This will be a recurring part of the process. There's only so much that can be done on CAD and no matter how many measurements I make, I'm sure I'll have to make adjustments on the fly. It appears that I have 5'9" of width, 11'7" of length, and about 5'11" of height to work with before any paneling. One thing that is pretty hopeful for me is that I can lay out the interior with at least one bed along the short, back wall. I'm 5'7", so it's gonna be close.
I went through many revisions of several different layouts, one including an inside toilet/shower. I knew in all the plans, I wanted a mini-fridge and microwave. A TV is easy to add because it doesn't have to be wall mounted. I also wanted two beds and some storage. For a time, I had a deck that folded out from the back doors, I tried putting the kitchenette on the back, accessed through the rear doors, and many other features that wouldn't make the final cut for one reason or another.
The primary usage for the trailer is intended to be something to take to races. I don't know if my wife will ever stay in it--it certainly hasn't drawn her interest so far--but a friend might come along, hence the second bed as opposed to a larger, single bed. I was concerned about finding a mattress that would work since there are standard sizes, but I located a company that does custom sized foam mattresses for not-unreasonable prices. It's not memory foam, but hopefully they are reasonably comfortable for a night or two.
So, as of this writing, the final plan has a bed along the back wall, elevated at 3'. Below that is a cabinet, mini-fridge, and a water-holding tank for the adjacent sink. A shower "wand" for rinsing off will be accessible when you open the back doors. There will also be a small storage area for miscellaneous items I don't want in the main living space. Back inside, below the sink will be a grey water holding tank. Under the second (and longer) bed will be storage. The TV will be sitting on a small storage cabinet by the foot of the short bed. The long bed will double as a sofa for watching the TV (which will only have an OTA antennae and maybe a DVD player. On the right, as you walk in, will be a tall cabinet that can handle some hanging items and a night stand for the long bed. There may also be some wall cabinets along that front wall.
When pressure washing didn't get all of the black "stuff" off of the side, I realized I'd have to repaint the trailer walls at some point. Getting the non-profit's decals off was a challenge until I got a bottle of spray Goof-Off and let that soak in for a minute. A razor blade pulled the decals right off with minimal effort.
It wasn't until I got onto a ladder that I realized the metal roof had rust on it. I sanded that off and started with a good coating of oil-based metal primer. I also picked up some Flex Seal and may actually consider covering the entire top with that in hopes that a rubbery surface would hold less heat than the metal roof. I also sanded and primed the wheel wells.
Demolition was pretty minimal here but I knew I would want to remove the paper thin interior paneling to add insulation and something a little more substantial. While I had it stripped down, I sealed the floor with Thompsons Water Seal. There may be better products, but I had just enough of this onhand to do this floor.
Removing the paneling revealed that I'd have about 1.25" from the outside aluminum to the edge of the floor to work with insulation options. I've heard about creating "air gaps" but I originally thought I'd be putting foam board in the gaps between the "ribs." That will be a little later so I have time to figure it out.
I ordered two RV windows off eBay. I had trouble finding the "perfect" windows at a great price, but finally found some at a decent price. They measure 42" wide and 24" high and slide open sideways. They have built-in screens to allow me to ventilate the trailer, bug-free. With shipping, they were about $350.
During this process, I realized that the way the doors operate, there is no way to lock them from the inside and someone could actually lock me in! So, once I found someone (an RV repair person in Lenoir) who could put the windows in for me, I asked him about putting in an RV door latch as well. I had decided to put in an A/C unit and if I need heat, just use a ceramic heater. My thought was to put one through the front wall of the trailer, but he encouraged me to go with an RV, rooftop mounted unit. The cost would be more, but not a lot more if I bought a used one from him. My only concern is that they are designed for much bigger areas and I've heard that you can oversize an HVAC unit, just like you can undersize one. I drop the trailer off on August 26th for installation of the windows, A/C, and door latch.
The idea for the conversion project emerged shortly after learning that a non-profit whose board I served on was planning to sell it's 6 x 12 cargo trailer with a sealed bid auction. I bid higher than I probably should have but part of that was due to the fact that I was going off the board and planned to make a parting donation that I just rolled into the bid. A few weeks later, I learned that I was the lucky winner. For tracking the cost of this project, let's just say I paid $1,000 for the two-axle trailer that has its own brakes and has a cargo capacity of 5,250 pounds.
It seemed in generally good condition. I didn't realize until after I'd bought it that it was built in 1999. It has some dings but nothing major, and it will benefit from some new paint. The tires concern me. They have plenty of tread, but they could be twenty years old if they weren't replaced at some point.
We went to the non-profit, handed over a check, and drove it home.
The project begins...
