The Harbor Freight 100 watt solar panels seem to work great for me and I've had them for two years mounted to the top of my trailer. I use an AGM battery with them and installed a powered vent to help when it's hot. Of course I'm now in getting ready to install a ceiling mounted heat Pump for heating/cooling. All walls have foam insulated sheets placed between the studs which adds rigidity to the walls. Even if you don't plan on a air conditioner, place the 110 volt power to the area of the 14 x 14 opening for potential future use.
The powered vent is a good idea. I did notice that mine get very hot inside. I did add a 14 x 14 vent hole in the roof, sturdy enough to hold AC in the future.
Thanks! Well, I have a 100W solar panel on the roof of my slide in camper, and I was able to connect the camper power to the trailer power through the truck harness. So, I was happy when I saw that the camper solar panel was also charging the trailer battery!
Thank you. I tow this trailer behind my truck with the slide-in camper in place 90% of the time. The camper covers the frontal area of this trailer exactly. It was more important for me to have a long tongue area with the top of the toolbox as a platform for me to get in and out of my camper. Although, the 10% of the time when I tow with it alone, the wind resistance is not good at all.
Mr. Sabat That is an awesome trail. I am building my own enclosed trailer. Is the roof one full sheet of metal, or is it two pieces? Also what type of caulk did you use? Very nice job!
Thank you. I tried looking for a one piece roof but I couldn't find any where I lived, so I designed the trailer to be 96" wide and I overlapped 4'x8' sheet of 0.050" aluminum by 2" at the joists. I used industrial caulking in between the lapped areas, but any RV roofing caulk would work.
Looks amazing can you give the information how to buy that materials and cost I start building my in I Will love to know where to order tha metal sheets 😊
this trailer is turning out amazing. I'm looking for a new trailer for my XJ. I'm on full width axles and stretching it to 124" wheelbase so need something longer than the 18' trailer I use now. I'm about convinced to build my own enclosed. Just one question, why didn't you build the nose of the trailer to be more aero dynamic, such as a V shape nose? Can you put up a link to the trailer axles you used?
Thank you. It's a good question and observation about the V-nose. I intend to mostly pull this trailer, while I have my slide-in camper on the back of the truck. So, I wanted to have a longer than normal tongue because I am going to build an aluminum toolbox and put it at the tongue. This toolbox will also double as a walking deck as I step out of my camper. This is the link for the axles (this is a canadian dealer), but the axles are made by Axletech: www.miskatrailers.com/superstore/axles/7,000lb-single-axle,-straight-electric/p154
@@runnningonempty Vee nose does increase interior space, and length, if that matters. I like the vee on both my trailers that have it (I also have two that have square fronts) and I'll be putting vee on my next build, for an airplane with folding wings.
I screwed the wall panels straight to the frame with no sealant. I did put caulking on the roof panels before screwing them. I did this because I don't care about water intrusion (I pressure wash the inside of my trailer from mud after each trip). I would definitely add sealant or butyl tape if you don't want water to get in.
How did you fasten the man door? Did you just screw it into the metal frame? I’m currently building my own enclosed trailer and my next step is walls, roof and door installation.
Make sure you put the walls on first. The man door comes with a frame that has holes in it from the outside. I built the metal frame exactly the same size as the man door frame. Once the walls are up, slide the man door in the opening and screw it from the outside. That's it.
Not to sound picky,..... but, do you know what the next thickness is for the metal panelling you used cause if I did it , I really want to see it more flat. Yours looks a little bit wrinkled in places. But hey you still did a great job. Or am I mistaken ? Could it be more flat?
You could go with 0.060" or 0.070" aluminum sheet. I don't think mine looks wrinkled, it's just the reflections of the bare aluminum where I screwed the bolts. FYI, factory made enclosed trailers normally use 0.030" or 0.040" aluminum, with 0.050" aluminum being an extra option.
What is all the metal sheets you used made of? Aluminum or stainless steel. As the frames of boxes are of aluminum. So it that the Same sheeting of the shell
Thanks, because I tow this trailer 90% of the time with a slide-in camper on the truck, that's also why the tongue is longer than usual and that's why I put a toolbox/deck for me step up to the slide-in camper.
What plate is that you used on the side ... A beautiful job. could you give me the name of the plate. I'm doing one, but I can't find aki in Brazil. thank you very much for posting your work, for your content I am building mine, of course it is not your professionalism. thank you and brazilian greetings
I built this trailer to be towed behind my truck with a slide-in camper in the bed. I wanted to have the extra space on the trailer tongue as a walk-in platform to enter the camper.
@@rgsabat Ok. I see it. Makes sense. Have you had a chance to test the trailer ? I towed my V-nose behind a pickup and was terrified of the shaking. Using my van now and much better. Pickups are terrible to tow enclosed trailers imho as the airflow behind the cab gets turbulent and hits the trailer straight on. I re-positioned the cargo, adjusted height, played with tire pressure, the shaking never stopped but got acceptable. My tall chevy van (camper) on the other hand made it all smooth. Aerodynamics often forgotten but they are always present :-)
@@wortexinternational2598 That's good info to share, thank you. Yes, I have driven mine with and without the slide-in camper and I get better fuel mileage with the camper on the truck, despite the extra weight. I really did not predict that to happen, but for the very limited time that I use the trailer alone without the camper, I am not sure if it is worth it for me to make any changes to the frontal area of the trailer.
@@rgsabat does it leak in winter in rainy days or snow? the outside roof is flat? Does it leak? and have you ever thought about insulating the inside with spray foam for cold winter?
@@hunterpaintingsforsale5067 I put caulking at the roof seems, it does drip a little in a few spots, but that is not a concern to me since everything is metal inside, except the wooden workbench. I raise the front end of the trailer when it is parked to let the water drip at the back. I normally tow this trailer with my slide-in camper in the truck bed, so there is no need for me to insulate it, but it could be done.
