Converting my Class A

[mrbigbill]

I am interesting in convering my Class A Rv into a travel trailer. I know you may be asking... "Are you nuts?" I am proably am. But my wife and I have an RV that we truely love everything about it EXCEPT that it is a CLASS A. We recently purchased this RV but have found that we really don't want the cost of maintaining it. But again, we love everything else about it.

Saying that, I starting thinking about what it would take to convert it into a travel trailer. Here is the specs on the motorhome:

2006 Bounder 35E w/ Triton V10 Motor.

I was thinking if we pulled the motor and transmission, we could sell to help pay for the conversion. We would also pull the front 22.5 tires and axle and whever else we don't need. Well, that is all I have com eup with so far.

I am looking for anyone who has did this or thought about it or any other information/ concerns that I might need to be aware of.

Thanks... Looking forward to any ideas.

Bill & Lisa

[Ductape_Dave]

:h

[mrbigbill]

A Jack and Jill Bath is a bath that has doors.. Usually one of the doors leads to a bedroom and the other will be between another bedroom or a hall.

[hitchup]

Jim-Linda wrote:
What is a jack-n-jill bath?

Jim

She may mean a split bath, which is really more common in 5th wheels than TT's.

A JnJ is between 2 bedrooms, usually the smaller kids bedrooms in SnB. Think Brady Bunch. LOL

[Jim-Linda]

What is a jack-n-jill bath?

Jim

[mrbigbill]

I think everyone has convinced me.. That this is not as god as an idea as I thought. Since I would have to pay for most of the conversion, it doesn't sound like the thing to do. That was a pretty good idea of loading it on a flatbed though!!!

I guess my wife and I will continue to look for a 5th wheel that will fit our needs. I appreciate all your opinions... The information you provided was invaluable... Thanks... I will report on the outcome of our search. We will be looking for a 29-34' 5th Wheel. Preferrable with 2 Slides (on the same side of RV). My wife mandates that it MUST have a jack-n-jill bath, bedroom end tables with a wardrobe and an awning no shorter that 17-18'. No more than $35K. Any recommendations???

Thanks Again..

[Jagtech]

It would certainly need brakes - it usually takes brakes on all four wheels to get those things stopped. I don't know how you would get the vacuum-assisted hydraulic brakes to work on a single axle on that MH, but they wouldn't be sufficient to stop it.

[recycler]

the conversion you want to do is pricey idea.. i wouldn't touch a job like that for less than 20 grand... first off the travel trailer idea won't really work having know several people with converted chevy and ford van conversion "trailers"... the axle set back will make it tow badly at best.. if you absolutely want to go this route the best way to go as i told them is go fifth wheel though with yours you will need something no smaller than class 5 truck {f550 c5500 etc} to handle the pin weight..as has been stated the engine and trans will not cover cost of conversion.. figure 12/14 thousand lbs after stripping before conversion.. plus it will have to be inspected for the new plates..so sell and find trailer with same floor plan.. their web site states your unit weighs around 18 with 22gvwr

[Trackrig]

WOW

You don't mention what your mechanical / electrical / carpentry skills are? Do you have a shop and a full set of tools to do all of this yourself? If you're paying someone to do it, the cost will be tremendous and when you're done using it, it will have no resale value at all.

Besides pulling the engine, front axle and transmission, you'll have to:
1. Remove the entire dash area
2. Change alot of the electrical wiring
3. Probably remount or replace the front seats
4. Cover over the front wheel wells
5. Leave in the rear end? but that's a lot of useless weeight
6. Modify the engine compartment
7. Completly redo the front framework to be able to tow it

You're probably looking a multi-year project. How old are you now? If you're still working, this is going to take a long time to do on weekends. If your're retired, are you still in good enough condition and have enough energy to complete the project? What are you going to use for two years while this project is being done?

Why would the cost to maintain it be any cheaper after you convert it? You're loosing two tires from the front of the MH, but gaining six tires on the TV. The TV will be a heavy duty diesel and now you're going to insure the truck and (soon to be) trailer. I really wouldnt' expect your maintenance costs to drop and what you get for your engine and transmission is just going to be a drop of what you spend in the conversion.

If you do go ahead with this idea, and you're spending a lot of money anyways, since you're going to pull out the engine, transmission, and a lot of dash area, look at converting it to a fifth wheeler instead of a TT, it will tow better.

If you don't like the cost of maintaining your Class A, as is, then you don't have enough money for this project and buying the diesel TV. The cost of the TV alone and the modifications to it to tow the converted MH will more than cover the costs of maintenance to the MH for years and years. For the cost of the TV you can put a new engine, transmission and all appliances into the MH.

You really need to get out a large tablet and start listing everything that needs to be done and put a realestic cost to each item.

Bill

[ependydad]

My biggest concern would be the engineering that would have to go into moving the rear axle. Most trailers, the axles are about mid-way back the trailer. On a motorhome, I envision them much closer to the back. If you don't move them forward, the pin/hitch weight on the truck is going to be quite high. If you do move them, then you're looking at some incredible feats to handle the modifications to the frame and whatnot. I don't see how you're going to do that without having to hack up the inside.

What's your budget on this?

[michelb]

That just doesn't make any sense ... If you haven't found anyone that doesn't think you're crazy, there might be a reason (no offense intended)

I think it's a nice floorplan but I don't see anything about it that would make it better than the hundreds of bumper pull or fifth-wheel trailers that you could buy for 1/2 the money. I honestly think that other than being driveable (which is a big deal for us), many bumper-pulls or fifth-wheel floorplans are better than any floorplan you can get on a Class A.

I suspect that the labour involved in pulling the motor and transmission would barely be covered by what you'll get for them. I don't think there's that much market for used components like that and it's one thing to pull things off a wreck but it's very different when you are just trying to remove them but don't want to damage the vehicle or the components you're removing.

Your mh is worth somewhere in the ballpark of $50k (really depends on the condition and local market) - there has to be a better trailer available for even 35k that would be some sort of franken-trailer and will have some residual value after you use it.

[discovery4us]

Buy a Semi with a 40' lowboy flatbed, place the MH on the low boy and away you go:B

[mrbigbill]

I am serious!! I would very much like to do this but I haven't found anyone that is not telling me that I'm crazy! I was concerned about the weight. I know the Bounder, dry weight weighs 22K lbs and really don't know what I can get it down to. Again, thanks and I am serious. But it may not be practical. That is why I come to you smart guys...

[mrbigbill]

Thanks for all your responses. You have made some very good points that I haven't considered..

[beemerphile1]

I have no idea how to go about it but anything is possible if you are willing to throw enough money at it!

Welcome to the forum, I congratulate you on being the first newby in a long while to come up with a unique question. Most newbies ask the same question asked by someone else yesterday.

Are you trolling or is this serious?