Kudzu's Karavan - Project canceled

[kudzu]

Now is the Winter of our discount tent...

We currently have this waiting in the back of the van for us to unload & set up.

Just a cheap, Harbor Freight 10x17 portable garage.


It may not last long after the build is complete & might have to disassemble one end to get the trailer out afterwards but it gives me some protection from rain & sun. My barn doesn't have power & is pretty far away from the house for a drop cord. If it lasts it will later be used for the tractor & a few other things.

Now I have to get of the 'puter. We'll offload the tent & then reload the van with the junk that is currently taking up space in my future build area. We are slowly progressing toward the actual build, one millimeter at a time.

[GPW]

QUOTE: "Now is the Winter of our discount tent...” ... Owww!!! GOOD One !!!

Good temporary building shelter !!! We used a tarp and had to put it on , take it off , over and over ... big PIA... Yours is a good idea !!

[pchast]

I've been told if you cover the ridge and top side rails with cheap foam pipe insulation the cover will last much longer. Apparently the heat of the sun on the cover/pipes rots those areas quicker than the rest of the cover.

(I don't use one so I have no personal experience with this.) I do have a friend in the woodworking club that replaces the torn covers every 2 years.

[kudzu]

Thanks, Pete. We decided to add the pipe insulation to the garage. Hopefully that will give it some extra life.

OK, folks. I still can't get a design that meets all my criteria so I decided I was asking too much. In the interest of aerodynamics I've ditched the more traditional cargo trailer loading idea. Told BF we won't be loading the motorcycle into the camper. Here's the current design I'm leaning toward:



It's too large to be a tiny travel trailer but it's not too huge. Overall length, including trailer tongue, is 15'. It should be about 7.5' tall. The camper section is 12' L x 6.5' W. We can get the recumbent trike, folding bike, folding kayaks & dog gear into it while still leaving room for us to all pile in & sleep without unloading anything or rearranging much gear. That's an imperative since we always get to campsites late, usually right as campgrounds are closing for the night. The next day we can unload & set up camp proper.

There's room for a tiny galley-like space in the rear though it's meant as food & kitchen storage, no cooking in there. I figure the kitchen will be set up behind the trailer. Most of the space under the bed is pass thru storage where the trike can ride, leaving the forward area for more weighty items. If we're not taking much gear then we can load the trike in the front area instead. Under the bed & between the wheel wells will be space for lightweight storage, like clothes, toiletries, etc. We can fit table & chairs inside if the weather were bad enough. Some gear will go in the box on the tongue. Where things get loaded will depend on what we are carrying.

Have debated the idea of a drop floor just forward of the wheels. I know BF would appreciate the headroom. There's only a small area where he can stand up straight. (The max interior height is 70".) He'll need to duck to get through the doorway. Decided that I really don't want to do that kind of building. My attitude is that I'm building it so he can just deal with it. If we end up doing so much camping that the lack of headroom inside really bothers him then somewhere down the road we can discuss putting in a drop floor. Am I being mean?

[GPW]

That’s a NICE size ... plenty of room !!!

[lthomas987]

Looks great!

I look forward to your build.

Also I do not think it is mean to not build a drop floor. I think it is a practical choice for getting done in a reasonable time.

[atahoekid]

The drop floor adds a whole new level of complexity. I consider myself pretty skilled and I decided against a drop floor. The BF will either need to assist in the build or live with it. I like it the way it is, though I'd be tempted to rack some toys on top of the trailer although that kills aerodynamics and could see why you wouldn't. It's a good looking plan. Mine is about the same size as yours and though it isn't "tiny" it still is small enough to be convenient. Looking forward to watching your build!!!

[kudzu]

OK, as I finalize my design I wanted to figure out a reasonable place for the AC. Though I may modify the rear curves & angles a bit, so far I'm sticking with the above design. I'm not sure where to put the AC. Am pretty much resigned to the idea that I will have to build some sort of support framework or cabinetry to elevate the unit. Am thinking that putting it on the floor is not a good idea in this particular trailer because A) the dogs will be taking up floor space & B) the human bed is up fairly high. For a variety of reasons I don't think it makes sense to put it in the "bedroom" area over the human bed.

If the AC were to go in the front half of the trailer, meaning forward of wheel wells, where would you put it? Does the driver's side wall, opposite the entry door, make sense?

[atahoekid]

Not sure where you camp but in my opinion A/C takes up some valuable space and it can be quite a chore to slide in and out of place. If you can do without it, I would. I tend to camp on the west coast, in locations where the evenings are cool, so I just rely on a "fantastic vent" to push cool air through the interior. Works great and haven't wished for A/C once. I considered putting the A/C unit up near the nose on the Road Foamie but you've got a large storage box there so that won't work. I'd say its a balancing act between air flow, space and the convenience of setting it up.

[kudzu]

Mel, it's just too hot here in the Summer to sleep comfortably at night & the three large dogs act like a warm air humidifier which does not help the situation at all. Lack of sleep really detracts tremendously from the fun of camping. The AC will effectively extend our camping & traveling season.

The storage box in front could be redesigned & even the curve radius of the front wall of the camper could be adjusted if needed. My main reason for putting it on the side rather than the front was the worry of water blowing into an opening on the front when driving down the road. It seemed less likely on the side. Maybe I'm worrying unnecessarily? Or maybe I could redesign the front box so there's two compartments, one of which closes around the AC unit to minimize the chance of leaks. Maybe?

[atahoekid]

I think that your concerns about leaks is a well founded one. If I recall, some have built a water tight cover that they put in place during travel and storage and only uncover it when the A/C unit is in use. Yup, three dogs is a lot of humidity

[kudzu]

Though on the plus side, Winter camping with the dogs will require less heat. Like may just a candle.

[Mary C]

Laura I have been keeping up somewhat I thought I would do an experiment on denim I will post it to the Long thread ..........Thrifty Alternatives

Mary C.

[kudzu]

Last week I had finally decided my design and was lining up a couple major purchases for the build. Good thing I'd not purchased them yet because while searching Craigslist for potential build items I found what today became my new camper:



It's a 2005 Aliner Expedition. It doesn't seem big, though certainly big enough, when it's parked and open. Hook it up to the van and it suddenly becomes huge! It's easy to tow and will be taking it for our first camping trip together. I think her name will be Greyce. She's a lot of trailer and yet is only a foot longer than what I had planned to build. The price was right & I feel like a got a lot for my money.

So no building is needed now. Some items will be kept & used. Not sure what I'll do with the base trailer & RV windows I'd purchased. Guess I'll try to sell them.

[GPW]

NICE!!! That is a Big trailer eh ... (by our standards)