Motor home or trailer as model workroom. Anyone tried it?

[ChrisBcritter]

Like the heading says, anyone here tried to use a motorhome, travel trailer or office trailer as a model workroom? It may be some years before I have access to any extra space in my house (long story), but there's room for something movable (and out here in my desert neighborhood lots of folks have them, so complaints are unlikely). Voices of experience will be appreciated!

[OldTrucker]

Not models but have a friend that restores and repairs guitars.

He found a cheap old camper trailer that had been gutted that somone was going to restore put down a new floor overlay and made sure all the leaks were fixed and windows .

That allowed him to set it up the way he wanted including a walled off paint booth. 

[slusher]

Travel trailers are all over Facebook pretty cheap..

[redscampi]

[paul alflen]

Chris Bitter, just make sure your deed restrictions don't have anything about trailers or people living in them on your property. Where I live you can only have them in your driveway for 3 days, before and 3 days after your trip!

Edited October 20, 2023 by paul alflen
spelling

[Little Timmy]

They get HOT !!!

And in the colder months, they get COLD, and cost big time $$$ to heat them. 

And paint doesn't like HOT or COLD!

 

 

 

[stitchdup]

I'm not sure where at you are in the country but wind could be an issue too. Where I am they all get put indoors for winter as they just wont hold up to a storm. You run the risk of losing everything in one shot, and it makes it really easy for thieves, no matter how secure you think you are

[TarheelRick]

Before I inherited my parents home with a full basement I had considered trying to find a small, used travel trailer.  While I was in the ministry I moved sporadically and most of the parsonages did not have an adequate area to set up a good work place. There are some good suggestions above, some things I never thought about.

[ChrisBcritter]

Thanks for the input! I've seen a toy hauler that had been converted into a sheriff's office that might have worked - secure doors and windows, lots of built-in drawers and workbench, no built-in furniture to be removed - but it had some body damage and floor rot in the bathroom, so I passed. 

The upcoming Gene Winfield auction has a trailer I like, but there's a LOT of drama going on with the estate right now (and that's putting it mildly) so I'll keep other sources in mind as well.

Edited October 24, 2023 by ChrisBcritter

[Oldriginal86]

Not sure how mobile you want this to be or not but why not look into a Tough Shed. When the pandemic hit and folks had to work from home these were purchased for an office so the family wouldn’t interfere with business. Doesn’t have to be that manufacture, could be any “She Shed”. 

[JJ Deuce]

When we moved into this house ~5 years ago, there was an old shed in the back that was finished out like the house remodel (15' x 8', new drywall, LED lights, and a window unit a/c).  We didn't really know what to do with the space.  I eventually set up a workbench and moved all my model stuff out there.  I was able to get more done since I could leave my bench set up, but now I have a dedicated space in our spare room, and I'm building more regularly.

[Horrorshow]

I restarted my hobby of model building during a long motorhome trip. A picnic table outside was nice for sunny days. Working inside was fine but the table was a little small. I did not have a paint booth. Here are a couple builds done during the trip.

[redscampi]

1 hour ago, Horrorshow said:

I restarted my hobby of model building during a long motorhome trip. A picnic table outside was nice for sunny days. Working inside was fine but the table was a little small. I did not have a paint booth. Here are a couple builds done during the trip.

That must have been some kind of trip! That's a lot of builds.

[Horrorshow]

7 minutes ago, redscampi said:

That must have been some kind of trip! That's a lot of builds.

Close to two years living in it. Great memories.

[slusher]

22 hours ago, ChrisBcritter said:

Thanks for the input! I've seen a toy hauler that had been converted into a sheriff's office that might have worked - secure doors and windows, lots of built-in drawers and workbench, no built-in furniture to be removed - but it had some body damage and floor rot in the bathroom, so I passed. 

The upcoming Gene Winfield auction has a trailer I like, but there's a LOT of drama going on with the estate right now (and that's putting it mildly) so I'll keep other sources in mind as well.

Chris, I think you have a good idea. You might be Abe to score a small little mobile home not much bigger than a camper trailer.  I not sure where you live but LA has decent temps mos of the time for what I see on the weather channel.  

[OldTrucker]

On 10/25/2023 at 5:57 AM, Horrorshow said:

I restarted my hobby of model building during a long motorhome trip. A picnic table outside was nice for sunny days. Working inside was fine but the table was a little small. I did not have a paint booth. Here are a couple builds done during the trip.

I have a couple in my collection I built while I was trucking OTR, painted outside in a lot while waiting on loading or unloading and assembled on the doghouse of my truck!

[ChrisBcritter]

Been offered this one from my boss for a couple grand:

Haven't seen the inside yet...

[89AKurt]

Last century, I met a character at a GSL, who lived in a van, and was able to build killer motorcycle models.  So if you put your mind to it, you can do it!  I occasionally think about "what if" I decide to sell my house to one of those pests who spam us, could I do it?  Depends where I park, if it's at a National Park, I don't think anything would get done.