Converting an aluminum enclosed trailer
I've been thinking of doing a conversion on a 7'x16' all-aluminum cargo trailer. My daughter has an aluminum horse trailer and it's held up for many years with no issues, no maintenance--and no leaks....
Forum Discussion
It's certainly possible, and within the reach of reasonably adept do-it-yourselfers.
There are some campgrounds that may turn you away since it's not (in their eyes) a "real" RV. If you do a neat job of everything and the outside looks presentable, I rather doubt that would be a common problem. Many other campgrounds aren't so uptight.
There are some specific requirements for registering the trailer as an RV rather than a generic cargo trailer. In some cases, it may be advantageous to register it as an RV, as sometimes the licensing requirements are less stringent when pulling an RV than when pulling a horse trailer, and possibly insurance or registration expenses may be lower, and so forth. Generally, you need to have at least a few of a list of specific items installed: a permanent 120V wiring system, a permanent toilet with a holding tank (not a porta-potty unit), some cooking arrangements, some sleeping space, etc. Check with your state for their exact laws.
Along the same lines, some states are much more rigid about inspections and code enforcement and so forth for RVs than others. Some require certification as complying with the various building codes, and maybe inspections to the same, and others just take your word that it's an RV. Naturally, if you just register it as a plain old trailer, much of that doesn't matter one bit. You can haul a cot and a potty and a camp stove in a trailer most anywhere.
There are some campgrounds that may turn you away since it's not (in their eyes) a "real" RV. If you do a neat job of everything and the outside looks presentable, I rather doubt that would be a common problem. Many other campgrounds aren't so uptight.
There are some specific requirements for registering the trailer as an RV rather than a generic cargo trailer. In some cases, it may be advantageous to register it as an RV, as sometimes the licensing requirements are less stringent when pulling an RV than when pulling a horse trailer, and possibly insurance or registration expenses may be lower, and so forth. Generally, you need to have at least a few of a list of specific items installed: a permanent 120V wiring system, a permanent toilet with a holding tank (not a porta-potty unit), some cooking arrangements, some sleeping space, etc. Check with your state for their exact laws.
Along the same lines, some states are much more rigid about inspections and code enforcement and so forth for RVs than others. Some require certification as complying with the various building codes, and maybe inspections to the same, and others just take your word that it's an RV. Naturally, if you just register it as a plain old trailer, much of that doesn't matter one bit. You can haul a cot and a potty and a camp stove in a trailer most anywhere.
