5X8 enclosed cargo trailer? or?

[Ripper238]

The plan is to live out of the 5x8 since the 4Runner alone is not enough space to live out of long term comfortably. The 4Runner would be used for storage and tow vehicle with the 5x8 as bed, kitchen and rainy day home. 

I currently fit everything i need in my ~90 cubic ft area of my 4Runner with the seats down including my always ready sleeping area. So adding the 5x8 space for a bed and kitchen set up should be more than fine, but it will be a bit small even then. 

My thought is that the bed would be ~3'x6' leaving a 2'x8 area to stand and whatnot while hopefully fiting the kitchen area in the V nose that should have ~2x5 standing area when cooking.

 

[RoamerRV428]

what you can pack into your 5x8 v nose sounds like it would be fine for you

key is do you on this. if small and just enough for wet rainy day issues etc, if you wanna keep it small then keep it small

We had a great cargo/horse trailer seller company not far from us where we bought our horse trailers.

they also did 'some small installation' on any cargo trailer, like insulation, add a window for customers for added cost of course but it was nice they offered a few services on the cargo trailers. Alot of places who sell cargo trailers might also offer some extra services on them.

 

[bullfrog]

Most people can sleep fine on 28" to 30" wide beds, most sleeping pads are that width.

 

[ssminnow]

If you ever need to unhook the trailer to maneuver or turn around a single axle is much easier to move around.

 

[ssminnow]

A single axle 6X10 with a 6'6" height and a heavy duty set of springs would be my choice. A 6X12 would be nice but if i was off roading and got in a predicament I'd sure like to be able to handle my trailer a little better and i think a 6X12 might get heavy to move around. Don't forget to hang NAPA maxi trac 8X8 awning off the side of it for 100 bucks.

 

[LoupGarou]

It’s all a compromise. You want something small when on the move. But when the weather is just crap it sure is nice to have some living space.

Grab some painters tape and tape off the sizes on the floor. Then move and work within those spaces. CAD, Cardboard Aided Design helps to envision the sense of the space.

If you’re planning to drive off the beaten path, you need to consider ground clearance.

 

[Ripper238]

It’s all a compromise. You want something small when on the move. But when the weather is just crap it sure is nice to have some living space.

Grab some painters tape and tape off the sizes on the floor. Then move and work within those spaces. CAD, Cardboard Aided Design helps to envision the sense of the space.

If you’re planning to drive off the beaten path, you need to consider ground clearance.

Taping out the area is a good idea. 

I did a few CAD floor plans and drawings that seem to work. Coincidentally the area i work in most of my day is 5x8, the area i eat at and watch TV on the couch is 5x8, even the area i sleep is close to 5x8. lol

 

[Gofar]

I like to plan ahead and cover all my bases if i choose to live on the road. I have been doing extended overland trips in my 2019 4Runner and its been great. I have also been lucky with weather, but i know if i do this full time and even if i move to the better weather its inevitable i will want to stay in one place and will encounter some bad weather. IMO it's probably one of the hardest parts about living on the road. Raining for a few days or even a week stuck inside all by yourself.

So, though a cargo van would be perfect i really love my 4Runner with its ease of movement and capabilities, but it simply does not have the space to live in it long term. For now ill be trying out a pop up canopy. But i was wondering peoples thoughts about a 5x8 or 6x10 enclosed cargo trailer. What's too small? I don't want to overburden my 4Runner and i also don't need a ton of space for just me. Just a place i can go and have head clearance so i can move around and live/stand/sleep comfortably.
I will be doing the build myself on a new inclosed cargo trailer with professionalsionals doing any door or window installs when the time comes.

What's the cargo trailer consensus for the best small size? Can you get a 5x8 with with a tandem axel?

Going through different floor plan designs it appears a 6x10 would be ideal. But i would really love to get a 5x8 with a V nose to work. Maybe a cargo van will be better? Thoughts?

You might consider a Promaster van; they come with extended bodies, high roofs, etc. I bought one and built it out myself (with some help from a brother-in-law). I made the mistake of getting a regular roof, not the high roof, so I later had a "penthouse" roof put on it by Sportsmobile, but that's the expensive solution to having head room. The high roof option gives you head room with little extra $$. My van can park in any space a regular car uses. It also has a remarkably small turning radius, so back roads have been no problem.

 

[DannyB1954]

Most full size vans have more than 8' of space behind the front seats. Just mentioning so you can get an idea of livability. My smallest vehicle is mid size, (a 2005 Dodge Dakota). Towing a 6 foot wide trailer has never been a problem for me. A sideways bed would be my thing in a trailer. Youtube Gonagain made a stretcher style bed in his.

 

[Camper]

I built the same canvas bed in my cargo trailer, from his video. A couple of old quilts on top of it made a real comfortable bed.

 

[eliyama]

This dilemma has come up several times on this forum, so search for many opinions. Tnttt.com has a whole forum with thousands of conversions and will be a wealth of information. A lot will depend on you, where and how you want to travel. If you are under 6' tall a 6' wide trailer gives you more floor plan options but doesn't pull as easily or go down narrow forest roads as easily and usually requires wider mirrors to see around plus being generally heavier than a 5' wide trailer. A single axle trailer is lighter than a dual axle but the tire wear is greater because the load is carried by 2 tires instead of four. A flat tire is not good on any trailer but it can be very damaging on a single axle and is more likely to cause control issues as well as prevent continued progress down the road. If your Four Runner is a V6 fuel mileage will suffer greatly with a 6' wide dual axle heavier trailer. Camper made a wise choice in my opinion by using a V8 Tundra pulling a light weight 6' x 12' standing height trailer. I have found it is easy to overload with all the gear required for full time living and pulling it down rough unpaved remote roads for me meant a dual axle. I started much like you with a topper on a Tacoma then added a 4' x 6' single axle utility trailer. Later I enclosed it to sleep in bad weather when I couldn't use a tent, then enlarged the trailer and added a bathroom which made it 80" x 11' which was way too much for my tow vehicle as the gas mileage dropped by half in head winds. So now the camper portion is mounted on a 6' x 24' flatbed dual axle trailer which allows me to haul a Suzuki Samurai on the back 12', mount plenty of solar and carry all my camping gear and kayaks. I pull it with a 3/4 Ton modified Suburban (10 mpg) and use it as a base camp while using the Samurai (25 mpg} for daily trips. A light weight 5' x 8' standing height trailer would work fairly well with your present vehicle as long as you don't overload it. Otherwise you will end up somewhere between Campers tow vehicle and trailer is and mine. I should mention there are two of us, my wife and I, which does increase the requirements. Good luck and hope you find quickly what works for you without too much expense and discomfort.

Thanks for sharing. The Suburban is a tremendous vehicle, although newer models are full of electronic fixtures. You are one of a few that realizes the value of dually (dual axle). Pulling a trailer brings into play a multitude of forces, many of which you've described. I've lived in northern and central AZ for years, and because so many travel to this region, please keep in mind that we have wind and dust storms that affect driving stability. I am not living this lifestyle, but have a life long interest in alternative ways. I might add that handling the cold is a big issue for many unfamiliar with this lifestyle. Too many full timers do not have the gear necessary. My best cold weather gear are military; I prefer two piece hiker rain gear made to last. From reading between the lines you and wife are experienced in outdoors. You have so much insight and experience that is much needed by a growing population. You may want to try your hand publishing (it's free) on CreateSpace by Amazon. I wrote mine and saved it on a thumb drive, formatted it to 6x9, PDF, and downloaded. It is for sale as print on demand and Kindle. I wrote it to help others, the small royalty was not the reason. As a side note, you may consider doing small workshops for reasonable fee; it would save hundreds of hours research for those starting out.

 

[Setback]

The van idea for me is perfect. I have a 2017 high top 250 with the V6 gas. I've been living it now for 3 yrs. It's in the shop now getting the 5th transmission put in it, that's 53,000 mi's on average. First one went out at 89,000. I have 265,158 on it now. Going to Get rid of it as soon I hope

 

[Ripper238]

Most full size vans have more than 8' of space behind the front seats. Just mentioning so you can get an idea of livability. My smallest vehicle is mid size, (a 2005 Dodge Dakota). Towing a 6 foot wide trailer has never been a problem for me. A sideways bed would be my thing in a trailer. Youtube Gonagain made a stretcher style bed in his.

A Van would be perfect for me, been contemplating one for a long time. But I purchased a 4Runner for my off road adventures. I think i may have to go Van if i do this full time. Its just so much more practical and versatile. But i love my 4Runner.

 

[JDelete]

I love my 4 Runner as well.

A Van would be perfect for me, been contemplating one for a long time. But I purchased a 4Runner for my off road adventures. I think i may have to go Van if i do this full time. Its just so much more practical and versatile. But i love my 4Runner.

 

[rruff]

A Van would be perfect for me, been contemplating one for a long time. But I purchased a 4Runner for my off road adventures. I think i may have to go Van if i do this full time. Its just so much more practical and versatile. But i love my 4Runner.

A van will give you more space, but if want offroad adventuring in your "home" then I'd suggest modding the 4Runner.

Have you thought about cutting a hole in the roof and adding a high top? Plywood with a coat of fiberglass or bedliner would work fine. Some people mount a poptop on the roof. In that case you could mount a rooftop tent, seal it around the edge, and cut a hole for interior access. Or if you are more ambitious you could remove the body aft of the front seats and make it a bit longer as well.

This is kinda silly on a Prius, but gives you an idea of the concept...

 

[Ripper238]

That's pretty crazy cool. The big thing is rainy days where I cant sit/stand/pace outside.

I could mod the 4Runner, but probably not worth it since its tall already and adding height still wont allow me to stand and walk around. I also have second thoughts about a roof top tent because i cant just put it in drive and go, let alone stand and hang out all day while its raining.

Ill be getting a Gazelle gazebo for now, this way i can contemplate the travel trailer or Van a bit more. It will also give me an idea of what it would be like with a travel trailer home base and my 4Runner.

Ultimately i think ill find a van with 4wd or build one. Being able to just close the doors and go is soooo great.

 

[rruff]

That's pretty crazy cool. The big thing is rainy days where I cant sit/stand/pace outside.

My first camper was just a shell on a '84 Toyota... it wasn't even a tall shell, just cab height. It was not tall enough to even sit up in. The 2nd one I built on that same truck was just tall enough to sit up straight; ~57" floor to ceiling for me... (with the bed at ~20", that could be lower though) and IMO that was the sweet spot for a small space. I later built another camper on that same truck that had a 74" ceiling height, but it made it unwieldy and really just excessive. The height makes it a little easier to move about... but I never "stood around" in it. It's easy to set it up so you can do stuff from a seated position. I'm old and decrepit now, but I still think "sit up" height would be fine with me.

I'm building one now on a Tundra that has a 74" ceiling, but that was planned for two people, and my wife has since bailed. If I was to do it over for just me, I'd probably get a 4Runner or Sequoia and mod it similar to the Prius, though I'd build the camper from the front doors back and not have it stick out in the back so far... need ground clearance!

I don't like popups either, so I'd cut a hole in the roof and install a hard top. I wonder how high you'd need to go to stand up in your 4Runner? Say from the low spots in the floor in front of the back seats? I'm just guessing that is the low point. If 24" (or less) higher allows you to stand, that's not an excessively high top IMO.

EDIT: Just measured my Tundra and it's ~48" from floor to ceiling in the back seat, so at 72" tall I'd want at least 25" more to stand up straight.

 

[Gofar]

A Van would be perfect for me, been contemplating one for a long time. But I purchased a 4Runner for my off road adventures. I think i may have to go Van if i do this full time. Its just so much more practical and versatile. But i love my 4Runner.

If there may be a van in your future, check out the Ram Promasters. Great vans.

 

[Gofar]

I like to plan ahead and cover all my bases if i choose to live on the road. I have been doing extended overland trips in my 2019 4Runner and its been great. I have also been lucky with weather, but i know if i do this full time and even if i move to the better weather its inevitable i will want to stay in one place and will encounter some bad weather. IMO it's probably one of the hardest parts about living on the road. Raining for a few days or even a week stuck inside all by yourself.

So, though a cargo van would be perfect i really love my 4Runner with its ease of movement and capabilities, but it simply does not have the space to live in it long term. For now ill be trying out a pop up canopy. But i was wondering peoples thoughts about a 5x8 or 6x10 enclosed cargo trailer. What's too small? I don't want to overburden my 4Runner and i also don't need a ton of space for just me. Just a place i can go and have head clearance so i can move around and live/stand/sleep comfortably.
I will be doing the build myself on a new inclosed cargo trailer with professionalsionals doing any door or window installs when the time comes.

What's the cargo trailer consensus for the best small size? Can you get a 5x8 with with a tandem axel?

Going through different floor plan designs it appears a 6x10 would be ideal. But i would really love to get a 5x8 with a V nose to work. Maybe a cargo van will be better? Thoughts?

I bought a Ram Promaster partly because they are front wheel drive which is great in snow country. Then I built it into a camper van with a full sized bed platform in the rear/across the back. Worked great. Still have it, but a couple of years ago, I had a roof system installed which raises up for a "penthouse" sleeping area; this system makes the lower level of the van free for eating etc. Works great! I find the Promaster to be very reliable and comfortable.

 

[rruff]

IMO it's probably one of the hardest parts about living on the road. Raining for a few days or even a week stuck inside all by yourself.

In the 13 years I did it, that never happened. It's easy to avoid in the west if you move around.

NM, AZ and southern CO to a modest extent have a summer rainy season, but it's quite dry in summer if you are north or west of there. In winter southern AZ and CA deserts or Baja are the places to be.

I don't think I'd enjoy living like this though, if I didn't like hanging out by myself.