Carhauler to RV

[Harleybullet]

Anybody ever see in there campgrounds these Carhaulers converted to RV trailer
Youtube has many ways on how to convert them with you everything you need and more;

Priced are thru the roof so this maybe4 a way out and more.

Let me know you comment good and bad..... Dave

[ktmrfs]

JRscooby wrote:

Harleybullet wrote:
Good advice, considering most of what you have suggested. We are going with the 7 wide, I just do not want the 8 foot because it is just too wide for me on the road even if has more room

Tilt!
Look at the 7 ft wide trailer. Notice the fenders sticking out each side? You plan to carry them in your pocket while you go down the road?

Not really. My 7ft and the majority of 7ft wide trailers around here have the wheels inside. Pick and choose what you want.

[Harleybullet]

Any one know of a builder in NY state the only person I spoke to that was accomodating was in Carlisle Pa and the trailer may have been built elseware. Still looking very frustrating!

[Huntindog]

ajriding wrote:
The only odd part will be how the tires will fit as axles come in specific widths.

You can order axles in any width. Axles are actually able to have quite a bit of customization done when ordering them, and at a reasonable cost. At least it was the case last time I bought them.

[dieseltruckdriv]

Just food for thought, our last truck camper had an aluminum roof and that sucker was NOISY in the rain. It was a well insulated S&S, but it was still noisy.

[ajriding]

IDK about NY, but nearby states should have trailer builders. I had my cargo trailer built. They literally build the whole thing on site. They have standard axles piled up, and stacks of steel and build the frames right there. There is nothing about the frames except the tongue hitch that is pre-fab.
You should be able to ask them to build anything, any size, and width, any height that you want. The only odd part will be how the tires will fit as axles come in specific widths. Altering from their standard trailer frame sizes should not be a big deal, it is the same amount of work to cut the steel and weld it up.
Make sure they do not make floor joist 2 feet apart and try to correct it with thick plywood. Go for standard 16 or 18 spacing.
Have square tubes used, not the "hat" shape metal.
Decide where windows will go and have them weld the frame sized for the windows, and give them the windows so they have them there as reference when building it. Much easier to do this than to go back and cut and weld in scraps.
IF you plan on a roof AC unit, then decide where that will go so the roof can be built to support it better at that spot.
Dont use a roof AC, use a mini-split.

[JRscooby]

Harleybullet wrote:
Good advice, considering most of what you have suggested. We are going with the 7 wide, I just do not want the 8 foot because it is just too wide for me on the road even if has more room

Tilt!
Look at the 7 ft wide trailer. Notice the fenders sticking out each side? You plan to carry them in your pocket while you go down the road?

[Harleybullet]

Good advice, considering most of what you have suggested. We are going with the 7 wide, I just do not want the 8 foot because it is just too wide for me on the road even if has more room, the length at least the 16 and maybe the 18 if they make it in 7 wide and last the height I see it is usually 7 foot with a 6" addition I would really like the extra height and would add another 12"s and have an 8' interior height should make it really feel larger then it is and of couse would make it easier to hang the chandelier ha ha
For power I am researching those solar generators and they are amazing easier then large and expensive battery banks.
We will be mostly boondocking....out west.

Thanks again for the input it is appreciated Dave

[ajriding]

If you are going to live in it then that is a whole different story than just a vacationer.

Yes, go big and then some. Keep empty spaces as you will need room to do stuff inside at times, so have option to move stuff around, this is a given if it is a toy hauler-style.

You cannot just flip axles. Axles have an arch so have to stay upright, but you can mount the leaf springs on top of the axle and gain some inches, or just have a straight axle put on to a drop axle design and this will also give height. I replaced a 4 inch drop axle with a straight and then mounted springs on top and gained probably 10 inches or so.

As for V-nose verses flat verses bull-nose. The V is not going to be aerodynamic like it looks like it would be. The V is a sharp angle and will not move the air smoothly and will not do well with cross winds. You report the same as other V owners, no mpg gain over a flat.
Now, a Bull Nose trailer has a curved front and WILL increase mpg's as the air moving around the sides is passing much more smoothly.

The curved bull nose is harder to build out inside, but is worth it.

If you are having the trailer built for you then consider a slightly curved roof too. This will move water, snow and ice off better and will give you more head-room in the center where you stand without having to be tall all the way to the sides where you do not stand. I have to park my trailer nose up to move water off of it so it does not collect anywhere.
I am talking about a slight curve as maybe 3 inches difference from side to center. The solar will still work just as if it were flat.
I think the U-haul trailers are built like this, among others.

There is a guy on youtube that lives in his and it is a cargo trailer of a massive scale, wide, tall and long. He has under-floor storage, and a split level in the back for bedroom and a sitting (not standing) room.

It will take a lot of time and effort if you are a perfectionist and do not want to use 2x4's and pre-fab homedepot cabinets and waste space by being a sloppy builder. You will use over 1,000 screws, and do not use nails, screwed-and-glued is my motto.

I hope you can weld, using steel will save space and make life so much better.

good luck

[Harleybullet]

I did not realize that so many people misunderstood the empty weight verses gross weight.

WELL SOON i WILL MAKE A CHOICE AFTER THIS MEDICAL PROBLEM i HAVE IS RECTIFIED.

But you have to admit custom stuff they way you want it has a lot satisfaction and I am in no rush, I could probably finish a custom before I could get a TT I liked delivered..... now the problem will be if I can get the parts I need.... But remember when we used to tent... anything will be a step up!

Keep up with anything you can add or suggest. Dave Holbrook NY

PS if you want to pitchin down the road.... pass by I never pass up help

[Grit_dog]

Well, starting with a flatbed to build a TT could be what valhalla was referencing as redneck!

[Gdetrailer]

JIMNLIN wrote:

When I looked "utility" "cargo" "car hauler" have basically the same GVWR for comparable sizes. My 7x14 cargo has 7,000lb GVWR, once you get to 16 or 18 ft you can easily get a 10,000 GVWR and it goes up from their.

I'm sure the OP knows about weights but many folks forget the 7k gvwr trailer doesn't have a 7000 lb of CCC.
Example one of my flatbed car haulers has a 10000 lb gvwr but weighs 2640 lbs leaving around 7k lbs of CCC....steel frame trailers of course.
The 18' 7k car hauler I had weighed 1520 lbs.
I'm sure a cargo trailer frames are about the same construction.

I will echo that, I have a 18ft 10K flatbed with beaver tail, registered at 10K GVW, empty it is 2,700 lbs..

On the flip side, my 1980s 26ft TT is 7K GVWR and empty weight is 4,500.. Plenty of cargo weight and has all of the standard RV items included in that weight..

Inspection mechanic mentioned that my flatbed is designed heavy enough that I could have registered it for 15K lbs.. But in doing so I would be required by the state to get medical card, required to have triangles and fire extinguisher and would be subject to random State Police pull overs and on spot inspection/weighing. Basically would have put me into commercial useage..

Personally, I looked at a lot of cargo trailers to do what the OP is considering.. To me, cost, weight and even looks all played a role in why I decided to not use on as a RV.. I didn't find cargo trailers to built any better than a RV, just different and that different meant that one would have to adapt and work around a lot of cargo trailer items.

For around $2K, I found that I could have a custom trailer frame built to my specs, basically taking a open flatbed trailer design and not having decking installed. Now I would have a fully registered and licensable trailer frame. Then build my floor deck, walls and roof the way I wanted to. No restrictions like working around existing cargo trailer framing or decking.

Just before I pulled the trigger on ordering the frame, I had found a old 1980s TT in the length I was wanting for $700..

The used TT price was right and gave me everything I needed including the frame and title..

It is shocking just how expensive RV doors and windows are if you are buying to retrofit.

[Grit_dog]

Sounds like you know exactly what you want….better hurry, or summer will be here before you get all that work done!

[Harleybullet]

Weight would be about the same for a 16 footer Vee nose just gives you some free space because the box is the 7x16 about 28 inches is free. In NY I got a price for under 10K with 12 inch centers, . and that is in NY, I think I could do better in the south or west, still investigating. I really think I could set this up for not more then 10K and have exactly what I would like it to be inside. That is a lot cheaper then the cheap small trailers and as I said I am not new to trailering and really do not need all the fancy features that the newbies need!! I can change a plug for an inverter and can use a window AC heating can be a diesel heater or a small wave heater, it is only a 16 foot box. A murphy bed frees up room during the day. I could do some good things on the walls and maybe a tin ceiling? There are some beautiful TT out there like the Lance 1475 but 40K to start is a bit much. I really like that "steampunk look" and at my age I really want to do something different. As far as where I would like to travel I never liked an RV park, kids, dogs, rules and $$$, my fun is at the BLM out west even Walmart and Crackerbarrel as we move on.

[GrandpaKip]

I would not get another vee nose if I was doing it again. I originally thought it would be more aerodynamic and better for gas mileage. I got the same MPG pulling it and a 23’ travel trailer that replaced it. A rounded nose cargo trailer would also be easier to build in than the angled front.