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It looks really good but for anyone wanting to do this please remember that the trailer is going to flex a lot as it goes down the road hitting potholes and bumps. The tile floor will eventually pop up, the pink insulation inside the walls will sag towards the bottom, and the drywall walls will crack. Imagine your house enduring an earthquake, except it goes on for hours during a road trip. Use linoleum sheet for floor, foam board for insulation, and 1/4" plywood for interior walls. To further reduce weight install 2"x3" framing instead of 2"x4" and 1/8" plastic laminate for interior walls.
@@eddiew.4650 Honestly, just found this channel and all their builds are pretty bad and have some super questionable and cringe design decisions. I bet they do all these as cheap as they can just to cut a video and then sell the piece of crap they made. This is like their 4th "camper".
@@weakish "creators" just be makin anything these days.... they just tryna pay them bills i couldn't even get thru half of this video they are not serious
For the love of sparkie god, do not run the A/C and cooktop at the same time. You will melt that 16 gauge extension cord wiring. Love the build, it came out fantastic! My only advice as an electrician… if you reeeally can't afford the romex, please use a heavier duty cord. At least a 14 gauge, preferably 12 if you can swing it. That is all. @PresidentChay pin me, you won’t 👀👀
That's scary just the air conditioner on its own. I guarantee there is no overcurrent protection on this thing. They are risking there lives if they sleep with the AC on. At least buy the proper wire for the plugs to use the AC and a cooking appliance.
@@steffanpinson1290 good one😅 or maybe bad one😮 I'm afraid more of them selling this to some unsuspecting slacker who'll drag it out to _Burning Man_ festival 😬
Yeah….this all looks decent at first, but the wood and dry wall will turn into a mildewy, rotted mess in a couple years thru condensation, water leakage, hot/cold cycles, etc,
Great job. I did one 5 years ago with different types of wood, 2x2 walls with rigid insulation and heat/ vapor barrier. Roof was paint instead of glue with a drop cloth. Trailer has 3 doors no windows (just a place for storage and to cook and sleep). 5 years later i have no leaks, living in Kentucky past 2 years.
It definitely was not 3k worth. 1.75k max. Which is less than a decent pc. A fricken camp trailer for less than a pc. Even if jt was 3k thats a good buy
@@moofynu *No, I agree. The point was, it will cost more than $900 because most people don't have a lot of the right materials lying around such as you guys did. They'll have to purchase most of it.* *FYI, I paid almost $3,000 for my laptop with upgrades. It's a monster. 5TB SSD, 36GB Memory, 4GHz, etc...*
I was going to post this same exact thing. I was going to go a little higher in materials; hardware, glue, windows, tile, electrical, etc. If you have 70% of your build on hand, it will be cheap. If you had plywood, and a few other items on hand, you built a LUXURY CAMPER FOR FREEEEEE. Amazing!
Cargo trailer conversion here with a few things to point out if you truly plan to do this. First, please seal your wood, even if you torch it will make it last so much longer but paint will really seal it, front and back, you dont want black mold. You NEVER want to use house wire because it will break, you actually WANT to use extension cord but bigger gauge. Use foam board as insulation, 2". never EVER use drywall, it will literally crumble while driving down the road, use thin plywood instead for your walls. Seriously this tiny idea is amazing, so simple, but if you want your rig to last longer then a summer, you're going to want to edit materials.
@MuskratOutdoors yep! I thiiink that's the thickness we used for our walls actually. What's really awesome is the thinness helps to bring it into your rig because it has a good bit of flex to it. We coated the backs and edges of our walls with mold and mildew resistant paint.
never use extension cord wire, it degrades with heat, look at the NEC. Its better to use stranded THWN/THHN wire and use pvc conduit, or flex conduit. THIS is how you prevent a death caused by a "hot spot" fire 3 years down the line.
For those wondering: the reason that the electric cord was cheaper is two fold 1) it is thinner (and rated for less amperage) than romex 2) it is not rated for in wall installation. If it gets to warm (useage + insulation) it can more easily start a fire You may get away with this "hack" or you may die slowly in an electric fire... your choice
Exactly 16 awg extension cord rated 10 amps in the open air versus 14 awg rated for 15 amps in wall. They could have probably found a smaller roll instead.
This is absolutely magnificent. I have to say I did not think it was going to look that beautiful inside. In our driveway right now We have one of those trailers sitting in our driveway right now . I’m telling my sons that they can make one of these and feel like they have something of their own specially, in today’s world. You are both a great inspiration. I hope my boys see this and would love to do this build and then go camping with their parents sometime because we have our own camper.
Good Job mate! I just upgraded my Prado similarly. Took a few gold bars laying under my mattress for no reason and went straight to the dealer. It costs me less than $50 for the trip.
Wow you guys are gifted over and beyond! I just turned 70 and tired of paying rent. I'm looking to get a cargo van to build out myself but I'm scared because it's just me and my little dog, but you guys just inspired me. Great content. Well done guys, well done. God bless you!!
I had an interesting thought. You could build a big garage that is separated into two spaces, one for a car and one that has a ton of cabinetry, a murphy bed, sofa, etc. even a heating stove, and well insulated maybe even laundry and a sink. This would classify as a garage/workshop for property tax purposes. THEN you could park a trailer like this inside it so you have a kitchen and bathroom and voila, you have a house. You could have little properties in all your favorite places and just roll up with your little trailer and you're home without all the drama of building a house or paying the high taxes on a house. Technically, you're 'living' in an RV and not the structure as that's where the kitchen and bath are. I'm really seeing benefits here....thanks for the inspo!
As a mechanical engineer of 20+ years with a PE stamp, I kindly ask that anyone and everyone out there do not duplicate this build as it is incredibly unsafe. That said and out of the way, this was super fun to watch. I really didn't think you could pull it off, but seeing as you have a nice junk pile to pull from and a cheap old utility trailer, it just made sense to work with what you have on hand. Pretty cool. I know you put some work into this as PMF isn't fun or easy to do. I tried it in the early 00's with another buddy. Good job you guys.
You guys make a great team ...and seems like you work well together..that's so much work ... But worth it Thanks for posting this..I enjoyed it a lot .
That looks great! Only thing I would have done is called it an $1,100 camper and bought some 12/2 wire. When I see an electric cooktop and an air conditioner you really should have heavier gauge wire in those walls.
I really don’t think that a regular person could make something like that for a thousand bucks, but it’s pretty cool that you showed how you budgeted out your project. I also loved the idea of a “poor man’s fiberglass”.
Honestly they kept it that cheap cause they had a solid amount of the materials needed on hand, in reality for somebody to actually attempt this as one of if not their first builds they'd have to buy most of those materials outright. Also for a beginner they'd have to get several tools that they might not have and honestly unless you wanna gamble on some tools you got from the pawn shop the tools and equiptment alone would cost at least $1000+. I really like it and it looks awesome but its a bit misleading.
I think PMF is usually made with waterproof wood glue, not regular wood glue. If you are completely relying on the paint to act as your water barrier than you might as well have just used paint on the OSB after caulking the seams. The point of PMF is that it’s multiple waterproof layers, plus paint as your bulk water barrier. That extension cord is cheaper than romex because that extension cord was 16ga instead of the necessary 12-14ga. Drywall for the inside of a moving and bouncing trailer is going to begin tearing through the screws quickly. You could buy 1/4” mdf or plywood pretty much as cheaply.
@@blazinasian461 Potentially. Tiles are actually used quite frequently in luxury Speinter van conversions and seem to do alright if correctly installed. Really depends on the rigidity of the substrate you’re adhering it to. But I agree, I wouldn’t personally use them, way better options.
Dont ever depend on solely exterior paint to protect OSB. Quality of craftmanship is not what it looks like when its finished but the longevity of how it looks down the road and this camper has none of that. Its a quick sloppy build designed to last 10 minutes for utubes and thats disingenuous and should be down voted as encouraging irrational and illogical behavior.
@@gantz4u Obviously you would never just use paint over OSB, that’s my point. That’s basically what they did. Non waterproof wood glue and material aren’t going to protect much.
This is the kind of build that gives people ideas. I'm down with deferring to inexpensive options. Aesthetically it's not going to win any contest, but functionally it earns a B+. I think you've proved that with a little know how this is a viable option. For aesthetics you have the perfect 'canvas' for artistic expression. Know any good artist?
I understand that the pricing is meant to represent how much you actually spent during the build and your resourcefulness but I would love to see an additional pricing estimate where you include the items you had laying around excluding tools (for example: a separate estimate that includes the price you initially paid for the floor tiles per square foot or the cost of the bus metal using the lowest fb price).
I'd like that too.. in addition to the few extras not included in the build yet present in the final product, like ; -Window unit -Flatscreen TV -Power supply (extension cord ?*) -Plumbing additional pipe and fittings traveling int/ext* *(presumably to hookups outside given the 'improved camping' campsite)
That tile isn't gonna last long. Vibration does terrible things to grout. Best to use vinyl flooring and for a camper this size you could get a Remnant for real cheap.
I have built two of these but used waterproof siding for $33 a sheet at Lowes. It has a lifetime warranty and did not need paint because it had a nice beveled texture. Also my second one i used air lifts and the roof could open and close. I also used 1x3's sideways to increase the living space and reduce weight and cost. I used insulation board some which was cracked and being tossed out and thin paneling on the inside. Also paint or fiberglass all the plywood flooring top and bottom and edges I like your used bus window idea because normally windows pricey to buy. Its nice you brothers are helping each other.
Between the budget counter going up as the build progresses and the snippets of 3D graphics visualizing what they're doing next is just so good. Well done Chay! That camper would be so nice to have.
Looking good guys! I have designed many tiny cabins and vardos for people to build over the years and it is a fun inexpensive project. Add some solar and a power station and a small water tank and one of those tent outhouses and you can live in them most places year round. I live full time in a 200 sqft cabin I designed and built with just a 1.4Kw solar power system. Over 20 years now with no house payments, no utility bills and freedom!
Bro, this video was a blessing to me. I do a lot of traveling daily. I have a house but I still need somewhere to stay. Thank you. I also want to do the same thing you did, but with the restroom and the shower
Hell calling his use of the word luxury generous is being generous. I mean dawg cut every single corner that he physically could, title is 100% clickbait. I get the RU-vid algorithm grind and everything but it is a lil annoying. Fortunately the end result is still pretty cool so I don’t think anyone is that upset. I guess the rationale is they were going for a luxury aesthetic even though it’s 90% “poor man’s fiberglass” & “the cheapest extension cord they sell” 😂
One tip, put 3/4 plywood in the wall prior to drywall where you plan to mount the tv, then you dont have to worry about hitting a stud to hang the mount, also wire an outlet so the tv hides it👍
Using steel studs for the build would have made it a lot lighter. That would save a lot of fuel when towing it. There were a lot of poor choices for material and techniques when building this thing. The wiring will probably start it on fire at some point. This is why they require permits, inspections and licensed people to build homes.
I love that you're finding your "Niche". I started watching when the Walmart Marathon came out, and it seemed you were still in the discovery phase of what you wanted to do. Still amazing videos, but I REALLY enjoy these build videos with your style of editing. I hope to keep seeing more! I love that you are building your channel with the help of your brother and dad, its so sweet. Cheers!
Get a 12 guage cord at harbor freight to run anything more than lights and the TV. Scary. $50 or less. Use LED bulbs too. GOOD advice what the electrician said. Add a plug to connect heavy guage wire to. Your lives are worth enough to tear some stuff apart and to use 2-12 with ground wire or the 12 guage the electrician suggested. A melted wire in a wall wouldn't be noticed till too late . I am really impressed with your guys building skills. Looked like everything fit the first time.
Idk what else you guys do, but I've had a dream for a stoner bus for at least five years now, and you guys' ideas in this video just made a major contribution.
For people that don’t have allot of this stuff “laying around” it would cost around 3k for everything. I saw a much larger camper for sale for $2500 yesterday.
@@LiveToRidee my dad was a licensed electrician and carpenter, he spent years trying to teach me and the skill just isn't there for me. Now, give me a t-square, calculator and pencil and I can easily whip you up a blueprint for it, but never be able to actually build it myself.
We are doing the same thing with an old popup trailer. For siding we found 4x8 panels made from recycled plastic. Super flexible, super light, and strong. We are going to glue it on over the quarter inch plywood skin. We just haven't figured out how to do the roof, sence neither of us can climb a ladder.
so im not a builder by any means but i watch a lot of these videos. and one of the tips ive picked up was the " nail holes " issue. instead of drilling them out and corking them, save your saw dust. then later when you need to do patch work like that, mix it with wood glue. presto, wood filler. ive seen some youtubers do that on table gaps and all sorts of stuff. im sure it would be a time/energy saver for you and yield just as good of results.
I work in a woodshop. 100% agree. I can't remember where I picked this tip up from but was able to teach my boss about it and he has never looked back. As long as you saturate the sawdust, it will dry harder than concrete.
I've done dowels and a flush cut saw for my nail holes. Takes maybe a min per hole and with enough practice, I can glue caps over countersunk screws real easy
An alternative to the drywall material may have been supermarket slip-sheets. Many supermarket suppliers use pallet-sized sheets to keep the stock from sliding about on the pallet in transit. Admittedly, most of these are simple cardboard, but some suppliers use a mesh-fiber sheet with a smooth, hard, reinforcing top side. You'd want to nail/glue/staple them to each strut of your superstructure (they won't be as tough or rigid as what was used), but they weigh 1/10 (or less) and just get thrown in the waste at the end of the day, so will be much cheaper... or even free.
Plastic shower panels are cheap also, they are $17 for a 4'x7' panel, it would take 7 panels to do the wall, that's $119 before tax. It's a little more expensive than the drywall but a full panel weighs less than a half pound a piece plus they are water/mildew proof.
Or use coroplast from old election signs. Corrugated plastic has a slightly ribbed texture that will show after painting, but it will look good. Or make panels from cardboard covered with PMF - very light and wicked strong. Make the cardboard/PMF panels on a flat surface before installation so that they are straight and flat. Consider foamie construction. The 2 inch insulation boards are pricy, but they replace all of the sheathing and most of the framing lumber, so you probably come out ahead. PMF on the outside and inside makes a super strong composite that is probably stronger than conventional framing.
A nice first try. I would have made different choices, but you may have been limited in some ways regarding materials that were salvaged. I like the sink and countertops. If you're cooking with a portable stove, make sure the closest window is open a couple of inches and don't use it for comfort heat. Consider getting or making an outside cover for the ac unit to prevent bugs and road debris from messing up your fins. Consider putting a vent on the roof to let heat escape and make the top bunk more comfortable if you're camping without plugging in. I know I'm just shouting to the void, but I hope you update how well it worked, how it lasted, maybe a weight. If anyone is considering making one of these, know that there are some weight saving techniques that are less expensive than what they used if bought new.
Wow!!! That's freaking amazing! You guys are beyond good. I wish I could do something like that, but I'm pretty bad at math, so forget about making even cuts of wood n shit. Good job guys!❤❤❤
Great build, thanks to lots of "free" materials. My biggest concern is the total weight on that trailer frame and axle. The choice of some of the materials (tile floor and drywall) might have been better thought out. I would definitely check the total weight of the trailer. Also not in love with the extension cord hack. Overall a great build and video! Thanks guys!
You could never get away with this experiment in Australia, there are loads of regulations about this, and you must have a registered engineer's report to show that it's compliant with the regulations. This is definitely a fun hack but in terms of safety and as you say the weight of the trailer on the boards...hmm! In Australia you'd have to get the chassis reinforced with additional welding and you'd need a metal base. Those wooden planks are nice decoration but not sure about the strength. Fun though...and it also suggests people might get a trailer that meets the regulations and convert it. The tow vehicle must be huge because the trailer looks tiny against it.
@@deborahcurtis1385 Totally agree. While I'm not a big fan of government and their overreact at times the fact that this trailer will be towed on the road and the possibility of a catastrophic failure that could impact others gives me some serious concerns.
@@deborahcurtis1385 First time visiting this channel, but the way they built it, they maybe just built it for the sake of a youtube video, and nothing wrong with that.
Just a quick safety note: make sure the pallets are not chemically treated. Kiln or air dried only. But a really fantastic build. got a lot of great ideas for something I've been thinking about!
They put vapor barrier down for the inside but what about the exterior? Drive though one puddle and the entire floor will be soaked underneath. Also, that glue, fabric and particle board is not only a dinner bell for bugs, its also a recipe for mold.
I always wondered why people didn’t just hang a hammock off the roof of the inside of the camper you could have hooks in the roof to tie it up and save a ton of space
Not a crazy idea. I've never seen a hammock hung from a ceiling, just posts and tree trunks and such. Could it work, or would you end up sleeping in a U shape?🤔
To keep your weight down, you could have used interior paneling instead of drywall. And I would have mounted the AC higher as cool air drops, so whomever is sleeping in the top bunk is hot and the person in the bottom bunk is cold in the location you put it in. But all in all a pretty cool build. Even tho it would have cost a lot more in south Florida with the 2023 prices on lumber.
Love it all except the extension cord in the wall... There's a reason that it was cheaper. It's not rated to be inside of a wall with insulation. But still super dope build.
Yes. If you plug into shore current I would plug anything drawing high current (ac, heater, air fryer, etc) directly to the 110 outlet at your hookups with an appliance extension cord.
This kind of feels like me doing a video titled, "I put together an entire camping kit for $100," then just dragging out all the gear I already have and buying $99 worth of Ramen and butane for the camp stove. 🤣🤣
Yep, 20 years of power tool use and metal concerts with no hearing protection. Now I get the constant company of a little high pitched “eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee” sound 24/7. Don’t underestimate the value of silence.
@@berserkrblitz3231 i feel you man, i also hear that high pitched sound (which is called tinnitus btw) but only when it's very quiet, that's why i prioritize ear pro when working
Wow this is really inspiring i was watching what the floor isolation was such a great idea this look awesome i'm very tempted to buy a bit bigger trailer and building something !
Great build, guys! One word of caution... With something so tall in proportion to its length, be ultra aware of weight distribution and balance. You don't want that thing wagging around, or worse, while pulling down the highway.
Thoreau would be proud. In fact, his ~$28 cabin at Walden Pond in 1845 cost him the equivalent of more than $1100 today. The narrative of your camper closely tracks Thoreau’s resourcefulness in building his cabin. Nice to see, especially since your camper was built by brothers.
Your glue coat reminded me of a project I did in high school, the balsa wood suspension bridges that had to hold the most weight contest in Technology class never specified in the rules that we couldn't paint our bridges with glue. No one else painted their bridges with glue, I more than doubled the weight held by the bridge in second place. Don't underestimate the power of a layer of glue
Those contests made me mad like Thinking up a layer of glue is creative but just telling kids to go at it with zero training is kind of a rigged game. I’m annoyed because there are a ton of things I could have done better if people explained them in a way I could understand, like building a balsa wood bridge. I mean you basically need at least one engineering class before you can make one.
I can definitely appreciate this build because you guys use what you already have. Keeping cost down is the best way to build. Comfort and functionality over vanity.
Love it. Perfect for people that want small camper. Missing was a toilet. Can the kitchen be long enough to place out the window and add an out side shower tent. A mini fridge would have fit too
Wow, another construction video from the President himself. I feel sad you had to say goodbye to your bus because I LOVED it.😭 But I'm glad it has a grateful owner that will take care of it. Mind blowing how you built that trailer camper for less than $1000. 😲I love these type of videos Chay.
Pretty amazing! However I would have wall mounted the TV to create a nice amount of storage space or more counter tops. Give us an update in the future on how well the drywall and tile floors hold up to the tweaking on uneven roads or trails. Great work!
I love the direction you’ve taken this channel. The builds consistently are amazing and you make everything seem so down to earth. Much love to you and your bro ❤️
Love the design of it. Looks modern and clean. Love the lights and the counter tops are beautiful. The sink knocks it up a notch too. You designed it real nice. Good job, love the inside colors.
This was pretty good, I used a 8x8 snowmobile trailer 1in. Metal framing 1/4in ply sheeting, 1/8in masonite panel int. Corrigated tin ext. And roof. Tried to be cheap, but cost 4500.00$, and weighed 2000lbs ,have used it for awhile though. Ain't breaking down anytime soon.
I have been toying with the same idea for some time. Looks great. One suggestion for the inside walls. Use one sheet 4x8 piece of wood. Cover it with plastic and repeat the same process with glue and sheets of cotton. Remove with plastic still attached and repeat. Cut the sheets to size and screw to the inside frame and paint. You will be able to save a lot of weight and still stay close to you budget. Great work guys!
Plywood or OSB outer walls and framing is OK. Interior, vinyl tile squares or a carpet mat for low weight and flex. Walls of 1/8 " Luan plywood at 1/10th the weight, easy cutting and same cost. No paint needed.
You guys make it look so easy! I really love the creativity of these videos, it's cool to see how far you can get if you're creative and resourceful enough!
Great job dudes! The only thing I would recommend is having a GFCI (ground fault circuit interrupter) plug next to your sink. Wouldn’t want to light you up in the wrong way! 😂
