height vs length vs width questions

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height vs length vs width questions

Postby markmitch » Wed Jan 10, 2018 12:28 pm

OK so I want to build a camper trailer and I can't seem to find any info on how high I can go up.
This is what I have to work with: I am a disabled veteran and my wife has cancer and she wants to travel from California to Maine on the road using our van and towing a camper. So I got a pop up camper that is in rough shape and would (to start) require 1200 dollars to replace the canvas and screens and windows. Then another couple hundred to replace the missing doors. So I am thinking I will build a trailer box onto the frame and make a small rolling camper.
I am 6'1" so I would like to be able to stand up in it so the trailer is 9.25 feet long and 6.5 feet wide. Can I go up to 6'2" for height? And can I lift the suspension and put a taller tire/wheel to make it easier to pull? I also have an old Aristocrat lo liner but it needs a total rebuild as it sat in a field for 12+ years and the tires are rotted right off the wheels and the wheels are rusted badly also the lo liner is approximately 5' 7" inside from floor to ceiling. But I can salvage it for doors, windows, stove, sink, bed frame (maybe) And then I have (for parts) a boat trailer with 14" wheels/tires & suspension to salvage from.
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Re: height vs length vs width questions

Postby greygoos » Wed Jan 10, 2018 7:21 pm

Dont go higher than the width of the trailer.
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Re: height vs length vs width questions

Postby les45 » Thu Jan 11, 2018 6:48 pm

I took an old pop-up and made portable foamie wall panels to replace the canvas. This has the advantage of dropping the roof while towing and still having a full size standup cabin with queen size bed, dinette, and small galley. See my build at this link: http://tnttt.com/viewtopic.php?f=50&t=64782
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Re: height vs length vs width questions

Postby jondbar628 » Thu Jan 11, 2018 9:31 pm

Nice work from Les45.......I just wonder if it's more work to convert than to build from scratch with an HF or NT trailer frame? Not criticizing by any means, just wondering. Seems like a lot of rebuilding before actual building......I built a foamie from from scratch, but its not a standee, so I'm just stirring the pot here........jd
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Re: height vs length vs width questions

Postby les45 » Fri Jan 12, 2018 11:33 am

My goal was to have more room in a standy but to have something low enough that I could see over it while towing and backing. The advantage of the old pop-up is that you have a relatively large cabin (6X10 in my case) and a solid platform and roof. Also, you can generally find an old pop-up for less than you would spend on a trailer kit. On my build I installed a full width 20" foldout shelf on each end which gave me a ton of convenient additional storage. Rebuilding the hoisting mechanism was probably the most complicated work but not really expensive. The foamy walls were easy to build and, when installed, give you a solid cabin that is as strong as a stick built house. The only down side to my project is that it takes a little longer to set up than it does with a conventional teardrop or even the canvas pullouts on a standard pop-up. However, that was a compromise that I was willing to accept in order to have a hard wall standy that met all my other goals.
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