Hello, dear friends! Well, who among us doesn’t like to sit by the fire on the river bank on a warm summer evening with a barbecue and cognac? My mouth is already watering) And then how to spend the night in a tent... But humanity is more and more striving for a civilized holiday. Even alone with nature, we no longer part with the benefits of city life. Today we will talk about a motor home. Meet the dacha trailer!
What kind of beast
This is a fully equipped campervan with maximum interior equipment that hooks up to a passenger car. As a rule, inside it there is a kitchen, a bedroom, a living room, a bathroom, and a shower room. All this can be placed with the help of multifunctional transformable furniture, as well as a competent layout.
On modern market There are not many offers for the sale of trailers. The lion's share is represented by foreign representatives. There are only a few residential trailers produced on the Russian market, but they are not even close to Western models.
In the West, campers have been made for a long time, hence this experience. Our culture of caravanning is just developing. This is why in Russia you can more often see homemade motorhomes converted from car trailer.
crazy hands
Huge assortment building materials allows any craftsman owner of a car trailer to create his own cottage on wheels. And indeed, there is nothing tricky here, you just need to use your wits.
We will take as a basis an ordinary passenger trailer with a slightly enlarged body. The body size is 240 x 120 cm. To begin with, a frame is made from 50x50 mm timber. Then the frame is sheathed with a galvanized sheet of metal, from which corrugated sheeting is made.
It is advisable to insulate the distance between the joists with at least polystyrene foam, then the inside of the motorhome will remain warm, like in a thermos. The interior lining can be made to your taste: wood, plastic, lining, plywood and other materials.
It would be nice to separate the bedroom from the kitchen. To do this, you need to put a partition in the back of the booth, leaving about 190 cm for the bedroom. It all depends on the height of the vacationer. In the sleeping area, the entire area will be occupied by a mattress. On the partition above the position of the legs you can hang convenient storage lockers and even hang a TV, since we're talking about civilization)))
On the kitchen side you can place a small built-in refrigerator, a gas stove and a small sink with a washstand. And also hang food boxes above them. The space under the tabletop can be used to store a gas cylinder, water
Yes, I almost forgot about doors and windows. There are also options here and they are also from human life. Sometimes they are made like plastic ones at home, but only small. There is an option to find windows from a company that specializes in overhead garage doors. Have you seen such windows as portholes? And you can insert roller shutters or shutters into doorways. You can also order them from window makers.
You can place a roof rack on the roof, which can also be multifunctional. You can transport various loads on it, put an aerodynamic autobox on it, bike racks with bicycles, or whatever. You can also attach a device to it and use it as a canopy from the sun and rain.
And if you also attach some kind of awning to this canopy and secure it with a peg into the ground, you will get an additional wall. And if you make three of them, you get an additional room.
In general, here who has enough imagination and possibilities. But the idea is clear, I hope. The advantages of such campers are that there is no need for additional categories; we base them on the basis of a regular passenger trailer with a total weight of up to 750 kg; they are relatively inexpensive. Look at photos of examples of such motorhomes.
Questions with the traffic police
There can only be two questions:
- Category of rights.
- Is a homemade camper considered a modification to the design.
You will find the answer to the first one; we have already examined this question in detail. We also partially answered the second question on the page: . But let’s add one more thing: If you don’t change load-bearing structure, the camper itself that you are setting up is a secured cargo container. And this is completely legal, especially since you do not go beyond the permissible dimensions.
Ready solutions
These trailers can be safely called a house on wheels. Their size can reach 12 meters. They can be compared to an expensive yacht, only on wheels. The interior will definitely have at least a double bedroom with functional furniture, living room with a folding sofa and table, bathroom, shower, full kitchen with refrigerator.
Optionally, such a dacha trailer will be equipped gas heater, generator and air conditioning system. There are models with transformable walls that expand inner space while parked.
How to choose
The choice of motorhome is very difficult task. Here both the technical part of the choice and the aesthetic part will be combined at once. On the technical side, you will need to look at all the suspension mechanisms, braking system and the general technical condition of the chassis. To do this, it is better to contact a specialist.
Also on the technical side, you need to check the operation of all devices inside the house. This is a refrigerator, stove, water heater, air conditioning equipment and everything else that should work.
Check the condition of interior decoration and upholstery upholstered furniture, the operation of furniture mechanisms and transformation mechanisms. Remember, this is not ordinary apartment, here you won’t just change the wallpaper and the sofa. Finishing elements are made specifically for this interior and others will be difficult and expensive to make.
Where can I buy
I think the first thing you need to do is look at the ads on Avito. On the Avito website, sellers offer campers throughout the country. The largest supply of used motorhomes is in Moscow and St. Petersburg; by the way, they are often used there as a mobile office. Even more offers on the car markets of Belarus. They get there directly from the EU countries.
Price
The price for a used trailer starts from 100 thousand rubles. Depends on the configuration and year of manufacture. A more or less decent camper can be bought starting from 300-400 thousand. Well, then, you understand, the more expensive, the more functional and younger. Price makeshift house on wheels can start from 500 bucks, not counting the platform itself. The trailer itself can be purchased cheaper on the secondary market
Homemade dacha trailer made from car trailer: photo of the camper being built with detailed description, also a video showing a mobile home.
We decided to build a small residential house on wheels so that we could travel to nature in our car. Since we didn’t have drawings of the camper, we decided to make a removable module for the factory trailer (so that there would be no problems with re-registration of the vehicle).
This is why it was purchased boat trailer from Kurgan plant(only in their title they don’t specify what kind of trailer it is. It’s just a trailer; other manufacturers indicate that it’s a boat trailer and you can’t put a house on it).
The dimensions of the module corresponded to the dimensions of the trailer - 1400 x 2400 mm. Naturally, the removable module must be durable, and a plywood house definitely won’t work for our roads; we had to weld a steel frame.
The base is welded from a 60 x 30 mm profile, the walls and ceiling are made from a 20 x 20 mm profile. 2 identical arcs were bent on a pipe bender.
The most difficult thing was to think through the doors; it took us 1/3 of the total time spent on the doors. Anyone interested in this topic has seen factory doors, ventilation hatches, gas stoves, sinks, heaters, etc. and so on. There is only one problem: cost. one factory door costs about 700-800 bucks (and you need 2 of them), a sunroof with an exhaust hood costs about 300-400 bucks, I didn’t even look at the sinks and stoves, and so it became clear that we would choose from what we found in hardware stores .
As a result, we made the doors ourselves, because with our course the budget for the doors alone came out to more than 100 thousand (on Alika, Ebay, in Europe, America, Russian online stores - the prices are approximately the same).
We decided to make the doors with power windows, because... This is the easiest way in our opinion. There is no point in describing the whole process, I will only say that making the doors was very tedious. but at cost they came out to 5 rubles per door, taking into account everything. the savings were worth it)
The outside of the building was sheathed aluminum sheets 0.8 mm, we were looking for specially large sheets so that it could be covered with one sheet without joints. As a result, we found AMC2 sheets measuring 1500 x 3000 mm, which suited us quite well.
Now I would choose a composite material for cladding buildings, 4 mm thick (for those who don’t know, these are 2 sheets of 0.4 mm aluminum, and between them a special composite that ideally withstands all weather conditions).
We stuck aluminum onto a plywood backing, riveted it around the perimeter and sealed all the joints. It was possible to leave the trailer aluminum, but initially we wanted blue on the outside, so we ordered vinyl film for covering the vehicle from a printing house and covered it on top.
Many people ask about the refrigerator. There is no refrigerator, and there cannot be one, because... The module is removable and has its own car battery. The module wiring is completely autonomous and is not connected to the wiring of the car or trailer in any way. Therefore, there is no way to connect a refrigerator here. Although I don’t understand the problem if it can be placed in the trunk of a car.
We also made 2 220V sockets in the living area, a 400W inverter, enough for both chargers and a TV. LED lighting everywhere.
Water is supplied from a canister by a fountain pump, not very powerful, but economical.
We made a niche for the countertop under the kitchen, it seemed very convenient, but in fact the ribs on top and bottom were made of a 15 x 15 profile, a very flexible and not reliable profile. As a result, the niche bent a little and the chipboard table did not fit there, so we had to make it out of plywood.
After assembly, the trailer was tested by Karcher at all joints, cracks, etc. 100% tightness.
Costs for building a caravan trailer.
We started building the camper in May 2015, and finished it in June 2016. My friend and I work in shifts, i.e. per week 2-3-4 days could be devoted to the trailer. We were very stuck with the kitchen decoration and doors. If you expect to collect it in 3 months, add triple the deadline.
In terms of finances: everything was bought new, nothing used was used. The trailer itself cost 44 thousand, and about 110 thousand was spent on materials. Everything was fixed, right down to the gloves, so the price is close to the real one. You can do it cheaper, but you should know in advance.
By weight: the trailer + module weighs about 600 kg, the module itself is about 460-480 kg. The heaviness was added by a large number of chipboards, whoever will do it - look for more lightweight material for partitions.
The 1.4 Octavia passenger car pulls the trailer with a bang. On the highway I accelerated to 130 km/h, the trailer is not felt at all, the streamlined shape practically does not slow down. consumption increases by 1-2 liters. By bad road It’s difficult to drive more than 90, after all, the weight is not small, the car jerks. But 80-90 is quite acceptable for such a trailer. I drove through fields, along dirt roads, and the trailer never hit anywhere.
Video that explains in detail makeshift house on wheels.
There are probably very few people who would not like to travel and at the same time spend the night at home, without using the services of hotels or hotels. Many will say that this is impossible and any trip is accompanied by a hotel room. However, there is a solution - a motorhome or motorhome. You've probably seen such mobile structures in foreign films. And this is not strange, because let’s say in America, according to statistics, every 3 residents have a mobile home.
Such a house is not only convenient and comfortable, but also saves a lot cash, since the question of finding housing disappears. You can talk about the advantages of a motorhome for a long time, and there really are many of them. However, there is one drawback - a motorhome is not a cheap pleasure. But if you have patience and hard work, there is a way out - to build a mobile home on wheels with your own hands.
The main need for such a house is travel, which you can easily go on with your family and even small children. A motorhome is also useful for business trips; you don’t have to look for hotels, book rooms, collect luggage and carry it with you.
The main thing is that the driver is experienced, with good driving experience and, of course, with positive attitude to this type of transport.
Motorhome: what you need for comfort
Although the house will be in the form of a mobile home, this does not mean that it should not be comfortable and satisfy the minimum needs of the owners.
Home lighting
To supply light to a mobile home you will need:
- rechargeable battery;
- charger;
- wire system for subsequent electrical wiring;
- panel for controlling the supply of electricity.
Heating for home
To heat your home, you can use several types of heaters, this can be standalone view And gas cylinder. It is preferable to use gas, since in addition to heat it will provide the possibility of cooking.
If you choose heating using gas, then you will have to seek help from a specialist. Of course, building everything with your own hands from start to finish is commendable, but you should remember the safety of passengers.
Air (ventilation) for home
Very important point ventilation, especially when using gas. In this case, there should be several holes, and one of them will be as low as possible.
For comfort: water, bathroom, kitchen
No housing will be comfortable if it lacks basic amenities. Think carefully about where exactly the kitchen, mini portable dry closet and shower will be located. Also don’t forget about water tanks and water pumps.
It is better to send the water that will be drained into a large bucket located under the body. To do this, you can use a special hose that should be laid in the floor.
Motorhome furniture
Certain difficulties may arise with furniture, since it should be as compact as possible. For such housing, folding furniture is used, it is mounted on the walls. In most cases, it is possible to purchase such furniture only on order, which is quite expensive. But if you have the opportunity to do it yourself, it will save a lot of money.
Additionally: doors, windows
As for windows, it is better to have at least 2, this way you can save energy and not turn on the lights during the day.
It is necessary to take into account that if the house is being built from a trailer, then the width and height ultimately should not exceed the dimensions of the car. If you are the owner of a domestic minibus that has not been to your liking for a long time, then you can safely use it as the main material for mobile housing. First, you need to thoroughly clean it, remove unnecessary seats, upholstery, and get rid of everything unnecessary. After clearing, you can begin making the necessary holes (for windows, ventilation, wires).
We build a motorhome from a GAZelle
Is it difficult to build a motor home on the basis of a regular car trailer? What materials can this trailer-house-dacha be built from? What are its minimum dimensions? Which interior layout will allow you to make the most efficient use of the internal space? Let's try to find answers to this list of questions.
Goals
Small country house- 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 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, turning a small area into a place permanent residence Not all summer residents are ready. The maximum that an average city family can decide to do is spend the night on their property once a week. Building a permanent house for the sake of this overnight stay is a dubious idea; sleeping in a car is very uncomfortable...
For summer residents who have basic skills in working with power tools, homemade summer cottage trailers are often the solution.
We have to study one of these structures, getting acquainted with the materials used and design solutions.
Acknowledgment: The photographs used in this article were kindly posted by one of the regulars of the League of Caravaners forum.
The author's work was reduced only to explaining some technical subtleties.
Selection of materials
In most cases, the base on which a compact trailer-dacha-motorhome is built is a single-axle trailer with a maximum load of no more than a ton. Taking into account the weight of household items and a couple of people, our choice is a caravan trailer weighing up to 750 kg.
The weight limitation leaves its mark on the choice of material.
- We will make the frame of the building from pine beams with a cross-section of 50 mm.
- The walls are made of 10 mm plywood (moisture-resistant or impregnated to reduce the hygroscopicity of the material and prevent it from rotting); the floor is made of 12 mm. It is also used for construction inside.
- External cladding is galvanized steel. The sheets are hemmed to the frame bar with self-tapping screws; overlaps are additionally sealed silicone sealant. The outer corners are reinforced with aluminum corners - again sealed with silicone.
- What to choose as insulation laid between the inner and outer layers of plywood - we will leave it to the reader to decide. Here is a comparative thermal conductivity of popular insulation materials:
A caveat: glass wool will inevitably cake over time.
It is better to use rigid insulation.
Dimensions
A reasonable minimum size of trailer required for our purposes is 2300x1600 mm. Such dimensions will allow you to build a fairly comfortable sleeping area for two people and leave some space for a table under a washbasin and/or gas stove.
A two-axle trailer-dacha will provide where more comfort; however, the price of such a trailer will be double or triple. Its dimensions (up to 4.5 meters in length) allow you to build a full-fledged toilet room.
A reasonable minimum height of a structure is generally 2 meters. The height can be adjusted depending on the size of the owners: it is clear that a very tall person will not want to constantly cling to the ceiling with the top of their head.
Construction
So let's get started. How to build a cottage from a trailer with your own hands?
Floor, bottom trim
- The sides are completely dismantled. All that remains of the trailer is a flat area. If the horizontal base is sufficiently rigid, floor joists and trim can be attached directly to it; It is better to weld a thin flexible sheet with a frame made of corrugated pipe with a cross-section of 50x25 mm.
- Then the lower frame made of timber, laid around the perimeter, is bolted to the base; the side bars are connected by lags in increments of 20 cm (for 12 mm plywood).
As an option, the entire structure can be assembled on a stand and only then pulled to the base of the trailer.
- The logs are attached to the frame with a galvanized angle; The block must be soaked twice with hot drying oil.
Tip: instead of drying oil heated in a water bath, you can use cold drying oil.
In this case, after applying each layer, the block is heated with a construction hairdryer.
- Insulation is laid between the joists; then the floor is covered with plywood, which is attached with self-tapping screws.
Frame
The instructions for assembling the frame are no different from the construction of the lower frame: the block is connected with corners using self-tapping screws. Before or after assembly, the wood is impregnated with drying 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. The plywood is attached with self-tapping screws 32 millimeters long in increments of approximately 25 cm. Self-tapping screws are only galvanized: in damp weather, black steel will inevitably decorate the walls with untidy rusty streaks.
Three nuances:
- The holes for the screws are pre-drilled and countersunk so that the caps do not catch on clothing. An alternative is to use self-tapping screws with semi-countersunk heads.
- Plywood with inside It must be sanded before varnishing and after applying the first layer. Any moisture will increase top layer veneer pile, which will make the surface rough.
The amount of work will be quite large, so it is better to use a grinder - even the simplest, vibrating one. If there is no electricity where you are building, there is always a way out: renting a diesel generator for a summer house costs from 1,000 rubles per day. - The outer side and ends of the plywood also need protective impregnation. And in this case the cheapest and practical option- two layers of hot drying oil.
The insulation is fixed in the grooves formed by the frame and internal lining, after which it is sheathed on the outside with plywood coated on both sides.
The door is assembled similarly to the walls and hung on galvanized hinges; regular constipation is used door lock or a pair of latches - inside and outside.
Final stage - exterior decoration galvanized. It is fixed with self-tapping screws 25 mm long in 10 cm increments along all frame bars; then the corners are closed with a corner. Don't forget about the sealant: it will protect the corners and joints from water leakage.
The photo shows the trim ready for painting.
Window
If you want your tiny home to have skylights, no problem.
- The opening is provided at the stage of frame construction. It is surrounded by a bar with a cross-section of the same 50x50 mm.
- An alloy corner is used as an external glazing bead, screwed flush with the outer cladding with self-tapping screws. The seat under the corner is pre-coated with sealant.
- A piece of plexiglass cut to the size of the opening is placed on the sealant and fixed from the inside with a bead made from the same duralumin corner.
Internal layout
Our choice is a transformable bed-seat and folding table. The transformation mechanism will be made clear by pictures.
Useful little things
- An alternative to galvanized plywood - external cladding from corrugated sheet. According to a similar scheme, they are often built country houses from block containers.
- Do-it-yourself repair of a summer house trailer usually comes down to periodic painting of galvanized steel. Old paint removed with washes. In those few cases when the wheels, fenders or suspension of the trailer are damaged, spare parts for the trailer camper are purchased at the nearest auto store.
- The simplest way to organize ventilation is to provide a pair of closed doors in mosquito net hatches (bottom and top).
