We Converted a Semi Trailer Into A Sleeping Trailer! | Episode 1
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- Опубликовано: 20 май 2024
- Follow along as David and the team transform a 53' trailer into a sleeping trailer for hurricane deployment!
In this episode, David lays out the plan for turning an empty trailer into a sleeping trailer and how each system will work together to create the final product.
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Timestamps
0:00 Intro
0:15 Series Introduction
0:52 Types of Trailers
2:59 Structure of the Trailer
3:27 The Plan for the Trailer
4:14 Inside an Empty Trailer
6:41 Inside a Completed Trailer
7:09 Systems Overview
12:11 Final Thoughts
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#rv #trailer #tinyhouse #containerhome
![Minecraft but Players Can Upgrade [FULL MOVIE]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/QRRgLJs4ZPk/mqdefault.jpg)
Check out Episode 3! ruclips.net/video/i2MlpvgpTmY/видео.html
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Random RUclips recommendation got me here! Let's see where this build goes!
Same bruh I’m invested now
Extremely well explained. Its a pleasure to listen to someone who knows his work. Well done brother !!!
thank you -- I appreciate it -- I watch them back and I know the presentation could be better -- I hope I'm getting better.
This machine has been SO well thought out. Great craftsmanship and utility!
Thanks for watching and commenting! We’re glad you liked this video and hope you’ll enjoy the future videos in this series!
Cant wait to see more. Im in the bus conversion scene and have often thought about how much more flexible a semi trailer would be. Cant wait to see more.
Cool. I too converted an old mci bus. It’s a lot of fun. The buses are more interesting. Lots of radius work on those units. Especially the old ones. I believe the one I did was 70s model mci7
That is a nice setup. One way to think outside the box. It’s something I may entertain the idea of doing
Something you may want to consider as the donor trailer..... old mobile medical trailers. Especially the Pet / Cat Scan trailers they have slideouts.
Funny you mention those. I have bid on a couple in the past. Never been the “right” bidder. But yes excellent idea.
Can’t wait to see the finished product fellas!
Imagine a 1000 (or more) of these arriving in Tennesee and providing the people who lost their homes a place to live while they rebuild their lives.
But... who would pay for it
Glad I subscribed at the right time. Looking forward to your build
I came here from tiktok. I can’t wait see see this process
Thanks for taking the time to make the RUclips trip.
Me too 👍🏽👍🏽👍🏽
Same
Don’t worry, it’s 3 months later and they still haven’t done anything with the trailer besides waste 2 videos.
Excited for this series!
David, you are good people. thank you for all you do.
Thanks for watching.
WOW !
The level of quality,fit and finish is off the charts!
Found your channel on accident immediately liked and subscribed
Looking forward to every step by step video
Thanks for watching. I hope we can keep you engaged…. Sometimes a tight line between intresting and facts that people don’t care about… thanks for watching
We lived in a dry van trailer for a couple years, my dad outfited it with bedrooms, kitchen, restroom and a laundry room
Oh wow! -- thats cool -- did you notice how he insulated it -- did he leave it mobile or use it fixed --- thanks for commenting - -
@ParkerSystems it's framed with 2x4s, the interior ceiling is only about 8ft tall, blown in insulation was used above that and foam board insulation was used on the walls. Its been finished for 17 years. We don't live it but we use it as our restroom at our yard.
It's has house grade appliances such as heater, water heater, stove, all running on a stationary propane tank. We are planning on moving it next year but all the connections were installed as quick connects from the beginning.
thanks for replying thanks -- @@jgutie4377
A lot of people would buy these. this is incredible.
I've had this idea in my head for a while, but with no funding. It is awesome to see it be done professionally!
Glad you like it! Thanks for watching and commenting!
Incredible Work.Good Job.❤
Thanks 🔥
Why not utilize the return air channels as underfloor heating? The underfloor would already be insulated for heat intrusion…
In the first unit that we built we did exactly that. Great idea. In that unit we used a traditional forced air heating and cooling. In the next unit we did a mini splits. Great comment.
Fantastic !!
As a camper owner and a semi driver I’ve spent many miles dreaming about this
Glad you liked it! Thanks for watching!
I love seeing the "rodent suppression system" walk by at the end!
lol. That is lucky cat. We can’t let him get in too many of the videos as he has a way of stealing the show. He got a free ride on a rollback when he was a too little to be separated from his mom and ended next door at another shop … we took him in and now he does security for us.
@@ParkerSystemslet him steal the show
we will get in some videos -- thanks for watching@@jeffheins6624
Bro! Love it! Speaking my language.
I need one! I love how you crammed so many details and numbers into that walk around.
Much appreciated!
Absolutely love these videos! I always keep redundancy and reliability in mind for any project I’m involved with, and it’s cool to come across these videos and be able to “nerd out.” Keep up the good work!
Thank you!
We appreciate the comment …. With a background in network connectivity redundancy and diversity are always on our minds as well.
Keep watching.
I'm a trucker and I like it a lot!
Very few things keep my interest ... as most folks making videos use a lot of "filler talk". Man ... you had me engaged for the entire duration of the video!! You kept it straight forward and to the point, which tells me you're a straight shooter. I do have a question. Are there any 20' trailers like these or can one be converted to a 20' equivalent? Throwing some solar panels on the roof with an inverter and some batteries are what I was thinking would be a good addition. Now I'm anxious to see the other videos! lol
Absolutely. There are what we call pup trailers. I think these are 24-28 feet long. I’m sure there are viewers that know Excatly. I have one that I converted to a generator trailer. And yes I have had in my mind to add solar and make total off grid trailer ….
it will be an interesting ride thanks.
Interesting concept. I do have a few suggestions, though:
1 - Install some windows. Yes, they would add some cost - but, anyone using the trailer is going to appreciate them.
2 - Install a second bathroom, including a second shower. 17 people sharing this space is going to represent too much of a demand for just one bathroom.
Alternately, make a larger commercial style bathroom with stalls and urinals, along with two shower stalls. Put the sleeping area at one end of a hallway and the living area at the other end of the hallway with the restroom(s) in the middle, along one side. Put a door at the end of the hallway going into the sleeping area.
3 - Go to just a little extra trouble to use actual printed labels where you are currently using hand written Sharpie labels.
4 - I think you would be better off with a rubber penny flooring, rather than the wood flooring. This would be more rugged and less maintenance. It would also be more quiet when people are walking on it while others are sleeping.
5 - An emergency exit or alternate entrance towards the front of the trailer, for safety. This could also be in the hallway where the bathrooms are located, making it easier to access the bathrooms on site.
6 - The roof of the trailer could support a few thousand watts of solar panels. Along with a sizable battery bank and 12kw inverter and operating costs could be significantly reduced, while providing shade for the roof of the trailer, reducing costs for cooling.
Thanks for watching.....
1. (windows) We contemplated windows -- we put windows in the doors of the units -- but we basically sleep in them and the bunks are dark and common areas have the door windows. Then we would need black out curtains -- so we opted for no windows -- band buses are the nearest commercial thing to these units and they dont have windows either.
2. (bathrooms) We should have been more clear the sleeping trailer that has capacity of 16 people, this unit has 3 bathrooms and 3 showers. The baths are in the middle and bunkhouse on each end with another shower and bath in the rear office/bunk area. The first sleeping trailer only has 12 bunks and has one shower and one bath -- in each case the showers and bathroom are seperate which allows the showers and toilets be used in separate areas simultaneously
3. (labels) I agree on the labing -- most of the trailer uses those labels -- I have used a sharpie in some locations -- but you are correct.
4. (flooring) I agree on the flooring -- I didn't know any better - did actual commercial tile and hardwood -- it has worked great and is easy to clean - but I do like your suggestion -- the newest units do use the floating floor type -- but i like the solid wood better --
5. (exits) I have the exits in the middle of the units -- no person is more than 14' from the exit -- the new unit will have an additional exit. The units also have commercial wired smoke and carbon dioxide detectors -- the fire alarm will e-stop the gensets immediately if activated and have horn sirens and strobes and pull stations -- I also built the cabins areas positive pressure with makeup air on the opposite side of the trailer from the exhaust and more than 40 feet away and the genset/hvac units compartment which is negative pressure --- we now run in camp with a remote genset to further prevent genset issues --
6. (solar) You are correct -- we did a large gneset with 5 tons of cooling and dehumidification units -- the roof has 6 inches of closed cell foam -- this gives us a r30 -- cooling hasnt been an issue -- these trailers are 13'7", real solar panels with an air gap will add another 3" which would put us at 13'10" 4" above the 13'6" -- I realize that you typically don't have an issue till you exceed 14' -- the new unit will have this solar -- thank you battleborn they saw our video and made us a partner --
thanks for your comments and suggestions we appreciate you watching -
Tiny home ideas with trailer!
Yes sir. I do have plans to build a tiny home version. Cover the entire roof in solar … 1000-1500 of lithium battery…. HVAC …. Prehaps water generator and RO for drinking …. Designed for two people. Thanks for watching .
Loved the cat just hanging out. Awesome build!
We're glad you enjoyed it! Lucky tends to make an appearance from time to time lol
I've worked on command center trailers. You have good ideas. Still a work in progress.
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Thanks ... we try to improve something each trip out.
Well done, I’ve never subscribed so fast!
I like your no nonsense approach.
Just the facts.
Thanks. We are trying … thanks for watching and supporting
I've always thought of this lol Let's Go!
We’re glad you liked it! We just put out the third episode in the series! You can check it out here: ruclips.net/video/i2MlpvgpTmY/видео.html
@@ParkerSystems already saw it 😁👍 Subbed with alerts on
Great technology and well thought out lay out, for a disaster relief truck! I am guessing the cost to be very high, but perhaps some states could afford this type of 'rescue' vehicle.
I've liked subscribed shared and commented I look forward to watching this trailer build❤🎉
Thank you -- I trust that you will enjoy our content -- thanks again
We use 53’ expanding side trailers in the remote TV production world. Sometimes used/old TV trailers end up on the used market.
Yes. I have actually bid on a couple of those. Great suggestion. Thanks for watching
Awesome video
Glad you enjoyed it
Men, friend of mine gave me this idea how to year ago! I’d rather live in a tractor trailer than a damn apartment!
The way that Walmart loads these, they use a couple of different configurations. They either haul meat and produce (32F & 40F) or they freezer dairy deli (-20 F and 34F). They usually will load meats and frozen foods in the middle. No particular reason other than how the route is setup. The last way they use them is a single zone for times when they have a backhaul of product to the warehouse.
Thanks for explaining that -- I just assumed you would load cold from the front to the back -- I appreciate a professional explaining how they are typically utilized -- thanks for watching
This is the perfect apocalypse rig. Just needs to be pared with the Mythbusters wedge semi!
And maybe a proton blaster from ghost busters. lol. Thanks for watching
This is so awesome i wanted to do this with a older trailer and make a inlaws sweet or air bnb woth it but i was just gonna keep the refer on it for both heating and cooling. Just make a spacer and a nice exhaust system with some mufflers so it wasnt so jarring in the trailer
That’s cool. You may want to consider using the refer unit. Those guys are loud inside and out. They make an electric backup one. I have a couple of those as well. But they are also loud inside. Great comment. Thanks for watching
6:25 "This is kinda where it all starts, kinda cool to think about." I see what you did there. 😉😁
Cool. Cool. Like refrigeration…. lol.
Thanks for pickup.
I love it. This is what I want to put on my 6 acres in Texas three of them.
Golly !! Well said !!
Thanks for watching
This is awesome. I have been pondering something similar but using the trailers from the moving industry. They can have a drop deck setup and under boxes already installed. Any thoughts on that?
Yes sir. I answered another gentleman in this section before regarding a step deck or drop deck van. I believe his name is Shawnweaver39…. I think it would be an excellent idea. In his comments I laid out the offset cost for the closed cell and cost of belly compartments or basement boxes. You definitely get more cubic space opens the opportunity for multiple levels and multiple people levels and you get the infrastructure like water and grey-black and prehaps batteries in the thermal envelope… the downside is the genset and HVAC heat exchangers and areas for the exterior equipment … although one or both can be added as an exterior unit on the front. However Baird type ac units and front mounted trailer gensets tend to be expensive…. Check out the other comment for cost of the closed cell foam as well.
Thanks for the suggestions … if I had unlimited budget or a nice ROI model I would probably convert a 53’ step van.
Will you discuss the cost of the project as you go? Also, I might have missed it, what is the mission these trailers are designed for? Great video, I'm looking forward to the next one. Thanks for sharing.
Absolutely that’s part of plan. We will keep you posted on the cost expended as we go. Thanks for watching
This is something I can't wait to see.
Make sure to subscribe so you don’t miss the next video in the series!
Should be pulled by a diesel electric truck tractor. Solar panels on the top of the the trailer and everything can be run by a couple of battery packs. Edison in Canada have started converting diesel trucks to diesel electric. That is the future.
What runs thru my mind is where can you camp with a semi height and size apart from truck stops and rest area?? I am a trucker so those are all I ever see so genuinely curious.
If you were planning on using this as a personnel RV I believe you concerns are valid. We are utilizing these to deploy behind a hurricane or events, so moving them down the highway is our concern and after fighting with tag trailers behind pickups we wanted to move to a commercial platform. Those light trailers and lower quality tires created a lot of issues.. RVs are basically overload and could not keep up with the movements and equipment we were doing. I can tell you I have a personal RV its a bus at 45 feet length with a 13' clearance -- it also can be a challenge to find a typical RV spot -- with that said I have been in several rv parks where an old truck driver could get around with a 53 trailer -- you could also consider a 40 or 45 foot trailer in place of the 53', move the axels up a little more than normal and get in a lot rv parks -- There is a whole community that uses typically volvo tractors singled out on the rear drive to pull those big fifth wheel campers -- check them out on youtube search for HDT RV you'll find a lot of content ... thanks for watching
@ParkerSystems thanks didn't know much of the rv places had tht kind of spacing! I seen the Volvos but never said anything but was always on my mind that's for responding and interested on how it will come out
Im thinking of the Knight industries semi trailer. Cool build.
Is it amazing as we watched that show and now my pickup trucks is almost as smart. Crazy. Thanks for watching.
For the past few years I’ve only watched youtube but I’ve seen just about every category of video so I got TikTok and it lead me to this video
Episode 2 is Out Now! Go check it out ruclips.net/video/P1Br2cv1PwA/видео.htmlsi=tEHsLYkfFl9xY4sR
Been thinking about getting into emergency response using our small fleet of trucks, being out of the Oklahoma we probably would focus more on tornado response for large disaster areas such as the recent tornado that hit barndall and sulfur OK
That’s a great idea. Since we are doing the radio infrastructure we typically don’t respond on tornados. We have on a couple in the past. While devastating tornados tend to hit smaller areas than hurricanes and typically doesn’t affect tower sites like hurricanes. During disasters communities need all types of support, I think it’s amazing you’re considering helping. Thanks for watching
This is awesome
Glad you liked it! Thanks for watching the video and leaving a comment!
Ive been wanting to do this for a decade. Its been my zombie survival home on wheels.
Would love to see solar implemented onto one of these, even if it's only to keep the essential systems (water pumps, refrigeration, etc.) online during total engine failure. Not sure that having an entire trailer be powered via solar would be logistically possible.
Yes. We have that plan. I have a couple other trailers with lift gates Ann I have a little solar on them to keep those batteries charged. I still want to do like a tiny house version and do the entire roof in solar. Stay tuned.
I am a reefer trailer technician. And I work on these trailer daily. My questions are 1. How are you going to deal with the humidity that builds inside 2. And most used cold storage trailers had a off smell, how do you guys solve the smell? We wash out several times and spread coffee and let sit for a day or so.. thanks can't wait to see the end
Great question, so we take the front unit out and leave the rear doors open, pressure wash the entire inside of the trailer then when we do plywood and hardwood / tile floors, 1/2 inch plywood on the walls and do then ceilings out of plywood as well we have no issues. Thanks for watching and I appreciate your insight to these units.
I’ve been a truck driver for 40 years currently me and Dogg are getting paid to see the country. That’s the way I look at it I will definitely follow your build. Curious what state you’re based out of
40 years. That’s a long time. I have a couple of guys that used to be full time drivers and have nothing but respect for you guys. We appreciate what you do for the success of our economy… truckers are the backbone of what makes our country great. We are based out of NW Georgia.
I like these trailers. We lived in them during the oil spill disaster
Thanks for watching …. I had forgotten about those deployments….
YES!!!
Thanks for tuning in.
Following!
Thanks for watching!
That's a neat mobile roomy quarters that don't attract much attention from authorities and/or criminals. I'm very interested how it turns out.
Never thought of that angle. I will tell you when we are running down the road we typically leave the inside lights on. We get lots of looks. Thanks for watching
Great video I hope you go viral someday you deserve more subscribers for the effort you do
Lol, Thanks! We're glad you liked the video!
What do you'll primarily use these for i kept hearing you say deploy them?
We respond to hurricanes and other natural disasters, which means that we bring a team of people who need a place to sleep and have other amenities. We don’t want to be a burden on the affected areas, so we bring everything we need to be self sustaining while we’re deployed.
You can learn more about how our operations work in this video: ruclips.net/video/lUWYmbcduWA/видео.html
Oh this is awesome!! I iDrive truck and have spent a lot of time thinking about converting one. Have you considered a drop deck van trailer? I wondered which would be a better platform to start with. I've built a few tiny houses and wanted to build one on a semi trailer platform. Looking forward to this!
Yes. I would agree. 53 drop deck vans are a little more pricy … (people like to convert them to custom hauler trailers for race cars monster trucks drag cars etc.) 48 footers are a little better in price. You would still have to insulate … but to your point you could create some multi level living space and once you insulated all your drop bays we have to create would already be inside your thermal envelope the closed cell spray foam is going to cost you about 2.00 a square foot for 2” so 53’ x 12 x 2 (Sides) 8 x 2 x 12 (front back) and 53 x 8 x 2 top and bottom. That will work out to about 6k plus a little more for the bottom labor … which we can build the basement or under box storage for …. So kindva a push for us. But if you wanted a unit rated for the cold that would be way to go. Plus the lower level access would make ingress/egress easier
So 😎 cool
Thanks for watching
Any thoughts on using solar/wind with lithium batteries for backup for powering the trailer with diesel generator as additional backup?
Yes. Check out a couple of our videos. We have an agreement with battleborn. On the new trailer we have a plan to do a lot of solar and lithium … we have 600 amps and 200 amp hours on the other trailers …. Thanks for watching and stay tuned.
Bravo.......u should do convert to rv .......cheaper on regeration..........cheers.......wow..........the new decision......the shop..........CLEVER.......
We have a plan to create a tiny home/rv version. Stay tuned.
Interesting. I work for a 4 letter agency that knows something about hurricane deployments. They put us on cots in abandoned walmarts or some other luxurious location, LOL. I am going to check out your other videos.
Thanks for watching and sharing your story!
I guess you could hire a water truck and septic tank pumping truck to stop by every few days and fill/empty tanks. The multiple grey/black water tanks might make that a pain to do though.
We primarily use these trailers on hurricane response and they're constantly moving locations. To date we have been able to deploy just outside the affect area of the storm, we actually pick these areas for the fact that the water system is unaffected and still working. We find these areas 30-60 miles from the landfall of the storm. When I purchased my fuel tanker I purposely made sure it had all double bulkheads, I did a test I took a compartment (2700 gals) that had diesel fuel in it ... loaded a it full of gas dumped it and then filled it 75% with water and gallon of dawn dish soap -- drove it around and dumped it, refilled it with water and a super scientific test -- I could not smell or taste the fuel -- while we obviously we would not have used this water for cooking or drinking I believe it would have been okay for showering ... we also have access to 6,500 food grade stainless tankers (check out our video "We made a Temporary Water System ....) and 2,000 gallon water truck we use in our directional drilling business our plan is deploy them if required since we carry enough water for the first 3-5 days ... but thru the last 15 years we have found a site with water for all our deployments. For the black and grey we have dumped into working sewer systems, typically if the water system is working the sewer is as well. We carry a dual 2 HP grinder pump and several hundred feet of lay flat pipe to pump away the black and grey as required. Thanks for watching --- great questions.
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Question: since it is insulated, do you still get any condensation on the inside when people are living in it? If so, how did you work that out? I would think not, but want to make sure. I am in the planning stages of making my 53’ reefer trailer retirement mini home. Thanks for posting the video!
we have not had a condensation issue --- the typical use of these units are an environment that is warmer outside than in the trailer, however the units are so tight that if you did live in it in a cold climate condensation would be an issue as the inside would reach a high level of humidity with the occupants -- so the exterior wall and surfaces would reach the dew point at that level of humidity -- on the first unit we built we used a 5 ton split ac unit -- this was way too big and the short cycle of this unit did not achieve the dehumidification that we needed and we added a small dehumidifier to address this issue -- this would also take care of the cold weather issues that I mentioned ... on the next units we built we used smaller mini splits and they take care of the humidity by running at lower capacities for longer, I would also consider an air to air heat exchanger to help with fresh air, as we are not really concerned with heating and cooling efficiency in a our deployments we did a 15% markup air replacement with all of the interior fans which we run continuously so we get main cabin pressurization and fresh air --- great question -- thanks for asking
@@ParkerSystems I really appreciate your explanation. Thank you very much for getting back to me.
The new H&H catamaran 44 has solar panels on top of the boat. Could you put solar panels on top of the trailer and put batteries where the refrigeration unit was in the front?
Of course. We do basic solar now. And have plans to do the entire top of the next trailer. Thanks for watching
ever thought of converting the motor on the reefer unit to work as a generator as well as AC
When I first converted one of these trailers I considered it. Couple of drawbacks, main thing is they are loud. Second thing the motor isn’t really designed to be frequency stable … which means it would be difficult to use with electronics or you would need to use an inverter system like on the quiet Honda generators…. On the HVAC side the units are about 4 times larger than we need for people. So the inefficiencies don’t work on that side. But mainly how loud it is. Great question.
Man i did SAR and fast water rescue during hurricane Harvey down in Texas, i spent 12 days sleeping in my pickup or on a sleeping pad in a VFW parking lot lol. This would have made it a vacation for 🤣. Very cool concept though.
Thank you for your service. During these events we see what the best of mankind can bring. Thanks for watching g.
I like what I see. I am trying to turn my 48 foot reefer spread axle trailer into a tiny home on wheels. My question is the insurance company that I have been with for several years doesn’t want to insured the 48 foot trailer since it is going to be a tiny home. They will continue to insure my Peterbilt with the 53 foot trailer, so what type of insurance will cover the tiny home?
Why don’t you suggest to them to insure it as a RV. I will check with my loss manger and see how ours are insured. Thanks for watching
Way to go my guy now trailers are about to skyrocket in prices 😂,nah but in all honesty this is amazing great build
lol. Thanks for giving so much influence in the market. Pre Covid I was buys these trailers for 10-15. After Covid they went crazy 30-35k …. They have now returned to basically pre Covid pricing. And I still think we haven’t found the bottom. Good time to pick one up.
The bunks I feel have unused space available Using the Navy bunk bed idea, use the space for storaqge, mattress can be on the lid giving much extra storage on the bed frame.
Yes sir. That is our plan. The graphic on the thumbnail is just express the concept. The lower bunk will have a hinged top and/or drawers for storage. The upper bunk will either swing up and down or have a removal support and mattress. Takes for watching …. And follow along and think you will see an implementation of your suggestion. Thanks for sharing … it’s great input like this that makes this a better project.
Check out our sleeping trailer review video on this channel….
It's funny that you mentioned seeing a Little Debbie trailer.
I have, because I'm her son.
Long story short. I was adopted in 1977, took a Ancestry DNA test in 2015, my biological father also took one, and he's married to Debbie. They didn't know about me until then, but we've become close ever since. Texting or calling each other almost every weekend since 2015, and meeting several times. Small world.
Anyway, nice idea for reusing those trailers! BTW, Debbie owns the trucking company that transports all Little Debbie snack cakes for McKee.
What a cool story. Thanks for sharing that. Tell Ms Debbie if she gets ready to sell any of her old trailers to look us up. On a quick side note I was adopted as well.
Thanks for watching.
Would there be a benefit to installing solar panels on the roof? Maybe even something that could extend away from the side (like a porch roof)? I’m not sure of the weight and potential power it might supply. But in your “off grid” situations, curious if it would be worth the investment?? I like the idea of going carbon neutral - but know that much of the technology isn’t Quite “there” yet…
Yes. Absolutely. One thing i want to do next is build a tiny home. Full solar on top with enough battery to get you thru the night and couple of rain/cloudy days.
Great idea.
You got to my dream idea before I did!
Thanks for checking it out. We should have the next video out in a couple of weeks
Can’t wait to to see how the belly box is made! I was planing to build a not so little , little house with my son but it turns out he is also a hoarder so little isn’t our thing. But I keep thinking about it! Also very intin to cost for one of these!?
Done right, I can imagine something like this running $350k, or more.
Cool -- thanks for watching - we will document the bell boxes in a upcoming video --- we have 10K in the trailer - 50-80K in material and probably 50K in labor -- remembering we have gneset -- many water systems -- fuel tanks -- lots of items a tiny home may not require --
Solar plus lithium would be amazing too!
We have that plan. Our first two trailers have lithium and inverters. I want to do solar on this unit.
I DIY RV battery's lithium lipo4 projects, im a truck driver by trade used to be Automobile mechanic. Im very interested in this, i recently purchased an GD RV and getting ready to modify it, looking forward for some good ideas.
Thanks for watching. On our channel we have a couple of other videos on the existing trailers, battery systems, etc. Stay tuned we will get additional videos as work progress.
I have been think about doing this. Do you still have to stop at weigh stations and still need a special license?
Not in most states … you are considered an rv. Unless you are using your trailer in the pursuit of commerce. Thanks for watching
Random RUclips recommendation, Ik I’ll never afford one or build one so watching this is just crazy !
We're glad you enjoyed it! Be on the lookout for Episode 3 coming soon!
Very interesting. Whats the total cost to build one. We loat our houae in a flash flood memorial weekend. Trying to find something economical to live in.
We buy these trailers for around 10-15K -- we put 50-75K in materials and probably that in labor -- however we way outfit them is typically more than if you were trying to create a tiny home for a couple of people -- also we need the road worthy part to be in great shape -- if you were building a stationary unit you could save some money. thanks for watching
Are the water tanks under the trailer insulated and winter capable?
On this particular trailer we did not insulate them. However, we do a have an Electric heater and thermostat to maintain the lower bay. It would be no issue to insulate …. Great question. Thanks for watching
Another source of reefer trailers could be Ken's foods. Not so sure about dairy delivery or places like pizza joints (Domino's, Papa John's, etc) because those might have embedded odors centered around spoilage of milk.
Where are those guys based out of?
Thanks for watching
@@ParkerSystems It was a little longer to find than I'd have liked but they are based out of: Marlborough, MA
And could you convert your generator over like Edison motors?
Yes -- i don't know how efficient they are -- when you twin gensets together and have the controller and breakers set wrong the genset that fails will become a motor and start turning -- i know pipeline welders that even start their welding machines in this fashion. --- thanks for watching
when I looked into the gas mileage of a ambulance, I was like ok 7 miles ?. You know, might as well pull anything. This gives you room for a nice bathroom, a kitchen, etc.
Really hard to do that in a camper.
Exactly and you get that full 102” overall width. Thanks for watching
Holy jump cuts.
I have a great editor … that I like very much. You have to remember he doesn’t have much to work with. The on camera guy is all over the place…. Maybe there is better way to handle all of my tangential ramblings … but hard to blame the editor when this is what you have to work with.
Thanks for watching.
I would like to see how the bunk beds are made.
Thanks for the comment! We’ll cover how we make the beds in a later video in this series.
try fitting a solar heat powered soot hot air blimp on top of the container/trailer.
because every rv needs a blimp ... thanks for watching
of course. better views from sky high. better fee movement also.@@ParkerSystems
Is solar power something that would work well with this setup
Yes. check out our channel we have a couple of videos on our solar systems and what we intend to do in this area -- thanks for watching
What are these trailers specifically used for?
disaster recovery -- events and special projects. -- thanks for watching check out our channel we have several videos showing them in use. -- check out the tour of our basecamp -- thanks for watching
@@ParkerSystems thanks!
What would be the total cost estimate for this build??
We typically pay 10-15k for the trailer.
I would estimate that the equipment supplies and materials will cost 50-75k and the labor will around that same estimate. So the total unit will cost us 110-150k Dependant on the level of finish. We will track all the cost on this unit and provide them as we continue.
So if i was to buy one of these, And get a semi truck to haul it. Do i need a CDL since the CDL = commercial driver's license and i would not be commercial and i would own it and not be for hire. and its basicly a Rv.
You are correct. If you owned it privately and are not in the pursuit of commerce and it is classed as an RV you DO NOT need a CDL to operate it on the roadways. We utilize them in a commercial fashion so all our drivers are CDL. There is an entire community of people that use commercial trucks to pull their fifth wheel trailers if you looked up HDT (Heavy Duty Truck) they typical use volvo trucks with automatic transmissions and single out the rear drive train -- search on youtube for HDT Rv and you'll find lots of examples. To class your converted semi trailer to an RV to my understanding you have to demonstrate 3 things a place to sleep, a way to prepare food and a bathroom. I have heard examples of portable basic examples that were successful (cots, cassette toilets and a hot plate and a cooler) ... hope this is helpful. Thanks for watching and taking the time to comment.
@@ParkerSystems So where do i find that in the law, I mean i asked Arizona and they told me just becuse i convered the inside to a RV the trailer is still rated, and that rating puts me over the allow waight before you need a CDL.
Each state is a little different -- I was quoting the information that I believe correct for GA. In the States that I am familiar some may require a CDL type license but typically they have a commercial version and non commercial version, and non version is typically easier to get and maintain -- I do know that my Georgia rules will apply to any state you are traveling. --- I guess the worst case is goto a friendly RV state -- I did not realize the can of worms this topic is --- if you google this there is a LOT of conversation on the ol interwebs
If you're using it as a camper or Motorola, you do not need a CDO in most states. Some states you would need it because of the weight you got to check the states
Why not go with a dry van? Is it bc of the insulation it provides?
Yes. The insulation. Dry vans also typically have wooden floors and steel cross members. These trailers have aluminum cross members and stainless steel frame components. The kingpin area and cross members are steel. So the fact that floor system is aluminum and no wood and insulation is already in place it just makes a better foundation.
Thanks for watching and your comments.
How much does it cost to do the whole thing if you want to do it your self
10-15K for the used trailer -- If you were doing a tiny home type deal -- I think if you didnt go crazy you could do it for 25-40K --- we spend like 75K