Teardrops n Tiny Travel Trailers

Hey all.
Well, it's started. Awhile back my ideas were overreaching for what my time and budget allows... that thread is here...http://tnttt.com/viewtopic.php?f=27&t=67135 What the trailer is intended for remains the same.
I sell work at art shows around the country, and need to tone down hotel costs. Also, I need to start enjoying the journey, and stop the mad dash back and forth. So, essentially the top four feet of the trailer is camper, the bottom two is cargo. (the bed height is adjustable, so it can be changed or removed as necessary). The back two feet of the camper will usually be able to be stood in, with a small kitchen area and a stow-away shower. We're talking lots of right-in-the-city camping, and then more enjoyable camping at other times.

What I've had time to do, and due to the glory of financing, was to convert a small cargo trailer. Compared to some of y'all... very small. It's 5'x8', with an extra 1' added for the height. So, it started like this:


I ordered it from Colony Cargo in Georgia. It's a trailer built by Arising. They were great to work with. I ordered the extra height, full front "v", cargo doors on the "v", barn doors, top vent, electric brakes, insulated interior.

Pros:
It seems to be built really well. It's not light, but it's solid. Interior workmanship was much better than expected. Pricing seemed good. Not everything is ideal, but it's usable "out of the gate" for me.
I love the size. It's cozy to be inside. I'm moving the camper into lots of tight spaces, so bigger would make me stress. I can see the camper behind me towing, and see behind the camper on the highway.

Cons:
I... ...um... ...really hate diamond plate. It's just an opinion. But whomever skinned my trailer really had a field day with it, kind of went above and beyond what was expected. So, some day I'm going to have fun and make the outside a project. But not today.
The factory insulation is mediocre as has been said elsewhere on the forum- but it's quite a bit better than none, and I can redo it at another point (when I re-skin the beast).
I don't love how they did the wiring. It's fine, it works... but I'd like grommets and better connectors.

I spent 8 days in it on the road before doing any conversion to it at all.

Before my last trip, I had a few days, so this happened:
front cabinets roughed in...


temporary bed platform (final one will separate into a couch, with half the bed storing underneath)


PD4045 installed and wired, along with a USB port, a 12v outlet, a battery gauge, and a switch to turn off the obnoxious battery gauge (lots more later.)

A bit more that was done so far...

switches for the porch light (extra space for upcoming dimmer switch for the interior lights), interior lights (hmm, need pics of those lights -- but you can see them in the third pic in the post above), and a foot light ( a light down near the bottom of the door, to give a bit of campground light without blinding everyone)


A switch to disconnect the house battery from the brake battery (so I don't drain the brake battery when disconnected), also wired so the house battery will charge when driving...


I thought a curve would look really nice in the front cargo panel...

Oh, wait, that's me jack-knifing the trailer and denting the front. I live on a very narrow cobblestone, hilly Pittsburgh street, and putting the camper in my backyard may not be possible, I've discovered. Will attempt another day.

This weekend, I'll be installing two 20 x 24 vertical windows that I purchased from http://teardroptrailerparts.com/ (thanks, Frank!).

Much of this project is going to be done in small bursts... I'm here for a week, then gone for a week again, and staying in the camper when on the road. It'll be that way all summer to some degree, and a cross country trip happening in Sept. So, It's going to keep getting modified, but has to stay functional. It'll get pretty some day.

Y'all have given tons of info, couldn't be at this point without you. Thanks.
I'll keep you updated as I can!

The list of plans for upgrading the little camper is large... but instead of talking, I'll just show each thing as I get it done. Questions are fine, though, and if anyone would like a list of expenses/materials/sources I'd be happy to keep one going. I'm keeping a spreadsheet for myself, to keep myself in the land of reality regarding the project.

Cheers.

Nice job!! Take your time with it and think multiple, measure twice, cut once.......

MatthewWorks wrote: I'm keeping a spreadsheet for myself, to keep myself in the land of reality regarding the project.

DON'T DO IT! It's too scary, Ignorance is bliss, I tell ya

Smart business decision on your build!

BTW, if you want to get the trailer in the backyard easier, consider getting a receiver hitch installed on the front of the Tacoma, drop the trailer on the street, transfer the hitch ball to the front of the truck, hookup nose to nose, then drive the trailer anywhere you want. Looks silly, works great since the steering wheels of the rig are now at the front, and closer the pivot point of the trailer, plus you can see exactly where you are turning the trailer.

Ever seen one of the boat guys driving his boat through the camp area to the ramp with the tow rig facing the bow of the boat? I've also read the yard jockeys do this with campers, trailers etc. I did it for mine and it gets used pretty often to park my trailer in a tight spot behind my garage. Found a sale on the hitch, and it was well worth it. I also have a recovery point for the front of the vehicle now too.

NO David! wrote:consider getting a receiver hitch installed on the front of the Tacoma

Thank you!
Funny - that passed through my brain at some point during all the planning, but apparently it didn't stick... thanks for the reminder!!!
Google tells me that I can get one made for the truck for about $160... which would pay for itself in about three months by me not having to rent a storage space someplace else. Looks like I'll add that onto the project list for the next period!

What year is your truck? Curt has one ready to go...
https://www.etrailer.com/Front-Hitch/Toyota/Tacoma/2010/31313.html?vehicleid=20107447

NO David! wrote:What year is your truck? Curt has one ready to go...
https://www.etrailer.com/Front-Hitch/Toyota/Tacoma/2010/31313.html?vehicleid=20107447

That's exactly what I was looking at. Looks like an easy install... dang it, shouldn't have said that. (2012 Tacoma)
etrailer.com is great to deal with, I'll be ordering the hitch with the next influx of cash and time. I leave in six days, so it can sit on the street for that long.

Windows are the next thing (speaking of time and money), should be installing tomorrow! (hey, only a 60% chance of rain...)

(edit... windows were delivered today. Having a terrible time trying to get work done, instead of something fun like chopping giant holes into the side of the trailer)

First window went in today...

Including mistakes, it took about 2 1/2 hours. My main mistake was probably an hour of that...

Before window...


Figured out placement (my wall studs are on 24" centers, it's a 20" window). Taped it off, marked it, screwed the inside trim ring directly to the wall to get a solid trace.


First drill hole. Scary every time.


Well, this happened.
I used a fine, long wood blade on the jigsaw and cut through aluminum and interior layers. (BigBox didn't have a long enough metal blade.) Worked great. Didn't do an angle, just kept it tight.


...and here's where my mistake was, and the extra hour. Somehow, I mis-measured the thickness of my walls. Therefore the trim ring was too deep to compress the seal on the window. No place to unhook the trailer, can't drive down the highway with a gaping hole in the trailer... what's on hand???? I have tons of 5mm underlayment from other projects. So, these are interior spacers.

Take your time with it and think multiple, measure twice, cut once.......

Also, measure thrice, order once...


Another fit-up, from the exterior... taking the screen out made this doable. (Going to re-screen it with privacy screen anyhow.)


...and that's not enough spacers. One more. (ended up being a total of 5/8". It's okay, there'll be interior things I'm doing that'll make it all work, anyhow.


Interior fit-up. Then it was screwed together again, but this time it all fit.


Exterior, final. It did compress the aluminum a bit... but I'm okay with it. It looks fine.
(edit: for those worried, I'd say it compressed a bit less than 1/8". Seal seems good, will watch it. May play with blocking on the second window if I have time.)


Interior... There's trim to be replaced yet, will do it after the second window tomorrow.


No photos, but I also had to move/rewire the wiring for the running light on the fender. It'd be an even more boring photo.

Overall, exciting stuff, I say. Tomorrow's should be faster, since I know what I'm in for.

Cheers.

Something I have seen done and plan to do myself, is to make the spacer 1.5 to 2 inches bigger than the window and either paint it or upholster it so it becomes the window trim.

Iconfabul8 wrote:Something I have seen done and plan to do myself, is to make the spacer 1.5 to 2 inches bigger than the window and either paint it or upholster it so it becomes the window trim.

It's a good thought -- I did consider this too. I think I might make anything upholstered dirty too fast, so I had to nix that idea even though I like it. (seriously. I'm half Sasquatch, and a metalsmith. I seem to be a dirty person, and it's a battle in the house to live like a good human.) Since I'm in "I have to get this done mode" I just went for a clean edge under the interior trim ring, and will add wooden trim around the windows later. (traced a good template for later.) Also planning on having magnets set into the wood (perhaps under the surface) and light-blocking curtains with magnets, so knew I didn't have time for that fun/tomfoolery this weekend.

I did get the second window done today.



I did add in blocking for the window, using 1x lumber I cut down. I also took out the previous window, installed blocking, and re-installed. It cut the spacers down to two pieces of the 5mm underlayment... but that may not be quite enough. The three spacers (15mmm) I had were too much; I wish the seals were compressed a bit more. Going to run with it, and see. 1/2 inch might be ideal (12.7mm) but I don't have that on hand. Can play with that next week, and perhaps add in trim and other features.

Might try to get some curtains made before I leave on Thursday. That would entail cutting a sound/moving blanket (already purchased), magnets, and iron-on edging. We'll see...

Today's endeavor ran about 2 hours 45 minutes, including the re-install of the second window. Trim still not put back in, and construction area needs to be cleaned up...

Also, pre-installation, one of my cats decided that the new windows are the best ever. Just so you know.

Funny how everything new that comes into the house belongs to the cat. "That's mine, what is that?" I've got a cat like that. He's about 17 lbs., so I guess if he really wants it, he could keep it. Never really seen him get mad, but he is incredibly strong and FAST! Maine Coon, fantastic animals.

McDave

McDave wrote:Funny how everything new that comes into the house belongs to the cat. "That's mine, what is that?" I've got a cat like that. He's about 17 lbs., so I guess if he really wants it, he could keep it. Never really seen him get mad, but he is incredibly strong and FAST! Maine Coon, fantastic animals.

McDave

Indeed. And the cat above is half Maine Coon (maybe you saw that?) - she's about a year old, we got her three months ago. She's a bloody riot, and really different from most any cat I've had. She's been through some stuff before we got her, so she'll definitely get mad... but she's really a sweetheart. Calming more as she goes. Keeps us on our toes.