Conversion of trailers for a cottage on wheels. DIY home on wheels: design photos, a step-by-step process of work. The advantages of making a caravan trailer with your own hands

Those who like to go out of town by car with an overnight stay know that it is not convenient to sleep in the car, so you need to take a caravan trailer with you. This is a house on wheels, you can spend the night in it, cook food, perfectly protect yourself from rain and snow. There you can put a large bed and have a great time. The dacha trailer itself is very convenient.

There are many manufacturers who produce different mobile homes. But they are quite expensive, sometimes even b. at. caravan trailers also cost a lot of money. Therefore, many craftsmen make a dacha trailer with their own hands, inventing their own design. For each individual case, its own type of trailer-cottage.

The advantages of making a caravan trailer with your own hands

Unlike factory caravan trailers, homemade options have their advantages:

When you make a trailer-dacha with your own hands, then the soul of the one who made it is felt in it, therefore it is more comfortable in it.
By making a caravan trailer yourself, you can make it as convenient as possible for yourself.
The main plus is the low cost of production, and the functionality can be maximized.
The design is made taking into account the capabilities of the car.

Inexpensive trailer-cottage option

The simplest and most inexpensive is the tent trailer. When folded, it looks like a simple light trailer, and when folded down, a tent roof appears above the trailer and a little further from it.

To make such a camper, you need to buy a factory trailer, install fasteners for the base of the tent on it, and also make a folding porch so that you can enter the premises. The main thing here is to make sure that the tent fits to the trailer in size.

In order to equip the intra-tent space, you will need air mattresses and a folding table. This is quite enough for fishermen who went fishing with an overnight stay. 2-3 people can easily sleep in such a tent. But it will be cold in winter, so such a caravan trailer is suitable only for the warm season.

Capsule trailer

The base also contains an ordinary light trailer, but the result is a more solid dwelling. These will already be full-fledged walls with a roof. You can even live in such a trailer-dacha for some time. Several windows can be made for convenience. The tent should contain all the necessary household items such as a gas stove, dishes and other accessories.

To make such a capsule, the sides of the trailer must be removed. Make guides from a metal corner and weld them to the trailer. Next, you need to make a frame and fix it.

In order for the capsule to have a rounded shape, it must be cut out of special moisture-resistant plywood. In the upper part, you can make a flooring, put doors on the hinges, windows can be made of polycarbonate or plexiglass.

All parts must be sanded, then painted and varnished. This capsule can easily fit 2 people.

Wooden caravan trailer

If you have a two-axle trailer, you can build a wooden house on its basis. For everything to go smoothly, you need a wooden beam, plywood, metal tiles, a waterproofing film. A frame is first made of a wooden bar. Next is a video where a guy makes a dacha trailer with his own hands:

Then everything needs to be done according to plan:

Cover the frame with a waterproofing film and sew up with plywood.
The roof must be made of metal, you can also use corrugated board or ondulin.
The walls of the house must be covered with a layer of waterproofing, after which the house is finished with clapboard or plastic siding.
Put up the door, cut out the windows and furnish the interior to your liking.

This is already a large caravan trailer, which can easily accommodate several people and even a family. You can live in such a dacha from spring to late autumn. It will still be cold in it in winter.

Auto-dacha from the station wagon body

If there is an old station wagon car, then it is not necessary to rent it for scrap, you can make a caravan trailer out of it. The main thing is that the back of this station wagon is in good condition. It is necessary to cut off the front part of the unnecessary car, and make a trailer from the rear part.

First you need to make measurements of the future trailer so that the length is suitable in order to fit comfortably into it. If everything is done correctly, you will end up with a multifunctional trailer in which you can spend the night.

The front part must be reinforced around the perimeter with a rigid frame made of a steel corner, and the front part must also be sewn up with a sheet of iron, nakranyak, or plywood.

In front, in the lower part, you can install a towing hitch, usually it is made from a channel. The door to enter will be the trunk lid, and the side doors can be used for loading things.

So you can even make a dacha trailer yourself with your own hands, the main thing is that there is imagination and a desire to create something so unusual. A mobile home is very convenient, you can always leave the bustle of the city for nature and live in fairly comfortable conditions.

The only problem is that it is possible that the registration authority will not want to register such a trailer, because it seems to them that it will not comply with the safety standards on the road. Therefore, the easiest way is to take a used caravan trailer and remake it, while keeping the documents.

avto-cool.com

Own mobile cottage-home on wheels

In Western Europe and the United States, life, travel or vacation in the company of mobile homes has long been widespread. The owners of such houses are not chasing large dimensions. The trend is precisely small mobile homes, but multifunctional so much that they are able to independently filter their water, generate electricity and heating using solar panels on the roof and use every centimeter of space in such a way that a two-story van with a base area of 14 square meters looks quite complete dwelling.

Who is the adherent of life on wheels in a mobile home?

In the west, there is no pronounced preference, however:

young people more often use this method not for living, but for travel and recreation, since they traditionally gravitate towards the bustling life of the city and do not need solitude;
families with children growing up are already more tolerant of such a mobile home, because it is able to solve some financial problems, especially in times of crisis, unemployment and more than high prices for housing maintenance, as well as food;
active retirees - they are ideal consumers of mobile home style. Knowing how to drive, they travel with pleasure not only in their own country, but also in accessible foreign countries.

Caravan on wheels in Russia

The fashion to use mobile homes has recently come to Russia. The direction is developing very slowly. First of all, because of the cost, because if in the West a house on wheels is really affordable housing in relation to real estate prices, then in Russia such vans are more expensive than a good apartment. In addition, more than half of the country's population lives in a harsh winter, and insulated mobile homes often stand as 2 apartments.

Mobile homes are conventionally divided into classes that describe the category of roominess, interior content and comfort:

class A - looks like a bus and is closest to the usual housing;
class B - this includes a trailer fully equipped inside, the berth is located directly in the trailer itself;
class C - small-sized, designed for movement on the basis of an SUV or a passenger car, while the car's cabin is transformed into a berth.

The most budgetary option available today is a trailer tent that can be disassembled at the camping site directly around the trailer.

But, if exactly equipped trailer houses are not available for many, then a self-made cottage on wheels is more than a real option.

See also: The choice of sliding windows for glazing a terrace

DIY transforming house

A folding transforming house on wheels of a passenger car will be a structure of a panel house, from which one of the walls along the side can be folded back or removed. In this case, such a house becomes like a large gazebo. Interior amenities include a table, sofas or bed, gas stove and fixed water supply.

Whichever version of the trailer house you choose, your own mobile home on wheels will not only become a source of pride for the owners for their work, but will also give new opportunities to spend the weekend with the family. Indeed, in order to get into nature, it is not necessary to have your own piece of land. It is easy to travel and stay in the most attractive countryside locations.

How to make a mobile home with your own hands

The smallest, simplest and most affordable option is a single-axle trailer design. Taking into account the weight restrictions for light trailers in the Russian Federation up to 750 kg, it is necessary to choose a durable and lightweight material.

For this purpose, pine is well suited:

The frame is made of paving stones.
The walls are sheathed with plywood, the optimal sheet thickness is recommended at 1 centimeter.
Plywood sheets are also used for furniture - tables, beds and shelves.
The exterior will be overlapped galvanized steel sheets.

Alternatively, you can use another building material for the front cladding, the main thing is that it has sufficient strength and flexibility.

See also: Facing the facade of the house: which material is better to choose

Between the outer cladding and the frame, a layer of mineral wool, mineral slab or other insulating material should be placed in order to maintain the microclimate inside, especially in hot weather, when, due to the metal cladding, the structure can heat up above 50-60 degrees Celsius inside.

Do-it-yourself trailer-dacha - installation of a mobile house

Installation of the structure is carried out using self-tapping screws, weak points, such as outer corners, are reinforced with a metal corner.

Material protection includes:

antiseptic strengthening impregnation for wood material;
sealing of seams with silicone compound of the outer skin;
painting the front side.

The dimensions of the trailer can vary, the optimal one can be called 2.3-2.4 x 1.5-1.6 m.

Building a mobile home

The construction of the auto supply takes place in two ways - on the trailer itself, for this, its sides must be dismantled, or at a special stand, followed by installation on the trailer.

Windows are taken into account at the design stage and can be of different configurations - from sliding to folding.

Ventilation is provided by installing a mosquito net. Additionally, you can consider installing a hatch in the ceiling.

A more basic solution would be a mobile home trailer with a two-axle trailer base. The principle and method of manufacturing such a structure is similar to the construction for a trailer on one axle. Of course, more material will be required, so costs will increase proportionally.

Attention, only TODAY!

landshaftnik.com

Do-it-yourself mini camper trailer-dacha. Detailed plan

Designed for tourists and travelers alike, this project is an extreme weather protection structure, a small affordable self-contained home for the homeless or disaster-affected. The camper can be easily built from structural insulating panels (structural insulating panels) and from commonly available materials. Low cost and super insulated for year round use in extreme weather conditions. It is a mobile home that can be parked anywhere and be a disaster relief home. This small mobile home is also designed for people who play outdoor sports or are looking for adventure in extreme conditions. Due to its light weight, super insulation, this camper trailer is ideal for people who have kayaks, mountain bikes and other equipment they want to take with them.

This camper is designed for extreme weather conditions and is so well insulated that it can only be heated with body heat or a small heater designed for indoor use. With a white roof and vents, it will stay cool in the summer when parked under the trees.

Best of all, the camper is built on the basis of a 120x240 cm trailer, and the material costs for a camper do not exceed $ 1000, depending on the materials used.

Full step-by-step plans are available below.

These blueprints require basic building skills and you take full responsibility for any use of these plans.

1: What makes this camper so special?

Storage cabinets above the foot of the bed with space for a small LED TV or tablet, iPad with speakers or radio and DVD / CD player, or this space underneath can be used for drawers. All devices will be powered by a solar panel located on the front of the camper van.

The camper has a 100 cm by 205 cm bed, which is sufficient for two people and very comfortable for one person. Above the headboard, there are open storage shelves and two LED positioning lights for reading. Integrated fold-out table built into the wall by the bed for eating or studying.

The mobile home has a door for easy access and a porthole window, so you can see who is behind the door, but small enough that a person (or bear) cannot break and open the door. There is also a window on the opposite side for light and ventilation and a sloping deflector on the roof.

Typically, the walls of a small van are 5 cm thick with insulation and are not designed for extreme weather all year long. In this camper, the walls and roof are 10 cm thick, with thermal insulation (more than in most houses) and this will allow a person to stay warm in cold winters and cool in hot summers. In most cases, only body heat will provide comfort in the camper, but it can also be heated with a small propane heater. White roof to reflect heat, roof ventilation and side window vents for passive cooling. There is room in the outer walls to install a small air conditioner if desired, but if you are parking the camper in the shade of trees, there is no need for an air conditioner.

The camper has a cooking kitchen in the back, which includes a sink, chopping board, water canister, propane / butane single burner and space cooler. There is plenty of storage space for canned and dry food, pots and dishes.

You've probably seen other small campers and mobile homes, but you've never seen anything like it because it is made from SIP and has super insulation and strength while keeping towing weight to a minimum.

This caravan is designed for towing by small cars or trucks, the base of the trailer is 120 × 240 cm, so it can be parked even in a standard parking space. It has a super sturdy 10 cm thick roof with luggage rack and mounts for kayaks, mountain bikes, skis. The roof rack design is included in the blueprints or you could use commercial racks.

A mobile home is the dream of many travel lovers, since there is no binding to one place of rest, the need to book hotels and purchase tickets. It is both a home and a vehicle that allows you to travel anywhere with maximum comfort. The price of such a product on the market is high, so many are interested in how mobile homes are built with their own hands.

Varieties of mobile homes

It is much cheaper to make such a vehicle with your own hands from an old car or completely from scratch. In addition to the vehicle itself, it is necessary to prepare a different tool. Moreover, making a mobile home will require work experience, a lot of effort and free time.

Before investing money in such structures, you need to find out from the regulatory authorities the legality of the movement of such a vehicle in order to avoid any violations. Otherwise, traveling with him will not work.

A large mobile home can be made from a van, but the price is too high. Cheaper options can be made from:

bus;
gazelles;
an old but still sturdy trailer.

To build a mobile home, it is necessary, in addition to the vehicle, to make a plan for the future construction. Planning will make your caravan as comfortable as possible. It can be simply drawn on paper or designed on a computer.

Communication in the motorhome

If there is no electricity, gas or water in a mobile home, then it can hardly be called a comfortable journey. For the presence of electricity in it, batteries and chargers are used. How the electrical wiring will go in such a house must be planned and displayed in the drawing. You also need to think about where the external connector will be located for recharging the battery. They come in different capacities. It should be selected according to the expected range of travel and the load on the electrical network.

Gas cylinders are often used for cooking and heating the van. If you use electricity for this, then the financial costs will be much higher. When a mobile home is equipped with a kitchen, it is necessary to install an extractor hood with a ventilation system. This is especially important when using gas.

It is not recommended to independently install the gas system and the electrical network if there is no relevant experience. Such work should be done by professionals. If incorrectly installed, it could cause injury or death to the traveler.

Such a kitchen cannot be as comfortable as possible without a dedicated storage space for water. Usually, a special container with a pump is used to supply water to the tap. As a sewage system, they also use a container inside the room under the sink or outside. Sometimes such a motorhome is equipped with a shower. It will be difficult to make a bathroom in it, and a dry closet is used for this.

Furniture needs to be installed small and compact, since there will be little space in such a house. To save space, you can use folding beds, sliding tables and the like. Such structures must be well anchored to the walls to ensure safety while driving. Furniture for a motorhome can be bought ready-made in a store, but if there is a great desire to save money and learn something new, then you can easily make it yourself, taking into account the size of the room.

Sometimes car seats are used as a sofa and chairs. It is quite possible to equip a house on wheels from a trailer with your own hands. Before that, you need to prepare the room. Depending on which basis is taken - a minibus or a homemade trailer - the stages of work will differ.

Using the Gazelle and the old bus

It is necessary to start altering the minibus with a complete cleaning of the body from seats, trim and dirt. After that, you need to cut out all the holes for windows, ventilation, and so on.

The further sequence of actions will be as follows:

Leveling and cleaning all damaged surfaces. To do this, use a metal brush, hammer or special equipment for leveling dents. If necessary, then it is necessary to weld the places of corrosion where holes have formed. Then they are cleaned and primed to prevent further rust formation.
The interior is carefully insulated, including the floor and ceiling.
After the thermal insulation coating, it is necessary to sheathe everything with waterproof plywood.

After such work, you need to carry out gas, electricity, water supply, install a bathroom and furniture. To securely fix the furniture, it is necessary to pre-install thick plywood on the walls. Furniture needs to be attached to it. Alternatively, you can install reinforcing strips on the floor and fix the headset to them.

If such a house is made not from an old trailer, but from a gazelle or a bus, then the chassis must be brought into working order. Then such a structure will actually be mobile.

Trailer as the basis of the design

You can also make a motorhome with your own hands from a trailer, but there will be much more work here. First you need to clean the chassis from corrosion and other defects. Then all the holes, as in the minibus, need to be welded, cleaned and primed. This is followed by painting.

When the base is ready, you need to start building the floor, walls and roof. You need to act in the following sequence:

After these works, you can start installing gas equipment, wiring electricity, organizing a kitchen and toilet, as well as installing furniture. Then you should install the headlights, license plate and fenders. The trailer is ready for travel.

Before starting work, you need to think carefully about the possibility of performing them efficiently. They require special skills and a lot of tools. But in any case, you can make a trailer house on wheels with your own hands if you have a great desire to learn it.

Comfortable movement

Although such a structure is not intended for permanent residence, the need for comfort on the road and travel has not been canceled. Today, there are many techniques that can make living in a mobile home easier.

Indoor light

To ensure the availability of constant light and electricity, you can use a battery or accumulator, a charger, wires for electrical wiring, a control panel for supplying electricity.

Heating in the house

For these purposes, you can use several types of heaters. It is preferable to use a gas cylinder, as this will also enable cooking.

If the technology for installing gas supply is rather complicated, then you need to seek help from a specialist. DIY construction of such a vehicle is commendable, but the safety of its inhabitants must be considered first of all.

Water supply, kitchen and bathroom

Any home will not be comfortable if it does not have basic amenities such as a bathroom, a well-equipped kitchen, and the availability of water. At the planning stage, you need to think carefully about their location for maximum comfort. Do not forget about the automatic water supply system and tanks for it.

Furniture installation

When installing furniture, certain difficulties may arise, since it should be as compact as possible along the entire perimeter. Basically, they use folding furniture, which can be folded out if necessary. This saves a lot of space. You can buy it only to order, and it will not be cheap.

It is better to make at least 2-3 windows. Due to their large number, there will be no need to turn on the light during the day.

Legality of construction

If we talk about the legality of movement, then such a vehicle will not have any special status of a vehicle. A mobile home in the legal framework does not differ from a conventional trailer. All that is needed is the presence of headlights and dimensions on the back side, as well as a license plate.

An additional permit is required if such a trailer exceeds the dimensions:

4 meters high;
2.55 m wide;
10 meters long.

If the dimensions are larger, then such a vehicle can move according to special rules: the presence of flashing lights and police escort. You can make good money on such facilities by organizing a business. There are many options for such entrepreneurial activity.

Alternatively, you can make such houses to order for summer vacations and temporary residence in the country. This does not require large initial investments, since it is possible to produce small economical motorhomes without insulation.

Houses like this can be rented out. An entrepreneurial activity of this kind is new. The market value has not yet formed, and, accordingly, you can set your own price. The number of such facilities should be increased as the client base expands.

You can also make your own car park and use it as a hotel. An important factor here is their division into economy classes, medium and vip.

Making a camper with your own hands is not too difficult for an experienced craftsman. But the timing of such a construction can be very delayed due to the constant improvement of the design. In order not to get into such a situation, you should think over the interior in advance, abandoning obviously unnecessary elements. This is especially important when equipping small cars, for example, when creating a home on wheels from a GAZelle with your own hands.

A mobile home has undeniable advantages - comfort, coziness and mobility. Moscow is a bustling city from which you sometimes want to leave. Trailer owners do not have to look for a place to sleep, and travel becomes very economical. If earlier it was not possible to use this original housing, you should first familiarize yourself with their classification.

Types of motorhomes and their classification

When choosing the type of future mobile housing, you can be guided by its division by:

mind - there are trailed, van or combined with a car caravans;
class - there are three comfort classes of motorhomes;
type of trailer - there are trailers-trailers, hybrid and fifth-wheel trailers.

If everything is clear with the trailed view of a mobile home, then the difference between a van and a combined caravan is not immediately visible. In the first embodiment, the living space is located in the van of the car and is separated from the driver's seat.

This option is suitable when traveling together, when no one stays in the "house" during the travels. Thanks to this design, it is possible to fit more functional furniture using a blank front wall.

Motorhomes converted from GAZelles or minibuses are exactly combined.

The comfort class can be called conditional. Thus, class “A” mobile homes include spacious trailers made on the chassis of large trucks. Outwardly, they resemble a bus, they can have folding structures, but inside they do not differ in functionality from a small-sized apartment.

It should be borne in mind that the driver must have a category "C" license to drive this vehicle.

There is much less space in it, but it is still convenient to travel in them. What is important - you can drive such a car with a category B license if the weight of the car or the total weight of the car with a trailer does not exceed 3.5 tons.

Class "C" indicates the simplest motorhomes. It can be a small trailer or a minibus converted into a camper. There is no separate sleeping place - its function is performed by folding sofas or armchairs. But by equipping such a mini camper with a roof rack, a folding canopy and a set of camping furniture, you can get a comfortable stay with a minimum of costs.

Such construction trailers are also called hybrid trailers to distinguish them from simple trailers. Separately, it is necessary to note the Fiveswil trailers, the shape of which is designed for use in conjunction with pickups. Thanks to this, it is possible to reduce the length of the entire caravan, because part of the trailer hangs over the body of the car.

Mistakes when building mobile homes with your own hands

The prices for mobile homes are noticeably biting. Not surprisingly, the desire of the skilled heads of families to save the budget and do everything yourself. It is important to be wise and learn from other people's mistakes:

you should not do everything from scrap materials - you will have to live in the house for at least a week and you want to spend your vacation in comfort;

serious revision of the body, heating system, wiring will be required - you cannot do without the skills of an auto mechanic;

if you still managed to fit a shower and toilet, do not forget about the drain tank - pouring dirty water onto the asphalt or lawn is extremely unethical;
it is better not to forget to make a connector for connecting 220V at camping sites, well, and a converter for 12V from a car battery.

Making a trailer in-house

If difficulties do not frighten, and the desire for action is unstoppable, you can try your hand at building a house. And to remake a GAZelle or build a trailer-trailer from scratch - the choice is strictly individual!

DIY GAZelle mobile home

To work you will need a grinder, a welding machine, a hand saw for wood and a lot of patience. The step-by-step modernization of the car looks like this:

The seats are removed from the passenger compartment, the old trim is removed. All metal parts are treated with a special solution to prevent rust. The walls and ceiling are insulated with polyethylene foam, plywood sheets are laid on the floor. All wiring runs under the floor and wall cladding, this should be thought out in advance.

A frame for furniture is welded directly into the body. If it is impossible to set the car straight, you can use a pipe resting its ends against the lower edge of the window openings as a level. After rough welding, the frame is removed and everything is welded, cleaned and again brought inside.

Window openings are pasted over with Carpet. Carpet-pasted ceiling panels are also installed. After finishing the interior trim, you can fix the slats under the mezzanine and mount the furniture frames.

For the front seats, you can make a swivel mechanism. To do this, you will need a front hub, for example, from a VAZ and part of a swivel rack. The circuit is pretty simple.

The final stage is the installation of the furniture on the frame, connecting the lighting, installing the pump for the kitchen sink, lining the mezzanine and making minor improvements to the interior. For cooking, you can put a small gas stove on one burner.

Instead of welding the furniture frame, you can use ready-made headsets, reinforcing them from the inside with corners and additional screws. You also need to fix the kitchen to everything - the floor, sofa, wall. This is to protect furniture from loosening when driving on bumpy roads.

It should not be forgotten that such a modification of the car requires registration with the REO. To do this, you need to write a statement and receive a resolution from the technical department of the traffic police and the protocol of an authorized organization.

Stylish plywood trailer house

If the car has a towbar, it is a sin not to take advantage of the situation and not make a nice "drop" trailer for spending the night outside the city. For this:

The side walls of the future van are cut and attached to the base. All openings for doors and windows, as well as for lightening the frame, must be cut out in advance, so it is better to think over the drawing well.

Shelves are assembled from the furniture board and installed on the base. The same shelves will serve as the front and rear walls of the van.

In the shape of the van, a plywood sheet is bent over the shelves on both sides, and a load-bearing frame made of timber is fixed on top. One side is lifted, giving access to the kitchen.

The top hatch and skylight are cut out. The entire frame is insulated, the wiring is laid.

Everything is glued on top with veneer sheets. When the door and window openings have been cut, you can proceed to the exterior painting and varnishing.

Doors, top hatch and supply and exhaust ventilation are installed. After securing all the fittings, side lights and wheel fenders, you can safely go on a journey!

And the video shows a detailed assembly of the motorhome with the installation of solar panels:

For lovers of outdoor recreation and passionate auto travelers, a trailer-dacha becomes an indispensable item. In the mobile home you can prepare meals and sleep comfortably. Neither rain nor slush will interfere with a pleasant pastime.

However, factory autocampers are not available to everyone. They are distinguished by their high cost, even in a second-hand version. Therefore, savvy motorists have to invent their own convenient designs. Depending on the type of recreation, various options for caravan trailers are made.

The advantages of homemade designs

First, the design and manufacture is done with passion. This makes the homemade camper feel warm and cozy.
Secondly, the construction of a mobile home is carried out taking into account all the requirements of the car owner, his family or friends.
An important advantage of self-made cottage trailers is the low manufacturing cost with maximum functionality.
And, finally, the design is made taking into account the technical capabilities of the beloved car.

Budget option for folding camper

One of the simplest and most affordable examples of a homemade camper is a tent trailer. When folded, it looks like a regular light trailer. But in the unfolded state, an awning roof appears not only over the trailer, but also over the adjacent territory.

This homemade camper is based on a standard factory caravan. The revision will concern the fasteners of the base of the tent, as well as the manufacture of a folding porch for the entrance to the "living quarters" will be required. It is also important to choose the right tent model for your trailer.

As for the inner filling of the tent house, you will need a folding table and inflatable mattresses for it. Such minimal comfort and coziness is suitable for anglers when going out into the countryside with an overnight stay. This tent is able to provide shelter for 2-3 travelers during the warm season.

Trailer - "capsule"

On the basis of a conventional light trailer, you can make a more solid structure than a tent structure. Capital walls and a roof will reliably hide vacationers from the night breath of wildlife. The number of windows and doors is determined by both the external design and the convenience for family members. Kitchen utensils are easily hidden under the hinged back cover:

gas stove and cylinder,
cutlery,
dishes, etc.

When making a "capsule", the sides of the trailer are removed. Guides from a metal corner are welded to the platform. With the help of crossbars from the corner, the frame is strengthened.

The rounded shape of the capsule is formed by the installation of the side walls. They can be cut from a sheet of moisture resistant plywood. Make a flooring on top. The doors are attached with hinges, and the windows are made of plexiglass or polycarbonate.

The entire structure is carefully processed with sandpaper and protective paints and varnishes. The sleeping compartment comfortably accommodates two adult travelers.

Wooden mobile home

If you have a two-axle car trailer, you can make a real wooden house. For the construction, you will need a wooden beam, sheet plywood, a waterproof and vapor barrier film, ondulin or metal tiles.

First, on the platform of a two-axle trailer, the frame of the future house is made from a wooden bar.
Further, the frame is covered with a vapor barrier material and sewn up with plywood.
The roof is erected from ondulin, corrugated board or metal tiles.
Then the walls of the house are covered with a waterproofing layer. Next, the house is finished with wooden clapboard or plastic siding.
It remains to install the door and windows, and then proceed with the arrangement of the interior space.

Such a trailer-dacha will fit a friendly and cheerful company or a full-fledged family. You can relax in nature in such a dwelling from spring to late autumn. It is only important to choose a vehicle that will move the "dacha" without any problems.

Station wagon camper

An interesting option for a caravan trailer is to use the body of an old or emergency station wagon. It is important that the rear of the machine is in good condition. The idea is to cut off the front part of the "decommissioned" car, and make a trailer from the rear compartment.

Before picking up the tool, you should carefully measure the dimensions of the future trailer. You should be especially careful about the length of the auto camper. The main thing is that the sleeping places correspond to the growth of the owner and his companions. Removing the floor bulge and upgrading the luggage compartment can create a multi-purpose trailer. It will be convenient to transport bulky items in it, as well as to get a lodging for the night.

The front of the trailer must be reinforced around the perimeter with a rigid steel frame made of a steel corner and sewn up with a sheet of iron or plywood. In the lower part of the trailer, a towing hitch is mounted, welded from a channel. The main door for entering the mini camper will be the trunk lid. Side doors are used when loading long items.

It is quite possible to make a caravan trailer with your own hands. Savvy and imagination, as well as accurate calculation and perseverance lead to the emergence of new masterpieces among campervans. They are roomy and cozy, comfortable and multifunctional, extravagant and compact. Only one fly in the ointment can spoil the greatness of the design in the face of the registration authority, which refuses to register the invention. From this point of view, it is easier to modernize a used caravan trailer while retaining its documents.

Is it difficult to build a mobile home on the basis of a conventional car trailer? What materials can this trailer-house-cottage be built from? What are its minimum dimensions? What interior layout will allow the most efficient use of the interior space? Let's try to find answers to this list of questions.

Goals

A small country cottage is probably the most widespread hobby in the post-Soviet space over the past half century. The area of cities is growing every year, and areas are naturally moving away from the center of settlements. Distances are sometimes measured in tens of kilometers; the most comfortable way to overcome them is to drive your own car.

At the same time, not all summer residents are ready to turn a small plot into a place of permanent residence. The maximum that an average city family can decide on is to spend the night on their site once a week. To build a capital house for this overnight stay is a dubious undertaking; sleeping in a car is very uncomfortable ...

For summer residents who have basic skills in working with a power tool, homemade caravan trailers are often the way out.

We have to study one of these structures, having got acquainted with the materials used and design solutions.

Acknowledgments: The photographs used in this article were kindly uploaded by one of the regulars on the League of Caravaners.
The author's work has been reduced only to explaining some technical subtleties.

Choice of materials

In most cases, a single-axle trailer with a maximum load of no more than a ton becomes the basis on which a compact caravan-caravan is built. Taking into account the weight of household items and a couple of people, our choice is a dacha trailer weighing up to 750 kg.

The weight limitation affects the choice of material.

We will make the frame of the building from a pine bar with a cross section of 50 mm.
The walls are made of 10 mm plywood (moisture resistant or impregnated, which reduces the hygroscopicity of the material and prevents it from rotting); the floor is 12 mm. It is also used for construction inside.
Outer cladding - galvanized steel. Sheets are hemmed to the frame bar with self-tapping screws; the overlaps are additionally sealed with silicone sealant. The outer corners are reinforced with an aluminum corner - again sealed with silicone.

What to choose as insulation, laid between the inner and outer layers of plywood - we leave it to the reader to decide. Here is the comparative thermal conductivity of popular heaters:

Nuance: glass wool will inevitably cake over time.
It is better to use tough insulation.

Dimensions (edit)

A reasonable minimum of the size of the trailer required for our purposes is 2300x1600 mm. Such dimensions will allow you to build a fairly comfortable sleeping place for two people inside and leave some space for a table under the washbasin and / or a gas stove.

A two-axle caravan trailer will provide much more comfort; however, the price of such a trailer will be twice or three times more. Its dimensions (up to 4.5 meters in length) allow you to build a full-fledged and toilet room.

A reasonable minimum building height is generally 2 meters. The height can be adjusted depending on the size of the owners: it is clear that a very tall person does not want to constantly cling to the ceiling with the crown of his head.

Construction

So let's get started. How is a dacha built from a trailer with your own hands?

Floor, bottom rail

The sides are completely dismantled. Only a flat area remains from the trailer. If the horizontal base is sufficiently rigid, the floor joists and harness can be attached directly to it; It is better to weld a thin flexible sheet with a frame made of a professional pipe with a section of 50x25 mm.
Then the lower strapping of a bar, laid along the perimeter, is fixed to the base with bolts; the side bars are connected with logs with a pitch of 20 cm (for 12 mm plywood).

Alternatively, the entire structure can be assembled at the stand and only then pulled to the base of the trailer.

The lags are attached to the strapping with a galvanized corner; the bar must be impregnated with hot linseed oil twice.

Tip: instead of drying oil heated in a water bath, you can use cold oil.
In this case, after applying each layer, the bar is warmed up with a building hairdryer.

Insulation is laid between the lags; then the floor is covered with plywood, which is attracted by self-tapping screws.

Frame

The instructions for assembling the frame are no different from the construction of the lower strapping: the bar is connected by corners with self-tapping screws. Before or after assembly, the tree is impregnated with linseed oil. Do not be afraid that the frame will not be rigid enough: the sheathing will give the structure strength.

Sheathing, insulation

The finished frame begins to be sheathed from the inside. Plywood is attracted by self-tapping screws 32 mm long in increments of about 25 cm. Self-tapping screws are only galvanized: in wet weather, black steel will inevitably decorate the walls with untidy rusty streaks.

Three nuances:

Holes for self-tapping screws are pre-drilled and countersunk so that the hats do not cling to clothes. An alternative is the use of self-tapping screws with half-countersunk heads.

Plywood from the inside must be sanded before varnishing and after applying the first layer. Any moisture will raise pile on the top veneer layer, which will make the surface rough.
The volume of work will be quite large, so it is better to use a grinder - even the simplest, vibration one. If there is no electricity where you are building, there is always a way out: renting a diesel generator for a summer residence costs from 1000 rubles a day.
The outer side and ends of plywood also need protective impregnation. And in this case, the cheapest and most practical option is two layers of hot drying oil.
The insulation is fixed in the grooves formed by the frame and the inner lining, after which it is sheathed on the outside with plywood rolled on both sides.

The door is assembled similarly to the walls and hung on galvanized hinges; a regular door lock or a pair of latches are used as a lock - inside and outside.

The last stage is the external galvanized finish. It is fixed with self-tapping screws 25 mm long in 10 cm increments along all the frame bars; then the corners are closed with a corner. Do not forget about the sealant: it will protect the corners and joints from water leakage.

In the photo - the cladding ready for painting.

Window

If you want your miniature home to have light windows, no problem.

The opening is provided at the stage of the construction of the frame. It is girded with a bar with a section of the same 50x50 mm.
As an outer glazing bead, a duralumin corner is used, which is screwed flush with the outer skin with self-tapping screws. The seat for the corner is pre-coated with sealant.
A piece of plexiglass cut to the size of the opening sits on the sealant and is fixed from the inside with a glazing bead from the same duralumin corner.

Internal layout

Our choice is a convertible seat bed and a folding table. The transformation mechanism will make the pictures understandable.

Useful little things

An alternative to galvanized plywood - external sheathing made of profiled sheet... In a similar scheme, country houses are often built from block containers.
Do-it-yourself cottage trailer repair usually comes down to periodic painting of galvanized... Old paint can be removed with removers. In those few cases when the wheels, fenders or suspension of the trailer are damaged, spare parts for the caravan are bought at the nearest auto shop.

The easiest way to organize ventilation is to provide a pair of hatches closed with a mosquito net (bottom and top) in the door.