Build Your Own Travel Trailer

Make sure your landscape trailer is heavy duty. When people do custom builds, they’re significantly heavier than what is mass produced. I have friends who built a gypsy trailer and they flattened the frame on it.

Otherwise, the sky is the limit! Building your own trailer is an amazing opportunity to build exactly what you want.

Many people, me included, convert cargo trailers to campers. Some are over 30' but most are smaller. Get exactly what you want and only what you want. Fun too.

I asked a local steel fabricator who specializes in trailer frame work and repair what brands of enclosed utility trailers they recommended. They told me Pace or Hallmark were good brands to purchase. They do not sell trailers at all so they have nothing to gain by recommending them.

I've been looking into building a 14 or 16 footer with 7000 lb cargo capacity. I will be purchasing one as soon as I get my shed/workshop built. I hope to retire in the about two to three years and then I'm hoping to go full-time nomad and travel the country.

There are lots of YouTube videos that show people building out their own trailers as well as some full-time nomads giving tours of their trailers and interviewing other people about their trailers and how they built them.

Another source for ideas are those that have built their own RV's using step vans, box trucks or Mercedes and Dodge Ram ProMaster vans. There are a lot of similar ideas with these and the trailers as well.

Bob Wells YouTube channel CheapRVLiving is a good place to look for ideas.

Weigh each part/piece as you build. Don’t guess.

There is a youtube ch called

"I Ride" Tiny House Adventures

Bill spent a year or so building his trailer, and now he and his wife have hit the road in it. He did a nice of documenting the build in his videos.

Some people are converting Horse Trailers.

Check U-Tube videos.

Here is another source for information and plans, although some might be a little dated.
Glen-L boat and RV

I believe cost wise it may be better to find a good used travel trailer and then remodel it to fit your needs. The travel trailer would already be insulated and wired plus have water and holding tanks located to properly balance the weight. I've seen where folks have removed all of the old cabinetry and then designed the interior and built cabinets, beds and seating to meet their desires. Load balance is important as well as load capacity.

Just my thought based on posts I've read over the years and youtube videos I've seen from folks who have done both.

32vld wrote:
Thought is to take a 15' to 20' long landscape trailer as the
base to build a custom travel trailer.

Anyone ever build their own trailer?

Thoughts, ideas, comments, all appreciated.

"Landscape" trailer like this?



Yeah, forget about it.

Take a good hard look at the steel rail above the deck..

THAT is your "frame"..

If you cut it or remove it the entire trailer will sag over time.

Those trailers are built way to skimpy to build a RV on unless you want to spend a considerable amount of time and money revamping it with much heavier steel framing.

CARGO trailer is what you want to start with, YES they are heavy and YES, they are much more expensive but it will give you a good sturdy platform to build on and not to mention you skip the box building portion altogether!

the bear II wrote:
I believe cost wise it may be better to find a good used travel trailer and then remodel it to fit your needs. The travel trailer would already be insulated and wired plus have water and holding tanks located to properly balance the weight. I've seen where folks have removed all of the old cabinetry and then designed the interior and built cabinets, beds and seating to meet their desires. Load balance is important as well as load capacity.

Just my thought based on posts I've read over the years and youtube videos I've seen from folks who have done both.

I have fully rebuilt two RVs, I would not consider rebuilding another, ever.

You spend way too much time demo ing then fixing the rot then finally putting back together.

Skip the heartache and lost time, buy an old trailer and cut all the bolts holding the box on the frame and DEMO the ENTIRE wooden structure down to the steel frame then build a new box from frame up..