just stumbled onto your channel, fellow tradesman Canuck, very impressed with your rig! just getting into the rv life and will definitely be using more than a few of your ideas as I build it out.🍻
Aw man that's awesome! It is a goal to help give others ideas of what they can do for themselves! Glad we could be of help &/or inspiration! Thanks for watching!
Yeah, us too! It is a 3500 dually van so it has a lot of torque for pulling. We also added in sumo springs in the rear and a red arc brake gain controller. We actually have been through the Rocky Mountains with this whole rig, and it has done incredibly well. Not that I would want to do that every day…or in winter!
@@kageandellie ........But What About The Fuel Cost Of Pulling A Heavy Load Every Time?........And How's Driving In Small Roads And Small Spaces Especially If U Need To Back Up The Van? For Me 'Though, Van Life Is Good For A Weekender Use Or Vacation Use But Not To Replace A Stationary Home With A Home Address. It Is Still Better To Have A Home With A Very Stable Foundation And With Enough Space For You To Walk Around. It's THERAPEUTIC For The Mind And Body. But Every Individual Is Different. Maybe Other People Love The same As What You Are Doing. Which Ever Way, LET US ENJOY LIFE & ENJOY EARTH.......
I've been looking into van conversions for a band since most of the time what I see during my job on the road with a touring band is sprinter vans with trailers for gear. It doesn't surprise me at all that they can tow it (mainly because I haven't given it that much thought) but this is the first time I've seen a converted livable van touring anything other than a bare-bones storage trailer. I'm thinking when my guys and I need to create a tour rig, we'll take some steps from this and convert the van to a bunk and lounge area, and convert the van to a rear-area storage space, and instead of an office, a full BATHROOM in front. Having spent nearly 3 years on the road, you never realize how VITAL it is to have a full-service, clean and safe bathroom is, until you don't have one.
ive done lots of starlink conenctions for clients here in UK< some of them just pick up dish from house and take it along in RV when they go away, very usefull tech, would always advise rj45 adapter and seperate acecss points ( as shown) not useing wifi boosting always with starlink...
That's the Swiss Army Knife of trailers. I love it, and the whole idea of a trailer to compliment the van. I think you may have just planted the seed of an idea for my retirement.
Exactly what I did for my retirement. Travato 59K pulling 6 x 10 interstate cargo trailer with loading ramp. 12 years full-time. It is the only possible way to carry everything that is necessary. (including an actual spare tire on a rim) Tools, hunting/fishing/camping gear, ammo, extra water, extra food, fuel, oil, chainsaw….. at least 2 0:13 000 pounds of what I consider necessity. My goal of taking care of horses on a ranch somewhere it was achieved three years ago. 20 acre horse ranch in the hills above Santa Barbara; with its own water well surrounded by national Forest. I take care of seven horses in exchange for being provided everything. Zero debt and only monthly bill is Phone.
In one word: Wow! As an IT specialist, I am impressed with the layout of the wiring under your desk in the trailer. Well done. The details you put in throughout the cargo trailer is amazing. It is well organized, clean, functional, weather conscious, practical, streamlined, ergonomic, esthetic, genius, and unique.
GENIUS! You have thought of everything!! I don't live in a van or have a trailer, but our .75-car garage is about the size of your trailer. I am sending this video to my 20 yr-old son (welder) and husband because you have endless sources of inspiration for us. Congrats on this achievement and thank you for sharing!
I really like having a work trailer for storage and working. Solutions we use to stay off-grid longer: Air-to-Water generator, a portable garden for our greens, herbs, and alliums, sprouting seeds, dehydrated staple foods, composting toilet, woodstove, and a lot more offline productivity. As a software engineer, I don't need to be connected all the time. I just need electricity to run the server lab and rabbit processors. So we have solar, batteries, and the built-in generator as a backup.
@@kageandellie I don't have a channel. The vanpacking life is something we started in the 1970s. YT is beyond my expertise and energy level right now. When I retire I plan to work on something related to food insecurity. Anyway, I'd love to have a setup like you built for your professional life. Good job on making a video that explained all so well.
Thanks! That would be great! Windows were in our original plan, and we even purchased them, but in the end I needed to use the wall space for storage, didn’t really have time for reframing, and also wanted to keep the rig looking more mysterious and not have people being able to see inside easily.
This is a cool setup! As a fan of tiny homes, I like how you didn’t just buy and retrofit a larger tiny home to fit your needs. You just bought a smaller trailer and retrofitted this. This feels like the more environmentally conscious option out of the two.
Thank you! Yes, we originally wanted to go Tiny Home, as we LOVED them as well, but there are just WAAAYYY too many restrictions in Canada about where you can have them... it has gotten a little better the past couple of years, but our laws here are very traditional still and it was too much of a deterrent. Thanks for watching Shay!
@@kageandellieoh really? Interesting, I didn’t know that. I wonder how long it will take Canada to catch up to the US in terms of acceptance of tiny homes and tiny living and readjust the laws to allow more of them.
Full marks Kage! Exceptional talent and remarkable work. I’ve been hoping for someone who would up the conversion game and you exceeded by far, all expectations. Bravo! Ingenious design, exceptional execution and the best trailer I’ve seen to date. Be well, stay safe, take care. Enjoy van living with the Mrs.
Haha! Thank you, it is a pleasure to inspire others! We love that trailers are so much easier to maintenance, and in Ontario, we only have to pay for the license plate ONCE and not annually!
Thanks @xandert72! it took a ton of time to plan and build, but we're super happy with the choice to do the project. It really has made our lives easier!
Absolutely! We got to the point where it was a better use of money to get the service vs driving to a library or somewhere to catch a good wifi. (And up until recently canadian cell plans had been pretty limited, and expense!)
@@kageandellie Sure if you don't mind giving your money to a degenerate radical right, white supremacist supporter of a modern day Hitler. But convenience is so much more important than moral standards.
Perfect video. For months i have been wandering how to work remotely, in a small bus to semi camper conversion it is tight, your setup is just so perfect. And I absolutely LOVE the office + tools mix (for me my computer gadgets and tools are important). Thank you.
Great trailer build out, and that’s coming from someone who did a trailer build out with solar panels and a Bluetti solar generator. My rig is much simpler but I am Pulling it with a pro master van/Winnebago RV. I don’t have a lot of towing power (3500 lbs.) I so I kept my build out light. Pretty much, it’s just a material hauler and mobile Power tool caddy.
Omg, LOVE your setup!!! We have very similar, on the outside… we need you to help us on the inside!!! Husband also uses a utility trailer for his work stuff, it’s a disaster. Hope we bump into you on our Canadian travels, we do coast to coast for his business, we are just touching on year 2 for living like this and loving it. We’d love it even more if we were properly set up for winter. We’ll be watching you guys!!! Thanks for sharing! Safe travels!
Wow! Thanks for much for watching our trailer conversion tour. We can relate to work trailers getting out of control! What type of business are you doing across Canada?
He’s been in the cleaning business his whole career, on the supply side. Has an amazing network across Canada so he visits his clients to show them how to use products. He imports new green solutions for industrial/institutional use from the USA and these need to be demo’ed to really show the efficacy so off we go from one province to another.
That's an amazing business to be in that allows you both to explore so much of Canada and meet really interesting people along the way when you showcase what the US products can do for them!
Amazing build! Any plans to release tutorials for some of these components? The Starlink roof plug specifically, I'd love some more details on 'gotchas' and a parts list that worked for you.
We didn’t film much of the build due to time constraints, but I do have some content for the StarLink install that I should put together as I think there are a lot of people who can benefit from it!
Love the build. And love the guitar content! We are full time RV people in a 5th wheel, with a bunkhouse turned into a full functioning tech office. We run an IT consulting practice, as well as a Guitar Effects Pedal company out of our RV. I was drawn to your video because I always have this thought to buy a Class A Diesel Pusher and outfit a Trailer for the office and workshop. I may actually do that someday! But once I was engaged, you gave me so many ideas that will apply to any type of road life, not just van and trailer. As always, our office workspace is always evolving. So I’m always soaking up all the knowledge I can find. For example, I have a similar monitor setup. But I take it down when we travel and put it on the bed, with a few guitars. That is getting old. Was thinking to put a blanket over it and tie it down where it lives. Was literally going to give it a shot on our next travel day. And you just confirmed this for me! Thanks for the great video. I have subscribed!
A little too extravagant/polished for my taste, but I'm sure you guys love it! Full of awesome ideas and The Man owns Milwaukee tools, so I know he's got great taste. This is a sweet build, I can't lie. The removeable panels, the sockets that go up with the desk, so much f*cking utility in this build, smh. Lookin' good, Guys. 😎😎😎
Thank you! And yes, it is polished on appearance (although I haven’t washed this for several months!🧐😅) and does take time to maintain. For my work I do mostly grid connections for solar system installs at private residences. The owners pay a lot of money to my solar client, so I need to show up looking presentable and trustworthy, the rig looking good helps with that. Thanks for watching and sharing your thoughts! PACKOUTS Rock!
That's a great idea! We do use that for freezing meat in the freezer, but haven’t gotten to the point of doing that for clothing! I’m sure it will come up to be a necessity somewhere along the way.
I was thinking about this configuration earlier this week. Towing a trailer with a smaller RV/Van, gives you double the effective surface area for solar, for your internal volume. Meaning you're cooling/heating a smaller space relative to the amount of solar you have. Also having a space you can work in, that's separate from your living space, lets you keep your living space clean, without having to work outside in the elements. And if you've got pets, it gives you a space you can keep them while you're out, where they can poop, pee, or vomit with little consequence.(Obviously, make sure they have toys, water, food, HVAC, and a comfy place to sleep, no matter where you keep them.)
Thank you! We do enjoy making videos in our precious spare time and have a lot of stuff in the works, but it's about having the time to get stuff completed! We love being able to share ideas and experiences and being able to inspire others! Hopefully we'll get some time next weekend to get some more videos done!
That's a cool idea. I have been thinking about something similar. I am not in the trades, so I don't need it to be that big, but it's definitely smart for your situation. Jason
Since you store some of the food in the trailer, when you are not moving, it would be nice to have a weather protected temporary corridor between the trailer's V and vans backdoor. Don't know if your layout actually permits for it, though. Also, not sure if you already do it, but you can harvest some technical water of the trailer's roof, for a pressure washer, for example.
Very well thought out build. Execution was also top notch. There is one thing that makes no sense though... why store the clothes in an open air environment that shares the same space as fuel tanks? Those sweaters will eventually smell like gas. I think sealing the clothing up or sealing the storage for the fuels would solve this issue. Have you had the trailer weighed? I'm curious what your pulling around. For me after all my research I think I want to go with the Toughbuilt Stacktech system. I am just constantly blown away at how well designed their system is. I lived in a 24ft RV for 6 years and one of the biggest reasons for me to change is I missed having a workshop. This is a nice solution to having that on the road. As I get older having some land to return to and make self sufficient wins out over my desire to live on the go.
Hey! I had to look that ToughBuilt system system up.. I like the fact they are black! And the side accessories are cool too! We have not had any issues of fuel smell at all yet. They contain diesel, when I think might have less odor than gas..? I keep the containers clean, wipe them up from any spillage, and keep the caps tight. If there ever is an issue, I can just swap things around in the trailer to resolve that. They are mainly there for the trailer heater top up...because the fuel tank I put in was WAY too small! Ya, having tools and a workshop are so helpful.. and I totally understand the home base somewhere. In the next couple days we are going to be finding out if we are going to be going a bit more that way. We might be doing less "on the road" and more working on rigs at a shop, with some jobs that take us abroad. It takes a lot of run a business on the road. It's been 6 years for us as well! Doing the mobile thing in Canada is also a lot more challenging in Canada as culturally, public accessibility, and legally it's against those expectations.
@@kageandellie I wish I would have bought land a long time ago. It would have been nice to have a home base to return to with some shipping containers for storage to lock up when traveling. One of my major reasons for stopping is that feeling of not being welcome. Cops banging on your door because you are sleeping in random places. I mainly was in Norther California which has a large population of people in Rv's and some places hate them. Santa Cruz you could park for an hour and have cops asking you what your plans are while Berkley I parked in a warehouse district for months and never had one cop visit my Rv. I was on a small budget so I rarely paid for a spot and it got old. I think if I would have known that I could drive to my homebase and chill there and get more resources and work on projects I might have lasted longer.
🤔 What is the weight and tow capacity of your van? The Milwaukee Pack-out though $$ offers good weight savings and versatility. I also liked your StarLink mods. 😎
Yes, the Starlink mods and pack-out have been so awesome to have! I'll be sharing some how-to shorts on the some Starlink hacks in the near future. The rig's total weight is just under the max weight of the capacity of the van (16,800). It's definitely HEAVY, but with the 3500 dually and all wheel drive for winter and muddy sites, the van has been an ABSOLUTE BEAST and has handled it so well; Even going up and down mountains. We are very pleased to have gone with the Mercedes.
Late to the party here (June 2024), amazing build. I do wonder how much the trailer weighs when fully loaded vs towing capacity of the van and what the van's payload capacity is vs actual when fully loaded & on the go. Hope that thing has a V8 or turbo diesel as I'm sure it needs it with all you have packed in there (both vehicles).
We are 16,700 lbs and our limit is 16,900 lbs. The high torque 3500 engine is an absolute BEAST for towing. We have a 3L? turbo diesel engine that has taken this whole thing up and through the rocky mountains. And for going down we have a RED ARC brake gain controller. Thanks for watching!
Not gonna argue with that! This buys us some flexibility and longevity, but some sort of home base, whether a normal home, or in our case now, a shop to launch out from, we feel is a necessity. Maybe a small percentage of van dwellers can hack a full time thing, but it can be tough. It is also harder to pull off the full-time thing in Canada, legally, environmentally, and socially.
@@kageandellieHey, i think you should pls expanciate a bit more on this particular point of van-lifing in Canada full time from a legal, social etc perspective. Im a budding van-lifer whose aim is to Van for abiut 6yrs and save up to purchase a flat. Pls do chip in from your experience or even make a video abiut it.
@@AbyssalSodatrue, but put it in the perspective of the cost of living in that NYC apartment, or in our case, cost of owning property in Canada, factor in transportation (owning a vehicle while also paying for that home), and also covers our business operating expenses… that is averaging about $75,000 a year we don’t have to put out for those costs. There’s definitely a trade off. This isn’t a solution for everyone, but just how we went about solving problems in our own life and gives people things to think about for themselves.
Yup - pretty much! And if I do, I have air tags, a hidden tracker, vehicle computer frying connection cables, locks and lift power cut off. (Yes, I am somewhat paranoid! Thankfully, trailer theft is pretty low in Canada.)
Thanks for the video guys! This is very similar to what I want. I had been wondering why people with the RV Sprinter van setup didn't try to tow a second trailer with it for things they didn't have already in the sprinter cabin. Great work guys very inspiring, I look forward to sharing a similar video someday!
Thank you jonnyrocket! It took a lot of time to think through and find the right balance to make nomadic existence work up here in Canada (combined with my particular career choice!)
You know, I wanted to not like your setup because I can't tell you how many of these types of builds I've seen that I'm just not crazy about. However, I like what you guys have done with the trailer. It seems like a great fit for your needs and I think it was well thought-out and constructed. It even looks good! Great job!
Haha! Yes, there is a LOT of stuff out there, and such a wide range of ideas! I will take winning you over as a high compliment, thank you! It is definitely serving us well.. even right now we are enjoying the long weekend at our favorite park by Lake Erie, sitting at the desk and uploading another video! Thanks for watching!
with your trailer hookups you could set up an ethernet cable that connects there, so that you can broadcast a weaker inside signal or let you even hook up a wired connection inside
Thank you Richard! It is definitely one of those things we had to build to make life possible or else we would have burned out quit the nomadic life entirely!
This is awesome in just a couple more days I get my Ford lightning. And I’ll be doing a very mini version of this since I am a contractor and I love camping with my wife and friends.
@@kageandellie yes I do have some Eco flow products but since the truck has a giant battery, I’ll be able to power everything I need. Of course, depending on how much power I’m using that will affect my range. That’s the downside. But I was thinking about trying to use the roof of the trailer to produce as much power as possible maybe to feed. One of the larger eco-flow batteries that has the 220/240 V out and then I could use that to extend the battery on the truck.
@@kageandellie you’re absolutely right. I don’t need any portable batteries although I do have two small Eco flow Deltas. To make it suit my needs, I’m getting a DECKED system ad then installed on the truck itself A hardsider pop up topper camper. When closed position it’ll be like any other truck cap And then on top of that is a pop-up that you can stand in with hard sides and a bed. I’ll have my roof rack with a 400 W solar panel. So since I don’t live on the road full-time, it’ll be plenty for my circumstance and probably would even work if we were in the road full-time. I do have an enclosed trailer all aluminum standing height 6 x 10 modular set up if I ever wanted to turn it into something. Anyway, thank you very much for the inspiration! And subscribe and all do a tour of my set up as I get each piece
This trailer build is absolutely amazing - WELL DONE! So many well thought out spaces and everything is so CLEANLY installed. And yes, there are hassles to towing - BUT I think your setup and being able to "stake" a spot with the trailer also has its benefits. Any plans for a cassette toilet and small amount of water for use when the trailer is not near the van?
Thanks! No plans to put a toilet in the trailer.. but funny story: I was doing a job where Ellie left me for about 5 years to take care of running around and the rumble was getting stronger.. it was time to release the chocolate hostage! I'm in a populated area.. building full of rental units (so I can't use a toilet inside).. BUT we did have a bucket full of spare/fresh peatmoss on board! (It's for our composting toilet). I closed up the trailer, hopped inside and did what needed to be done! 💩
Beautiful build! Would love to see a video just about your Starlink setup. I totally agree that taking down the Starlink and bundling up wire is a pain. Thanks!
I dig the Starlink mounting port. We use ours atop our Class A, I wouldn't want to "trust" the rear ladder for regular use, so I did something very similar - the pipe mount Starlink sells on their accessories website works perfectly on a regular metal closet rod - so I used the longest one that would slide into the pass-through basement storage easily (exactly 8 feet), and it fits reasonably well into the flagpole mount "mounted" to the rear RV ladder. A slight wobble gap was inside, but a few layers of aluminum speed tape fixed it perfectly. I'm guessing laundromats are cheaper in Canada than they are in the US, though; after a few $60-$70 "laundry stops" during our part-time RV life, the washer & dryer were the only "must-have" when we swapped our first RV for the second one. I think I would have been tempted to put the combo Splendide in the build. Rocking-cool trailer, though. Props. I hardwired our Starlink through the chassis as well, but I'm using a "decent" quality Cat6 coupler (and carrying replacements) in the wet bay to attach the Dishy when it goes up on the closet rod. I love your connectors, I'll be looking for a set of those.
Thanks NordicVetMBA! Sounds like you've got a great setup there as well and have put some good thought into it! That is a crazy amount for a laundomat run! Wow! Our average experience was only $10-15 a week..(2 loads, Ellie says..) I am definitely happy with those connectors.. they were quite pricey, but great quality. I picked them up on amazon when we were in florida.. we can't get them when in Canada.
@@kageandellie@kageandellie I think I found the connectors you are using well worth the cost, as the "indoor-grade" cat-6 ones I have been using are hit & miss for reliability and usually will fail after a couple of months of use in the basement of our motorhome. Admittedly, I use the wet bay for the connection point, but that way I can sneak the dish-side of the cable through the water hose or sewer line opening in the bottom and avoided the need for another opening on the "road side." On the laundry, we normally saw $4.50 per wash load and about the same for a dryer load (and those were small loads), so if we were doing four or so loads, it was tipping $60 quickly (assuming one had a bedding load or whatever). Love your channel.
Thank you! We're planning on rolling through NB in the next couple of months! We've been swamped with work as of late but doing our best to put together content as often as humanly possible!
That is really cool! If I could get into the nomadic lifestyle, that's the way I'd like to do it right there! Such a great idea to have your trailer setup like that.
Thanks Edward! This is actually our second trailer we’ve had.. the first one was a lot more bare bones. It took some time in this life to figure out what we needed and would benefit us the most, and we couldn’t be happier with the outcome! It really works well too as I can be left on a job (I’m an electrician) and Ellie can go on material or grocery runs - divide and conquer!
@@kageandellie It turned out great, funny thing, I was thinking about doing something like this, but inverse, since I already have a trailer (camper) I thought about buying a van to tow it, and use the van for something like a garage, unfortunately, there's no travel in my job, but still would be useful for increased cargo. I like your idea a lot better! lol
Just found your channel and watched this video all the way through. The channel really stands out from so many others. You both have great personalities that come across as friendly and informative. I have been thinking of a trailer build and you have totally changed the way I will do it and want in it big as yours. Could you please link to some parts like the wardrobe, StarLink connectors and desk. You have got me hooked. Seriously refreshing channel. Thank you for all the hard work of making it for us :-D. Stephen
Hi Stephen! Thank you so much; we are immensely touched by your comment! We know there's a crowded space out there for vanlife and van building, and that is fine.. we just have fun making content, try to be who we are, and make a good video that is worth the viewers' time! We are happy to have inspired you to build in a direction that works for you! As for parts.. just on a simple note, the wardrobe is literally just an IKEA PAX closet (wide enough to fit our freezer!), an IKEA sit-stand desk frame with our own countertop installed on top, and the connectors for the starlink are just outdoor rated ethernet connectors that are sold as a male/female set form amazon. If you need any other information or need to talk through anything regarding your build, I'd be happy to connect with you over zoom or facetime. Feel free to reach out to us through our email: kage.ellie.north@gmail.com Thanks again - it was an amazing comment to receive this morning!
I know a guy that bought an old low miles motorcoach, then towed a 27ft camper trailer behind it too. It was hilariously awesome. Like a mansion, towing a suburban home too.
Love it and yours is way fancier than mine until i get a new van. Have a 16x7 x7 trailer as well and a 2018 Transit. Do finish carpentry and a hundred other trades for new builds. My trailer houses my kitchen and shower. Van has bed and office. Have 2 large dogs that either hang out on site or stay in the ac in the van. I do the same setup with switches to transfer power around. I will be getting a box truck very soon though as i have basically destroyed the van because of weight issues. Built everything with 5mm plywood and has held together excellently to keep weight to a minimum but still just overweight. I have to carry too many tools as we are the crew that comes in to fix any emergencies. Hopefully you dont have those problems. We be interested to know what your trailer loaded weighs. Mine is around 5000
This is my first time seeing you what do you do for work that you leave all the pool just wondering and what I've seen about your trailer fantastic so smart I can't wait to see another new video.
Hi Bruce! Thank you! Yes we run our own little electrical contracting business, mainly installing solar systems all over Ontario, but also do small jobs along the way and help out other electricians who need an extra set of hands to get their work done! We have some videos on that topic that will be coming out over the next few weeks, as time permits! Thanks for watching, and I hope you’ll enjoy the content we have coming out in the future!
I was definitely wondering about the monitor. You can tell you think ahead and make quality decisions! This looks fantastic. Did you make a little sleeper in the secondary trailer? I'm sure I'll get to it in the video if you did.
Yes! Hah I was definitely being cautious about the monitor… I went for the cheapest widescreen monitor. I could find just in case this ended up being a bad idea! Lol thankfully, a few years on the road, and I have not had an incident yet, even when I drove down bumpy road, and I forgot to strap it in! No, we have not put a sleeper in the work trailer yet… However, we have slept in it! 😅 when we had to take the van in for a service check, the dealership was a bit in the middle of nowhere so we decided to pull our toilet and bedding into the trailer and slept there for a few hours while the van got checked over. It is certainly handy having a back up bedroom!
Thanks Leo! We actually just did a big renovation job on my friend’s skoolie.. we’ll throw up a video about it soon. We are intending to expand into more rig work..something we’ve discussed a very long time but it now seems like the timing might be right! 🤔
@@kageandellie Not surprised to hear about the skoolie project! There’s definitely a demand for a mobile team that can build/upgrade nomadic set ups! What region are you focusing on? Thanks for the fast reply!
Im living in/building out a 6x14 cargo trailer and this was very inspirational. Much love from So Cal
That's great to hear! If you'd like any help with ideas or suggestions just shoot us a line :) Cheers from Canada!
How is your life going? Did you finish your build?
just stumbled onto your channel, fellow tradesman Canuck, very impressed with your rig! just getting into the rv life and will definitely be using more than a few of your ideas as I build it out.🍻
Aw man that's awesome! It is a goal to help give others ideas of what they can do for themselves! Glad we could be of help &/or inspiration! Thanks for watching!
Extremely impressed that a fully loaded van can also tow a heavy trailer.
Yeah, us too! It is a 3500 dually van so it has a lot of torque for pulling. We also added in sumo springs in the rear and a red arc brake gain controller. We actually have been through the Rocky Mountains with this whole rig, and it has done incredibly well. Not that I would want to do that every day…or in winter!
@@kageandellie ........But What About The Fuel Cost Of Pulling A Heavy Load Every Time?........And How's Driving In Small Roads And Small Spaces Especially If U Need To Back Up The Van? For Me 'Though, Van Life Is Good For A Weekender Use Or Vacation Use But Not To Replace A Stationary Home With A Home Address. It Is Still Better To Have A Home With A Very Stable Foundation And With Enough Space For You To Walk Around. It's THERAPEUTIC For The Mind And Body. But Every Individual Is Different. Maybe Other People Love The same As What You Are Doing. Which Ever Way, LET US ENJOY LIFE & ENJOY EARTH.......
I've been looking into van conversions for a band since most of the time what I see during my job on the road with a touring band is sprinter vans with trailers for gear. It doesn't surprise me at all that they can tow it (mainly because I haven't given it that much thought) but this is the first time I've seen a converted livable van touring anything other than a bare-bones storage trailer. I'm thinking when my guys and I need to create a tour rig, we'll take some steps from this and convert the van to a bunk and lounge area, and convert the van to a rear-area storage space, and instead of an office, a full BATHROOM in front. Having spent nearly 3 years on the road, you never realize how VITAL it is to have a full-service, clean and safe bathroom is, until you don't have one.
As a network engineer, I was very pleased to see how you did the StarLink and WeBoost setups, including the weatherproof Ethernet reel and connectors!
Thank you! I do love the StarLink setup on board SO much!
ive done lots of starlink conenctions for clients here in UK< some of them just pick up dish from house and take it along in RV when they go away, very usefull tech, would always advise rj45 adapter and seperate acecss points ( as shown) not useing wifi boosting always with starlink...
That is some heavy duty ethernet cable for sure!!!
As a Sanitary Engineer ( Janitorial Service ) , I too am impress
At the CCIE level, just use electric liquid tape for perfect seal, and even better with the Starlink mini with built-in WIFI at 40W instead of 80W.
I am so jealous right now, from the video quality to the set up is all perfect. I am just going to my happy place and cry! 😭
Awww you're too kind! I'd say the trailer is my happy place!
That's the Swiss Army Knife of trailers. I love it, and the whole idea of a trailer to compliment the van. I think you may have just planted the seed of an idea for my retirement.
That's a great description and giving ideas is what we're here for!
Exactly what I did for my retirement.
Travato 59K pulling 6 x 10 interstate cargo trailer with loading ramp.
12 years full-time.
It is the only possible way to carry everything that is necessary.
(including an actual spare tire on a rim)
Tools, hunting/fishing/camping gear, ammo, extra water, extra food, fuel, oil, chainsaw….. at least 2 0:13 000 pounds of what I consider necessity.
My goal of taking care of horses on a ranch somewhere it was achieved three years ago.
20 acre horse ranch in the hills above
Santa Barbara; with its own water well surrounded by national Forest.
I take care of seven horses in exchange for being provided everything.
Zero debt and only monthly bill is Phone.
The electrician in me appreciates the conduit and electrical work. Most trailers on UA-cam push me over the edge. Great job.
Haha, thank you fellow sparky! It's a handy skill to have!
Dude. You are seriously upping your video editing game. Every one gets exponentially better. Great stuff… can’t wait to see you guys.
I appreciate that Jeff! Thanks for giving it a watch. See you soon. ~ Kage
Outstanding level of organization in this build. Very inspirational for anyone looking to build their own recreational or work trailer.
Thank you Kevin! We’re so happy with it everyday, and want to be able to share ideas to help others!
I so agree 1000%
In one word: Wow!
As an IT specialist, I am impressed with the layout of the wiring under your desk in the trailer. Well done.
The details you put in throughout the cargo trailer is amazing. It is well organized, clean, functional, weather conscious, practical, streamlined, ergonomic, esthetic, genius, and unique.
Oh man! Thank you so much!
As a matter of fact - I am enjoying the desk right now!
GENIUS! You have thought of everything!! I don't live in a van or have a trailer, but our .75-car garage is about the size of your trailer. I am sending this video to my 20 yr-old son (welder) and husband because you have endless sources of inspiration for us. Congrats on this achievement and thank you for sharing!
You're welcome! And we're happy to be able to share ideas and give inspiration to others! Thanks for watching Susan!
Just WOW!!! Incredible build!
Aw thank you @theicangram!
I really like having a work trailer for storage and working. Solutions we use to stay off-grid longer: Air-to-Water generator, a portable garden for our greens, herbs, and alliums, sprouting seeds, dehydrated staple foods, composting toilet, woodstove, and a lot more offline productivity. As a software engineer, I don't need to be connected all the time. I just need electricity to run the server lab and rabbit processors. So we have solar, batteries, and the built-in generator as a backup.
Dang man! That sounds like an awesome setup! If it’s on your channel, we’re gonna check it out!
@@kageandellie I don't have a channel. The vanpacking life is something we started in the 1970s. YT is beyond my expertise and energy level right now. When I retire I plan to work on something related to food insecurity. Anyway, I'd love to have a setup like you built for your professional life. Good job on making a video that explained all so well.
paning to to the same, 3 node cluser in the van (3x mini pc with dual sfp+) to run automatisation, openMPTCProuter, development stuff.
This thing is phenomenal. One of the best special vehicle builds I´ve ever seen. Not only funtional but also great looking designs.
Wow! There is so much out there, thank you!
Best build I’ve seen! Mobile but with enough space.. awesome!
Thanks! That would be great! Windows were in our original plan, and we even purchased them, but in the end I needed to use the wall space for storage, didn’t really have time for reframing, and also wanted to keep the rig looking more mysterious and not have people being able to see inside easily.
this is probably the most ideal build I have ever seen. If I was to do this, this is definitely the way I would want to do it.
Awesome! Thanks, sharing ideas is what we’re here for!
This is a cool setup! As a fan of tiny homes, I like how you didn’t just buy and retrofit a larger tiny home to fit your needs. You just bought a smaller trailer and retrofitted this. This feels like the more environmentally conscious option out of the two.
Thank you! Yes, we originally wanted to go Tiny Home, as we LOVED them as well, but there are just WAAAYYY too many restrictions in Canada about where you can have them... it has gotten a little better the past couple of years, but our laws here are very traditional still and it was too much of a deterrent. Thanks for watching Shay!
@@kageandellieoh really? Interesting, I didn’t know that. I wonder how long it will take Canada to catch up to the US in terms of acceptance of tiny homes and tiny living and readjust the laws to allow more of them.
Amazingly professional video and build. A lot of it goes over my head but still enjoyable to watch.
Hi! Thanks for watching and enjoying it!
Full marks Kage! Exceptional talent and remarkable work. I’ve been hoping for someone who would up the conversion game and you exceeded by far, all expectations. Bravo!
Ingenious design, exceptional execution and the best trailer I’ve seen to date. Be well, stay safe, take care. Enjoy van living with the Mrs.
This thing is insane! Bravo! This trailer spoke to my inner man. Now I want to build one.
Haha! Thank you, it is a pleasure to inspire others! We love that trailers are so much easier to maintenance, and in Ontario, we only have to pay for the license plate ONCE and not annually!
Just Epic!!! What an Amazing build! Love it! 🙂
Thanks @xandert72! it took a ton of time to plan and build, but we're super happy with the choice to do the project. It really has made our lives easier!
Having a Starlink really is a gamechanger.
Absolutely! We got to the point where it was a better use of money to get the service vs driving to a library or somewhere to catch a good wifi. (And up until recently canadian cell plans had been pretty limited, and expense!)
@@kageandellie Sure if you don't mind giving your money to a degenerate radical right, white supremacist supporter of a modern day Hitler. But convenience is so much more important than moral standards.
I'm not a van life kind of person. But man oh man that trailer is amazing!!
Thank you! Even outside of van living, it's a fabulous work rig!
Perfect video. For months i have been wandering how to work remotely, in a small bus to semi camper conversion it is tight, your setup is just so perfect. And I absolutely LOVE the office + tools mix (for me my computer gadgets and tools are important). Thank you.
You’re so welcome Marti! Happy to have been able to give you something to think about!
Great trailer build out, and that’s coming from someone who did a trailer build out with solar panels and a Bluetti solar generator. My rig is much simpler but I am Pulling it with a pro master van/Winnebago RV. I don’t have a lot of towing power (3500 lbs.) I so I kept my build out light. Pretty much, it’s just a material hauler and mobile Power tool caddy.
Ok… I’m not normally the jealous type but….. DAMN
Haha! Thank you!
I need that, I am thinking about making my little trailer to a mobile Workshop as well
It's such a handy thing to have! (And makes you really popular at van meetups! lol)
Lol 😂😂😂😂😂 "I'm not normally the jealous type." 😂😂😂😂😂
Wow Kage. Great job. Who knew you were so smart. LOL I did.
LOL
Lol, thanks 😆
No prob. Very impressed with what you've done with the camper van and especially the trailer/working/storage/living space. @@kageandellie
Omg, LOVE your setup!!! We have very similar, on the outside… we need you to help us on the inside!!! Husband also uses a utility trailer for his work stuff, it’s a disaster. Hope we bump into you on our Canadian travels, we do coast to coast for his business, we are just touching on year 2 for living like this and loving it. We’d love it even more if we were properly set up for winter. We’ll be watching you guys!!! Thanks for sharing! Safe travels!
Wow! Thanks for much for watching our trailer conversion tour. We can relate to work trailers getting out of control! What type of business are you doing across Canada?
He’s been in the cleaning business his whole career, on the supply side. Has an amazing network across Canada so he visits his clients to show them how to use products. He imports new green solutions for industrial/institutional use from the USA and these need to be demo’ed to really show the efficacy so off we go from one province to another.
That's an amazing business to be in that allows you both to explore so much of Canada and meet really interesting people along the way when you showcase what the US products can do for them!
Oh how I would love to be a fly on the wall and listen to how you two talked about what needs to go in the expansion. Great content and great living!
Amazing build! Any plans to release tutorials for some of these components? The Starlink roof plug specifically, I'd love some more details on 'gotchas' and a parts list that worked for you.
We didn’t film much of the build due to time constraints, but I do have some content for the StarLink install that I should put together as I think there are a lot of people who can benefit from it!
@@kageandellieI would ditto that. Great work on the build and love to see some of the how to builds.
Love the build. And love the guitar content! We are full time RV people in a 5th wheel, with a bunkhouse turned into a full functioning tech office. We run an IT consulting practice, as well as a Guitar Effects Pedal company out of our RV. I was drawn to your video because I always have this thought to buy a Class A Diesel Pusher and outfit a Trailer for the office and workshop. I may actually do that someday! But once I was engaged, you gave me so many ideas that will apply to any type of road life, not just van and trailer. As always, our office workspace is always evolving. So I’m always soaking up all the knowledge I can find. For example, I have a similar monitor setup. But I take it down when we travel and put it on the bed, with a few guitars. That is getting old. Was thinking to put a blanket over it and tie it down where it lives. Was literally going to give it a shot on our next travel day. And you just confirmed this for me! Thanks for the great video. I have subscribed!
This is the most amazing thing I've ever seen
Aww thanks Trevor! ❤️ We arrived to be intentional and practical with how we built it out!
I feel that I have a pretty good imagination. But never in a million could I come up with the design you created. Outstanding. Thank you for sharing.
Wow, thank you! That’s a pretty high compliment! You’re welcome, happy to share ideas and thanks for watching!
A little too extravagant/polished for my taste, but I'm sure you guys love it! Full of awesome ideas and The Man owns Milwaukee tools, so I know he's got great taste. This is a sweet build, I can't lie. The removeable panels, the sockets that go up with the desk, so much f*cking utility in this build, smh. Lookin' good, Guys. 😎😎😎
Thank you! And yes, it is polished on appearance (although I haven’t washed this for several months!🧐😅) and does take time to maintain. For my work I do mostly grid connections for solar system installs at private residences. The owners pay a lot of money to my solar client, so I need to show up looking presentable and trustworthy, the rig looking good helps with that. Thanks for watching and sharing your thoughts!
PACKOUTS Rock!
Love all the organization inside and especially on the roof of the Trailer. Very well thought out and implemented! Nice!
Thank you very much!
Wow! Over the top design and function! Thank you for sharing!
You are so welcome and thank you for watching and commenting!
Amazing video and trailer build! I am looking to do a similar trailer build in the future, so this is truly inspiring!
Dude, this thing is sick! Great work!!
Glad you like it! Thank you!
Great work! With so much van life content, it's nice to see someone do something original and awesome!
Totally agree! 💯
This is amazing, and so generous of you to share so many fascinating inventions. Thank you!
Glad you like them! We love sharing ideas and giving the community things to think about for themselves!
Thanks for watching!
I’ve used vacuum bags for helping to store our off season clothing…adds a lot of space. Great video
That's a great idea! We do use that for freezing meat in the freezer, but haven’t gotten to the point of doing that for clothing! I’m sure it will come up to be a necessity somewhere along the way.
Super cool build! So much thought.
Thank you! Glad you like it!
I was thinking about this configuration earlier this week. Towing a trailer with a smaller RV/Van, gives you double the effective surface area for solar, for your internal volume. Meaning you're cooling/heating a smaller space relative to the amount of solar you have. Also having a space you can work in, that's separate from your living space, lets you keep your living space clean, without having to work outside in the elements. And if you've got pets, it gives you a space you can keep them while you're out, where they can poop, pee, or vomit with little consequence.(Obviously, make sure they have toys, water, food, HVAC, and a comfy place to sleep, no matter where you keep them.)
Considerable thought has gone into that trailer, brilliant ideas ,, well done 👍🏻
Thank you! We're really happy with how functional it is for us and makes life so much easier every day!
well built and designed trailer to take with you when you travel, brilliant design..
Thank you!
You guys should make more videos. Good information, great editing and quality. Enjoyed immensely. Also, Alberta is the best 😏
Thank you! We do enjoy making videos in our precious spare time and have a lot of stuff in the works, but it's about having the time to get stuff completed! We love being able to share ideas and experiences and being able to inspire others! Hopefully we'll get some time next weekend to get some more videos done!
Wow. A truly amazing build-both van and trailer.
Thanks for sharing.
Thanks for watching!
Damn, such a great video. So well made. You guys need more subscribers :).
Haha! Thanks Joe! It’s been fun as out of nowhere we’ve doubled in the last couple days; we’re catching a wave!!🌊
That's a cool idea. I have been thinking about something similar. I am not in the trades, so I don't need it to be that big, but it's definitely smart for your situation.
Jason
Thanks! It certainly has made life easier for us! Happy to have been able to share some ideas!
Guys, this is truly epic!
Since you store some of the food in the trailer, when you are not moving, it would be nice to have a weather protected temporary corridor between the trailer's V and vans backdoor. Don't know if your layout actually permits for it, though.
Also, not sure if you already do it, but you can harvest some technical water of the trailer's roof, for a pressure washer, for example.
This trailer is fantastic
Dude your trailer setup is amazing and love the functionality and design great job and great video
Thank you! Sometimes I'm not sure what was more work.. the trailer, or the video for the trailer! lol
Freaking awesome build!!!
Thank you! It’s freaking awesome to work out of!
Very well thought out build. Execution was also top notch. There is one thing that makes no sense though... why store the clothes in an open air environment that shares the same space as fuel tanks? Those sweaters will eventually smell like gas. I think sealing the clothing up or sealing the storage for the fuels would solve this issue. Have you had the trailer weighed? I'm curious what your pulling around.
For me after all my research I think I want to go with the Toughbuilt Stacktech system. I am just constantly blown away at how well designed their system is.
I lived in a 24ft RV for 6 years and one of the biggest reasons for me to change is I missed having a workshop. This is a nice solution to having that on the road. As I get older having some land to return to and make self sufficient wins out over my desire to live on the go.
Hey! I had to look that ToughBuilt system system up.. I like the fact they are black! And the side accessories are cool too!
We have not had any issues of fuel smell at all yet. They contain diesel, when I think might have less odor than gas..? I keep the containers clean, wipe them up from any spillage, and keep the caps tight. If there ever is an issue, I can just swap things around in the trailer to resolve that. They are mainly there for the trailer heater top up...because the fuel tank I put in was WAY too small!
Ya, having tools and a workshop are so helpful.. and I totally understand the home base somewhere. In the next couple days we are going to be finding out if we are going to be going a bit more that way. We might be doing less "on the road" and more working on rigs at a shop, with some jobs that take us abroad. It takes a lot of run a business on the road. It's been 6 years for us as well! Doing the mobile thing in Canada is also a lot more challenging in Canada as culturally, public accessibility, and legally it's against those expectations.
@@kageandellie I wish I would have bought land a long time ago. It would have been nice to have a home base to return to with some shipping containers for storage to lock up when traveling. One of my major reasons for stopping is that feeling of not being welcome. Cops banging on your door because you are sleeping in random places. I mainly was in Norther California which has a large population of people in Rv's and some places hate them. Santa Cruz you could park for an hour and have cops asking you what your plans are while Berkley I parked in a warehouse district for months and never had one cop visit my Rv. I was on a small budget so I rarely paid for a spot and it got old. I think if I would have known that I could drive to my homebase and chill there and get more resources and work on projects I might have lasted longer.
🤔 What is the weight and tow capacity of your van? The Milwaukee Pack-out though $$ offers good weight savings and versatility. I also liked your StarLink mods. 😎
Yes, the Starlink mods and pack-out have been so awesome to have! I'll be sharing some how-to shorts on the some Starlink hacks in the near future.
The rig's total weight is just under the max weight of the capacity of the van (16,800). It's definitely HEAVY, but with the 3500 dually and all wheel drive for winter and muddy sites, the van has been an ABSOLUTE BEAST and has handled it so well; Even going up and down mountains. We are very pleased to have gone with the Mercedes.
Everything looks clear and organized. Great work! cheers.
Thank you! Cheers!
Very cool idea and exceptionally built 🤙🏽
Your honesty is appreciated
We always try to be! Being fake is way too much work!
Now that is how to build a trailer. Amazing job and extremely handy for your situation.
Thank you! We do love it; it makes our lives SOOO much easier!
This set up is amazing!!!
Thank you!
absolutely loved it! Awesome work! Congrats! Wonderful couple! I hope I can do mine someday.
Thank you! We're a happy pair of introverts! I hope you can do yours as well some day!
Absolutely insane setup!! Love watching your channel 😊
It's so nice to hear encouraging words like yours! Thanks for watching :) K & E
Love the storage and organization ideas!! 🤩😍🤩 There's so much I love about your design and I can't wait re-watch this video 10x 😂
Yes, living small means some real consideration went into the design :)
3:10 that opener video / sound track went HARD 👏
Thanks! 😜 Premiumbeat.com..we’re a sucker for their tracks!
Late to the party here (June 2024), amazing build. I do wonder how much the trailer weighs when fully loaded vs towing capacity of the van and what the van's payload capacity is vs actual when fully loaded & on the go. Hope that thing has a V8 or turbo diesel as I'm sure it needs it with all you have packed in there (both vehicles).
We are 16,700 lbs and our limit is 16,900 lbs. The high torque 3500 engine is an absolute BEAST for towing. We have a 3L? turbo diesel engine that has taken this whole thing up and through the rocky mountains. And for going down we have a RED ARC brake gain controller.
Thanks for watching!
Moral of the story, in the end of the day you will still need a normal home
Not gonna argue with that! This buys us some flexibility and longevity, but some sort of home base, whether a normal home, or in our case now, a shop to launch out from, we feel is a necessity. Maybe a small percentage of van dwellers can hack a full time thing, but it can be tough. It is also harder to pull off the full-time thing in Canada, legally, environmentally, and socially.
Hahahahaha. All those things too expensive to be hauling aroind.
@@kageandellieHey, i think you should pls expanciate a bit more on this particular point of van-lifing in Canada full time from a legal, social etc perspective.
Im a budding van-lifer whose aim is to Van for abiut 6yrs and save up to purchase a flat.
Pls do chip in from your experience or even make a video abiut it.
Eventually but guess what, most people won't be able to afford one, and this option gives you about as much space as a New York Studio apartment
@@AbyssalSodatrue, but put it in the perspective of the cost of living in that NYC apartment, or in our case, cost of owning property in Canada, factor in transportation (owning a vehicle while also paying for that home), and also covers our business operating expenses… that is averaging about $75,000 a year we don’t have to put out for those costs. There’s definitely a trade off. This isn’t a solution for everyone, but just how we went about solving problems in our own life and gives people things to think about for themselves.
Probably the best trailer build I ever seen. Kudos!
Thank you!
Well done. Don’t ever let that rig out of your sight. 😱
Yup - pretty much! And if I do, I have air tags, a hidden tracker, vehicle computer frying connection cables, locks and lift power cut off. (Yes, I am somewhat paranoid! Thankfully, trailer theft is pretty low in Canada.)
Thanks for the video guys! This is very similar to what I want. I had been wondering why people with the RV Sprinter van setup didn't try to tow a second trailer with it for things they didn't have already in the sprinter cabin. Great work guys very inspiring, I look forward to sharing a similar video someday!
Yahoo!!! Canadians!! 🇨🇦🇨🇦🇨🇦❤️❤️❤️
EH!!!!!!!
The expansion pack is brilliant.
Thanks! It's really made our lives so much easier!
Wow. The setup is RAD!!
Thank you and thanks for watching!
@@kageandellie anytime. Thanks for providing the good information and content. Love it
You guys rock! What an awesome living concept!
Thank you jonnyrocket! It took a lot of time to think through and find the right balance to make nomadic existence work up here in Canada (combined with my particular career choice!)
this is a super awesome build. im not surprised you spent 4 years planning. ya got my sub
Aw thanks so much!
What kind of content would you like to see from us? What interests you?
You know, I wanted to not like your setup because I can't tell you how many of these types of builds I've seen that I'm just not crazy about.
However, I like what you guys have done with the trailer. It seems like a great fit for your needs and I think it was well thought-out and constructed. It even looks good!
Great job!
Haha! Yes, there is a LOT of stuff out there, and such a wide range of ideas!
I will take winning you over as a high compliment, thank you! It is definitely serving us well.. even right now we are enjoying the long weekend at our favorite park by Lake Erie, sitting at the desk and uploading another video!
Thanks for watching!
Highly impressive set up. What a great video.
Very well thought out and well executed! Amazing van and trailer. I have seen a lot of builds and this is so perfect.
Thanks so much!
with your trailer hookups you could set up an ethernet cable that connects there, so that you can broadcast a weaker inside signal or let you even hook up a wired connection inside
The trailer is a game changer..
Impeccable build,unit and trailer.🙏😎👍
Thank you Richard! It is definitely one of those things we had to build to make life possible or else we would have burned out quit the nomadic life entirely!
Now this is a set up I could live in for sure!! Nice work guys!
Thanks! 👍 Glad you liked it!
Holy shit that was an amazingly well done and informative video.
Thank you!
Amazing well thought out build. Great ideas!
Thank you! We're happy to have been able to share some ideas around!
This is awesome in just a couple more days I get my Ford lightning. And I’ll be doing a very mini version of this since I am a contractor and I love camping with my wife and friends.
Awesome! That’s going to be a great time! I guess you get to save money on an inverter then?
@@kageandellie yes I do have some Eco flow products but since the truck has a giant battery, I’ll be able to power everything I need. Of course, depending on how much power I’m using that will affect my range. That’s the downside. But I was thinking about trying to use the roof of the trailer to produce as much power as possible maybe to feed. One of the larger eco-flow batteries that has the 220/240 V out and then I could use that to extend the battery on the truck.
@@kageandellie you’re absolutely right. I don’t need any portable batteries although I do have two small Eco flow Deltas. To make it suit my needs, I’m getting a DECKED system ad then installed on the truck itself A hardsider pop up topper camper. When closed position it’ll be like any other truck cap And then on top of that is a pop-up that you can stand in with hard sides and a bed. I’ll have my roof rack with a 400 W solar panel. So since I don’t live on the road full-time, it’ll be plenty for my circumstance and probably would even work if we were in the road full-time.
I do have an enclosed trailer all aluminum standing height 6 x 10 modular set up if I ever wanted to turn it into something.
Anyway, thank you very much for the inspiration! And subscribe and all do a tour of my set up as I get each piece
@@kageandellie true! Thanks for the inspiration. I’ll be watching all your content.
That's a awesome looking set up. Great job.
Thanks 👍 Glad you like it!
This trailer build is absolutely amazing - WELL DONE! So many well thought out spaces and everything is so CLEANLY installed. And yes, there are hassles to towing - BUT I think your setup and being able to "stake" a spot with the trailer also has its benefits. Any plans for a cassette toilet and small amount of water for use when the trailer is not near the van?
Thanks!
No plans to put a toilet in the trailer.. but funny story: I was doing a job where Ellie left me for about 5 years to take care of running around and the rumble was getting stronger.. it was time to release the chocolate hostage! I'm in a populated area.. building full of rental units (so I can't use a toilet inside).. BUT we did have a bucket full of spare/fresh peatmoss on board! (It's for our composting toilet). I closed up the trailer, hopped inside and did what needed to be done! 💩
Beautiful build! Would love to see a video just about your Starlink setup. I totally agree that taking down the Starlink and bundling up wire is a pain. Thanks!
Thank you! I think you might be in luck!
We’re going to be recording a video next week of how to do the install/modification yourself!
@@kageandellie That is fantastic! You have a new subscriber! Thanks!
I dig the Starlink mounting port. We use ours atop our Class A, I wouldn't want to "trust" the rear ladder for regular use, so I did something very similar - the pipe mount Starlink sells on their accessories website works perfectly on a regular metal closet rod - so I used the longest one that would slide into the pass-through basement storage easily (exactly 8 feet), and it fits reasonably well into the flagpole mount "mounted" to the rear RV ladder. A slight wobble gap was inside, but a few layers of aluminum speed tape fixed it perfectly. I'm guessing laundromats are cheaper in Canada than they are in the US, though; after a few $60-$70 "laundry stops" during our part-time RV life, the washer & dryer were the only "must-have" when we swapped our first RV for the second one. I think I would have been tempted to put the combo Splendide in the build. Rocking-cool trailer, though. Props. I hardwired our Starlink through the chassis as well, but I'm using a "decent" quality Cat6 coupler (and carrying replacements) in the wet bay to attach the Dishy when it goes up on the closet rod. I love your connectors, I'll be looking for a set of those.
Thanks NordicVetMBA!
Sounds like you've got a great setup there as well and have put some good thought into it!
That is a crazy amount for a laundomat run! Wow! Our average experience was only $10-15 a week..(2 loads, Ellie says..)
I am definitely happy with those connectors.. they were quite pricey, but great quality. I picked them up on amazon when we were in florida.. we can't get them when in Canada.
@@kageandellie@kageandellie I think I found the connectors you are using well worth the cost, as the "indoor-grade" cat-6 ones I have been using are hit & miss for reliability and usually will fail after a couple of months of use in the basement of our motorhome. Admittedly, I use the wet bay for the connection point, but that way I can sneak the dish-side of the cable through the water hose or sewer line opening in the bottom and avoided the need for another opening on the "road side."
On the laundry, we normally saw $4.50 per wash load and about the same for a dryer load (and those were small loads), so if we were doing four or so loads, it was tipping $60 quickly (assuming one had a bedding load or whatever).
Love your channel.
Yo, fellow Canadian here. You've earned yourself a new sub. New subscriber from New Brunswick 😁
This build is amazing! Keep it up
Thank you!
We're planning on rolling through NB in the next couple of months!
We've been swamped with work as of late but doing our best to put together content as often as humanly possible!
@@kageandellie beautiful place for sure. I enjoyed your video, please keep up the good work 😁
My god that’s one of the most impressive rigs I’ve seen!
Haha! Thank you! It was a lot of work to build, some work to maintain, but certainly happy we went through with it!
That is really cool! If I could get into the nomadic lifestyle, that's the way I'd like to do it right there! Such a great idea to have your trailer setup like that.
Thanks Edward! This is actually our second trailer we’ve had.. the first one was a lot more bare bones. It took some time in this life to figure out what we needed and would benefit us the most, and we couldn’t be happier with the outcome! It really works well too as I can be left on a job (I’m an electrician) and Ellie can go on material or grocery runs - divide and conquer!
@@kageandellie It turned out great, funny thing, I was thinking about doing something like this, but inverse, since I already have a trailer (camper) I thought about buying a van to tow it, and use the van for something like a garage, unfortunately, there's no travel in my job, but still would be useful for increased cargo. I like your idea a lot better! lol
Just found your channel and watched this video all the way through. The channel really stands out from so many others. You both have great personalities that come across as friendly and informative. I have been thinking of a trailer build and you have totally changed the way I will do it and want in it big as yours. Could you please link to some parts like the wardrobe, StarLink connectors and desk. You have got me hooked. Seriously refreshing channel. Thank you for all the hard work of making it for us :-D. Stephen
Hi Stephen! Thank you so much; we are immensely touched by your comment! We know there's a crowded space out there for vanlife and van building, and that is fine.. we just have fun making content, try to be who we are, and make a good video that is worth the viewers' time!
We are happy to have inspired you to build in a direction that works for you! As for parts.. just on a simple note, the wardrobe is literally just an IKEA PAX closet (wide enough to fit our freezer!), an IKEA sit-stand desk frame with our own countertop installed on top, and the connectors for the starlink are just outdoor rated ethernet connectors that are sold as a male/female set form amazon. If you need any other information or need to talk through anything regarding your build, I'd be happy to connect with you over zoom or facetime. Feel free to reach out to us through our email: kage.ellie.north@gmail.com
Thanks again - it was an amazing comment to receive this morning!
I know a guy that bought an old low miles motorcoach, then towed a 27ft camper trailer behind it too. It was hilariously awesome. Like a mansion, towing a suburban home too.
Haha that would be a sight to see!
Your editing style and delivery is phenomenal. Felt much longer than a 15 minute video.
Hey! Thank you! We really try to keep momentum going on videos; never dwelling too long!
We appreciate the comment and feedback! Thanks!
Awesome Video Design and everything about it wow!
Thank you! We may not get videos out fast, but we try to make them as good as possible!
@@kageandellie I appreciate the effort! The time you put into everything make the videos so much more enjoyable 😍
Love it and yours is way fancier than mine until i get a new van. Have a 16x7 x7 trailer as well and a 2018 Transit. Do finish carpentry and a hundred other trades for new builds. My trailer houses my kitchen and shower. Van has bed and office. Have 2 large dogs that either hang out on site or stay in the ac in the van. I do the same setup with switches to transfer power around. I will be getting a box truck very soon though as i have basically destroyed the van because of weight issues. Built everything with 5mm plywood and has held together excellently to keep weight to a minimum but still just overweight. I have to carry too many tools as we are the crew that comes in to fix any emergencies. Hopefully you dont have those problems. We be interested to know what your trailer loaded weighs. Mine is around 5000
This is my first time seeing you what do you do for work that you leave all the pool just wondering and what I've seen about your trailer fantastic so smart I can't wait to see another new video.
Hi Bruce! Thank you!
Yes we run our own little electrical contracting business, mainly installing solar systems all over Ontario, but also do small jobs along the way and help out other electricians who need an extra set of hands to get their work done! We have some videos on that topic that will be coming out over the next few weeks, as time permits!
Thanks for watching, and I hope you’ll enjoy the content we have coming out in the future!
I was definitely wondering about the monitor. You can tell you think ahead and make quality decisions! This looks fantastic. Did you make a little sleeper in the secondary trailer? I'm sure I'll get to it in the video if you did.
Yes! Hah I was definitely being cautious about the monitor… I went for the cheapest widescreen monitor. I could find just in case this ended up being a bad idea! Lol thankfully, a few years on the road, and I have not had an incident yet, even when I drove down bumpy road, and I forgot to strap it in!
No, we have not put a sleeper in the work trailer yet… However, we have slept in it! 😅 when we had to take the van in for a service check, the dealership was a bit in the middle of nowhere so we decided to pull our toilet and bedding into the trailer and slept there for a few hours while the van got checked over. It is certainly handy having a back up bedroom!
Great job love the trailer and the van living aspect. Great job to the both of you. See you soon
Thanks Scott! Gotta catch up with you and Sara when we're back in Ontario...any more of your waste bins been stolen? [chuckle]
Excellent build. Makes me jealous. I wouldn’t be surprised if you got offers to help people out for for their projects.
Thanks Leo! We actually just did a big renovation job on my friend’s skoolie.. we’ll throw up a video about it soon.
We are intending to expand into more rig work..something we’ve discussed a very long time but it now seems like the timing might be right! 🤔
@@kageandellie Not surprised to hear about the skoolie project! There’s definitely a demand for a mobile team that can build/upgrade nomadic set ups! What region are you focusing on? Thanks for the fast reply!