Author Topic: 6x14 Cargo trailer conversion (Read 25072 times)

Chris00WJ · « **on:** Jul 03, 2014, 07:35 PM »

Lets try this again. I had this all typed out and got logged out prior to posting it and lost it all. Ugh.

I started ice fishing about 7 years ago. A work buddy and I had never tried it before and made up our minds to do it. We bought the bare minimum of gear and headed out to one of the hardest lakes around here to fish on a day with 100km/hr winds. It was a disaster to say the least.

We've gradually upgraded our gear since that day and I've been craving a hard sided shelter for a long long time. Yesterday I purchased it.

Its a 6x14' cargo trailer. 2001 model year with a V-nose and ramp door. It even had a ladder rack installed by the previous owner.

The plan is to cut some holes in the floor and mount some access hatches. Im not going to make it drop down, Im just going to use sleeves. This thing still has to pull double and triple duty as a camper and hunting shack and will see some rough mountain roads.

Enough rambling, here's the pics of delivery day. Ignore the missing bumper on the tow vehicle. It has a winch bumper being fabricated.

Someone saw me about to take a picture and had to run up to get in on it. Lol.

It has a few dents and dings, but I dont care. Its functional.

It had shelves built inside, but the quad wont fit with them in there so they were the first thing to go.

Thats it so far. I've only owned it 24 hours so far.

I picked up a small 19" LCD TV and adjustable mount for entertainment and to watch the underwater cam. That will be mounted up on the V-nose above a small cabinet. It will be a very slow build over the summer. Eventually I want to add solar under the ladder rack on the roof. Hopefully the ladder rack protects the panels without shading them too bad. Lots of plans, no time or money. Lol.

Im going to try to get to the big box store tonight to pick up some 1" insulation and then that can get started.

Raquettedacker · « **Reply #1 on:** Jul 03, 2014, 07:43 PM »

Welcome to the site.. Looks like it will be a great shanty..... Congratulations on your new purchase...

Chris00WJ · « **Reply #2 on:** Jul 03, 2014, 09:13 PM »

Thanks. Yeah it should do the trick.

I got the plywood removed from the nose tonight. Does anyone have any tricks for insulating the curved portions of the nose? I can kurf the foam insulation but it wont be the most effective insulation anymore. Just stuff fiberglass in there? I hate that stuff.

The more tips the better! Things you wish you had built into your shack etc. There's no real set plan, so lets hear some ideas!

Beeler · « **Reply #3 on:** Jul 04, 2014, 07:34 AM »

Spray foam would work for the nose. Just the other day I checking out a new ice shack the whole interior walls and ceiling had spray foam. Man, that was nice!
I'll be watching your progress.

Good Luck!

Beeler

da man cave shack · « **Reply #4 on:** Jul 04, 2014, 10:24 AM »

You could use a combo of the kurfed 1" and greatstuff to fill the voids in the curbs otherwise keep the pics coming I did a build last summer called MY NEW PERMY BUILD and I posted hundreds of pics if they help ya out.

Chris00WJ · « **Reply #5 on:** Jul 04, 2014, 12:02 PM »

Spray foam would certainly be nice, but Im not sure how cost effective it would be. Perhaps I should call around and get some prices. The rigid foam seems like an easier install too honestly. I think kurfing with the greatstuff to fill the voids is probably the way to go, but Im open to other ideas too!

"Da man cave shack" I actually have checked out your build. Impressive to say the least! I've been reading and dreaming for years. Now its time to make it a reality. I just wish progress could be made a little quicker.

Im planning on picking up a couple folding table legs for the lower bed supports. If I cant find any at a decent price then I'll just make my own out of scrap steel. I want at least two bunks, but dont want to be sleeping next to my buddies. So I'll probably do a low bunk on one side, and a higher bunk on the opposite wall. For now I dont ever plan on bringing any significant others with us so single bunks should fit the bill just fine.

jumbo chaser · « **Reply #6 on:** Jul 04, 2014, 01:02 PM »

sounds like some great ideas

Chris00WJ · « **Reply #7 on:** Jul 07, 2014, 01:43 AM »

I have a problem Im hoping you guys/gals can help me with.

I have an old hydroflame tent trailer furnace I got from a wrecked trailer a few years ago sitting here wasting space. I'd love to install it in the trailer for those chilly Canadian winters, but I need a thermostat. Im just not sure what exactly I need. The wires on the furnace are labeled Thermostat 12vdc+, Thermostat, and 12vdc-. This may be a stupid question, but would that require a 2 wire or 3 wire thermostat? Do you count the ground? lol.

Otherwise it seems like a pretty easy hookup. Propane in and venting out the rear. \

From the same trailer I salvaged the fridge (12v, 110v and propane), the portable 3 burner stove and the power converter. I may or may not use those items.

Speaking of the converter, it looks like its 110v in so I assume its job is to convert 110 to 12v. It seems like it also has 110v outputs judging by the household style wiring. Am I correct in assuming it just gives me a breaker for the 110v if I choose to put that in the trailer? It seems like that may be useful also.

Chris00WJ · « **Reply #8 on:** Jul 08, 2014, 12:24 AM »

2 wire thermostat ordered. Converter figured out, I think.

Once the thermostat arrives hopefully I can test out the furnace and get it working. Then I'll purchase venting and start insulating.

Chris338378 · « **Reply #9 on:** Jul 08, 2014, 03:59 AM »

It sounds like you know exactly what you want to do and how to do it, which is always a big help and saves doing things twice. Are you going to insulate the floor also? The reason I'm asking is I built an enclosed tree stand for hunting and insulated everything but the floor and learned real fast that the cold came up through the floor. Good luck with it.

Chris00WJ · « **Reply #10 on:** Jul 08, 2014, 01:30 PM »

Yeah I will be insulating the floor. The steel on the floor is thicker so it should allow me to fit atleast 2-3" of foam under there. Hopefully the gravel roads I take dont beat the foam up too badly too quickly.

Im off to the dump now with my smaller utility trailer and then on the way back I'll be picking up some foam insulation to start on the walls. Is adhesive really necessary? Or can I just spray foam it in place and rely on the sheeting to hold it?

Im going to try to get some IKO foil backed foam if I can find it at the big box stores in my area. Wish me luck.

Kilbourn · « **Reply #11 on:** Jul 08, 2014, 04:28 PM »

I'm interested to see the out come of this build. Welcome to the site as well. Good Luck and looking forward to future pictures.

Chris00WJ · « **Reply #12 on:** Jul 08, 2014, 07:08 PM »

Got it mostly insulated. One wall, ceiling and half the other wall (the curved hard part). I'd say its 70% donebeing insulated. I needed a break from the heat though so Im done for the day.

Chris00WJ · « **Reply #13 on:** Jul 10, 2014, 09:13 PM »

I didnt accomplish a whole lot today, but I did do a little.

I cleaned up the garage a bit so I can find and access my tools. It is still an absolute disaster, but it will have to be that way until I can clear out a project or ten.

In the process of cleaning the garage I pulled out the old tent trailer furnace (Hydroflame) and tried to get it started up. SUCCESS! The fan works beautifully. No squeaks or squeals. It lights up without hesitation and blows nice hot air. Im super happy. Now I just need to figure out what vent kit I need and get that ordered. Im not sure how the sizing works. They seem to have 8", 10", 12" vents. Im not sure where they are taking that measurement, but Im sure I'll get it figured out.

I also started gluing in the insulation. I way underestimated how much adhesive I would need, so I'll need to pick more up. I ran out of spray foam too.

The placement of the furnace is going to be difficult. I wish I could center it up front on the V nose, but the exterior vent needs to mount on a flat surface. I might try to find a way to angle the vent and have it exit straight out one side of the V. Im no sheet metal guru though so I dont even know if its possible.

Anyways, text is boring and pictures are easier to understand. So I'll run out to the garage and snap some pics.

Chris00WJ · « **Reply #14 on:** Jul 10, 2014, 11:04 PM »

Ok so here's the furnace and how I'd prefer to have it located in the trailer. Ignore the mess of foam.

Unfortunately as you can see, the vent would be pointed straight at the tip of the nose. The style of venting I need is Im pretty sure similar to this:

So the easiest way to mount it I think would be like this:

This setup would allow the furnace to point away from the door (to avoid wasting heat when the door gets opened), and should push the vent far enough from the nose that it wont affect the propane tanks themselves on the tongue. Im thinking dual tanks, but I may not need two.

One of the major problems would be the face of the cabinet would be at an angle. Sure I could angle the other side and have a V shaped cabinet, much like the front of the trailer, but that creates a construction nightmare for the cabinets. It would be soo much easier to just make the cabinet flat straight across. I dunno. Maybe I'll be custom making the vent afterall.

Another problem is that would have the exhaust vent closest to the door. As much as I doubt any fumes would enter through the door, that possibility exists. And if I point it the other way as seen here:

Then the exhaust vent is opposite the door but the heat would get blown straight out if the door were opened.

Decisions, decisions!

Here's a pic of the sweet blue flame of SUCCESS!

And heres the back exhaust vent section. Rectangular top part is the fresh air intake from what I can see. The round 1.25" tube is the combustion exhaust. Ignore the wires. They were temporary for testing purposes.

There is pretty limited space on the tongue so I have to figure out where Im going to put the propane tank(s) and battery without making it too tongue heavy.

mr.clean · « **Reply #15 on:** Jul 11, 2014, 02:13 AM »

Looking good I'm sure someone has an answer for the heater placement. Before you get to far with this project ,how heavy is the rust build up in the tongue area and rest of the trailer frame ?
Steve

Chris338378 · « **Reply #16 on:** Jul 11, 2014, 04:20 AM »

It looks like you're making good progress. Sorry I can't help you with the vent but I'd bet someone on here already crossed that bridge. Check some of the posts in the posts here, maybe you'll find pics of how someone else used that type vent.

Lavman · « **Reply #17 on:** Jul 11, 2014, 07:16 AM »

Could you fabricate an extension of the ductwork so you could set the furnace facing straight at the nose then have the duct run out to the left at an angle? This would allow you to set the furnace where you want and make straight cabinets.

Good progress, thanks for the updates

Chris00WJ · « **Reply #18 on:** Jul 12, 2014, 08:53 PM »

Quote from: mr.clean on Jul 11, 2014, 02:13 AM

Looking good I'm sure someone has an answer for the heater placement. Before you get to far with this project ,how heavy is the rust build up in the tongue area and rest of the trailer frame ?
Steve

The rust is just surface. Its only a couple years old. I really should get that painted up though. It looks terrible.

Again, not much accomplished. I picked up the copper tubing and fittings to run the propane for the furnace, cook top etc. Im waiting for a few ebay shipments. I purchased the hole covers, a hatch door for the plugin that will be exiting, still waiting on the thermostat etc.

At this rate I wont be ready for the freeze!

And Lavman that's the exact thought I was having. I have no problem custom making the duct work for the inside, I just need the trim piece for the exterior of the trailer so it doesnt look junky.

I'll probably purchase a fantastic fan for the vent fairly soon too. Its a pretty large expense at around $200, but I think its worth it to have a thermostatically controlled roof vent.

mr.clean · « **Reply #19 on:** Jul 13, 2014, 02:59 AM »

Glad to read it is surface rust did not want to see you get to far into the project and find out your trailer frame was rotting away. You also may want to purchase a carbon monoxide detector as an added safety measure.
Steve

jhill · « **Reply #20 on:** Jul 17, 2014, 09:07 AM »

I've had a similar trailer, with a 30k NonVented...worked great, but WAY too much. With this size trailer, limitations on space, venting, battery...have you thought about just putting a Big Buddy in the nose and keeping propane tank on tongue? The Big Buddy is 18k BTU, indoor "safe", can be wall-mounted, taken out in summer camping.

boxcar · « **Reply #21 on:** Jul 17, 2014, 07:41 PM »

Pickup up some POR 15 for the rust. You just need to get the bigger flakes off. DO NOT SAND!! Brush the POR 15 on and your done. Don't even need to top coat, your choice.

osiris · « **Reply #22 on:** Jul 19, 2014, 03:31 AM »

looks good so far, for your tv mounts I ordered one on amazon that swings out and swivels for 25 I think and u just bengee the tv to the wall for traveling another thing that I found usefull was mounting led spotlights on the top of my trailer for tipups at night, or extra lighting for camping in the summer, and the tailgator satellite dish from dish network was great for the slow days

SeisMec · « **Reply #23 on:** Jul 19, 2014, 06:04 PM »

Looking good!

Chris00WJ · « **Reply #24 on:** Jul 21, 2014, 08:46 PM »

Some great ideas! Keep them coming!

The TV actually came with a mount that sounds very similar. I've got some por 15 left over from a previous project in the garage. I'll use it on the tongue at the very least. I dont think I have enough for the entire undercarriage.

I have a big buddy heater. But I'd rather not permanently mount it in this trailer. And I've had the tent trailer furnace just laying around collecting dust. Its either 12k or 18k but forced air and exhausts all combustion gases so its safer, and I wont have to worry about condensation in the cold weather from the burning propane.

I've accomplished a little more but its slow going. It seems like parts are taking forever to arrive. The trailer is insulated now except for one roof panel and all the seams are taped up and air tight. I havent insulated the bottom yet, but I will. I want to get some thicker insulation for the floor, but that can be done at any point really. I've done some of the wiring. In a perfect world I'd get all the wiring behind the wall panels but Im sure I'll want to change or add something that I havent thought of and end up with some in conduit or something. Oh well. I'll do what I can.

Chris00WJ · « **Reply #25 on:** Aug 07, 2014, 10:44 PM »

Roof is fully insulated and covered in plywood. Wood purchased for walls. More to come, including pics, by the end of the weekend. If only cabinets were easier to figure out.

Chris00WJ · « **Reply #26 on:** Aug 09, 2014, 07:37 PM »

Ignore the gaps. There will be trim applied after the cabinets etc are put in.

Now there's a blank INSULATED canvas to play with.

Tomorrow I will go cabinet shopping, and possibly attempt to install my RV door handle. It doesnt look like it will be a fun install.

Chris00WJ · « **Reply #27 on:** Aug 10, 2014, 03:49 PM »

I purchased a couple cabinets today. Im not super happy with the layout. As you can see there is quite a bit of wasted space between the cabinets. Im not sure what to do about that. Obviously custom cabinets would be the best option, but that just isnt in the budget.

Im thinking maybe I can fit the batteries between the cabinets. Maybe arrange some sort of countertop with access and use that space for storage. Im not sure. Thoughts?

I think Im going to put a small bench basically at the same angle the sunlight is at in that photo. From the edge of the cabinet to the edge of the door. Somewhere to sit down and take your boots off when you first walk in, and extra seating if required. I'll make some cushions and a back rest and have coat hooks above it probably. Or maybe a fishing rod rack.

I still have to skin the front, but I wanted to figure out the cabinet situation first so I didnt waste wood skinning behind cabinets where you'll never see it.

Cfilbert · « **Reply #28 on:** Aug 10, 2014, 05:37 PM »

You could leave a 12 inch gap between the cabinets and make some angled shelves and mount them between the cabinets. Or if space is tight cut out one side of your cabinet leaving three inches all around edges and make a blind cabinet in the void.

Chris00WJ · « **Reply #29 on:** Aug 10, 2014, 06:02 PM »

Quote from: Cfilbert on Aug 10, 2014, 05:37 PM

You could leave a 12 inch gap between the cabinets and make some angled shelves and mount them between the cabinets. Or if space is tight cut out one side of your cabinet leaving three inches all around edges and make a blind cabinet in the void.

Space is very tight. I like your second idea though. It could be useful for stuff I rarely use. Hmmm. I'll have to look more into that. Thanks!

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Author Topic: 6x14 Cargo trailer conversion (Read 25072 times)