Well, I abandoned my idea of turning my little cargo trailer into a mini-camper, and bought, instead, a former Coleman pop-up that had been converted into a 7x10 full-height box. Since it lost its identity two owners ago, I had to get it weighed as part of the process of getting a new VIN assigned, so I took it over to the local waste transfer station. I could not believe it still weighs almost 1800 pounds, when it was rated at 1875 when it was a fully equipped pop-up! I mean, it no longer has the bedroom ends, the table and long couch have been removed, as has the little box right inside the door. So there's almost nothing still there and it still is almost too heavy, given that I have to add insulation, some sort of wall covering, and also a thin waterproof shell for the outside. The framing for the box is 2x2s (actually 1 1/2 x 1 1/2) and 1/4" OSB, which I wouldn't think would weigh that much. What gives, I wonder?
Does it really weigh that much?
- Thread starter DBinMI
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Sometimes the manufacturers stated values can’t be trusted.
OSB is a heavy material. It is not typically used in the sidewalls of RVs. A 4’x8’ sheet of 1/4” OSB weighs 32lbs. With the extra framing and the OSB it sounds about right for getting the weight back up that high.
If you still have the cargo trailer return to that concept. Resell the popup trailer.
bullfrog !
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lol!!! And people get mad at me for telling them to weigh and test drive before buying! t
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Ouch!
Tony's Dream
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If you have ever worked on a camper, you will see there is more styrafoam then wood in your walls. Everything is the lightest materials they can get away with. Almost everything is glued together.
I thought about building my own camper years ago. I wanted to build it like a house, solid and sound. It doesn't take much to be overweight.
I thought about building my own camper years ago. I wanted to build it like a house, solid and sound. It doesn't take much to be overweight.
DB, you are free to do what you determine is best, but if I were you, I would consider selling off the FrankenCamper and cutting your losses.
Those trailers (as manufactured) inherently do not have much (if any) ability to handle overweight conditions.
The axle, the springs, the spring hangars, the bearings, wheels, tires, and most importantly, the frame, are all going to be under stress if the total weight goes above the factory ratings.
When you add batteries, water, food, camping fuels, supplies, etc etc, I am sure it will blow right past the ratings.
Trouble waiting to happen. Or so it seems to me.
Those trailers (as manufactured) inherently do not have much (if any) ability to handle overweight conditions.
The axle, the springs, the spring hangars, the bearings, wheels, tires, and most importantly, the frame, are all going to be under stress if the total weight goes above the factory ratings.
When you add batteries, water, food, camping fuels, supplies, etc etc, I am sure it will blow right past the ratings.
Trouble waiting to happen. Or so it seems to me.
bullfrog !
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^^^ I agree, even stock small tire/wheel tent campers have a reputation of short lived tires when being towed at today’s highway speeds. Many owners carry extra spares on longer trips.
Considering that when towing a trailer on the interstate highways you will be often be in the far right “truck” lane the tires will indeed take a lot of punishment from the typically rougher surfaces in that lane.
I did ask for the seller to get the weight, but that didn't happen. Oh, well.
I've found out a lot about weight of materials since I started this project. The problem with the cargo trailer is that I need it for other things, so everything would have to be removeable, it's only 5'x8' (on the outside, inside is somewhat smaller), it required too much modification for my limited skill set, and the FrankenCamper ( I like that! Thanks to tx2sturgis!) has all the electricity (inside and out), plumbing, and gas lines already installed. In truth, it may never actually be used to go camping, but my son, who is cognitively impaired, absolutely loved it when we bought it, so if it turns out to be nothing except a moveable playhouse for him it was still worth what I paid for it ($650) plus what I've got in it so far ( $200-$300). So I will press on, although I know I have more questions...just in case. And if I do decide to get rid of it, it's still in better shape than when I got it!
Indeed. I gave up the idea of putting rigid foam behind the lower walls after I tried it with one wall. But the upper walls will be insulated and covered with wallboard. If I'd realized that the entire floor had to be replaced, instead of just one corner, I'd have gone with plywood, but was trying to be consistent, so went with OSB, which is much heavier. But I've also found out that MDF, which is what all the cabinetry and the storage box are made of, is actually heavier per cubic inch than either OSB or plywood (even when it's not soggy), and pretty much everything made of MDF is going (it all has to be removed anyway to get the floor out) - so maybe I'll break even on the weight. Then I will rebuild with plywood. Also going to remove the propane furnace which weighs about 35 pounds and use an ENVI electric wall panel instead, so I gain something there. With the various ins and outs, hoping to break even; I'll get it weighed again before I consider taking it out. And if it's never a camper for the road, it can be a safer version of a backyard tent for my son to play in (we have bears and such) - I think he'll like that.
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