2008 8.5x18 Full timer project -> begin!

[Chilly Willy]

After over 2 years of window shopping, planning, rethinking, false starts, big dreams, reality checks etc....
I finally bought a trailer:



Considering my northern location I figure this unit will be too small for full time living including plumbing, so I'm considering this a starter unit, for use until I get my real project going.
At some point I'll have a much larger trailer with every creature comfort I desire, but for now this is what I have to work with so the list will start with essentials and end before it becomes claustrophobic.
Since we're on the threshold of winter I'll be shortcutting some things (ie. the ramp / porch ) in favor of getting it livable asap.

This should be a fun project for me, and anyone who takes an interest in following it, as it will be a learning experience and very much an experiment. Any wrong turns could require fixing in the middle of a dark and windy minus 53 C night.

Tow vehcicle: 2007 F350, crew cab, diesel, dually, long box.
Trailer: 2008 8.5x18 cargo trailer with ramp door (no idea on the make, just says Owens Cargo Inc on some stickers, assume they assembled it)
Dependants who didn't qualify as tax deductions: Bella and Nina, my dogs.

[dustboy]

You should be able to make a comfy little house out of that! Although with all the insulation you'll need you might not have much space left!

[lrrowe]

Given both the CT's and TV's age, they look in very good shape. That is from what I can see in these photos.
Good luck with your project.

[Chilly Willy]

Could be difficult to stealth camp in this thing, the color doesn't blend with anything.

You should be able to make a comfy little house out of that! Although with all the insulation you'll need you might not have much space left!

The insulation was the reason behind going with max width, space disappears quick.

Given both the CT's and TV's age, they look in very good shape. That is from what I can see in these photos.
Good luck with your project.

They are in surprisingly good shape. Combination of patience, research, luck, and lazt minute panic payed off.

[OverTheTopCargoTrailer]

You even have room for Dr Dolittle ......
If you can find where he is hibernating
He didn't wanna share how well his plan worked out.

Looks like stealth camping at Home Depot loading dock should be no problem

[Chilly Willy]

You even have room for Dr Dolittle ......
If you can find where he is hibernating
He didn't wanna share how well his plan worked out.

Looks like stealth camping at Home Depot loading dock should be no problem

I suspect (or hope) that as we were trying to point out the air quality issues his trailer would face, that he would be able to discover the source of his homes air issue. Either that or he tried using his cars engine exhaust as a warm air source. Hope he's ok.

[Chilly Willy]

Bunch done, and a bunch of pictures, but was having a heck of a time figuring out how to reduce the 5mb photos my phone takes to a more sensible size... just discovered that texting them to myself does the trick.

[Chilly Willy]

I've decided to build a 12' insulated bedroom at the back of the trailer, which leaves me with a roughly 5' coldroom at the front. Coldroom will also be insulated, but will only get its heat from leeching the bedroom. Going to arrange fresh air access from outside to the coldroom, then to the bedroom. Hoping that in theory if the outside air hits minus 50C, and the bedroom is at 15C, that the coldroom ends up somewhere between minus 10 and plus 10. This will create a lobby so that I dont lose all my warm air every time I open the door. Also if I put my in use propane bottle inside it won't get so cold that it ceases to function.



Here are my supervisors.




Did I mention this is a living project? As in I'll be living in it as I build it.




Every time I do major work all my stuff needs to get put into the truck. Between that and the amount of walking my dogs need every stage has as much overhead as Tuts burial plot.




My new floor arrives, some assembly required.




Throwing down some lumber with just enough screws to keep it from moving. Trying to keep the dismantle process as easy as possible.










Done and dark. Had to hurry since I cant exactly load my stuff and dogs onto styrofoam.

After walking on this for a couple days I decided to add more plywood to firm up some soft spots.

Also will be installing a nice thick carpet, but that will be the last item.

[Chilly Willy]

Styrofoam and duct tape.

At this point I had planned to add some 2x4s straight across, stuff it up with fiberglass ( to fill tat convex volume) tack up some plywood and add carpet. Carpet on the floor, walls, door, ceiling.... nice shaggy stuff, and name it my Pimpartment. The fact that I'd lose enough height that I wouldnt be able to stand up waz bugging me though, and I kept putting it off...

[Rainier70]

Looking good. Maybe you should try working on one half of the trailer at a time. Do the back end first then the front. You wouldn't have to move your stuff so far.

Are you going to insulate underneath the frame also? Good luck on the build.

[Chilly Willy]

Looking good. Maybe you should try working on one half of the trailer at a time. Do the back end first then the front. You wouldn't have to move your stuff so far.

Are you going to insulate underneath the frame also? Good luck on the build.

Not going to insulate underneath. There's some pretty heavy duty steel tubing under the plywood, insulating between those would increase the R value of those air pockets, but would do nothing to reduce heat sinking through the steel. I imagine that the steel accounts for 90 percent of the heat loss so I'm just considering everything below the plywood a lost cause. And yes to doing one half at a time... the coldroom is going to wait for the most part. Still have to shuffle somewhat, dogs and wet paint don't mix well

[Chilly Willy]

The thought occured to me that I could just bend some insulation sheets tight against the ceiling, and if I added 2 inches I could maintain enough height to stand up through the middle.

Hanging it there was an interesting brain drain. If I could have found some self tapping metal screws longer than 2 inches I likely would have just screwed it all up. I have zero experiece with suspended ceilings... which of course made that the obvious choice.. and obviously I'd need to invent my own hanging system rather than ask for help.




Tackled the easy part first. Screwed up some wires. Of course once you commit like this you then start to consider the challenges... like adding multiple curved surfaces, how the drill holes will all skew out of alignment...




My crew patiently waiting while I contemplate the next step.




Ok so could you put some shoes on and finish the ceiling before winter hits, please?

[Chilly Willy]

The hanging system I invented while pacing the aisles at Home Depot. 1 inch bolt with a small washer and two nuts, and a larger washer. Slide my roof insulation and finishing layer up onto the wires - wrap the wires between the nuts - tighten the nuts and trim excess wire - turn the bolt which will twist the wires and draw the whole business tight against my roof beams. Sounds like a good idea right? Not so much, but I'm too far along now to change.

[Chilly Willy]

And it worked. Only broke one, and no way to fix it. Likely just glue it on so it looks consistant. Once I add walls they'll shore up the perimeter, and maybe some fancy duct tape to keep the seems together for a finishing touch.

[Chilly Willy]

Looking good. Maybe you should try working on one half of the trailer at a time. Do the back end first then the front. You wouldn't have to move your stuff so far.

Are you going to insulate underneath the frame also? Good luck on the build.

Also what had slipped my mind (since I've been thinking of nothing but my roof for the past week or so) is that a good way to slow down heat loss from the floor is to skirt the whole trailer. If I have room when I'm done I'll likely whip up some portable pieces. If I plan to stay put for weeks T a time skirting with bales of hay works even better.