Tiny Trailer Build

[NevadaBlue]

Good progress today. It is a beautiful day, but I can only work so long at a time. I got all the fiberglass pieces cut and fitted and ready to put in place permanently. Using the removed windows as a pattern worked perfectly.
I also had a bit of ‘crookedness’ in the entry door frame at the top. It bothered me, so I fixed that. I hope to get back out there this afternoon and finish the ‘roof’ for the door casing. It is aluminum and needs to be trimmed and fitted to the door casing.
Once all that is done, I can take the trailer out of the shelter and start re-sealing the rest of the windows.

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[NevadaBlue]

The three pic limit is annoying.

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Again, that space on the left of the pic, between the door casing and front wall will become a storage closet and shelves. My campaign desk will sit next to the closet at the head of the bed.
Hooah, this is FUN! Getting closer to camping.
I may just clean the thing out and sleep in it in the yard as soon as all the windows and doors are sealed. Gotta get the wiring and lights installed before I can take it to the scale for weighing.

[rjgimp]

Good stuff, Ken. Nice work!

[NevadaBlue]

Thanks!

I managed to finish the ‘roof’ for the door opening, now it is almost ready to fiberglass with the window openings. I think I can pull the cover back far enough (at the back of the trailer) to remove and re-seal at least a couple of the rear side windows. If so, I’ll be ready to drag the thing away from the shelter in a few days. Then I can just cover it with a tarp if the weather threatens to be wet before all the fiberglass work is done.

I also fiddled with the front awning a bit. It is off of a HUGE 5th wheel and is about 8’ x 2’. The top hinge is a hurricane hinge, so it should make a perfect weather/rock protection for most of the front of the trailer. I think I will just narrow it enough to fit and leave it 2’ high. That will cover the joint between the topper and base wall unit, AND give a LOT of shade when raised. It is all aluminum and fiberglass, so it won’t add much weight.

[NevadaBlue]

I got one of the rear/side vertical windows resealed today. OMG, I was picky about my inserts for the removed windows. The hole for this window was odd shaped and I had trouble getting the window out of it. LOL.
I used the gray butyl ‘tape’, 1” wide. Seems to have worked nicely. I did have a bit of trouble keeping it in place while installing the window, since the hole it goes in made me have to slide the window into place. I ended up sticking some of the paper back on the tape until I got the window in. OMG, it really squeezes out. It got too windy to have the tarps loose, so I quit after that one. I’ll ‘trim’ the ooze tomorrow probably. Rain tomorrow night, so maybe some inside work will get done. Gotta start running the wiring and that will go through some 1” pvc pipe I have. I want that to be repairable. I’ll also pull an extra ‘pull string’ through the conduit when I pull the wires.
Also, the connection to the TV will be BOTH a 7 pin and 4 pin, with the common wires joining in a box in front of the camper. Then the wires will go inside a piece of drip tubing polyethylene tubing, through the frame and up through the floor into the camper body.

[DaddyJeep]

Very nice build. I am anxious to see it out from under the scaffolding and tarp. I am sure you are too.

[NevadaBlue]

Thank you very much.

YES, I’m ready to see it under a tree in the woods.

I got the tail lights mounted today. No wiring yet, but some progress. I also got the shore power inlet ready to install.

I realized all I need to do to shorten that LONG tongue is cut it off and mount a new hitch. So, I ordered that and some seal material for the back doors and side door. Gaining slowly...

[NevadaBlue]

This rig will have both a 7 pin and 4 pin TV connector. I got those run into the cabin today, leading to a 4x4 junction box. I’m waiting on some 10/3 stranded wire to finish the 7 pin install. The conduits (3/4” pvc for the 10/3 and drip tube plastic pipe for the 12 volt lights) are in place. This is ONLY for the running and signal lights. The interior and exterior lighting will come after I get this thing on the road. The hitch is stuck in shipping. Door seals too. I may work on sealing windows tomorrow, it should be a very nice day. I may do my first fiberglass work on that front window... still studying that. (I’m afraid of it, been a LONG time).
The 4 pin wiring and 7 pin wiring that are ‘common’ will be connected in that 4x4 box. Tail lights are on and sealed.

[NevadaBlue]

Too many honey-dos to do today, but I did receive some important material and did a bit of work. The flex conduit (simple plastic corrugated stuff) arrived and the new hitch. I moved the jack back to the triangle of the trailer and that works nicely. Now I know where to cut the tongue. Also got some D-seal for doors. That also looks good.
And, a friend on another forum send me some really neat LED lights that may become the lights for the brightest galley on earth. Gotta be able to tell when the bacon is crisp.

[NevadaBlue]

A little progress today. As a note, if you haven’t tried Harbor Freight cut off wheels, DO SO. The ones made for the small hand grinder, 4.5” or so diameter. OMG they are GOOD. They are almost impossible to break. A while back I managed to slip and wedge the wheel in some steel, chipping out a piece by the time I got it unstuck. It still worked fine.
Anyway...

I cut off the LONG tongue and fitted the new coupler, using my little grinder and one of those wheels. Now to drill the holes and find bolts to fit.

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(Notice the blank area to the left of the tongue box in that pic. There will be an access hatch there, to allow storing long things like an EZ up, under the bed. It will also give access to the inside wiring box after the bed is in place.

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You can see the 12 volt ‘conduit’ (drip tubing) and the battery charging conduit (3/4” PVC) in that pic. The wires come from the TV, along the frame and come up through the floor to the junction box.

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The red scribbled area is where the access hatch will be. It is under the bed, which will be almost impossible to access from inside when the camper is complete.

[NevadaBlue]

Sure would like to post more than 3 pics per post.

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One tail light shown. Of course, there is a matching one on the other side, it is under the tarp. This one also includes the license plate light and both have a running light on the side.

[ricky herbold]

We haven’t heard from you in a while. Just checking in on you. Hope all is well.


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[NevadaBlue]

Thanks! I haven’t quit on the little trailer, just very busy with other things right now. I’ve found that I don’t have the energy I used to have... surprise! I got our hot tub working again (had been in storage) and am working on garden and greenhouse type things right now.
AND, I made a deal for a 24’ RV trailer. It is in very nice condition and will become a tiny house here on our property. A just-in-case house for my wife in case something takes me out. The trailer could be pulled to one of our son’s places and become ‘Granny’s House’.

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This has a perfect layout for a tiny house and is only a block away from us. Currently waiting on the owner to come from across the state to do the deal.

Hopefully, I’ll be back on the tiny trailer sooner than later.

[RJ Howell]

Was also starting to get concerned, not having heard from ya for a bit.

Stay safe, stay healthy my friend!

[NevadaBlue]

Thanks guys. The concern is much appreciated.

I’ll be concentrating on building a small greenhouse for the next week or so. Just a simple frame with plastic covering, but we have found that it makes a HUGE difference in being able to grow vegetables in this hot dry climate. I want tomatoes!
And squash and beans.

Then I’ll get back to my little trailer (and maybe the big one too) and let momma have her garden/greenhouse.