7'*18' V-Nose Cargo Trailer Toy Hauler Conversion

[flboy]

I'm diggin' the look of the fins on the verticals. Something kinda' "Trek"ey about them. Certainly didn't hurt the looks any.

Thanks McDave, I think they look nice also. Now to find out if they just look cool or actually help stability and gas mileage as claimed.

So I assume the fin maker gave you the measurement to mount them from the rear edge? Is that a constant value or does it depend on the vehicle size, shape, speed etc.?

Yes, they did give instructions. They can be mounted as close to the back as possible but not to exceed 12" to 18" from the wide part of the fin to the back. Anywhere in between the edge and 18" for best results. They provided a spacer to get them 4" on center. You can go wider to accommodate something in the way, but they recommend that you do not go less that 4" on center.

These Vortex Generators are designed to provide maximum effect from 55MPH to 70MPH according to the manufacturer. Basically , highway speeds for best results.

So, have you taken up the "3D printing" hobby yet?

No, I have too many hobbies already and a very good machine is real expensive. We have the " real deal" in our prototyping lab at work. I suppose if I wanted to experiment with something, I could get my Mechanical Engineer friends to assist.

Hey, I'm liking the awning cover you got there as well. If I didn't know better I'd think it was a stock item that came with the Aleko RV unit. It has got to be helpful to extending the lifespan of the fabric. Do you transport with it in place or just when parked and retracted? I was able to mount the cover to the awning mounts so it can travel at speed, but that is the type of added drag I was referring to before.

No, I do not transport with it in place. I take it off for travel. There is really no good way to secure it that I can see. It does it's job with the trailer in storage mode. When I am camping, it will typically be deployed anyhow. It is just that cheap 5" vinyl gutter. Nice protection while it sits.

I will give a full report on the vortex generators the next time I have the CTC out on the highway. I am sure folks are curious. I have been wanting to experiment with this for a while now, so I took the plunge... but the price has come down since I first thought about doing this.

[flboy]

Well, I finally got the White reflective roof seal on. I cleaned and scrubbed the roof last week. I wiped it all down with Acetone before I painted the Henry's on this afternoon. I hope it adheres well. It looks good. Not meant to seal so much since the roof is already sealed... but more for the energy efficiency (cooler) aspect. In any case, still finishing the CTC.Never done! I just hope the white coating does its thing and keeps the roof cooler.



LOL.. You can see the other project I have started. I am building a deck on the back of the house. It will have a Pergola over top and then I am building an outdoor fire place. Will be a place to hangout. The grass is finally coming back after I removed the swimming pool we never used anymore since the kids left the nest and then had some dirt brought in to level off the yard.





I have the HF Antenna on. Put it on earlier today before starting to paint the roof. I was testing the FT-991A








Also acquired a new toy yesterday. I bought a Yaesu FT-991A All Band Radio. Sold my Icom-706MKIIG on Ebay and upgraded. :-) Talked to a guy in Italy from the CTC. Fun stuff for us nerds, but will keep me company on some of those lonely nights out on the BLM land next Spring. :-)





Still liking the looks of the Vortex Generators... Side view with the HF Antenna installed for testing. Next weekend I will deploy the awning and do some service on it and wash/wax the trailer since I haven't done that all season either.





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[hankaye]

flboy, Howdy;

Don, Nice job with the paint, see where ya stopped from going under the solar panels.
Why not just un hook them for the painting then replace them? Couldn't have added
that much time to the project ...

Nice new radio, can ya tuck that one away like the other?

hank

[flboy]

flboy, Howdy;

Don, Nice job with the paint, see where ya stopped from going under the solar panels.
Why not just un hook them for the painting then replace them? Couldn't have added
that much time to the project ...

Hi Hank, I could have unhooked them, but it would have been a lot of work and I have all the screws going into the frame up top all sealed well and would have to re-do all that . The solar panels already keep the sun of the trailer roof for the same effect, so no real need to paint underneath. Can't see any of that stuff at ground level, so I didn't see the need,

Nice new radio, can ya tuck that one away like the other?

Thanks Hank. Yes, it disconnects and goes into a "Pelican" box. I can store it under the kitchen sink area or over top when travelling.

[hankaye]

flboy, Howdy;

Sorry, I meant can you locate the new radio into the same place you had the other one and run it remotely
like the other or is the new one one that requires you to have it so when you change freqs. you have to do it
manually?

hank

[flboy]

flboy, Howdy;

Sorry, I meant can you locate the new radio into the same place you had the other one and run it remotely
like the other or is the new one one that requires you to have it so when you change freqs. you have to do it
manually?

hank

Oh, I see what you mean. No, the faceplate does not come off this radio, so it stays together and sits on the table top. Actually, you can still see the other mounted in the picture. That is just a small VHF/UHF radio that can be used on Amatuer and GRS, and FRS bands and etc. also for local communications +/- 50 miles radius unless I can hit a repeater. Different type radio altogether. Its antenna is permanently mounted on the roof. You can see it sticking up on the right side of the roof just a few feet behind the solar panel junction box. Its base got a coat today also. It is that wire looking thing with the coil about 1/3 up.

[Padilen]

I still haven't got my Henry's on. Can't do it outside, trees and bugs and dust from dirt road. I had asked my friends with tall pole barn if I could do it inside. They said yes, but then never got together to do. Too cold outside now. It's officially heating season.

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[hankaye]

flboy, Howdy;

Ok, understand about the faceplate bit. So, with the 2 you now have ya got 'Local calling" and Long Distance ...

Quick Question, what are the dimensions of your solar panels? (L X W), my trailer is a 6'X 14' and have been
fence sittin' on them.

hank

[flboy]

flboy, Howdy;
Quick Question, what are the dimensions of your solar panels? (L X W), my trailer is a 6'X 14' and have been
fence sittin' on them.
hank

Hi Hank.. from Renogy they are 47 x 21.3 x 1.5 inches (Basically 4ft. * 2ft Rectangle). The prices seem to have went up about $50 for a 100W panel since last year. I have not looked at prices in a while.

[flboy]

The White roof is definitely cooler. Nothing scientific, but when the bare metal was in the sun the day before... it was hard to keep my hand on the metal but for a second or so. It was hot! Today, being similar to yesterday before applying the White coating and near the same time, I laid my hand on the roof.. and it was real warm.. but not hot. I could leave my hand on it.

[hankaye]

flboy, Howdy;

The White roof is definitely cooler. Nothing scientific, but when the bare metal was in the sun the day before... it was hard to keep my hand on the metal but for a second or so. It was hot! Today, being similar to yesterday before applying the White coating and near the same time, I laid my hand on the roof.. and it was real warm.. but not hot. I could leave my hand on it.

Don, that's about as scientific as it needs to be for me. , .

hank

[John61CT]

Henry 887 Tropi-Cool White Roof Coating

Good stuff

[flboy]

Still summer here in Central Florida. About 93F and 90% humidity. The white roof coating has made a very noticeable difference. I turned the AC on and it pulled down to 73F and 52% humidity in 30 minutes and has started cycling as expected. I was in testing some Radio gear/homebrew antenna systems and enjoyed the AC.




The humidity kept dropping into the 40% range as the AC cycled. I think the system is matched well now. The system draws slightly over 700W with fan on high. A good balance with excellent performance and power in hot/humid environment where I live.


I am installing a new Victron battery monitoring system next weekend as I get ready to upgrade my battery bank with 4 6V Golf Cart Batteries in the near future. My existing battery bank of 3 12VDC Deep Cycles works well... but as I begin to use the CTC more and more next year... I will need the capacity. I tend use a lot of power with radios and etc.. The monitoring system I have now works well, but the cheap little Chinese meters tend to freak out when I transmit on my radios and/or turn the Maxxair Fan on high. The ferrite toroids I put on the supply/ground wires only help marginally. They are just cheap and very susceptible to EMI. The trailer skin and frame is essentially 1/2 of my antenna system, so very hard to compensate/eliminate. I just need better meters.








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[McDave]

Hey Don,
Good to hear that the Henry roof paint is working as well for you as it did for me. I had a similar roof that was bare metal and the paint was one of the first projects I did. My head is a lot closer to the roof than yours (6 ft height x 6 x12) so I noticed the effect immediately. Then I did the insulation, wiring, lights and AC. At that point it became much, much easier to work inside during the daytime. I could probably stand to clean and repaint the roof as it has been a few years now and I am sure some of the reflective properties have diminished. I can't remember the last time I cleaned the roof, ummm, oh yea, NEVER!
Just got my plumbing winterized as it has been 25f to 30f every morning for a week, and a little snow but it warms up to 40s-50s by afternoon. So you should get a break in the heat soon. 73f and 52% is what we used to call perfect! Probably nicer than most homes and offices. I bet ol' Benz likes it in there.
So answer me this, my ac meter is just like yours basically, monochrome but the same format. When the system is no load (except converter, MW clock, meters and temp gauge) I show 13.5w @120v and .35a. I can justify the 13.5w, but what gives with the amps? Should be .11a @ 120v approx. Yes? I see your meter can do math better than mine. Could be a sign of bad connection at 30a or power center? It uses inductive pickup for amp meter. Now that pattern does not hold true as more watts are burned. I see pretty close to what I would expect to see for a given load as far as current. I have a Amprobe inductive meter so I may be able to verify or not. What do ya think? Calibration issue?
Anyways, enjoy that cold dry trailer, but don't forget to make a cameo appearance in the living room every now and then. Just to let the Mrs. know you are still alive. just sayin'...

McDave

[Rainier70]

Just looking for inexpensive gauges myself. I would like to have a gauge on the solar and on the output of my controller and maybe even on the load side. I am suspecting that my MPPT controller isn't always working right.

Any recommendations for gauges or tips on wiring? I don't have radio equipment, but I do occasionally use a WeBoost cell phone booster. Thanks!