By Cheri Sicard
In the video above, we join Mondo from the financial YouTube channel Life Under the Sun for a tour of a unique cargo trailer conversion. In it, a humble, ordinary, boxy cargo trailer gets transformed into an amazing toy hauler RV!
Lately, I have been noticing more and more cargo trailer conversions on the road. If you have any kind of building skills, they make a lot of sense. The trailers are inexpensive to pick up and are usually sturdily built.
In this video, Mondo takes you on a tour of his custom-built cargo trailer conversion along with insights into what he did right in the build, along with some that, in hindsight, he can see he did wrong.
Before beginning his project, Mondo did a lot of research into what was commercially available. He also wanted to make sure that his cargo trailer could serve different purposes at different times, from being a mobile family home-away-from home to hauling cargo, its original purpose.
Poor quality in the industry was another factor that drove Mondo to build his own RV as opposed to buying one. He also wanted to have an RV that he could repair himself with materials he could pick up at any big box hardware store.
For anyone considering such a project themselves, this will prove a valuable video to watch with lots of useful information including:
- Typical cargo trailer sizes
- Which trailers do (and do not) come with trailer brakes
- Pros and cons of various cargo trailer sizes
- Pros and cons of single versus double axle trailers
- Steel versus aluminum trailers
- To paint or not, and why
- Rear entry options
- Window and doors
- Innovative changeable bunk bed system
- Instead of building cabinets, he found he could buy storage solutions cheaper
Mondo originally planned to put in a kitchen sink and a bathroom, but as the family is almost always at their favorite beach surf spots, they found they really did not need these amenities.
Mondo says he made some mistakes in the build that he would do differently if he were to do it again.
- He spent a lot of time and money on the trailer’s electrical system. He said a cheaper, easier alternative would be to simply use portable power stations such as this one.
- He put a lot of effort into insulating the trailer, but this was rendered useless by his choice of a full wall back door/ramp.
At point 9:20 in the video, Mondo shares details of his cost breakdown for the build.
So, what are your thoughts on this DIY cargo trailer conversion? Share them in the comments below.
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This guy did it right, and his explanations were easy to follow and understand. I’m always impressed by these conversions, though they aren’t for me. We have a two-axle enclosed trailer that we haul our Polaris RZR in when we take it along. Wifey tows it. When we get where we’re going and unload the RZR, we generally leave the garage open (not at night!) and put our lawn chairs inside. Open the side door and we have breeze. No sun on our heads either. It’s a 14-footer and can carry extra stuff (gas, water, etc) that we ordinarily don’t carry in our trailer or the truck.
Thank you, Cheri! 🙂 Amazing creativity, insight, and skill to create this from a stock trailer. As Tommy said, “always impressed by these conversions, though they aren’t for me.” Still fascinating to see. Thank you for finding and sharing, Cheri! 🙂 Safe travels! 🙂
i have a cargo trailer thats just being used for storage. i may look into this