Do-it-yourself motorhomes from a trailer. A motorhome from a trailer, an old bus or a Gazelle: how to do it yourself

Hello dear friends! Well, who among us does not like to sit by the fire on the river bank on a warm summer evening with a barbecue and cognac? Already salivating flowed) And then how to spend the night in a tent ... But humanity is more and more striving for a civilized rest. Even alone with nature, we no longer part with the benefits of city life. Today we will talk about the house on wheels. Meet the trailer cottage!

What kind of animal

This is an equipped residential motorhome with maximum interior equipment, which clings to a passenger car. As a rule, inside it there is a kitchen, a bedroom, a living room, a bathroom, a shower room. All this can be placed with the help of multifunctional transformable furniture, as well as competent planning.

On the modern market not a lot of trailers for sale. The lion's share is represented by foreign representatives. In the Russian market, caravans are made by a few, but they are not even close in comparison with Western models.

In the west, campers have been made for a long time, hence the experience. Our culture of caravanning is only developing. That is why in Russia you can often see home-made motorhomes converted from car trailer.

crazy hands

A huge range of building materials allows any master owner of a light trailer to create his own cottage on wheels. And indeed, there is nothing tricky here, you just need to turn on your ingenuity.

As a basis, we will take 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 a 50x50 mm timber. Then the frame is sheathed with a galvanized sheet of metal, from which the corrugated board is made.

It is desirable to insulate the distance between the lags with at least foam, then inside the motorhome it will be warm like in a thermos. The inner 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 part, the entire area will be occupied by a mattress. On the partition above the location of the legs, you can hang comfortable storage cabinets and even hang a TV, since we are talking about civilization)))

From the side of the kitchen, you can place a small built-in refrigerator, gas stove and a small sink with a washstand. And above them also hang food boxes. The space under the tabletop can be used to store a gas bottle, water

Yes, I almost forgot about the doors and windows. There are also options here, and they are also from human life. Sometimes they are made like at home plastic, but only small. There is an option to find windows in a company engaged in lifting gates for garages. Have you seen such windows as portholes? And in the doorways you can insert roller shutters or roller shutters. They can also be ordered from window makers.

On the roof, you can place a trunk, which can also be multifunctional. You can carry various loads on it, put an aerodynamic autobox on it, bike racks with bicycles, and anything. You can also attach a fixture to it and use it as a visor from the sun and rain.

And if you also adapt some kind of awning to this visor and fix it with a peg in the ground, you will get an additional wall. And if you make three of them, you get an extra room.

In general, here who has enough imagination and possibilities. But the idea is clear, I hope. The advantages of such campers is that no additional categories are needed, but we stand them on the basis of a conventional light trailer with a total weight of up to 750 kg; they are relatively inexpensive. See photos of examples of such motorhomes.

Issues with the traffic police

There can only be two questions:

1. Rights category.
2. Is a homemade camper considered a design change.

You will find the answer to the first in, we have already analyzed this question in detail. We also partially answered the second question on the page:. But let's add: If you don't change load-bearing structure, the camper itself that you are setting up is a fixed cargo - a 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, a living room with a sofa bed and a table, a bathroom, a shower, a full kitchen with a refrigerator.

Optionally, such a trailer will be equipped with a gas heater, a generator and an air conditioning system. There are models with transformable walls that expand inner space at the time of parking.

How to choose

Choosing a motorhome is a 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 suspension mechanisms, brake systems and the general technical condition of the chassis. For this, it is better to contact a specialist.

Also, on the technical side, you need to check the operation of all appliances inside the house. This is a refrigerator, stove, water heater, climate equipment and everything else that needs to work.

Check the condition of the interior trim, upholstery upholstered furniture, operation of furniture mechanisms and transformation mechanisms. Remember, this is not ordinary apartment, here you will not 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 could I buy

I think that the first thing to do is to look at the ads on Avito. On the Avito website, sellers offer campers all over the country. Most of the offers of used motorhomes are in Moscow and St. Petersburg, by the way, they are often used there as a mobile office. Even more offers in the car markets of Belarus. They go there directly from the countries of the European Union.

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 know, the more expensive, the more functional and younger. The price of a homemade camper can start from 500 bucks, not counting the platform itself. The trailer itself on the secondary market can be purchased cheaper

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

Goals

small country cottage- probably the most common hobby in the post-Soviet space over the past half century. The area of ​​cities is growing every year, and the sites naturally move 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.

However, transform small plot not all summer residents are ready for a place of permanent residence. The maximum that an average urban family can do is to spend the night on their site once a week. Building a capital house for the sake of this overnight stay is a dubious undertaking; Sleeping in a car is very uncomfortable...

For summer residents who have basic skills in working with power tools, home-made trailers are often the way out.

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

Acknowledgment: The photos used in this article were kindly posted by one of the regulars of the League of Caravaners forum.
The work of the author was reduced only to the clarification of some technical subtleties.

Material selection

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

The weight limit leaves its mark on the choice of material.

• We will make the frame of the building from a pine bar with a section of 50 mm.
• Walls - from 10 mm plywood (moisture resistant or impregnated, which reduces the hygroscopicity of the material and prevents it from rotting); floor - from 12 mm. It is also used for building inside.
• The outer skin 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 an aluminum corner - again sealed with silicone.

• What to choose as a heater laid between the inner and outer layers of plywood - let the reader decide. Here is a comparative thermal conductivity of popular heaters:

Nuance: glass wool will inevitably caking over time.
It is better to use hard insulation.

Dimensions

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

A two-axle trailer-dacha will provide much more comfort; however, the price of such a trailer will be twice - three times more. 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 dimensions of the owners: it is clear that a person of very tall stature does not want to constantly cling to the ceiling with the top of his head.

Construction

So let's get started. How to build a cottage from a trailer with your own hands?

Floor, bottom rail

1. Boards are completely dismantled. From the trailer there is only a flat platform. If the horizontal base has sufficient rigidity, the floor logs and strapping can be attached directly to it; thin flexible sheet it is better to scald with a frame made of a professional pipe with a section of 50x25 mm.
2. Then, the bottom strapping from the bar, laid around the perimeter, is bolted to the base; side bars are connected by lags with a step of 20 cm (for 12 mm plywood).

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

1. The logs are attached to the harness with a galvanized corner; the bar must be soaked with hot drying oil twice.

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

1. A heater 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 structure bottom strapping: the bar is connected by corners to self-tapping screws. Before or after assembly, the tree is impregnated with drying oil. Do not be afraid that the frame will not be rigid enough: the sheathing will add structural strength.

Sheathing, insulation

The finished frame begins to be sheathed from the inside. Plywood is attracted by self-tapping screws 32 mm long with a pitch 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:

1. Holes for self-tapping screws are pre-drilled and countersunk so that the caps do not cling to clothing. An alternative is to use self-tapping screws with semi-secret heads.

1. Plywood with inside must be sanded before varnishing and after applying the first layer. Any moisture will raise 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. 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 1,000 rubles a day.
2. 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 proliferated on both sides.

The door is assembled similarly to the walls and hung on galvanized hinges; as a constipation, the usual door lock or a pair of latches - inside and out.

Final stage - exterior finish galvanized. It is fixed with self-tapping screws 25 mm long in increments of 10 cm along all the bars of the frame; 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 lining is ready for painting.

Window

If you want your miniature house to have skylights, no problem.

1. The opening is provided at the stage of frame construction. It is surrounded by a bar with a section of the same 50x50 mm.
2. As an external glazing bead, a duralumin corner is used, screwed flush with the outer skin with self-tapping screws. seat under the corner is pre-lubricated with sealant.
3. 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 bed-seat and a folding table. The transformation mechanism will make clear pictures.

Useful little things

• An alternative to galvanized plywood - profiled sheeting. According to a similar scheme are often built country houses from block containers.
• Do-it-yourself cottage trailer repair usually comes down to periodic painting of galvanizing. old paint removed with washes. In those few cases where the wheels, fenders or suspension of the trailer are damaged, spare parts for the trailer 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 in the door (bottom and top).

Conclusion

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AT Western Europe and in the US, living, traveling or relaxing in the company of a motor home has long been widespread. The owners of such houses are not chasing large dimensions. Small ones are on trend mobile homes, but multifunctional so that they are able to independently filter their own water, produce electricity and heating using solar panels on the roof and so use every centimeter of space that a double-decker van with a footprint of 14 square meters looks quite a full-fledged dwelling.

Who is a supporter of life on wheels in a mobile home

There is no pronounced preference in the West, however:

• young people more often use this method not for living, but for travel and leisure, as it traditionally gravitates towards the ebullient life of the city and does not need solitude;
• families with children growing up are already more tolerant of such a mobile home, because it 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 pensioners - they are ideal consumers of the style of a motor home. Knowing how to drive, they travel with pleasure not only in their own country, but also in accessible foreign countries.

Trailer-dacha 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 there is a motor home, it really is affordable housing in relation to real estate prices, in Russia such vans are more expensive than a good apartment. In addition, more than half of the country's population lives in harsh winter conditions, and insulated campers often cost as much as 2 apartments.

Types of motorhomes

mobile homes conditionally divided into classes that describe the category of spaciousness, internal filling and comfort:

• class A - looks like a bus and is closest to the usual housing;
• class B - this includes a trailer that is 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 cab of the car is transformed into a berth.

The most budget of today existing options, this is a tent trailer that is dismantled at the camping site directly around the trailer.

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

Do-it-yourself transforming house

Folding house-transformer on wheels passenger car will be a construct panel house, from which you can fold or remove one of the walls along the side. 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 is chosen, a do-it-yourself mobile home on wheels will not only be the pride of the owners for their work, but will also give new opportunities to spend the weekend with the family. After all, in order to get into nature, it is not necessary to have own site earth. You can easily travel and stay in the most attractive countryside places.

How to make a home on wheels with your own hands

The most compact, simple and a budget option is a design on a single-axle trailer. Given 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 from paving stones.
• The walls are sheathed with plywood, the optimal thickness of the sheets is recommended at 1 centimeter.
• For furniture - tables, beds and shelves, plywood sheets are also used.
• The external finish will be of galvanized steel sheets, overlapped.

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

Between the outer skin and the frame you need to place a layer mineral wool, mineral plate or other insulating material to keep the microclimate inside, especially in hot weather, when, due to the metal sheathing, the structure can heat up inside above 50-60 degrees Celsius.

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

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

Material protection includes:

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

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 house on wheels

The construction of the caravan takes place in two ways - on the trailer itself, for this its sides must be dismantled, or on a special stand, with subsequent 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 the installation of a mosquito net. Additionally, you can consider installing a hatch in the ceiling.

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

A motor home is a type of transportation that is both housing and a means of transportation. This kind of housing gained its popularity at the beginning of the last century.

By standards, the mobile home should accommodate eight people. Each tenant has his own sleeping place, there is still small kitchen. Other amenities and equipment may vary depending on the specific model, but in most cases there are also:

In more expensive models, there is a bathroom, consisting of (often replacing a chair, which gives several additional meters free space), washbasin and shower. Sometimes mobile homes are equipped with showers.

Note! In a motorhome, the driver and passenger seats are movable, as a result of which, during parking, they turn into an addition to the living space. The tail is often equipped separate room with U-shaped furniture.

Story

Serial production of mobile homes was launched in the last century, although some historians believe that there were earlier makeshift counterparts. They were small vans equipped for human habitation (mainly pastoralists).

The first motor home mounted on a conventional automobile chassis was introduced in 1938 by Jennings.

Varieties of mobile homes

There are several classifications of motorhomes. So, according to the design features, they distinguish:

Depending on the purpose, they are divided into:

• those used as long-term/permanent housing;
• those used for travel.

In the first case, there are more comfortable conditions, while often moving structures are extremely rarely divided into proper living space and a cabin.

Categories

Let's look at each category in detail.

C-class

Small houses designed for short trips. They are usually made on the basis of SUVs, so at night the cabin can be in a double bed (if desired).

B-class

The only difference between it and the C-class is a berth - it is stationary and is located in the tail of the transport. It is very popular among young couples (at least in America).

A-class

Such houses, which look like an ordinary bus, are the most comfortable and, therefore, the most expensive. They are built on the basis of trucks, therefore, in terms of transport classification, they belong to category "C".

They are distinguished by a large windshield, a fixed driver's seat and retractable partitions that form different zones and separate berths. Moreover, such structures are autonomous, equipped with a generator, have gas and a large supply of water.

Several additional categories can be distinguished.

About the name

The term “motorhome” (another name is “camper”) often means a car caravan.

Note! B- and C-class trailers are called campers, while motorhomes are exclusively A-class models.

It is also worth noting that in some countries, without exception, motorhomes are called winebago.

It will take a lot of effort and time, as well as the appropriate equipment, to turn a car into a motorhome.

Note! First, this issue should be studied from the point of view of legislation. Different registration organizations perceive homemade motorhomes differently, and it will be unpleasant if the transport ends up being illegal.

Stage 1. First, the number of residents is determined and, based on this, vehicle and internal stuffing. A detailed design plan is drawn up - this can be done on paper, but it is better to use a computer.

Stage 2. Next, the car body is cleared. If dents are found, they are removed and the peeling paint is scraped off. Several windows are equipped (if they were not) in the housing for lighting and fresh air.

Stage 3. Ventilation holes and valves for gas supply are cut out. All areas of "bare" metal are coated with a primer to protect against corrosion and aggressive environmental influences.

Stage 4. The house is finished with thermal insulation material.

Note! To do this, you need to use only high-quality materials, it is extremely undesirable to save. In addition, the material from which the hardware (metal fasteners) are made should be similar to the metal of the car body - this is for additional protection against rust.

Stage 5. The inner surface of the motorhome is finished.

• carpet covering;
• waterproof plywood.

Thick panels with stuffed planks for furniture mounting are inserted into the side walls. It is characteristic that at first it is better to level the ceiling, and only after that go to the walls.

Stage 6. After installing the furniture, you should take care of the water supply. To do this, you can install several canisters of water under the sink and install small pumps. In addition, you can put large tanks - for example, for taking a shower.

Note! Do not forget about sewage- for this, another tank is installed. As a toilet, you can use the usual garden structure.

Stage 7. For cooking and heating, as noted earlier, it is better to use propane gas. The cylinder is located in the lower part of the body, as well as an additional hole for ventilation. This is explained quite simply: propane weighs more than air, so in the event of a leak, such safety measures will prevent sad consequences.

Stage 8. It remains only to take care of the power supply. The best option- powerful accumulator battery, equipped with an external outlet for charging.

Mobile home from an old trailer

A trailer-trailer costs about 500,000 rubles. The amount is impressive, so if there is an opportunity to purchase an old car trailer, then you can build a small motorhome with your own hands. This will require:

• trailer (necessarily with a strong chassis);
• wooden elements (slats, bars, wagon boards);
• plywood;
• metal profile (for roofing);
• fittings made in the same style;
• set of appropriate tools.

Manufacturing technology

Such a motorhome will be a trailer with in the back. By the way, it is better to make a bed for the entire width of the structure - this way it will connect the side walls and thereby increase rigidity. The bay window will be made later and equipped with an individual unit. The door is installed Dutch type - it will consist of two halves.

Stage 1. The trailer is disassembled, the chassis is carefully cleaned and covered with anti-corrosion paint. From pine boards a frame is being built, supports are cut in appropriate places.

Stage 2. A frame is constructed from slats with a section of 2x2 cm, an oak rail with a section of 3x3 cm is additionally installed in each corner. From above, the frame is tied with a horizontal rail.

It is advisable to use lining of various thicknesses:

• for side walls - 6 mm;
• for front and rear - 19 mm.

Note! For thermal insulation, you can lay the lining in two layers.

Stage 3. The floor is covered with plywood sheets. Poplar beams are used for the roof - they are screwed along the frame in increments of 30 cm. Plywood is fixed on the beams, on top of which a moisture-resistant material and a metal profile of a small section are laid.

Stage 4. There will be only one window in the case (if the door is not taken into account) - in the upper part of the back wall. The window is preferably made in the form of a bay window.

The door lock in such designs is located below, but you can put one more - additional - on top. In addition, the door is equipped with a small casement window.

Stage 5. It is recommended to equip a table that slides out from under the bed (as was once the case on British trains). For this, special lockers are formed under the bed. By the way, the lower space can also be used as a bed.

In addition, shelves and a removable ladder are built from wood.

Letter of the law

No additional permit is required if the dimensions of the motorhome will not exceed:

• 400 cm high;
• 255 cm wide;
• 100 cm long (excluding the part that does not protrude beyond the trailer).

If the dimensions are larger, then the motorhome is transported according to special rules (flashing lights, escort, etc.). Of course, this only applies to trailer trailers.

Setting up a mobile home business

At the construction of motorhomes, you can organize own business. There are four options for developing such a business.

Option number 1. Making houses for sale summer holiday or living in a country house. Serious material costs this will not be required, because the houses will be of a simplified design - for example, without insulation.

Option number 2. Rent out motorhomes. It's relative new business, and everything new can be taken very expensive. Number of motorhomes in this case grows as the customer base grows.

Option number 3. Make food trucks or shops.

Option number 4, he is the most interesting. It consists in the creation of a car park and its further use as a hotel. The main thing here is to divide trailers into budget, premium and middle class.

For a more detailed acquaintance with the construction technology, check out the thematic video.

Video - Do-it-yourself motor home

Experienced travelers know that it is not always possible to spend the night cheaply and comfortably. Therefore, with long trips and having your own car, it’s a sin not to buy a towbar and not to pick up a trailer-cottage. In fact, this is a house on wheels - such a small room with a kitchen, a toilet ... Well, in general, with all the objects of civilization. In such a "mini-hotel" you can not only comfortably spend the night, but even cook food for several people, and dine there, and most importantly - completely free! And today we will look at how a do-it-yourself trailer is made.

Chassis and frame

The main component of any trailer is the frame. It is on her that the entire load from the metal body (the frame of the “house”) falls, and from below the bridge, beam and wheels. By the way, you will not have any particular difficulties about it, because the design of the trailer has no fundamental differences from the car system, with the exception of motor units. Therefore, when done as a running system, you can completely “pull out” part of the wheels, springs and other suspension parts from an old car. For such a vehicle, any model of car can be suitable, be it Volga, Moskvich or Zhiguli.

How to make a do-it-yourself trailer-cottage? Room design

And if the algorithm for designing a dacha trailer practically does not differ from the usual cargo version at the stages of building the chassis and frame, then difficulties may arise with the body. The fact is that a home-made trailer should really be comfortable and practical, so even on the drawing you need to develop a plan for the design and location of all the details. Indicate where the bedroom, kitchen will be located, and if it is a frame with a length of 5 meters or more, you can additionally install a bathroom. However, keep in mind that each new room entails additional waste, which means that the price of a finished trailer will be significant. Moreover, in order to legally drive in such a coupling, you also need to register this vehicle with the traffic police. And this is at least a few thousand dollars on top. Therefore, do not oversaturate your trailer with unnecessary devices.

Retrofit option

by the most practical option is a design in which a built-in frame for an awning is located on the side (remember the legendary Soviet "Skif"). When it is in the unfolded state, it turns out a kind of large tent. This significantly reduces the cost of work and the effort expended on it. Such a do-it-yourself cottage trailer is very functional and at the same time convenient to use.

Drawbar and illumination

At the final stage, it is worth taking care of how finished construction will be attached to the towbar of the car. Also, a homemade cottage trailer should have a pair of brake lights and turn signals. In the center or on the side, think over the location for the license plate and draw a backlight to it, best of all LED. Such a trailer on wheels will definitely be the best hotel for a traveler.