Radar Trailer Conversion to Camping Trailer

...ask your questions in the appropriate forums BUT document your build here...preferably in a single thread...dates for updates, are appreciated....

Radar Trailer Conversion to Camping Trailer

Postby AmericanMade » Sat Jun 25, 2016 11:56 am

Hello,

This is where I will try to document my conversion of a radar trailer to a camping trailer. . . ...The radar trailer gives it a more utility type mindset.. .

.....142853........142855........142856.....142862

In short, it is an ALL Steel radar trailer from Placerville County CA that has a GVWR of 2,000lbs. It has 14" tires and uses a torsion spring suspension. Having it all steel does make it heavier, but it also offers different options when building. .. . .I figure the battery, tongue mounting, and loaded propane bottle will add around 90 lbs . . . And it probably had a 200 lb tongue weight from the factory. . . I think when I am done, it should have a 300 to 350 pound tongue weight rating which would make it a class 3 trailer hitch only setup. .I've seen Class II hitches have a 300 lb tongue rating at times, but they are rare . . . . My year 2000 V8 explorer has a bumper rating of 350lbs and tows it no problem. . It is 123" overall length ball to rear.

Picture shows 30 watt solar panel mounted in metal frame and a 50 watt panel simply placed next to it.. . .142831

Picture shows permanently mounted solar panel in the middle, and 2 other panels temporarily held in place. 30 watt, 30 watt, and a flexible 50 watt on the actuator.142838. . . 110 watts produces around 9 amps max . .I see around 7.5 to 8.5 amps for charging. . . Just the heater alone is around 17 amps.

Picture showing remote cables for solar panel...------------------->142840

Picture shows side view of trailer with canopy mounted to top via unistrut wall mounts. ---------------------->142824 . .

Picture shows half extended canopy and rear stabilizers so that you can un-hook and still have stability in the trailer when you get in it. 142829

The most interesting thing about this trailer is the actuator on top of the Trailer that came with it. This actuator held a sign that said "Your Speed" with an arrow pointing to the widow display below it to show the drivers their speed. It allows me to mount a solar panel and get different angles relative to the sun.. .Notice the 10 watt LED lights on top of the actuator. They are mounted with brackets that allow me to turn the lights in different directions to get light at night.

142834 ... 142835 . 142842.....142845......142860.......142859......142861 . . . 142880


I built the solar charge panel and mounted it with fuses. 60 amp capable. Put 50 amp breaker to battery. Put 40 amp breaker to load..... 142857


The TV is also a DVD player and is 12volts. . .I added some speakers up top. . . . There is a stereo amp and sub-woofer. . ... There is a little heater in the corner.. . . Notice the dimmer for the recessed lighting. .. There is also a volt meter and cigarette outlets.. . .With heater, TV, all Lights, Stereo all running, it draws around 34 amps. . . Which means it will drain my 80ah group 24 battery down in about 2 & 1/2 hours. . . .But if you run the TV and interior lights by themselves, the battery would run them 24/7 if you had the panels left in the sun.. . . . .The heater quickly kills the battery.

142837...142833....142832..... ..
142841 . . . . . .142858. . . . . . notice the TV can turn sideways so you can watch it outside the trailer.

The interior is only 42" wide. . . .. Which pretty much makes it only good for 1 adult for sleeping. .I guess two could do it but they would have to be skinny young lovers :? . The length though is around 84" long so a 6 foot person can easily lay flat inside. . . I have a top vent/fan and small air vents on each side of the trailer but I need to add a window slider.. . . .The back window is 30x23.5 and I am having a hard time finding a slider window to replace it with . . . ..I might end up buying a slider window and cutting it into the side of the trailer before I use it for sleeping in.

When building the tongue platform I chose to keep the trailer jack in the original position because it was welded to the frame. I did not want to grind it off and re-locate it. The platform was built around the folding jack. . .

I am rebuilding the tongue platform in order to mount an aluminum battery box..It is sized for a group 24 battery on one side and a 11lb worthington propane tank on the other.. I am waiting for my battery box from E-trailer.com. Model# SP12B Tow-Rax.. . . . . . . .
Picture shows 1/4" aluminum plate tongue platform -----> 142839
Picture shows folded trailer jack----------------------------------------------->142878
Picture shows Worthington 11 lb tank mounted to trailer tongue.------------------------------------->. .142836..
Pictures show addition of Aluminum side box]---------------------------------------------------------------->142843-------142844

I would like to install some side boxes on the trailer but I am not sure if I want to pony up the cost and how it would effect the stability of the trailer.. . . .Here are some examples , . . . .. It's hard to find boxes that fit inside the 11 inch width of the trailer fender . .. Don't want a situation where the boxes are wider than the fenders

The Boxes come in handy to stuff all your rope, carabeaners,and tarps into.

142849142850142851

Future work to include the following:
1) Finish off battery and add a 12vdc cigarette lighter socket close to outside battery for 12vdc sink water pump operation.
2) Install slider window or change existing window to slider.
3) Install small inverter
4) Remove canopy and add 2 more unistrut posts on the other side. . . Use strut posts to tie rope on hooks and make canopy. . . Or use 10x10 pop up canopy from store. . . .Current canopy weight up high makes trailer swing from side to side during transit.. . . Not bad. . . .Does 65 no problem. . .. . But I notice it.
5) Make rear fold down table into 1 aluminum table instead of wood. . . .. Wood ages and weighs a lot.
6) Run wiring so that a conduit line is not visible on the front of the trailer. . .


Here are the update photos:
. . . . .I moved to a EMT conduit style canopy....The size is 10x8 . . . 143919143923
143925143924

Here are some photos on the Aluminum battery box installation. . . Notice the 12vdc cigarette lighter output....143922

The Battery size is 80ah ..................143921143920
Last edited by AmericanMade on Sun Aug 07, 2016 1:24 am, edited 60 times in total.
AmericanMade
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Re: Radar Trailer Conversion to Camping Trailer

Postby Redneck Teepee » Sat Jun 25, 2016 7:02 pm

Interesting :) Looks like you can utilize a lot of the features, I don't think you will lack any solar power. :thumbsup:
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Re: Radar Trailer Conversion to Camping Trailer

Postby AmericanMade » Sat Jun 25, 2016 7:12 pm

Redneck Teepee wrote:Interesting :) Looks like you can utilize a lot of the features, I don't think you will lack any solar power. :thumbsup:


Hello !!

Your right about that aspect of the build. . . For instance the TV is mounted to a steel structural member that was used to hold some equipment. . . The Pneumatic road bumps that you place over the road to collect speed data. . . .Because it is a structural member to the trailer, the TV mount is solid.

Also, having it all metal allows me to use high power magnets to attach items.. . . Lights and such.
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Re: Radar Trailer Conversion to Camping Trailer

Postby Redneck Teepee » Sat Jun 25, 2016 8:47 pm

AmericanMade wrote:
Redneck Teepee wrote:Interesting :) Looks like you can utilize a lot of the features, I don't think you will lack any solar power. :thumbsup:




Also, having it all metal allows me to use high power magnets to attach items.. . . Lights and such.



FYI I use these high powered magnets from Del City and they work very well. :thumbsup:

http://www.delcity.net/store/Magnetic-B ... s/p_808598
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Re: Radar Trailer Conversion to Camping Trailer

Postby AmericanMade » Sat Jun 25, 2016 9:08 pm

Nice!!!!! . . . .. . I haven't seen those type before. . . .Thanks !!
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