Transforming old trailer into Finnish sauna
My girlfriend and I are currently converting an old GDR trailer from ’79 into a Finnish sauna – Inka is from Finland and really misses his own.
The demolition part is done as you can see in the video. Now the actual fun starts.
Is there anyone with experience in transforming a trailer into a sauna? Anything that’s crucial to know?
We were specifically we wondering if the frame and the axle can hold the weight of the wooden construction or if it needs to be reinforced. The total weight of the wood will be about 700kg. The trailer won’t be moved anymore, if at all on a car tow truck.
Cheers
Josa
Replies
You two give new meaning to ambition! I’m exhausted just watching. Thanks for that, it was a good time!
New trailers are built with lighter material. Older ones were built on decent frames but still with weight in mind.
If the frame and suspension are in decent shape, I don’t know that It couldn’t handle 1500 lbs. You might try finding 4 sumo wrestlers to hop on and see what happens. Whatever you do going forward, make sure you keep this forum informed. That video was great!
Thanks!
Calvin, your reply made our day :) It was good fun until here and now the good part starts.
We'll make sure to post the sumo wrestlers meeting of the caravan!
Best
Do make sure you remain in contact, I’d like to see the finished product!
I had an uncle that lived way up north in Minnesota. He built himself a Sauna in a pocket 2/3 rds in the ground. Good sized, mostly stone, sod roof. Now, the real neat thing about it was a natural spring at the floor. Ran constantly and slowly.
He kept his beer cold in that shallow pool. It was only a couple of feet square, maybe 6 “ deep. Nice cold water seeped in, ran out through a notch in the rock.
His older brother, not to be outdone, took an old 40’s large sedan, removed the rear seats and changed the rear wheels into tracks like on a tank. A couple benches along the sides and a hatch cut in the floor. He’d take it up to the frozen lake, cut a hole in the ice, and drive over it. Open the hatch and comfortably ice fish. Small oil stove for heat and a skirt between the bottom of the hatch and the ice.
So never get discouraged, you’re only limitation is what you haven’t imagined yet.
I've been the owner for some time of a much bigger trailer that was permanently installed. Don't count on the wheels/tires or axel to hold anything. Block the frame on piers and you'll be fine.
Josa,
High marks for inspiration and effort. It sounds as if you already have plan for the interior and just want a structural opinion. If this sauna will truly never move again you can readily jack it up high enough yo put some supports underneath. The quick and dirty method would simply involve concrete blocks under each corner and at the places where the welded floor members meet. The steel frame is probably sufficient with such support. If you plan to leave this to your children or some future owner you could roll the trailer away from the spot it will stay and then locate where you would put the blocks. Then dig holes and fill them with gravel, tamping it down as you go. Then roll the trailer into place, jack it up, and go about placing the blocks in place. You will likely need to do a bit of shimming or removing some gravel to get to a level floor. It would be a good idea if the wheels are off the ground when you are done as they will not help support this in the long run.
What fun. I was wondering why you removed all the insulation, though. Are you planning to replace it? That cold metal siding will really cause moisture to condense in cold weather. It fact, making the floor waterproof as in a shower with a drain would help it last much longer.
How do you figure 700 kg of wood? 1" Cedar is less than kg/sq ft. That's over 700 sq ft. Assuming you sauna has 6 sides that's 120 sq ft / side. The trailer doesn' look that big.
I'm all in on the fun of this project but dont Sauna's generate tons of steam? Isn't that trailer made from sheet-metal? How do you plan to stop the trailer becoming a pile of rust?