Which came first? The TV or the TT?

[mothercoder]

Update: bought my tow vehicle. It's a Chevy Suburban XL and I love it. It will give me enough room to camp out in it for the short period of time after my lease expires and I hit the road. It will also give me plenty of storage space in addition to the TT.

Now I need to decide on a TT. It will be small - preferably under 20 ft. Options I'm considering right now are:

1. Buy a lightly used light-weight trailer along the lines of a T@B, rPod, Coleman, molded fiberglass
2. Get a restored vintage canned ham
3. Get a vintage canned ham which is sound but needs interior renovation (worry on the canned ham is whether it can handle full-time traveling)
4. Get a converted cargo trailer
5. Get an empty cargo trailer and convert it
6. Get a cargo trailer base and have my carpenter guy frame and finish a trailer on it (he's chomping at the bit to do this). I worry about registering, titling and whether the materials/build can handle full-time traveling and living.

 

[Zizzer_Zazzer_Zuz]

Update:  bought my tow vehicle.  It's a Chevy Suburban XL and I love it.  It will give me enough room to camp out in it for the short period of time after my lease expires and I hit the road.  It will also give me plenty of storage space in addition to the TT.  

Now I need to decide on a TT.  It will be small - preferably under 20 ft.  Options I'm considering right now are:

You might consider a tester trailer. Something small and inexpensive to test out floor plan, appliances, gather some supplies, maybe patch together some solar on the roof. This way you would have time to gather some supplies and components, solar, fridge, tools, experience and you would have somewhere to live while the dream rig is bought/built and you can transfer knowledge and hardware in to the final rig.

When it's all said and done sell the temporary for cash or scrap. Maybe your carpenter buddy would like to take it off your hands and rebuild another trailer.

Not sure where you're located but this is interesting. would give you basic RV appliances to work with when you're ready to strip it. 

https://baltimore.craigslist.org/rvs/6000303184.html

 

[ArtW]

I suspect a lot of those ratings are arbitrary within the ball park whatever they feel like posting?
Here's a Trailer Life Guide that has my engine listed for the van, but posted a tow cap rating of 7600 to 8100 lbs? Page 6 under Ram 2500.
http://www.trailerlife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/Trailer-Life-Towing-Guide-2003.pdf

Still no 5.2 in the 2500 truck, or 5.9, and no 5.7 in van, but the 5.7 truck still has higher tow cap
Still, I'd be more than happy with 8k of tow rating for my use

mothercoder, I like the T@B or an 'egg' for a TT, an old canned ham won't be built as well IMO
Now for my personal, use, I'd get the cargo and do a conversion, but I'd order one with windows already installed, as I don't want to try to figure that out

My current desire though is just a full size van

 

[mayble]

Also strange that a van or Suburban would have a lower tow cap since that are all using the truck frame?

I've always assumed that's due the the SUV or van body being heavier than a pickup body.  Given the same GCWR, you'd have less left for towing.

 

[ArtW]

Probably higher gear ratios, too
I dunno, I just go by what the book says

 

[mothercoder]

You might consider a tester trailer. Something small and inexpensive to test out floor plan, appliances, gather some supplies, maybe patch together some solar on the roof. This way you would have time to gather some supplies and components, solar, fridge, tools, experience and you would have somewhere to live while the dream rig is bought/built and you can transfer knowledge and hardware in to the final rig.

When it's all said and done sell the temporary for cash or scrap. Maybe your carpenter buddy would like to take it off your hands and rebuild another trailer.

Not sure where you're located but this is interesting. would give you basic RV appliances to work with when you're ready to strip it. 

https://baltimore.craigslist.org/rvs/6000303184.html

That would be a great idea except I can't get anything until I'm ready to leave.  I'd have to pay for storage and local RV parks are outrageously expensive.  Once I'm on the road, it would be harder to handle the transition of sell and buy another since I'd likely need the cash from it to help finance the next one.  I know many people go through several cycles of RVs/vans but my funds will be limited and I have to make a choice that is as close to ideal as possible and once made, live with it.

 

[highdesertranger]

congrats on the Suburban. highdesertranger

 

[Ballenxj]

Update:  bought my tow vehicle.  It's a Chevy Suburban XL and I love it. 

CONGRATS! I like suburbans, and don't think you can go too far wrong with one.
Tell us more about yours, engine, weight rating, year, etc. We wanna know it all.
BTW, there is a converted cargo trailer for sale in the barter section at the bottom of the forums. It's currently in Quartzsite, and looks to be fairly well set up already.

 

[Ballenxj]

BTW, there is a converted cargo trailer for sale in the barter section at the bottom of the forums. It's currently in Quartzsite, and looks to be fairly well set up already.

My Bad, it's named The Trading Post.
Heck, I'll just link it here to make it easier to find. Even if you didn't want it, it might give you some good ideas.
https://vanlivingforum.com/Thread-Awesome-looking-cargo-trailer-conversion

 

[Optimistic Paranoid]

Update:  bought my tow vehicle.  It's a Chevy Suburban XL and I love it.  It will give me enough room to camp out in it for the short period of time after my lease expires and I hit the road.  It will also give me plenty of storage space in addition to the TT.  

Congratulations!

Now I need to decide on a TT.  It will be small - preferably under 20 ft.  Options I'm considering right now are:

1.  Buy a lightly used light-weight trailer along the lines of a T@B, rPod, Coleman, molded fiberglass

Check out Becky's Casita:  

2.  Get a restored vintage canned ham
3.  Get a vintage canned ham which is sound but needs interior renovation (worry on the canned ham is whether it can handle full-time traveling)
4.  Get a converted cargo trailer
5.  Get an empty cargo trailer and convert it

Are you familiar with the TnTTT forum?  Lots of good ideas there!  http://www.tnttt.com/viewforum.php?f=42&sid=70c7b57fecd1fa9cad88b9770ab5e9f6

6.  Get a cargo trailer base and have my carpenter guy frame and finish a trailer on it (he's chomping at the bit to do this).  I worry about registering, titling and whether the materials/build can handle full-time traveling and living.

It's possible to build really solid wooden structures, but not if you use traditional house carpentry techniques.  They shake apart.  Wooden boat building techniques hold up wonderfully well.  Screws and Glue, not Nails!  Have you seen modern Vardos?

http://tinyhouseblog.com/vardo/vardo-inspiration/

 

[OutdoorFT]

My Bad, it's named The Trading Post.
Heck, I'll just link it here to make it easier to find. Even if you didn't want it, it might give you some good ideas.
https://vanlivingforum.com/Thread-Awesome-looking-cargo-trailer-conversion

Only $3000?

I dont know much about cargo conversions but that is impressive.

 

[Ballenxj]

Only $3000?

I dont know much about cargo conversions but that is impressive.

That's what I thought too. The equipment in it is impressive, and I calculated at least 2/3 again the cost of the trailer. That price would be high for the bare trailer, but throwing in over $2K worth of equipment makes it a real sweet deal.
I suspect that who ever buys it will be real happy once they figured out how much they saved.

 

[mothercoder]

That's what I thought too. The equipment in it is impressive, and I calculated at least 2/3 again the cost of the trailer. That price would be high for the bare trailer, but throwing in over $2K worth of equipment makes it a real sweet deal.
I suspect that who ever buys it will be real happy once they figured out how much they saved.

Okay, the equipment may be impressive but the look is not for me.  I don't care about outside looks but inside it has to be homey.  That is anything but.  Must be the female in me that wants something that is aesthetically pleasing.  I'd be depressed inside that.  That's just me.

 

[Ballenxj]

 I don't care about outside looks but inside it has to be homey.  That is anything but.  Must be the female in me that wants something that is aesthetically pleasing.  I'd be depressed inside that.  

Fair enough. I don't know if  inclosed cargo trailer would work for you then.

 

[highdesertranger]

beauty is in the eye of the beholder. highdesertranger

 

[DuneElliot]

Okay, the equipment may be impressive but the look is not for me.  I don't care about outside looks but inside it has to be homey.  That is anything but.  Must be the female in me that wants something that is aesthetically pleasing.  I'd be depressed inside that.  That's just me.

I agree. I think it is very well done, but any van, cargo trailer or RV needs to have a homey feel. And yes that it completely possible in any trailer with the right touch and effort.

 

[Optimistic Paranoid]

Update:  bought my tow vehicle.  It's a Chevy Suburban XL and I love it. 

Just out of curiosity, is it 2 or 4 wd?