24' Enclosed Trailer Outfitting

Three weeks ago I was happily tent camping at the Okemo hillclimb, when a MASSIVE STORM rolled in. I was soaked. My gear was soaked. My RX7, which has no side glass, was dampened because I shut trash bags in the window openings and used jack handles to weigh them down.

Not optimal.

I have been renting u-haul trailers at $200 a pop for the weekend as I rub pennies together for a real trailer. Screw the pennies, I'm getting out the check book.

Boom.

$7,600 later a new 24' Homesteader Challenger is in my driveway. It's not a fancy trailer by any means, but that doesn't mean it can't be exactly what I want.

Must haves: Water tight interior: Check Good lighting: Nope Tire rack and shelves for tools: Nope Sealed surfaces so oil and whatnot won't seep in: Nope Easy charging system for cameras etc: Nope

Jeez there's a lot of nopes there. Time to get to work!

She's only new once, so now's the time to paint before it gets dirtied up.

Original:

Fit and finish is good at 10'. There was definite cost cutting going on, but the bones were excellent. 3/4" plywood floor and 3/8" plywood walls. Steel frame - which means I can easily weld things....

Step one. Walls. Trailers are dark, and I'm going to be sleeping in mine along with the car. I'm the big spoon if you're wondering. When it comes to making a space lighter, there's nothing like white, and I just happen to have 4 gallons of industrial Killz left over from finishing my shop.

One coat down. Damn this wood is thirsty.

I waited a day to let things dry and hit it with a second coat. And a third. Did I mention I hate painting?

While paint was drying I hopped on Amazon and bought some rolls of China's finest white LEDs - $7 a pop and I bought 3 rolls at 15 meters a pop.

Two days later thanks to Amazon Prime

Testing LEDs.

I like them. They draw about 2 amps and I'm currently feeding them with a Deka lawnmower battery I had hanging about. I want a little more light, so I ordered 4 more reels.

Budget: Trailer: $7,600 6 reels of LEDs: $42 Battery: Freeeee Killz: Freeeee

Well the list of free things wasn't going to go on forever.

Killz is dead flat - no sheen whatsoever and pretty prone to holding on to dirt. That won't do. A fourth and final coat of high gloss white got things looking finalized.

Next comes the floor. I deliberated over epoxy, plastic and foam tiles, outdoor carpet yadda yadda. I ended up going with good old fashioned porch and deck paint. High gloss slate gray, which should show the least amount of filth. I also bought a couple pouches of tractionizer sand.

Edge it

Gah painting sucks.

First coat:

It's really humid so it's taking a long time for things to dry, which means I run out of daylight pretty quickly. Luckily the LEDs lend a hand.

2nd coat with tractionizer added.

That's all the painting I can do tonight. I'll run a third coat tomorrow.

I'm looking forward to your sleeping arrangements. I've been in a lot of race trailers and everyone approaches it differently.

I like this.

If there's anything I hate it's sloppy electrical work, so this 12v system for the lights etc needs to be looking good and operating without fault. While the trailer is enclosed, I'm going with mostly marine-grade parts for the sake of longevity. Amazon to the rescue again!

Blue Sea fuse box $30 Blue Sea double USB outlet $16 Blue Sea 12v socket $8 LCD Volt meter $9 Chinese automotive switches with LEDs indicating "ON" $10

The idea is to wire the battery so it will charge while attached to the truck and then have enough juice for 2 days of use. I'll mount the outlets and switches in a wall mount box, which I haven't made or discovered a source for yet.

That brings us up to date!

Looking good.

Looking good. Since my trailer looks about the same, this gives me good info on painting the inside. I like the floor idea, that was one area I wasn't sure on what to do, now I have a good idea. Thanks.

Also, if you haven't been there yet: http://www.tnttt.com/ great source for ideas for the inside.

I camp in my 24' trailer. I ordered it with RV windows on either side for light and cross-ventilation. One of the windows was an escape type for safety. You might not want to go there, but you might want to get a screen for the door to give some light and air. I recall you can get a roll-down type. You can also get big screens for the rear door.

I use a fold-up camp cot to sleep on. I used to use air mattresses, but got tired of waking up on the floor. One day I threw out all three of our air mattresses because every motherberkeleying one leaked.

A little Mr. Heater Buddy provides heat, but again, you need some ventilation to run it.

I've also got AC on the roof and a 30 amp land line. The latter is pretty handy, even if the AC isn't on. You might consider that as an addition if your battery idea doesn't work. I don't like running the heater at night and the ability to run an electric blanket has been a godsend some nights. So has running the coffee maker and the battery charger for the race car and fluorescents inside, though those LEDs look cool.

Get extra jacks and a store a level. Place the jacks under the rear corners and raise the front to make the trailer level and solid. It will make sleeping more comfortable and keep the trailer from moving on its suspension every time you move.

HTH

Because you'll be carrying fuel, oil and some cleaning products; I would suggest two solar powered ceiling fans; one up front to suck air in, one in the back to blow it out.

Usually about $30 but you can spend more.

Dan

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00884ZDT8/ref=pd_lpo_sbs_dp_ss_2?pf_rd_p=1944687522&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe-1&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=B000BYNGLU&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=1MPC7M2G6HDBV4V6RM89

In reply to Basil Exposition:

Do you run a 110 AC to 12v DC inverter or do you just depend on having the 110 available? Most places I race don't have power, so I would need my own generator. Not a huge deal, just another expense.

In reply to 914Driver:

I like this idea. I currently have 2 wall vents and a roof vent, but no fans.

Back at it this morning applying the third and final coat of floor paint. I added epoxy speckles because, well I had them. Most will likely sweep off so I over applied.

In reply to DaveEstey:

that looks awesome

nice work

I like the lights, nice touch. And good call on staying away from tiles - we've put a few different versions on various trailers at FM, and the only thing that really works is paint.

Never slept in a car trailer (well, other than the occasional nap on day 6 of a 7 day event), but what about a hammock?

On my own trailer, I added some brackets on the walls so I can put 2x4s across for a second level. I don't use it much, but if you have to carry two sea kayaks as well as a car it comes in handy

Hammock has definitely cross my mind and a friend is bringing an extra to the next hillclimb for me to try it.

Seakayaks AND a car? You sir are a multitasker.

DaveEstey wrote: In reply to Basil Exposition: Do you run a 110 AC to 12v DC inverter or do you just depend on having the 110 available? Most places I race don't have power, so I would need my own generator. Not a huge deal, just another expense.

About 75% of the time I there is 110v available to me. The rest of the time I use a cheap Chinese generator.

Looks like what I've done, only about half the size (6x12).

I built beds on each side using 2x4's and the eTrack 2x4 brackets. Queen size memory foam pad and a cot air mattress and sleeps pretty well.

I ordered the same LED light strips and it made a huge difference for very little cost. I still need to hook up proper power to mine, just running off a small lawn battery for now and for my A/C, phone chargers, fans, etc, it's an extension cord to an outlet or my small generator outside.

FWIW, I carry kart fuel and tires in mine all the time. Fuel sits outside while we sleep in it, but there's never a fuel smell. As long as the jugs are closed, ventilation's never been an issue for us. YMMV.

-Rob

Amazing transformation with a little paint and time!

Because you have a solid floor and you are not going to be carrying gear on your back, I recommend a "army surplus" style folding cot. They are heavy, but fold up when not in use and are more comfortable than a hammoc or sleeping pad (IMO). You can put a sleeping bag on them and stay warm if its cold.

Something like this: Generic cot but can usually be found cheaper as true surplus if you look.

I often wonder how long this era of unbelievably low cost electronics from China's amazon will last. Just think about what is involved in your robust efficient lighting system, and how little it cost!

Chinese LEDs are a wonderful thing.

Today, after mowing 6 acres and prepping for clearing 3 acres of woods, I'm trying to figure out the best way of tying into the trailer electrics so my battery charges while being towed. Photos incoming!

Alright so I spent some time laying under the trailer hemming and hawing. I don't like the idea of just tapping an existing line. That seems like a half ass approach. The whole ass approach, I've decided after 30 minutes spent wrapping up and organizing tie downs, is 4 gauge lines run all the way from the truck batteries culminating in an anderson plug at the back. Trailer would have requisite anderson plug leading to battery box on the tongue. Battery line runs inside to Blue Sea fuse box and Bob's your uncle.

If you have a 7-pin trailer plug, there's already a large gauge, constant hot in the plug. No, it's not 4 gauge, but that may be overkill anyhow. And your way requires plugging in 2 plugs every time you hitch up.

Consider it a 2 birds one stone situation. I've been wanting a winch mount to go into the trailer receiver so I can pull logs etc out of the woods and farm chores.

We have a harbour freight winch on our car trailer. It has saved my ass more times than I care to admit. You will not regret it.