So I picked up my trailer this weekend. The empty weight is 1300 lbs, and I used my Frontier to tow it the 400 km home. It was an interesting drive, I used about twice as much gas for the return trip. Of course the weather didn't cooperate, so it was a trial by fire as far as my first tow experience with my truck went. When the wind was blowing it felt like I was pulling a parachute and during the worst parts my truck was at about 4000 RPM. When the wind wasn't blowing hard I could barely even notice the trailer. I eventually found the optimum RPM range for towing which was around 2800 RPM, and my speed would vary between 95 km/h (60 m/h) and 115 km/h (70 m/h) depending on winds.
As far as the build goes, as this is my first one and weight is a huge issue, I will be keeping it as simple and light as possible.
-I am planning on putting in laminate flooring (I know, not exactly light), and using utility blankets on top during towing to put the kayak and mountain bikes on it to prevent scratching.
-I will use panel insulation for the walls and ceiling.
-I was thinking about putting a runner carpet on the bottom 2 feet of the wall and use vinyl for the top portion, but considering weight, cost and simplicity I will probably just use paint for the walls.
As far as wiring goes, I don't think I will worry about that right now. I am thinking of buying the Motomaster Eliminator Powerbox just for simplicity of a little bit of power. It's also on sale for $100 off right now.
http://www.canadiantire.ca/en/pdp/motom ... p.html#srp The nice thing about it is I can connect it to another 12V battery for additional juice, and add a solar panel later on. It's similar to the Goalzero Yeti 400 but one third the price. My only need for the power really would be charging phones, a small fan, and lights. I have my eyes on the MaxxAir ceiling fan, but right now there's no vent in the roof so I'd have to cut that out. I don't know how sturdy the roof is for me to stand on it, and brace the fan and so on. There is an intake vent on the top front and another vent on the bottom rear.
I'm trying to find RV windows that are a decent price in Canada but it seems everywhere gets their supplies from the USA. Ebay has good stuff but I'd be looking at $100+ shipping for a $60 window. I think I will look for a screen to use on the doors for now until I can find a window for a reasonable price.
I'm trying to design the kid's bed as well, to keep it nice and light, as well as the front counter/storage.
I will be buying supplies throughout the week and will post pictures of some progress (hopefully) this weekend.