Colorado 6X12 Haulmark Cargo Trailer

[Trainman45]

Hi Gang,
Well it has been a little warm here in the Sonoran Desert Arizona the last couple of weeks. Temps have been low 100's to around 115 a few times. I am lucky that I love the warm weather, but the cargo trailer is another story.... lol.

When I converted the trailer, I added 1 inch insulation and a layer of reflectix to the walls and roof. This combo has held up well so far. The Cargo Trailer Conversion forum, had a few members who painted their roofs with Elastomeric White roof paint to reflect the sun and heat. Well I did not do this step when I converted my trailer. I am not much for doing this type of work, and after all.... I am retired.... hahaha.!!

The trailer was begging for some relief from the heat or it was not going to let me inside anymore. So I broke down, went to a town, and picked up some paint at Ace hardware.



I dug out the ladder and set it up, then I tilted the solar panels so I could paint under and around them without taking them off the roof.

.....

Over a 2 day period I painted 3 coats on the roof, allowing each coat to dry before adding the next one.



Holy Buckets !! What a difference this upgrade has made. I highly recommend adding Elastomeric Paint to your roof. The trailer has even allowed me back inside and is very happy with the cooler temp..... lol.

Thanks go out to Gadget Man and the many others that posted info for painting your cargo trailer roofs.!!

[hankaye]

Trainman45, Howdy;

I live over near hatch, N.M. and our temps. are near yours sooo ...
almost enough to make one wonder if it would be feasible
to paint the entire trailer with the elastomeric paint ...

hank

[Trainman45]

Hi Hankaye,
I have been through Hatch NM., that is the shortcut from I-25 to Deming using state hwy 26.
I am not sure about using the elastomeric paint for whole trailer, it does say roof paint.

Wolfscout painted his trailer, you can take a look here:
http://www.tnttt.com/viewtopic.php?f=42&t=44867&start=120#p926939

He used elastomeric for roof and a flat white paint for sides.

[hankaye]

Trainman45, Howdy;

Was wanting to get a 'Plain Jane' Basic White CT anyway.
Was just thinking ...

hank

[norcal2]

How much paint did you use for your 3 coats? I may do the same to mine...

[Trainman45]

Hi NorCal2,
A one gallon can will be close and should do it. But ..... I used 1 and half of another can for my 3 coat application.
Hope that helps you out.

[bc toys]

Hi welcome from las vegas nv can I ask why you put on 3 coats on roof just ordered a look 6x10 and I would like to know how you like the flat roof and do you have any pics of your inside

[Prem]

I used elastomeric white RV roof coat on my bus conversion years ago. I put it on thick with a stiff-bristle push broom. Two coats (wet on top of sticky for bonding). It really worked well, especially in Arizona and Baja. It took many years to really start deteriorating (bubbling/breaking/flaking). Only downside was that it held dirt and was hard to wash clean as it aged and got chalky.

I made the mistake of putting on just one not-so-thick coat of elastomeric on my bare aluminum CT roof. It peeled in just under three years. I used high-pressure hot water to remove the rest of it at an RV DIY carwash with a gantry for getting on the roof.

This time I bought epoxy marine paint (glossy white). Two heavy brushed coats for maximum opacity.

My 2 cents,

Prem

[Trainman45]

Hi Gang,
@ BC Toys, This is my first and only cargo trailer, so the flat roof is all I know. It has worked well for me with the solar panels and fantastic fan up top. I have gone up to wipe off the panels once in a while and the roof does not hold water. There is a slight slope to both sides. I have lived in it fulltime now for 1 and a half years and would not have it any other way. It works great for me.

I used three coats to get a good solid coating on up there. I used a paint brush so I could get around the solar panels without taking them off and around the fan. There wasn't much left to paint after that, so finished with the brush. The first coat, like Prem said, was real thin, more like a base coat. The next 2 coats looked real solid and should last many years. Very happy on how it turned out. I live mostly in the southwestern deserts and has helped with the heat. In fact, I am headed your way to Vegas from southern Arizona right now to house sit.

The only inside pic I have is of the kitchen..... ha.! I have not built anything permanent on the inside because I am still rearranging my stuff to see what works best, ...... or just to see what it looks like this way... or that way .... haha. Nothing is nailed down.

Kitchen


@Prem, Thanks for the info on the roof paint and how you did it.

[bc toys]

thanks think when my trailer gets here i'll coat my roof with it was thinking about installing a couple of solar panels on top also well see thanks again guys this will be my 3rd and finel CT

[Trainman45]

Hi Gang,
I am at the RTR ( Rubber Tramp Rendezvous ) in Quartzsite, AZ having a blast. I am a fulltime camper and travel all over the southwest with my cargotrailer. We are out on BLM land free camping in the desert for 14 days. My build was a simple one, and works fine for me. The best part of your build is when you hit the road and camp in it.!! It is so cool. Here are some pics for you:

This is my RTR Camp Quartzsite, AZ


12 Volt fridge I use


Simple Bed ... Twin Extra long


Coffee Made


Last Fall near Lake Havasu City, AZ BLM free camping


Once you are out camping in your trailer, you will find what works for you and what does not. Make your mods and hit the road again. It is so much fun.!!

[Gonefishin]

I love what you did Trainman. Simple and effective--Still the best formula!

How much "juice" does the fridge use? I assume you run it 24/7, and in some pretty warm weather?

[Trainman45]

Hi Gonefishin,
The most it has pulled is 2.5 Amps, most of the time it is around 1.5 Yes, I run it 24/7 and it does not have to be completely level to run. I keep it on even when I travel to my next camp spot. It is pricey, I saved for a few months, and am very happy I did.!!

[walkrdg]

Greetings.

Nice to see Trainman and Gonefishin in one spot. Like many others, I found this website by accident, but was astonished by this cargo trailer thing. I started researching trailers on-line out of curiosity, mostly, but then some events happened that caused me to get a whole lot more serious. I had pretty much zereoed in on the Haulmark Transport and then began following your comments carefully. My truck is a 2000 4-wheel drive Tacoma with only 41,000 miles on it, and I'm not in a position to change that, so I ordered a 6 x 14, standard 6' height, two windows, cam locks on the barn doors and the side door, and an RV lock, too. It has 3/8" plywood inside, and one crank-open roof vent. Brakes on the single axle.

I've only towed the thing 25 miles, but I managed a two lane country road, 4 lane highway, 8 lane freeway, up and down long steep hills... and it trailed along beautifully! I'm going to first use it to relocate to another state (hopefully) soon, and then I can start modifications. The simplicity of what you two have done has amazed me.

Dave

[Tx River Rat]

I like simple also.
A couple questions.
How many solar watts do you have?
Is your coffee maker 12 volt or 110?
I just went back and read your blog , very intertaining.
Ron