Converting a enclosed trailer to a RV TT

Always interesting to see people who are bored with a subject tell others to shut up. If one has been around a lot of travel trailers, like I have, they would know that some floors are much flimsier than others. If you don't care, you don't care. I have seen half inch dips on some of them. We were comparing cargo trailer features with travel trailer features. Some differences are big, some not. Your money, your choice. I don't tell anyone how to spend their money or to quit commenting. I have both kinds of trailers because each has features I like and some I don't.

Grit dog wrote:
You guys are down to arguing whether the sky is blue or not again....glad the OP moved on

I know, how helpful is it to discuss the weight of thicker and thicker sizes of plywood? I am not sure what a cardboard sandwich is, but if it is light and has the required strength then is worth considering.

I have salvaged a lot of parts out of old RVs and do know how strong those sandwiches can be, very hard to break apart. Usually a good size hammer or pry bar does the trick.

Make the build light.

You guys are down to arguing whether the sky is blue or not again....glad the OP moved on

ajriding wrote:
lol, those are opinions not facts, but that's you being you.

"The fact is that actual 3/4 inch plywood is heavier and stronger than some 1/2 inch cardboard sandwich."

If that is not a fact then you would not recognize one if you saw one.

Another example? "It is almost impossible to enlarge a small mind".

lol, those are opinions not facts, but that's you being you.

A couple of options for those who do not want to do all the conversion are the WeeRoll and RunAway offerings. They can be optioned out with various furnishings. Quite a cult following of both on the Internet. Mostly for those who plan on a lot of miles. Not many amenities, more of a bedroom on wheels approach.

Like my buddy says, "You do you and I do me".

The fact is that actual 3/4 inch plywood is heavier and stronger than some 1/2 inch cardboard sandwich. Your choice.

The fact is that people can be camping in a cargo trailer the first weekend as most folks already own coolers and cots.

The fact is, 7,000 pounds gvwr in a cargo trailer is the same as 7,000 pounds gvwr in a travel trailer. The difference is that "you" get to decide what is in that 7,000 pounds.

The fact is, cargo trailers have great resale value. Travel trailers don't.

The fact is, all RV's have a huge appetite for hundred dollar bills.

The fact is, we are all free to spend our time and money as we see fit.

mr_andyj wrote:
No joke. These are just the basics. I see people doing things so wrong on their first attempt.
Sometimes what seems right is the worst thing to do. Always seek advice from those who have traveled the road before you

There is no "right" or "wrong" when it come to custom building to your own liking even if the OP decided to use 2x4s.

OP has a blank canvas and they can choose what to do and what to use.

In the case of starting with a cargo trailer the OP is already starting out with a extremely heavy trailer when compared to the construction of a travel trailer frame and shell. Starting out heavy does not equal "better" either.

As an average a 7x16ft enclosed 7,000 lb GVWR cargo trailer has a starting empty weight of 2,200 lbs giving them 4,800 lbs of cargo to work with. That is a lot of dead weight to start with.

I did briefly look at cargo trailers to custom build on but due to the expense and weight I ruled that out. Better yet is to simply have a custom trailer frame built, then build you own box on top, far cheaper and far lighter.

7X16 is not very big to start with, typically only Lite weight trailers will be only 7ft wide, OP will need to fir in the walls to insulate taking space from the inside.. Moving from a 35ft 5vr to 7x16 is quite a large downsize change..

I ended up buying a junker for $700, stripped the outside siding, resided it, gutted interior and fully rebuilt it. Reusing a lot of the stuff that came with the trailer. All told only cost $5K for a rebuilt trailer custom designed to my liking.

I have no expectations of ever getting a dime above the scrap value of the frame (that is from prior experience of rehabbing a previous TT).

OP is looking at using the cargo trailer for a short time, then what?

Sell it?

Yeah, they would get more out of it as a cargo trailer than a converted RV.. In my area a used 4 yr old 7x16 cargo trailer easily fetches $5K-$7K.. Rv owners are total cheapskates and will not pay much for a rebuilt or custom on off trailer unless it was to the buyers specifications.

Cargo trailers also DO and CAN leak, folks think they do not, but they do.

If you are going to do a custom on off like this, you better either make it 100% reversible to a cargo trailer or plan to NEVER sell it. Otherwise the OP will take a major bath on all of that labor and materials.

OP isn't wanting it to be a "forever" trailer and plans to buy another 5vr..

Mine however IS a "forever" trailer, I have zero plans to buy another trailer, period.. They are money pits, just open wallet and insert $100 bills at a time down the toilet. The mistakes I made on my first rebuild, I did not make on my second one..

Personally, The OP is better off to sell the cargo trailer and take the proceeds from that sale and use for a down payment on their new 5vr..

There are several large Facebook groups about Cargo Trailer Conversions.

Search FB groups for that phrase and you can join the groups.

There's hundreds of pics and ideas. Aeesome stuff for sure.

valhalla360 wrote:

JRscooby wrote:

The carpet is just 1 example. I prefer to cook and do dishes outside. If I was converting a cargo trailer, I would mount sink and stove to back door, at a height to be comfortable to use while standing on level ground. If needed, could bend or sit to use inside.
My point is, DIY, you can make it as simple as you want, in both construction and use.

Again, lots come with an outdoor kitchen or it would be easy to retrofit one on a an existing camper.

Sure you can put in far more effort and cost to get simple or you can buy a simple RV and make a few minor changes.

Again, if you just like projects, it makes sense. Otherwise, you would be hard pressed to come up with a reason to build.

Personally, I'm not going to do it. What I have will last the rest of my life.
But when you talk against a van because it is too much of a project, but buy a small RV and change this and that to make it like you want sounds like as much of a project.
And how often do you hear of a cargo trailer damaged by rain? Fact is the cargo trailer is better built.