Teardrops n Tiny Travel Trailers

Hi All!

I've been around here for a few months now watching what everyone else is doing with their CTs. There sure are a lot of talented and innovative people on this forum. I purchased my trailer back in September, just before my wife and I left Nova Scotia to return to BC. Plan at the time was to bring some of our "stuff" with us including my tools so I could work on the trailer out west. I never did weigh the loaded trailer but I figure it must have been 5-5,500 lbs. Our hightop van pulled it well, but it was close to its limit weight-wise.

Anyway we made is safely to Vancouver Island after 20 days on the road. For the last couple of months I have been fine-tuning our plan for the CT. Hopefully I have finished the planning and now can get off the couch and get started.

Here is the plan for my build.



I'm starting with a 2014 NEO NAVR716TR6 trailer – 7'x16' with an interior height of 7'. The V-nose adds approximately 22" inside. The side door is 32" wide. Rear ramp. All aluminum.

To start I figure we will mostly plug in to park power, so I plan to install 110v panel, wiring, lights, etc. Future addition might include 12v and solar. Propane tanks will sit on the tongue and be connected to fridge, stovetop, furnace, and on demand water heater.

One major factor in the decision to convert a cargo trailer was my wife's power wheelchair. She is ambulatory but uses it to go longer distances, thanks to having polio as a kid. So the ramp will allow her to use her wheelchair in the trailer and the area at the front provides enough space for her to turn it around.

The key to this plan is the suspended bed over the living area. With 7' interior height, there is sufficient room to store the bed in the ceiling and be able to walk under it. My wife and I did look at various small "lite weight" travel trailers with permanent beds (neither of us wants to make a bed at night then put it away in the morning, day in, day out!) but they were just plain awful – expensive, poor fit and finish, and really crummy layouts.

Using the space at the back of the trailer as a living room during the day and a bedroom at night meant everything fits into a 16-18' trailer. And 7' wide means an easier tow.

Finally our high top conversion van, according to the specs, can tow a maximum 6,000 lbs. Converting our CT means we can control the weight, keeping it as light as possible.

I'm starting at 1870 lbs empty. I'm interested in seeing what it ends up weighing when I'm done.

I would appreciate any comments, criticisms, concerns, and suggestions re my plan.

Thanks!

Doug

CoventryKid wrote:Finally our high top conversion van, according to the specs, can tow a maximum 6,000 lbs. Converting our CT means we can control the weight, keeping it as light as possible.

I'm starting at 1870 lbs empty. I'm interested in seeing what it ends up weighing when I'm done.

I would appreciate any comments, criticisms, concerns, and suggestions re my plan.

Thanks!

Doug

Doug, My weight limit is only 3500 pounds...WITH a 480 pound motorcycle in the trailer during transport. As a result, I put together a weight matrix by major component using published weights to ensure we could keep the build under 3500 pounds. The number one result of this was the elimination of the ramp door and purchase a 14 foot trailer instead of 16 foot. Based upon my matrix, you should be able to stay within your weight limit, but will need to pay attention to the little things, as those pounds sneak up on you...

I too have started to keep a weight list of everything added. I start with about 1750lbs.

Thanks, Profkx and Bob:

Home Depot's site lists the weight of a lot of the building supplies like plywood and insulation. I've used that as well as their prices to calculate weights and create a budget. Nothing is cheap these days (except me!)!

I will use the trailer to get materials and the van too for smaller stuff. Fortunately for me there is a truck weigh scale just south of where we are staying so I can slide by when I pick up materials and get the weight. I've got the starting weight of both van and trailer.

I know I will never reach the 7500 lb max of the trailer; it's more the van and its max towing weight that I am working with. Essentially lighter is better!

I snuck (sounds bad, but I checked and there is such a word) our bathroom scales out to the garage and am weighting items this way. When I am done, I will weight the completed project at truck scales if I can find one locally. Then one needs to consider the weight of the accessory items ( bedding, kitchen stuff, clothes, toys, etc).

I have no target other then to keep it low whatever that is.

lrrowe, Howdy;

Scales can be found at most gravel (aggregate), yards, moving companies (or they'll know where to go),
and coal mines, produce packing houses that are also shipping points, yellow pages ...

hank

Thanks Hank,

No coal mines here; they are in that state west of here. But you are right about the gravel type places. I know of one who sells stone and they had a scale. Will try that one.

lrrowe, Howdy;

Bob, give them a call first to see when would be the best time for them.
It's good for "Brownie points", not a discount, allows them to judge when
doing your weigh won't conflict with their schedule. Some days they have
trucks going across the scales like a line of elephants ...

hank

Good advice.
Thanks

If there's a Pilot or Loves truck stop near you they'll have scales as well.

I know where the Pilot near me is. I guess I was just apprehensive about pulling into a truck stop for this. I would want to take the trailer off and weigh it by itself, then with just the tongue on it (and I know there is a way to do this with a bathroom scale) and then the complet rig, with truck. That could be too much to ask them.

I know we're on different sides of the border, but I dropped by my local truck weigh scale (gov't run) to ask if I could weigh my van/trailer at some point.

"Sure", the operator said, but "you can do it anytime." I asked what he meant.

My local scale is open only during certain hours on any given the day. Truckers must drive over the scale when it is "open".

When the scale is "closed", it is NOT turned off. I can drive by anytime and spend as much time as I need without holding anyone up.

In the great green north today, it was 12C (54F), so plenty warm enough to start stripping out some plywood....



I took off the lower sheets of plywood (thank you NEO for using real screws!) and cut a piece of plywood as backing for the utilities. Tomorrow, if the weather cooperates, I'll install the 30A service plug, the city water input, and cable input.

I think we've finally got the windows sorted out. We like the T windows we have in the van, so I'm looking for similar for the living area at the back of the trailer. I mocked up this picture of the trailer this afternoon.



I might be off a tad but at least it gives an idea of what it will look like.