4-Day Weekender - Toddler bed!

...ask your questions in the appropriate forums BUT document your build here...preferably in a single thread...dates for updates, are appreciated....

Re: 4-Day Weekender - Electrical and misc...

Postby Kharn » Sun Oct 12, 2014 8:19 pm

I also fixed the hatch rod's bolts, but for some reason now the pin is harder to insert than it was previously. :thinking:
20141012 Hatch bolt 1 small.jpg
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You can see the carriage bolt I added to the hatch side, I still have to cut it to length so I can disconnect the prop rod from the hatch...
20141012 Hatch bolt 2 small.jpg
20141012 Hatch bolt 2 small.jpg (65.48 KiB) Viewed 2349 times
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Re: 4-Day Weekender - Electrical and misc...

Postby Kharn » Mon Oct 13, 2014 8:25 pm

I started slow today, I installed the hatch and AC door seals, finished the hatch latch plates (the curb side one still rubs the paint a bit if you're not careful in opening/closing the hatch), cut each of the latch screws to length so they were flush with the back sides of the plates, and installed the latches. I also installed the license plate bracket and plate, turns out I didn't need to cut a hole for the prop rod's carriage bolt.

Next I installed the tongue box outlets, so I have 120v in (20amp), 120v out (20amp GFCI) and 12v out (switched inside the tongue box) available with the rest of the trailer buttoned up.

Then I labeled all of the switches in the cabin.
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And finished all the tongue box wiring under the power panel.
20141013 tb wiring small.jpg
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Then I set the power panel in place and pinched and stabbed myself all the way through wiring the circuit breaker portion.
20141013 power center small.jpg
20141013 power center small.jpg (110.29 KiB) Viewed 2310 times

The two small switches are for the tongue box's external 12v outlet and the galley's 12v outlet. I wanted the ability to control both of them and I couldn't figure out an easy place to put the galley switch in the galley without building another electrical ring so I settled for in the tongue box.
Last edited by Kharn on Mon Oct 13, 2014 9:09 pm, edited 3 times in total.
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Re: 4-Day Weekender - Electrical and misc...

Postby S. Heisley » Mon Oct 13, 2014 8:27 pm

When you decide to build and bite the bullet to do it, you bite hard and don't let go! :lol:

It's looking good. Keep going!
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Re: 4-Day Weekender - Electrical and misc...

Postby Kharn » Mon Oct 13, 2014 8:34 pm

Then I hooked up the deep-cycle battery, flipped the selector to #1 and prayed I didn't have to use my fire extinguisher which I had handy, just in case...

And I saw:
20141013 reading and cabin light small.jpg
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20141013 bunk light small.jpg
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All of those switches were down when I turned on the battery power. :thinking:
It turns out I misunderstood the switch design, I assumed the little LED would be on the depressed side when the circuit is closed, it turns out to be the opposite so all of my nicely labeled switches are upside down. :oops:

The roof fan is much too loud on the lowest setting, we'll probably just leave it cracked open and not running this weekend and then I'll look into slowing it down when I get a chance. The galley light works great, it has a ton of white LEDs and a good number of red LEDs that we can select between. I'm also not super happy with the pulse-width modulation dimmer on the reading light (the one mounted in the wood panel), it has an incredibly small range of dimming, barely 5 degrees on the dial between off and 90% brightness so I'm not sure how well it will retain the setting if we hit any rough patches of road.

So left to go:
1) Trailer chain
2) Stapling the galley light wires
3) Connecting the final marker light
4) Screwing down the sliding door shelves in the galley
5) Footman loops and webbing for the oven
6) Installing the foot cabinet divider
7) Changing the outlets in my garage to 20amp (they're wired with 12-2, I just didn't have any 20 amp receptacles on hand when we did it so I slapped 15 amp ones in them) so I can test the 120v side.
8} Install remaining small ceiling panels
9) Install door
10) Add mattress
11) Go camping

Items I'll take care of later:
1) Adding a disconnect switch between the battery charging line from the trailer harness and the battery selector. I didn't want the plug potentially having 30+ amps available to it without the ability to turn it off, so I capped the line and taped it back onto the whip.
2) Slowing down the fan.
3) Fixing the second to last ceiling panel (the one before the foot cabinets), its sitting funny and I think I can unscrew it and get it to to sit right to close a large gap between it and the fourth panel.
4) 120v galley receptacle, I totally forgot to paint the trim ring for it when I was using white.
5) Bumpers for the rear of the trailer frame, to protect the lower hatch from the corners of the stabilizing jacks that stick out and dent the panel if it swings down rapidly.
6) Fixing all the paint mistakes on the exterior.
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Re: 4-Day Weekender - Electrical and misc...

Postby Kharn » Wed Oct 15, 2014 6:29 am

So I installed the light fixtures last night. My original idea was that old work low-voltage double duplex rings would be the perfect size for all my lights, they'd grab the beadboard and hold themselves up, etc. Only problem? The rings were twisted and bent in various ways and the beadboard isn't thick enough to hold them straight or give the arms something to grab onto. I had to improvise and used four #4-1/2" screws per ring to fasten each one to the ceiling. I also installed the rear cabinet dividers.
20141014 forward lights small.jpg
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20141014 rear divider small.jpg
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I still need to cut the access slot in those two ceiling panels before I can install them.

I also dressed all of the hatch wires.
20141014 dressed hatch small.jpg
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I'll have to dress the lower galley wires this evening, and install the galley's 12v/USB box. The 120v line is just getting a wire nut and a note on the breaker for this trip.
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Re: 4-Day Weekender - Electrical and misc...

Postby capnTelescope » Wed Oct 15, 2014 11:16 am

Kharn wrote:Only problem? The rings were twisted and bent in various ways ...

Good recovery. :thumbsup: Your light fixtures look like they were planned that way, not like there was any problem.

:beer:
I'll burn that bridge when I come to it.

Brad
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Re: 4-Day Weekender - Electrical and misc...

Postby Kharn » Wed Oct 15, 2014 11:27 am

The low voltage rings are still in there, a normal #4's head isn't big enough to bulge the faceplate.

I called Frank Bear about my door screw problems, he said he's had the same issue with his latest batch of screws and he's switching from the previous black-painted stainless screws to black-painted plain steel screws as a result; he hasn't had a plain screw fail on him yet and he doesn't pre-drill.
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Re: 4-Day Weekender - Electrical and misc...

Postby Kharn » Wed Oct 15, 2014 9:42 pm

Frank's suggestion of the plain steel screws worked perfectly, not one broken screw when we installed the door this evening, but I also pre-drilled the door with a 7/64" bit to make things a little easier. If you need replacement screws, they're #8 3/4", I just used a Home Depot 100-count bulk pack.
20141015 curb door small.jpg
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I think I need to shim the little bumper on the bottom of the door, right now the door rides just a hair (like 1/16") too low and you have to lift up slightly on the door handle to be able to engage the deadbolt.

I also put the oven in its drawer and installed the footman loops and set the webbing to secure it.
20141015 oven small.jpg
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When I put the oven in the drawer and went to close it for the first time I almost had a heart attack because it didn't fit under the cabinet by about 1/4". I pulled it all apart, measured everything, compared them to the CAD model, etc, trying to find the problem but everything checked out except for not fitting. Then I realized the problem, the oven has a bump on the rear of it for gas to get to the oven's bottom-mounted burner, and the bump is just slightly lower on the oven than the height of the drawer lip. I'd put the oven too far back in the drawer, so when I moved it forward a bit, everything worked out and the oven now slides under the cabinet without problem. :BE

I ordered a new propane tree and hose, they should arrive tomorrow, and give us a way to use up the 20lb tanks left over from when my wife and I each had a gas grill. I'll get a 5lb tank when those two run out, but they might last us all of next season. :lol: I always hated dealing with the 1lb bottles, I'd bring at least 4 for a 2-night trip because I never trusted them to have any fuel. I also picked up an 8 pack of mantles for my lantern, I'm that bad at getting them going. :oops:

I also attached the tow chains, vacuumed the interior of the tear, fixed the lower galley wiring, installed the vent's trim ring, and installed the last two ceiling panels (after adjusting the dimmer hole on one of them). Tomorrow is put the mattress in, screw down the galley cabinet, caulk between the tongue box and the tear, change the garage outlets to 20amp and test the 120v system. Friday is pack and go camping. :D
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Re: 4-Day Weekender - Electrical and misc...

Postby noseoil » Wed Oct 15, 2014 10:16 pm

Kharn, a job well done! Looks like it's ready to roll & things have worked out nicely. Want to see some pictures from the first "on the road" inaugural trip, camping & of course the food fresh from the stove. I've really enjoyed your build journal. Best & have a safe trip. Where are you planning on going? tim
Build log: viewtopic.php?f=50&t=60248
The time you spend planning is more important than the time you spend building.........

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Re: 4-Day Weekender - Electrical and misc...

Postby Kharn » Thu Oct 16, 2014 9:33 pm

Tonight I did most of the remaining clean-up activities, the truck has been checked out and all appears in good order.
The tongue box has been caulked, galley shelves screwed down, shelf liners made for the galley drawers/shelves and the foot cabinets, and the mattress is slowly inflating to its expected side. I typed up all of my electrical system notes/scribbles to make a cheat-sheet in case there are any issues we need to resolve.

The propane tree arrived, I really lucked out as it fits in the galley drawers along the long axis with about a quarter inch to spare when it is broken down into its two pieces and stowed in it's bag. I'd been worried about having to store it in the lower part of the galley and the various threaded parts getting dinged while traveling.

I think I put my doors too high, I set them with the edge of the cut-out 3" above the floor as I'm using a 6" mattress, but the lip still bites into our legs. :NC The doors are also 24" above ground, so I'll need to make some short steps/platforms out of 5/4 or something else to make it a little less awkward getting in/out. I keep forgetting that the doorways are now ~1" shorter with the doors installed, I keep smacking my head into the frames. :?
My wife climbed in the camper after the mattress was inside, she really likes it and is surprised how large it feels, but realized with the vent and windows open it won't be any more soundproof than a tent. :roll:

I did a quick search for a weigh station nearby and none were obvious, I have the 1,980lb trailer and a truck capable of towing 10,000lb so I'm not really concerned with hitting the limit but I'd like to know. There's a truck stop on our route tomorrow, so I'll stop and get a weigh ticket. Our friends who are already at the campground report the weather is beautiful, so we can't wait to get on the road.
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Re: 4-Day Weekender - Electrical and misc...

Postby capnTelescope » Fri Oct 17, 2014 8:37 pm

I'm dealing with bureaucrats and you're going camping. I. Am. So. Jealous. :envious:

Great job! Congratulations! :applause: :thumbsup:

Please post pictures of your trip.
I'll burn that bridge when I come to it.

Brad
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Re: 4-Day Weekender - Electrical and misc...

Postby Kharn » Fri Oct 17, 2014 10:45 pm

We made it to the campsite, but I can't resize photos on my phone so i'll share them on Sunday when we get home. 8)
Surprisingly enough, the tear is only 1300lb on the axle per the weigh ticket, but I didn't unhitch to get a tongue weight.
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Re: 4-Day Weekender - Electrical and misc...

Postby tony.latham » Fri Oct 17, 2014 11:32 pm

"We made it to the campsite"

That's huge. :beer:

Your trailer looks great. I hope you sleep deep in it.

Tony
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Re: 4-Day Weekender - Maiden voyage!

Postby Kharn » Sun Oct 19, 2014 4:51 pm

So after a 322 mile round trip, we've returned from our maiden voyage. :P

We hit the weigh station, the tear's axle only weighed 1300lb but I didn't unhook it to get the total weight. I was really surprised by that, I expected 200-300lbs higher, but the air conditioner wasn't installed and the two easy-ups, dry food, cooler, spare tire, 20lb propane bottle, 5gal of drinking water, dog cage, and fire extinguisher were all in the truck. The tongue box was absolutely stuffed to the top with our two folding chairs, dog tent, stabilizer wrench, wheel chocks, folding stools and 20amp electrical cord.

We stopped for a break on our way down. The camper towed wonderfully, with the truck in tow/haul mode, I didn't even notice it was there except when I'd glace in the rear view window, I could just just barely catch a glimpse of the porch lights in my side mirrors.
20141017 parking lot small.jpg
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Then we had to set up in the dark.
20141017 arrival small.jpg
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When we arrived, the blankets and pillows were still in their packaging, along with a lot of other stuff we'd just thrown on the bed instead of packing it away, so we had to work quickly to get the tear ready before the first Tearjerker came by for a tour.

Our whole site in daylight:
20141019 site small.jpg
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My wife agrees that this trip was incredibly relaxing vs our previous tent camping adventures. The dog's tent is really easy to set up, and although the weather could not have been better for Friday and Saturday, it was comforting to know we'd stay dry even if it took a turn for the worse. The temperature was about 74 degrees Fri/Sat, but it dropped to 54 degrees last night. We didn't even have to fire up the electric blanket, but we will during our next camp out in a few weeks. :snowstorm:

We encountered a few amusing problems along the way:
1) One of the marker lights didn't want to work prior to departure, turns out when I'd mated the male & female disconnects, the blade of the male bent alongside the socket rather than enter it.
2) Upon arriving, I unpacked our shore power cord for the first time and went to plug it into the inlet only to discover it wouldn't fit. The cord was made with a ~3/16" molded plastic flange at each end that wouldn't enter the recessed inlet. A few minutes working with a utility knife shaved it down to size, all the while my wife swore I was either going to cut my arm off or electrocute myself with the disconnected cord. :lol:
3) The passenger side cabin door needs to be shimmed upward just a hair so it latches properly, my wife fought with getting it to lock quietly at night. There is a bumper on the bottom of the door that rides on the frame as it closes, I think I can just insert a piece of plastic between the bumper and the door to increase the height and make it work.
4) We had to stop at Target to get two folding step-stools because the door sills were just too high to use comfortably without them, luckily they had some that were just the right height and very heavy-duty looking.

And I have a few ideas for improvements:
1) Baggage door catches mounted on the exterior walls to hold our doors open.
2) A box for our dry food items, sized to fit on the galley countertop with a padded bottom and some method of tying it down (footman loops on the walls and the box?), sized to also fit the oven's griddle which can't fit into the galley cabinet. The box would also serve as our to-be-rewashed bin for our dishes at the end of the trip.
3) Hooks on the under side of the hatch for dish towels, and a paper towel holder.
4) Some way to store our shoes under the camper and out of the dirt.
5) Some sort of index for the oven feet to sit in, I'm thinking a sheet of luan with holes drilled in the right spots, I found out otherwise the oven can be placed (or even shift on its own) too far to either side and then the handle can ding either the center divider or the side of the camper when it is being stowed.
6) The second side table definitely needs to be as low as possible, the picnic table at the site was almost too high to use the oven's cooktop on, and the table's bench wasn't wide enough to fit the oven comfortably (plus the gas regulator stuck out at the table top's height).
7) The spare tire has to go under the trailer somewhere. It was a constantly pain to keep relocating the tire to different areas of the truck depending on what we were trying to access.
8) We don't need the 10lb fire extinguisher I brought along, a smaller unit would work and I want to mount it underneath the current side table so it is more accessible than it was in the truck.
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Re: 4-Day Weekender - Maiden voyage!

Postby S. Heisley » Sun Oct 19, 2014 8:48 pm

Congratulations on your first camping trip! It sounds like it was successful and fun.
Having to tweak, adjust, change a few little things is normal for anybody who builds.
You may still be modifying or improving after a couple years of camping as things simply come to mind to do or change as you use it.

Enjoy your new trailer. It looks great! :applause: :thumbsup:
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