My Chemical-Free House

A Guide to Creating a Healthy Home

trailers

Cargo Trailer Conversion

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Converting a Cargo Trailer into a Travel Trailer – Mold Preventative, Low-Toxin Design

converting a cargo trailer into a camper

I’m converting a small cargo trailer into a tiny trailer that can be used for sleeping and living. In the end, this model is only useful as a portable kitchen and bath. Other models are sturdier and may work better as insulated conversions.

The cargo trailer is a TNT brand DBL ‘A’ 6×12, White, 12″ extra height making it about 7 ft high on the inside. The extra height is well worth it I think for a sense of space.

Side and roof vent (side vents are so small that they bring in very little air. The roof vent can only be wide open if it’s not raining). RV door lock that locks from the inside (vital) and barn doors that lock from the outside (easier to handle than the ramp door). You may want to move the lock to the inside when living in it. Front and roof are curved in this one.

I recommend all of the products here, some products have affiliate programs and some do not. Upon purchase, I earn a small commission through affiliate links at no extra cost to you.

Costs in Canadian Dollars:

  • $6100 cost of trailer
  • $3600 cost of renos at trailer shop – metal floors, install window, take out plywood (much cheaper, and probably faster if you have the factory do these.)
  • $1500 cost of insulation
  • Labour for insulation and vapor barrier, foil and glue – lost track
  • $1300 Electrical (+ $185 for CSA inspection and approval – allowing me to legally park the trailer in Canada)

I have seen better prices in the US, you can go smaller and get a better price, but for me, 6×12 is the minimum amount of space needed to make a happy little home.

Joey was able to do this for $7000 with the factory doing most of the work. In the Facebook group Mold Avoiders on the Road, you can see people having smaller trailers renovated for under $4000.

Necessary Renovations:

plywood between skin and frame

Remove plywood.

Install window – 24 x 30 vinyl awning style to stay open even during the rain (you’re going to need air in such a small space). It’s vertical so that the framing did not need to be cut. I do not find the hard vinyl has a smell but you can use aluminum.

I wish I had put in two as it’s nice to have windows. One does bring in plenty of light through, along with the vent on the roof.

You can look for an RV window or you can use a tempered glass house window and reinforce the framing around it.

Install metal flooring 3/16 hot roll plate steel flooring, 1000 for the metal + welding. See this thread for an in-depth discussion on what type of metal to use.

Electrical work

A 30 amp panel with a campground plug and 4 outlets inside. You may be able to make do with fewer outlets but the electrician wanted a dedicated outlet for the fridge and one for the heater. Then I have one near the bed for a computer etc, and there is one up high to string up a light and run any kitchen appliances.

Have these renos done by the factory and not after you buy it. This was a huge mistake that costs me a lot of money and didn’t save me any time like I thought it would.

I should have known better as I had read Joey’s conversion story (highly recommend reading that for another version of a conversion and some ideas on what you might want to add. (I disagree that foam doesn’t provide a lot of protection from the cold and heat. 2 inches of XPS is R-10, that is really good).

How long it will take to customize one depends on the brand, the factory and the time of year. Add 2-3 weeks on to their estimate.

The back door in mine has structural plywood so that still has to be removed and needed metal reinforcements. The front end had plywood between the frame and the skin which was a major pain to remove. Look for a brand that does not have these two issues and you will save a lot of money.

If you want to do it yourself check out this thread (you have to sign up). Watching someone’s account of doing it herself is well worth it. You will see tips on taking out the plywood and choosing a metal for the floor.

Do the Walls Need Reinforcement?

A big question with cargo trailers is if you need wall reinforcement when you remove the plywood. There are two answers to this.

The first is that it depends on the brand, some brands will tell you that their trailer is good to go with no plywood, these have thicker frames like the steel CM trailers. Or some companies can customize it with thicker frames. See the pictures below.

The second answer is that the companies might say they are not strong enough but people leave it un-reinforced anyway. Erik Johnson, me and two other mold avoiders have taken out the plywood and not added anything that would replace it structurally.

Mine started leaking and the company that sold it to me claims that the reason it leaked is that the plywood was taken out and this means there is less stability and it’s easy for pieces to come apart and caulking to come loose. I have braced mine since.

If they won’t customize it without plywood, remove that part yourself and reinforce it (or don’t) yourself.

custom aluminum aluminum framed cargo trailer

The first picture is a customized trailer reinforced with aluminum frames. Very robust. If you look closely you can see tape between the frame and the exterior, a mold risk.

The second picture is a CM all steel trailer with a robust steel frame, the frame is standard and the company does not recommend reinforcement.

The third picture is a standard frame, with plywood removed. Though it’s not reinforced the owner is doing just fine with moving it around frequently. The brand is Victory.

This picture is my trailer it has the least robust frame of the bunch, while the seller advised that it could be reinforced for longer trips (he told me this after the insulation was up). I have now braced/added strapping.

Toxicity of a New Cargo Trailer:

A cargo trailer smells much stronger than someone might anticipate a new metal box to smell. An extreme avoider in a hot climate would leave it sit for about a year before using.

I have seen two people who have turned around and sold them soon after buying due to the strong smell. Mine is now a year old and not totally offgassed.

The smell comes mostly from the body of the trailer. It is a glue smell and may also be oils on the metal. There are many other parts that are non-metal (differ slightly between brands) that may include:

Caulk of different types, double-sided tape (you do not want to buy a cargo trailer with tape in the frame – this is a mold risk), plastic on the back of the RV door, plastic and glue (very smelly) in the vents to the point that you will likely not be able to use these vents for air, rubber and foam (glued on) can be found around the RV door, around the barn doors, and possibly around the window on some models, there may be tape holding up wiring, there is the usual plastic coating on the wiring, plastic light and light switch may be included, there may be spray paint on wiring, there may be caps on bolts, screen on top vent, there is also exterior paint which some people have said they are offgassing but I could not pick up a smell on.

In such a small space there are also the tires on the outside to consider – on a hot day you will smell these.

Rustproofing chemicals may also be added to the frame. (Thanks to Madonna Ramp for some of these materials from other brands).

A lot of this can be covered and you can see in mine that it is almost completely sealed up. If you buy one and it smells strong, give it time and/or seal it up like I did mine.

Every trailer takes time to offgas. Someone was able to get the company Mirage to build without glue or caulk, but she was not able to tolerate the trailer brand new. I would not recommend leaving out glue and caulk.

 Buying a Used Cargo Trailer: 

I did not see any used cargo trailers in my area when I was looking but you can sometimes find these. You would want to know what it was used for. Look for gunk and rust that will accumulate at the bottom around the frame.

Building out the Interior – How Mine was Done (The Second Time)

  • XPS Owens Corning Foam 2 inches on walls and floor (you can also use polyiso, the most well-tolerated foam, or EPS which is not a vapor barrier on its own but is usually faced with foil or plastic). 2 inches XPS is R-10. If you are going to a climate that is extremely cold, add another layer of foam – polyiso or XPS on the inside until you get a high enough R-value for your climate. The reason I chose XPS is that is has a high R-value and it doesn’t lose its R-value in very cold weather like polyiso does. I also could not find polyiso in my town.
  • 1 inch Foil-backed EPS on ceiling (because I needed something thin enough and flexible enough to be curved on the ceiling) (Note: This is backward, there should be more insulation on the roof but I wanted the roof to stay curved and the insulation to stay between the frame so I kept it simple.). The brand was R-Tech but I can’t find a link for this. I can add another layer of 1-inch foam if it gets too cold.
  • Great Stuff spray foam should be placed behind the foam and on the gaps of the rigid foam (airtight so no moisture gets behind the foam). There is one for small gaps and one for larger gaps you will need some of each. This then needs to be braced and riveted to the structure which is hard to do in many types of cargo trailers and I would not recommend these standard brands like the one I bought. 
  • GE 100% silicone for touch-ups to waterproof the exterior
  • A Fantastic Fan in the roof vent would be helpful for ventilation, drawing air out of the top will draw it in the window and turn over a lot of air. The fans also help with humidity. This has to be wired in with the electrical.

There is a rumor that spray foam will crumble with movement in a trailer but speaking with the company Great Stuff and some folks who have taken apart trailers they have not seen this be a problem.

EMFs:

All this metal and foil did not stop wifi or cell phone reception – it lowered my wifi connection only slightly. If you are concerned about EMFs consult with an EMF specialist and test out a metal structure before buying. In theory, it is a Faraday Cage that blocks out some external sources of EMFs and may intensify what is on the inside.

Fixing the leaks

My TNT Mirage Trailer has a number of poorly built aspects. The company took no responsibility for this and the leaks.

What has to be fixed on this model or checked on any model: The back doors were leaking, the top sil needed caulking, the door seals were not done right, the doors were bulging at points, bending the doors and adding gaps for leaks. The front diamond plate had nothing behind it, it was a negative lap – a poor design, the front wall should come all the way down. The front plastic cap on the top roof is also a negative lap.

Vertical seams have the ability to let in water in a big storm or when driving it in the rain. Always check windows, doors, and any openings. Screws should be caulked as well. Look for a well-done roof design. This roof design is good. I have seen custom designs with vulnerable roof seams.

Aggressively hose test this before adding insulation and know where the weak points are. After moving it is when things are most likely to come open.

When recaulking metal parts, attempt to open things up and get caulking between parts and not just over the seams.

These trailers are difficult and I would not attempt insulation in this style/brand again.


 Erik Johnson’s Cargo Trailer (MECU):

Erik is the pioneer of cargo trailer living. He called his trailer and camper MECUs (Mobile Environmental Containment Unit). Erik used EPS foam without flame retardants. I don’t know how he sourced this but I would think this is the kind used for packing, not insulation.

In Erik’s trailer, he left a gap (like I did at first) between the foam and the exterior. He put in weep holes at the bottom in case condensation did find its way to the back. Some trailers like mine come with weep holes.

He has said that there has not been any condensation at the back and he has had this for more than a decade. I put the insulation in front of the frame which created a space naturally behind it (though my floors and ceiling have no space).

This method did not work for me, major condensation formed behind the walls and I don’t know anyone that was able to get this to work.

Here is a video of his camper which is done like his cargo.

Other Trailer Options:

 You can build out the interior as much or as little as you like.

  • You could add batteries but consider how long these will last you away from plug-in power.
  • You could add solar panels but this doesn’t get you a lot of power, it may be easier to just buy a solar kit that is portable that is made for camping.
  • If showering in another building, campsite bathroom, or outdoor shower is not an option for you, you could install basic plumbing. You would want to avoid tanks and have very simple plumbing that goes directly out to a bucket or pipes out into a greywater system. You will have to make sure you are following the rules with greywater here. I want to avoid all cooking, showering, and clothes drying inside to keep humidity down.
  • Options for outdoor showers include simple bucket showers, passive solar shower (that one is PVC-free, unlike most of them), active portable hot water shower (this one comes recommended by mold avoiders), or an outdoor tub big enough to bathe in. A privacy tent can be used to shower outside or set up a toilet outside. You can also DIY and set up something simple like wrap house wrap around 3 trees, or tie string around 3 trees and the string holds up shower curtains.
  • You could install a simple camping or composting toilet inside or use it outside if you need to: some of the options are Luggable Loo, Mini Porta Potty, or Laveo Dry Flush.

Finishing the Interior:

Walls

Floors

For now I’m using these mats on the floor temporarily. They smell like straw.

I am currently offgassing Marmoleum (takes one month in sun to offgas) but I don’t like that there’s a jute backing under the Marmoleum against the metal, that’s a mold risk).

I had considered Cali Bamboo Cork (not sure yet how long it takes to offgas, definitely much longer than Marmoleum). 

Note: Flooring I ruled out: Thermacork decorative cork the only cork I know of that is heat-pressed with nothing added – not good for floors. It flakes easily and won’t last long.

Cork underlayment – I bought this and tested another one that claimed 0 VOC. It is going to need a lot of time to offgas despite these “0 VOC” polyurethane glues (not at all). A year later I have not offgassed the cork floorings (though they were not out in the sun for a year).

If you have space, I like this organizer. 

Heating, Cooling, Lighting, Laundry:

Kitchen:

  • I bought this fridge which needed a lot of offgassing outside including running it outside. This one smelled more than other brands I have tried like Danby. I like Walmart for fridges as well. 
  • I’m using this kitchen island which offgassed fairly quickly but you could use a metal version if you want to avoid wood (and wood sealers and glue). 
  • I offgassed this cutting board pretty fast. I’m just posting that because I love it so much
  • Thrift shop bowls 
  • This hanging basket to organize kitchen items 
  • I’m using a pressure cooker to cook – you can make almost anything in this. If you use it outside or at least release the steam outside you will have very little or no added moisture to the trailer. You can get away with no other stove, oven or microwave. You just need an extension cord to use it outside.
  • I’m going to buy the travel Berkey for drinking water, there is no plumbing in the trailer. Berkey is ideal for well water and water from campsites if you are not buying water. 

Bedding: 

In a high humidity situation like a trailer, tent or other camping structure it’s important to have a bed and bedding that will not go moldy.

My bed will be up on slats soon (right now I am turning the Thermarest over every few days – it went moldy so it is crucial to get it off the ground onto slats).

Cotton does not hold up well in high humidity, so I have used more mold-resistant materials.

Consulting

I am available for consulting to help customize a little “safe room” cargo trailer or custom made trailer. I can help with everything from choosing materials to managing the whole build.

I also help you to decide between different housing options, from building a conventional house, tiny house, trailer to setting up tent camping.

Corinne Segura is a Building Biologist with 6 years of experience helping others create healthy homes.

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Trailers for the Mold and Chemically Sensitive

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This article focuses on the healthiest trailers. The first priority is that the trailer holds up to mold. If it doesn’t hold up to mold, no amount of natural wood, or wool, or other eco-friendly material really matters.

Conventional trailers are extremely mold-prone. They use wood within the walls, roofs, and floors with a design that is not airtight. Condensation usually forms in the cavities. They are also prone to leaks.

The Designs that Best Hold up to Mold are:

  1. Sandwich construction – Airtight cavities of metal or fiberglass with rigid foam insulation. Ideally laminated together.
  2. Fiberglass shell campers – Solid fiberglass body trailers are single or double hulls. A single hull has no hidden cavity where condensation or mold can form. The double hulls can work well too. I list brands that have minimal wood or where the wood does not become a mold risk.

Low-VOC Trailers:

No well-made trailer is extremely low in VOCs. Some are better than others.

The interiors of all-metal trailers can be lower in offgassing compared to trailers with other wall materials. But don’t underestimate the odors of the glues used in all metal trailers.

There is no getting around the offgasssing. The best strategy is to give it some time to offgas or buy a used one if you are highly sensitive.

You certainly can compare models though if you are chemically sensitive since we all are reactive to different chemical combinations. You definitely could find some brands more tolerable than others, even if the total VOC count is the same.

You should also use mitigating strategies like a bake out, and shellac to block the offgassing. Shellac is ideal on metal, fiberglass, vinyl, and many other materials. You can remove shellac later with alcohol.

Some brands are formaldehyde-free but that has not been a big focus of mine since there are many other chemicals used in the construction of trailers.

Updated Winter 2020/21

There is no affiliate or sponsored content in this post.

Trailers for Chemical and Mold Sensitive Folks

1. Metal Travel Trailers

ATC Aluminum Toy Hauler

Photo via aluminumtoyhauler.com

ATC is a mix between a cargo trailer and a high-end trailer. They look industrial compared to the Living Vehicle below (made by the same factory).

They claim to have no wood whatsoever and similar construction to the old Camplite design. They do have fiberglass insulation in the ceiling but the rest is foam.

The interior walls are Azdel.

The 24″ units have a bath, kitchen, eating area, couch that is made into a queen bed, and extra cabinets.

Bryan Rosner, a mold sensitive person, has a good video tour of one here.

Cost – The 20 ft base model with no upgrades starts at $38,390 USD. The 24 ft models start at $41,530 USD. When a client priced it out with taxes and fees and the options she wanted, it came to 55k.

Weight – The 20 ft base model weighs 4,500 lbs.

Camplite

The Camplite I owned

I had a Camplite by LivinLite travel trailer made to my specifications and you can find all the details about that here.

The key thing I look for in a trailer is moisture-proof walls and the laminated sandwich insulation.

This laminated metal-foam-metal was the key to moisture-proof walls in these old models.

You may still find a used one with sandwich laminated walls before they changed the wall system. The company is now out of business.

Cost – You can find a used 2014 (21 ft) for 18,000 USD (or less, depends on the size).

Weight – A 24 ft model weighs about 3,100 lbs (depends on the year and configuration).

Hero Camper

The Hero Ranger, Photo via www.herocamper.com

A new to me trailer, the Hero Campers are the most ideal design. The walls, floor and ceiling are all a sandwich construction just like the old Camplites, except those didn’t have insulated floors.

I was really excited to find this one. The envelope is constructed of fiberglass (on the outside)-foam-metal. Perfect. The best construction for mold prevention.

The interior is metal which is great for those with chemical sensitivities, though keep in mind all new trailers have offgassing from the construction adhesives.

It has a small kitchen on the exterior, two options for heater types, no bathroom.

This is a European company, they have many dealers throughout Europe. They also have a dealer in Arizona, one in Australia and one in Israel.

You can rent one in California on Outdoorsy.

Cost – The 2021 Hero Ranger is going for $21,995 USD through Tom’s Camperland in AZ.

Weight – The Hero Ranger is 15.8 ft and weighs 1,911 lbs.

The Safari Condo

Photo via safaricondo.com/en/travel-trailers-alto-serie-r-1713

The Safari Condo is another great option to consider. A bit of a hidden gem, this one.

The roof and walls are made of a “sandwich-type material with a plastic honeycomb core laminated with Alufiber on one side and aluminum on the other.”

That main core is not foam or fiberglass insulation, it’s a honeycomb polypropylene. You can see a video of how it is made here.

Alufiber is an aluminum and fiberglass product.

This sounds like a very moisture-proof design to me.

They say the only materials used in the Alto body are aluminum, Alufiber, plastic, Formica, and glass. The furniture is mostly made of aluminum and composite materials.

They need a fair amount of time to offgas for most sensitive people, though some less sensitive have used them brand new. I have heard from one person who found this trailer to be higher in offgassing than most other trailers.

Cost – Their travel trailers start at $37,500 Canadian Dollars. The more popular 1713 model (17 ft) has the pop-up roof (built well) and that one is about $40,000 Canadian dollars.

Weight – The 17ft (1713) model is only 1,825 lbs.

Custom Metal Trailers

Customised

You can customize a small metal trailer custom made in the style of the Camplite, or more like a tiny home on wheels. Customizing these structures tends to get very expensive. And it’s not common to find someone with this expertise to build them. It’s better to work with a company that makes metal trailers already and make some alterations.

Metal SIPS

I have also seen cargo trailers and larger homes on wheels custom made with metal SIPS. This is metal-foam-metal laminated together. A very watertight construction if done well. It is supposed to have another siding on the exterior of the SIPS.

Porcelain Enamel

Another type of non-toxic trailer is porcelain enamel on steel. This is an extremely tolerable material but it is not cheap. It’s very rare to see a porcelain trailer for sale, many of them were made on poor quality RV shells which is a shame because the porcelain enamel is highly tolerable on the interior.

If you find one for sale you may be able to use the interior to rebuild a trailer around.

Cargo Trailers

My cargo trailer, converted into a camper

Joey, from HealClick, breaks it down to the essentials and delivers a safer trailer for $7000. Here is my post about my conversion.

There is a lot more that has to offgas in these simple trailers than you might think. They take about a year to offgas to minimal levels.

And they are way trickier to insulate than you think as well. Common brands have leak problems. More robust brands should be used if you are going to insulate it.

Weeroll

The Weroll is similar to a cargo trailer but is more customized and you may be able to reduce the off-gassing with this option as well as streamline the process of converting it.

Those who bought the Weroll seemed to tolerate them right away. Probably due to high level of customization.

But insulating a cargo trailer, including a Weeroll, is no simple project. My post on vans describes the process.

As of winter 2021 I don’t recommend this trailer for sensitive folks. I’m waiting to hear more updates before removing this from the list.

Cost – The Weroll all-aluminum Silver Eagle 10 x 6 ft with insulation (no kitchen and bathroom), wired with outlets is $9,500.

Weight – Depending on height and options, the 10 ft can be as light as 1,080 lbs.

High-End Metal Trailers

Airstream

Airstream trailer

Airstreams with metal walls are far more tolerable for the chemically sensitive than most other trailer options that have a kitchen and bath.

The metal airstreams (they do have fiberglass ones now too) are metal walls and metal ceiling with, obviously, metal exterior skin. The flooring is vinyl over a plywood subfloor.

The offgassing is not too bad, and does go down at a reasonable rate. The resale value is quite good for a trailer/RV.

I like the metal interior walls, they cut down on offgassing and they are way better made than your typical wood-framed crappy RV.

Some of their showrooms are inside warehouses which may help preserve them.

However, this needs to be 100% airtight on the inside walls and the exterior walls to not have vapor get between those skins where it will be mostly doomed to not come back out. (Some caveats would be that if you never heat or cool this then it’s not really a worry, unless it actually leaks).

The shells are sealed really well right out of the factory and they do perform aggressive water testing on the shells. They then add fiberglass insulation and an interior metal skin.

I would be sure to check every opening on the interior shell as well to make sure it is sealed. That also needs to be airtight.

If you are rebuilding one you also need to seal this as well as they do in the factory. Seal up every seam, every opening, install airtight sockets etc, then test again (with water or a blower door test), making sure it’s totally airtight.

You can prolong the life of any trailer by keeping a roof on it when stationary, not driving it in the rain, moving to climates that don’t require heating or cooling (heating is usually the cause of most of the problems in RVs but in this case with metal on both sides both heating and cooling can cause condensation if there is water vapor in the walls), and showering and cooking outside.

Always keep up with your inspection and sealing on the exterior and the interior.

You can find airstreams to rent on Outdoorsy and other sites, making this an appealing option that you can “test drive”.

I do think that they are still a strong option to consider, especially for folks sensitive to chemicals and mold. With a high resale, low initial offgassing, and an expected lifetime of a few years for extreme mold reactors it can work really well.

Cost: The aluminum airstreams start at $40,000 USD for 16ft. They have many sizes all the way up to 33 ft and about $170,000 USD.

Weight: The 16 ft aluminum model weighs 2,585 lbs and the 30 ft model weighs 7,788 lbs.

Living Vehicle

Photo via livingvehicle.com

A newer company making well-tolerated trailers is Living Vehicle. They use polyiso foam insulation sealed with tape in the walls. The interior is almost entirely aluminum including the cabinets.

The countertops are Corian. The flooring is sheet vinyl by Armstrong (common in trailers but fairly high in offgassing – it may not work for many but they could customize this with another option). See my list of safe flooring for trailers.

The cushions are polyurethane, countertops are zero VOC. The offgassing of the trailer in general has been reported to be very low.

This is a rare find because of the almost fully aluminum interior, no structural wood (no hidden wood in the new models for 2020, and no wood in cabinets, only in the table).

The walls are made of metal framing, metal exterior, and metal interior walls with polyiso foam on the interior side of the metal framing (with the air gap left behind, between the framing members).

The trailer also has a crawl space where the plumbing is very accessible. Even if there was a leak in the all-aluminum “basement”, it would be easy to clean up and easy to fix because of the access.

The company is open to some customization. I have spoken to them about this, if you would like help customizing the insulation, or interior materials like the flooring please get in contact.

The 2019 had wood in the floors.

Cost: The 2020 models are 29 ft and start at 200,000 USD.

Weight: They weigh in at 10,700 lbs, meaning you need a top of the line truck to tow this.

2. Fiberglass Travel Trailers

Egg-shaped campers are usually made of solid fiberglass shells (either single or double hull) that are very mold-resistant and durable.

Many sensitive people say that fiberglass takes a year (or years) to offgas, but some find it offgasses to a satisfactory level in a few days or few weeks. It’s very individual.

This is the best design to hold up to mold.

In terms of used trailers, molded fiberglass trailers are the best bets since the walls are less likely to become moldy with time.

Though fiberglass trailers can have problems with the wood subfloor if it’s not encased, and if they have carpet on the walls that can go musty or get cross-contaminated.

Oliver

Oliver Fiberglass Trailer

The Oliver brand travel trailer is a popular trailer for mold avoiders.

I like fiberglass campers with molded fiberglass furniture like Oliver trailers. It makes for a simple, easy to clean, non-porous interior.

Very little wood is used, only in the cabinets.

They are double hull so they have a good R-value and can be winterized. The double hull overlaps at the seam, unlike Casita which is riveted at the seam.

The insulation between the hulls is polyethylene closed-cell foam, with an airgap between the hulls. There are weep holes at the bottom in between the julls, meant for condensation that forms between the hulls to drain out.

They claim R-16. The windows are dual pane.

It does not have wood products in the floor, making it one of my top choices.

It does have a ducted HVAC system that is not accessible in the floor (or rather, only partially and with great effort). They use flex ducts in the floor for the heating. AC is on the roof.

Using the propane furnace is the only way to keep the pipes from freezing when the temperatures drop below 0 C.

Oliver uses vinyl flooring but they can make you one without the vinyl floor. They can make it without the cushions, which makes it one the best fiberglass option I have found.

Recently they have added a composting toilet option.

Many mold avoiders have done well with this brand, both brand new and used options. You can see a tour of the factory here.

Cost: They have two models, one is 18.5 ft long and starts at 50,000 USD, the larger one is 23″ 6″ and starts at $57,500 USD.

Weight: The 18 ft weighs 3,700 lbs and the 23 ft model weighs 4,900 lbs.

Casita

Follow Bryan Rosner’s healing journey on YouTube

Casitas use a carpet and foam that is glued on to the walls and floor. At the time of writing, they would not customize one without that element.

The nylon carpet and glued on polyurethane foam provide some insulation (R 6-7) and help prevent condensation.

Despite the carpet, many mold sensitive folks have done well with this brand. It’s been a staple brand in the mold avoidance community since the beginning.

It has a simple design, single hull (nowhere for water to hide) and mostly all visible components.

The floor is wood but it is totally encased in fiberglass on all sides. In reality, there is very little wood inside, and only in the cabinet storage areas.

Casitas are made in Texas, but recent reports were that new ones arrived clear of mold and other persistent outdoor toxins.

See Bryan Rosner’s video about his initial thoughts on the Casita for mold avoidance:

Cost: Casita makes two sizes. The most basic model is 16 ft and starts at around $18,500 USD. The 17 ft starts at around $19,500 USD.

Weight: Models range from 1,970 to 2,480 lbs.

Happier Camper

Happier Camper

Happier Camper is another company to check out as they don’t use carpet or padding on the walls and the floors are fiberglass too!

No vinyl on the floors is a rare find and will be preferable for many folks.

It’s double hull with Thinsulate in between the hulls.

The floors are composed of plastic honeycomb integrated with corrugated cardboard and fiberglass resin.

I like the modular nature of the HC1 interior. You can really simplify the interior if you need to or add the components that you need. The small units don’t include a shower but the larger ones do.

I’ve seen some problems with the first model (HC1). The friend who owns the one pictured had many problems on this unit when it was still brand new, and she claims the company took 7 months to make the repairs.

They are on the second model now in 2020 and have improved the doors and windows. I’m glad to see they have moved past the first prototype, made some changes and are still going strong.

I would like to see positive reports on the newer rendition before recommending it as the first iteration had way too many problems.

Cost: The HC1 is 10 feet and starts at about $25,000 USD, the new 2020 Traveller is 14 ft and about $40,000 USD. These are highly modular so the base cost might not cover what you need – adding a kitchenette to the HC1 brings it to almost 30K, fully loaded it’s almost 34k.

Weight: The 10 ft model is 1,100 lbs, and the 14 ft is 1,800 lbs.

Trillium by Outback

Photo via trilliumtrailers.com

Trillium is another great brand, this one by The Outback. It is single hull, made in Canada and they have been in business for many years.

They have closed cell foam (probably polyurethane on the walls) with marine carpeting.

They were willing to build without plywood in floors but it was difficult to convince them to leave the padding off the wall.

The price is quite good (and even better for Americans because it’s in Canadian dollars).

They only have one size, but they have a couple layouts.

Cost: The 14 ft trailer, starts at about $18,000 Canadian dollars. However, you need to add on some basics, including brakes and lights. If you add those and a bathroom as well it comes to a little over 20K CAD.

Weight: About 1,450 lbs average weight.

Trillium by L’air

Photo via Laircamper.com

L’air is another Canadian company reviving the old Trillium trailer style.

Both companies have molds from the original Trillium factory in Ontario, Canada. L’air though has two sizes, the 1300 (15.5 feet) and 4500 (15.2 feet).

Their floors are a plywood core inside of the fiberglass structure – this is similar to Casita’s floors. It’s not prone to mold in my experience. There is no plywood exposed that can absorb moisture in the floor.

They have also eliminated plywood around the windows that was used as a filler to hold the windows in past models. Over time that plywood would become wet and rot. Instead the windows are completely bonded to the camper body. This eliminates the leaks that develop around the windows in older Trillium campers.

The walls are covered with foam insulation and then marine vinyl which does not absorb moisture and is easy to clean. Many would prefer this to carpet on the walls.

Cost: Starting at 26K CAD

Weight: 1300 lbs for the smaller model and 1600 lbs for the larger model.

Nest by Airstream

Photo via airstream.com

Airstream came out with a fiberglass model the Nest in 2018. It’s single hull.

The construction of them is not super clear, one video describes the interior walls as “flex foil” (it’s not clear what that is), then a polypropylene “fabric” layer, then an interior olefin fabric which also means polypropylene or polyethylene.

You can see the fabric is rather smooth, I like this much better than the “carpeted” walls in all the other single-hull fiberglass trailers. Though I don’t understand what the insulation is behind the plastic fabric walls.

The cushion coverings are a faux leather, I’m not sure if it’s vinyl (which offgasss quite a bit) or polyurethane (which doesn’t offgas very much). But it does look very mildew and mold resistant.

The countertops are laminate with engineered wood products used in the cabinetry. The flooring is sheet vinyl.

The heating system uses some ducting, but the AC system is the usual roof system.

There’s a full kitchen and wet bath.

Cost: The trailer comes in one size, it’s 16 ft and it’s about 43,000 USD.

Weight: 3,400 lbs.

HÉLIO Travel Trailer

The HÉLIO is not a single or double hull fiberglass shell – instead, the walls are a sandwich of fiberglass-foam-fiberglass. The insulation value is R-7.

It’s called a molded fiberglass monocoque structure and it has a solid aluminum chassis. The floor is a plywood wrapped all the way around in fiberglass.

It’s made in Quebec.

Cost: Depending on size and features, the dealers are starting them at 31K CAD in Spring 2021.

Weight of the 02 Model: 1550 lb. Length: 14 feet 2 inches long

Other Fiberglass Trailer Brands in North America

Scamp – Made in MN. Plywood or OSB floor, with fiberglass underneath but not on top. Single hull, carpet walls with Reflectix behind them. Some wood in the shell. Old Scamp trailers had vinyl headliner but newer ones have fabric headliner. Video of the factory here.

Escape – Made in British Columbia, Canada. Fiberglass single-hull with frames constructed out of steel tubing. A factory tour shows hidden wood framing in the walls. Vinyl flooring. The headliner/wall covering is vinyl laminated onto 3/8” foam, creating an R-5 insulation value.

EggCamper – Double hull. Bubble foil insulation between walls but not contiguous all around trailer (only in some parts not others). Owner Jim hurt his back and wasn’t building for a while. The website claims they will start building again.

Burro – Out of business in 2001, you may find used ones for sale.

Boler – Out of business in the 80s. You would only find very old trailers for sale.

If you need help choosing a trailer that suits your mold or chemical sensitivities you can contact me for a one-on-one consultation.

European Brands of Fiberglass Trailers (Caravans)

Photo via sealander.de

In Europe, the Wigmann is a good fiberglass caravan (as they call trailers there). It has a solid fiberglass shell with no seams on the outside. The construction is fiberglass-spray foam-fiberglass, airtight. I like this design a lot and have not seen this in North America. No wood, no metal. It has a 10-year warranty on water ingress.

Sealander is another European fiberglass caravan that is all fiberglass on the inside and out, exactly what I’d be looking for.

UK company Freedom Caravans has a fiberglass exterior but it is not the same as the molded fiberglass models. They have a 25-year warranty on water ingress which is very impressive. Though with a fiberglass exterior and more standard wall, condensation could be a bigger risk than leaks.

3. Wooden Teardrop Trailers

Custom Built Teardrop

Pat’s trailer from my post on wooden teardrops

A small teardrop can be made of all wood like the trailer pictured that I showcased in this post.

The main challenges here is in heating climates the metal base, metal or membrane roof, and walls are all a challenge for mold prevention.

If this style of trailer is used in heating climates, you can build up off the metal trailer to avoid condensation and mold below, a technique illustrated in this post.

With the roof, you cannot have an exterior vapour barrier (and a double vapour barrier is too risky). You would need to fill in the ceiling with 2 part spray foam or rigid foam + spray foam as outlined in the van post.

The walls can be wood that in uninsulated, that can work. If you add insulation you get into much trickier territory.

This trailer would work really well in climates where you don’t heat the interior. Either AC use or no heating or cooling would mean you don’t have these issues with the metal trailer base and roof.

If you have high humidity use mold resistant woods like cedar.

A company that makes trailers similar to this, Homegrown Trailers, uses wool insulation, this means they have a challenge in heating climates that in my opinion cannot be overcome. I cannot see any way that this would be mold safe.

Cost: The 16 ft trailer came to $10,000 Canadian dollars in materials, the labor would be about an extra 10K. It has basic wiring, no plumbing, and a basic outdoor kitchen.

Weight: About 4,500 lbs.

DIY Teardrop

Photo via Chesapeake Light Craft

This is either a DIY kit or plans to make this wood-based teardrop trailer.

Although the main material is wood, it’s essentially a fiberglass trailer as it’s totally coated in fiberglass. This is built like a boat, and as long as all gaskets are done well this should not have moisture issues.

I have not seen this design in person however.

The kit includes the wood, cut to the right sizes, fiberglass, epoxy, and all basic parts. All surfaces inside and out are sealed with epoxy.

It comes with plenty of epoxy to coat and seal the trailer, the necessary final finish – varnish and/or paint – is sold separately.

The metal trailer is not included.

It’s not quite as simple as it looks, it takes about 250 hours to complete.

Someone with an illness related to toxicity could do some parts of the build themselves but not the fiberglass and epoxy. And probably not the varnish either. Though epoxy finishes generally come to a complete cure, so even those with moderate chemical sensitivities might do well with this option once it’s cured.

Check out their website and videos.

Cost: $2619 USD for the kit or $199 for the plans.

Weight: The shell is 250 lbs when fully outfitted and accessorized. With the trailer weight included, it will come to 500-600 lbs.

Vans and Truck Campers 

Cargo Van Conversion

Converted Camper Van

Here is my post on converting vans into campers in a mold-safe way.

Anything with an exterior metal wall is inherently tricky to insulate for weather where you heat the camper.

If you don’t heat the van in any way or only use AC, this is an easy solution.

The company Innovative Spaces can build out a cargo van. I don’t have direct experience with them.

Decommissioned Ambulances

Solona’s ambulance

When I first saw Solona’s incredible recovery from CFS and MCS I was immediately impressed with this converted ambulance.

Looking more into how they are made, I found there are a few different ways of insulating them. I was not able to identify which company made this one.

It looks like most of them use rigid foam (polyiso) in the metal-framed walls and then use aluminum as the interior walls. Whatever they did in these walls to make them so air and vapor tight, it’s working.

This mobile home has held up really well to mold – an unusual feat in the RV world.

On top of that, it was an absolute bargain. This is the best value for your money of any of the options here. If you can find one that is as mold-safe inside as this one you have struck gold.

Solona paid around 9K CAD for her used ambulance in the video (and pictured above).

This is similar or the same construction as the old Camplites, ATC and Living Vehicle, but much less expensive. It doesn’t have a bathroom or kitchen though. In the video, Solona explains how she is making that work.

The government sells these off every so often. You might also find one that was already bought and is being resold by a private owner.

Refrigerated Trucks/Vans

Via bushspecialtyvehicles.com

Refrigerated trucks come with insulation already attached in a way that looks quite well done to me. You would want to confirm with the vendor how the installation was done.

You will also need to add air via a window or roof fan.

I like this a lot better than converting your own van because it’s such a tricky process to get the foam installed correctly. This is far easier because it’s already done for you.

For me the ambulance and the refrigerated vans would be my choice before a custom conversion.

Conventional RVs

Some mold avoiders have been using conventional RVs and trading them in if (when) they go moldy.

A few companies that some people like are:

Bigfoot – Made of fiberglass, EPS, and luan, with vinyl flooring. This does have wood in the walls. Though one person who is not that sensitive has done well with it, it’s not what I would go for.

Forest River RV Sunseeker Class C. A “Greener” RV company. Sunseeker has 1 piece fiberglass roof, aluminum frame, block foam insulation, no fabric except valances and bedspread and is “low VOC”. I really like the roof on this model.

Other Forest River brands are low VOC and slightly better construction than usual.

Coachman is also low VOC, mold avoiders have liked the Freedom Express and Apex Ultra Lite. Bryan Rosner outlined the strategy of going with Coachman and trading them in as needed. Here is his blog post and youtube video about this.

Don’t expect a traditional RV to last very long in terms of mold. Be prepared to trade that in in one or two years.

Many people cannot tolerate this level of offgassing, though the level has been improving in the last few years as more models go greener. Many are formaldehyde-free now. This is a strategy for folks who are mold sensitive and not very chemically sensitive because you have to go brand new here.

Also factor in the depreciation and loss of sales tax in this strategy.

It’s a good idea to see one of these in person before purchasing, unlike some of the custom trailers.

Tiny Homes on Wheels (THOWS)

If you fancy a tiny home that is semi-mobile (can be moved around, but ideally not too much), I would go for a small wood or metal structure.

I no longer recommend Tiny Green Cabins, Swanson or Tiny Healthy Homes because of the issues I have seen with their production and construction.

There are no specific tiny home companies I can recommend at this time. However, if you would like to set up a consultation we can go over finding a good builder and how to supervise the build.

I don’t know of one for less than 60K. Budget at least 65K. Look into the experience of the builder, talk to past clients and look at what kind of warranty they offer.

See my post on the top 10 causes of mold in tiny homes and example of a well-built house mold preventative house here and here before proceeding.

My tiny house on wheels

Corinne Segura is a Building Biologist Practitioner with 6 years of experience helping others create healthy homes, including alternative homes, trailers, and shelters.

I have owned and lived in three trailers: my tiny house on wheels, a custom Camplite and a converted cargo trailer.

healthy home build consult

Did you find this post helpful? If so you can buy me a coffee to support the research behind this blog. Thank you!

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A Custom Non-Toxic Aluminum Travel Trailer (Camplite)

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I spent weeks and weeks searching for a chemical-free trailer suitable for people with MCS. I finally came across a trailer made almost entirely of aluminum. I had it made based on the suggestions in this EI Wellspring article.  This post is an update on that article and I will add some suggestions for improvements.

Camplite no longer makes these trailers with all-aluminum interiors however you can custom make a trailer from scratch along these lines and you will have a long-lasting trailer. 

This post contains affiliate links. Upon purchase, I earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.

The 11ft trailer is light & can be towed with my Ford Ranger

The 2014 Camplite travel trailer comes with no wood, no steel, and can be made without any vinyl or toxic upholstery. 

The walls, (inside and out), and the cabinets and benches are aluminum with a baked-on finish. The insulation is foam but is sealed off by the aluminum (aluminum is a VOC barrier). 

Custom table and Natural Latex cushions

I chose the 11FDB (11 x 7-foot interior) which still feels very spacious to me and has a washroom (toilet and shower), a kitchen (sink, fridge, room for hotplate) and is wired for 30 amps.

This still had a chemical smell when new. The amount of time it takes to offgas depends on the temperature and your sensitivities. I think after 6 months it was good but was not totally scent-free. I recommend using an ozone generator to speed up the offgassing (more on the safety of using ozone here).

Here are the specifications that I had it made to:

  • NO Azdel cabinetry: Opt for aluminum cabinetry  (an extra 279 USD). As of 2016 they are saying that part of the cabinets are Azdel, and they are very reluctant to leave this out. 
  • NO insulation under the floors – for a chemical spray-on insulation that is very thin, 1000 USD did not seem like a good deal for this option. 
  • Aluminum Floors – As of 2016 they will not leave bare extruded aluminum floors. 
  • NO Azdel interior – Replace with aluminum walls (for 1000 USD). As of 2016 they are only offering Azdel walls from what my clients have said. This is a real shame as this is the only company I knew that made all aluminum interiors. 
  • NO propane furnace/AC.  I use an electric heater and portable AC/dehumidifier. The white exterior keeps it pretty cool inside, even in the summer sun. If I did it again I would definitely keep the propane furnace/AC. Not having it makes un-sellable to a non-MCSer. You can always remove the propane tanks off the front of the trailer and the little bit of added glue and plastic will not be significant.
  • NO propane range. I put in my own 2 burner cooktop (electric). Again, leave this one in and put your own hotplate on top since it folds down underneath the counter and is good for resale. I currently cook everything in an Instant Pot and release the steam outdoors to keep humidity low.
  • NO Formica (laminate): The only countertop option they had (for the 2014 model) is Formica with styrofoam on the inside. The dinette was also Formica. As of 2016, they use solid surface countertops which may be safe.
  • NO blinds, valances or screens on the windows or doors. No awning. No fold-out tent.
  • NO cushions – mine are custom Natural Latex (non-toxic, but see my warning here). I would have got them to leave the cushions, screens and blinds and store it somewhere else. In case you need to sell it to a non-MCSer. 
  • NO caulking. I asked for no caulking, but they did use it anyway. No caulk is not a good idea. You could send them a non-toxic one for them to use if they agree to this.
  • YES to the propane/electric fridge which vents to the outside.
  • YES to the propane water heater, like the fridge it is totally vented to the outside from what they tell me and from what the EI article suggests. Running short on amps here so if you want hot water…. 

If you are ordering one make sure to also specify not to put the black stuff (spray-on insulation ) under the seats, and not to glue plastic on the inside of the cabinets. They should be all aluminum.

Further modifications made by me to remove toxins:

  • Replaced the vinyl shower hose with a metal shower hose. This was super easy to do and didn’t require tools.
  • Wash the whole thing down to remove factory residues.
  • I removed the laminate countertops and replaced with a wooden one that I had made. The wood didn’t hold up and I recently replaced it with an aluminum countertop. The cost of which was about $250.
  • I removed the cabinet doors and they offgassed outside for 6 months. They don’t seem to smell when sniffed outside.
  • I replaced the laminate/styrofoam table with a custom cedar table that holds up well in the humidity when the trailer is not being used.
  • I placed EVA Foam over the aluminum floor. The ones with faux wood printing had a strong odor that smelled really toxic. Some EVA mats were found to give off formamide, so that may have been the problem.  I removed the faux wood mats. These EVA mats are a better choice as they are formamide-free (as well as BPA, phthalate and flame retardant-free).

This trailer was not cheap….coming in at around 27K with all the modifications (+ taxes). It took 13 weeks from the time I ordered it to the time it was delivered; I was told it would be 6-8 weeks, so give yourself a lot of time for the order…. and some time for offgassing.

All trailers are going to contain some amount of caulking and glue in the pipes and wiring. This trailer is the least toxic option that I know of. Older trailers with insulation tend to have problems with mold over time… Camplites are very good in this regard, they have a sandwich type of insulation: aluminum-styrofoam-aluminum, laminated, so condensation will not happen in the walls and there is nothing that can mold in the walls. They are built to last.

Corinne Segura is a Building Biologist with 6 years of experience helping others create healthy homes.

For individual help on choosing the best trailer for you, you can schedule a consultation with me here.

Did you find this post helpful? If so you can buy me a coffee to support the research behind this blog. Thank you!

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