One of the main problems in RV manufacturing is the lack of efficiency in their design and the cheap materials they use in building the campers. The Production schedule of RV manufactures is quite short, so all the cheap materials and components are assembled into the frame of the vehicle in as little as 30 hours in which quality assurance is not a priority. So because of the low quality assurance most recreational vehicles tend to have issues like plumbing problems, water leakage, battery failures and so on. On the good side however, there are some premade quality builds, but they tend to cost over 60.000$ which is not an ideal option for you.
So the question you might be asking yourself is can you do a quality build by using the do it yourself approach. Well assuming you have the required tool knowledge for build, we will provide you with a necessary guideline and some tips and trick for you to implement in designing a functional and sturdy camper.
What You’ll actually need
Well before the actual work begins, it’s very important decide what you want and need in your custom trailer camper. Once you clear out your priorities, take a pencil and a sheet of paper and sketch a layout for your project.
DIY Camper Trailer Ideas
Plumbing and Electrical System
Purchasing a shell which sits on a heavy duty chassis is the first step in building your camper, which usually cost around 2000$ to 4000$ depending on the specifications. After that, it’s sorting out the plumbing and electrical system of the vehicle. If you never plan on dry camping, you can always skip the black and grey water tanks and just use a simple plumbing tree to carry the city water into your camper, afterwards the waste water continues into a direct drain. Water tanks tend to take up a huge amount of living and storage place, being able to live without them is a huge advantage in saving up necessary floor space.
Camping now in days is not what it used to be, electricity is becoming more and more an essential and everyday priority in the camping world. Investing into solar powers is something you’ll never regret, especially if you a tech head yourself. I recommend purchasing a small house solar kit, which provides up to 400w electrical power from 2 foldable panels, which is stored into a 600ah battery pack. I also recommend adding a couple of sockets and bringing an additional extension cord.
Composting Toilet
RV manufactures can’t implement new innovative system like a composting toilet, but since you have all the freedom your budget provides you with, installing a composting toilet means you could stay out as long as your water supply lasted. Note that this even works if you want to boondock, just connect your gray water outflow to a blue boy and put an external water tank on a top carrier.
Arranging Living Space to your preferences
Arranging the rest of the living space should be totally up to you, however there are some essentials that you should clear out first. Bedding is something I recommend you sort-out first, as it tends to take most of your floor space away from you, adding a foldable couch which can be converted into bed is a nice idea which provides you with a lounging area and a bedding all at once. Assuming you went for the solar power kit, adding an electrical stove will also be a nice addition for your camper. Now depending on the electrical power which your solar kit provides you can go with a classical mini fridge, but if you don’t want to risk it, just get a regular freezer.
