Complete reconstruction of a TT

[swimmer_spe]

A sad thing happened this winter. We had an exceptionally high snowfall, in fact, the highest on record. My father's TT collapsed under the snow load and is a total loss. He will take the next few months and salvage what he can.

Once that is done, I have thought of taking it down to just the frame and then make one. It is about 28 feet long(I think), so it would have plenty of room for a nice bedroom in the back, a nice kitchen and a good sitting area.

If I do, I plan on using lumber for the walls and roof. I plan on siding it with metal, and possibly a metal roof. I was thinking of having the roof slant to 1 side.

I live in Ontario, so I would need to get the electrical and propane certified.

Anyone ever do something like this? I am planning about $5k. Would that be reasonable?

[agesilaus]

Seriously, you can get a decent trailer on kijiji for $5k, especially if you're just going to park it. Why bother?

Ditto

[shum02]

swimmer_spe wrote:

bucky wrote:
We had a TT tossed 40 feet in the air by a tornado back in 2000. The problem was the trip back down. Like an idiot I bought the carcass back from the insurance company. Don't do it.

No insurance involved.

Seriously, you can get a decent trailer on kijiji for $5k, especially if you're just going to park it. Why bother?

[swimmer_spe]

bucky wrote:
We had a TT tossed 40 feet in the air by a tornado back in 2000. The problem was the trip back down. Like an idiot I bought the carcass back from the insurance company. Don't do it.

No insurance involved.

[bucky]

We had a TT tossed 40 feet in the air by a tornado back in 2000. The problem was the trip back down. Like an idiot I bought the carcass back from the insurance company. Don't do it.

[swimmer_spe]

Boomerweps wrote:
I'd start DVRing all the Tiny Home's shows, because that's what you are discussing. Take a trailer frame, build a house on it and only move it rarely. Yup, tiny home nation!

Pretty much. Something off the grid.

[swimmer_spe]

agesilaus wrote:
Can't you salvage anything from the wreck? Refrigerator, range/oven, toilet and hot water heater would save you thousands. Also the electrical major components would help, converter ect.

Won't know that for at least a month when the snow has melted. Even so, I can get used ones for relatively low cost.

[swimmer_spe]

joerg68 wrote:
Aside from cost, it is always the same question:
1) Do yo want to camp / spend quality time with friends and family, or do you want a project?
As others have said: it is more work, takes longer, and costs more than you anticipate.
2) If the result is going to be stationary anyway: Why not build a shack/cabin in that location?
3) Or pull the rolling chassis there and build on location?

1) Yes. Building this would not be replacing the time I now spend with them. This would be done in my own time.

2) Cannot legally do that. Trailers/mobile buildings are all that are allowed.

3) That is a possibility. Problem is, there is no power there, so I would need to run a generator.

[77rollalong]

We rebuilt our motorhome last winter, but used almost the same construction as the original, did some shopping around and replaced the aluminum siding with Filon I picked up near Windsor Ontario, was a lot of work though, there is a lot of TT around on Kijji as well too and after

[Chum_lee]

"Make sure the frame and axles are capable of handling the weight of the build."

Good advice! (but not enough) You also have to be sure that you balance it (front to back and left to right) properly so that the trailer tows and tracks well. The weight and balance changes as you load/unload, use water, and fill waste tanks.

Usually through trial and error, manufacturers refine their floor plans over the years to get the weight, balance, and floor plan functionality right. When you do it yourself, you get only one chance to get it right. I hope you are good at it because carpentry skills generally aren't enough to get it right the first time. That's not a problem though because you can always, . . . . . do it over, usually at substantial additional cost in time and money. That's why projects like this usually take a lot longer than you thought, and cost WAY more than you thought.

That said, go for it. I admire your enthusiasm and you'll certainly know a lot more when you are done than before you start. Hint: the second one is always a lot easier

Chum lee

[Boomerweps]

I'd start DVRing all the Tiny Home's shows, because that's what you are discussing. Take a trailer frame, build a house on it and only move it rarely. Yup, tiny home nation!

[agesilaus]

Can't you salvage anything from the wreck? Refrigerator, range/oven, toilet and hot water heater would save you thousands. Also the electrical major components would help, converter ect.

[Halmfamily]

Make sure the frame and axles are capable of handling the weight of the build.

[joerg68]

Aside from cost, it is always the same question: Do yo want to camp / spend quality time with friends and family, or do you want a project?
As others have said: it is more work, takes longer, and costs more than you anticipate.
If the result is going to be stationary anyway: Why not build a shack/cabin in that location? Or pull the rolling chassis there and build on location?

[MEXICOWANDERER]

I tried it bare-butt in the early seventies. Salvaged accessories from wrecked units.

• Weight is the biggest hurdle
• Like 99% the other 300% consists of cost, specialty tools, weight distribution, and doing everything "The Hard Way"
• Your enthusiasm may well end up in the "What the hell have I gotten myself into" dept
• RV galleys use a lot of formica and linoleum. Are your skills up to par?
• As far as the walls I wished I knew back then about the technique of laminating paneling onto one side of inch-and-a-half foam board and 20 gauge aluminum onto the other.

Weight, weight, always weight. Finally I bought a 78 Crown school bus from Santa Clarita school district and poured a fortune into the 10 wheel monster. 10-wheel Crowns were insanely underpowered mid-engine Cummins 6-speed morphadites. I bought a Brazilian out of frame reman kit. A White Freightliner that was customized by a Southern Pacific locomotive sitting in a wrecking yard in 4-corners CA, the Fuller trans, and auxillary, another one crash test dummy against a redwood tree provided the transmission, a rolled cabover much of the linkage and several boatyards in wilmington the teak decking and appointments. Laid off Lockheed sheet metal workers did the mods to the windows and door, a ship's carpenter the woodwork and a laid off Corian installer did the galley.

Season with 5 years of labor and a ton of space shuttle refit wiring and presto, there you have it, an incredibly expensive one-of-a-kind RV that is chock full loaded with compromises.

But weight limit isn't one of them. Neither is power a problem. When in the mountains the driver must look like a guy in a 10 foot rowboat bring chased by a 20 foot great white. The thing has five thousand dollars worth of 24 volt refrigerator and freezer, 4 L-16 gone flaky batteries, and airplane paint (IMRON).

If I knew back then what retrofits I was in for, maybe I would have stuck with horse and mule pack trips, and ring down for room hotel service forays into Mexico and Central America.

That's not true. The hot dip galvanized body and teak make the unit ideal for the tropics. My grandkids and their kids hopefully will maintain it as an overflow bungalow. Travel has gotten so expensive down here. I can take 1 400 mile trip in the car for one seventh the money and not stay four miles outside of town.

I cannot tell you the "right way" to build your rig. The most accurate way is a description of my trials and tribulations.