Enclosing a trailer

[Mosey]

I have a 16' trailer that I haul my tractor on. I would like to enclose it, so I can also use it as a "garage" to park the tractor in. I need to keep it lightweight, reasonably aerodynamic, it needs to be able to withstand at least 4' of snow (I live in Colorado at an elevation of 8450'), and last but not least I need to keep the cost down. I know, tough requirements! Any ideas?

 

[dave1949]

I have a 16' trailer that I haul my tractor on. I would like to enclose it, so I can also use it as a "garage" to park the tractor in. I need to keep it lightweight, reasonably aerodynamic, it needs to be able to withstand at least 4' of snow (I live in Colorado at an elevation of 8450'), and last but not least I need to keep the cost down. I know, tough requirements! Any ideas?

Does it need to provide some 'bad people' protection, or just weather protection?
Dave.

 

[westcliffe01]

Sounds like a job for fiberglass. But fiberglass fabrication is not for everyone. Filon is a continuous type of siding used on high end RV's. You can see how it is sold in rolls here RV Surplus

The material is 102" wide and available any length. It allows fabrication of rectangular or cylindrical bodies of substantial length very fast and with a good finish without thousands of hours of sanding. It would need reinforcing ribs in the longitudinal and tangential direction, but once you make a mold they would all be the same.

Not sure if this would be your cup of tea or if you have a heated shop, but is you meet those criteria it may be something to consider.

You can see how this company made a mold and now produced igloos for extreme climatic conditions here Prefab Igloo Survives Sub Zero Temperatures | Home Design Find

I have a 16' trailer that I haul my tractor on. I would like to enclose it, so I can also use it as a "garage" to park the tractor in. I need to keep it lightweight, reasonably aerodynamic, it needs to be able to withstand at least 4' of snow (I live in Colorado at an elevation of 8450'), and last but not least I need to keep the cost down. I know, tough requirements! Any ideas?

 

[2manyrocks]

I had a 16' utility trailer that the prior owner had enclosed with aluminum skin over 1/4 OSB. The skin was screwed on with regular, not gasketed screws. So the OSB rotted out.

After taking the skin off and messing with mine for a while, I decided I would sell it as an open livestock trailer instead of trying to reskin it. I was so glad to see it sell.

Unless you have a cheap source for materials, available time and are good at this kind of work, I think you'd be better off to buy a factory enclosed trailer. Resale will be better also.

Just sharing my personal learning experience...

 

[czechsonofagun]

I did enclose my trailer for sheep transfer. To hold the tarp up, I used electrical gray conduit which is bit soft but it worked very well. The conduit slips into piece of steel pipe welded on the side of the rail.
If I used it more than once a year, I would make those loops out of steel, or at least the first and the last one, but this was very cheap to build and for the occasional trip to take the sheep on a date - it is good enough.


Sheep wagon

 

[andyfitz]

Hello all

I have been searching the internet for an answer to my question but can not find it. I am enclosing a small 4x4 trailer to transport birds. The enclosure is 4 feet high and basically has a shelf every 12 inches on it I framed it out with wood and it is very sturdy. I am using sheet aluminum for the sides and putting doors for each compartment. What I have decided to do for the roof and side facing the vehicle is to use poly coated vinyl. I am going to run a piece of 1x1 aluminum on every cross beam to screw down and hold the tarp secure. Do you all think this will hold up? Any input would be greatly appreciated.