Cargo Trailer standard equipment question

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Thanks HDR. That was just another upgrade I opted for when ordering the trailer. I haul quads and motorcycles a lot and wanted to make it easy to tie them down. They are welded to the frame on the bottom and the 3/4" plywood butts up to it then they put a nice piece of aluminum trim to cover any gap. I have 4 pieces of carpet that are 4'x7' we put down when using it for camping.
 
1. Door. I have an "RV door" on my cargo trailer. I don't like it. There is no aluminum frame to it; it is just an aluminum skinned styrofoam laminate. There is aluminum trim glued around the perimeter, and that trim is what the hinges grab.

The "non RV" door have large straps that grab the door. Does that mean that they DO have some kind of interior frame? I would ask about that. If the answer is yes, that is the door I would choose.

2. My door is 32" wide, compared to the 24" of many RVs. When the desert wind grabs a 32" wide door, it is violent -- almost explosive. You need a cord attached to the inside of the door. Put a loop in it so you don't get a rope burn.

I would stay away from a 36" wide door unless you routinely move a piano in and out of the door.

3. Avoid the standard 6 foot interior height if you are over 5'10". I am 5'11.5", and I love the nominal 6'6" inside height. (It's less than that after insulating/covering the ceiling.)

4. Not sure about leaf springs versus Torflex. Have had both and disliked both.
 
highdesertranger said:
as far as tires go I find the trailer companies give you the cheapest tires they can get their hands on.  if I was me I would take them tires to put on.

The mainstream RV forums are full of horror stories about trailer tire blowouts.  They call them "china bombs" because they are all made in China.  Apparently no one makes a trailer tire here in America any more.  Do a Google search on "china bombs tires" and you'll see what I mean.

The best trailer tire out there seems to be the Maxxis M8008.  They draw a lot of praise on the forums.  Whether your trailer maker would allow you to provide your own tires, I couldn't say.

For more on why you use trailer tires instead of car tires, see:

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tiretech/techpage.jsp?techid=219
 
the Maxxis's that I have seen are made in Taiwan not mainland China. I have not been impressed by any make of trailer tire. I have heard a lot of salesman BS about this tire and that tire. I have had the best service using LT tires. me and my buddies put our trailer tires through hell. highdesertranger
 
Kind of late to the party, but here's my 2 cents worth. I have a 36'' door - I'd go with the 32'' if ordering. The 36'' is hard on the hinges etc... I'me 6' tall and 225 lbs and I actually don't have an issue with a 24'', except when moving things in and out. An RV door is nice in that you can have a standard screen door, but I just added an RV latch to my standard door. I also added an extra latch for the standard lock bar to the outside so I can lock it open and not get locked inside. The reason 36'' doors are required for entry in houses is because of wheel chairs. You're not likely to be taking a wheelchair through the side door. If it came to that I'd order the rear door as a ramp and bring the wheel chair in that way. Speaking of the rear doors, if you don't need a ramp order the barn door. That way you can open them part way for a breeze, or only one, but you don't have to have the back wide open to enter that way.

Axle - if you're spending almost all of your time on paved roads the torsion axle does ride better. They can be ordered with a higher start angle if you want the trailer higher, but that has to be ordered from the get go - can't be changed later without changing the axle.

Height, my trailer is a little odd, as the roof is rounded. The walls are 6' tall but at the center of the finished ceiling it's 6' 4''. I find that plenty, but if you're prone to claustrophobia you may want the extra 6''. My door is about 5' 10'' but I never hit my head as I'm always stepping down out of the trailer.

Windows, I have 4 small ones including the one I put in the door. 3 open for ventilation and I have a fantastic fan in the roof. I like the small ones for security and lack of heat loss area, but when confined inside due to inclimate weather it would be nice to have larger windows to sit in front of.

Insulation - most factory insulation is nothing more than Reflectex over the ribs and under the plywood. It probably works fairly well at keeping it cooler in hot weather, but is only a little better than nothing in cold weather. My walls and ceiling are filled with 1'' styrofoam and it seems to work well, with the exception of if it gets really hot inside, the walls take a long time to cool down at night. This is really only a problem in temperatures over 100 degrees.

Electrical - most trailers won't come with a battery, they get their 12 volt from the vehicle plug. This is not a big deal to add to the system. If your needs are minimal then just have the manufacture put a light on each side at the rear, and one centered in the ceiling straight in from the side door. The fixtures will be junk, but those are fairly easy to change out. It's the wiring that usually gives people fits. If they can add a couple 12 volt plugs in the front that would be nice also. Definitely get them to put a powered fan in the roof - it makes a huge difference in how fast you can cool the air inside. Also add a second vent if that is an option. Having an intake and an exhaust at opposite ends of the trailer is a big help.

Make sure you get a spare tire and wheel. The tires will be junk as others have said, but you can change them later.

The rest of the interior can be fitted out with a folding bed, or just a mattress on a simple platform. That and a few plastic drawer units, and hanging units screwed to the wall like shoe holders for a closet door, and you'll be set.

Now that I typed all that, I'd encourage you to look for a used trailer that has most of your priority needs already. At least around here they are about 1/2 the price of new for a nice trailer.
 
Thanks for the detailed reply, MP, much appreciated. We are keeping both the Casita and the cargo trailer on the table for now. Hoping to head west next summer with a tent and do a couple of weeks of tents/cabins/hotels and stop at the Casita factory to see if I fit in one comfortably. The messed u right leg may or may not allow me to use the bathroom in the thing,so we'll check it out before jumping in.
 
Also look at the bed seems I remember some people have to make some adjustments to fit.
 
bullfrog said:
Also look at the bed seems I remember some people have to make some adjustments to fit.

I'm easily confused, so I'm not sure what you mean... the bed of what, to make what fit?
 
I think Bullfrog was referring to the size of the Casita bed. I love the Casita, and the T@B trailers, but I'm just a little to tall for both the ceiling and the bed in both.
 
The new Casita Independence has two longer and wider bunks, so we'd go that way if we decide to buy.

Got another question... lets say we're flat ass broke when we retire, since that's pretty much how it will be. LOL If we ended up just buying a used cargo trailer, can a lay person who can work with wood cut a window frame (framed out with wood) into the sidewall... or does if have to be reinforced with aluminum framing??
 
Queen said:
The new Casita Independence has two longer and wider bunks, so we'd go that way if we decide to buy.

Got another question... lets say we're flat ass broke when we retire, since that's pretty much how it will be.  LOL  If we ended up just buying a used cargo trailer, can a lay person who can work with wood cut a window frame (framed out with wood) into the sidewall... or does if have to be reinforced with aluminum framing??

This thread should answer all your questions on DIY window installs:

http://www.tnttt.com/viewtopic.php?f=42&t=32504&sid=605bcc81318263e783a439fa19d21cb9
 
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