Another 8.5 x 24 Toy Hauler Cargo Trailer Conversion

[cg_ops]

She's finally done and arrived at my dealer from the manufacturer!! Ordered her back in August.

LOOK Vision 8.5x24x7.5 Car Hauler-style trailer.

Customization list

• Dual side windows (should've gone bigger)
• Dual 5200lb torsion axles
• RV Door
• 20' awning
• AC
• 50AMP RV-style boondock plug
• 3 120v outlets (1 front, 1 rear, 1 exterior by RV door)
• Generator box
• Drop stands
• Bogie wheels
• Neat-o wheel rims
• 2-tone paint
• Top/Bottom front cabinets

To-Do list

• e-track
• Shower
• Beds
• Storage bins
• Backup camera setup
• ANY SUGGESTIONS?

[hankaye]

cg_ops, Howdy;

Great looking trailer, truly.

She's finally done and arrived at my dealer from the manufacturer!! Ordered her back in August.

LOOK Vision 8.5x24x7.5 Car Hauler-style trailer.

Customization list

• Dual side windows (should've gone bigger)
• Dual 5200lb torsion axles
• RV Door
• 20' awning
• AC
• 50AMP RV-style boondock plug
• 3 120v outlets (1 front, 1 rear, 1 exterior by RV door)
• Generator box
• Drop stands
• Bogie wheels
• Neat-o wheel rims
• 2-tone paint
• Top/Bottom front cabinets

To-Do list

• e-track
• Shower
• Beds
• Storage bins
• Backup camera setup
• ANY SUGGESTIONS?

Not so much suggestions rather questions.

* I spy with my little eye, in your to do list a shower but no commode, fixin' to do both ?
* Along with facilities that make comfortable for wife/better half or just self, will you
be considering waste tanks, Black & Gray (both in one or separate) ?
* Also, are there plans for insulation and heat and/or air conditioning ?

hank

[aggie79]

Gorgeous trailer! I think it is bigger than my first apartment. I look forward to your build.

[cg_ops]

cg_ops, Howdy;

Great looking trailer, truly.

Not so much suggestions rather questions.

* I spy with my little eye, in your to do list a shower but no commode, fixin' to do both ?
* Along with facilities that make comfortable for wife/better half or just self, will you
be considering waste tanks, Black & Gray (both in one or separate) ?
* Also, are there plans for insulation and heat and/or air conditioning ?

hank

Thank you! I'm really excited by how it turned out. Been anxiously waiting for it since I ordered in July/August.

I will likely just do only shower/sink due to the exponential difficulty in doing black and grey water tanks. Most places I plan to take it (race tracks, camping parks) will have toilets and I will be buying a commode for the few that don't. It'll be much easier to only deal with 2 tanks that I can empty almost anywhere vs dealing with the plumbing of a black water tank.

For the AC unit + 120v outlets, insulated walls were a requirement and it was only $400 for walls and roof, which was a no brainer.... but I'm a little nervous about drilling/cutting into them to put in e-track and other add-ons that I'm planning.

I'd love to go with a happijack bed lift but I can't find a reseller and they gave the impression that they don't sell to retail anymore.

Here's the quote that I got, before we finalized the last couple of options. (If it's in poor taste to share, I'll remove it)

[EZDog]

That Sir is a Whole Lot of Trailer!

And then some.

[McDave]

Hey cg_ops,
Sweet Trailer! What a Great platform for a CTC. Thanks for posting that invoice. I find that kind of real time data very informative.
So, I may have missed it but what are your plans for this unit? Race car/ Toy hauler? Multi purpose camper? That is a whole lot of trailer with lots of potential.
Looking forward to your build.
Good luck!

McDave

[kirkupnorth]

Wow -- you've got a nice starting off point for a conversion, and a lot of space to work with! I'm looking forward to watching your build.

Make sure to post lots of pics, and have fun with it!

[m.glisson003]

Awesome sir! Maybe someday I'll meet you at the track with my 8.5 x 24 CTC.

Yours is just like mine only with a lot of upgrades from the factory. I opted for a basic trailer with minimal upgrades and am doing ALL of the work myself. Having a trailer that is already insulated and wired would've been nice though!

I'll be watching this one closely!

[hankaye]

cg_ops, Howdy;

I saw a mention of "9 mm White Vinyl Insulated" for the walls and I think it reads 2.7 mm
White Vinyl Insulated for the ceiling . Those translate to approx. 0.35" for the walls and 0.10"
for the ceiling and those figures include the wall material as well. Have you opened an end
seam to have a look-see as to what exactly you have there???


hank

[cg_ops]

cg_ops, Howdy;

I saw a mention of "9 mm White Vinyl Insulated" for the walls and I think it reads 2.7 mm
White Vinyl Insulated for the ceiling . Those translate to approx. 0.35" for the walls and 0.10"
for the ceiling and those figures include the wall material as well. Have you opened an end
seam to have a look-see as to what exactly you have there???


hank

Hey Hank,

I finally got a chance to look at it. It looks like they used 9mm styrofoam sandwhiced between sheets Luan. I like the quality of the OEM walls on the inside but they caulked everything, including the crown moulding, so it's really hard to run wiring without having to rip it all apart (which I don't want to do)

I installed a few goodies this weekend a my friend's shop in San Luis Obispo. Rear and side view cameras (rear view visible inside truck, side view visible from inside trailer.). Go the stereo installed and the LED light strip.










Stereo view
https://i.imgur.com/uMbOdiF.mp4

[hankaye]

cg_ops, Howdy;

As long as you're happy with it that's all that matters. I keep
thinking how a lot of the folks here like to ensure the space
between the interior wall and the outer skin is packed full
of various types of insulating foam. Then, after thinking about
it a while, I remember folks like Gone fishin' who just have
a layer of Reflectix and has been doing fine for several years
in the North Western States.

Have fun with your project and post often and with photos.

hank

[cg_ops]

I know it's easy for most of you but I'm proud I was able to add a breaker and outlet to my trailer solo last night. I have to get creative sometimes, doing stuff 1-handed!!

Added another power outlet under the cabinet to power my new AC/DC converter and a power strip. Here's the converter I purchased, anyone else have experience with one of these? https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00F8 ... UTF8&psc=1

Image album with more pics
https://imgur.com/gallery/F8SHiN4

I'll be cleaning up the wiring once I'm happy with where everything is located.

Before

After

[cg_ops]

I had picked up a pair of these generators to power the AC and tire warmers but they were too noisy and under performed. (13.5k BTU AC would put them on overload, even when running in parallel) https://www.costco.com/A-iPower-1600W-R ... 43958.html

Have any of you had experience with Westinghouse generators? Specifically the iGen4500? They're out of stock everywhere currently, however, their customers service said more will be available in September. It's almost too good to be true:
https://www.westinghouseoutdoorpower.co ... /igen4500/
-Reputable manufacturer
-$1100 for dual fuel version
-3700 running watts
- Rated at 52db running (videos show it to be around 60db under load, quieter than a pair of the Honda EU2200s)
- Remote start
- 18 hr run time @25% 12hr at load
- Wheels / telescoping "luggage handle"



Ended up not installing a permanent bed but, instead, got a Disc-O-Bed bunk/cot from Costco and, so far, I love it!! Highly recommend! https://www.costco.com/Disc-O-Bed-Cam-O ... 83609.html

[flboy]

cg_ops..

I know nothing about the Westinghouse other than many times the brands are liscenced to manufacturers and many are in China.. That said, it looks very nice, and they are probably fine... just wanted to throw this out there. I bought the Predator 3500 for Hurricane backup as I have the Honda Eu2000i for my CTC.

Checkout the video I made and the reviews, these are actually decent and if there is concern, get the 2 yr bumper to bumper warranty. Also electric start and easy to buy kit to make a wireless remote or easy to make a wired remote start.

I know for a fact it will start a 13,500BTU from Eco mode and is quieter than my Honda. I ran Tommy's AC on his CTC to test it out. No hesitation whatsoever.

For $649 on sale or $699 typical, I would not hesitate. Most issues folks have are caused by leaving fuel in carb for months in between use or not cleaning spark arrestor after alot of use. The bowl has a drain just like the Honda. Drain it and it will start first crank after sitting for months.



https://youtu.be/UG8TBB3dBNo

Sent from my SM-G935P using Tapatalk

[McDave]

I assume your A/C functions properly on shore power? I just checked my Coleman 13,500. At start on high cool it surges to about 1500wts and 12.5amps, then drops to 1000-1100wts and 8.5-9.5amps and slowly climbs up as the high side pressure builds. This is on shore power at 120v. I recently had to replace the start cap and starter pkg when it failed. It smoked so it was obvious it had failed. The compressor would try to start and draw high amps until the overload kicked out. It may be worth your while to verify A/C is functioning properly, but I think that a single gen. of high enough capacity is probably better than the dual parallel system, IMHO.

Good Luck!

McDave