16 ... that's a big one.

With the insulation, and all that length, you planning an indoor handgun range in there two when you are not out slinging a shotgun?

Thanks for the reply on my question,I knew that insulation was a must in the roof but I didn't plan on the walls but after reading this message board I see most insulate the whole thing so I will do the same.
I may still add the carpet on the walls for a little overkill and that man cave on wheels look.> lol

I'm sure others will elaborate, but the spray in foam expands with a lot of pressure, and can easily damage the walls.

I've often wondered about the insulation that the use in homes, that could be pumped into the walls, although the issue with that could be the settling from the travel.

Any of the non-board type insulation; fiberglass batts and cellulose would require sealing with plastic sheet as the vibrations from travel break the fibers and they become airborne. Having torn apart a number of 40 year old trailers that used it, becomes a dirty wet wad in the lower part of the wall.

Ceiling Insulation

Went through and sealed and filled the roof bows with low expansion foam. Then I cut the 1 inch foam for each space, I tried to fit it tightly so it would stay up without glue. After the sheets were pressed between the bows any that seemed to be loose I filled the gaps with caulking.


Then in the opposite direction I installed the radiant barrier insulation. This is a semi-rigid foil sided 1/2 inch insulation. The sales hype says that this is a R-21 factor insulation, if you can believe that. I am not sure I buy into that, BUT I have used this in my home as a barrier for the radiant heat system, and it does hold back the heat. So if I believe all the BULLS,,T about the R-factors the ceiling will be around R-27, I don't believe it will be that much but I think it will allow us to be cooler inside the trailer.

I'd say - forget R factors - they are almost meaningless for such a small area! we live in Texas - so insulation on the roof will help to keep the heat down

I used blue board on sides and foal wrapped on roof. Made a big inprovement it stays cool in summer and warm in winter. I would insolate of some kind no mater where I was at.Good luck with your build.

starleen2 wrote:I'd say - forget R factors - they are almost meaningless for such a small area! we live in Texas - so insulation on the roof will help to keep the heat down

I agree with you about the R-factors, they really mean nothing in this type of application BUT some people have asked for them so I included the numbers off the packages.

ANY insulation added to the trailer will directly impact the inside temperature. I THINK that painting the roof with a LIGHT color white would be the best, will reduce the temp. inside, maybe more than insulation.

I wanted to ad an idea for the fellow that is transporting firearms and ammo in the trailer.
I am a FIRM believer in EVERY man should be Armed, but I do not want criminals to get ahold of my Guns.
I helped build a weapons safe in my friends Sporting Clays trailer a few years ago. Unfortunatly he does not have the trailer anymore and we did not take pictures.
Basically I cut into the floor spaces between the cross members a hole big enought for shotguns and a few boxes of ammo. I then welded 3/16 plates to form a metal safe between the floor joists, The safe was then waterproofed with caulking and undercoating from the outside. The inside was coated with truckbed liner from NAPA. The safe was then finished by him with 3/4 foam rubber and felt with an intrigal rack.
The hatch door was made so it was flush with the floor and had 2 locks flush mounted into it. A rug was thrown over the hole and no one knew it was there.
This seems like a lot of work but if you ever come back to you truck and find it broken into and 12-15 thousand dollars of prized shotguns are gone it won't seem like so much to do.

Good luck

I got my trailer today and started to take down the plywood to see where to put the insulation and wonder why you couldn't just put the sheets over the plywood? I am just asking?
it looks like your doing almost the same thing but it would go alot faster and if your going to cover it with new paneling what's the difference.
While I am asking questions do you do the roof 1st or last,or do you just start at the front and work your way to the back doing the walls and roof as you go?
just wonder how others did it?
thanks

Well most people install the insulation between the wall studs not on top of them. On top of the studs would give you better insulation since it would put the insulation between you and the metal studs.. But it would cause you to loose space inside and I'm not sure how solid the walls would be with plywood installed ontop of the foam.