In the BEGINNING .. which road do I take?

[MikeDT]

I thought it would be great to be somewhat self-reliant. I'm forty seven years old..and am challenging myself.
I don't like feeding all the appliances in my apartment, and I have too much stuff. What do I really need? What do I really love?
The land will soon soon fill with trilliums and ferns and leaves.There is no hydro or water, which is ok.
I don't really have the desire to live off the land. I'll go to grocery stores and I don't want to really rough it out, and make it difficult, I want to be comfortable, but I want to be amongst trees, instead of buildings.
I 'live' and work in the city, and will travel up to the trailer on weekends.

Here is what I need from the trailer, in a sort of order:
A place to sleep.
A music system.
A cooktop.
A place to sit and eat and relax.
A hot shower.
A bathroom (although, there is an outhouse).

Here is what I love:
Music.
Hand Drumming.
Campfires.
Night Skies.
Trees.

Here is the nitty gritty:
This 1976 Argosy needs a ton of work, and I will doing the work myself and put all the purchases on my line of credit.
I jumped in to it, without knowing anything about trailers and because I looked at other trailers, and i just didn't want anything else but an airstream, and this argosy came up.
I've starting taking things out of it, and the further I get the more I realize this trailer needs, and the further I want to go.
I'm at the point where I can dive in further, to the point of no return, or just turn back now and make it verge on liveable.
I now think it needs some frame work and floor, along with the new plumbing and the new holding tanks and..and..and.
I've taken the kitchen out, and can easily put in a new one, but I think I want to take out the floor / repair the frame, new holding tanks, and make a good solid structure. I've read lots over the past week or two off this site, and I think I would get some good advice from here. Any suggestions on which road I should take?
Thank you in advance, if you have some time to respond, and for reading this.

[cameront120]

Are you planning to use it during winter months? If so, your primary consideration should be how to keep your water lines from freezing. Since they run adjacent your furnace ductwork, you'll want to ensure the furnace is in good repair. Also, if you want hot water, the water heater must be in good repair. You may want to consider a bulk propane tank so that your not having to refill your propane cylinders every few days. How will you get rid of your grey and black water?

[MikeDT]

Hi Cameron.
I will get a new water heater first and furnace later. I don't think I can be there in winter..at least not this first winter. I thought of transporting the grey water to a proper city disposal drain, and there are these macerator pumps, that look like an option for moving black water into containers for proper disposal, but I would be using the outhouse, for now.

[InsideOut]

You should be able to search & find many older threads from others who have pondered similar lifestyle changes. But, in the meantime, here's a couple more thoughts...

You'll probably need a generator of some sort to keep that battery charged so your music system going...and lights, unless you are a sun up to sundown kinda guy.

Also, if there aren't water hook-ups on site, your showers will be short ones.

Shari

[JFerguson]

Welcome Mike you have come to the right place. It sounds like you have a fine project on your hands and noble goals. Prioritize and dig in! You have all summer so go to it!

[MikeDT]

There are these huge water storage tanks that I can use. I have a small generator, which I'm also using for the hand tools. This project and the details have been occupying my mind for a while now. I just don't know how far I should go. I will go in and talk to a trailer repair shop that is just down the road from where the trailer is now, this weekend, and will hopefully have a better idea. I'm hoping he can do some welding for a reasonable cost.

[nickcrowhurst]

Mike, if you don't try this, you'll never know what could have been. No regrets! We live for months at a time in a field in our Airstream, and I built a septic system for about $40, which I believe is more ecological than many city systems which discharge into rivers. Two 40 gallon plastic barrels from the local dairy form the basis of the septic. PM me if you want detailed construction details.
Nick.

[nickcrowhurst]

....and if anyone mentions zoning, or permits, I shall roll on my back, wave my arms and legs in the air, and die a horrible agonized death. Really.
Nick.

[Ahzmyrah]

The minimums would be a dry, bug free comfortable place to sleep and some place to wash up. Until you get your kitchen together you could use a portable camping cook top outside and an ice chest if your refridge doesn't work on propane. I like nickcrowhurst's idea. You mentioned an outhouse, if this is a pit toilet you in effect already are using a "septic system" albeit a primitive one. I have also used buried barrels or drums as a septic tank for a temporary trailer site. I would use organic barrels like steel rather than plastic for the simple reason that it can be abandoned and will eventually biodegrade into the soil over time unlike plastic. Rather than look at the project as a whole take it a piece at a time, with the first bit being done so that you can use enjoy your site next week instead of next month.

[MikeDT]

I hesitated about posting these somewhat personal details about myself, but I am glad that I did, and I really appreciate all of the advice and encouragement. Thank you, I am sure that I will benefit from all of your words.

[TG Twinkie]

If you are not going to be pulling it down the road, I wouldn't worry about small areas of floor damage. Just patch them up to keep the rodents out. Check all of the frames on the outside of the windows and reseal any cracks and crevises to prevent more leaks, also the roof vents etc.
Enjoy!

[Jim Foster]

Think solar. Solar water heating, solar electricity.

[nickcrowhurst]

I've received some PMs asking for details, so here goes: A septic system for a static travel trailer needs to cope with a once-a-week rush of 30 gallons of sewage, followed closely by another 30 gallons of flush water. A small drainfield has difficulty in coping with this rush, so I use an old-timey secondary soakaway tank. Some details:

1. A local cattle dairy was pleased to get rid of two blue 40 gallon (approx) plastic barrels which had been used to store disinfectant. For the secondary tank I drilled a couple of hundred 1" diameter holes through the lower threequarters of the sides.

2. I dug two holes to bury the tanks. The primary hole is just deep enough to lay sod on top of the tank to hide it. The secondary is 6" deeper to allow the tank to rest on a bed of small rocks and crushed concrete, collected from round the yard. The hole for the secondary is 6" larger all round the secondary, and I filled this gap with concrete rubble and rocks from the yard.

3. I dug a trench a foot deep between the two holes to bury the connecting sewer pipe. This pipe should be checked for level with a spirit level. It should be fitted with a 90 degree bend and a short length of pipe. About 6' will work. This vertical section helps prevent solids from passing through to the soakaway before they have had time to liquefy. This transverse pipe is passed through accurate holes cut near the top of each tank, with a mark to indicate the vertical positioning of the down-pipe. Where the leaks would occur where the pipe passes through the tank walls I wetted the area with water, and sprayed foam (Great Stuff from Home Depot, etc) all round the joint. This seals the joints, and allows some flexibility.

4. The tanks did not have lids, and only had a filler capped hole on top. I was able to get my hand through this hole to install standard plumbing tank fittings and pipe to form vent pipes with a threaded ends to take end caps when the tanks were not in use.

5. The intake hole takes a standard sewer tank fitting with an internal thread. This takes a standard clean-out plug with a square protrusion to enable the plug to be removed when the tank is in use.

I don't remember the cost of the system, but it was about forty dollars and a mornings work. We usually leave the gray tank open to the septic all the time we are using the trailer. Connection from the trailer to the septic is the usual flexible 3" sewer hose with a 90 degree end fitting, but a length of solid plastic pipe could be used for a static trailer. We are very careful about what goes into the septic. In particular, no bleach or similar chemicals which would inhibit normal septic action. This system has been working efficiently for several years.
Nick

[DavidsonOverlander]

Originally Posted by nickcrowhurst

Design for a simple, efficient and economical septic.
Nick

This sounds somewhat similar to a septic system I helped dig when I was volunteering with Habitat for Humanity in Costa Rica. The strict rule there was no toilet paper goes into the toilet - only human waste. There was always a garbage can next to the toilet for the toilet paper.

[JFerguson]

I have also see one made with old worn out large diameter tires, like tractor tires stacked up. You dig a hole and stack the tires in so that when you are done you have a "tank" shape of stacked tires. Buried they last forever and the tiny cracks between the tires allow it to seep gradually out.

[hampstead38]

Here's the thing, Mike. A "weekend" trailer is different than a FT trailer. What you are really talking about is what folks here call a "getaway" place. The ticklish thing is designing things so you can be away for weeks at a time--including the dead of winter--without having problems.

I suggest dividing the project into systems. The first priority would seem to be your sleeping system (the alumi-tent concept). Once you have a horizontal place to rest your head, the next component of good sleep is usually heat and/or AC. So, let's say you whip sleeping and HVAC into shape. The next priority is up to you. Water, cooking, showering, sitting, thinking, drumming, lighting, etc.

In my experience, getting a "system" done is kind of morale booster. The trailer feels semi-useful when you can get a good night's sleep in it... and the more time you spend in it, the more you learn about it. More time "in country" leads to better design decisions.

Good luck.

[MikeDT]

As it turns out..the trailer is in pretty good shape. I had to get a crank handle to lower the stabilizer jacks.
Thanks to this posting, I've determined what I need AND what I need to do, and so far so good. The floor and frame are in great shape, I've only needed to patch up the floor in a couple of spots, I fixed all the window handles and screens and frames, sealed and painted where necessary. Took out any and all parts I could and repainted, cleaned, sealed, repaired. or washed everything. Dry silicone for the tambour doors and everything is coming out like new! . The original stove and fridge are fine..i may refurbish and re install. Curtains and new flooring are going back in. I'm fixing up the plumbing system with a new pex pipe and a water heater..and its good to go! I'll work on heat at the end of the summer, and anything else can wait...gone camping! I'm sure this trailer and where I am parked, will be able to sustain me and the things I need and love... for a while...
Thanks again to all. I won't be checking this thread any more, but I'll post on some other forums.

[cameront120]

Sounds like your under way then. No need to abandon your thread. You can keep posting updates on your work to the trailer here along with photos (hint: we love photos).

[MikeDT]

I'm a weekend or two away from finishing up the inside the way I want it, and will post photos.

[bolerama]

Looking forward to seeing pictures. Congratulations on your "new" trailer and welcome to the forums.
Lisa