Help me with options.

[SubaruDave]

Hello, let me first introduce myself, my name is Dave and I'm 24 years old from Upstate NY. me and my girlfriend have a child each. Mine is 3 and hers is 4. We both love camping and the outdoors. We've been tent camping quite a few times, and it seems like it rains everytime. And it's always a little too cold at night for the kids. So we've been throwing around the idea of getting a camper. But the prices are a little steep and they always cone with things we have no use for, or dont want. Somehow I came across the site awhile ago and Ive been lurking around this site for quite a while now since we first started looking at campers. The best option I've seen is converting a cargo trailer to a camper, for 4 of us.

I drive a 2008 Subaru Impreza Outback Sport. The max towing is 1000lbs, or 2000lbs with brakes. Any help with what options I have based on my tow vehicle would be appreciated. Also getting a new vehicle is not an option as of now.

I am only 5'6" and I would like to stand up inside. So trailer height isn't a problem. I've already figured out how the interior and exterior would be lit and vented. I am planning on keeping it 12v and using Cold Cathode Lamps for lighting, as they have no heat signature, and are also much brighter and cheaper than LEDs and easy to dim if needed.

If I missed anything feel free to tell me and I'll answer as soon as possible.


Thanks, Dave.

[vtx1029]

Get a trailer with brakes you'll be glad you did. Your probably looking at a 5 or 6' wide by 10-12' long trailer. Maybe think about going 6' tall and add bunk beds, they work great for tight spaces and kids love em

good luck with your search

[parnold]

Upvote on bunk beds for the kids, and if you make them out of canvas and dowels they'll take up no room when not in use. You can experiment a little with building your own simulated camper using cardboard, or sheets hung from a ceiling to test different sizes, and see what fits for what you want. You will find that investing in a nice canopy like the first up, with a screen will add valuable "living" space outside the trailer, so bigger is not necessarily better.

Also a huge upvote on the brakes!

[SubaruDave]

Definitely thinking about going 6 feet wide, because that way me and my girlfriend can lay sideways, since we're both shorter.

The kids have bunk beds right now, not sure how to do make them safely in a trailer because they're still young and like to roll around when they sleep. But i'd love to see the canvas and dowel bunk setup, which would be idea if its easy to put up and remove in case we decide to go camping without the kids for a weekend. having extra space would be nice.

I've found a 6" thick memory foam mattress for a decent price that i can use for a bench and table setup that converts into a bed (similar to what they have in most travel trailers).

I have a 12x12 EZ-up canopy with both screen and closed side walls which i use for the cooking/eating area right now.

Do you guys see any issue using 12v cold cathode lights for lighting inside the trailer, or is there a better alternative other than LEDs? I was hoping to keep it 12v since most places we go dont have any hookups, and just run an Optima Deep Cycle Marine and RV battery and charge it with my tow vehicle, if possible.


Heres a picture of my car, which i will be towing with.

[wtcreaux]

I drive a 2008 Subaru Impreza Outback Sport. The max towing is 1000lbs, or 2000lbs with brakes. Any help with what options I have based on my tow vehicle would be appreciated. Also getting a new vehicle is not an option as of now.

As the single-axle 6x12 cargo trailers I've been looking at START at around 1000lbs (and you WILL add things), might I suggest looking in the tear-drop section??

You may also want to discuss with a trusted mechanic re: your vehicle and what can be done to improve (such as transmission cooler), if any??

Good luck.

[SubaruDave]

I drive a 2008 Subaru Impreza Outback Sport. The max towing is 1000lbs, or 2000lbs with brakes. Any help with what options I have based on my tow vehicle would be appreciated. Also getting a new vehicle is not an option as of now.

As the single-axle 6x12 cargo trailers I've been looking at START at around 1000lbs (and you WILL add things), might I suggest looking in the tear-drop section??

You may also want to discuss with a trusted mechanic re: your vehicle and what can be done to improve (such as transmission cooler), if any??

Good luck.

I'm very active in the automotive community, actually, I help build race cars, and i've went to school for Auto Service Tech and Auto Body Tech. I've already bought a tranny cooler and oil cooler, just waiting for a reason to put them in. I also have upgraded brakes and suspension. (I race autocross often and pull a small trailer with extra sets of wheels and tires and whatever tools i may need at the event.)

Also, with 2 small children, a tear drop wont work unless its just me and the girlfriend... or if i can find a way for it to sleep 4 people comfortably, it would work.

I've towed a car on a dolly with my car for about 40 miles without much issue.

[kstephenson]

What type of camping areas are you going to be visiting? Hows the terrain?

[SubaruDave]

Most places I go have decent paved roads, some better than the roads in my neighborhood. A few have gravel roads. Also there aren't many steep inclines to or from the places I visit, the farthest I've gone is about 150 miles away. And it seems the further I drive, the better condition the roads are in.

[jwhite]

I had a subaru 4wd station wagon and it was one of the best cars I ever had,I lived on a plantation with 10 miles of dirt road 1way and I never got stuck and it rained alot.
I never pulled anything with it but I think the only thing I would have felt comfortable pulling would be a (small boat)>?
I also had a 1972 VW camper van and it was great for camping,I would pull a 16ft sailboat with no problem,when I got where I would camp I would attach a 10x10 screen room to the side and it gave me plenty of living area room outside.
I had a small window AC that would fit in the window where I had a 2x4 cut the right height to support it and with a little duck tape to seal any open space it did the trick.
Ever thought of a Van haveing kids it may come in handy? for what you will have in the cost of a trailer you could probably find a nice used Van for the same money and could use it daily?
later if you still wanted to build a trailer you would something to pull it with and have twice the space?
My friend bought a Van from a hospital auction that had a high top and wheel chair assist (he has a elderly mother inlaw) he said 4 bolt is all it would take and it could be removed.? he paid 2500.00 for he then had it painted and looks brand new.
If I didn't already have a suburban I would have considered that route,and used the open trailer I have for pulling my golf cart = I could have saved alot of money.
I had some great times with the Van I had years ago.

[SubaruDave]

A van is not an option for me. I race my car on the weekend and have a decent amount of money put into it, so I would like to keep it for a while. I just bought it last year after getting rid of my Scion tC. So jumping in a van isn't likely for me.

My girlfriend was looking at getting a Mazda 5 in the next couple years, but there isn't much more room in that compared to my car. But she already made it clear that she will not be getting the typical mini van. So we're hoping to find something that suits our needs and wants that I can pull with the Subaru. Also, I go ice fishing and used to camp on the ice with my father and brother, and the AWD is nice out on the ice, especially when towing gear on a utility trailer. But camping in a converted trailer in the winter seems much more comfortable than being in a tent on the cold windy nights.

[vtx1029]

Do you guys see any issue using 12v cold cathode lights for lighting inside the trailer, or is there a better alternative other than LEDs? I was hoping to keep it 12v since most places we go dont have any hookups, and just run an Optima Deep Cycle Marine and RV battery and charge it with my tow vehicle, if possible.

They use them in RV's no reason you couldn't use them. I have heard from some guys that the bulb life can be short from all the vibration. In your case I'd personally lean more twords LED if your boondocking in the cold with no heat. Florescents don't due well in the cold.

I use these LED strips http://www.dealextreme.com/p/36-led-576-lumen-string-light-with-aluminum-alloy-shell-warm-white-light-12v-47300 as under cabinet lighting in my kitchen. I have 7 strips on a PWM dimmer and it could easily light a trailer of your size.

[SubaruDave]

Ive used CCFLs in my car for trunk lighting and other accent lighting in my computers, and you're right about the vibration shortening their life. But figured they're really bright and low voltage so they could be a decent option. Still on the fence about using them.

That light bar looks pretty good, and it's cheaper too... I may get a few different LED Fixtures from superlumination.com I've bought some of their products for my home and cars and haven't had any issues, other than the rising cost.


Is it more cost effective to buy a used trailer and add brakes (if possible) or order a new trailer with brakes. And same for a side RV style door.

[absolutsnwbrdr]

Welcome to the fun, Dave! Can't help you with suggestions on the cargo trailer, but nice Subie!

Good luck!

[vreihen]

Is it more cost effective to buy a used trailer and add brakes (if possible) or order a new trailer with brakes. And same for a side RV style door.

When I was shopping for an enclosed race car hauler at this time last year, the selling price for brand new trailers was cheaper than used trailers were going for on eBay or racingjunk.com. There was a severe manufacturing over-capacity, and the factories were slashing their own throats trying to make a sale to keep their people working. It wouldn't hurt to shop online and poke around your local trailer dealer, because you may find that it costs the same to buy a brand new trailer with an RV screen door and windows pre-installed versus a used trailer if the market hasn't improved any.

With that said and apologies to the Evolution school, the best go-fast part that I ever bought for my own car was a trailer to haul it in. Took me 14 years of swapping R-comps every weekend to appreciate the beauty of driving onto the trailer at the end of a hot day and being ready to hit the road before they can even tally the trophy results, and I regret not doing it 10 years ago. If you're running a radical alignment like I am where street tires last only 5,000 miles before cording out, that savings alone might pay for the extra insurance that a beater tow vehicle will add to your policy.....

[SubaruDave]

That's what i was thinking, About the overstock and pretty much give away prices. Now I need to find a place that sells cargo trailers locally, and see what they have for me. If I can get one that already has windows and an RV door for a decent price that would be awesome, there's no used trailers that suit me within 250 miles from me on eBay, or even craigslist for that matter.

Still can't find a thread with the previously mentioned canvas bunk bed setup. That sounds like a great idea if I can make it safe for a 3 and 4 year old.