Posted: 8/18/2007 5:45:26 AM EDT
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Hey all, Im thinking about getting a 6x12ish enclosed trailer to set up for shtf and camping. I would appreciate your thoughts and/or suggestions along with pics if ya have em. Thanks James |
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Hi, we converted a 7 by 14 [it measures slightly longer] to a camping [and possibly BO] trailer over the past couple years. I call it a stealth trailer and don't have pics to post but would be happy to help you with ideas for yours. Ours has as much incorporated into it as we could incl a small and comfortable toilet room with 7 gal holding tank and macerator pump for very flexible waste storage disposable, 2 satellite systems, comfortable bucks, hell, what doesn't it have. 
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| If you have the money try these guys: www.adventuretrailers.com/ |
Anyway you could take pics? i have a 7x15 i am thinking about making more livable and would like to see what you did with yours |
toilet? that's what the ground is for if you are carrying a toilet around, you need ro reassess priorities |
Because this is the internet I won't post pix. It wouldn't be a stealth trailer anymore if I did.  Tell us a little about what you want to do and I'll tell you how we did it if in fact we did. I think I covered most all the bases modifying this one. Incidently, I'm not sure a trailer as large as we're talking about would be a good idea to live in if social unrest became intense and widespread because it is almost impossible to effectively conceal where it can be towed. For a bugout for a hurricane etc where there is still some social restraint a converted trailer would be excellent. We ran "e Track' down the sides and snap out bunks to it for easy install/removal. I can fold them up and carry a full size ATV and a trail motorcycle. I did a post a few months ago on the electrical system. There a small kitchen center with sink, microwave, one burner propane stove. I use a green 6 gallon WMart water carrier on each side of the trailer snapped to the Etrack and one is pumped from for water to the sink. I did a post on minimizing water use a while back as well. Our trailer is a perfect retreat if it can be kept from discovery but if social fabric breaks down it would have to be abandoned and the BO taken to more remore areas. Not much different have trying to stay in your house, but most haven't come to terms with that issue. |
Tell you what. You go to the SO and explain that to her, I'll be interested in the reaction. Actually the reason this trailer came to be was we were driving on a 4 lane with no towns or facilities near. She had to go. At the most opportune time a portapottie appeared where some road work was being done. Later we were brain storming about some sort of cover and toilet we could put on the back of the SUV. [I've seen the one that plugs into the trailer hitch, no need to hijack the OP's thread with a pix] A few weeks later we stopped at a trailer dealer and thought about modifying an enclosed one. It turned out to be one of the most rewarding projects we've ever done and we've traveled across the US 3 times, and at least that many miles here and there camping, to shows, etc. We've had incredibly good experiences with it, meeting many people, exploring, prospecting, you name it. I love to pull it behind us and have our own home that is highly manuverable, can go on fairly bad dirt roads and can be used as a fully equipped base camp with sat internet, AC, toilet, etc. So, if you have the skills to modify a trailer I can't recommend it strongly enough. My friends with 40' motorhomes tell me I should buy one like theirs and I could, but the Stealth trailer is our preference. |
OK, we use a 1000 watt Honda to charge batteries and provide general power and a tongue mounted [inside a cover for security] 3000 watt Honda for the AC and microwave. There are storage compartments under the floor made from a cut in half, long ways, truck bed storage box for food, ammo, tools, etc. Bunks are 3/4 plywood with aluminum channel fold out legs on the outside and are clipped to the Etrackvia a hinge on the inside. Hers is smaller than mine. Matterees were made at a mattress store fron two pillow top pads back to back and covered and I sleep better on them that at home. Sleeping bags, pillows and mattresses are stowed up high with ATV type adjustable tie downs hooked into holes in aluminum alngle screwed to the ceiling. There are several TV cameras on the outside and security lights too. On the down side, this project wouldn't be suitable for more than two people just because we designed it for two people. It could be used for more folks if most slept outside, the bathroom would probably work for more if there was discipline in cleaning up, etc, food prep would need to be done outside for that many people. It would make a good focus point and then structure living accomodations of tents, etc around it. The older or sick could benefit from the better shelter. 6 people is a lot and will need a lot of supplies. Folding up the bunks gives more than 60% of the floor area and we have nets as well on the ceiling that add a lot of storage. I designed a hitch and platform for the back that can carry a lot as well. But when heavy in the back, the trailer is unstable over about 60 MPH, but that shouldn't be a problem bugging out. That's all I can think of now, have to get back to work. |
 It is a nifty trailer, but it's going to be a pain in reverse. Being short and only single axle will make it easy to squeeze in and out of tight spaces, and light enough to move short distances by hand. I currently have three tandum trailers, and yes one does in fact have a cowbell.  Still saving for a MG.
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google "teardrop trailers" - they're relatively inexpensive, small enough to be easy to tow by Jeeps or smaller SUVs and yet provide at least enough room inside to sleep a couple or couple plus 2 children. They have enough storage for all the basics for about 1 week. If your BOV carried more fuel and food, and your BOB had more besides, one could easily stretch food/fuel/water, etc. to 1 month. |
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I know a guy who has an older teardrop and he pulls it all over the US with his wife. I see a lot of new ones at dealers but haven't seen many on the road. Maybe they are trying to be stealthy and are traveling at night with NV.  The smaller ones could be pulled by a larger ATV to get into a more secure location and the low profile would make one easier to conceal. In any case they could keep you alive in harsh condx. |
I need to find one of them women who can pull a trailer. Mine is way too old for that.
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Here's mine. It's a 13' Bigfoot. Made of fiberglass, so it's both light and strong. Sleeps 4, has a Sink, Stove, Heater and Frige. No toilet, but we have a porta-potty Weighs around 1000lbs empty, so even my Jeep Wrangler could tow it in an emergency. Lot's of storage too. I'm looking for a 16' now as my wife wants a regular bathroom. 
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ok for starters could you tell me a little more about your toilet room/holding tank setup and possibly link me to your electical system thread? thanks |
Here's the elect thread: www.ar15.com/forums/topic.html?b=10&f=17&t=585317 And for the toilet room: Choose location for toilet room, mine is directly across from the man door on the port side of the trailer and measures [I'm not there to measure it] about 32 inches wide by about 4 feet long. As you sit on the toilet you face to the front of the trailer. In this room, to the front right is a 4 or 5 drawer plastic storage cabinet [WMart] about 12" by 16" mounted so the drawers pull to the port side of trailer. I have not found it necessary to use the drawer retaine I made for it. Above that cabinet are brackets for 2 frying pans. In the front center of the toilet room is a 6" or so shelf bracket to hang cloches, coats, etc on. On the wall to the left of the room are several elastic net pouches like the ones in Cabelas boating dept for storing reading mayterial, meds, toothbrushes, etc. Above the net pouches is a plastic tool holder clip dodad that you can snap toothbrushes, etc into. Mounted to the rear port side, down low, is an accumulator for the water pump and a pressure gage and several ball valves for various functions. There is a Fantastic fan in the ceiling of the room for a fart fan and for general purpose ventilation. It is variable speed with auto closure for rain and their other features. [There is an unpowered vent in the rear starboard part of the trailer, immediately above my head  when sleeping for cross ventilation.]Fan switch is on the outside wall over the heater and next to the accordion BR door. We use the fan all the time for getting rid of cooking odors and cross venting at night. Very important to get this. There is a medicine cabinet mounted above the toilet on the rear wall of the room. It has a hinged PVC tube with a notch cut into it that captures the mirror's door to prevent it from opening during travel. Next to the right side of the med cabinet it a bracket to hold a youth model 20 ga 870 shotgun in a gun case that can be covered with a towel if guests are around. The trailer is a 2 axle tandem and weighs about 3900 to 4200 #. It is insulated well on all surfaces and the floor is sealed with that rubber membrane with sticky stuff sold at HD laid on the frame, then good pink insulation and then plywood floor replaced. To the starboard side of the toilet room is a place for a broom and dustpan, and the aluminuim tubing stack for the catalytic vented propane heater. The door to the BR is an accordian lightweight type sold at HD. There is a threshold under it. There is that white thin plastic, melamine I think, on the floor. All the available space is used, that's part of the challenge and fun. How to make: As mentioned choose a toilet location and room location based on your holding tank dimentions and trailer cross menbers. Get a plastic RV toilet, about $80. Buy an appropriate RV holding tank or improvise a tank, mine was from an RV supply catalog and measured about 9", 3' by 3' [best I can remember] and holds about 8 gallons. Secure the toilet to the floor using a standard toilet ring and using plastic adapters and a seal from an RV catalog, plumb the toilet into the tank. I would have to look at my installation, its been 3 years. Vent the tank using 3/4 inch PVC from a sealed hole in the tank, thru the floor, up the BR wall, thru the roof. 3/4 inch works fine. Secure tank under trailer with several metal bands padded with plywood or hard insulaion or vinyl tubing ober the bands. Not in this sequence but cut a hole as low in the side of the tank on the starboard side as you can and install a standard RV 3" slide valve using appropriate fittings. Using a Fernco 4" hose adapter, connect the valve to a 12 VDC macerator pump. Plumb the output of the macerator pump to the port side of the trailer with 1" braided vinyl tubing and using electrical conduit clips/supports to hold a standard ballvalve with a hose adapter on the outside, connect the tubing to the ball valve with a barbed nipple. The pump mounts transversly between crossmembers. I.e. the pumps ouput fitting is pointing to starboard. Connect the pump to 12VDC thru a fuse or CB, safety interlock, and momentary PB switch. You don't want that pump coming on unexpectedly.  Support pump with vibration isolators and fabricated mtg bracket with a slight downward slope to assist clearing the holding tank. Provide a trap door thru the trailer floor to access the slide valve and pump for service. Build the entire system on the bench first to get every thing worked out and fitted, if you try to do it on the tralier, well forget it. Choose the tank, pump, etc road clearance about the same as the bottom of the axle. Flushing. You don't flush in the conventional way or the holding tank would be full after the ladies hit the toilet a few times. We can go about 4 or 5 days with a technique of placing a sheet of TP on the bottom of the bowl, above the toilet slide/foot valve and taking a dump on it. Then using a hoseless pump up sprayer from WMart with the nozzle modified for a good strong stream, and pumped up well, hose the crap down from the sides of the bowl and wet the paper too. Don't forget to rinse under the seat and behind the lid if you've dining Mexican.  Then press the foot valve and dump the crap into the tank, washing up the bowl in the process. Very satisfying process.  Works beautifully, uses very little water and your holding tank lasts a ling time. To dump the HTank, access the slide valve before the pump and open it, open the ball valve on the outside of the trailer, connect a short length of garden hose to fiting on ball valve and run it to a sewer at dump station or be creative, I never am. Have your SO hold the hose while you press the pump red buttion. The tank will be emptied in about 15 seconds.  If there is no dump station or you don't feel like going to one, take one of your 6 gallon water containers, have your SO hold the hose in it with the opening covered with a rag and let'er rip. Dump the container later or leave it on the camp attend... Never mind. Questions? |
Wow, thats a steep ass hill! You must have some serious ponies under the hood!  Here's mine - admittedly purchased more for family trips and recreation, it works well as a contingency for many scenarios.  It tows easily behind our Armada - the truck can tow 9,000 pounds, trailer GVWR is about 5,600 - power to spare. I resisted the urge to post a pic containing a randome firearm lying around somewhere, per Arfcom rules - I will work on taking a shot of one and we can play "find Waldo" with it    It has 3 fold down bunks (1 queen, 2 full). Granted, you loose a little security with the tent sides, but the bunks don't take up any footprint in the trailer so you maximize floor space. In a real bind, or high risk area, you can sleep on the fold out couch, or the table becomes a bed as well. If you had to sleep with the beds up, my 4 kids could sleep on the couch & table and theres plenty of room for the wife and I on the floor.   Some inside shots. Go ahead and make fun of my SHTF decor The camper has all the necessities for comfortable trips for the wife and young kids. My older kids are getting old enough to take on backpacking trips and they enjoy "roughing it" too. The genny can run the entire camper (to include AC if you want), and the propane tanks (2x20 lb) will run the furnace for about a 1.5 week trip in TN in Feb and we keep 2 spares on hand as well. The camper also has a large water storage tank to help augment SHTF supplies, and I keep a water filter for any line flowing into the trailer. |
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I have pretty much the same plans as the OP. I just havent' gotten around to it. I was telling Halffast on our atv campout my plans to build my own camper/toy hauler instead of buying one. This is my current camper (buy used it's a ton cheaper) its good for just camping but i can build a toy hauler/camper a lot cheaper than i can buy a used one. 
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How about one of these? Campa All Terrain Trailer (detailed photos ). I'd probably remove the tent from on top but other than that I like the layout they came up with. |
Beg to differ, Ford. A real toilet and even AC would make a bug out a hell of a lot more bearable for everyone - me mainly because I won't have to hear the family bitching about the heat and pooping behind a tree. And really, I'm not 18 any more, so I won't mind the conveniences either. Think how hot and sweaty everyone was after Katrina. Having AC at night would make for much better sleep so you're more alert during the day, and even if the AC can't be powered, a clean crapper is always better for sanitation (and morale). Add in some extra water for a sink bath and you'd be the cleanest, happiest, freshest smelling family in hurricane land. Of course you'd probably want to still look dirty, so the zombies don't notice you.
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After the Problems Ford has had with their latest Diesel offerings I would strongly advise you NOT to get a PSD :0 Cummins or Duramax is the way to go. Anyone here actually build their own Travel Trailer using a equipment trailer as the base? I'm thinking about it. |
Oh come on, trying to put a fellow ARFCOMer out of a job? Get the Super Duty man! Back on topic tho, I've been considering a stealth type trailer myself. I'd really be intrested to see any other ideas. Keep em coming. |
thanks for the info!!! but all it did is make me want to see the inside of your rig more. maybe you could post or email me pics of just the inside so your trailer can remain stealthy since it can only be recognized by the outside? 
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