Has anyone ever converted an old travel trailer into a houseboat?

by Brandi Walker
(Brazoria, TX, USA)

Has anyone ever converted an old travel trailer into a houseboat? If so, how did it work out? If not, why?

I was thinking it might be easier to use an old travel trailer and mount it onto whichever hull you decide to use. This way you cut out the trouble of building the interior and the electrical and other basics are pretty much done.

I realize you would have to seal the joints and somehow protect the soft bottom area of the trailer, but that would be included in your hull construction, I would think. Then all you have to do is make your choice on the motor type and size and concentrate on the exterior aspects of the building process.

Most travel trailers have a self containing septic to some degree or another and have the comfort factors present. You could then alter the trailer as desired to include sliding glass doors or larger windows, etc.

I don't really know how functional the actual construction of the trailer would be though, as I live in the Gulf Coast area and all air here is salt air and we would want to use it in some of the bay areas near Galveston. We often fish in Christmas bay, so we would spend much time in the saltwater.

Do you think this would work for a "kit-type" project? If not, please explain your reasons. I'm just trying to figure out a cost effective means of obtaining a houseboat to keep us more comfortable in the places we love most.