Building a new abode, Cargo Trailer

[Rascal]

Hello all, Name is Russell. From an island in Washington.
Been living in a tiny house on a farm for 5 years, but looking to downsize to a 6x12 haulmark cargo trailer so I can tow it with my Toyota 1986 pickup.
I have multiple properties that I manage and my housing is the only non-mobile piece, even though it is on wheels. It is to large, tall and on a single axle.
So my solution is to strip a cargo trailer and refurnishing it with ultralight framing that holds 2" total insulation, swapping out plywood for aluminum flashing interior wall skin, ship lapped with 1/2" cedar between.   The ramp door will be flipped and turned into an awning, while the welded hinged will have a deck bolted to the underside so it can be secured with the awning when being towed, while the ramp will be stripped down and framed with cedar to handle only a snow load.  A pony wall with a door in the back of the trailer will be the main source of entry.  Also be the pass through for a chimney and intake of a small collapsible woodfire stove I built for seasonal use and storage.  I will also get the ladder rack addition, so I can make a roof frame from emt conduit, and have steel roofing panels, reinforced with more conduit, that can be bolted onto the ladder rack, dismantled and stored on the ladder rack as a ladder would be for transport.  This will increase the lifespan of my roof, and also reduce the noise of rain from reverberating through the house frame.

Overall I am very excited if you can't tell.  Building my first tiny house was shoe string at $3000, with to much time put into building everything from scratch and salvage to save money. It has been a good home, but I want the steel studs and countless sheets of iso insulation inside it for business building projects.  I am glad I found a Bob wells video, it has opened me up to the vast catalog of tricks and stories that come with building a shelter. I look forward to contributing what I can!

And hopefully, with the housing issue on the island I live for farmers and interns, a solid $5000 cargo trailer house, and a basic communal bathroom/kitchen setup, I can help reduce the strain on young farmers trying to build up and survive. Due to rent costs they live in really run down farm houses that have mold and mice, and some have to travel 45 minutes.

 

[ckelly78z]

Welcome to the forums. My only advice is about the towing capacity of your 1986 Toyota truck, and how close your fully loaded cargo trailer will be to that. A heavier 3/4 ton vehicle will be safer, and last longer.

 

[rvwandering]

Welcome to the CRVL forums Russell! Sounds like a great project! Please start a thread in the Modifications and Conversions section when you start your build so that we can all follow along.

To help you learn the ins and outs of these forums, this "Tips, Tricks and Rules" post lists some helpful information to get you started.

Most of our rules boil down to two simple over-riding principles: 1) What you post should provide good information (like your introductory post), and 2) Any response to someone else's post should make them feel glad they are part of this forum community.

We look forward to hearing more from you.

 

[bullfrog]

I pulled a 80" x 80" x 72" box on a heavy duty 6'x10' utility trailer with a 2.7 5 speed Tacoma single cab 4x4. The box was only 800 lbs. but the frontal wind resistance even though the top front half of the wall was slanted kept my top speed to 60 MPH. Even you carry bedding, heating,water and supplies in the truck it will be at the limit and I was uncomfortable towing a similar rig. I would suggest you rent or borrow a trailer similar in size and weight and pull it on the highway for a day before building. Even if you build light you will be full timing and likely to heavy. Good luck and best wishes, take lots of pictures and post them for us to see!

 

[highdesertranger]

what's the tow rating of that 86 Toyota. if I remember correctly it isn't very much. highdesertranger

 

[ckelly78z]

For the 4 cyl model it was in the 2500# range, while the 6 cyl model was in the 3500# range (brand new, not 33 years old).

 

[maki2]

If you are just traveling back and forth on the island to various farms you don't have to worry so much about traveling at highway speeds since the roads on most of the Islands in Washington state are not going to be the speed limits one finds on an interstate highway.

Island folks live a more rural life where there are slower speed limits and slow vehicles. This is very different from a nomadic situation where one travels long distances across the country. Plus you would not be moving the trailer on a daily basis as it is meant to be a home base on a piece of property.  Also you won't be climbing up any mountain passes as the only "mountain" is Mt. Constitution on Orcas Island and at the top of the mountain there is a park not a farm. Plenty of hills on some islands in Washington state but others are fairly flat. So as long as the weight limit is not exceeded it won't be an issue for your intended purposes.

 

[Rascal]

Great feedback, the weight is certainly something I worry about. I believe my truck is a 6 cylinder, 2nd wheel drive. Manual states 3500#, as well as the bumper text but I think it is a general purpose manual. I have put many yards of wet compost in the bed, but never hauled anything.

I am trying to stay under 1500# empty, albeit the gross weight of a 6x12 hallmark is 1300#. I spent countless hours weighing everything I put into my tiny home to keep it under 2500# empty, and will document the same and hopefully make it presentable for you all.

Weight is a matter I've been working on for years by removing most of the heavy stuff heavy stuff from my life. I've been a ultralight hiker for some time, and it has distilled into a way of living for me. I sleep on camping closecell foam pads on a thin wooden bed frame, use about 25# of wool blankets, about 100 lb in clothing and winter insulation. I use minimal cookware, two spoons and three titanium cookpots. In general i operate out of what i can carry in my backpacks, one pack houses everything I use daily that isn't food, paperwork, or bedding, the other is empty with my wallet so I can ditch my valuables when I have to be about with business. This way of living helps me battle clutter, stay organized, and is something i developed while moving house to house for a long time, making my backpack a source of "home". For utilities I have semi portable solar panels that are stationary, and have and continue to live with just a headlamp as my light source for the past five years because the panels are dedicated to powering greenhouses and a salad spinner, but I'll probably take two of my panels off my 6 panel system for even more portable options. My kitchen's she'll isn't heavy, two aluminum baking pans with a steel bowl turned into a sink, mounted on cedar shelves with all removable storage for bulk dry foods. The food itself is probably the heaviest thing I own, it's all held in air tight steel canisters from the days when I battled with mice.

I will certainly heed your advice and try to have a friend haul my trailer during the innitial purchase or if highways are involved. My main intention is to infrequently move it from farm to farm, which has few hills, most I can avoid. The trailer will act as a third backpack for food, bedding, and backup clothing, but I will also be renting a house this winter which will be a "storage container" to swap out gear and clothing as needed. Maybe eventually purchasing a heavier duty truck as my income rises.

Thanks for the points, I'll be vigilant on the matter of weight with what I have available.

 

[Rascal]

Did some digging based on the R22 engine I have, and it can haul 2500#. I have a found a interstate patriot crg vnose I am waiting on a price for, which is 940lb that I was convinced to get, but for the $3600, which is probably close to the price of the patriot, I can purchase a much better, haulmark with thicker aluminum, adhered skin, and no seam down the center of the roof like on the Patriot model. If it's closer to $3000 I might still get it because of the weight.

 

[bullfrog]

You might take a look at Teardrops and Tiny Trailers ,com in the "foamies" forum where they use light weight foam insulation as a core and glue cheap canvas on it then paint with house paint to make a super strong panel.