Teardrops n Tiny Travel Trailers

Hello all,
I picked up my Haulmark 7 x 16 x 7' high all aluminum CT today at the factory. Took some photos while the guys were checking the trailer for its final QC. Haulmark and Wells Cargo are made in the same factory north of my residence in Ogden, Utah. I asked one of the guys and he said they actually go down the same assembly line. Haulmark started an all aluminum model called the ALX and mine was the first 7 x 16 x 7' to roll off the assembly line. Needless to say there were quite a few workers out checking out my trailer after I got it hooked up to my rig. She's a beauty. The size of my trailer was determined by the need to haul a Polaris Ranger side by side. In order to do so, it had to be 7' high with a taller door. After being in a trailer with a 7' ceiling, the others seem so short. I need 10' clearance for the Ranger, so I went with the 16 footer to give more room up front. It has a 18" v-nose. As of right now, the ALX I bought came in a package; aluminum rims, torsion suspension, handle and lock on side door, ceiling vent, slant nose, diamond plate, rear loading jacks, flip down ramp extension, LED lights, cargo light, vents, no rivets in the side panels, etc. I could have ordered a CT custom, but the lead times were 3-4 months. With this CT being all aluminum, corrosion will be almost non-existent.

I've been reading this site for quite some time and marvel at the knowledge, skill and ingenuity of the members. I've never owned a camper or travel trailer so I am new at this experience. My camping consisted of a tent, mattress, sleeping bag, coleman lantern, coleman stove, etc. Okay when you're young... not so good when you get older.
I'll first be using the trailer to move personal belongings I don't want the movers touching. The important things; golf clubs, guns, fly rods, table saw, chop saw, tool chest, etc. After the move, the CT conversion will begin.

First order of business will be insulation, interior paint and a couple of windows. After that, we're going camping. The wife and I will figure things out as we go. That will be the fun part. I've read so many topics about all the possibilities, yet we're really not sure what we want. Most likely items; small sink, bucket toilet for the middle of the night, some sort of shower, fold down bed, table. Maybe a small cooktop... maybe not. When we camp we like to bring a lot of food already prepared to minimize the hassle of full-on preparing a meal (breakfast burritos never get old).

I got a job in Lewiston, Idaho. Super excited to get out of the big city. I'm a big fly fisherman and an upland bird hunter. Our new surroundings should provide plenty of opportunity. Nothing will be done of the CT for the next month so I will continue to read posts and get new ideas. I was a carpenter and cabinet builder in a previous life so building things should be no problem. I was also a design engineer and learned how to use Solidworks 3D modeling so I can draw things in 3D to get a good idea of how the end product will be before pulling the trigger on adding things.

I'll post pics as I go. And... I will have a ton of questions. Thanks again for all of you and your mad skills. Necessity is the mother of invention.

more pics

Wow! That's a pretty trailer! Can't wait to follow your build!

Sweet! I really like the nose on it. Did you buy direct, or through the dealer in Ogden? (That's who ordered my Haulmark for me) You have lots of room and therefore lots of options. Should be fun, and very comfy when you're done.

Good looking trailer. I'm looking forward to seeing more of your build in the future.

My 6x14 Haulmark came out of that factory and I've been very pleased with the workmanship. All aluminum? That should be a winner... congratulations!

Dave

Very nice! I can't wait to see your build.

I was thinking about having a swing up door on the V-nose. Compliments of Gadgetman. Does anyone know where I might get such a door. I like what Gadgetman did behind this door and was looking to do the same. I wanted a small sink and a couple of small holding tanks. I also liked where he put the battery and the pump. Easy access and out of the way. My CT has an identical shape and this seems to be the most logical. I'm not worried about the installation, just where to purchase the door and the trim. Any help would be much appreciated.

Gonefishin wrote:Sweet! I really like the nose on it. Did you buy direct, or through the dealer in Ogden? (That's who ordered my Haulmark for me) You have lots of room and therefore lots of options. Should be fun, and very comfy when you're done.

Gonefishin,
I bought the trailer from Castle RV in Helper, Ut. I shopped around and they had the best prices. Like I said, the CT I purchased came as a package so I didn't have any options unless I ordered custom. I couldn't wait so I bought this one. Haulmarks ALX line is pretty new and should continue to improve and provide more options as time follows. The factory told me that the ALX line is built like their high-end steel trailers are built. So far it appears to be top-shelf. Moving in 10 days. We'll see how well it pulls after 10 hours and 625 miles.

Awesome. Keep us posted!

HELP !!!!!!!!!!!

Getting ready to start insulation. I'm going to use the pink foam board I can purchase at the local Home Depot. Appears to be what I need.

Question??... After you cut to width and length to fit between the wall and ceiling supports, how do you attach it?? Do you use construction adhesive and just glue it to the exterior wall, or do you apply something else to the exterior wall and then push in the foam?? Any help will be much appreciated.

I just cut mine tight and it held in place nicely. Then I ran house wrap tape up and down the uprights and foam edges. After that the interior paneling became the final restraint.

Ditto what Bob (lrrowe) said - I used aluminum tape to seal the gaps, then re-installed the interior plywood. Never even thought of attaching the rigid insulation.

Hope this helps.

Thanks for the input.

local HD has the 2" pink foam board. Should work out fine. Will use plenty of the HVAC tape. I've read the posts about insulation on this forum. Some people really went crazy with their insulation. I would like to keep things simple. I figure 2" of the pink board tightly fitted between the studs all the way around, and taping the seams with plenty of HVAC tape should be fine. I also plan on insulating the door and rear ramp door. I should also be able to insulate underneath the floor between the cross-members. I've read about people putting the fiberglass panels under the foam. I'll scratch my head when I get to that point. I priced all the 2" pink foam board I will need to insulate everything. It's almost $700 to insulate...wow that's a pretty penny. I know my insulation is not up to par with others on this forum, but I think it should be fine for my needs without getting excessive. Am I missing anything in my thought process??

Went to a local RV trailer dealer. They can order me in some windows at a really good price. Almost seemed too good. Will go back and check the specs to see if there is something I am missing. I plan on putting in a large 46x30 window on the passenger side, a standard RV sized window in the door, a 30x22 in the back on the drivers side and a small 15x22 in the front on the drivers side. RV dealer quoted me like $600 for all these windows. That sounded way too cheap. The window thickness of these RV windows may not be correct for what I need, but I would think I could come up with something if the trim rings aren't the right thickness??

Next week I will be taking off the side panels to expose the wall studs. The screws in the walls are easy to take out. I will get my windows in front of me before I start cutting holes, but I can still figure out where I want them and get the aluminum headers and sill plates coming my way. I need to find a local guy who can put some aluminum welds around the window and vent pieces or I can get brackets and bolt them in. I do prefer welding. There are quite a few aluminum boat manufactures in my area so I shouldn't have too much of a problem finding someone to weld aluminum.

CT currently has one vent in the roof toward the front, but I would like to add another toward the back and a vent over the toilet/shower room.
What kind of vents are suggested, and where would I purchase them?? The new vent in the back main area is going to be the standard size vent, but the one in the toilet/shower area, I would prefer a smaller vent. Just something to get the steam out and the stank after using the toilet. Any suggestions??

I have one cargo LED light now. I plan on adding another in the back, one more in the front and one in the toilet/shower room. I plan on using a couple of 6v batteries for the lights. I also will add an exterior propane tank to the tongue and run a line to an on-demand hot water heater for the shower and one to the interior for small indoor cooking. The shower is going to be simple. Just to rinse off the days dirt. No elaborate long showers (the wife has to buy into that theory or we'll have a problem with water reserves). I've seen where CT conversion users used diagonal pieces where the walls meet the ceiling to hide electrical lines. I don't hate that idea. I don't plan of having much electrical...yet can always add later...right??

The wall panels have that textured finish. Will be curious if the other side is smooth?? Prefer the smooth side in toward the trailer. I think the painted walls would be better smooth. I also plan on painting the floor with epoxy paint. Probably that basic battleship grey color. Should provide protection. Also thought about putting a loose piece of vinyl flooring or linoleum down on the floor. Saw it at the RV dealer the other day when I was looking at windows. Was that wood grain finish. Looked pretty nice. I figured I could put a piece of L bracket on the floor at the wall and cut the vinyl flooring an 1/8-1/4" short all the way around so the flooring can expand and contract on the floor. Anyone have experience with this??

These are my immediate projects. I will post pictures of my progress as I go. I am new to the CT conversion and would like any feedback. Sometimes the obvious is obscured by the excitement. Again, thanks for all your suggestions.

Maximus

Hello Maximus,
For the bathroom fan I am using a Heng's Vent/Fan/Light combo. Heng's V771212-C (Ebay) about $60 delivered
For the flooring I am using a Home depot diamond style (6x8 cargo area + 6x6 ramp) Hard to beat the price, $99.00 delivered.
http://www.homedepot.com/p/HDX-7-5-ft-x ... 442047-_-N
That sounds like a lot of windows for my taste. Try to keep them high enough to provide some privacy, I opted to install peepholes, 1 in door, 1 in each wall and one in the ramp. $2-3 each, ebay. 1/2" hole, no cutting or welding required. For me the CT will be for haulin the Harley to rallies and a place to crash and regroup. Otherwise I don't spend much time in there.
You may want to consider LED rope lights for a more indirect lighting, the ceilings aren't very high and RV dome fixtures tend to be right at eye level. http://www.ebay.com/itm/Dimmable-5M-352 ... 0AwYX7vghA
I plan on running all the wiring in the top corner and as it happens I have a HUGE stack of old license plates that will fit at a 45 degree angle just right, and still allow for easy access. Rope lites around the perimeter shining up at the plates, might be pretty cool.
I'll start a build thread soon with pics, The weather is a lot better in Montana now, so progress soon.
McDave