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Cost of Converting a Cargo Trailer into a Travel Trailer

So, can you save a fortune by converting an enclosed cargo trailer into a travel trailer, rather than buying a travel trailer from the dealer? The answer may be 'yes' if you put minimal improvements into the cargo trailer, and use it merely as a hard-walled tent for camping a few weekends per year.

The answer is vaguer if you add enough to the cargo trailer to make it practical for most (non-extremist) full time RVers. 

If you browse around on the internet, you will encounter low-ball estimates for how much it costs to convert an enclosed cargo trailer into a full-functional, self-contained travel trailer. There are several reasons for this:
  1. Sloppy accounting. After all, it isn't fun to save all the receipts. The mind gloms onto a couple of the big-ticket items that are easy to remember; then it is easy to claim that that is the cost of converting a cargo trailer. Nonsense! In fact you are eaten alive by a thousand-and-one small expenses.
  2. Lifestyle cheerleading. With good intentions, converters want to offer encouragement to newbies or wannabees. They become more interested in selling the idea than in accuracy. Or they may be interested in clickbait income or even have guru aspirations. (Neither makes them evil, but it makes their information unreliable.)
Trailers made by the RV industry are really not very good camping machines. But they have attractive color schemes. After all, they are not aimed at serious outdoorsmen. This results in expensive frills and junk that a serious camper will probably have to alter or dispose of.  So it makes sense to start with a "blank piece of paper" and only put the stuff into it that you want. 

Otherwise the do-it-yourself approach wouldn't make much sense. You cannot compete against a factory, and only naive newbie do-it-yourselfers make that mistake. The "fortune" that they expect to save is illusory.

Still, it will save a few thousand dollars to convert a cargo trailer. It will be lighter, simpler, and easier to repair. You will be able to camp in a wider variety of locations -- and that is the real point. You will be able to tow it with a lighter duty pickup truck or van.  

A small window was added to the door and the driver's side, after this picture was taken. But what really counts is being able to camp in places like this.

There is a discussion forum dedicated to these conversions, 
http://tnttt.com/viewforum.php?f=42 . Be skeptical about their advice: I'm not sure if most of these guys really go camping with their conversions, or whether they just enjoy their labor of love. Despite wallowing in microscopic details, they seldom mention the 'bottom line' regarding the weight and cost of the conversion.

My cargo trailer is a standard size for a single traveler: nominally 6 foot X 12 foot, single axle, standard steel frame with an aluminum skin on the walls, with a blunt V in the front. It has proven to be the perfect size. 

(Cargo trailers are sized rationally, by the size of the box. Travel trailers are sized by the total length, even out to the hitch. So a 6 X 12 cargo trailer is the same size as a 6 X 16 travel trailer.)
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Weight: a naked cargo trailer of my size weighs 1400 pounds with brakes. When the conversion was done, it weighed 3000 pounds, which amazingly enough is the nominal GVWR. 

(Even more amazingly, the weights on the left and right tires were equal, to within 10 pounds!)

Well, what do you think? Is adding 1600 pounds [1] during the conversion good or bad? Note that the 3000 pounds was weighed on a scale, and it contains all my stuff for real living.

Footnote [1] may convince you that I am not cheating by ignoring something, and that the grand result is self-contained for hook-up free camping. 

Although I was surprised how much the little things added up to, in weight, I am happy to be able to downsize my next tow vehicle. Essentially it will be the same as for towing one of the larger fiberglass trailers, like the Casita.
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The inside standing height is 6.5 feet. It takes a bit of looking to find that extra height at a dealer's lot. The standard stripper height is 6.0 feet. That might be OK if you are under 5'9" tall.

Cost: The trailer was bought off a dealer's lot for $3000. It included an RV side door, a ramp in the back, and 15" tires. But a standard trailer off a lot has those dreadful 4 inch drop axles, and no brakes. Half the reason for doing the conversion is to escape the low ground clearance of lightweight travel trailers. So I swapped out to a straight axle, resulting in excellent ground clearance. 

The cargo trailer has this kind of ground clearance after the straight axle was installed. And the springs are UNDER the axle!  I could switch to a bigger diameter tire when the time comes. No drain plumbing dangling below the trailer. Success.


You can get brakes added after you buy the stripped down trailer from a dealer. You get this done at a trailer shop -- which usually is not an RV dealer.

So, after swapping to the straight axle and adding the brakes, the naked trailer was now up to $4000.

Now we can proceed to the cost of the conversion proper.

The final cost of the converted trailer was $11,500. Therefore the conversion proper cost $7,500. [2]  This is no clerical error. All receipts were saved. No costs were hidden by moving "off budget," which is the usual accounting trick. I double-checked the total from the receipts by looking at the total of the withdrawals from my bank account. 

I hope you aren't disappointed with that number. Remember that this was a conversion for a full-time RVer who wants the same level of comfort as in a conventional travel trailer. You could take the opposite approach, treat a naked cargo trailer as a hard-walled tent, and make piecemeal improvements as funds permit.
   
I hope these bottom line numbers correct some of the false expectations that are promulgated on the internet. This was a worthwhile project that I would do again. Remember that it only uses the skills that any home-improvement enthusiast has.
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[1]  A 5 gallon jug of drinking water, a 5 gallon porta-potty, food in a 12 volt compressor-based refrigerator, two burner propane stove, small sink, large and pretty laminated kitchen counter-top, clothes, tools, office chair, etc.

It only includes one small (5 gallon) tank of propane, four deep-cycle flooded 6 volt batteries, and 480 watts of solar panels.

The conversion did not add a water heater, awning, or microwave. The spare tire is put inside the tow vehicle. Most of the drinking water is in 5 gallon jugs in the tow vehicle.

[2]  But surely, you say, I must have been extravagant. I could supply character references if you like that less than $50 was spent on making things look pretty.

A)  But...but...you could have knocked the four batteries down to two, you say. 

Well yea, but then you just cycle the batteries deeper and they don't last as long. How does that save money?

B)  But...you could get by with 320 Watts of solar panels instead of splurging on 480 Watts.

Well yea, but by adding that last panel ($200), I was willing to do without a generator. These days, skimping on solar panels is false economy.

C)  But...you could get by with an ice chest. Or restrict your diet to brown rice and oatmeal.

Give me a break. Besides I carried over a used ($500) Whynter refrigerator from the old trailer. So the $11,500 total does not include a refrigerator. Is that cheating? I don't think so, because everybody probably has a certain amount of stuff from the basement, garage, or old trailer that they will move into the new trailer for "free". In my case, it was a $500 refrigerator, and that is all.

D)  But...you don't really need a water pump to survive. You could use baby wipes, and wipe a little here, and a little there. 

Big deal, a water pump costs $80, and is one of the real success stories of RV technology. It gets used 30 times per day, and will last for the next 20 years. It spares you all that spillage. And how do you take a shower, or clean anything for that matter, unless you rinse it off with pressure?

E)  But...you added two small windows and a Fantastic fan roof vent. Your trailer would be more stealthy if you had omitted those extravagances. 

This is not a stealth cargo trailer. You are at the wrong blog if you are interested in that.

F)  But...you shouldn't have wasted all that money on fancy woodworking, exotic paneling, imported Italian granite countertops. (eyes rolling) 

Once again, character references will be supplied on request...

G)  But...you included two months of rent in an RV park for the conversion. You could have done it at an LTVA or in a national forest and saved a fortune.  

Yea right, transportation is free. Do you have any idea of how many trips you take to the hardware store on a project like this? In my case, it was three shopping expeditions per day for 2 months.

I had great luck by finding an RV park in Farmington NM that let me boondock the old and new trailers, side by side, in the storage row in back of a regular RV park. He charged a total of $175 per month. I was a couple miles from Home Depot, Lowes, Walmart, Ace, a trailer store, and even a metals supplier.

So I had it as good as it could be. Still, all that running around was ridiculous. I included $500 in the total for transportation and eating-out during the conversion.

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COMMENTS:

  1. I don't think it would be possible to outfit a decent fulltime rig for less than you did it. You are a poster child for frugality. Hell, we carry 3,000 pounds of wine, water, guns, ammo, and food on our rig before you even get to all the other stuff. :~)
    ReplyDelete
  2. Good stuff. I'm in a truck camper now, but considering the van/cargo trailer route, so it's nice to have a data point cost-wise. On an unrelated note, based on extensive investigation of the clubs during my younger years, I'm pretty sure that there is not a "standard" stripper height. But if there is, it's less than the 6 feet you indicate above, unless you're also counting the high heels. ;)
    ReplyDelete

    Replies







    1. Glad you liked it. I am still experimenting with footnotes, appendices, and smaller fonts to keep the overall theme intact for a first reading, with details off-loaded somewhere.

      I guess my reference to strippers was a Freudian slip, brought on by talking about "naked" trailers.
      Delete
    2. I have always liked pickup campers, except for the cost of the camper and, even worse, the heavy-duty pickup truck that it takes to hold 2500 pounds in the bed.

      The virtue of a cargo trailer is more comfort/cost, lower overall price, and you can use a common and "inexpensive" tow vehicle.
      Delete
  3. You mention the cargo trailer is a "blunt V" in the front. In the posted photo, I see a a totally flat, squared off front. Am I missing something in the orientation/perspective of the photo?
    ReplyDelete

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    1. You're right, Chris. That camera angle plays a trick on the eyes. But the wedge extends forward 18". Gives you a bigger desk in the front of the trailer, and still leaves room for one 5 gallon propane tank on the tongue.
      Delete
  4. "Since the RV industry makes expensive junk"

    Make no mistake. Your utility trailer is junk as well. It's just bare bones, less expensive junk. :-)
    ReplyDelete

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    1. I'll certainly admit that the RV-style, side door is junk. It doesn't even have an interior aluminum frame. It is held on by aluminum trim that is glued to the rest of the door. Ridiculous!
      Delete
  5. The idea of converting a cargo trailer into travel trailer is brilliant! My family and I love to go camping in the summer, and now that it's getting warm, this is something I will have to look into. What kind of trailer would you recommend for this project? We don't have a cargo trailer to convert, so any advice is welcome!

    Cargo Trailer
    ReplyDelete
  6. You don't provide enough details for me to really respond.

    Keep in mind that my conversion was aimed at full-time RVing for a single man. The details will change quite a bit for a family who wants to do weekend camping.

    You might enjoy reading the cargo trailer conversion sub-forum on tnttt.com . Most of the contributors are men with families who go weekend camping. Keep in mind that they usually overdo it on the conversion. Perhaps it is "man-cave" therapy for many of them.

    You can treat the cargo trailer like it is a hard-walled tent, move some camping gear into it that you already own, and resist making a small suburban house-on-wheels out of it.

    1. Your "cabinets" inside would just be Sterilite and Rubbermaid drawers and stackable tubs.

    2. "Furniture", "desks", and "kitchen counters" would just be Luann plywood thrown across the plastic tubs.

    3. "Chairs" would just be folding outdoor chairs that you probably already own.

    4. "Plumbing" could just be 5 gallon plastic water jugs,

    5. Pots and pans from a thrift store.

    Not comfie enough, yet? Too much like real camping? Then nibble away at improvements, one at a time. You will appreciate each of them. Maybe it is a good chance for the kids to learn how to work with tools.

    But it is hard to imagine that a family (you didn't say how big) could adapt to a trailer box smaller than 7' X 16'. It will have to be pulled by a pickup truck, not a minivan or hatchback CUV.
    ReplyDelete
  7. Excellent suggestions. The bit by bit would apply to me since my wife is strictly motel minded!
    ReplyDelete
  8. Ron, glad that my bottom line cost of a COMPLETE conversion didn't scare you away from taking a "nibble away at it" approach.
    ReplyDelete
  9. Great write up of your conversion. I also love your rational thinking process about costs, including travel time to the supply stores. I always mention roundtrip mileage when discussing distances, and people look at me with a puzzled look if they don't indeed challenge the figure. I look forward to reading your other posts and live the "free life" vicariously!
    ReplyDelete
  10. I there somewhere I can see the in side? I want to see what the 7k+ goes to lol
    ReplyDelete

Comments

John V said…
I don't think it would be possible to outfit a decent fulltime rig for less than you did it. You are a poster child for frugality. Hell, we carry 3,000 pounds of wine, water, guns, ammo, and food on our rig before you even get to all the other stuff. :~)
And 120 pounds of dogs!
Anonymous said…
Good stuff. I'm in a truck camper now, but considering the van/cargo trailer route, so it's nice to have a data point cost-wise. On an unrelated note, based on extensive investigation of the clubs during my younger years, I'm pretty sure that there is not a "standard" stripper height. But if there is, it's less than the 6 feet you indicate above, unless you're also counting the high heels. ;)
Glad you liked it. I am still experimenting with footnotes, appendices, and smaller fonts to keep the overall theme intact for a first reading, with details off-loaded somewhere.

I guess my reference to strippers was a Freudian slip, brought on by talking about "naked" trailers.
Chris said…
You mention the cargo trailer is a "blunt V" in the front. In the posted photo, I see a a totally flat, squared off front. Am I missing something in the orientation/perspective of the photo?
You're right, Chris. That camera angle plays a trick on the eyes. But the wedge extends forward 18". Gives you a bigger desk in the front of the trailer, and still leaves room for one 5 gallon propane tank on the tongue.
I have always liked pickup campers, except for the cost of the camper and, even worse, the heavy-duty pickup truck that it takes to hold 2500 pounds in the bed.

The virtue of a cargo trailer is more comfort/cost, lower overall price, and you can use a common and "inexpensive" tow vehicle.
John V said…
"Since the RV industry makes expensive junk"

Make no mistake. Your utility trailer is junk as well. It's just bare bones, less expensive junk. :-)
I'll certainly admit that the RV-style, side door is junk. It doesn't even have an interior aluminum frame. It is held on by aluminum trim that is glued to the rest of the door. Ridiculous!
Unknown said…
The idea of converting a cargo trailer into travel trailer is brilliant! My family and I love to go camping in the summer, and now that it's getting warm, this is something I will have to look into. What kind of trailer would you recommend for this project? We don't have a cargo trailer to convert, so any advice is welcome!

Cargo Trailer
You don't provide enough details for me to really respond.

Keep in mind that my conversion was aimed at full-time RVing for a single man. The details will change quite a bit for a family who wants to do weekend camping.

You might enjoy reading the cargo trailer conversion sub-forum on tnttt.com . Most of the contributors are men with families who go weekend camping. Keep in mind that they usually overdo it on the conversion. Perhaps it is "man-cave" therapy for many of them.

You can treat the cargo trailer like it is a hard-walled tent, move some camping gear into it that you already own, and resist making a small suburban house-on-wheels out of it.

1. Your "cabinets" inside would just be Sterilite and Rubbermaid drawers and stackable tubs.

2. "Furniture", "desks", and "kitchen counters" would just be Luann plywood thrown across the plastic tubs.

3. "Chairs" would just be folding outdoor chairs that you probably already own.

4. "Plumbing" could just be 5 gallon plastic water jugs,

5. Pots and pans from a thrift store.

Not comfie enough, yet? Too much like real camping? Then nibble away at improvements, one at a time. You will appreciate each of them. Maybe it is a good chance for the kids to learn how to work with tools.

But it is hard to imagine that a family (you didn't say how big) could adapt to a trailer box smaller than 7' X 16'. It will have to be pulled by a pickup truck, not a minivan or hatchback CUV.
ronwagn said…
Excellent suggestions. The bit by bit would apply to me since my wife is strictly motel minded!
Ron, glad that my bottom line cost of a COMPLETE conversion didn't scare you away from taking a "nibble away at it" approach.
William said…
Great write up of your conversion. I also love your rational thinking process about costs, including travel time to the supply stores. I always mention roundtrip mileage when discussing distances, and people look at me with a puzzled look if they don't indeed challenge the figure. I look forward to reading your other posts and live the "free life" vicariously!
Unknown said…
I there somewhere I can see the in side? I want to see what the 7k+ goes to lol
Unknown said…
I've been developing a spreadsheet and various layout plans for something like this and I appreciate the honesty in the article. I'm a little confused though. The wording here and there seems to imply there's more of a detailed breakdown of the project somewhere which I'd love to have a look at. If so, I'm missing its position on the page or link.

For example: "G) But...you included two months of rent in an RV park for the conversion. You could have done it at an LTVA or in a national forest and saved a fortune."

I couldn't find any reference to that expense in the article. If there's more, I'd love to read it.

John
John Wade, there is no detailed breakdown somewhere else. I paid half-rent in the storage row of an RV park, that is, $175 per month, for two months = $350.

Then I blew an extra $5 per day eating out, compared to cooking = $300.

Then I added a somewhat arbritary $500 for extra transportation to the lumber yard and hardware store. I could have been more severe. And extra 2000 miles of driving times 50 cents per mile is $1000.

By the way, there is a shorter (and less acerbic!) version of this post that I wrote later. It is on the pages/tabs underneath the blog title.
Anonymous said…
You are correct but, basically you are reinventing the wheel. Add your labor at minimum wage and you have a $20,000 half ass trailer you could have gotten used for $8000 that was built by professionals to code, safer, better, more comfortable and lighter.
This comment has been removed by the author.
Anonymous, It is always a valid point to ask the D-I-Y-er about how much his time is worth. It certainly makes a difference whether he likes or dislikes the work in question.

"built by professionals..." Well yes, they are professionals, but always under the thumb of the marketing department. Actually I think the RV industry does a pretty good job of building rigs that the AVERAGE CUSTOMER is happy with and can afford.

But what if a guy is not the 'average customer?'

When an RV is built, they cut corners on everything but the color scheme, because that is what the average customer wants. That was a big reason for taking the DIY approach, in my case.

My first travel trailer was built by Thor, virtually the biggest RV manufacturer. I'm sure they had a few "professionals" working for the corporation. By the time I was done with that trailer, I had virtually gutted the inside, and thrown most of into the county landfill. Which costs money, of course.
Unknown said…
Call me crazy but I'm in whole hog on building my own conversion. I've followed blogs/posts/articles etc, etc, etc for years and when it was time for the rubber to meet the road I went from buying a Thor Class A toyhauler to retire in to converting an all aluminum 26' V-Nose cargo trailer to a full on true multi-toy hauler. I love to ride my big Electra Glide Ultra Limited and camp. Been doing it for about 4 years from a 6x12 Aluminum V-nose. I converted it and more or less cut my teeth on it. I put in solar by buying a Bluetti and putting 3 100w panels on the roof. I took 3" PVC and ran 7 lengths of tube on the roof under the solar and could have 30 gals of water for an on demand water heater for hot showers. I wired in 110v electric and have a medium sized dorm style fridge with freezer. I am/was set. But on my last trip the weather sucked and I spent more time sitting than doing anything else. That's when I had an complete change of heart on my retirement. I realized that if I had a small side by side 4x4 I would have been set. Weather sucky for riding, I'd jump in the side by side and take off. I got home and ordered my new trailer, complete with windows and RV style door.

I have to agree that when all is said and done I probably will have 30-35k invested in my conversion. My new solar system complete was 5k, the awning system with enclosure was 4k. I'm putting in a medium sized fridge/freezer and will have a separate small deep freeze. I'll have a microwave, gas stove top full kitchen and even a 30x42 shower. I'll be able to carry 75 gals of water inside with a 37gal grey tank. The third big ticket item was a compost toilet, that was almost a grand. I'll have on demand hot water and a furnace. I'll be using two 40lb propane tanks for the furnace, hot water, stove and grill. Everything else will be 12v and the Victron System is designed to move between shore power, solar or generator....I've got two TVs, one for inside and one that swings out the door for watching the game outside. I've invested in a top of the line data system to keep connected and for entertainment. The bedroom can be a living room because I've built a Murphy Bed....which leads to the toy hauler side of it all.

I can safely and efficiently put both my full size HD in the front of the trailer and a Polaris 50" wide side by side in the rear. When all is said and done I will be pretty close to my maximum safe towing of 7k. To tow my beast, I bought a Jeep Rubicon Gladiator. In the back of that monster I'll have another 75 gal water tank and a 35gal fuel tank. My generator will all so be there. I'm pretty sure I can boondock for a month at a time if I want to.

Folks building your own is a satisfying endeavor. YES YOU WILL SPEND MONEY. What you spend, what you want to make your time living comfortable on the road is up to you. I went beyond what most would consider....but I know it's solid. I know every aspect of my build. The only thing I haven't quite figured out....how to gain ground clearance for my trailer. I've got dual torsion axles and I'm trying to figure out the best way to gain about 6" of additional ground clearance. So if anyone has any solid ideas...let me know!
Well, Unknown, like you said, you went whole hog. That puts you towards toward the opposite end of the spectrum from my post. But who cares? You appear to have had a wonderful time at your project.

But I like to talk projects down into a manageable size. For me, that is "whole hog."
Unknown said…
I made mine for under $5000
https://youtu.be/nEEx54VahhU
Unknown said…
I'm basically a low-income female with no knowledge of building these things but would love to have a smaller (6x8) trailer conversion for starters. All I need are interior walls/ceiling, some cupboards, a bed, simple electrical for a few lights, some windows, and a bucket (to avoid late nights trips to the outhouse). For the time being, I'll just pack a Coleman stove, a cooler chest, and water jugs (with hopes to update later). Any clue as to how many man-hours might be needed for something like this? thanks for any ideas!
Unknown, you didn't say whether you are going to use the trailer-conversion for short-term vacations, long-term vacations, or full-time living.

I converted mine for full-time RVing. It took me 10 hours per day, 7 days per week, for two months to complete my conversion.
Unknown said…
I am "Unknown"....the low-income female who asked about man-hours (on Apr 2, 22) for just a few things...bed, cupboards, etc. You said you could not tell me because I didn't mention how the trailer would be used (short-term, long-term, full-time living). I guess I didn't realize that mattered, seeing as how I mentioned the specific items I wanted to put in the trailer. But, yeah...it would just be short-term...maybe a week or two. thanks for any info!
Unknown, OK, you have now explained you are in "hard-walled tent" mode with a cargo trailer. Therefore very little woodworking, wiring, drilling and screwing, painting, gluing, etc. Nothing wrong with that. Start simple and build your way up, as the need arises.

So "putting" things into your cargo trailer just means carrying things (you already own, mostly) into the trailer, almost as if you were packing a car for a vacation. I guess you could do that in a couple days, say, 10 hours of work.

You won't be very comfortable. Maybe that won't matter much if you are camping in perfect weather.

You can do a "real" conversion later on. That will involve a lot of taking all your stuff out of the trailer so that you can actually work. Inefficient but do-able.

But you are quite right in avoiding the excessive building that guys like to do (grin) on tnttt.com . Seriously, it is a male-ego thing. I thought my conversion avoided most of those excesses.
Colin said…
Thanks for a well reasoned and logical approach and also for for reminding us that this is a discussion not an argument.
I'm a semi-retired construction P.M. and as such have kept a fairly comprehensive spreadsheet regarding my conversion project; a 6'x10' trailer.
An interesting point; where do we start and stop applying values? For example I have literally thousands of dollars in tools in my shop and I'm sure you would have eaten lunch even if you were sitting on your couch not watching "main stream media". (Great line by the way).
I also agree with your point about individual ways of approaching the project. Decide what you want and go from there. Have fun! You might consider my build exsessive but its not a testament to my ego (I don't think?) It's more a challenge of my abilities/capabilities. Try to make it progressive so that you don't have to tear it apart to add components later. I wanted several things; a trailer that's functional and comfortable. A project/hobby to not only entertain me but a bit of a challenge. To learn about things like solar, 12 volt systems ( please no more blogs on the various merits of 12 volt vs 6 volt etc.).
I've owned the trailer for approximately 10 years so I think a pro-rated fair value would probably be $1500-$2000 I live in B.C. so all values will be Can $).
I included:
A converter for shore power and battery maintainance but no inverter
A 12 gallon fresh water tank ( not sure if that's imperial or U.S. gallons) and water pump
A hot water heater (7 gallons)
Outdoor shower
Bar sink and taps but I utilize a bucket collection so no grey or black tanks
150 watt solar panel and controller and a single 12 volt deep cycle battery. As you've pointed out that's nowhere near enough and certainly has not saved money! I'm not a fan of generators while camping so I'll definitely be adding/upgrading that system
As I wanted the extra sleeping capacity I added a single (30"w x 76"l) dining/bunk. In order to accomplish this I designed a pullout bed at the rear (the trailer has barn doors) and had a tent/roof, window etc. Made that goes over the doors and is fastened with turn-buckles and Velcro
The awning is a simple tarp attached with carbiners and poles
2 Windows and a roof fan
Cost?
I didn't need to rent space as I have that (again should you pro-rate power etc.)? Let's not take all the fun out of it!
Most expensive was the tent, $1200, which you don't need but it fit my plans.
Components for the plumbing system, $2500.
4" high density foam was a bit of a shock, $600.
I built the cabinets, material costs including laminate for the tops $250.
Electrical system, $1200.
Paneling and insulation, $700.
Flooring, $150.
12v cooler style fridge freezer, $550
It's the various and sundries that get you; screws,glue nuts and bolts, caulking etc.
I'm not quite finished yet and will definitely be upgrading the solar etc.
Round number to date $8500 Can.
Where am I on the build spectrum? Probably towards the higher end although that's not where it started. It grew a life of its own! Could I have bought one? Of course but the experience was well worth it from a personal viewpoint.
Challenge, enjoyment, head-scratching and most important getting to use it, priceless.
It's still a work in progress and definitely an evolution.
Anyway, back to my original point; great article.








Colin, So, your conversion cost approximately C$8500, on top of the naked trailer cost of course. I guess the work was done before the current inflationary spiral?

Your extended-- off the back end of the trailer-- sleeping area grabbed my eye. My goodness, you must be brave when it comes to bears. (Unlike me.)