/diy/ - Do It Yourself

Even Wal*Mart would call the cops on that gypsy-looking contraption if you tried to overnight it in their parking lot.

Living in a van is probably the best cheap option other than sleeping in a tent in the woods.

http://www.reddit.com/r/Frugal/comments/n7hl0/how_to_live_in_a_box_van/

any help from fellow /diy/ers

i wouldn't park in a lot i would mostly park at a friends or around some brush keep it low key also been a poorfag most my life = no license

Vandwelling is the way to go.

>>105092
So go get a driver's license?

get the license. I lived in a van for 2 years. it cost me $10K including gas and 2 years of auto insurance

when you get your license doesn't that put you more on the grid?

>>105097

...

>>105098
yeah i know stupid question

>>105097
Not really, considering each state handles their own licensing.

Plus it's not like the government doesn't already have all your info from going to school, birth certificate, social security, etc.

>>105101
true true

Whats with the horrible response? Is this just trolling?
OP: "I want to build a bike trailer"
/DIY/: "Get a car!"

This isn't the first time this has come up, but this is a pretty sad diy response guys.
wtf?

Yo OP. You can make super strong light weight frames out of rattan (solid bamboo), use ABS angels/cut bike frame for corners, epoxy and bolt. Heavy duty cloth for walls roof, floor reinforced w/seat belt webbing. Paint the outside with "snow roof" to rubberize/weather proof. Rolling hammock tent.

Use a sort of charging crank attatched to the axis, then hook that up to a battery (A car battery? I don't work with electrical stuff much.), or attatch solar panels to the roof.
Then do what
>>105119
said.

Also, having a heating or cooling system (lightweight electric heater, lightweight plastic fan) would cpme in handy.

>>105119
>>105124
hell yeah thats what i wanted to hear i kind of gave up on the thred im going to start putting those ideas together. if i didn't go with the bamboo stuff what is some other cheap but durable wood i could use?

well, for cooking would a propane stove be the best option? Or just a small, white gas camping stove. Thing is if you could fit a very small propane stove you could have the top elements and the oven.
And if yer going any distance, gonna need a water tank. for cloth washing, just bring some poles, rope, spikes, and bucket. washing by hand would be lightest, then just hang to dry.

Buy a cheap, van. Gut the interior, insulate it. Run off battery power. Park at truck stops to sleep

>>105166
NOT van, but trailer. You sir, failed to read the question.

>>105133
Depends on where you live.

Lightweight and durable don't always go together, but right off the top of my head, Mahogany comes to mind because it plentiful, light, and has been used for centuries to build boats and fine furniture. Another excellent choice, but a little heavier would be Hickory, also known as Pecan, which has been also used for centuries to make the handles of striking implements like axes, hammers, and drumsticks. It's a little heavier than Mahogany, but would be a lot more durable because it's harder and more resistant to shock. Maple and White Ash are used for baseball bats and would be good choices, and though they're also a little heavier than Mahogany, they're also lot more durable. Others to consider would by Cypress, heavy but strong, Redwood and Cedar, which are lightweight but not very shock resistant, Long Leaf Yellow Pine, medium weight, but strong, Poplar, light, relatively strong, cheap, and plentiful, and Spruce, medium weight and used for centuries to make ship masts.

Also, you should just go to your local lumberyard (not Lowes or Home Depot) and ask them. They know alot more than I do.

I'm >>105124

>>105160
i have an old coleman camping stove that runs on propane so thats already covered. now for water i've seen those coleman water heaters so i might get one of those. washing by hand isn't a problem i've never been spoiled by a dish washer lol

Depending on the grade of hills your planning on pulling this up, or how far you plan on moving it. If this is going to be a local thing w/short hills, weight isn't as much of an issue. You can move 500+ LBS comfortably as long as it's on a balanced trailer, and your bearings are strong/ well greased. So traditional materials, (wood 2 x 2 s, 1/4 inch ply, aluminum sheeting, insulation, plexi glass windows) can be used. If you plan on being a long haul traveler with a bike trailer you will find your self cutting a lot of "fat" from the plan.

>>105186
how well you think pine is going to hold up in michigan weather?

>>105192
yeah i dont have much fat to lose lol i ride bmx bikes so this has always kind of been a dream of mine i wouldn't haul the trailer with my bmx bike but instead with my mountain bike

Make a frame like so (pic related) and add a floor and some covered wagon style hoops for a roof. Try to keep your gravity low, large wheels on the sides let the "belly" hang low, unlike the pic you might want your deck/floor lower than axle level for stability.

>>105215
yeah or like this but long enough to lay down in

Pine will be fine as long as you seal it (paint/cover), and don't leave it in a puddle to rot, silly. Michigan huh? Winter eh? Laminate space blanket (reflect radiation outside and in), bubble wrap (dead air) and space blanket (body heat back at you) to the walls/roof then tight fabric (for comfort), bluefoam, plywood, closed cell foam/ space blanket under rug on floor , add a windproof curtain your can wrap the base in when parked (you don't need wind under you).

interesting. whats the legality of this?

>>105225
thank man you've been a big help

>>10522
No prob, were all in this together. Like I said the amount of this (Bicycle camper trailer: Google) is growing and growing. Been watching this subject for some time, a few years ago google had nothing now I find this page with ease http://velo-city.org/touring-trailers/index.html good stuff.

well, for a bed, wouldn't it be easiest to get a really, really small tent and a cot, or a hammock? or perhaps build yer trailer like an older tent trailer, with things that slide out from the side for a bed area

Well OP maybe this will help.

I live in Alaska and used to go to Hawaii for the winter when there was work to be had there before our current depression.

I lived off a mountain bike most of the time I was there. I had a medium sized REI backpack so I looked like a tourist and non hobo. On the bike frame itself I had saddlebags that could attach and detach in a hurry.

For a warm climate I found this was plenty for getting my stuff moved around. I never needed to pay rent fees at their extremely sketchy campgrounds. At the end of the day I just pulled over in unused vacant land and threw my shit out. Shit was cash. I lived like a king. I worked just a few days a week to pay for my basics and a storage unit to keep my bulkier articles.

Your setup sad to say I can't imagine would work too well. A lot of weight to pull and if you leave it parked some asshole will either steal it or smash it up for shits and giggles. Plus you would just be too obvious and from experience I can tell you that even if you work and have a clean record if you aren't 'fitting in' people will fuck with you pretty hard core.

>>105274
for a bed im just going to use what i use now
pic related (but mines green)

>>105326
foam is good for short term, but if yer gonna be using this for a long time I would recommend a cot. If your lucky, pick up a really old army surplus with wood, that way it can be repaired. The reasoning behind this is a) durability of cot v.s. foam, b) sure,t he cot will be pricier upfront but it may eb cheaper than constantly getting new foam and c) most importantly, your back. the cot is better for your back than foam.
So, for short term foam is good but if your going, lets say a month or more, I would seriously recommend getting a cot.

>>105334
alright i have somewhere where i can get a cot

>>105334
Wood and canvas is ideal. If canvas rips (fat chance), it can be patched/sewn. If the wood breaks, it can be replaced or fixed with wood glue.

If you want to love off the grid, just buy a plot of land in Kentucky or somewhere where acreage is really cheap and live there. Thats as off the grid as you can get. Hint: don't do this if you don't legitimately think you can survive off the land and make your own shelter. Research it first.

foil coated insulation ftw

>>105363
foil is so cash son!

If you are going to spend some money on this project, and choose aluminum like in pic related, look into "Dura-fix" aluminum brazing rods, so you can weld with a propane can, easy peazy.

>>105392
it would be dope but im trying to do it the cheapest way

>>105082

>>a good way of some electricity none of that weak solar power shit

wind belt generator $1 a watt get creative with placement. Don't dis solar. Fibonacci sequence based inflatable branch like panel frames, mixed with some of the new 24 hour solar tech (radiation at night wtf?) has a lot of potential.

Get a van and dwell in it.
No rent, just fuel. Charge your batteries while you drive from location to location.

>but he wants a bike trailer!
No you fucking hippie!

>>105413
seems good i really dont have a problem with solar power im just to poor to get panels :(

There are a lot of videos on "tiny houses" or the "small house movement"- I don't know how much of a "movement" it is, but it's interesting.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HXDu2U-CmkI

>>105455
yeah i've seen em and their pretty neat but im looking for a little bit more of mobility. pallet houses are cool too

save money by buying panel shards and putting them together. I have this crazy idea of using clear vinyl (shower curtain) and clear liquid electrical tape to glue shards on mosaic style. Syringe filled with powdered graphite (highly conductive) and just enough silicone to make it sticky/flexible/flow-able to (cold solder) connect them all. Get that all set then coat in "snow roof", turn over so panels are facing out add space blanket etc layers under this.

>>105473
dude that sounds dope as fuck!!!!!!!

bump

Build something like this - http://www.eta.co.uk/2011/11/08/paul-merton-tows-world%E2%80%99s-smallest-caravan ... I'm building one, Simply make a trailer out of angle iron & Add a plywood base, Cut out plywood sides, Add door add thin luan or plywood to roof and seal it all with paint or epoxy it. Simple as that ! Google teardrop caravans and scale them down

Why not use Kee Klamps? get size 6 aluminum pipes and kee klamps to piece together the frame and drill holes into the pipes to mount the boards for the walls of the living space?

http://www.simplifiedbuilding.com/store/components/kee-klamp.html

For an even cheaper price, use Quik klamps which are just like Kee Klamps and save a ton even though quik klamps only come in galvanized steel which makes them a bit more heavy.