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Joe Mooney's DIY travel trailer series
A one-page index of Joe's steel-and-aluminum trailer build, its later upgrades, and its camping tests.
Sources: Homesteadonomics on YouTube · DIY RV article on the build. Each table link opens the relevant local study note.
Joe's trailer in numbers
These are Joe's reported build numbers, not dimensions or ratings for Nathan's trailer. VHB means very high bond tape. Ah means amp-hours, a battery-capacity measure.
| What | Value | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Overall length | Just over 17 ft | Article |
| Inside height | 6 ft 4 in | Article |
| Axles | Single axle | Article |
| Target total weight | 2,500–2,700 lb | Part 7 |
| Wood-support weight saving | About 60 lb | Part 1 |
| Tires bought | 5 for $225 | Part 1 |
| Wheel-well steel | 16 gauge | Part 2 |
| Rear-panel bend length | 7 ft | Part 2 |
| VHB tape paid | About $50 per roll; he says typical price was over $100 | Part 2 |
| Roof seam tape | 4 in wide | Part 3 |
| Wall insulation | 1 in, plus ½ in extra | Part 3 |
| Wall framework depth | 1½ in | Part 3 |
| Tongue-jack plate | ¼-in steel | Part 3 |
| Overhead cabinets | 3 sets; 12 in high × 14 in deep; sides 53 in long | Part 4 |
| Table tubing and brace | 1-in tubing; 1¼ × 8-in brace | Part 6 |
| Coupler tube / original tongue | 3-in square / 2-in square | Part 7 |
| Tongue reinforcement | Two ¼-in steel pieces; 15–25 min cooling between weld sections | Part 7 |
| Security chain | 3/8-in links; old chain about 12 ft | Part 8 |
| Kitchen upper cabinet | About 15½ in tall × 10½ in deep | Part 9 |
| Kitchen material prices | Stainless sheet $107; remnants about $15 | Part 9 |
| Electrical circuits and wire | 5 circuits; two 12-gauge main wires; some 14-gauge leads | Part 10 |
| Battery | Relion RB100, 100 Ah, about 30 lb; Joe expected 10–15 years | Part 10 |
| Solar array | 2 × 180 W = 360 W | Part 11 |
| Solar entry / crimper | Entry port about $10; connector crimper about $25 | Part 11 |
| Porta-potty cabinet material | 2-by-2 frame; ½-in Baltic birch face and top | Part 12 |
| Coupler-lock housing | 4 × 4 × ¼-in steel tube; 2-in ball | Trailer lock |
| Battery box | .100 material; 16-in side strip; 4 mounting bolts | Battery tool box |
| Awning | Large 8 × 8 ft; small 3 × 2 ft; about 67 lb; .040 aluminum skin | Part 23 |
The videos
| Date | Note | What Joe did |
|---|---|---|
| 2018-04-18 | Part 1 — The frame | Altered the axle and frame, formed the roof curve, and planned the wood supports. |
| 2018-06-04 | Part 2 — Aluminum exterior | Built wheel wells, floor supports, and bonded the aluminum skin. |
| 2018-07-24 | Part 3 — Insulation, windows and trim | Installed the door, Rmax foam, windows, and weather sealing. |
| 2018-09-05 | Extra — Battery tool box | Made and mounted an aluminum diamond-plate battery box. |
| 2018-09-20 | Extra — Bumper and stabilizer jacks | Added an aluminum bumper, stabilizers, fan, and underside cover. |
| 2018-10-16 | Part 4 — Interior cabinets | Built and mounted overhead cabinets. |
| 2018-11-14 | Part 5 — Bed, cooler cubby and storage | Built the rear bed platform and cooler cubby. |
| 2018-12-04 | Extra — Shop and trailer updates | Shared shop and trailer progress, including repeated earlier material. |
| 2019-01-13 | Part 6 — Dinette, bed and cabinets | Built the dinette, made a bed conversion, and laid vinyl flooring. |
| 2019-02-16 | Part 7 — Coupler, hitch and sway control | Reworked the tongue and fitted coupler, hitch, and sway-control hardware. |
| 2019-03-02 | Part 8 — Folding steps, security and jack | Installed steps, updated security, and modified the tongue jack. |
| 2019-03-27 | Part 9 — Kitchen cabinets, sink, and stove | Built the kitchen, sink, stove area, and water setup. |
| 2019-04-11 | Extra — Trailer lock | Made a heavy steel coupler lock. |
| 2019-05-03 | Extra — Battery lock | Made a restrained, isolated battery holder. |
| 2019-06-29 | Part 10 — 12 V electrical system | Installed the 12-volt battery, wiring, protection, and loads. |
| 2019-07-17 | Part 11 — Solar panel install | Installed flexible solar panels, charge controller, and protected roof wiring. |
| 2019-08-03 | Trip — First trip | Tested the trailer, solar, storage, and roof drainage on a 700-plus-mile trip. |
| 2020-04-12 | Trip — Rock Wonderland | Used a camping trip to test solar and identify upgrades. |
| 2020-09-12 | Trip — Simple camping | Reported no leaks after about 35 camping days and considered a pull-out cook surface. |
| 2020-11-12 | Part 13 — Slide-out kitchen | Built and tested a slide-out kitchen. |
| 2022-06-10 | Extra — Outdoor shower cover | Mounted an outdoor shower kit and made its protective cover. |
| 2023-05-23 | Part 23 — Fold-out awning | Built a manual fold-out awning. |
Every material and part Joe named
| Item | Detail | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Frame and running gear | ||
| Steel and axle | Steel mostly from Industrial Metal Supply; free axle; two-by-fours and plywood floor framing. | Part 1 |
| Coupler and hitch | Bulldog-style coupler, 7018 rods, weight-distribution hitch, sway bar, safety chains, rubber bushings. | Part 7 |
| Steps and stabilizers | Elkhart Tool and Die double RV folding steps; A-frame stabilizer jacks. | Part 8 |
| Body and skin | ||
| Skin and tape | White painted aluminum; VHB CV62F and CV45F tape. | Part 2 |
| Sealing and wall board | Butyl tape, lap sealant, seam tape, and luan utility plywood. | Part 3 |
| Rear body parts | Aluminum-scrap bumper, MaxxFan 12-volt fan, corrugated-plastic underside cover. | Bumper and stabilizers |
| Awning | Aluminum tubing, 16-gauge angle, .040 skin, hinges, rivets, channel brackets, hitch pins, and garage-door threshold seal. | Part 23 |
| Insulation and interior | ||
| Insulation | Rmax foil-faced foam board. | Part 3 |
| Cabinets and bed | Wood, plywood, pocket-hole screws, glue, hidden hinges, and Dometic CFX 65W cooler. | Part 4; Part 5 |
| Dinette and floor | Plywood, two-by-twos, hinges, shelf brackets, washers, and vinyl plank with adhesive overlaps. | Part 6 |
| Porta-potty cabinet | 2-by-2 lumber, ½-in Baltic birch plywood, pine, filler, stain, polyurethane, paint, trim, hinges, and hold-open latch. | Part 12 |
| Electrical and solar | ||
| 12-volt system | 12- and 14-gauge wire, conduit, nail plates, connectors, grounding block, fuse panel, battery switch, and Relion RB100 lithium battery. | Part 10 |
| Solar | Two Sunflare 180-watt flexible panels, RV entry port, MC4 connectors, solar wire, Victron controller, adhesive tape, conduit, and aluminum channels. | Part 11 |
| Battery box and holder | Aluminum diamond plate, aluminum wire, argon, stainless carriage bolts, steel tray and tabs, top strap, hinge, and rubber gaskets. | Battery tool box; Battery lock |
| Water and bathroom | ||
| Kitchen water | Stainless sink, foot pump, fresh-water tank, and removable gray-water bucket. | Part 9 |
| Kitchen appliances | Coleman Triton stove and Dometic CFX 65W cooler. | Part 9 |
| Shower | Purchased outdoor shower kit in a nylon bag; scrap-aluminum cover and rivets. | Outdoor shower cover |
| Hitch, steps and security | ||
| Chain and lock | Pewag hardened square-link chain and War-Lok padlock with boron shackle. | Part 8 |
| Coupler lock | 4-by-4 steel tube, 2-in ball, Warlock puck lock, hasps, steel angle, scrap steel, and steel hinge. | Trailer lock |
Every tool Joe used
MIG means metal inert gas welding. MC4 is the solar-connector type Joe used.
| Tool | What Joe used it for | Note links |
|---|---|---|
| Forney 190 multi-process welder (MIG, stick, TIG) | Frame, tongue, battery box, and aluminum work with a spool gun. | 1, 2, box, 7, bumper |
| Forney 20 P plasma cutter / plasma cutter | Cut steel and lock parts. | 2, shop, lock |
| Acetylene torch | Formed the roof curve. | 1 |
| Spool gun | Welded aluminum. | box, bumper |
| Angle grinder (including cut-off wheel) | Ground and cut metal; made shallow passes on lock steel. | 2, 7, box, lock, battery |
| Metal-cutting tool | Cut battery-holder and shower-cover metal. | battery, shower |
| Drill / driver | Made holes, drove fasteners, and worked on cabinets and wiring. | 3, 7, 8, 10, 11, 13 |
| Saw (including table and miter saw) | Cut wood and aluminum parts. | 3, box, 12, 13 |
| Router | Trimmed panels and shaped cabinet parts. | 2, 4, 9, 12 |
| Jigsaw | Cut exterior-panel openings. | 2 |
| Sander | Finished interior and cabinet parts. | 3, 6, 9, 12 |
| Pizza cutter | Cut foam insulation. | 3 |
| Jack stands | Levelled the frame. | 1 |
| Kreg hinge jig / pocket-hole jig and driver | Made cabinet joints and set hidden hinges. | 4, 9, 12 |
| Finish nailer / brad nailer | Assembled cabinets and kitchen boxes. | 4, 13 |
| Paint tools | Finished the interior. | 6 |
| Socket | Worked on the steps and jack. | 8 |
| Clamps | Held lock parts for welding. | lock |
| Wire crimper and labels | Terminated and identified 12-volt circuits. | 10 |
| MC4 crimping tool, connector wrenches, and wire cutter/stripper | Made and tightened solar connections. | 11 |
| Tongue jack and stabilizers | Levelled the trailer on its first trip. | first trip |
| Ladder | Reached the roof and awning. | first trip, 23 |
| Shovel | Used while camping. | Rock Wonderland |
| Axe, flyswatters, and fishing gear | Used while camping. | Simple camping |
| Drawer-slide installation tools | Installed the slide-out kitchen. | 13 |
| Rivet tool | Made the shower cover and awning. | shower, 23 |
Lessons from Joe
- Level the frame before treating it as an assembly table. Part 1
- Choose the actual windows before you frame their openings. Part 3
- Plan VHB surfaces before bonding. Joe says the tape is hard to remove after it grabs. Part 2
- Leave a drainage space between plywood and steel. Part 2
- Use screws after finish nails where road vibration will work the joint. Part 4
- Install tongue hardware and step mounts while the frame is still open. Joe had to retrofit both later. Part 7; Part 8
- Divide long welds and let them cool to reduce pulling; Joe waited 15–25 minutes between tongue weld sections. Part 7
- Check fit before final trim. A too-narrow cabinet top and door meant remakes. Part 12
- Label electrical circuits and keep grounds reachable. Joe also says his system is not an industry-standard plan. Part 10
- Lay out solar wiring on the floor first, then protect roof wire from rubbing. Connect the battery to the controller first, as its instructions say. Part 11
- Test a slide-out while extended. Joe added a removable shim after finding side-to-side movement. Part 13
- Choose simple hardware when the complex version will not stay secure in wind. That led Joe to a manual awning setup. Part 23