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Converting Cargo Trailers into TTTs

Postby edcasey » Thu Jun 03, 2010 4:22 pm

Sngleman wrote:Yea i thought about incorporating a fan with it.. but they that would not work as to it would just re drain the battery.. :? So im thinking of a open vent with slats.



Looks like you're off to a great start. Thanks for all the pictures. For the battery, you could switch to a vented box like this one.

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To install it, you just need to make a hole with a hole saw in the sidewall or floor. They usually cost between $25 to $30 depending on where you get it. The upper and lower halves of the box have weather stripping to make sure all gases are vented to the outdoors. They work well to keep all gasses out of the trailer's interior which is why they are required by the RVIA code for all batteries installed inside a camper.

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Postby Crazylegs » Sat Jun 05, 2010 1:44 am

Dose the Facet valve have to be held down to flow, and where did you find that tiny sink i like.
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Postby Prem » Sat Jun 05, 2010 8:23 pm

Sngleman,

Wow! Looks like you started with a trailer that had been broken into (door scratches) and one that had burned flooring. Is that correct?

You do good work! :thumbsup:

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Postby pete42 » Sun Jun 06, 2010 9:36 pm

I would never have thought about using a car fan good idea, helps keep the cost down.

I'm still hoping to join the CTC club one day soon.
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Postby Sngleman » Mon Jun 07, 2010 11:01 am

Crazylegs wrote:Dose the Facet valve have to be held down to flow, and where did you find that tiny sink i like.


Yea its the only downfall if the facet. The Sink i as well got the idea from other members just used a stainless steel mixing bowl and cut a hole in the bottom and added a drain. (only down fall i have seen is that since there isn’t a beveled edge on the bottom of the bowl there could be some water that would remain though a simple wipe of the bowl would clean it up)

I got my mixing bowl at Target i think it was about $10. Looked like this one. it was a 8Qt 12"x12"
Image


I then used a Jigsaw with a metal blade to cut out a hole at the bottem of the bowl (make sure to make your mark on the outside bottem of the bowl. It will make your life easier trust me!

Then i had a spare drain but they can be found at most hardware stores for about $15 try online though you can get them cheaper. Mine looks like this one. (ALSO: make sure your hole you cut has a smooth inner edge also make sure its flush or smooth as to you may not get a good seal)
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Then i used some plumbers putty and put it around the drain and screwed it in tight to the bowl. (You could use silicone as well though be carefull not to use to much because it can be hard to clean up) Clean up any excess and then let it cure normally a couple hours first.

Comes out to be a little cheaper than a bar sink you could get from most large hardware stores. Most i have seen around here go for $60-$100


Prem wrote:Sngleman,

Wow! Looks like you started with a trailer that had been broken into (door scratches) and one that had burned flooring. Is that correct?

You do good work! :thumbsup:

Prem


Thanks for the complements Prem! greatly appreciated! This thing isn’t going to be glamorous by all means but hopefully camp able 8)

You are correct though in regards to it being broken into.. Someone wanted something more than me.. Thankfully there was nothing in it! Also I get to send the time to fix it up a bit. Though the floor wasn’t burned up just a little rough it was originally used to haul my Kubota that i sold. So it had a couple weak spots in the floor from mud and water sitting. But they have been patched.


pete42 wrote:I would never have thought about using a car fan good idea, helps keep the cost down.

I'm still hoping to join the CTC club one day soon.


Thank you! yea i had one spare for my next project that ill be working on hopefully this summer. So i figured why not try it out. Feels like it will work well those fan pull and push a lot of air. Though also pull the amps.. So im wondering how my battery will last :worship:


---

Thanks you guys for all the great comments! Again no update over the weekend really just finished running my electrical also sealed up my counter top so it’s ready to be sealed up so hopefully tonight i can get a coat of paint with hopefully some sealer.

Also I think my protective wife is getting the better of me.. I will be changing the Murphy bed to 2 sets of bunk beds on the back walls and convert the ramp into a canvas enclosure to where we could put our bed. It will be in the works of course :twisted:
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Postby Prem » Wed Jun 09, 2010 1:31 am

Though also pull the amps.. So im wondering how my battery will last


Always the problem. Your fan and the water pump will pull amps.

Are you going to be dry camping or camping in wired RV parks/campgrounds more of the time? Obviously dry camping is going to battery draining. If the answer is a combination, then you may want most or all of the options below:

1. Solar panel(s)
2. Portable Honda generator
3. Plug-in battery charger if house current is available
4. Charging the RV battery off the tow vehicle while rolling down the road
5. Marine mini-windmill charger
6. Switch 12-volt incandescent interior light bubs to LEDs. (Available on eBay.)

:thumbsup:
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Postby shortycas » Thu Jun 10, 2010 10:46 pm

Lookin good!!!!

So far we haven't torn down anything we started (besides moving our cabinet a few times)....but I sure hope we don't move our beds, because those babies are welded into the wall braces!! lol!!

Love the mixing bowl idea. Pretty sure we will be doing as such, unless my husband can get a good deal on a bar sink at work (he's an HVAC tech but their shop also does plumbing)

Are you planning to put in a/c? Living in texas, that's always my first question hehe

Love the radiator fan idea.....we have a/c, so no absolute need for ventilation, but would like to put ventilation in one day for the cool spring nights....so let us know how it does on pulling amps!!!!


Cassi
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Postby Sngleman » Fri Jun 18, 2010 11:09 am

Prem wrote:Are you going to be dry camping or camping in wired RV parks/campgrounds more of the time?


Mostly Dry camping full hook ups are pricy at times! But im thinking a small solar system just to make up for small drains (cell phone charging / lights / and other light usage) and for the winter time where more power I would presume to be used a generator.

shortycas wrote:Are you planning to put in a/c? Living in texas, that's always my first question hehe


Yes Yes I have thought about AC though i don’t think it will be functional for my needs :) Im in Northern / Central California so its moderately cooler here to where a AC i don’t think would be needed. Also most times we go camping its either Winter here or we are by the water so cooling off wouldn’t be a issue.







Sorry for the belated updates! We made our first trip in June and had a blast on the coast! We went for 4 days with beautiful weather! The trailer served its purpose for getting us out of the wind and cold nights. :applause:

Though of course nowhere near being done! First trip out and learned i need much more storage! Especially since our trailer was the only one and we got to store everyone else things!

Here are a few photos of the coast.. though sorry none of the trailer in action as to you where not missing much :thumbdown:

These go left to right down the beach:

Image
Image
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Postby 8ball_99 » Sat Jun 19, 2010 11:12 pm

Sngleman wrote:
Crazylegs wrote:Dose the Facet valve have to be held down to flow, and where did you find that tiny sink i like.


Yea its the only downfall if the facet. The Sink i as well got the idea from other members just used a stainless steel mixing bowl and cut a hole in the bottom and added a drain. (only down fall i have seen is that since there isn’t a beveled edge on the bottom of the bowl there could be some water that would remain though a simple wipe of the bowl would clean it up)



Just a FYI. I did pretty much the same thing with the bottom of a stainless steel chafing dish. Just because I had one laying around.. Anyway I didn't like it holding water in the bottom so I marked around the drain removed the pan and drain. I then laid it on a piece of wood and took a hammer to it.. I heated it a little then beat around the drain hole.. Sure enough I was able to get the drain almost flush with the bottom of the pan. Little hard to explain but it was really pretty easy.. Took maybe 10 mins.
Here is a picture of the pan just to give you an idea of what it looks like
Image
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Postby d30gaijin » Sun Jun 20, 2010 12:06 pm

Sngleman wrote:

Thanks you guys for all the great comments! Again no update over the weekend really just finished running my electrical also sealed up my counter top so it’s ready to be sealed up so hopefully tonight i can get a coat of paint with hopefully some sealer.

Also I think my protective wife is getting the better of me.. I will be changing the Murphy bed to 2 sets of bunk beds on the back walls and convert the ramp into a canvas enclosure to where we could put our bed. It will be in the works of course :twisted:


Here's the sink I bought for my conversion ($16). http://tinyurl.com/2bn5wya

Mine is also cold water only, for the time being.

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