Teardrops n Tiny Travel Trailers

Hey everyone - found this site through some internet searching after we purchased our "new to us" 2004 6 x 12 cargo trailer, while looking for sleeping ideas. To be quite honest - the thought of converting a trailer from cargo to toy hauler/camper never crossed my mind until I met you fine folks...and got more ideas than I know what to do with!

We purchased the trailer to store and haul our two quads, and will be working on converting it into a very basic toy hauler / camper this weekend. My current plans are to add a roof vent, RV door latch, recessed floor d-rings, vinyl floor, interior lighting, fuse block, convert to 7-wire, build a moving bed platform that can double as a long couch, figure out under trailer ramp storage, and add three windows (one in side door, one one each side of the trailer).

Sounds like a lot for a basic conversion, right?

I got the roof vent and RC latch installed a few weeks ago, and we tried sleeping in it on the floor on air beds to see if we'd like it vs. a tent. Well, we're hooked!

Ordered foam for the mattress yesterday - so that will be the "big" effort during the next few weeks to make a cover and a bed platform.

I'll attempt to keep this thread updated as I go - but fair warning, it will be a slow process.

Here's a pic of the trailer behind our truck:

Very nice trailer! From your picture it looks much newer than a 2004. Really clean looking and it goes well with your truck. Truck looks great too.

Looking forward to seeing the progress on your build.

What are your plans for electrical? 12vdc only or are you planning for 110vac also?

Congratulations on your "New" trailer.

slow or fast at least you're doing it.
I'm sure you will come up with some ideas of your own just remember to share them with us.

pete

bigbendhiker wrote:Very nice trailer! From your picture it looks much newer than a 2004. Really clean looking and it goes well with your truck. Truck looks great too.

Looking forward to seeing the progress on your build.

What are your plans for electrical? 12vdc only or are you planning for 110vac also?

Congratulations on your "New" trailer.

Thanks!

Plans are only for 12vdc. Typically when we camp, we camp without AC anyhow, so I don't think I'll be missing anything. Time will tell, though, I suppose...

pete42 wrote:slow or fast at least you're doing it.
I'm sure you will come up with some ideas of your own just remember to share them with us.

pete

Will do! I plan to take pics along the way and keep this thread updated.

Next work will be on Labor Day. I'll get some current pics and hopefully get the interior plywood removed, some of the electrical run, and figure something out with the mattress arrangements. I plan to just make some rails on each side of the rear of the trailer for the mattress platform to sit on during use, and some rails near the top / front of the trailer for storage and transportation. We'll see how the idea comes to be during the start of the build stage.

Sounds like you caught the bug too! Nice rig. I had the idea from just the cost aspect. I got to searching also and luckly bumbled across this site too. Blind hogs finds an acorn every once in a while. Glad I did, The folks here have been a big help. Building slow can be an advantage. Plenty of time to think it thru. Good luck!

Earnest

Did a bit of work on it today...but before I show those pics - here is how it sat at the start of the weekend:

Loaded up with the toys - not an inch to spare length wise.


RV Latch that I installed about a month ago:


Roof vent, also installed about a month ago (still need to "nip" the long screws):


New tires! Radials and balanced - trailer pulls very smooth!


Inside (that's foam on the front wall):


Another shot. Ignore the foam strip hanging down.


Ok - started work today:

Pulled down the interior plywood - and what did I find?


Wood studs?! WTF? I was expecting, oh I don't know...steel? Not sure how upset I am about this - seems sturdy enough...but was expecting metal. But - it'll be easier to put windows in, since I can't weld, if any studs need cut.

Rear porch light:


I centered this between the side door and the rear door, when opened.

Front porch light:


That was all for today, about 5 hours of work. I've got a long run tomorrow, and will work on it longer tomorrow after the run. Plus, it was already ~100F outside...hotter inside, by about 12 when I stopped for the day.

Tomorrow is some wall insulation, laminated wood flooring, new d-ring tie downs, and some head scratching about the bed platform I'm planning.

More pics tomorrow!

wow that is a little odd. Don't think I've seen a cargo trailer with wood framing. Trailer looks like its in good shape though.

The trailer is a Car-Mate (http://www.carmate-trailers.com/), in case anyone is curious.

Some more work today...got 12.3 miles in this morning on my run - not too shabby. Got back at ~7:30, and started on the trailer about 8am. Worked until 3:30 or so.

Got the foam installed between the roof spars and the aluminum roof. This added a bit of a "bow" to the roof, and helps with water run off. Plus, I don't hear the roof vibrate when I step into the trailer!



Since my trailer was made from wood - I decided to replace some of the studs. The outside of the "drivers" side was bowed in a bit. I never gave it much thought, since the trailer is 8 years old, and the aluminum skin on pretty much every trailer I see gets wavy. I took a straight edge to the studs - found that a lot of them were warped inward.



New studs in:



I didn't get any pics of the insulation process - but the whole trailer has been insulated with 1" builders foam, and it had the radiant barrier (foil) on it as well. I didn't do the front (more on that later).

After completing the insulation, I moved on to the floor. I wanted to do vinyl, but I couldn't find any that was reasonably priced (and I didn't want the peel and stick 12" x 12"s).

The fake wood, I think, will be more durable anyhow.



Another pic:



Another pic:



Eventually, I think I will rebuild the wood on the front of the trailer with 3/4" oak. Don't need the "niceness" of the oak, but want the strength, and the extra 3/4" that I'll gain by using thinner wood.

Tomorrows plan is the interior lighting, wiring, and switch; and the installation of 10 recessed d-rings in the floor.

Wow, someone else that 4wheels and runs! I converted my 14x7 vnose snowmobile trailer to a camper for the summer. Then in the fall the bed, cabinets, tv etc come out for the winter. No bath or toilet to keep it simple. I added two windows, ac/dc converter with breakers, roof fan and a screen door. Still working on it. FYI everything takes 5 times longer than you thin it will! Plan to use it camp overnight for races (running, tris, obstacle).

BTR22 wrote:Wow, someone else that 4wheels and runs! I converted my 14x7 vnose snowmobile trailer to a camper for the summer. Then in the fall the bed, cabinets, tv etc come out for the winter. No bath or toilet to keep it simple. I added two windows, ac/dc converter with breakers, roof fan and a screen door. Still working on it. FYI everything takes 5 times longer than you thin it will! Plan to use it camp overnight for races (running, tris, obstacle).

Yup! Not a lot of us!

Taking 5 times longer was the name of the game today...pics later tonight.

Hi emjohn4

Good job - you gave me some ideas

The wood is not as strong , but it's better for insulation, the metal ribs transmit heat or cold like elec elements
Inside a toaster .... Good side it will heat up slower.... Bad side I would guess it cools down slower also.
Can't wait to see how it works out

Jerry

OverTheTopCargoTrailer

More work today - but slow was the name of the game...

Laying out the locations of the recessed d-rings:



Another:



D-ring install...in process:



I noticed how much stronger and stiffer the new studs I installed were (there's a joke here...somewhere ), but I decided to replace the two on the "drivers" side that I didn't yesterday, and the four on the curb side as well. Took a few minutes to remove the insulation I just installed, but all was well in a few hours. FWIW, I used liquid nails and pocket hole screws to hold the new studs in, whereas the factory ones were just stapled in place.



Thought I'd get to some wiring today, but that wasn't happening. However, I did start laying out the bed rails:



Another:



The thought here is a metal platform, faced with plywood, and a 6" queen memory foam mattress. The pre-made mattresses, I felt, left a bit to be desired, and were too thick...since the storage of the sleeping platform will be a set of identical rails as far forward, and high, as it can go in the trailer for the toys to park under.

From FoambyMail, I ordered 4" of LUX-R Foam and 2" of 4LB ViscoPLUSH Memory Foam Topper. I'm going to use 3M Super 77 spray adhesive to glue the two of them together, and slip into a mattress cover. This will be 6" of mattress, which should be very nice, and far better than an air mattress. The LUX-R foam is the "stiffest" foam they sell, and the memory foam should make it feel very nice. Appears to be much higher quality foam (higher density) than the Walmart/Sams Club 8" Memory foam mattresses.

Anyhow, that was it for today. Forgot to get a final parting shot...but more tomorrow. Going to finish the bed platform framing, reassemble the doors and trim, and hope to get some wiring done for interior lighting. That'll be it for a few weeks, quads will be going back in tomorrow, and off to the storage place until it gets pulled out in a month or so to go camping.

BTR22 wrote:Wow, someone else that 4wheels and runs! I converted my 14x7 vnose snowmobile trailer to a camper for the summer. Then in the fall the bed, cabinets, tv etc come out for the winter. No bath or toilet to keep it simple. I added two windows, ac/dc converter with breakers, roof fan and a screen door. Still working on it. FYI everything takes 5 times longer than you thin it will! Plan to use it camp overnight for races (running, tris, obstacle).

That's our use too. My wife has a Cam Am Max 800 and I ride a Polaris rzr 800. I'm currently building mine up to accommodate our bikes and needs.