DIY welding/crafting a Tiny Camper?

[Sytes]

Anyone ever build from nada to complete travel camper?

Thinking of building one. Wife wanted a "tear drop" style to tow behind her jeep and I think they are useless especially considering her jeep package includes the heavy tow kit. That permits light full sized campers (19-21').

This is pretty flipping impressive design though not really going to spend the $ to have one purchased and shipped to the U.S. from Germany.

She asked if I can build one... So, not sure if it's doable or not... I'm a good aluminum and steel welder and have the equipment to do such though not sure how massive a project and additional knowledge/skills are valuable to not waste a ton of money on a half baked idea...

Thoughts?

One of the smallest travel trailers on the market sleeps four thanks to a one-of-a-kind "trap door"

Sportcaravan got to thinking about how it could make its already pint-sized Cube "caravan" trailers simultaneously smaller and bigger. Enter the Cube 1.

www.themanual.com

 

[cgasner1]

Anyone ever build from nada to complete travel camper?

Thinking of building one. Wife wanted a "tear drop" style to tow behind her jeep and I think they are useless especially considering her jeep package includes the heavy tow kit. That permits light full sized campers (19-21').

This is pretty flipping impressive design though not really going to spend the $ to have one purchased and shipped to the U.S. from Germany.

She asked if I can build one... So, not sure if it's doable or not... I'm a good aluminum and steel welder and have the equipment to do such though not sure how massive a project and additional knowledge/skills are valuable to not waste a ton of money on a half baked idea...

Thoughts?

One of the smallest travel trailers on the market sleeps four thanks to a one-of-a-kind "trap door"

Sportcaravan got to thinking about how it could make its already pint-sized Cube "caravan" trailers simultaneously smaller and bigger. Enter the Cube 1.

www.themanual.com

If you can weld aluminum I would if you have the time. I’d also recommend Reddit for cargo trailer conversion they have soem awesome ideas for doing sinks and things like that

 

[ccc23454]

I would strongly suggest starting with a cargo trailer sized both height and length to what your specifically looking for.

 

[VikingsGuy]

I am not expert but I would worry about the unique stresses driven by highway and off-road driving when it comes to DIY aluminum welding. Maybe buy a professionally designed/built chassis & frame and do the DIY build from there? A few years back I saw a DIY combo ice-house, mini trailer literally "explode" on an interstate when part of the frame failed at 70mph. It was a miracle no one was killed.

 

[jimh406]

I've thought about it, but I haven't built one.

I believe most of the research is around the axles and attaching them to the frame correctly. Of course, you have to watch how much everything weighs to prevent going over GVWR of the axles.

A cargo trailer could work, but most are low to the ground and maybe taller than you want with less clearance than you want.

 

[Sytes]

It would be built on a steel welded frame for the base body of the trailer for the axle - tongue. Bolted on would be the aluminum body.
Edit: for @VikingsGuy .

 

[BuckRut]

I would suggest you check the actual listed towing capacity on the Jeep because their "heavy tow kit" still doesn't make them capable of towing much weight effectively and safely.

 

[mtmuley]

Teardrop Fix-It-Shop | Teardrop Trailer Parts & Kits | Victor, Montana

Teardrop Fix-It-Shop reproduces exact replicas of Kit and Kenskill Teardrop Trailers and supplies aluminum extrusions and moldings. These trailers are available as a pre-cut do-it-yourself kits or can be built to order.

www.teardropparts.com

Victor, Montana. mtmuley

 

[longbow51]

Have a good friend who started with a travel trailer and built the whole insides; solar power, battery pack, refrigerator, composting toilet, shower, etc.

Pulls it with a Tundra 5.7.

 

[Sytes]

I would suggest you check the actual listed towing capacity on the Jeep because their "heavy tow kit" still doesn't make them capable of towing much weight effectively and safely.

30 Best Lightweight Travel Trailers Under 7000 Lbs 【2024 】

30 Best Lightweight Travel Trailers Under 7000 Lbs 2022 2023 Under 7000 lbs dry weight (UVW) and under 7000 lbs GVWR (gross weight).

www.camperoutdoor.com

Her Jeep Gladiator has a max tow rating of 7,650. Hence the 19-21' and likely 19' would be my interested max length. Though for her sake a low topped "tiny" camper fits our interest for her tours. I'm 6'01 so for me, I'm not a fan of condensed tear drop shaped tiny camper. I want to "borrow" it for hunting (just don't tell her).

Thanks @mtmuley . I've been a big fan of Six Robblees in Zootown. Good to have an option fitting the tiny trailer side of product.

 

[dan.kirkpatrick]

i converted a brand new cargo trailer into my personal 7x14 toy hauler/camp trailer the way i wanted it,{i feel its much better built than any of the pre made toy hauler trailers out there for my desired size to camp in and to get into the more remote blm and forest areas i hunt} also far more economical vs a brand new toy hauler these days.there is another thread in here that shows pics of it.

 

[CoffeeGoat]

Look into "foamies." Very DIY friendly, light, reasonably strong, and cheap.

 

[Addicting]

I’ve been down this road and owned a Jeep. Here is my 2 cents from my experiences.

Buy don’t build. I’m super handy and have built garages, barns, and a house. I’ve posted some of my metal fab in the other thread. I converted a 14x7 aluminum enclosed trailer to camp and hunt out of. It was OK for two guys Spartan camping. It didn’t have the ground clearance it needed and constantly had issues. Rocks chewed up the wiring every trip and we had to replace axles we were at max weight most of the time. No water and condensation was a big deal. We upgraded to an actual camper and everything is 1000x better. Really no major issues and the comfort and convenience after a long day is absolutely worth it.

Jeep towing is crap!

Her Jeep Gladiator has a max tow rating of 7,650.

This is the amount the trailer can weigh. It is not the amount the tongue can weigh. You need to do the math on what your total cargo capacity is. Then subtract occupants, gear, hitch, and any accessories the Jeep has. Then do you still have 10% of the 7650 available for tongue weight? I highly doubt it and you will have to run air bags. Then we are into the issue of pulling the camper on any incline. The Jeep will want to redline and you will not keep with the speed of traffic. You will think you have an anchor behind you. It’s just not fun.


Best you can do is a quite small camper. Engineering will be key to get the most out of the space available and manage weight distribution. Building it yourself will be a exercise in futility for what you can buy it already done for.

 

[BuckRut]

30 Best Lightweight Travel Trailers Under 7000 Lbs 【2024 】

30 Best Lightweight Travel Trailers Under 7000 Lbs 2022 2023 Under 7000 lbs dry weight (UVW) and under 7000 lbs GVWR (gross weight).

www.camperoutdoor.com

Her Jeep Gladiator has a max tow rating of 7,650. Hence the 19-21' and likely 19' would be my interested max length. Though for her sake a low topped "tiny" camper fits our interest for her tours. I'm 6'01 so for me, I'm not a fan of condensed tear drop shaped tiny camper. I want to "borrow" it for hunting (just don't tell her).

Thanks @mtmuley . I've been a big fan of Six Robblees in Zootown. Good to have an option fitting the tiny trailer side of product.

That's a surprisingly high tow rating for them. I only mentioned that because I occasionally pull a sxs with a 4 door wrangler and it's about all the more I would comfortably pull with it at maybe 3,500 lbs.

 

[VikingsGuy]

That's a surprisingly high tow rating for them. I only mentioned that because I occasionally pull a sxs with a 4 door wrangler and it's about all the more I would comfortably pull with it at maybe 3,500 lbs.

The second half of Addicting's post #13 was a great reminder to us all that the max tow rate is super deceiving on this own. It is a part of a complex set of specs -- all of which have to be met. But the marketing folks have found this one incomplete measure to be very valuable in advertisements. They are going to get sued someday for over pumping this one number while "hiding" the other essential details in the fine print.

 

[Sytes]

This is the amount the trailer can weigh. It is not the amount the tongue can weigh. You need to do the math on what your total cargo capacity is. Then subtract occupants, gear, hitch, and any accessories the Jeep has. Then do you still have 10% of the 7650 available for tongue weight? I highly doubt it and you will have to run air bags. Then we are into the issue of pulling the camper on any incline. The Jeep will want to redline and you will not keep with the speed of traffic. You will think you have an anchor behind you. It’s just not fun.

This was tested with the same setup as my wife's Gladiator:

"During Truck Trend's 2020 Pickup Truck of the Year test, we had the chance to put the Jeep Gladiator to the test while towing a 5,000-pound trailer. The weight was our standard for the midsize truck class, and the vehicle was a Sport S with an automatic transmission and Max Tow package. We tested the truck empirically on a quarter-mile track, and subjectively towing up a tough 6-percent grade. Even with a 20-foot trailer in tow, the Gladiator was unflappable. It towed straight with not even the slightest hint of unacceptable sway. The Gladiator had plenty of power to ascend the grade and adequate brakes for coming back down. Our biggest complaint was found in the lack of a trailer brake controller, even with the Max Tow package added."

It furthers the details offered for "payload" w/o trailer where it didn't play near as well as pulling a trailer. The full article can be found here.

https://www.motortrend.com/news/can-the-jeep-gladiator-tow/

 

[buckbull]

Also be aware that max tow rating requires a trailer brake controller. Something else that is not obvious. I had a salesman tell me when I bought my ranger I could tow 7500lbs on the bumper with no brake controller. Manual says 3500 max for bumper tow.

 

[LuketheDog]

Anyone ever build from nada to complete travel camper?

Thinking of building one. Wife wanted a "tear drop" style to tow behind her jeep and I think they are useless especially considering her jeep package includes the heavy tow kit. That permits light full sized campers (19-21').

This is pretty flipping impressive design though not really going to spend the $ to have one purchased and shipped to the U.S. from Germany.

She asked if I can build one... So, not sure if it's doable or not... I'm a good aluminum and steel welder and have the equipment to do such though not sure how massive a project and additional knowledge/skills are valuable to not waste a ton of money on a half baked idea...

Thoughts?

One of the smallest travel trailers on the market sleeps four thanks to a one-of-a-kind "trap door"

Sportcaravan got to thinking about how it could make its already pint-sized Cube "caravan" trailers simultaneously smaller and bigger. Enter the Cube 1.

www.themanual.com

I think that sounds like a ton of fun, if you have the time to do so, and you're probably not going to come out ahead on the money front...

 

[Addicting]

This was tested with the same setup as my wife's Gladiator:

"During Truck Trend's 2020 Pickup Truck of the Year test, we had the chance to put the Jeep Gladiator to the test while towing a 5,000-pound trailer. The weight was our standard for the midsize truck class, and the vehicle was a Sport S with an automatic transmission and Max Tow package. We tested the truck empirically on a quarter-mile track, and subjectively towing up a tough 6-percent grade. Even with a 20-foot trailer in tow, the Gladiator was unflappable. It towed straight with not even the slightest hint of unacceptable sway. The Gladiator had plenty of power to ascend the grade and adequate brakes for coming back down. Our biggest complaint was found in the lack of a trailer brake controller, even with the Max Tow package added."

It furthers the details offered for "payload" w/o trailer where it didn't play near as well as pulling a trailer. The full article can be found here.

https://www.motortrend.com/news/can-the-jeep-gladiator-tow/

My experience was with a JK so the drive drain may improve it from my red line comment.

However, That test is apples to oranges on pulling a camper. There isn’t cargo in the back for camping, there isn’t a big box behind it catching wind, and there isn’t a large weight distribution hitch changing the dynamics of how it handles.

The weight measurement in my post doesn’t change on any vehicle. You tongue weight capacity is what’s more important than what the total trailer capacity is.

 

[Addicting]

From my experience as a camper and as a professional driver, I would not want to pull a camper with a Gladiator. It’s just not enough vehicle to go any type of distance with a camper of any size.

My current set up is a 23’ 8900lbs camper loaded. A heavy half ton with air bags rated at 13,200 is not enough truck. My cargo capacity is maxed out on tongue weight and the truck feels squirly when there is any wind at all.