Don & Christi's 6 x 10 Cargo Conversion

[GPW]

Don, retirement is pretty cool really ... Lots of time to work on Your projects , less money to spend on going to work every day , gas , clothes , expensive lunches out ...
And while they call it a fixed income , it's easy to amend the fixed part by working ... on things You like to do ... sorta' of like a mini-business... Hobbies/ interests/services can become profitable on a small scale ...

Viz. An old friend retired from the Police dept. ... bought a used pickup and a few hand tools , and now has a list of old ladies he does Simple home repairs for ... and does quite well at it too ... I thought that was a pretty good idea ...

[d30gaijin]

GPW/or anyone else out there with some thoughts:

I need to come up with a design and location to mount a small 5k btu air conditioner, the home window type bought from Home Depot. The logical place to install it seems to be at the upper front of the CT but I am worried about water intrusion into the CT should I get caught driving in a pouring rain like we did last year when returning from a boondocking camping outing. Any thoughts?

Don

[GPW]

Don , any way you do it , you need some kind of door with the AC on a slide-out , or just placed there loose for the usage ... (carried separately)
If you hard mount it in a hole , then you need a Cover for it ... a good cover... and still need to seal it around the edges , like a window ... Thank goodness they don't stick out far ... 6" or so... Thinking for ease of installation , the back door would be ideal , up high (unless you have a ramp ) .... seen that so many times , it must work !!! Better than getting out the welding kit , fabricating a door flap/frame for going through the metal ... Only disadvantage I see to that is, that is the bounciest part of the trailer ... Yes ? Doesn't seem to hurt anybody else though ...

[8ball_99]

The front would be the last place I cut a hole for an AC. I've seen it done several times, but to me that would just really increase the risk of a leak.

[pete42]

Don there is a trailer made be KZ trailers that has a small
house AC mounted through the side wall it is built into one of the overhead cabinets
just the face is showing inside and it only sticks out around 2 inches from the outside very neat looking install.
It is installed into a set of short cabinets that are mounted down the road side they also run across the front.
If I knew how to post pictures I would that is if I would take the time to learn how to post pictures I would, but I'm lazy.

[Tx River Rat]

Aliners use a side mount and have for years.
Ron

[GPW]

Don, I thought the door mount was pretty good , until I went back and saw the bunks ... Forget that!!! ... have to now agree with everybody else about a side mount , probably best on a slide ... Real cargo door would look "sanitary" (cosmetic)... pop open the door , slide the unit out (6") NBFD... centrally located unit would cool the whole trailer more evenly than one mounted on an end ...fans always help ... no worries sealing a commercial cargo door , if they're too $$ , check feed doors ...

[Wolfscout]

I'm looking into replacing my side window unit with a portable room one vented through the floor.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000PGQ8YQNewAir AC-12000E 12,000 BTU Portable Air Conditioner With R410A Refrigerant
I've been taking teh widow unit in and out dependent on moving trailer and storms.
I'm thinking this room unit with a specific place and floor vented would work for me.

[BC_Explorer]

Don.

I noticed that you are pulling that 6x10 with a Cherokee. Can I ask what engine and transmission the Cherokee is equipped as I am looking at the same size trailer or a 5x10 to pull with a 4.0 L and 5 speed manual transmission Cherokee.

Also any comments, good or bad on the overall experience of pulling the trailer with the Cherokee would be appreciated.

[David_L6]

I'm looking into replacing my side window unit with a portable room one vented through the floor.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000PGQ8YQNewAir AC-12000E 12,000 BTU Portable Air Conditioner With R410A Refrigerant
I've been taking teh widow unit in and out dependent on moving trailer and storms.
I'm thinking this room unit with a specific place and floor vented would work for me.

I bought portables for both of my trailers. The one you linked to is a single hose unit. I wouldn't buy that one. I recommend only portable A/Cs with two hoses. Here are links to the two that I have.

http://www.whynter.com/productdetail/ai ... ioners/305

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6896808031

[Archam]

Here is a picture of the KZ travel trailer 5k a/c installed in my CT. Works Great!

http://tnttt.com/album_ ... c_id=79634

http://tnttt.com/album_ ... c_id=79636

Walmart AC Unit 89.00
Shroud from KZ 33.00
Refrigerator roof vent 30.00
cabinet work homemade

[d30gaijin]

Don.

I noticed that you are pulling that 6x10 with a Cherokee. Can I ask what engine and transmission the Cherokee is equipped as I am looking at the same size trailer or a 5x10 to pull with a 4.0 L and 5 speed manual transmission Cherokee.

Also any comments, good or bad on the overall experience of pulling the trailer with the Cherokee would be appreciated.

BC,

I am hauling our 6x10 CT and our Jayco 16.5' TT with a 2001 Jeep Cherokee 4.0 liter straight six cylinder engine and a 4 speed automatic transmission with overdrive. When I haul either trailer it is usually out of overdrive, i.e., 3rd position on the automatic shift transmission, which I presume would be in 4th with a 5 speed manual transmission. It seems to do much better in that position.

My son has a 1997 Cherokee with the same 4.0 liter engine but with a five speed manual transmission that I recently drove back to Boise, Idaho from California for him. His 4th gear seemed to replicate my out of overdrive auto trans in terms of RPM at speed. His 5th gear replicated my overdrive in 4th gear (or "D" on the shift lever).

Be that as it may, he got better gas mileage with his 5 speed manual than I did with my four speed auto with overdrive (neither of us were hauling anything other than us).

Hauling the 16.5' Jayco with the Cherokee it is at its max. The Jayco has trailer brakes, which helps a lot. Had I to do it do over I would have trailer breaks on the 6x10. I had a panic stop that scared the crap out of me with the 6x10 because it had no brakes. It hauls nicely but still, there is that weight behind. I stopped about 6 inches from running into the car in front of me because the 6x10 was pushing me with no brakes on it, and I drive conservatively i.e., I always leave a lot of room between me and any vehicle in front of me, regardless what I am driving. It was, I am sure, because of my driving habits that I didn't crash into the rear of the vehicle in front of me.

I don't know if that helps but please feel free to ask more questions if need be.

Don

[pete42]

Here is a picture of the KZ travel trailer 5k a/c installed in my CT. Works Great!

http://tnttt.com/album_ ... c_id=79634

http://tnttt.com/album_ ... c_id=79636

Walmart AC Unit 89.00
Shroud from KZ 33.00
Refrigerator roof vent 30.00
cabinet work homemade

That's what I was talking about, built into a cabinet up high like they are suppose to be.

Barb has one up high mounted on a shelf with rollers she has a big door up high just open the door and roll it out.

I like both ways maybe through the wall with a window awning over it to help shade it from the sun?

but nice build pete

[d30gaijin]

Well as it turns out I found a 3 month old Coleman Mach roof mount RV air conditioner for sale locally and will go look at it tomorrow The guy wants $250 for it, which is a very good price, and it saves me the headache of having to cut through the side of the CT and build a platform.

I will post more tomorrow.

Don

[d30gaijin]

OK, went and looked at the Coleman Mach Model 8333 roof mount air conditioner today and bought it. It is dusty from sitting but otherwise in excellent to near new condition. The person I bought it from was going to do a CT conversion and was gathering parts for that conversion but gave up on it because his wife said, "Too many toys!" so he's selling off the stuff he gathered, such as the Coleman A/C roof mount unit. Since I didn't try to haggle with him on price he decided to throw in an Elkhart 50 gallon plastic moulded fresh water tank that fits under the CT and mounts between the floor frame rails and an RV window that I'll probably install in one of the rear barn doors.

I received all hardware for each item except for a thermostat for the Coleman A/C unit so have to buy that and figure out how to wire it. Obviously the 120v side wiring is a no-brainer but it is the thermostat wiring that is throwing me for a loop. The wire colors coming off the A/C unit that, as I understand, should go to the thermostat don't match anything I have been able to find on-line, even from searching the manufacturer's web site. I emailed them (the manufacturer) about my dilemma but don't know how much help I'll get from them since I didn't buy the unit new.

I can say that the Coleman Mach A/C unit it is one big mutha! and is probably going to look goofy atop a 6x10 CT but what do I care? What I care about is having the ability to freeze my @ss off inside a 6x10 CT on THE hottest days of the year (the Coleman unit is 13.5 BTU and was taken off a 24ft toy hauler that was being repossessed by the bank so ought to do fine for a 6x10 CT).

Don