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DIY Cargo Trailer Conversion Brings Beautiful and Practical Interior, Extra Inspiration

There is no such thing as the perfect camper in the absolute sense, but there is a perfect camper for every adventurer out there: a towable that meets their respective needs and fits the budget, and is perfectly suitable for every outing and season.
A 2020 RC Trailers cargo trainer became a quite elegant and practical home on wheels 23 photos
Photo: YouTube / DIY Cargo Trailer
A 2020 RC Trailers cargo trainer became a quite elegant and practical home on wheelsA 2020 RC Trailers cargo trainer became a quite elegant and practical home on wheelsA 2020 RC Trailers cargo trainer became a quite elegant and practical home on wheelsA 2020 RC Trailers cargo trainer became a quite elegant and practical home on wheelsA 2020 RC Trailers cargo trainer became a quite elegant and practical home on wheelsA 2020 RC Trailers cargo trainer became a quite elegant and practical home on wheelsA 2020 RC Trailers cargo trainer became a quite elegant and practical home on wheelsA 2020 RC Trailers cargo trainer became a quite elegant and practical home on wheelsA 2020 RC Trailers cargo trainer became a quite elegant and practical home on wheelsA 2020 RC Trailers cargo trainer became a quite elegant and practical home on wheelsA 2020 RC Trailers cargo trainer became a quite elegant and practical home on wheelsA 2020 RC Trailers cargo trainer became a quite elegant and practical home on wheelsA 2020 RC Trailers cargo trainer became a quite elegant and practical home on wheelsA 2020 RC Trailers cargo trainer became a quite elegant and practical home on wheelsA 2020 RC Trailers cargo trainer became a quite elegant and practical home on wheelsA 2020 RC Trailers cargo trainer became a quite elegant and practical home on wheelsA 2020 RC Trailers cargo trainer became a quite elegant and practical home on wheelsA 2020 RC Trailers cargo trainer became a quite elegant and practical home on wheelsA 2020 RC Trailers cargo trainer became a quite elegant and practical home on wheelsA 2020 RC Trailers cargo trainer became a quite elegant and practical home on wheelsA 2020 RC Trailers cargo trainer became a quite elegant and practical home on wheelsA 2020 RC Trailers cargo trainer became a quite elegant and practical home on wheels
Those adventurers who can’t find their perfect camper to buy can always turn to custom projects or, if they’re feeling particularly bold, go down the DIY (do it yourself) route. The latest hot trends of tiny living and vanlife have put quite a spotlight on DIY projects, prompting amateur builders to monetize their experience and turn it into a side job and, to some extent, to offer support and motivation for fellow adventurers.

If you’ve been looking for that extra touch of inspiration today, this piece is it wants to be it. This is a cargo trailer conversion that aims to show that, far from all campers being born equal, DIY home-builds can really be more advantageous. Corey and Cait Helton believe so, at least.

Corey and Cait live on the East Coast, U.S., and while their day jobs as doctor and therapist take up a big chunk of their time, they still love to unwind in the great outdoors. Who doesn’t, right?

For about three years, the two used a tent for their outdoorsy adventures, before they started thinking about upgrading. They had to choose between a camper, which had to be lightweight enough to not force them to change their towing car as well (a 2011 Toyota 4Runner), and a pop-up rig, which presented the disadvantage of less space than the tent they had used until then.

A 2020 RC Trailers cargo trainer became a quite elegant and practical home on wheels
Photo: YouTube / DIY Cargo Trailer
On considerations of money and because they still wanted to be able to choose the features on their next rig, they eventually settled on a DIY build. Specifically, Corey decided that only a cargo trailer would fit them like the proverbial glove, since it would come with a steel frame and thus enhanced strength, and a blank space on which they could add whatever they thought they’d need on the road.

At first glance, this story isn’t unlike most others out there. To further drive home this point, both Corey and Cait seem bent on stressing that they didn’t have experience in such conversions, but they do admit that they have “plenty of hobbies” and that Corey has frequent “creative episodes” in which he builds stuff. Put it differently, they might not have done this before professionally, but they’re not exactly not skilled with their hands.

The cargo trailer that served as that blank page for their perfect camper dreams was a brand-new, 2020 model unit from Indiana-based RC Trailers. They bought it off Craigslist for a little over $5,000 and had only been used once, so it was a good deal. It was actually a perfect deal since the trailer met all the criteria Corey had in mind, from the gray exterior to the barn doors, and the total length.

The conversion took them more than half a year and they did most of it themselves, with the only exception being the spray foam insulation. The interior is 14 feet (4.2 meters) long and 7 feet (2.1 meters) high, and is the perfect home away from home for them, with a kitchen, a lounge slash office area, and a sleeping area on an elevator bed. More to the point, the interior came out very elegant, with a black and white and natural wood theme, and certain features customized to their particular lifestyle.

A 2020 RC Trailers cargo trainer became a quite elegant and practical home on wheels
Photo: YouTube / DIY Cargo Trailer
For example, the bathroom is very small, but only because they didn’t want it to take up too much floorspace. It’s a wet one with a shower and a toilet, and the latter is urine-only because this means the build could do without a large black water tank. They can still go number two in case of an emergency, but said emergency situation requires the use of a special bag they will then throw out.

Another good example is the bed elevator, which they also built by themselves with four linear actuators. They wanted a large and comfy bed, but they didn’t want it in the way when they weren’t sleeping on it, so they opted for this solution. The bed sits over the lounge area during the day, and comes down over the twin benches at night, at the simple press of a button.

They chose to keep appliances to a minimum in the kitchen, opting for a removable, simple propane-butane stove and a 12V cooler fridge, but they splurged on a full-size residential Pioneer 9000 BTU 120V unit for AC and heat, and a moss wall in the kitchen, between the genuine tiles in the backsplash. They also chose not to invest in solar because they’d already run out of money, but they rigged the electrical system so as to be able to upgrade it later down the road.

A 2020 RC Trailers cargo trainer became a quite elegant and practical home on wheels
Photo: YouTube / DIY Cargo Trailer
Even if the total cost of the conversion isn’t mentioned, and the rig hasn’t been tried out in the wild yet (Corey says they might end up not keeping it, after all), there’s a great takeaway in this story, and Corey is the one to point it out. He wants their story to inspire others to “go out there and build something” if they feel the urge to, to follow their dreams, and push their limits. He comes out to support those inspired by his example with a paid online conversion tutorial. Influencers might be here to serve the daily dose of inspo, but not a single one does it completely for free.

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About the author: Elena Gorgan
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Elena has been writing for a living since 2006 and, as a journalist, she has put her double major in English and Spanish to good use. She covers automotive and mobility topics like cars and bicycles, and she always knows the shows worth watching on Netflix and friends.
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