TOUR - Cargo Trailer Conversion to OFF-ROAD Tiny House

Have you ever dreamed of leaving the city behind and doing something crazy? Well, we turned that dream into a reality. In this video, we'll give you tour of our converted cargo trailer into an off-road/off-grid tiny house. Follow along for our journey to financial freedom through tiny living.
Thanks for watching and for being an awesome Human!
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#tinyhouse #tour #cargotrailerconversion #tinyliving #financialfreedom #offgrid #offroad #tiny #dometic #cargotrailer #fulltimerv

[@hooligansoffroad]

That's why everyone is going the mini split route. Thanks for explaining!

[@TinyHouseVentures]

Yep! It’s been awesome during the summer. Uses around 900 watts until it cools us down inside then it sits at around 300 watts. We did install a diesel heater for the winter though, which I made a video explaining why the heat pump on the mini split wasn’t enough. Thanks for watching 🙏. What type of off-roading do you do?

[@hooligansoffroad]

@@TinyHouseVentures mostly dirt bikes and sxs’s 😃 little bit of adv bikes

[@TinyHouseVentures]

@@hooligansoffroad awesome! Yeah this trailer was made for hauling sxs but we had other plans 😆

[@ThomWalbranA1]

they make a four-season door/wall that is moveable for the ramp area, I made my own, and it works great under $300.00. There are railings to go around the ramp, I added an inflatable tent 8'x8'x7' tall from Canada for $250 to enclose the ramp. On the side we added my own DIY 270-degree batwing swing-out awning with snap-in side walls all for under $800.00. I use E-TRACK on walls, in & out as well as the ceiling inside, tons of optional attachments hooks, eyes, use with HAMMOCKS, shelves, duffle bags, storage boxes, tables, and cargo nets from harbor freight Finally, I made heavy-duty storage slides cheap but better, using UNISTRUT, need 4 sections of rails with standoffs/brackets , a dozen rollers, on 1/2'' or 3/4' plywood, mount 2 rails to the floor on brackets to level, the other two rails mount under plywood boxes or trays 24-36'' wide, as tall and deep as you want, do this multiple times. two three levels high with tubs and totes, I have them 6' deep and they pull out to easy reach the back boxes. I have three, one that is under a raised area and two that are behind a wall and stacked two high with an open area on the top section . my total cost has under 1200,00, for the platform, the wall, and the wood, the unistrut, and 30+ totes. It looks like 3 large cabinet DRAWERS, except they are 6 feet long, 24 and 30'' wide and 3 feet tall each. they are less than half used.

[@patrickmckowen2999]

Smart move to the mini split 👍

[@TinyHouseVentures]

Thanks. It has worked perfect for AC and a strong fan in the trailer. Pretty great for just slightly chilly nights for heat. But if you check out some of our Durango videos you’ll see it fell short in the real cold for heat in our situation.

[@jamesneill7461]

Great video. I like how you have taken the time to focus on the bare bones before jumping into the finishing details. 🤙

[@TinyHouseVentures]

Hi James, thanks! Yeah this is V1 (version 1). Just did what we could as fast as we could to get on the road while having everything we need to live. V2 is a refinement of our layout and living systems, which we are currently working on, and V3 will be the final finishing details. Thanks for stopping by and commenting!

[@vadrifter3200]

Thanks for sharing. It looks like a great start.

[@TinyHouseVentures]

No problem! It's a work in progress for sure, but that's part of the fun.

[@dankriewald4764]

well Done , Thank You .. Have you considered water Tank in the middle..you have that awesome side door for extra access..

[@TinyHouseVentures]

Thanks, because of our bikes under the bed I had to do the water tank this way. We’ve towed the trailer for 10k miles now and having the water on one side hasn’t been an issue when towing. And we almost always tow with it full of water.

[@tonypeters3320]

Awesome video my friend! Thanks for the tour. Look forward to the journey you guys are starting. Best wishes!

[@TinyHouseVentures]

Thanks Tony!

[@chirogirl67550]

Love it…exactly what we’re looking for at Colorado trailers…especially like the water storage.

[@TinyHouseVentures]

It’s such an easy water system to deal with. Never freezes, easy to fill, and easy to clean. Let us know if you have any questions about their trailers…we are well acquainted with it by now 😂

[@chirogirl67550]

@@TinyHouseVentures Well, thank you very much….that is very kind of you..we appreciate it. Peace and Blessings

[@patroell]

Loved seeing this thing in person at that exact spot lol! Excited to see more videos!

[@TinyHouseVentures]

Thanks Pat! Your last video about creepy stoner guy in your campsite was really well done. Glad you guys left that site.

[@BadGaming101]

hi from uk good luck and happy travels

[@TinyHouseVentures]

Thank you very much!

[@blchen1]

Greetings from Boston!

[@TinyHouseVentures]

Awesome! Our old stomping ground. Been hot there lately? I kept getting heat warming alerts from Boston while we've been in South Dakota building our trailer back in July.

[@blchen1]

@@TinyHouseVentures Yeah, this summer is exceedingly hot. It's finally cooling down and starting to feel like fall over the labor day long weekend. look forward to more videos from you guys!

[@TinyHouseVentures]

@@blchen1 Fall in New England is my favorite. Vermont foliage in particular. And, yep! There will be more videos to come. Looking at 1 per week.

[@timtim-ef7xu]

Just curious what your second choice would have been for a cargo trailer brand? I like how you guys set this up and room for changes. Thank you for showing. Subscribed.

[@TinyHouseVentures]

Hi Tim, the other brand and model we considered was Look Trailers Moab UTV: looktrailers.com/trailer/moab/ We considered them because they use a happiJac bed system to get the bed out of the way...which would give more living space. Ultimately we needed the garage space under the bed so that system wouldn't have done much for us. Glad to have you along. Cheers!

[@gerrycollins9409]

Be careful how your using that cinder block on the tongue. Concrete is only strong in compression. The block should not be sideways. I’ve heard of them failing before.

[@TinyHouseVentures]

Thanks for pointing that out! I'll keep an eye on how we set it up in the future. Needed something really tall for the jack because the trailer is so tall.

[@arloupepino9387]

New Subscriber here 👈🏽👈 From: Philippines 😁 Ride Safe and God bless your trip

[@TinyHouseVentures]

Glad to have you along! Thank you for the warm wishes.

[@michaelhazen8658]

Nice rig. What is the insulation floor roof ceiling? it doesnt look like the floor is at all. I like this because Im having real trouble finding durable trailers that accommodate my height

[@TinyHouseVentures]

It's 1 inch ceiling and walls. None on floor...but I plan on spray foaming floor from outside either this winter or before next. If you spray foam walls yourself and frame it out a bit more you can really get a nice insulated trailer. We didn't have time to go that direction, but if time isn't an issue...I'd do it that way.

[@michaelhazen8658]

@@TinyHouseVentures thank you!

[@douglasbows7720]

Hello there I have a question how long can you run your ac on solar power? Awesome hob on your build looks great once you put final touches to it. Happy travels enjoy your jounery

[@TinyHouseVentures]

Thanks for the kind comment 🙏. On a very hot day the AC will pull a constant 800 watts. This video’s solar setup was 1400 watts. So, in summer when the sun is directly overhead we could run it purely on the sun from 10-5. Battery power after that if needed. But I’m the mountains it’s typically pretty cool other times of the day. We now have 2,730 watts of solar on the roof (did a video on it recently) and now we can run it and other things in the trailer on 100% solar for most of the day. We’ve made a lot of changes to the trailer since this tour video, and will do an update video this summer after I finish one more big project on it. Cheers!

[@aaronbanning3372]

I bought that same trailer except without the side door on the wall My windows also leaked they didn't put any of that clay around the window to seal it underneath the trailer is not sealed raw wood I use flex seal on the hole underneath yeah so I had a few issues with that trailer not the straightest trailer I've ever owned

[@TinyHouseVentures]

I think I solved the leak issue we were having. I think the main issue was where the rack attaches to the roof. It had silicone but overtime it was peeling up. I put Lexel over all 4 attachment points. No more leaks. Will probably clean it up and put lap seal over it just to give a better flexible seal. Some walls weren't extremely straight. I've never owned a trailer before this one, so nothing to compare it to, but wasn't an issue when building it out. If I did it again, I would not order the insulation, that way I could do it myself and know what is behind each wall panel. All that said, it tows great, we do a lot of off-roading with it, and we arrive in 1 piece unlike other RVs and van builds.

[@aaronbanning3372]

You got lucky I was in Oregon when my windows look like waterfalls right after I installed my lockers alright man looks good take care

[@TinyHouseVentures]

@@aaronbanning3372 Wow, that really sucks man, sorry to hear that. I know the feeling of having a leak in the rain. It sucks hard. Hope it's working better for you now...sounds like you were able to get it all sealed?

[@joeyking2765]

Maybe you've already discussed this previously but was it a hard decision for you and your wife to make when considering the off-grid lifestyle? Financially it would be a huge factor in the decision process as these trailers go for $30K + and I would imagine the subsequent set-up with solar, electrical and plumbing and a million miscellaneous expenses could go another $10K or more. Just curious in your situation what was the final straw that led you to this point and do you have any regrets?

[@TinyHouseVentures]

That’s a good question. And one that we haven’t directly addressed in our videos yet. We had a budget in mind with the truck + trailer + build, and we stayed on budget. It was a BIG expense and obviously you don’t have to spend this much if you don’t want/need a new truck. Stay off-grid and not paying for a single RV park after 1-year in has saved us a ton of money and made the solar purchase worth it. We’ll go into the WHY (the final straw) during our LIVESTREAM this coming Sunday (July 16th @ 7pm EST), so tune in then or watch it after it publishes. Thanks for the questions, Cheers!

[@robertg.mccormick3443]

Thanks for the info! I’ve been considering one of the Colorado Trailers for awhile. I haven’t been able to see one in person yet. How is the build quality of the trailer holding up? Would you buy the same one again?

[@TinyHouseVentures]

They have great build quality. With their new floors I’d say probably the best cargo trailer quality out there. If buying again I probably would go with the wider 8.5x18. None of the wider 8.5fts were being made yet when we bought though. I have another tour video on our channel from a year after this one and I have a full interview video with the owners of Colorado Trailers too. I’d recommend taking a look at both if you’re considering buying one.

[@robertg.mccormick3443]

@@TinyHouseVentures thank you!

[@asabarrett3945]

Do you know the brand of the side hatch door?

[@TinyHouseVentures]

The side hatch came with the trailer, which the manufacturer is Cargo Craft and the dealer is Colorado Trailers. The hatch has been great for ventilation during summer, but a bit of a hassle with condensation buildup during winter. So, unless you need it for another purpose besides ventilation I would probably recommend steering clear of side hatches.

[@aaronbanning3372]

I wish I could show you pictures of mine

[@wilty5]

No insulation on the underside?

[@TinyHouseVentures]

Nope. Was waiting to see if I’d add a grey tank under there. Never did. But easy enough to glue some foam boards if needed. Never felt the need.

[@roscoe007]

How's the standing height? I'm 6'7 so curious how I would fit lol

[@SMafam5]

Cargomates (forest river) can add 6” more of height so our 6x10 is 6’6”. I think though the longer/wider trailers 7x16 and larger can have a higher ceiling but each manufacturer has various customizations.

[@TinyHouseVentures]

Ceiling height is 7 ft, but there are two light bars on the ceiling the come down 2-3 inches. Should still go e you room to stand straight without worry.

[@roscoe007]

@@SMafam5 Awesome I’ll look into that

[@nolanfontaine7973]

how much was the trailer? Website doesnt say

[@TinyHouseVentures]

If you go to the “Inventory” tab on their website it will show price of the ones they have in stock currently. We bought ours in 2021 for $22k but prices have gone up since then due to materials and they redid the floor to make it even better. That said, they have much cheaper ones than ours that are smaller and have less features, but they also offer a full bath/shower/kitchen, propane heater, and upper cabinets now too…and those are a pretty penny as I’m sure you can imagine.

[@helenmcbay7651]

You kneed to rethink you design ,as sameone how live in 14x6 foot trailer for the last two year l,ve have rebuild my trailer twice in the last two year

[@TinyHouseVentures]

I'm sure it will change overtime, but no one design fits everyone. This fits us.

[@SMafam5]

I would open a central access door/ panel at the back to drive bikes up the ramp and in. We do put bikes inside but they are dirty in the main space.

[@TinyHouseVentures]

@@SMafam5 Exactly! That was our original plan but it somehow morphed to only having a hatch large enough to access a washer/dryer...but we are now planning to redo that whole back wall to allow for getting the bikes out that way. Do you also have a trailer built out?

[@jong2367]

How much did the trailer cost?

[@TinyHouseVentures]

Hi Jon, the trailer itself runs about 2-3 times what a “normal” cargo trailer goes for. Prices have gone up due to inflation and material shortages so I recommend checking out www.coloradotrailersinc.com/ for their latest prices. We plan to do a full price breakdown video in the future for the whole build so follow along if that interests you. Cheers!

[@jong2367]

Is it worth the price?? What makes it different from your average cargo trailer the clearance?

[@TinyHouseVentures]

@@jong2367 Torsion axels (aka independent suspension for off roading which we do almost exclusively), insulated with aluminum paneling on inside, AC and pre wired outlets, 30 amp shore power, extended tongue, roof rack with ladder…basically a lot of higher quality materials and things you won’t find in a standard cargo trailer.