Turn your any size, unused box trailer into a toy hauler (go carts and/or motorbikes), or a dry and secure weekender. The following conversion was done in a 6’ x 4’ box trailer. Don’t pay $22,000 plus for a weekender. Put new found life into your public holidays and weekends and transform your rarely used box trailer into a dry and comfortable weekender for a very, very affordable price. Then you can enjoy the great Australian outdoors in relative comfort, and you can mothball your cold, wet & damp, windy tent. No more sleeping on the ground. It’s very light and easy to tow, and can therefore go almost anywhere your car can go, and sleeps up to two with ample storage for a long weekend away. It’s so light, it can be easily towed by most 4 cylinder cars.

 

Photos of old 6'x4' box trailer, with commencement welding of box steel frame, and with checker plate aluminium walls mounted. Extended the van to 1.5' beyond the front of trailer box and made it more aero dynamic in design for less drag. This also provides better overall weight balance, and significant additional storage area. 

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Cut into the aluminium sheeting and fitted acrylic, tinted fixed windows. 

Designed front door on passenger side to access storage area. Painted blue trailer with matching anti rust silver paint. 

Front door opened to gain entry to storage shelves, (Bunnings) which has its own door to stop things falling out. Also room for folding blue picnic table and seats. 

Insulated ceiling and walls with 1/2" styrofoam. Also used connecting black rubber matting for the floor for comfort and insulation.  

Built seating/bed from pine, and covered sides with spare wall panelling. Recycled most bits and pieces. 

Hinged pine board for extendible bed. Bed legs also hinge inwards to fold away. 

Fabricated aluminium framed window, and Installed lockable window winder. Also built outdoor bbq storage box / cooking station with fold down table. 

Very small detail, but notice the Transformers badge?

Rear door has pneumatic struts, which provides self raised shaded area, and dual locks. Can also hang a wrap around material and create an awning for privacy and shade. Next weekend's project. 

Back door is also insulated and covered with melamine. Window winder added for security and ventilation. Door handle is to grab on to close door (which is lockable from the inside) while in back of van, for a more secure and warmer sleep. 

Comfortable blue & white striped top bench/mattress covers from IKEA. Stand able 165cm height. Carpet on the wall for additional insulation, and colour. Just bought a small 12" digital, portable TV and still to mount on wall.  

Battery powered LED lighting is more than adequate. 

Single bench/bed becomes a double bed. 

Pull out storage, with top doubling-up as a small table top. Recycled small book shelf. 

Trying out for size and comfort. Snug-as-a-bug-in-a-rug. 

Doors mounted onto storage shelves. Recycled from old cabinet and fitted without cutting. 

Added 12v cigarette lighter sockets and 240v 300 amp inverter. Power is accessible from inside cabinet. 

Securely mounted small 800w microwave. Recycled as bought a bigger 1200w for the kitchen. Great for defrosting or reheating food. 

External 240v inlet mounted onto BBQ storage box. 

Internal 240v power from external 240v source for microwave, espresso machine, and other larger appliances. 

I've now got a 240v small espresso machine, 12v travel cooler/small food warmer, and mini 12v oven. Oven works an absolute treat and you can have pies, left overs, hot food prepared within an hour of travel time. Great for that early morning breakfast or lunch to be ready as soon as you park at your destination. Plus you can use to keep food, coke, beer cool in the travel cooler. 

For those that love coffee, yes over the top, but espresso goes extremely well with breakfast.  Machine found new life (Recycled) as it was replaced by a new fangle dangled, auto coffee making machine. 

Van has battery power with 240v 300 amp inverter for powering laptops, phones, TV and other small appliances. It also has 2.5amp solar panel for maintaining battery power. 

Scavenged light, switch and power meter from an old battery jumper box. Also spare 12v battery which didn't have sufficient cranking power for v8. More recycling. 

Built a little aluminium storage utility box which houses the 12v battery & 240v inverter and power cables outside of the main cabin.    

Built an external "cooking station" that stores and becomes a table for the Gas burner.  BBB bottle is now more securely mounted with strong rubber straps. Added chrome hubcaps for aesthetics. 

Easy access to portable cooker, with fold down table, and spare single burner gas bottle cooker in black box. 

You can also cook after sunset with strong LED lighting. 

Rugged, and functional looks. Can be painted or vinyl skinned, but why bother.  Looks very unique on the road, and lots of head turners. 

I Was bored one weekend, so Added an extra 2 foot rear extension. Now approx 9.5' x 4'. 

Re-fixed rear door, covered new walls and ceiling in malamine, and now has 33% more room. Doesn't sound like much, but huge difference. Can also use rear extension as under cover mini deck/bench seat.

Now looks much longer and looks less boxy. Used water proof ply (behind lights) and painted silver to compliment, and look the same finish as the trailer's base. 

This shot show 2 foot extension post bbq station. 

Added new front storage box. You can never have enough storage. Duller parts are covered in dust, and it needs a wash. Shinier bit at end is the extension. 

Thanks for viewing my blog. Please bear in mind that this is a first prototype. The next will be wider and extend over the wheels, with improved ideas. Please let me knw what you think. Any feedback will be most welcomed.

Thank you

Jeff