Box Trailer Camper Conversion: DIY Done Right

Article from RVDaily.

This great box trailer camper conversion is DIY done right

Fed up with a setup that was never quite right, Mathew Ginich set out to build his own box trailer camper and this is one project that turned out to be DIY done right!

I think most of us will agree that caravans and camper trailers are stuffing more and more comforts from home in what is essentially always going to be a small space. But do we really need all the comforts from home? I know I don’t. I just want somewhere comfortable to sleep, a quick set-up, and something to crank tunes through. Mathew has built just that with his DIY box trailer camper but with a few extras that are pretty cool.

“I love my rooftop tent and I wanted a trailer that still allowed me to use it,” he told me. “I started with a 7×4 box trailer, extended the drawbar and then put a complete frame underneath.”

The fun extras …

After explaining that he welded the box up himself he said, “Hey, you wanna see something cool?”

“Yeah of course!” I replied.

He walked around the back of the camper and pressed a button. With a whirring sound, the four corner supports began extending upwards, giving the rooftop tent more height. The magic ingredient? A set of linear actuators that he purchased from eBay! These allow him to lower the tent to a height that’s better for towing with the press of a button. Likewise, he can also raise it so there’s plenty of room for the under tent awning.

box trailer camper DIY

BOX TRAILER CAMPER GOES UP …..

…. BOX TRAILER CAMPER GOES DOWN. I COULD DO THIS ALL DAY!

I immediately thought of that Simpson’s episode where Homer had a triple bypass and discovered that the hospital “bed goes up, bed goes down, bed goes up, bed goes down.” It’s lucky I don’t have one of these on my set-up, I’d probably wear out the motor just to watch it in action.

The sound system is pretty nifty too. With colour changing built-in speakers, it’s as simple as opening one of the compartment doors out into a table, plonking your cold one down onto it, and bluetoothing the music from your phone.

Turns out this DIY box trailer camper does have some comforts from home!

The storage is simple but effective …

There are two compartments featuring doors that double as tables and a much larger section for your bulkier gear. These compartments are lined with marine carpet and have some handy shelves and hanging hooks for kitchen gear. The back opens completely allowing easy access to a fridge and other bits and pieces. It’s surprisingly roomy and you could easily fit a few extra tubs, chairs and a portable toilet in there.

THE “KITCHEN” CUPBOARD AND STORAGE COMPARTMENTS

THE BACK OPENS TO REVEAL PLENTY OF ROOM FOR ALL YOUR BITS AND PIECES

Is it finished yet?

When asked if he has plans to install a kitchen slide, he replied that he doesn’t need it as his Weber fits perfectly on the kitchen compartment drop-down table. A King’s 2700 awning is mounted on top giving plenty of undercover for cooking and hanging out however Mathew says he plans to swap this out for something sturdier.

Being a panel beater/spray painter by trade, the outside has been painted to match his 80 series Landcruiser, making the whole set-up look pretty schmick. Although it’s done a few camping trips to Kinkuna and worked perfectly so far, Mathew is still not quite finished with this DIY box trailer camper. “I’ve still got a bit to do underneath on the suspension before I’m comfortable taking it fully off-road,” he said.

I don’t know about you, but I reckon this custom build box trailer camper is pretty awesome. It looks great, features all the important bits and pieces, has great storage space, and best of all … It’s a quick set-up.