Modular cargo conversion

[OTH Overland]

one thing i found out is where the "control center" should be. i initially thought that as you walk in the door, it would make sense to have all the switches right next to the door as you enter.
WRONG!

i am now rewiring this to go right next to my side of the bed....5 switches, 2 USB ports and a voltmeter

Not sure if that panel works your lighting as well, but if so you could get a replacement switch in single pole double throw configuration and wire it as a three way switch to a similar switch by the door so you can turn on main lights from bed or door when you come in late at night.

 

[grubworm]

Not sure if that panel works your lighting as well, but if so you could get a replacement switch in single pole double throw configuration and wire it as a three way switch to a similar switch by the door so you can turn on main lights from bed or door when you come in late at night.

nice!
didnt think about that, but that is a great idea. about the only thing i really need to access at the entrance would be the lighting and doing a 3-way switch there would be pretty easy. it is nice to operate items from bed, so even if i want to turn on the fan, its only two steps from the door to the bed to turn it on, but the lighting would be good to operate from both locations.
very good idea...appreciate the input!

 

[grubworm]

the trailer still isnt close to 100%...but its "good enough" and we're heading out early in the morning for 10 days boondocking in georgia. since electricity is limited to my 400w solar and 200ah battery...i went and bought a diesel heater. i posted about it in the gear thread.

we have heat and my new camplux propane water heater leaks like crazy when hooked to water, so that is questionable. always have a pot and stove for a sponge bath if worse comes to worse. the trailer still has a good bit of work left, but i am REALLY digging the build of the cargo trailer and the modular design really makes a lot of sense for the way we do things. the wife and i both are constantly doing new things and always changing our setups, even at home, so the modular design just makes sense for us...

what doesnt make sense is FIVE pillows on the bed when only two heads are going to be up there....

 

[smritte]

That came out pretty nice.
I do like the "5 pillows" touch. Did you velcro then to the cover so they don't end up on the floor?

 

[grubworm]

That came out pretty nice.
I do like the "5 pillows" touch. Did you velcro then to the cover so they don't end up on the floor?

ha
yeah, not a bad idea. ive been so busy i forgot about this thread, but we have had a couple trips and yeah, the pillows definitely dont stay in place. one trip was in north Georgia where there are a LOT of switchbacks that i take way too fast and surprisingly, 75% of the contents ended up on the floor. one thing that RV manufacturers know to some degree, is stowage. i was on subs in the navy and the big thing there was to "stow for sea", where EVERYTHING was strapped, snapped, or velcroed to the bulkhead. building your own camp trailer really needs to take that into account.
probably not where you were going with this, BUT gear ending up on the floor is an issue i'm addressing...

 

[grubworm]

damn..been a while since posting anything on this. we have been on a few trips already and still ironing out bugs. we did have to go to denver with the trailer to move my step-daughter and being able to remove everything in the trailer came in very handy so we could use it as a u-haul. the modular design is really nice.

we're taking it up to yellowstone and the tetons end of august and i figure i need to install a modular shower. i used plywood and 2x4s to make a shower pan that i will fiberglass and gel coat and it will go up in the front "V" section and share the same drain hole i use for my diesel heater.

i hate doing fiberglass as much as i do going to an opera, but i couldnt find what i need online to fit the weird shape i have, so no other option...

 

[socal geek guy]

i agree on the modular part, its nice knowing that you can really get your money's worth out of the trailer when it serves multiple purposes.

for the pillows, one thing i did was get a bungee cargo net for the back of cars, but i have it in the overhead. when not in use, my pillows go up there to try and keep them as clean and dry as possible. just make sure to set it up to where it's pretty tight without anything in it. the bungee stretches more than you think. i set it up initially with a little slack, but the pillow would sag down the netting and would bounce out. took out the slack and now its perfect.

have fun in the tetons and yellowstone, its really beautiful country out there. i've driven by the tetons, but never gone into the park. i'm hoping to do a tetons trip soon. yellowstone is always busy in the summer. my biggest recommendation is that if you're driving around the park, waking up early to move locations is a huge help. once people wake up and start moving around, traffic is slow going.

 

[grubworm]

i agree on the modular part, its nice knowing that you can really get your money's worth out of the trailer when it serves multiple purposes.

for the pillows, one thing i did was get a bungee cargo net for the back of cars, but i have it in the overhead. when not in use, my pillows go up there to try and keep them as clean and dry as possible. just make sure to set it up to where it's pretty tight without anything in it. the bungee stretches more than you think. i set it up initially with a little slack, but the pillow would sag down the netting and would bounce out. took out the slack and now its perfect.

have fun in the tetons and yellowstone, its really beautiful country out there. i've driven by the tetons, but never gone into the park. i'm hoping to do a tetons trip soon. yellowstone is always busy in the summer. my biggest recommendation is that if you're driving around the park, waking up early to move locations is a huge help. once people wake up and start moving around, traffic is slow going.

appreciate the feedback! definitely like your bungee idea. will definitely use that for some of the areas we need to secure.
yeah, not really a fan of hitting places like the tetons during the summer, but brother-in-law can only get that time off and we said we'd go with them, so i'll be sucking it up.

 

[socal geek guy]

the nice thing is, with a trailer, you can disconnect it and keep your camping spot while you drive to different areas. places like yellowstone, that helps out tremendously. i can only imagine what life is like trying to drive a big rv through the park in summer.

 

[grubworm]

the nice thing is, with a trailer, you can disconnect it and keep your camping spot while you drive to different areas. places like yellowstone, that helps out tremendously. i can only imagine what life is like trying to drive a big rv through the park in summer.

you hit that nail on the head!
i live in south louisiana, so pretty much anyplace that is decent to camp/travel to is going to be a minimum 12 hr drive. so...having the trailer is good because we usually base camp and then venture out from there. last few years we have been hitting georgia pretty hard and usually do about 10 days in a state park where we base camp and then get up early every morning and head out and explore all day. we have a shell and deck system in the back of the tundra, so we also do some hard core boondocking. hardcore as in using a bug sprayer as a shower and sleeping in the back of the truck.
we're mid 50's, so still have a lot of mobility and can deal with a lot of inconveniencies, but also setting up the trailer so it will function well when im older and not feeling like "roughing it" quite so much.

 

[socal geek guy]

nice. i was gonna ask you if you came up with a good solution for a screen door on your trailer? i would like to do something, but the most practical thing i keep coming back to is to do a frameless panel with either snap buttons on the inside of the door frame or velcro. would be nice to get max air flow without allowing all the critters inside.

 

[HighVoltOverland]

nice. i was gonna ask you if you came up with a good solution for a screen door on your trailer? i would like to do something, but the most practical thing i keep coming back to is to do a frameless panel with either snap buttons on the inside of the door frame or velcro. would be nice to get max air flow without allowing all the critters inside.

I used these with great success on my Skoolie build years back

https://a.co/d/6EriSAa

The bus frame was metal so I was able to magnet hang it, but I know you can use velcro and r double sided tape to hang as well
What was nice for me was the magnets in the middle helped keep the bugs out and still let me or the dog wander in or out

 

[grubworm]

I used these with great success on my Skoolie build years back

https://a.co/d/6EriSAa

The bus frame was metal so I was able to magnet hang it, but I know you can use velcro and r double sided tape to hang as well
What was nice for me was the magnets in the middle helped keep the bugs out and still let me or the dog wander in or out

i got the same one off amazon to use at my detached apartment. its velcroed to a wooden frame and works great. the magnets in the middle make it easy to pass and then seals up behind you as you pass thru. the wife wants that on the trailer and is wanting to either make or buy something similar for the back drop down door. be nice to drop the cargo door and enjoy nice weather/scenery without bugs coming in.

 

[HighVoltOverland]

I used these with great success on my Skoolie build years back

https://a.co/d/6EriSAa

The bus frame was metal so I was able to magnet hang it, but I know you can use velcro and r double sided tape to hang as well
What was nice for me was the magnets in the middle helped keep the bugs out and still let me or the dog wander in or out

i got the same one off amazon to use at my detached apartment. its velcroed to a wooden frame and works great. the magnets in the middle make it easy to pass and then seals up behind you as you pass thru. the wife wants that on the trailer and is wanting to either make or buy something similar for the back drop down door. be nice to drop the cargo door and enjoy nice weather/scenery without bugs coming in.

How’s this work?

Yotache Magnetic Screen Door Fits Door Size 80 x 96

https://a.co/d/2tmHLQe

 

[grubworm]

How’s this work?

Yotache Magnetic Screen Door Fits Door Size 80 x 96

https://a.co/d/2tmHLQe

got a little sidetracked...
i did order that and it is an exact fit for the width of the door and leaves no extra material to mount to the sides, so im just going to frame the opening with lumber and then i will have plenty to work with and its going to be easier to mount now that i have a wood base and more options to fasten it opposed to magnets and the metal frame only. that was a good find...appreciate it! its good quality, so i would def recommend it to others

 

[grubworm]

i did make a custom insert for a shower base that fit the v-nose of the trailer. went with 3/4 plywood and 2x4 for the sidewalls. glassed with 1 oz chopped mat and then went with a 6 oz woven roving for the final. extremely durable and the drain hole in it will also double as the exhaust port for my diesel heater. went with a simple shower curtain set up using magnets to hang from the ceiling. we used it a few months ago going up to the tetons and yellowstone, etc and it performed flawlessly. i can attach a hose and run it to the sewer if at a campground and it can also take a 5 gal bucket under it so we can use it when overnighting at truck stops, rest areas, etc.

 

[grubworm]

hard mounted the water heater where i can exhaust thru an existing trailer vent...

 

[grubworm]

we're planning on boondocking in the gila nat'l forest end of the month and i'm building a couple drawers to go under the bed and re-doing plumbing where i am adding a city water valve and incorporating it with the original plumbing for those times we are in a campground and can shower without filling water tanks. always more tweeks to make, but so far the wife and i are very impressed with my work.

 

[Sparksalot]

we're planning on boondocking in the gila nat'l forest end of the month and i'm building a couple drawers to go under the bed and re-doing plumbing where i am adding a city water valve and incorporating it with the original plumbing for those times we are in a campground and can shower without filling water tanks. always more tweeks to make, but so far the wife and i are very impressed with my work.

I’ve been working on my teardrop for 15 years. Someday I might actually call it finished.

 

[grubworm]

I’ve been working on my teardrop for 15 years. Someday I might actually call it finished.

your tear drop is way beyond this, though. if i did a trailer as nice as yours but was this size...id be too afraid to take it out and mess it up!