Solution for our receptacle boxes for our thin walls--maybe.

[cracker39]

In either HD or Lowes (forget which), I saw some wall boxes that were only 1" deep (they were orange). They had "arms" on each end that would swivel behind the paneling and pull tight with screws to secure the box. I measured an outlet socket and saw that it was thin enough that it could be wired into this box. If you put this in a 3/4" thick framed wall, you might still need to build it up by putting an extra piece of paneling on the wall to "raise" the surface area for the box to fit into. I plan on making some thicker areas in my walls or use the cabinetry where I mount my 110/120 VAC wall outlets. I should have only one or two wall switches and that will be 12V for the outside light and maybe one of ceiling lights and they won't be a problem.

[Nitetimes]

In either HD or Lowes (forget which), I saw some wall boxes that were only 1" deep (they were orange). They had "arms" on each end that would swivel behind the paneling and pull tight with screws to secure the box.

Just for your info, those are called 'old work' boxes. They were designed to be installed in existing walls from the front side. One bit of caution, don't tighten them too tight when installing them, it tends to twist the box. They are quite useful and come in handy.

[cracker39]

I think I will change my plans to make the front, top, and rear wall framing 1" to 1 1/2" thick rather than 3/4" as originally planned. This will allow me more room for the outlet boxes and will cause less weakening of the framing when I rout grooves for the wiring. It will add a little more weight, but not a lot. I may compensate some by having 1 or 2 fewer cross spars in the ceiling. The thicker framing will allow more insulation in the top, and that may be needed down here in Florida.

[IraRat]

Dale, 1 by 2 pine for the side framing gives you a 3/4" deep void for the side walls for insulation and electric--which is plenty, even in Florida.

For the roof, since that same dimension timber (use poplar, though) is rotated 90 degrees, it gives you a 1 1/2" void, to double up that 3/4 insulation if you want. (I didn't.)

My AC is installed, and my second door just went on this weekend--with at first just the window cutout; the window wasn't even installed yet.

I did some cabin work in our hot weather here, put on the AC, and it felt like a meat locker. As a matter of fact, it was like this before I even had the second DOOR on--just a tarp over that opening.

For cold weather, yeah. But for warm weather with an AC, I don't see any point on going nuts on the thickness of the insulation.

[xe1ufo]

So here's one of my OTHER dilemmas--for the porch lights, do you guys put the switches inside or outside? I doubt I can use these outside, but if I put them inside, they look cool!

Mr Irarat: In my very humble opinion, you certainly want the switch on the inside, to keep kids and strangers from switching it on when you are not there and running your trailer battery down. The reverse is true. You step out of your Teardrop to walk to the shower, and leave the porch light on. Some busybody treehugger or titewad trailerpark manager comes by and shuts it off to save energy.

[cracker39]

Dale, 1 by 2 pine for the side framing gives you a 3/4" deep void for the side walls for insulation and electric--which is plenty, even in Florida.

I'm not really thinking so much of the amount of insulation as I am wall thickness for my GFCI outlet boxes, and I'll have one at each end of the trailer cabin. I'll probably go with the 3/4" in the ceiling except where the fan goes in and I'll beef that area up to 1" - 1 1/2". The front and back need to be at least 1" thick. I checked a GFCI outlet and it just did fit into a 1" deep box. The 1 " will allow the spars to be routed into for the romex wire to run through without weakening them too much.

I know that a 5Kbtu AC unit will freeze you out in a small trailer, espcially a TD. When you think about it, they will cool a room 10'x15' and that equates to 1200 cu ft. The average TD interior probably has no more than 120 cu ft (5'x*6l'*4'h) if it were squared off that is.

I saw a neat cheap air cooler that would work in dryer climates. It is a Coleman unit that fits into the top of an open cooler and draws air in and back, being cooled by the ice inside the cooler. It was $39.95. But, that wouldn't work too well here in high humidity Florida.