So, my Daughter, Tiffnie Schindler Gonzales, and her Husband, Matt Gonzales, want a camper, but don’t want big size or big money in it.
With that, they’ve bought a cargo trailer to convert into a camper. Follow along, as we chronicle the conversion.
After purchasing the trailer, modifications did not begin immediately, as Tiff and Matt don’t have all the tools, or experience to pull this off. That’s where I come in. The trailer was used as a cargo trailer a few times, before mods began, hauling kayaks and stuff.
The first step in the conversion involved pulling the interior plywood, so as to add insulation. This was begun in my drive, a month or so ago.
We set up a temporary work bench in the drive, where we started cutting foam board to fit between the “Studs” in the walls, and in the door.
By pulling the plywood interior, we were able to slide cut pieces into the recesses. This actually went fairly fast and easy.
At a later date, we installed two RV windows into the walk in door, and the back left hand wall. After some You Tube research, we took the plunge, cut into the wall and door, and got the windows in.
I started this page, but asked Tiff to write up her side of the story, so I’m going to let her take over here.
Keith
The hubs and I have always enjoyed getting away outdoors, we’re coming up on 3 years in our home and are minutes away from a state park which we visit often. We like to do a little camping when the weather’s nice, last year we purchased kayaks and love being out on the water. I’m fine with primitive camping but my body will no longer allow me to sleep on the ground and being only 4’11”, kayak roof racks are a huge pain. After almost losing a kayak on the side of the road due to a bent J hook and our brand new tent being taken out by high winds on only our second trip out, I decided to do a little research and find a better solution.
I ended up purchasing a tow package from TrailerJacks.com for about $230, and a small cargo trailer which we converted into a basic camper and use to haul kayaks. The hitch itself was a fairly easy install, the hubs was able to do it laying in our driveway using the instructions that came with the kit.
The wiring was a little more confusing so we called in help from my dad and brother who have more experience and the convenience of a hydraulic lift. Between the 3 of them they got it installed without any issues or us having to pay labor costs. We did however have to purchase a different ball from Tractor Supply with a higher lift because the nose of the trailer was sitting too low to the ground once we got everything hooked up. In total, we probably spent around $300 just to be able to haul a trailer but we’ve already used it multiple times so I’d say it was money well spent.
The trailer came with a somewhat finished interior, we pulled up the plywood and insulated the rear ramp, 2 side walls and the ceiling using 3/4″-1″ foam sheets. Dad helped us install 2 RV windows for airflow by making a cardboard template, drilling pilot holes and cutting through the metal exterior walls, foam and plywood in one pass with a skill saw. Once the interior was reassembled, dad and I covered the ceiling with thin plywood sheets, he routed the edges of strips to create the custom trim to hide the seams and built a header in the back where we’d later mount the screen doors.
The hubs and I used metal flashing we’d had on hand to cover the curved gap where the walls met the ceiling, then we coated the walls with a clear one coat weather sealant and protected the floor with a textured porch and deck paint. Dad and I constructed a double screen door for the rear opening of the trailer using 1″x4″ lumber, he used a router to create a groove for the aluminum screening and spline.
When screening the 2 doors, I had issues with the screen tearing due to the sharp edges of the wood so I used foaming Gorilla Glue to fill in the gap covering the spline and any rough or torn edges. When it came time to hang the screen doors for our maiden voyage they didn’t quite fit but I was able to make them work and used pool noodles to cover the large gaps, I will revisit them at a later date when dad’s available to help me problem solve.
When hauling kayaks, the screen doors fold inward and hook to the interior walls of the trailer so they stay in place during travel. When using the trailer to sleep, we cover the kayak openings to prevent any critters from curling up inside and lock them to the trailer using padlocks and a bicycle cable to prevent theft.
We’d intended on throwing a mattress on the floor to sleep on but ended up purchasing a 4″ memory foam folding mattress for $200 online. It sleeps very comfortably and I love how it easily folds into a couch to be slid out of the way when hauling kayaks or if we’re just hanging out inside the trailer. I picked up a cheap tension rod and curtain hooks with clips to hang a tapestry in the rear of the trailer for a little privacy and to help block the sun.
We did have a little bit of an issue keeping air moving during the night as we didn’t have electricity at our campsite. I’d purchased a Ryobi battery operated fan which only lasted a few hours into the night and our 12v batteries and inverter were overloaded by the box fan we’d picked up as it’s replacement. Overall the first trip out with the camper was a success, but we’ll continue to add to it and make adjustments as needed.
