I don't see it as something for normal people, because most just think bigger is better. I am a minimalist and love canoe camping, so I know how to plan and go light with all things necessary, and not much extra, unless desired for more comfort. For lugging a trailer around America smaller is better, but most would not agree with me
Kenny, I swear to God that 20 years ago I wanted to have the best travel trailer with all the gear. Now I love the idea of the challenge. To think I can sleep everywhere, I don't need but the basic. Your trailer rules!
Thanks very much for watching Javier, less is more! You may find you have a lot more freedom of movement and the ability to go back on dirt roads where bigger trailers don't and get some peace of mind. I appreciate your comment. Take care
I know you got me there. I started thinking about using the term low budget on that and it is relative to a lot of builds you see on TH-cam. Everything you see in there that I talked about the fan the window the carpet the heater the rack the solar panels all came in under $1,200. Excluding the solar power stations which I bought years ago. But. One can easily start with just an empty container throw a cot in there and their stuff and hit the road now that's low budget. But I am living out of it full time so I need a few of the comforts at my old age. Thanks for watching!
These are the builds i like to watch. There is nothing impressive about building a 30, 40 thousand RV. Give me a sows ear and my creativity gets charged. Thanks for showing us around, your build have has nice clean lines. I especially liked the looks of your ceiling, visually it takes on a leather or burnished plaster look.
I noticed several of you on this thread have built (or are building) your own trailers. I wish more people would record a tour of their build and discuss why they chose the arrangements they did. Those are always interesting and helpful. Vanlifers are much more prolific about this, but I think cargo trailer builds are much more accessible to more people.
This was awesome. We are on a budget and can't afford to buy a regular camper. I saw videos for converting a cargo trailer, but some of them are way too expensive. I saw this video. Very awesome build. It's smart and extremely budget friendly. Thank you.
You're quite welcome. It took me months to find a 5x8 with barn doors myself in the Denver metro area. Seems like the ones with ramps are a lot more available. Got to keep your eye out for the used ones if that's what you're looking for less expensive. Good luck to you!
Came back for a rewatch and it's just as inspiring as the first time around. I appreciate the smaller trailer you decided to buy and managed to build it out without clutter, very impressed.
That's very kind of you to say. Thanks again for watching! Almost forgot to say sometime in the next month I will be doing a 10,000 mile update on how I feel the trailer is holding up and performing and what I've learned to look for if I were to buy another trailer.
Great set up. It’s hard to find TH-camrs building out 5x8’s,they normally go for the bigger ones. I have a 5x8 build out. Mine has a tri fold mattress on 3 boards connected by piano hinges that slides from a bed into a couch. I have 2 180 watt solar panels I just installed. Powered to the eb55 that you have and I also have the 200Max, I also have a 12 volt 2900 btu portable a/c. A camp shower,a 12 volt fridge,microwave,projector T.V,and a cassette toilet. My trailer is 6 feet high and I can’t believe how comfortable and spacious I am. Great build hope to see you out camping soon in another video. Have fun
What you consider low budget there was a lot of quality in your work. What I like about your build was the solar panels and the way you used the power stations..
Thanks. I think the fact that I'm a painter and I'm used to doing a lot of that trim work which makes things look sharp is by pure habit and quickly makes my build look a bit more finished. I'm so used to doing it for other people I might as well do it for myself.
Very nice. I am currently building a 6x10 for hunting, camping and mountain bike riding and also doing it on a budget. You gave me some good ideas and I am thankful for your ideas and philosophy . A couple of things I did that I am going to improve on was salvage stuff out of old RV's. Some worked and some were just too cheaply built (like the kitchen cabinet). The windows I think will work fine. I have looked at the Bluetti but have not bought one yet. It looks pretty simple and clean. Good to see that in action. Thanks again. Happy camping.
You're very welcome. Thanks for watching! Bluetti is having some decent sales right now. Since I bought my batteries other brands have come along pretty well matching the quality like ecoflo and oupes. You might find that you will get a little more bang for the buck with those brands and they are getting quite good reviews. Good luck with your build, take care
great video! im getting ready to build my own camping trailer off my 4x8 harbor freight. you have some great ideas like using 2x2's for the bed to save on weight etc... im gonna have everythig so it folds up so i can haul my quad then when i get to my destination i can fold it all down unload my truck with camping gear, hook the trailer up to my quad and go camping! good job!
NICE cargo trailer build ..... Practical ALWAYS works for me !!! Seems you have yours "dialed-in" to your own personal needs ...... Way to go !!! "Thanks for posting this ! Eric (Massachusetts)
I made one from an old snowmobile trailer, fold down tables in and out, shove in totes. Use fold out solar panels and 600w generator. Made two bunks on the sides three little doll house windows for ventilation. Kinda square looking, but works great! Ended up costing about 4500.00 total.
Great job on your trailer... I have a 6x12 but it will take me a little longer to get it rigged up for traveling. Best wishes and hope to see you out on the road one day.
Thanks a lot. I have been working this summer and should be heading out on the road again in a few weeks. Although I managed to live out of my trailer for most of the last 4 months while working I'm looking forward to spending months in a row again on the road. Have fun building out your own trailer, I found it satisfying.
Thanks for taking a look. Nice to know so many people are interested in a simple approach to building one of these little trailers out. I'm still surprised at the response this video got.
8 X 5 is one of the standard sizes for cargo trailers or 'Box trailers' as we call them over here in the UK. Few are above 5' internal height. I'm planning on doing a basic camper conversion but it also has to transport a motorbike. I've thought about fitting a 'pop top' roof to an 8 x 5 x 5 to prevent issues with height barriers, but a decent pop top will add to the cost. I have an old VW type 2 camper with a self-built interior, pull out bed, cooker, sink etc. but I find that whenever I go camping, I do most of my cooking, washing up and sitting around under the canopy, so the idea with the box trailer 'conversion' is to keep any fixed furniture to a bare minimum and have everything else portable, including the bed! It won't look pretty, or very homely, but it'll be very practical. Main thing is to be warm and watertight, with good ventilation and security....
Kenny , Excellent video sir. I appreciate your time and talent. I’m building out a 6x12 and I , like you, don’t need a lot of unwanted things in my trailer. I’ll use mine to haul one, or both of my bikes, and then it will be the Hotel once we arrive at our destination! Keep the videos coming brother! Gave a thumbs up and subscribed👍🏾
Thanks very much for your kind comment. I've run into some serious car problems lately and will be working on a video today to explain what I'm going through.
@@cargotrailerkenny4481 I will be looking for your video . Hopefully you will be able to get it rolling shortly so you can get back to doing what you enjoy Stay well Kenny!
Kenny! Yours for some reason I can't quite put my finger on is a video that's easy to listen to. I'm building inside a 5' X 10' (5' high) and while I'm able to stick to my original plan, it's vids like yours where as you say "even if it's one or two things" can be a big help. Thank you very much for showing us your trailer. I'm especially fond of your roof rack. Love that redwood! and the panels are stoutly mounted too. Great job. Thanks agin', pard. Hope to see you on the road one day. Cheers.
Great job. Your mom told me about your video when i chatted with her at the gricery store this morning. I bought a ProMaster which was slready built out wirh solar etc. I got tired of the cost of hotels. Happy travels.
Good video, I enjoyed it. I have a 6x10 that is in a constant state of re-design and improvement, you have to use it to know what is needed so a constant state of beta testing.
You're absolutely right. one Doesn't have to finish everything before they start using it. These things are always a work in progress and as you use it you figure out What more you wanna do with it and what improvements or changes you want to make. Thanks a lot for watching.
Hey Kenny, like the simplicity! I did the same thing, starting with 5x8 +6” height, but with ramp rear door. My second build as well. Mine also transports a DR650.
This idea could be used for the homeless in cities. For 50,000 of these it'd be a cool 2.5 million. All that would be needed is a public restroom building and someone to monitor the city of these places and restrooms.
I think that's a great idea. The reason I started living out of this little trailer is the cost of rent on front range Colorado got so expensive I got priced out of the place I grew up in. This is one of the best responses I have received so far. Thanks very much for watching.
Thanks. It's actually costs a little more than my memory served me but it was easy to put together and quick to install. The door window is a little flimsy so someday I may put some of that poplar I have left over in there.
What a great idea!! What would the trailer weight before reno’s? I’m always looking for something light weight that my Corolla can haul (1500lb towing capacity).
👍Questions : Did you use insulation in any part of your trailer? I recently bought an 05 cargo mate 6x10 tall at an auction. First thing I did was struggle to remove a welded metal, extremely heavy fold up bed. While the idea was good, that thing could of weighed 200#. I left the fold up table they created. But I've only repainted the walls and wonder what is behind them.? As, it looks like the super thin wall panels from maybe the factory.? The ceiling is the bare metal with a thin piece of wood down the middle for lights, and a badly put in roof vent. Since I purchased new tires, I now have 3 spares, of which I have covered and turned into a chair 😅 Every thing except for a front, already installed shelf and the table. Is easily removed. Most of the time I'll sleep in my Ole pickup truck. But can sleep inside on top of a large storage container. What is your bathroom? The shower tent? What about water storage? Thanks for sharing! I'm glad I came across your channel. 🙋
The insulation is R- 5 Polystyrene foam board. That's actually expensive compared to the white Styrofoam board Which is messy and less insulative. Ask for the other questions I plan on addressing those in future videos.
Sorry I haven't made a video covering all of those things at once yet, I think I will do a more comprehensive video covering all those things at once this summer. You might see in the videos when I'm traveling around my shower tent and the type of battery powered shower I use with a black bucket to heat the water. I carry around two 6 gallon containers for water and I fill the 8 single nalgene 1 liter bottles up that I use for backpacking to use inside my trailer. As for the toilet, the first year or two I used a 5-gallon bucket like a lot of people do with 8 gal trash bag but I add pet bedding which is like chipped wood that you can find at Walmart for like $4. I put a layer of that down first, do my business then throw another layer of it over the top and this seems to eliminate the smell when you are out for 2 weeks and you end up with a lot of those little bundles. Last year I bought a folding chair type toilet that I use the same 8 gallon bags and pet bedding system.
Keeping it simple I love it, I was just wondering if you insulated it or bought it pre-insulated I must have missed that if you mentioned it, if so how much installation is in the ceilings walls and floor and do you stay fairly comfortable in the hot and cold weather. Thanks I enjoyed your tour of your little home.
I used R6 in the ceiling and walls but I did not insulate the floor. I may do that at a future date but I am not too concerned about it because I do not search out cold camping as a habit. I have however spent multiple days in a row when it was below freezing in snow storms and dropped down to 8 degrees F and stayed toasty warm. Since the diesel heater blows directly along my floor I have never felt like it was cold near my feet or in bed. Hope that answers your questions. Thanks a lot for watching.K
I insulated it with 1" R5 polystyrene (purple). You can see it in the little 60 second video I made of pictures while I built it out. Never occurred to me to film the building out of it until after the fact, so there's not even many pictures of the process. When I was looking for materials to build it out all I did was walk around home Depot or Lowe's and look at what was inexpensive, there is multiple options for inexpensive products to use. Thanks for watching
It works great. A real game changer for people like me who want to get farther back on the dirt roads without being limited by getting a phone signal from a tower. They have raised the price to $165 a month though. Which doesn't matter too much to me because a lot of the time I am not using it and when you have the RV type service you can start it and stop it when you want. If you do turn it off in the middle of a cycle it will continue to work until your billing cycle that month is up. On the front and if you start it in the middle of the month they will prorate it for the remaining period of your pay period that month. While I'm in town here working I don't use it and don't pay for it since I get a strong Wi-Fi signal near this building I'm working at. If you have any more questions let me know
4.7 liter jeep grand Cherokee. Not sure it's the best way to go but I used what I already had, then bought another because I had pretty good luck with the first one but I will be looking to replace it this year with something with a bigger engine.
@@cargotrailerkenny4481 Hah! That's the same exact car I have. I get 10 mpg around town but 21-22 unladen on the hiway. What do you get towing the trailer? Mine is the first year WJ 1999 with a completely rebuilt 4.7 engine.
@@bruceallen6016 the rebuilt engine sounds great. My 2001 did better but it had 230,000 on it and the engine ran well even when I sold it. There's no reason at all an SUV with that engine in it shouldn't be able to tow a small cargo trailer when I'm completely loaded it weighs maybe 1600 lb. Sadly though this 2005 Jeep gets maybe 12 miles to the gallon pulling the trailer but actually doesn't do much more commuting cities and towns. But I'm finding out this Jeep I just bought last ball used has lots of problems and yours very well may do better.
I use the bucket/bag system with wood shavings (pet bedding at Walmart) for toilet . Shower tent with solar heater water. And Carry up to 18 gallons water in the 6 gal containers when I stay put for 2 weeks.. which covers a shower every 3 days and all my cooking and cleaning and drinking..
I like this! It's my style. I have thus far only gone tent camping (12 years thus far, 42 countries, 50.000 km) but I'm beginning to need a home base and storage for stuff I can't carry with me all the time. Having something like this would allow me to more or less securely store stuff (parking it some place safe) while I'm away, or living in it for longer periods more comfortably than in my tent. I would just have to rent or borrow a car to pull it from one location to another once or twice a year. One question I have is about the walls and floor/ceiling: did you install any insulation? Since I'm used to sleeping in my tent (with plenty of clothes on, that is, I don't need to sleep in short sleeves or naked, lol), I've always wondered why people go through so much time and expense to insulate. What did you do? I didn't catch that detail in your video. Ad far as standing room is concerned, eventually I'm wondering if a build of a horse trailer might not be a good idea. They're usually taller (as tall as a horse!) to begin with, though I heard that they often let in a lot more dust and stuff, so they might need some sealing. Would appreciate your comments (or those of anyone else reading this!).
Oops accidentally sent that first part before finishing.. I did actually insulate this, it gives me more range moving through the high mountains in Colorado but most of the time I stay where the weather suits my clothes. I put our 5 insulation in the walls and ceiling but I did not do the floor. The diesel heater blows hot air on the floor and if it's really cold it actually gets very hot down there in this small space. One thing I've heard about insulating if you're in hot places like the desert where I like to be a lot it can hold the heat into the night and make it uncomfortable to sleep. Something to consider. I love the idea of using a horse trailer. You can find them less expensive, they're built very sturdy, but I think it would require a little more skill ceiling it up and building out the curved walls that give those trailers so much character. Would be a cool project I think.
And btw, I also tent camp for a very long time, like more than 40 years until I got into my '60s and since I was going to live full-time out of it made it a little more comfortable. So luxurious when the wind blows or there's hard rain not being in a tent and having a level comfortable bed or good sleep and rest and to be able to cook. I consider it very luxurious compared to all of that tent camping which I do not regret doing, did a ton of backpacking for decades in remote areas. Take good care hope it works out for you and thanks for your comment
p.s. I think they do make 6 ft tall inside 5x8 cargo trailers. You may have to research the market but I've run into a couple of people who said that's what they have. As for the storage I've left my trailer at storage places where it was fenced in and cameras and very secure and one can even put them inside of a storage unit when they're that small like a garage. Perhaps that's helpful
Thanks for the video. Looking to make a similar built to take up the Alaska Highway. Did you insulate the walls, ceiling, and floor? If so what do you recommend using? Also wondering about the heater, did you put the exhaust and air tank out the floor? Any issues with sealing that up? Does the fuel tank slosh fuel out the cap through the vent? Great build will use it as a guide for my project.
You're quite welcome. Thanks for taking a look. I did insulate the walls and the ceiling with 1" R4 foam board insulation. Since I often head for the desert and warmer temperatures I did not bother to insulate the floor.. although I am spending the whole winter in it in Colorado and have experience down to 12° F here and it's actually not a problem because my diesel heater comes out right where my feet is on the floor and in a 5x8 cargo trailer it heats the space up quite fast. That being said I do not run the heater while I sleep and have woke up to mid 20s and perhaps an insulated floor would hold the heat overnight a little better, but I still don't really have a problem with that, I just pile on the blankets. Yes the exhaust and intake goes through the floor and had no problem ceiling that up well, I have a carbon monoxide detector inside and seldom see any numbers on it but occasionally I get low 30s numbers because I think if the winds blowing in the wrong direction the intake can take some of the exhaust in (although I have the two separated fairly far apart)... But not dangerous levels at all. Since I have a ceiling fan and a window I can easily vent that out quickly anyway. Even going down very rough dirt roads I have never had fuel bounce out of the tiny hole in the cap, and the only time I have ever smelled diesel fuel inside is when I had a very tiny leak at one of the hose clamps which I fixed easily as well. Hope that was helpful, some people do put the tank on the outside with a box cover over it and that's a great idea as well I think. I may eventually insulate the floor but if you're building out a 5x8 like mine a diesel heater can almost get too hot at times but can be regulated with the ceiling fan and window . Take care and good luck with your build! After putting more than 10,000 miles on mine in 2 years I'm still very happy with my little trailer but eventually if I get a bigger vehicle I may build out a 6x10 or 5x11 since I live full-time out of it it would be nice to have a little more room for a two burner stove.
The set I bought is not currently available but if you do a search on Amazon for cargo trailer roof rack you will find a big variety of similar brackets to suit your needs
I agree with you on the barn doors vs the ramp. We have a 6x10...and the one regret I have now is not having held out to buy one with the side door. But, we originally bought it so I could teach scuba diving out of. Now we've upgraded it to be multipurpose. When we added solar I decided to go with u-rails so I could keep the panels closer to the trailer roof so there would be less impact on aerodynamics and less likelihood of wind getting underneath them and potentially tearing them off (link to my trailer tour: th-cam.com/video/Bp0AfAK-YoM/w-d-xo.html). We use a Buddy heater for now, but definitely plan to switch to a diesel heater (so good on you for going with that right off the bat). I think you made some great choices with the smaller space of the 5x8. Since you're using it as a camper, I totally get your choices to keep things modular and skipping some of the other amenities/utilities. The cool thing is, you have plenty of flexibility to augment later if you find the need to. While we also use ours for camping (particularly places where we can also scuba dive), my primary goal was geared toward longer term off-grid capacity (bugout, if it came down to it). You did an excellent job on a really small budget. One thing I prefer to see in people's van or trailer tours is their "fully loaded" tour. In other words, I like to see how they load them up in a typical use-case: Food, clothing, tools, toiletries, other supplies.
I drove an older 5 by 8 around for over 2 years and the 1st year all I used was a buddy and then I added the diesel heater Like you said you can modify these things as time goes by and upgrade etc. When I'm done with work this month I will be heading out for the full winter in early October and I will include a full loading video of my cargo trailer. Thanks very much for watching.
Use VIVA paper towels and you won't have to put a clip to keep them from unrolling. Get the "cloth like" towels because they stick to themselves like the blue shop towels do.
Awesome build! Do you have a link for the black wall cabinet you used? I look forward to completing my cargo trailer conversion. Keep up the great updates
Dude, I like your utilitarian mindset. You spend more time and money chilling rather than "souping up" your recreation trailer. Good move!
Thanks man
That is a bad ass build glad to see someone doing something that NORMAL people can afford that aren't rich. Thank you
Hey thanks a lot!
I don't see it as something for normal people, because most just think bigger is better. I am a minimalist and love canoe camping, so I know how to plan and go light with all things necessary, and not much extra, unless desired for more comfort. For lugging a trailer around America smaller is better, but most would not agree with me
@@cargotrailerkenny4481 let me REPHRASE that, something that people without a ton of $$$ can do, better ?
Kenny, I swear to God that 20 years ago I wanted to have the best travel trailer with all the gear. Now I love the idea of the challenge. To think I can sleep everywhere, I don't need but the basic. Your trailer rules!
Thanks very much for watching Javier, less is more! You may find you have a lot more freedom of movement and the ability to go back on dirt roads where bigger trailers don't and get some peace of mind. I appreciate your comment. Take care
"One" of my favorite things about this build is the fact that you used high quality screws, nuts, and bolts, and your spacing looks great.
Thanks very much. Apparently you have an eye for detail
Sir, your idea of low-budget and my idea of low-budget is totally different. What a great build, absolutely love it.
I know you got me there. I started thinking about using the term low budget on that and it is relative to a lot of builds you see on TH-cam. Everything you see in there that I talked about the fan the window the carpet the heater the rack the solar panels all came in under $1,200. Excluding the solar power stations which I bought years ago.
But. One can easily start with just an empty container throw a cot in there and their stuff and hit the road now that's low budget.
But I am living out of it full time so I need a few of the comforts at my old age. Thanks for watching!
These are the builds i like to watch. There is nothing impressive about building a 30, 40 thousand RV. Give me a sows ear and my creativity gets charged. Thanks for showing us around, your build have has nice clean lines. I especially liked the looks of your ceiling, visually it takes on a leather or burnished plaster look.
Great trailer. I built my own with the same logic. Works just fine. Nothing to break down or leak. Simplicity is the way to go.
Thank you. It's good to hear the feedback.
I noticed several of you on this thread have built (or are building) your own trailers. I wish more people would record a tour of their build and discuss why they chose the arrangements they did. Those are always interesting and helpful. Vanlifers are much more prolific about this, but I think cargo trailer builds are much more accessible to more people.
@@cetifoxproductionsI will record and upload a video of my enclosed trailer build soon. It's extremely affordable and you'll like it.
@@Drew_K.79. Hey, looking forward to it!
@@Drew_K.79.When are you going to do that build? We are interested. Hope you're doing good, bud.
I also feel a cargo trailer for 2K outfitted to suit is a much better deal than a teardrop for 8K!
I love your build. Minimalist, easy to tow and not loaded down with cabinets like some people do. Thanks for the inspiration and God bless.
This was awesome. We are on a budget and can't afford to buy a regular camper. I saw videos for converting a cargo trailer, but some of them are way too expensive. I saw this video. Very awesome build. It's smart and extremely budget friendly. Thank you.
You're very welcome.thanks for watching
Nice setup, I have to say one of the best Budget setup I seen.
Thanks so much
Being able to buy a cargo trailer is challenging for me so I appreciate advice on how to make it livable as cheaply as possible once I get it. Thanks!
You're quite welcome. It took me months to find a 5x8 with barn doors myself in the Denver metro area. Seems like the ones with ramps are a lot more available. Got to keep your eye out for the used ones if that's what you're looking for less expensive.
Good luck to you!
I love it! You built *exactly* what you needed. That’s the beauty of building your own. Great work 👍🏽
Was gonna say the same. Well thought out, efficient and nice details.
Came back for a rewatch and it's just as inspiring as the first time around. I appreciate the smaller trailer you decided to buy and managed to build it out without clutter, very impressed.
That's very kind of you to say. Thanks again for watching!
Almost forgot to say sometime in the next month I will be doing a 10,000 mile update on how I feel the trailer is holding up and performing and what I've learned to look for if I were to buy another trailer.
That's a really nice build. That is the size I want to build for winter camping.
Great set up. It’s hard to find TH-camrs building out 5x8’s,they normally go for the bigger ones. I have a 5x8 build out. Mine has a tri fold mattress on 3 boards connected by piano hinges that slides from a bed into a couch. I have 2 180 watt solar panels I just installed. Powered to the eb55 that you have and I also have the 200Max, I also have a 12 volt 2900 btu portable a/c. A camp shower,a 12 volt fridge,microwave,projector T.V,and a cassette toilet. My trailer is 6 feet high and I can’t believe how comfortable and spacious I am. Great build hope to see you out camping soon in another video. Have fun
Your trailer sounds real nice too
You need to do a video for us!!!
Both builds are great !
What you consider low budget there was a lot of quality in your work. What I like about your build was the solar panels and the way you used the power stations..
Thanks. I think the fact that I'm a painter and I'm used to doing a lot of that trim work which makes things look sharp is by pure habit and quickly makes my build look a bit more finished.
I'm so used to doing it for other people I might as well do it for myself.
I like this build, lots of good efficient/effective tips.
Thanks for watching
Sweet little unit! That’s my next DIY project.
Very nice. I am currently building a 6x10 for hunting, camping and mountain bike riding and also doing it on a budget. You gave me some good ideas and I am thankful for your ideas and philosophy . A couple of things I did that I am going to improve on was salvage stuff out of old RV's. Some worked and some were just too cheaply built (like the kitchen cabinet). The windows I think will work fine. I have looked at the Bluetti but have not bought one yet. It looks pretty simple and clean. Good to see that in action. Thanks again. Happy camping.
You're very welcome. Thanks for watching! Bluetti is having some decent sales right now. Since I bought my batteries other brands have come along pretty well matching the quality like ecoflo and oupes. You might find that you will get a little more bang for the buck with those brands and they are getting quite good reviews. Good luck with your build, take care
Very simple build. I love it. I plan on building mine very simple too. Thanks
It may be small but it's a beautiful, well thought out build ! Feels open & a perfect size ❤ it !
Wow. Thanks. That's so nice of you to say. Thanks for watching my video.
Great simple but efficient build, what more does a man need.
Indeed!
great video! im getting ready to build my own camping trailer off my 4x8 harbor freight. you have some great ideas like using 2x2's for the bed to save on weight etc... im gonna have everythig so it folds up so i can haul my quad then when i get to my destination i can fold it all down unload my truck with camping gear, hook the trailer up to my quad and go camping! good job!
NICE cargo trailer build ..... Practical ALWAYS works for me !!! Seems you have yours "dialed-in" to your own personal needs ...... Way to go !!! "Thanks for posting this ! Eric (Massachusetts)
Thanks! I appreciate you taking the time to watch.
I like the simplicity of your build. I’m going a similar route on my 6x12 Vnose. I’m just a “wood butcher”. Haha
I made one from an old snowmobile trailer, fold down tables in and out, shove in totes. Use fold out solar panels and 600w generator. Made two bunks on the sides three little doll house windows for ventilation. Kinda square looking, but works great! Ended up costing about 4500.00 total.
Great job on your trailer... I have a 6x12 but it will take me a little longer to get it rigged up for traveling. Best wishes and hope to see you out on the road one day.
Thanks a lot. I have been working this summer and should be heading out on the road again in a few weeks. Although I managed to live out of my trailer for most of the last 4 months while working I'm looking forward to spending months in a row again on the road.
Have fun building out your own trailer, I found it satisfying.
nice simple design! less to go wrong that way.
Thank you
YW @@cargotrailerkenny4481
Your trailer is very nice !!! You did a good job !!
Glad you like it!
Great job Kenny! Keeping it simple is a great way to go.
Thanks friend. I appreciate you taking the time to look at the video.
Great set up and exactly the what I want to do thank you for sharing your camper
Nice. Would love to do something like this.
Thanks for taking a look. Nice to know so many people are interested in a simple approach to building one of these little trailers out. I'm still surprised at the response this video got.
8 X 5 is one of the standard sizes for cargo trailers or 'Box trailers' as we call them over here in the UK. Few are above 5' internal height. I'm planning on doing a basic camper conversion but it also has to transport a motorbike. I've thought about fitting a 'pop top' roof to an 8 x 5 x 5 to prevent issues with height barriers, but a decent pop top will add to the cost. I have an old VW type 2 camper with a self-built interior, pull out bed, cooker, sink etc. but I find that whenever I go camping, I do most of my cooking, washing up and sitting around under the canopy, so the idea with the box trailer 'conversion' is to keep any fixed furniture to a bare minimum and have everything else portable, including the bed! It won't look pretty, or very homely, but it'll be very practical. Main thing is to be warm and watertight, with good ventilation and security....
That's what's nice about these kind of trailers, one can build it out to suit their own personal needs.
love the information,on the tall size
Thanks for watching!
A lot of good ideas Kenny thank you
Kenny , Excellent video sir. I appreciate your time and talent. I’m building out a 6x12 and I , like you, don’t need a lot of unwanted things in my trailer. I’ll use mine to haul one, or both of my bikes, and then it will be the Hotel once we arrive at our destination!
Keep the videos coming brother!
Gave a thumbs up and subscribed👍🏾
Thanks very much for your kind comment. I've run into some serious car problems lately and will be working on a video today to explain what I'm going through.
@@cargotrailerkenny4481
I will be looking for your video . Hopefully you will be able to get it rolling shortly so you can get back to doing what you enjoy
Stay well Kenny!
Nice not too complex build.
I hope you have magnetic door screens to keep the bugs out.
I love mine better than any screen door.
I did see the velcro, after I commented.
Thanks Kenny for shar8ng! HAPPY THANKSGIVING 🙏❤🇺🇸⛵👣🤗
Thanks, you too
Kenny! Yours for some reason I can't quite put my finger on is a video that's easy to listen to. I'm building inside a 5' X 10' (5' high) and while I'm able to stick to my original plan, it's vids like yours where as you say "even if it's one or two things" can be a big help. Thank you very much for showing us your trailer. I'm especially fond of your roof rack. Love that redwood! and the panels are stoutly mounted too. Great job. Thanks agin', pard. Hope to see you on the road one day. Cheers.
Kenny, you have built a great NoMad Life Home w/Your Needs In Your Journey. For Myself Box🚛Truck Provides My Needs. Safe Travels. always, Tommy🤠
I'm going to build one out of my old horse trailer. I got some good ideas from your video.
Finally a build out that I can relate too . Nice job 👍
Great job. I’m in van now but seriously looking to build out a trailer like this in a few years. Thanks for the video.
You're quite welcome.
Great job. Your mom told me about your video when i chatted with her at the gricery store this morning. I bought a ProMaster which was slready built out wirh solar etc. I got tired of the cost of hotels. Happy travels.
Cool. Enjoy. Thanks for stopping in Lynette.
Good video, I enjoyed it. I have a 6x10 that is in a constant state of re-design and improvement, you have to use it to know what is needed so a constant state of beta testing.
You're absolutely right. one Doesn't have to finish everything before they start using it. These things are always a work in progress and as you use it you figure out What more you wanna do with it and what improvements or changes you want to make. Thanks a lot for watching.
Really nice build. Great tour and thank you for the details and prices. I love how it is nice and neat.👍
I like your trailer build out, it's very nice and simple 👍🏻.
Nice job makes me want to build one!
That's always nice to hear.
Thanks for taking a look!
You have done a great job. You really thought it out!
Thank you!
Hey Kenny, like the simplicity! I did the same thing, starting with 5x8 +6” height, but with ramp rear door. My second build as well. Mine also transports a DR650.
Thanks Bob, that's one of the nice things about a cargo trailer, you can tailor it to your individual likes and needs
Thanks, like the trailer
You did big 👏 This took alot of designing and skill . And , it looks awesome 👌 THANKS for sharing
Thanks!
Wonderful video!!
Thank you very much!
Great job. Thank you for making the video.
Nice job on the build. Good luck on your channel and enjoy Arizona when you get there.
Thanks very much. I'm looking forward to it.
Very well thought out Kenny... You do quality work... I absolutely love it... What a wonderful lifestyle you have... Journey On 🤗🥰🤗
Thank you! Will do!
looks great, nice use of space.
Very Nice. Enjoyable tour. Thank you for sharing.
Thank you too
Amazing!! I am doing the same concept and it's hard to find on here. Thank you for sharing!
Thanks so much for watching!
@@cargotrailerkenny4481 my work won't be near the quality as yours (lack of skill) but i will work with what I got. ;-)
Thanks again!
I love the build. Very space efficient. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks very much. The feedback is much appreciated. I never thought my little video would do so well.
Great job mate nice and simple but very functional and usable
Thanks! cool to see someone so far away is watching my video.
Beautiful set up
Alot of great ideas in there
WEIR EVERYWHERE! ❤️⚡️💙
Killer build!!!
I'm grateful for the response
This idea could be used for the homeless in cities. For 50,000 of these it'd be a cool 2.5 million. All that would be needed is a public restroom building and someone to monitor the city of these places and restrooms.
I think that's a great idea. The reason I started living out of this little trailer is the cost of rent on front range Colorado got so expensive I got priced out of the place I grew up in.
This is one of the best responses I have received so far. Thanks very much for watching.
Think There's a MilLion Or So New Border Crossers in Last CoupLe Years "Ben Berquam" Has Informative Videos, Peace
Very cool little cargo camper! 🎉
Thanks very much!
Looks really good.
Thank you.
Nice build
It looks cozy inside and it looks like you thought this through thoroughly
Thanks!
Great job. Do you have a link for the black cabinet from Amazon. I really like that and am building out a cargo trailer of my own. Thanks.
a.co/d/arXE5vJSweeTinytwo Wall Cabinet, Medicine Cabinet, Kitchen Wall Cabinet, Bathroom Wall Cabinet, Wall Floating Nightstand, Metal Cabinet with Large Capacity, Matches Variety of Decors (83 * 27 * 35cm,Black) a.co/d/arXE5vJ
Thanks. It's actually costs a little more than my memory served me but it was easy to put together and quick to install.
The door window is a little flimsy so someday I may put some of that poplar I have left over in there.
Helpful video, thanks for the effort.
No problem. Thanks for watching.
What a great idea!! What would the trailer weight before reno’s? I’m always looking for something light weight that my Corolla can haul (1500lb towing capacity).
The trailer weighed under 900 lbs. After renovation and all the stuff I carry maybe 1600 lbs. thanks for watching.
You could go with an all aluminum trailer. More money but much lighter. I'd I was doing a 5x8 again I would get a Neo or Lightening all aluminum.
Thanks for alot of useful info, im also doing a minimal build. nice job,,,,
Glad it was helpful!
Nice compact little home.
Thanks
❤Hello 👋 from Melbourne and This is Awesome 👌 Thanks
Thank you! Cheers! It's so cool knowing people around the world are watching my dorky little video
Thank you 💜 Definitely Cool, Connecting World Wide ☆ Goodnite >>Pomarie
Nice job on the camper I may use some of those idea on my next camper build
very cool. great job.
Thanks for posting this video.👍
Good job for a painter , from this old carpenter builder.
Thanks!
Nice rig. I am working on my 7x14 with simplicity in mind. I don’t need all the fancy stuff. I just want enough to be comfy.
Thank you. Someday when I get a little bigger car I'd like to go bigger like that.
👍Questions : Did you use insulation in any part of your trailer?
I recently bought an 05 cargo mate 6x10 tall at an auction. First thing I did was struggle to remove a welded metal, extremely heavy fold up bed. While the idea was good, that thing could of weighed 200#. I left the fold up table they created. But I've only repainted the walls and wonder what is behind them.?
As, it looks like the super thin wall panels from maybe the factory.? The ceiling is the bare metal with a thin piece of wood down the middle for lights, and a badly put in roof vent.
Since I purchased new tires, I now have 3 spares, of which I have covered and turned into a chair 😅 Every thing except for a front, already installed shelf and the table. Is easily removed. Most of the time I'll sleep in my Ole pickup truck. But can sleep inside on top of a large storage container.
What is your bathroom? The shower tent? What about water storage?
Thanks for sharing! I'm glad I came across your channel. 🙋
The insulation is R- 5 Polystyrene foam board. That's actually expensive compared to the white Styrofoam board Which is messy and less insulative.
Ask for the other questions I plan on addressing those in future videos.
@@cargotrailerkenny4481... I subscribed so I could learn about that bathroom and water storage 🤗🤗🤗
Sorry I haven't made a video covering all of those things at once yet, I think I will do a more comprehensive video covering all those things at once this summer.
You might see in the videos when I'm traveling around my shower tent and the type of battery powered shower I use with a black bucket to heat the water. I carry around two 6 gallon containers for water and I fill the 8 single nalgene 1 liter bottles up that I use for backpacking to use inside my trailer.
As for the toilet, the first year or two I used a 5-gallon bucket like a lot of people do with 8 gal trash bag but I add pet bedding which is like chipped wood that you can find at Walmart for like $4. I put a layer of that down first, do my business then throw another layer of it over the top and this seems to eliminate the smell when you are out for 2 weeks and you end up with a lot of those little bundles. Last year I bought a folding chair type toilet that I use the same 8 gallon bags and pet bedding system.
Keeping it simple I love it, I was just wondering if you insulated it or bought it pre-insulated I must have missed that if you mentioned it, if so how much installation is in the ceilings walls and floor and do you stay fairly comfortable in the hot and cold weather. Thanks I enjoyed your tour of your little home.
I used R6 in the ceiling and walls but I did not insulate the floor. I may do that at a future date but I am not too concerned about it because I do not search out cold camping as a habit.
I have however spent multiple days in a row when it was below freezing in snow storms and dropped down to 8 degrees F and stayed toasty warm. Since the diesel heater blows directly along my floor I have never felt like it was cold near my feet or in bed. Hope that answers your questions. Thanks a lot for watching.K
Insulation? great idea of hardboard cieling. There's also that twin wall plastic for making signs
I insulated it with 1" R5 polystyrene (purple). You can see it in the little 60 second video I made of pictures while I built it out. Never occurred to me to film the building out of it until after the fact, so there's not even many pictures of the process.
When I was looking for materials to build it out all I did was walk around home Depot or Lowe's and look at what was inexpensive, there is multiple options for inexpensive products to use. Thanks for watching
Sure would like to know more about that star link an how its working out for you on the cargo trailer set up
It works great. A real game changer for people like me who want to get farther back on the dirt roads without being limited by getting a phone signal from a tower. They have raised the price to $165 a month though. Which doesn't matter too much to me because a lot of the time I am not using it and when you have the RV type service you can start it and stop it when you want. If you do turn it off in the middle of a cycle it will continue to work until your billing cycle that month is up. On the front and if you start it in the middle of the month they will prorate it for the remaining period of your pay period that month. While I'm in town here working I don't use it and don't pay for it since I get a strong Wi-Fi signal near this building I'm working at. If you have any more questions let me know
Nice camper...video done well., but it seems to be a little close to really see what you have done. But, it darn sure looks good. Good job!!
Functional build. That's all you need. 😎 Curious, what do you tow it with?
4.7 liter jeep grand Cherokee.
Not sure it's the best way to go but I used what I already had, then bought another because I had pretty good luck with the first one but I will be looking to replace it this year with something with a bigger engine.
@@cargotrailerkenny4481 Hah! That's the same exact car I have. I get 10 mpg around town but 21-22 unladen on the hiway. What do you get towing the trailer? Mine is the first year WJ 1999 with a completely rebuilt 4.7 engine.
@@bruceallen6016 the rebuilt engine sounds great. My 2001 did better but it had 230,000 on it and the engine ran well even when I sold it. There's no reason at all an SUV with that engine in it shouldn't be able to tow a small cargo trailer when I'm completely loaded it weighs maybe 1600 lb. Sadly though this 2005 Jeep gets maybe 12 miles to the gallon pulling the trailer but actually doesn't do much more commuting cities and towns. But I'm finding out this Jeep I just bought last ball used has lots of problems and yours very well may do better.
Really nice! What about bathroom, shower, and water for cooking?
I use the bucket/bag system with wood shavings (pet bedding at Walmart) for toilet . Shower tent with solar heater water. And Carry up to 18 gallons water in the 6 gal containers when I stay put for 2 weeks.. which covers a shower every 3 days and all my cooking and cleaning and drinking..
@@cargotrailerkenny4481 great trailer! I need one a little bigger to accommodate the ball and chain!
Hey Kenny, what ended up being the total weight of the trailer?
Thanks!
When I have it fully loaded around 1500 pounds. The trailer itself was under 900 pounds.
I like this! It's my style. I have thus far only gone tent camping (12 years thus far, 42 countries, 50.000 km) but I'm beginning to need a home base and storage for stuff I can't carry with me all the time. Having something like this would allow me to more or less securely store stuff (parking it some place safe) while I'm away, or living in it for longer periods more comfortably than in my tent. I would just have to rent or borrow a car to pull it from one location to another once or twice a year. One question I have is about the walls and floor/ceiling: did you install any insulation? Since I'm used to sleeping in my tent (with plenty of clothes on, that is, I don't need to sleep in short sleeves or naked, lol), I've always wondered why people go through so much time and expense to insulate. What did you do? I didn't catch that detail in your video.
Ad far as standing room is concerned, eventually I'm wondering if a build of a horse trailer might not be a good idea. They're usually taller (as tall as a horse!) to begin with, though I heard that they often let in a lot more dust and stuff, so they might need some sealing. Would appreciate your comments (or those of anyone else reading this!).
First of all, I love this kind of long detailed comment. It's nice to have like-minded people out there.
Oops accidentally sent that first part before finishing..
I did actually insulate this, it gives me more range moving through the high mountains in Colorado but most of the time I stay where the weather suits my clothes. I put our 5 insulation in the walls and ceiling but I did not do the floor.
The diesel heater blows hot air on the floor and if it's really cold it actually gets very hot down there in this small space.
One thing I've heard about insulating if you're in hot places like the desert where I like to be a lot it can hold the heat into the night and make it uncomfortable to sleep. Something to consider.
I love the idea of using a horse trailer. You can find them less expensive, they're built very sturdy, but I think it would require a little more skill ceiling it up and building out the curved walls that give those trailers so much character. Would be a cool project I think.
R 5 insulation*
And btw, I also tent camp for a very long time, like more than 40 years until I got into my '60s and since I was going to live full-time out of it made it a little more comfortable. So luxurious when the wind blows or there's hard rain not being in a tent and having a level comfortable bed or good sleep and rest and to be able to cook. I consider it very luxurious compared to all of that tent camping which I do not regret doing, did a ton of backpacking for decades in remote areas.
Take good care hope it works out for you and thanks for your comment
p.s. I think they do make 6 ft tall inside 5x8 cargo trailers. You may have to research the market but I've run into a couple of people who said that's what they have.
As for the storage I've left my trailer at storage places where it was fenced in and cameras and very secure and one can even put them inside of a storage unit when they're that small like a garage. Perhaps that's helpful
Thanks for the video. Looking to make a similar built to take up the Alaska Highway.
Did you insulate the walls, ceiling, and floor? If so what do you recommend using?
Also wondering about the heater, did you put the exhaust and air tank out the floor? Any issues with sealing that up? Does the fuel tank slosh fuel out the cap through the vent?
Great build will use it as a guide for my project.
You're quite welcome. Thanks for taking a look.
I did insulate the walls and the ceiling with 1" R4 foam board insulation. Since I often head for the desert and warmer temperatures I did not bother to insulate the floor.. although I am spending the whole winter in it in Colorado and have experience down to 12° F here and it's actually not a problem because my diesel heater comes out right where my feet is on the floor and in a 5x8 cargo trailer it heats the space up quite fast. That being said I do not run the heater while I sleep and have woke up to mid 20s and perhaps an insulated floor would hold the heat overnight a little better, but I still don't really have a problem with that, I just pile on the blankets.
Yes the exhaust and intake goes through the floor and had no problem ceiling that up well, I have a carbon monoxide detector inside and seldom see any numbers on it but occasionally I get low 30s numbers because I think if the winds blowing in the wrong direction the intake can take some of the exhaust in (although I have the two separated fairly far apart)... But not dangerous levels at all. Since I have a ceiling fan and a window I can easily vent that out quickly anyway.
Even going down very rough dirt roads I have never had fuel bounce out of the tiny hole in the cap, and the only time I have ever smelled diesel fuel inside is when I had a very tiny leak at one of the hose clamps which I fixed easily as well.
Hope that was helpful, some people do put the tank on the outside with a box cover over it and that's a great idea as well I think. I may eventually insulate the floor but if you're building out a 5x8 like mine a diesel heater can almost get too hot at times but can be regulated with the ceiling fan and window . Take care and good luck with your build! After putting more than 10,000 miles on mine in 2 years I'm still very happy with my little trailer but eventually if I get a bigger vehicle I may build out a 6x10 or 5x11 since I live full-time out of it it would be nice to have a little more room for a two burner stove.
@cargotrailerkenny4481 thanks for detailed info. Is that diesel heater the 2, 5, or 8KW?
I've had 5 and recently put in an 8. They all have a wide range of settings for heat
Do you have a link to the roof brackets you used? Thanks
The set I bought is not currently available but if you do a search on Amazon for cargo trailer roof rack you will find a big variety of similar brackets to suit your needs
You can build a wedge across the leading edge of the roof rack to push the air flow over the panels.
Where can I buy those racks? Great video
You can find a variety of options on Amazon under the search of cargo trailer roof racks or ladder racks if I remember right.
Great gob it looks great 😊
Thanks Edgar
I agree with you on the barn doors vs the ramp. We have a 6x10...and the one regret I have now is not having held out to buy one with the side door. But, we originally bought it so I could teach scuba diving out of. Now we've upgraded it to be multipurpose. When we added solar I decided to go with u-rails so I could keep the panels closer to the trailer roof so there would be less impact on aerodynamics and less likelihood of wind getting underneath them and potentially tearing them off (link to my trailer tour: th-cam.com/video/Bp0AfAK-YoM/w-d-xo.html). We use a Buddy heater for now, but definitely plan to switch to a diesel heater (so good on you for going with that right off the bat). I think you made some great choices with the smaller space of the 5x8. Since you're using it as a camper, I totally get your choices to keep things modular and skipping some of the other amenities/utilities. The cool thing is, you have plenty of flexibility to augment later if you find the need to. While we also use ours for camping (particularly places where we can also scuba dive), my primary goal was geared toward longer term off-grid capacity (bugout, if it came down to it). You did an excellent job on a really small budget. One thing I prefer to see in people's van or trailer tours is their "fully loaded" tour. In other words, I like to see how they load them up in a typical use-case: Food, clothing, tools, toiletries, other supplies.
I drove an older 5 by 8 around for over 2 years and the 1st year all I used was a buddy and then I added the diesel heater Like you said you can modify these things as time goes by and upgrade etc.
When I'm done with work this month I will be heading out for the full winter in early October and I will include a full loading video of my cargo trailer. Thanks very much for watching.
@@cargotrailerkenny4481 It was totally my pleasure!
Use VIVA paper towels and you won't have to put a clip to keep them from unrolling. Get the "cloth like" towels because they stick to themselves like the blue shop towels do.
Awesome build! Do you have a link for the black wall cabinet you used? I look forward to completing my cargo trailer conversion. Keep up the great updates
SweeTinytwo Wall Cabinet, Medicine Cabinet, Kitchen Wall Cabinet, Bathroom Wall Cabinet, Wall Floating Nightstand, Metal Cabinet with Large Capacity, Matches Variety of Decors (83 * 27 * 35cm,Black) a.co/d/7OzqJ7s
thank so much@@cargotrailerkenny4481
Nice work 👍 I like it
Thanks very much
Very nice built it's a tiny home on wheels
Thanks a lot. I started describing it as a nano home to my friends it's so small
Thanks alot because of you i orderd a 5x8x6ft tall white Polycore .80
Side door 2 windows insulated walls
I'm glad I could be helpful. I wish you the best of luck with your build.
@@thunder19301can you tell me how much it was ordered like that?
@@eddygoodwin7089$5000 interstate cargo
I see a lot of this video and youar is a good one and i like it ❤
Thanks for taking the time to watch.