Cargo Trailers

[Bramic71]

Good evening all. We are in the market for a cargo trailer to convert to living quarters for extended vacations. We have decided on a 16ft, but are undecided on whether it will be a 7ft or 8.5ft wide.
Pros and cons to the 7ft vs 8.5ft, for those of you that have owned both.
It will be towed with our 1/2 ton, and will be minimally equipped on the inside.
Also if you have had good or bad luck with certain trailer manufacturers, please feel free to share.
I will already be upgrading exterior skin thickness, walkable roof, and 12" OC frame supports.
Thank you all for any information.

 

[jejb]

If you're going to be sleeping in it, get it insulated and put an AC on the roof. It will be much quieter inside that way.

I like the max legal width trailers, but I haul my bikes in the back and camp up front, so the extra room is nice. Bought a new Vee nose Haulmark last year. Threw the option book at it, and it stuck! Been pretty happy with it so far. Make sure you get auto adjusting brakes.

 

[likes2build]

Following

 

[Bramic71]

If you're going to be sleeping in it, get it insulated and put an AC on the roof. It will be much quieter inside that way.

I like the max legal width trailers, but I haul my bikes in the back and camp up front, so the extra room is nice. Bought a new Vee nose Haulmark last year. Threw the option book at it, and it stuck! Been pretty happy with it so far. Make sure you get auto adjusting brakes.

Thank you for your reply. I've heard good things about Haulmark. There aren't a ton of companies around here in the Florida panhandle, but a lot of them up in Georgia. Just have to narrow down where to actually buy. Do you have leaf spring axles, or torflex?

 

[dhay13]

I bought a brand new 2007 14x7 HaulMark back in 2007. Had it for 5 or 6 years. I did have to replace the plastic vent after it cracked. Assuming it was just from sun and UV. Never noticed anything hitting it. No complaints on it

 

[jejb]

Thank you for your reply. I've heard good things about Haulmark. There aren't a ton of companies around here in the Florida panhandle, but a lot of them up in Georgia. Just have to narrow down where to actually buy. Do you have leaf spring axles, or torflex?

I put the 5K Torflex axles under it, with D rated tires. Tandem axles. Mine is 20x8.5, not counting the Vee.

 

[Bramic71]

I put the 5K Torflex axles under it, with D rated tires. Tandem axles. Mine is 20x8.5, not counting the Vee.
View attachment 229150

That is one good looking trailer. Thank you for the reply and the picture.

 

[Bramic71]

I bought a brand new 2007 14x7 HaulMark back in 2007. Had it for 5 or 6 years. I did have to replace the plastic vent after it cracked. Assuming it was just from sun and UV. Never noticed anything hitting it. No complaints on it

Thank you for the reply. I will look into HaulMark.

 

[Travelin Ram]

Torsion axles are great, ride much better and don’t beat up the trailer on rough roads so much.

7 wide will tow better, less wind resistance and it’s basically the width of your vehicle on the road.

8.5 will have more living space. Will have more wind resistance towing and it’s wider than the track width of your vehicle so on secondary narrow roads it’s off the edge first. Or into the opposing lane. Takes more care.

 

[Sweetee]

Sounds like you have a good plan and good you are seeking advice. I wish we would have spent the extra $ on an aluminum trailer. Lighter gives you a little better MPG and or payload. Good luck!

 

[tron67j]

Saw this the other day, neat idea. https://www.ebay.com/itm/Travel-Tra...B&pageci=0f29dc1d-2a5e-47d3-a553-f13cd6e440bd

 

[jejb]

Sounds like you have a good plan and good you are seeking advice. I wish we would have spent the extra $ on an aluminum trailer. Lighter gives you a little better MPG and or payload. Good luck!

I thought I wanted an alum enclosed trailer when I bought my new one last year. But after looking at several of them and comparing specs, I found the alum ones were not significantly lighter. In the Haulmark I bought, for example, it would have been 200-300lbs lighter, but half again as expensive. No real bang for the buck there, IMO. The reason for that is the frame members have to be a lot thicker and/or more plentiful than steel to carry the same load. It adds up.

Now if I lived in the snow/salt belt and ever intended to tow the trailer up there in the winter, I may well have spent the money. Snow melting chemicals are very hard on trailers.

 

[JayLeonard]

I thought I wanted an alum enclosed trailer when I bought my new one last year. But after looking at several of them and comparing specs, I found the alum ones were not significantly lighter. In the Haulmark I bought, for example, it would have been 200-300lbs lighter, but half again as expensive. No real bang for the buck there, IMO. The reason for that is the frame members have to be a lot thicker and/or more plentiful than steel to carry the same load. It adds up.

Now if I lived in the snow/salt belt and ever intended to tow the trailer up there in the winter, I may well have spent the money. Snow melting chemicals are very hard on trailers.

My son sells aluminum trailers at his auto repair shop in CT. Yes they are more expensive, but a common theme for him is an owner of a 2 year old rusted steel trailer coming in to buy one of his aluminum rigs.

 

[Dustinmc15]

I had a 7.5x16 charmac trailer built earlier this year. I optioned it with insulated and finished white walls and ceiling, rubber flooring, 3 windows, wired for 110v, led lights, and an in floor battery box. I opted for the 7.5 width because it is easier to tow but still wide enough to fit my side by side when we bring it camping. I built a removable queen bunk bed set up that I can put up and take down in ten minutes. I plan to add cabinets and a table in the v nose this winter. We've camped in it a half dozen times this summer and it's been awesome. There is plenty of room for my family of 5 and with the 110v we can plug into shore power or run my generator to power a space heater or ac unit. Other than horrendous gas mileage my 09 1500 with 150k miles it tows it just fine.

 

[jejb]

My son sells aluminum trailers at his auto repair shop in CT. Yes they are more expensive, but a common theme for him is an owner of a 2 year old rusted steel trailer coming in to buy one of his aluminum rigs.

I wasn't balking so much at the price as the bang for the buck, at least if you're expecting the trailer to be a lot lighter. And I did mention it would be an easier decision to go alum in corrosion prone areas. But unless the skin of the trailer is made from something rust proof, even an alum trailer will corrode on the sides just as fast as a steel one.

The trailer I had before the one I pictured above was good for 19 years. Steel frame, torsion axles. Never had any problem with it. Sold it to a friend, which I would not do if it had any big issues. Here's a picture of old and new. I had a lot of stuff to transfer from one to the other, so this worked slick to make that happen. Yeah, I prefer barn doors.

 

[stevenP]

As an RV owner, and the owner of an enclosed utility trailer. I can tell you the utility trailer setting in the sun for 5 minutes heats up like a frying pan, I mean instantly. Same with cold, the heats is xferred out of that skin like crazy. I see the apeal of the DYI project, but the walls on the RV's are laminated with mostly foam. Not great R rating, but I am just saying.

 

[jejb]

As an RV owner, and the owner of an enclosed utility trailer. I can tell you the utility trailer setting in the sun for 5 minutes heats up like a frying pan, I mean instantly. Same with cold, the heats is xferred out of that skin like crazy. I see the apeal of the DYI project, but the walls on the RV's are laminated with mostly foam. Not great R rating, but I am just saying.

I also own both, and you're dead on, at least with an un-insulated enclosed trailers. That was one of the must-have's when I updated my trailer, factory installed insulation (and a big honking AC/heater on the roof).

 

[Skrap]

Is the OP using it as a Travel Trailer only or is he also bring toys with him. I don't see the benefit in converting a cargo trailer into a travel trailer. Especially to make it have a walk on roof. Not sure of the benefit of a walk on roof anyways considering what would need to be done to it to be feasable.

There are some really nice older used travel trailers that are known for good quality craftmanship and build quality for the makes and models. One of them is Sunnybrook Brookside trailers int he 2005 -2010 or so model years. GIves you nice interior, bathrooms, showers and living space with quality construction for a TT. Just my thoughts.

 

[canadiankodiak700]

My son sells aluminum trailers at his auto repair shop in CT. Yes they are more expensive, but a common theme for him is an owner of a 2 year old rusted steel trailer coming in to buy one of his aluminum rigs.

Rotted in 2 years, that's just guys that don't take care of their stuff. My cargo is a 2004, so 16 yrars old, age of looks almost like it came off the lot. It's in near mint shape and i live in Northern Ontario, lots of salt and worse, salt and calcium brines.

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