Help getting on the road

[WildBill60go]

I am looking for advice for getting help... I to am living on disability with family financial  help for my current housing, help that will soon not be there anymore. My desire is not to be warehoused in low income public assisted housing where they take all your money only to provide you what "they" think you need, (bare minimum essentials), and four walls to stare at till you kick off, that is not living. There are a lot of nice places for seniors but all of those cost more than I make on disability...I know I can do it for awhile before having to give up my freedom. The start up costs seem to be the problem, I have a wheelchair accessible van, just need a small pull behind trailer outfitted for wheelchair access, small and manageable by myself, thinking about an enclosed cargo trailer, that would be the cheapest way to go. If you know of contacts and resources that can help me with my dreams to get out and meet my YouTube friends for real, yourselves included, that would be so wonderful...seems to be such a great supportive traveling community out there and I want to meet you all!!

 

[AbuelaLoca]

Welcome, WildBill... where are you located? Lots of the guys here can help you find good buys, but they'll need to know where you are!

 

[masterplumber]

Hey Wild Bill definitely let us know what part of the country you're in. Someone that used to be on here was building a wheelchair accessible trailer and I remember thinking through some ideas back then. Not having the trailer yet is actually a good thing, as you can look for what you need instead of trying to modify something that may only marginally work for you. Also, what van do you have as that will make a difference as to what you can tow.

 

[WildBill60go]

Hey Wild Bill definitely let us know what part of the country you're in. Someone that used to be on here was building a wheelchair accessible trailer and I remember thinking through some ideas back then. Not having the trailer yet is actually a good thing, as you can look for what you need instead of trying to modify something that may only marginally work for you. Also, what van do you have as that will make a difference as to what you can tow.

I am in western Washington State in the Olympia area...I have researched extensively already for my 2001 Dodge Ram "half ton" conversion van with a 600# capacity side lift that is designed for a single operator/driver to do things on his own with a very nice handicapped power swivel drivers seat to make powerchair to driving position transfer easy for me. Used vans that come so equipped are few and far between, most are designed for a helper to be there for transportation, so when I found this nice "certified" used one I snapped it up with financial help from family. The way the van is with the fancy conversion package, high top, power bench/bed and the handicapped add-ons, it is already fairly heavy, it does have an engine driven compressor that pumps up air shocks in the rear....what that leaves me with is a towing capacity of around 5600#'s. I am a larger guy and doing small travel trailer bathrooms are not viable for a full time living situation...looked at fiberglass,(Casita, Scamp, Lil' Snoozy, etc.) light weight, durable, low maintenance, but not cheap in any kind of decent condition, and would still have to make the handicapped, larger person add-ons adding to the cost....soooo, small toyhaulers came to my attention and thought that was the way I was going and found"Dunesport" in Arizona that makes small Handicapped accessible toyhaulers that looked promising, (large shower, low mounted electrical switches, side door lifts and of course the toyhaulers claim-to-fame, a ramp in the back that I can get my powerchair up and down and/or a four wheel power scooter. The base 16 ft. model was looking affordable, and then started to configure the other options I wanted, and the price was right back up there close to other trailers I had considered. I am now looking at getting a single axle-(5200# cap.) 7x14 cargo trailer, much lower initial cost, and making it what I need...which leads me here looking for financial and barn raising muscle help to get it outfitted for me, family might help with money, but no muscle!! Stuck with just the dreams only at this point.

 

[Gideon33w]

Hmm, seems to be some interesting design challenges. What is the timeline for having a finished trailer?

Also, check out TNTTT.com - TONS of homemade trailers and modified cargo trailers. Probably not as helpful of a group but plenty of info.

 

[masterplumber]

So I just met Crave at the Colorado GTG this weekend. He's in a wheelchair due to a back injury. Currently he's living in a cargo trailer (sorry I'm not sure if it's 6' or 7' wide) that is 12' long. He wheels in and out through the rear ramp door. He did say he'd like a side ramp door also. He actually tows it with a Crown Vic and it gets him anywhere he wants to go. So yes, your plan is definitely doable. I'd love to help you with some building, but I'm in Colorado and can't take anymore long trips until next year now due to a big project I just started. If you could somehow get here I know many of the members are currently in Colorado for the summer and could probably help some also.

One thing you should consider is going tandem axle if you plan to go with a 7x14. While I could have built lighter even my 6x12 is maxed out with a 3500 lb axle. And it really bounces around behind my truck going over bumps in the road and such. I have a 7x14 that I use as a mobile tool shed. It has 2 3500 lb axles and it tows much smoother even though it's loaded quite a bit heavier. I know you mentioned a 5600 lb axle, but it will still bounce around a lot. It will also be very hard to find a used one like that, and may even cost more new than a tandem axle new due to being a special order. 7x14 tandem axle trailers are very common in the construction industry so they are pretty readily available used. Mine was in really nice shape with lots of extras like heavy duty shelves, and I only paid $2500 for it.

 

[WildBill60go]

Do you have any contact information for "Crave" ? Would love to see pics of his trailer if he has some.

 

[masterplumber]

Crave is his user name on here. Not sure how often he gets on line and signal can be spotty where he is now, but you might send him a PM and I'm sure he'll eventually get it.

 

[rvpopeye]

Welcome aboard Wild Bill!

 

[highdesertranger]

good advice from Master Plumber about the tandem axle. highdesertranger

 

[WildBill60go]

Here is a Craigslist listing in the Seattle area....too heavy for my van but thought it was such a good deal I thought that whoever knows how to spread the word fast on this forum, looks like a good boondocker at a great price....enjoy!
https://seattle.craigslist.org/see/tro/d/cargo-trailer-is-really-toy/6222908881.html

 

[WildBill60go]

Found one, trying to get up to look at it...thoughts, comments, advice, please!! Please reference my earlier post on what van I have to get more accurate advice about this one...thanks so much in advance!
https://seattle.craigslist.org/tac/rvs/d/new-custom-trailer/6221548837.html

 

[WildBill60go]

Oops, I know it dosen't have a ramp in back, but with stabilizer jacks on the rear corners, I can set it up with light aluminum wheelchair ramps.
https://seattle.craigslist.org/tac/rvs/d/new-custom-trailer/6221548837.html

 

[masterplumber]

That's pretty nice, and maybe slightly high in price but only slightly considering the level of finish. It looks like it's mainly set up to be plugged into shore power, considering the 110 volt fridge, larger tv, etc. Do you plan on staying in campgrounds or boondocking? If you plan on boondocking more You'll be paying for stuff you'll need to replace.

 

[WildBill60go]

Thought I might be able to talk him down some by pulling some of the things I didn't need.....more to come....he had one other looker, and if things were not coming together for him selling as is?....that's when I'll step in with my offer! Thanks for continuing to follow my process.

 

[WildBill60go]

He re-posted at lower price, wadda ya think?
https://seattle.craigslist.org/tac/rvs/6221548837.html

 

[WildBill60go]

Shore power can be run with a generator I want to use, (Champion Dual Fuel 3400), I will add solar as I can afford it...looking to get the batteries that the gen can charge, (2-six volt golf cart in series for 12 volt)...when solar is installed I'll add two more of the same for a total four batteries.

 

[masterplumber]

I'd offer $6500 and see where it goes from there.

 

[WildBill60go]

I'd offer $6500 and see where it goes from there.

Got him down to $7250.00, and he is going to throw in the hitch that is paired with this trailer, so all I have to do is slide it into the receiver on my van and take off.... asked him what kind of trailer brake controller he was using so I could get my van ready to pick this up...none, the trailer is rigged with automatic surge brakes. I have experience with these as I have been a support vehicle driver for 10-speed bicycle trips that used a trailer with surge brakes and I never had a problem, just make sure they are adjusted right and be careful on steep downgrades to avoid heating up the van brakes, and make sure they don't grab when backing. Family has come up with the money, so looks like it's a done deal...will keep you posted as to when I'm able to get on the road, will be taking baby step excursions to get used to it all working together for me and getting the handicapped necessities to make this as much a solo operation as possible. Going to pull the trigger on the launch of my YouTube channel and start documenting the process there....Can't wait to start meeting y'all at the RTR's and getting my trailer fined tuned to my needs with y'all's help, whoever is willing to be a part of that...by the way, I have training in video production and know my way around Photoshop a bit, totally willing to trade those skills for any help tuning up the trailer....thank you so much for all the input. Do you have a list of the upcoming get-togethers? Thanks everyone!!!!!

 

[AbuelaLoca]

Congratulations, WildBill!! You'll find the get togethers in the gatherings topic of the forum. I hope you'll put a few pics here for those who don't have the data to watch videos!! If you get through Missouri in the next few months, GotSmart and I are always willing to lend a hand (or just meet for coffee). Yes, I just volunteered GotSmart!