Hello from Denver. Deposit on 6x12

[jonsox]

Hello,

I'm grateful for this forum. So much info here! Just wanted to introduce myself.

I've been interested in vans and campers for years. But I've been turned off by poor gas mileage and too many systems to break. I've owned Toyota hybrids for years and they've been super reliable and cheap to run. I have a RAV4 which I've slept out of down in Arizona and Nevada in the winter, where I've attended the RTR. A good friend recently passed and I'm not getting any younger and feel it's time for a change. Furthermore, I pay close to $100 a month (and increasing) for a 5x10 storage unit that holds a table, mattress, bookcases and books, and a bunch of camping gear. I figured I could buy a cargo trailer, use it to get out of the storage unit and have those things nearby to see what I'm keeping, and also have a "room on wheels" that I can use for various stuff. I can park the trailer where I live for now, and from what I can tell monthly parking rates are about $50.

I installed a hitch and a 4 pin harness. I rented a 5x8 U-Haul. That pulled great, and I spent a few hours practicing backing up - all good.

My SUV can officially tow 2500 lbs. In Europe it's slightly higher. I started looking at 6x10 and 6x12 cargo trailers. Aluminum would be great - 950 lbs for a 6x12 - but over 7 grand. A steel 6x12 is about 1350 lbs. I plan to keep the build as light as possible, so I think this is the way to go. I've settled on a basic Haulmark Passport, single axle, ramp door, cam bar lock side door.

I plan to put in a window and a fan. I like those laminated playhouse windows - hope they stand up to the vibrations of the road. I have a 100W solar panel so will stick that on the roof. I have a EcoFlow battery pack and portable solar panel, also. I can get power from my vehicle, via an inverter, also.

Pink foam insulation seems to run $500, plus my time. Blown foam is about $1000 (walls, ceiling, under floor). Hope it cuts the sound transfer a bit, and doesn't hold condensation. I'd put luan on the ceiling to cover. Paint the walls. Rugs on the floor.

I have a fold up Cosco table and camp chairs, an IKEA dresser and bookcase, a bunch of yellow/black Costco totes, and a 4" trifold mattress. Am thinking this will make a great storage area, where I can read, listen to music, work on my photography, as well as a home from home when I go on trips.

I have marked out the dimensions to scale on paper and have cut outs of my furniture, and am having fun trying to figure out where things might go. I do have a queen mattress (10") thick. Not sure if I'll keep this. I figure I could raise it to the ceiling with tie down straps, and then it would rest on a table and some totes when in use. But will see.

Looking for comments, encouragement, critics, etc - thanks!

Cheers,
Jon

[rjgimp]

Welcome! Those all sound like fine ideas. I highly recommend insulating a cargo trailer. If you try sleeping in an uninsulated ct in weather anywhere above 65 degrees or so you’ll find it very stuffy and damp. A common theme in the cargo trailer conversion area of the forum is that most of the guys who open up walls in a cargo trailer to install insulation find that they can see pavement from inside the trailer. As with many things lately, build quality can vary widely. Double check all the wiring too when you have the walls opened up.

Just start somewhere. You can always adjust course on the fly.