Cargo Trailer Camper Conversion

Why Choose a Cargo Trailer Over a Van?

A lot of people think they need a van to live on the road. They don't. A cargo trailer conversion gives you more usable floor space than a Sprinter, costs less up front, and keeps your daily vehicle independent. You tow it when you want to adventure, detach it at camp, and still have your truck or SUV to drive around town.

Cargo trailers are especially practical if you're already looking at a truck for other reasons, or if you want flexibility between living-on-the-road and everyday vehicle use. They're also a solid option for building on a tighter budget.

What Size Cargo Trailer Should You Convert?

Trailers come in a bunch of sizes. The three we work with most often are 6x12, 7x14, and 7x16. Each has its own sweet spot.

What Systems Does a Cargo Trailer Camper Need?

Just like a van, a converted cargo trailer needs electrical, plumbing, climate control, and interior finishes. The systems are similar, but the layout and constraints are different.

Electrical System

A typical trailer conversion runs 100-200 amp lithium battery bank paired with a 3000-4000W inverter, depending on how much power you're drawing. Most people add 400-800W of solar for charging during extended trips. We run everything through a standard RV distribution panel, so your switches and outlets feel familiar.

Plumbing

Fresh water tank (usually 40-80 gallons, depending on trailer size), gray water tank for sinks and showers, and black water tank for the toilet. We use flexible PEX tubing throughout — it doesn't corrode and handles freezing better than copper. Hot water is handled by either a tankless water heater or a small tank heater, depending on your usage.

Climate Control

Insulation is done with Thinsulate in the walls and XPS foam on the floor. We don't use vapor barriers — they trap moisture in a moving vehicle. Ventilation comes from roof vents and windows. Heat is handled by a propane heater or a small diesel heater if you're serious about winter camping. AC can be added, though it's less common in trailers (AC runs heavy power and space is limited).

Doing it yourself? The pre-cut Thinsulate kits in our shop are cut to van cavities and won't fit a trailer. Buy a bulk roll instead — a trailer's flat walls are far easier to template than a Sprinter's curves. A 3M Thinsulate SM600L roll (5' x 20') covers 100 square feet, and a 6x12's walls and ceiling run about 250, so budget three rolls. Bond it with 3M 90 spray adhesive rather than Super 77: 77 is a lighter multipurpose glue, and Thinsulate will let go of an overhead panel with it.

Disclosure: Some links on this page are affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases — if you buy through them we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. We only point at gear we'd use in a build, and anything we carry ourselves links to our own shop instead.

Interior & Exterior

Walls are typically laminate, marine plywood, or aluminum paneling. Flooring is vinyl, bamboo, or finished plywood. The ceiling can stay basic or get covered depending on your budget. Exterior upgrades include galvanized or aluminum siding, weatherproofing seams, and adding windows or roof vents.

How Much Does a Cargo Trailer Camper Conversion Cost?

The same budget ranges we use for vans apply to trailers, because the work is roughly equivalent:

The trailer itself costs $5K-$15K depending on size and condition. Add that to your build budget to get your true total. We've learned what works in trailers through building dozens of them, and we don't add unnecessary costs or upsell you on things you don't need.

How Do You Convert a Cargo Trailer Into a Camper?

The build order below is the one we actually use in the shop. It matters more in a trailer than in a van, because a trailer arrives as an empty metal box with no factory insulation, no headliner, and no vents. Everything in it is something somebody cut, ran, or fastened. Do these out of order and you end up pulling finished paneling back off to run a wire you forgot.

1. Weigh the build before you design it

This is the step that separates a trailer conversion from a van conversion. A van has payload to spare. A trailer is bound twice over: by its own GVWR and axle rating, and by what your tow vehicle is rated to pull. Water is the usual culprit, at roughly 8.3 lbs a gallon, so a 60-gallon fresh tank is about 500 lbs before you have added a battery bank, cabinetry, or the things you pack. Add up the finished weight on paper first. Aim to keep tongue weight in the 10-15% range of loaded trailer weight, and put the heavy items ahead of the axle to get there.

2. Inspect the shell before money changes hands

Check the roof structure before you plan a vent fan, an air conditioner, or solar, because not every cargo trailer roof is built to carry them. Look at the floor for soft spots and past water, check the seams and the door seals, and find out how the walls are framed and at what spacing, since that dictates where cabinetry can actually attach. A cheap trailer with a tired floor is not a bargain.

3. Cut every penetration first

Roof vents, windows, shore power inlet, water fill, tank vents, propane locker if you are running one. Cut them all while the shell is empty and easy to reach from both sides, and seal and flash them properly the first time. A trailer has no factory ventilation at all, so the roof vents are not optional in a box that has no engine bay to draw air through.

4. Rough in wiring and plumbing while the walls are open

Every run goes in before insulation. Plan your electrical around the fact that a trailer has no alternator. A van charges itself every time you drive it; a trailer has solar, shore power, and whatever you can pull through the tow vehicle's 7-pin, which is a thin wire over a long run and will not do the work your solar array does. Size the solar and the bank accordingly. Plumbing runs want to stay inside the insulated envelope, not tucked against the outer skin where they will freeze.

5. Insulate, then panel

Thinsulate in the walls and ceiling, XPS foam on the floor, no vapor barrier. The reason to spec Thinsulate is not that it wins on R-value per inch, because it does not. It is that it does not hold water against metal, and a camper is a humid box with a cold skin. A trailer's flat walls are genuinely easier to template than a van's curves, which is the one place a trailer build is less work.

6. Cabinetry, then systems finish, then test

Furniture goes in, appliances and fixtures get connected, and then everything gets tested before it leaves: electrical under load, plumbing under pressure, heat, fridge, fans. We test everything before it goes out so a leak shows up in the driveway and not three states down the road.

How long does it take? Doing it yourself on evenings and weekends, plan on 6 to 12 months. We turn a trailer around in the same 6 to 16 weeks a van build takes, because the work is roughly equivalent once the shell is prepped.

How Does Emery Custom Builds Approach Trailer Conversions?

We've built enough cargo trailers to know what works and what doesn't. We work with the trailer's footprint instead of fighting it. A 6x12 doesn't need a full bathroom — a composting toilet and an outdoor shower work better and save money. A 7x16 can handle a real kitchen and shower setup. We'll figure out what makes sense for your life, not what's technically possible.

We test every system before you take the trailer home. That means you're not learning your plumbing layout or electrical system mid-trip — it all works, and you know how to operate it.

What Does a Finished Cargo Trailer Camper Look Like?

Check out our Wanderwell 14x7 cargo trailer conversion project for a real example of what's possible in a mid-size trailer. It's a full-time living rig built for someone who wanted maximum flexibility.

How Do You Get Started with a Cargo Trailer Camper?

Not sure if a cargo trailer makes sense for you? That's why we do free consultations. Tell us how you plan to use it, what vehicle you're towing with, and what your budget looks like. We'll walk you through the options and help you figure out if a trailer or a van is the right move.

Frequently Asked Questions