DIY Camper Trailer
Camper trailers, colloquially called travel trailers or caravans, are towable wheeled residences pulled either by a conventional bumper tow-package or by a fifth-wheel hitch in a pickup bed. While camper trailers are almost universally bought -- new or used -- as a complete unit, it is entirely possible to build a do-it-yourself, or DIY, version. Before actually starting to build anything, or to buy any component parts, it is important to consider what level of provision you will require to be comfortable using your camper trailer.
Other People Are Reading
Instructions
-
-
1
Determine what level of provision you will require of your 12-volt electrical system. At its most basic, a 12-volt hookup to a deep-cycle battery will be needed to provide you with a dome light fixed to the ceiling. Most camper users would want a number of 12-volt outlets located at convenient places around the camper interior, and 12-volt heaters, cookers and refrigerators are available. If you want to have the tow vehicle charge your trailer battery, properly called a coach battery, you will need an isolator to prevent the coach system from draining the engine battery.
-
2
Decide whether you will also benefit from a 120-volt installation with a shore power cord, so you can operate conventional household appliances in the camper trailer. If so, you will also need to fit a circuit breaker board. A converter charger can be fitted that automatically charges your coach battery whenever you are plugged into a grid source.
-
-
3
Your water system can also be self-contained or use a hookup, called a city water connection. A 12-volt pump pressurizes a plumbing system when it senses a drop in pressure, while the city water connection uses the main's pressure to make water flow. They both use the same plumbing system, which is made from a lightweight PVC pipe. The sinks and shower drain into a gray water holding tank, which must be emptied into an authorized dump station. Toilets dump into a different holding tank, called a black water tank, or you can use a chemical toilet or a cassette toilet.
-
4
Consider the level of weather protection and insulation you will need. In some locations a simple sealed box constructed of metal hoops and a skin of marine-grade plywood will make an adequate camper, while in more aggressive climates a full external skin or waterproof aluminum siding or fiberglass sheeting may be a necessity. Insulation can be glued to the walls in rigid sheets or sourced in rolls and held in place by interior trim. Either way, it must be adequate to arrest the transfer of heat or cooled air through the walls.
-
5
Ensure your camper trailer subscribes to all legal requirements. In some states a change-of-use declaration must be made to the Department of Motor vehicles stating that an enclosed or open trailer has been converted into a camper. If you have electric brakes fitted, they must work, and they must be connected via a seven-pin hitch. The corners of the trailer must have running lights, and the back of the trailer must have stop/turn signal lights and side lights and a tag light. The total weight of the camper trailer, your tow vehicle and all freight, including people, must not exceed the tow vehicle's stated maximum.
-
1
