Hello all. This is my first day here, and also my first post. I am single, 75 years old, and on SS. Also live in the blue ridge mountains of TN.

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J

Jays

Member
Joined
Oct 8, 2023
Messages
23
Reaction score
12
Location
Tennessee. USA
Just getting started on this journey. ,I already have a half ton ford ranger with v6 and low mileage, with a flat hard cover for storage of extras. I don't have the money or desire for another vehicle. Any way, because of towing concerns, I have been looking at the 5x8 victory cargo from trailersplus. The down side is that it has only 4.7 ft head room before insulation. Wish it was a bit taller but don't really want to go with the 6 ft tall, which is the next size up, as I don't want to kill my truck with added weight or size.. I don't know what my truck can handle. Would really appreciate any advise.
 
Welcome to the group.

As for height, all I can say is that it's nice to be able to stand up to pull up one's pants. Measure and tape off a 5'x8' space on the floor somewhere and see if you can live within that space. Using a cot/mattress, chair and table you should be able to mock something up. Not every day on the road will be weather perfect, you may have to spend a couple days inside to hunker down. Are you willing to do that in 40 Sq-ft and a ceiling height of 4.7 ft?

YT is loaded with DIY Cargo Trailer Conversions.
 
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LoupGarou said:
Welcome to the group.

As for height, all I can say is that it's nice to be able to stand up to pull up one's pants. Measure and tape off a 5'x8' space on the floor somewhere and see if you can live within that space. Using a cot/mattress, chair and table you should be able to mock something up. Not every day on the road will be weather perfect, you may have to spend a couple days inside to hunker down. Are you willing to do that in 40 Sq-ft?
Click to expand...

I agree, Its very tin.y. Nothing more then extreme survival. I just don't know how much of a cargo trailer my half ton, v6 can handle
 
Talk to the trailer dealer and see if you can do a test tow. Towing is easy. You also need to be concerned about stopping power.
 
Welcome to the Van Living Forum Jays. :) This is a great place for information and connecting with others like yourself.

If you aren't looking to live in outback areas there are lighter weight trailers you could consider. These could be built out to live in during adverse weather and if parked in a State or National Park campgroundyou would have the advantage of unhitching the trailer in a camping spot and using the Ford for errands. Some of us here have Vans and still use trailers set up like this.

Please give the two links below a look. The first one addresses trailer conversion in it and the second is a portal of handy info to help keep you safe, comfortable, and with conveniences you may be unaware of.

Also consider an engine oil cooler & transmission oil cooler add on kit.

All the best (y)
 
Welcome to the forum, it's good to have you here.

At our age, there's no way I would buy something I couldn't stand up in.
 
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Welcome! There are members here living “out” of small trucks, usually with a cab height topper with sides that can open. We have done so in a 4 cylinder Tacoma. We used a tent to expand our living space on good weather days and eventually pulled a small light weight open 4’x6’utility trailer to carry gear that worked well using totes and a tarp. With more gear sleeping in the truck topper got crowded while traveling so we looked at tnttt,com (foamies forum) and built cheap home made 7’x7’x6’ tall box for the trailer to carry more gear and sleep in while traveling. It was too much with all our gear for the truck to pull as 60 MPH was top speed on flat ground especially with a head wind. I highly recommend tnttt.com as a source for easy to build cheap small teardrop style trailers. A little less gear and a little smaller lighter weight trailer would have been fine but full time living In small spaces requires you learn to live simply and light. Not as much like living out of a backpack hiking but still many fewer things than most people are used to having. At 75 you may need to consider your physical abilities as well. A 6’ tall trailer may be necessary. A 4’x6’x6’ tall for a single person is doable. The only reason for a wide trailer is so you can sleep sideways and 5’ isn’t enough for most people. By unhitching and parking so a tarp or awning can be stretched between the truck and trailer a good sized living area can be created.
 
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My 6 x 12 cargo trailer weighed about 1200# empty and was around 1600# with my stuff in it.
 
Jays said:
Just getting started on this journey. ,I already have a half ton ford ranger with v6 and low mileage, with a flat hard cover for storage of extras. I don't have the money or desire for another vehicle. Any way, because of towing concerns, I have been looking at the 5x8 victory cargo from trailersplus. The down side is that it has only 4.7 ft head room before insulation. Wish it was a bit taller but don't really want to go with the 6 ft tall, which is the next size up, as I don't want to kill my truck with added weight or size.. I don't know what my truck can handle. Would really appreciate any advise.
Click to expand...
Cargo trailers are not your only option! I
am in the same age group but manage for comfortable full time living in a lightweight, vintage, fiberglass travel trailer. It has a popup top that provides 6’4” of standing headroom when the popup is open. It came out of the factory weighing just under 900lbs I pull it with 4 cylinder vehicle. As my vehicle was low mileage in good condition I went looking for something that I could actually tow as well as live in comfortably.
Join the “fiberglass RV forum”. It is a friendly group and they will help you sort out which of those vintage trailer brands will meet you needs for standing room as well as towing ratings for your particular tow vehicle. They even have an area in the forum that shows that information of weight for towing and interior dimensions for the different makes and models of the fiberglass travel trailers new and old. Of course your budget will limit you to the older ones. Plus there is also a 4 sale section in that forum. There are other places on the internet that specialize in sales of fiberglass travel trailers. Plus once you identify what might work you have the keywords to search the world looking for that particular model in a sales listing.
 
Jays said:
Just getting started on this journey. ,I already have a half ton ford ranger with v6 and low mileage, with a flat hard cover for storage of extras. I don't have the money or desire for another vehicle. Any way, because of towing concerns, I have been looking at the 5x8 victory cargo from trailersplus. The down side is that it has only 4.7 ft head room before insulation. Wish it was a bit taller but don't really want to go with the 6 ft tall, which is the next size up, as I don't want to kill my truck with added weight or size.. I don't know what my truck can handle. Would really appreciate any advise.
Click to expand...
Maybe talk to the folks from weeroll.com

Not necessarily get a trailer from them, unless you can work something out, but see what they say
 
bullfrog ! said:
Welcome! There are members here living “out” of small trucks, usually with a cab height topper with sides that can open. We have done so in a 4 cylinder Tacoma. We used a tent to expand our living space on good weather days and eventually pulled a small light weight open 4’x6’utility trailer to carry gear that worked well using totes and a tarp. With more gear sleeping in the truck topper got crowded while traveling so we looked at tnttt,com (foamies forum) and built cheap home made 7’x7’x6’ tall box for the trailer to carry more gear and sleep in while traveling. It was too much with all our gear for the truck to pull as 60 MPH was top speed on flat ground especially with a head wind. I highly recommend tnttt.com as a source for easy to build cheap small teardrop style trailers. A little less gear and a little smaller lighter weight trailer would have been fine but full time living In small spaces requires you learn to live simply and light. Not as much like living out of a backpack hiking but still many fewer things than most people are used to having. At 75 you may need to consider your physical abilities as well. A 6’ tall trailer may be necessary. A 4’x6’x6’ tall for a single person is doable. The only reason for a wide trailer is so you can sleep sideways and 5’ isn’t enough for most people. By unhitching and parking so a tarp or awning can be stretched between the truck and trailer a good sized living area can be created.
Click to expand...
Wealth of info
 
LoupGarou said:
Talk to the trailer dealer and see if you can do a test tow. Towing is easy. You also need to be concerned about stopping power.
Click to expand...
Maybe look at San Tan cargo. They are built to your specs
 
I decided in a cargo van as they can be more stealth able. If I need to stand up, I'll step outside
 
Welcome to the site. I started out in a cargo van and traveled over 20,000 miles in it. It was enough space for me, had great gas mileage, and was very easy to drive. The only issue was not being able to stand up. As a disabled veteran, having to lay down on the bed and pull my pants on was a pain. I just moved up to a high top van this past August and it was a real game changer.

I was in your neck of the woods last spring. I loved the Blue Ridge Mountains and TN in general. Told the wife we needed to move there. :)
 
Jays said:
Just getting started on this journey. ,I already have a half ton ford ranger with v6 and low mileage, with a flat hard cover for storage of extras. I don't have the money or desire for another vehicle. Any way, because of towing concerns, I have been looking at the 5x8 victory cargo from trailersplus. The down side is that it has only 4.7 ft head room before insulation. Wish it was a bit taller but don't really want to go with the 6 ft tall, which is the next size up, as I don't want to kill my truck with added weight or size.. I don't know what my truck can handle. Would really appreciate any advise.
Click to expand...
Maybe get a gazelle tent or some other kind of tall 10-person tent instead? And just pack down and pack away every time you move and then set it back up? Instead of Towing the whole trailer? Can you fit all the things that you want in the trailer vehicle and like a small towable garage?
 
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