Need some opinions!

[FeralBeaf]

Hey everyone, wasn't sure where to put this so I went with off-topic.

I've been following the nomadic movement for a while, as well as following this forum and youtube channel. I need some opinions from you guys and gals as I move forward.

I'm going to start building conversion trailers to market, light-weight, cost effective, and efficient. There's a huge gap between affordability with quality and commercial rvs that lend a lot to be desired. As well as opening up my skills as a custom builder to those wanting to join the life style but can't swing a hammer (as I've seen it put)

Here's the questions. 1. What are must haves in a conversion van/trailer in your opinion?
2. What kind of price point do you think would be acceptable for a basic trailer 10k-13k$?
And finally. 3. In your opinion, would people be interested in utilizing a business that would help design, build, and install components?

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[HalfShadows]

Hi Feral, That business already exists. Check out Wee Roll Trailers in Florida. If I were to buy a trailer it would be from them. Their sheet metal and framework is beyond any quality out there and their price point and the ability to customize to your wants/needs founded. They produce smaller trailers largest I think is 6x10. As a recently retired A&P,(OCD when it comes to aluminum structure) I currently give them a thumbs up. There would be a market for you in 7x12 and up trailer provided the quality and price point is better than Featherlite  Trailers. (Also a good trailer manufacturer). I would research both of those companies and see what would make you outstanding.

 

[AMGS3]

Hey FeralBeaf

While there are a few companies out there that do conversions, I definitely think that, if you had a quality product, and marketed it correctly, you could be successful in this field. Quality is easier to control the fewer people you have actually doing the building.

One thing I hear on this forum and in talking to other vehicle dwellers is that they underestimated how much insulation they would need. I've heard it from rving/vehicledwelling friends too. And it's important for keeping your home cool in the heat of summer and warm in the winter. It's also an area where, if you as a customer are buying a pre converted build you might not know how much of what type of insulation the builder used.

Yes, erring on the side of saving both you and the customer some money now during the build may make the build cheaper for you both, but I think that having a happy customer in the end is probably a better business model.

Other things that I'd consider to be important would be looking into the legalities of the state you plan to build the conversions in. Are there set rules about what must be included if your customer wants to register the trailer as an RV? Some states have lists of features that must be included to qualify for RV status. This is important because if you want to insure a trailer as an RV the insurance company will probably insure it however the state recognizes it.

I'd also carefully consider the electrical system you install. And make sure your customers know it's limits, too, before they decide to buy. There are definitely perfectly good systems that just don't fit the power use of the person living in that build, that the people come to hate because they expect too much from a smaller system.

For that matter, make sure your customers know what they are choosing with all of their onboard systems. Before they buy. Get to know what they want/expect from their home. Correct any misinformation they may believe about some other system they saw and they want one too. It's only fair to you and them that they know what the limits of their new home are. There's no advertising better than word of mouth from a happy customer, and no worse advertising than word of mouth from a customer who feels they've been ripped off.

Best of luck,
~angie

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[John61CT]

You will want major liability insurance, unless you are judgment-proof.

Designs by professional engineers that carry E&O insurance.

 

[FeralBeaf]

Amg and halfshadow.

Id have a post as long as my arm of I quoted them... great information in your posts I thank you for that. I plan to operate in larger trailers, as suggested 6x12 and up, I'll research the companies that were suggested, And adjust accordingly.

All opinions are welcome, keep them coming

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[FeralBeaf]

I researched wee roll, they have a decent product, and seem to have cornered the micro builds. On that note their biggest model appears to be smaller than my planned base model.

Does it make a difference to your answers, knowing that I am not building the frame of the trailer? I am researching reputable and well built cargo trailers, as my skill set is in wood, definitely not welding.

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[bullfrog]

I would think that you could avoid a lot of problems and fill a gap by building a unit that could be mounted easily on a trailer. Many people have stated they have a utility trailer that they wish to continue to use as such on ocassion. Tnttt.com has a very few examples.

 

[FeralBeaf]

This is also on my list of to do's. In this case are you speaking towards something that can be removed and mounted as needed?

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[Minivanmotoman]

FWIW, you should be researching the opinions of future buyers. The RV market is booming and competitive. Can you find or fill a specfic niche?
What are these buyers looking for? Where are these buyers and how can you market to them?

1. Knowing your area market and how to sell to them is key. Features and size are important. Look at what people are buying in your area. What do you see allot of on the road, in yards, in your area? In my area, it's slide ins and 5th wheels, Class C.

2. There are many van conversion companies popping up to fill the needs of Transit, Promasters and Sprinter owners. Some are just selling/shipping the cabinets for install if required.

3. Buyer demographics, who is buying what type of RV in your area? Retirees are a major demographic and they usually have the funds for features and luxury. Millennials are adventuring in nature and thus more affordable, basic, outdoor rugged appeal to them. And there are many more types in between. Who will you appeal to with your product.

4. Look at the top selling vehicles for the past few years to give you an idea of tow vehicle capacity and building to that size. Hint, top 3 were full size domestic pickups. That will be the most market potential. Not to say that you can't find a successful niche outside of that depending on skills, product, design and marketing
https://www.businessinsider.com/best-selling-cars-and-trucks-in-us-2017-2018-1

5. The competition, new and used. What can people buy in your selling price range and why your product will be competitive? Today's market is mostly feature option rich for a given price point. And local availability dominated by huge RV lots and Craig's for used.

6. The 4Ps of marketing. Product, price, place, and promotion. Learn, study and knowing this will be important for success. Keep researching online.

Hope this helps, good luck.
But it's not about luck, . Lol.

 

[FeralBeaf]

Great information here thank you for your input, I'm currently in the process of researching, this thread is actually part of that research . You are very right though, Rvs are up 14%over last year. I have 3 different markets I'm looking at right now. And this thread has been very informative across the board. So far I have a niche I haven't been bumped out of throughout the last month of research...

I will be building solo, however if the projections are true I may end up with 1 or 2 people helping me. Which will be a whole different beast all together.

Thanks for everyone's input this far and I look forward to more

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[highdesertranger]

good luck and keep us updated. on a totally different subject I have heard of feral dogs, feral cats, feral pigs, feral horses and feral burros, but I have never heard of feral beef. in all my years working on ranches I have seen some pretty wild ass cows but in the end they all got caught and shipped. boy do I have some stories. highdesertranger

 

[bullfrog]

Yes removable possible to be mounted on a trailer or truck chassis with built in jack points.

 

[FeralBeaf]

good luck and keep us updated. on a totally different subject I have heard of feral dogs, feral cats, feral pigs, feral horses and feral burros, but I have never heard of feral beef. in all my years working on ranches I have seen some pretty wild ass cows but in the end they all got caught and shipped. boy do I have some stories. highdesertranger

Hahaha, yes absolutely will keep everyone updated. Feral beaf is my gamer tag on another game.... I haven't seen a feral beef in the wild either [emoji2957][emoji2957]

Bullfrog, I'll probably add that at some point but right now I want to limit my scope just a bit to get going.

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[John61CT]

The Aussie bush has lots of feral everything including cattle

cleanskin
killer
piker
poddy
scrubber
stranger
micky
forest gnome

 

[phyllisindallas]

Hi Feral

I know this thread is a bit old, but in case you are still looking for opinions, I can tell you what I'm looking at now to do for my own rig.

I have decided on a 6x12 cargo trailer to convert. I'm still looking at what to look for as far as quality, but I understand that one piece on the roof is best, and certainly weight will be a consideration for me, and likely for others as well, so I would definitely consider the weight of the trailer you are working on as well as the fixtures you install. That's why I settled on this size- it felt like a good balance between having enough room and not having so much weight that it taxed my older suv and used a ton of gas.

You could offer a range of options from just having an insulated trailer to having one fully ready to go. The wee roll trailers mentioned here like stated just have insulation and windows, but really that is the huge initial work that has to be done before really being able to use a cargo trailer.

I plan on getting just the bare trailer, but with windows and a roof fan installed since I am scared to cut into it myself. I will be doing the insulation and tricking out myself to save money, but if I had more money, I would certainly love to get one that was already wired and had a solar setup already installed.

Have you gotten any farther in working on this business plan?

 

[GotOldEarly]

I researched wee roll,  they have a decent product, and seem to have cornered the micro builds.  On that note their biggest model appears to be smaller than my planned base model.

Does it make a difference to your answers,  knowing that I am not building the frame of the trailer?  I am researching reputable and well built cargo trailers,  as my skill set is in wood, definitely not welding.

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Wee Roll is in the process of building a 6x12x6.  It is not currently on their website but they do plan to add it to their lineup.  I have been a part of the Wee Roll public facebook group for sometime and have enjoyed following the builds people do once the trailer (a blank canvas) is delivered and they begin their builds.  Tom (the owner of Wee Roll) is awesome and is open to reasonable customizations when folks order their trailer.  His primary objective is to deliver a product that will last a lifetime.  You can buy utility trailers for less but you do get what you pay for.

 

[FeralBeaf]

Hey thanks for the replies. Even if this thread is old any input is welcome! I'm in the field for the next couple weeks. No electricity or cell coverage. I'll check back in when I'm back in civilization

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