Cargo Trailer turned into AMAZING Custom Camper

[@backwatersage]

I bought a 6'x12' Cargo Trailer to turn into a rolling off grid (or not) studio/shop to get out of Florida in the hot months. I've been looking around to see what other people have done with theirs. I am impressed with your craftsmanship and innovation. Judging by your presentation, I figure you're a hobbyist with a white-collar job that requires more intelligence than mine. You are handy, have an array of talents, and are a fine catch for your wife! You put in too much extra weight for my taste, but it is a classy, top-notch build. The most important thing I learned-the Husky Center Line TS Weight Distribution Hitch! I never knew, and no one told me. I was a summer dockhand at a marina back in college, but I lost my touch backing a trailer. No tip for me. It took me fifteen minutes to get it parked right. Lol! At my age, they say I should master new skills to keep from losing my mind. Wish me luck and say a prayer that I don't lose my mind getting back into practice. Have fun! Be Blessed!

[@tabithawestbrook9683]

Two years ago I had a fella I found on KZbin convert a cargo trailer for me (because not handy and no tools). I love it. It's better than any camper I could have purchased and it meets my needs exactly because it's custom. I highly recommend this to folk over any RV. (Mine weighs in right around 3000lbs fully loaded, is 10x7 v-nose and I pull it with my Ford Ranger).

[@DarahAshlie]

If you don’t mind me asking, about how much did it cost to have someone help?? My dad is giving me a cargo trailer, but like you, I’m not handy enough to convert it either!

[@kairandbellinger1973]

@@DarahAshlie I'm 61 and a builder. I would say the cost of your trailer is a great number to start with. If you bought a $5k trailer - renovations are around $5k. Think $50 an hour for a good craftsperson. Try a ton of the easy stuff that you can do by yourself following KZbin. Then save the money for the tougher items. Especially dangerous items like electrical, propane, WEIGHT distribution, and framing.

[@mcloopie]

I've done one of these conversions myself and really had a hard time finding others out there that I considered well done and this is probably one of the nicest I've seen. Well thought out and the final fit and finish look great!

[@soci0path]

I've seen hundreds of builds like this. I rarely comment, this is one of my favorite buils.

[@yayac6503]

Beautiful. 20 grand isn’t bad at all .hope you all enjoy so much ya keep it forever . Job very well done .

[@micheleobrien64]

Getting locked in was the first thing I thought seeing one of these for the first time. Love your solution so simple.🤦‍♀️😅👍

[@LonelyStranger-g5u]

Are you claustrophobic or just paranoid?

[@micheleobrien64]

@LonelyStranger-g5u both and as a woman we always think like we are prey, because we are.

[@izifaddag8221]

Hi. I just had to comment on your video. Your videos on using aluminium profile were very helpful to me. I have switched to profile because the wood just can't take the punishment. Expensive but necessary. You helped me make a very good decision. However the reason I am writing is because earlier today I saw some person claim they built a conversion for $1000. I called bs because just the electrical on mine exceeded the cost of the trailer new. Your thumbnail says $20,000 and I totally believe this. It is expensive to build your own camper. Between the raw materials and tools you end up buying it is not cheap. The good thing about it is that you can improve and upgrade as you can afford it. That's what I have done and am still doing 3 and a half years later. I live in mine full time and between improving the camper and maintaining the truck I keep busy. Anyway thanks for your videos they are helpful and you are telling the truth. I like that. Thanks.

[@nathandalleave252]

I've seen so many of those videos and then once it starts playing they say "Oh well I had a whole pallet of 3/4'' plywood and ship lap and windows and wiring and paint just laying around collecting dust so I just used that stuff and it didn't cost me a penny! 😆

[@izifaddag8221]

@@nathandalleave252 That is so true.

[@carolinemetrustery7331]

This is a gorgeous conversion . You have managed to get everything you need in such a small space . I hope you do get the use of it after all your hard work. You don't have to travel far to find new and beautiful places to relax or even ones you have already found . Safe travels Good wishes from the emerald Isle where we are blessed with beautiful scenery of all different types in abundance.

[@StressLessCamping]

This has to be one of the cleanest and most professional cargo trailer builds I've seen. I absolutely love this. Great job and thank you for sharing!

[@martysk8r]

Love the video and the conversion. These cargo trailer camper conversions are a cargo trailer first, then a camper. On mine, I can move the bed up and haul 2 motorcycles. AND, since they're made out of steel walls and metal roofs, they don't flex, leak and rot like most regular RV campers.

[@lvheidbrink]

This is the best conversion I've seen! Fantastic job!! Happy travels!

[@michaelstephanides1854]

No microwave well done! Really nice and clear presentation. Thank you.

[@johndigiovanni]

The nicest trailer conversion I have seen on KZbin. Very well done!

[@jennifergraham9679]

I love everything about this camper build. well done folks.

[@Itried20takennames]

Wow….I am impressed. I will probably never do this….life gets in the way, but cool that others do.

[@margarethutchens5463]

This is gorgeous. I hope you build years of fond memories with it.

[@mjay512]

Really nice camper. I always wonder how you attach the wood to a metal skin without making holes. I guess it just have a metal frame on the inside for that. 2:21 - Dog relaxing in the sleeping bag! How adorable

[@astridtaw]

BEAUTIFUL! Love it. Thx for sharing.

[@JCrozier1]

I love your build! I dont like standard campers either. I've played with vanlife for years, but you cant stand in one unless you shell out the bucks for a huge sprinter type van. this looks perfect for me. excellent work!

[@ScottJenkinson-nr1qk]

Transit mid roof. Unless you play basketball.

[@wrxs1781]

Hello there, I have followed your trailer build with much interest, and also an owner of a new cargo trailer, and have started on my conversion. Due to cold weather now in Canada my main thrust is design, which seems to change daily, luckily I use CAD. Plan on a visual step by step such as you and your wife have created. Have fun camping!

[@nathandalleave252]

that's the best part! One of the best suggestions we ever got was to "rough in" the layout ideas and do a trial run, it's amazing how much you will change your design once you actually sit in the space! But literally anything you do with your needs/wants in mind will be better than the same cookie cutter campers out there in dealerships today made with the cheapest possible materials. Have fun with it! then make video's we need to grow this community!

[@btscarzella214]

Your custom camper is my favorite by far. One day I hope I have the opportunity to make my own. I will definitely be reaching out when that day comes. Enjoy your travels.

[@johnsmithfakename8422]

The shower and toilet are what sold me on the quality of this build. It is difficult to make a toilet and black tank conversion.

[@btscarzella214]

My favorites: cabinets, power tower, layout, air/heat split and the awesome bed.

[@zachcampbell2173]

Well done, I appreciate the integration of 80/20 extruded aluminum. It is not as easy to design and install as one would think 👍🏼 But is is so clean and durable compared to the cardboard normal trailer companies use.

[@QStarrDaze]

This is great inspiration to all of the different housing ideas that are out there! The fact that you said, take this as a sign to go out and build explains it all… Loving this at 5 o’clock in the morning after such a hard night.

[@RonaldBrock-qs1uf]

Just found this video. It’s great!! Thanks for sharing. Luv the bed concept.

[@cjstrasser]

Nicely done Doc!

[@Doc1855]

When we were younger camping was great, but now that we’re older we prefer to stay in a nice AirB&B or hotel. It’s nice not dragging a trailer behind us and enjoying the drive.

[@Lastcallrepent]

Safety in a motel is my choice.

[@Doc1855]

When we built our custom built home on the side of our 1/4 of a mountain here in north central Washington state, we purposefully built an attached 1 bedroom 1 bath apartment with a full kitchen so our aging parents can live here when they cannot take care of themselves any longer. The apartment is about 800 sq ft. My dad lived with my sister when we were building our house. Dad lived in the apartment until his death in December of 23. We live 5 miles from a small town up in the mountains. There’s only 9 families including ourselves that live on our private road. Because we’re part way up our mountain our views are spectacular. We often see Elk, Deer, Wild Turkeys. Occasionally we’ll see a Mountain Lion and twice since our house was finished in 19, we’ve seen a Bear. Because we’re rural, we look out for each other. The 9 of us own 1/2 of an adjacent mountain with hiking trails, quad and horseback riding trails. It’s a private mountain in which you have to have permission from one of the owners to go up and enjoy our slice of heaven. The trail head is about 200 feet from our front door. After dad died we changed the apartment into an Airbnb. Most Airbnb owners have a Queen bed, but the bedroom is so large that we opted to buy a King size bed. We are a short 20 minute drive from Leavenworth and 1/2 an hour from Wenatchee. Leavenworth is a tourist German town with many shops and restaurants. They put up Christmas lights throughout the town on Thanksgiving day and take them down on Valentines Day. They have horse drawn wagons. October Fest is a fun time. The 4th of July shows are fabulous. They have something special going almost year round. We are a 5 star host with Airbnb. All of our guests have a fun time here and our accommodations are great. We have a 10X14 covered deck on our 2nd story, which is on top of the porch for the apartment, so our guests have a private outdoor area. During the winter we will make a fire in the pit if our guests would like to roast marshmallows or make s’mores or just enjoy a fire to sit by. You have to have a 4WD or an AWD to get to our house during the winter months as we get 5-7 feet of snow. Needless to say when we travel, we generally stay at an Airbnb as they’re normally safe and comfortable.

[@JimTakeoutademocrate-ir1be]

More people should do this! The RV companies are charging too much now! Good luck!

[@travisezell39]

Hey this the cleanness one I seen ,all thumbs up guys,#1 rated

[@ayden3461]

You and your wife converting a trailer into a travel-in-style space should get a million likes and subscribers. You for sure are both visionary and inventive! What was the total build cost when all was said and done?

[@deborahcurtis1385]

$20k he mentions towards the end

[@micheleobrien64]

Love the fridge drawer!🤯

[@robcameron6462]

Great video. Do you have a link for that small round fan for your shower and also a link for the table? Thanks

[@leonawilliams6599]

top notch very though out seams larger and very high quality throughout ' beautiful unit keep em coming and sell big time

[@daltonmurry743]

Just wanted to say thank you for all of your help! I have watched hours of your videos in my trailer>camper conversion and you helped a ton so thank you!

[@GlendaNorris-qx3in]

Well done, I do hope yall enjoy it before you turn it loose. Very nice.

[@tomlarocque4720]

Well that's pretty darn nice. Well done!

[@chirogirl67550]

Incredible build…good going guys! Peace and Blessings

[@p.shindig]

Nice work! We did a relatively basic cargo trailer conversion and love it. Would love to see some videos of your guys’ trips. Safe travels!

[@nickblaylock5115]

The bed idea is bad ass

[@pintopilot]

Great work ! !

[@codcamper9350]

Nice video, thanks for sharing it. I'm hoping to build one over the winter.

[@headdown1]

Nice! I'm writing this from my own cargo trailer to RV conversion (16 ft). I have never seen a urine only toilet. Wouldn't that be ummm...inconvenient? Have you looked into a compost toilet? Mine is an Airhead, and it cost about $1000 Canadian or $700 US. It is urine diverting, so the urine goes into a two gallon jug that needs to be emptied every few days. The "solids" tank can be coco coir or peat moss. I use my own sawdust after leaving it out in the sun for a few weeks in a clear plastic garbage bag to kill any bugs. This medium only needs to be changed once every 4 to 6 weeks. At the end of the 4 to 6 weeks, the container is no more full than when it was fresh. A fan runs 24/7 which dehydrates everything, so it mostly disappears. No odor, as the air in the room is drawn into the toilet, then exhausted outside through a vent in the wall or ceiling. Odors can't escape the toilet. When you want to change it you can just invert the solids container into a big garbage bag and legally throw it in the garbage or take it to a dump. Add fresh coco coir or sawdust, and you are good for another 4 to 6 weeks. I have been full timing for 7 years and no longer go to dump stations. I don't have holding tanks, except for a 100 gallon fresh tank in the bed of the Ram. I am currently on my bush lot in Quebec for the summer, and will head to Arizona/California in mid - October. I boondock 100% of the time in the desert, and have 1800 watts of solar and 900 amp hours of LiFePO4 batteries. After the solar system, the compost toilet was the next best addition.

[@markspinner7220]

Wow, that's one of the nicest interiors I've seen. Nice Job!

[@wespenn7243]

Nice unique trailer. You have skills.

[@youcanthide004]

KILLED IT / Absolutely Stellar Build💥💥💥

[@carlvasile4456]

Nice trailer! I would love to see a video on how you piped your waste and water tanks.

[@rextilian]

Really nice job. Happy trails.

[@troymyers5181]

Cool video, and nice trailer. I especially like the bed- how it tucks up out of the way, pretty smart idea.

[@elleb751]

Wow, beautiful! Great job.

[@TheLonestarCompany]

I think you guys did a great job. I’m sure you’ve had comments about the undercarriage. Those components/plumbing are extremely vulnerable when going off road. Have you figured out a work around for that setup?

[@ttt69420]

Nice job man. Looks great.

[@michaelmitchell9612]

Hey Doc, really NICE job!

[@susanmboudreau]

The bed is awesome a great idea

[@dianenaylor2104]

Stunning build!❤

[@mikef5507]

What’s the brand on the pop out fan for the shower? I’ve been looking for that for years and cannot locate one

[@mark_osborne]

Love that interior roof treatment !

[@jasonmellor8590]

Outstanding job 👏

[@ericathompsen8110]

Awesome and epic video thank you so much for making it ❤️👍

[@chrisholliday1330]

I do this for a living. Looks amazing! I'm not sure I would have spray foamed. It would be a nightmare to wire for electricity

[@nathandalleave252]

@chrisholliday1330 man that's my dream job right there! I built my own and have so many plans for more to build later! Where do you operate from? If it's close I'd love to give you a shout out to my friends who are also thinking about building one!

[@stevesmith-ny8jb]

Beautiful unit. But more importantly, thank you for the perfect delivery of information. No extra lip flap or anything like that. Regarding your AC unit on the tongue, I was told that the vibration tend to damage that unit. It's a home unit so it's not built to get beat on. I am curious as to how your AC unit is holding up. Hope to hear from you.

[@jbncnow]

Its also to large for the space it wont run long enough to remove the humidity from the interiour that units for probably a 1000 sq ft space

[@LordofStormsEnd]

It's not insane at all to fear someone locking us inside our trailers, we all have that fear, especially those of us that aren't overly trusting with faith in mankind

[@wetspotswimwear1199]

Remove the outer locking latches moron. Place locks on the inside...problem solved.

[@kyliancoleman7295]

He’s a doctor I’m sure he’s smart enough to know to make sure it’s impossible to get locked in

[@LordofStormsEnd]

@@kyliancoleman7295 lol didn’t you watch the video. He did make sure that couldn’t happen. Jensen why I made the comment because he stated how some might thing he’s insane for thinking that way 🤦🏽‍♂️

[@carolmaplesden916]

@@kyliancoleman7295 literally what does being a doctor has to do with that

[@cn9630]

An AX would remedy being LOCKED IN

[@cherylraulerson1696]

Nice build

[@JimSchumannKBMLF]

Nicely done!

[@ChessiesAdventures]

This is awesome! I love how you did the bed lift and the colors you used. I really hope to be able to do my own possibly this year, thanks for a great video and enjoy!

[@bennyrad5814]

I'm very interested in your bed ...if you could share how is made and the place you got your parts for it. Thank you.

[@micheleobrien64]

This is so perfect.❤❤❤❤

[@misters2837]

I came to check out your "Home Built" - I 100% agree with your opinion of "Manufactured RV's" if you go back to beginnings of the "Work and Play" brand you would find they were close to this type of build... My thing is I would rather not have holes in my roof, and the bathroom is unnecessary as we don't fit in them anyway... So parks w/shower and loo are the destination, and using a bucket with a bag/kitty litter for "overnight emergencies" is just fine with us...We are Just a Middle Aged Couple with dogs...

[@Lifeof-Jo]

Great job. We just retired and would love a build like this

[@donitaarender7839]

Very nice build

[@clydesmith1855]

Absolutely stunning set up. Thanks for sharing

[@teddysdadcory]

It’s beeeeeautiful! 😍

[@hilostateofmind]

What's it like to tow that? How much does it change your fuel economy? Is it bad on windy hwys?

[@BeanieBots]

AMAZING AWESOME BUILD! Perfect design. Tons of counter space.

[@ghostyty3071]

Nicely done.... it will out last those commercial trailers....

[@jbncnow]

That ac is about 4 times what is needed. I would have put a regular rv ac on the roof and freed up all the space on the front wall. I have that same min split on ac on ac on a 10 x15 sun room and its like an ice box in there . They have heat pump rv units now also

[@patjames2497]

How did you finish the underside after spray foaming the frame and underside of the plywood? I've watched a few of your videos and have yet to figure it out! I'm starting on mine right away. I hope you can help! Thanks 🙏

[@jeffdalecollier8830]

Would be very interested to hear what the trailer weighed before and after. Thanks, Jeff

[@davebrown4841]

You notice how he doesn't answer back. I have a cargo trailer conversion on KZbin too . But I always answered back.

[@jeffdalecollier8830]

@@davebrown4841 Busy Doctor, I presume....

[@kk-pz8gn]

Said around 3,000 lbs when he was going on about the vehicle

[@MelvinOhio]

One the best and thoughtful builds. Been watching your build along the way.

[@kylemaclachlan9209]

I love what you did for sure. But…thought I was going to watch the actual build. Nicely done ✔️

[@lynnmwalters7456]

Love it Dr.

[@amandahirschfeld7382]

That's pretty cool

[@cn9630]

You SHOULD go into business selling these. So many are STICKING IT to those truly in a pickle, in needing a TINY HOME vs. becoming completely HOMELESS!!! You have a talent... you should use it!!! More elderly are homeless now, than ever before in history!!! And,... folks don't have the know-how, esp if mistakes are easily made in doing these builds for themselves!!!

[@KosherFinance]

That mountain girl❤

[@stunterx8472]

You are my kind of people…Awesome!!

[@vantasticlifestyle5776]

Loved it. Probably going to do the same. Best video I've seen on the subject. Liked and subbed.

[@malgorzataantus7926]

My husband and I are interested in that bed. Would love to know more about the mechanism of it. You mentioned you had another episode about the bed.

[@klev2008]

This is fantastic

[@richardhuffman-oy8ng]

Very Nice!!!

[@aureas]

So what, you just don't poop?! 🙉 😆 Amazing build btw.

[@kk-pz8gn]

what do you do in your car that doesn't have any toilet?

[@starrlehner1881]

So very nice. Now as a disabled senior I so much want to be a nomad and away from this old house of mental and physical abuse through the years.

[@annettehudson3980]

BEST IV EVER SEEN !!!!!!

[@corywadedavis]

This is so nice! Well done!

[@kairandbellinger1973]

Inspirational!

[@jasonbryer4249]

Very impressive work, sir. Enjoy and safe travels.

[@NKBobcat]

You did a great job!

[@robhugh8078]

Awesome build!

[@aprilbyars2202]

You guys have done an excellent job. Love watching your videos. Learned a lot from you. Are you going to put out any with the trailer in use?

[@rlhaff3560]

This is wonderful… great job! 👍🏼

[@leonawilliams6599]

I have worked i nte RV industry you have beautiful unit i would have one thing changed round the corners in small units round corners some luxury units have rounded corners and then jagged edges dont look or feel right so if go round go round all the way