Teardrops n Tiny Travel Trailers

Going on another dual sport camping trip to Ocala NF in two weeks. I have this Friday off so I am going to try to build the front counter I have been wanting to build. Will post up some pics if I get it done. I have an old truck toolbox made out of diamond plate aluminum so I am thinking of a few ways to recycle the diamond plate and integrate with the front counter top.. We'll see what happens.. I am not real creative.

I'm looking forward to more pictures. I've gotten a lot of ideas from your build. I haven't decided exactly what I want to try to accomplish with my trailer... We have 4 dirt bikes and two 4 wheelers. I have to decide what all I want to try to haul before I can get started on the interior of the trailer.


Have fun on your trip. One of these days I'm going to buy a dual sport. They really appeal to me but I have too many toys already (two Brute Force 750s, two CR250s, a KDX200, and a TT-R230). A street legal KDX200 would suit me just fine.

David_L6 wrote:I'm looking forward to more pictures. I've gotten a lot of ideas from your build. I haven't decided exactly what I want to try to accomplish with my trailer... We have 4 dirt bikes and two 4 wheelers. I have to decide what all I want to try to haul before I can get started on the interior of the trailer.


Have fun on your trip. One of these days I'm going to buy a dual sport. They really appeal to me but I have too many toys already (two Brute Force 750s, two CR250s, a KDX200, and a TT-R230). A street legal KDX200 would suit me just fine.

I really like Dual Sporting alot also. I have a KTM450EXC which is basically a street legal dirt bike. Too many restrictions on where you can ride if you do not have a tag. Having that tag opens up so many places to ride. I like the KDX's alot too. I use to have a KLX300 (4 stroke) before they started selling street legal KLX250's. Had some friends with the KDX's. Keep your eye out for an old frame that has a "street title" and move all your other hardware over to it. I am not sure if you could mount the KDX motor and etc. on the KLX frame... but that may be an option also if you are handy with a welder.

I have a 4 wheeler also I take with me if my daughter goes or if I am going hunting. The trailer will fit two bikes or a bike and a 4 wheeler. I typically am just hauling one or two dirbikes (dual sport), but I have the wheel chalks set up to take two cruisers if I am going street riding. I have a Vulcan 900 I ride to work a lot and thought it may be nice to take that down to the Keys or up to the Carolinas when I go. I could get a third bike in if tightened it up some and moved one forward into the V area. So far no need. I can alsways throw one or two into the pickup bed in a pinch.

I'll post up some pics if I get the counter top done. I think when I get that finished. I will be done with any major changes/updates to the toy hauler.

My portable AC cools well as it is, but I decided to modify it slightly to work a two hose system. I think it will be much more efficient pulling the condensor cooling air from the outside and not drawing (or creating a vacuum) hot air in from outside. I'll see how it does.. going camping later this week for four days. Even with this modification, it seems more air comes out of the system than is drawn in from the new hose? I haven't figured that out yet, but it should make a big improvement in any case.

1 cake pan, a 4" stem, some weather stripping to make a seal... and there you go. I did cut another hole in the floor for the intake. The homemade shroud is held on with a bungee strap and seals well. I can take it off easily for travel.

I wonder whats under the plastic inlet shield if there is a 4" duct or is the intake the whole big opening?
if the intake is the complete opening then maybe the square inch intake area would be smaller with the addition of the pan a nd 4"duct.

one thing I like it could work like a cars AC drawing either outside air or inside air after it cools down so you don't
have to keep cooling the hotter outside air once the inside air is cooled.

either way looks like it is an improvment

pete

Great conversion on the one duct to two duct portable air conditioner. Can't wait to see how it worked. I suspect it will be a significant improvement.

Hey flboy! You've got a really sweet trailer going here... congrats on all the hard work, and thanks for the great ideas!

I'm just starting to get my trailer organized and I'm curious about the wall mounted mesh baskets that have helmets in them in the first series of pictures.
Where did you get them, and how are they mounted? It doesn't look like e-track up top.. is that some other wall hanging system?

Jinkin02 wrote:Hey flboy! You've got a really sweet trailer going here... congrats on all the hard work, and thanks for the great ideas!

I'm just starting to get my trailer organized and I'm curious about the wall mounted mesh baskets that have helmets in them in the first series of pictures.
Where did you get them, and how are they mounted? It doesn't look like e-track up top.. is that some other wall hanging system?

Thanks.

I got the baskets at Lowes. They are mounted on a track system. They are over in the Garage organizing section.

I used the trailer this weeknd and tried out the new TV setup. It worked great. Here are a few pics. BTW.. the modified Portable AC (2 hoses) worked much better. But the 5.5BTU unit still struggles to keep up in full sun and 92degree weather. The trailer is black and the insulation is only so good. It was acceptable in the day.. and froze us out at night... I had 4 great days of camping and trail riding in the Ocala NF. My son joined me for two of the days.



The Antenna in its mounted location. See back top of trailer. I am using a single bungee cord to a hook on the roof I installed. It basically keeps the tripod in pace and keeps the wind from blosing it over. Goes up in less than a minut.



Watching the TV. Got 35 channels with the antenna. I just run the coax from the antenna through the door seal (close up the door on the coax)



Antenna just hangs on a bungee between the two baskets on the side for traveling. You can see it on the left above the seat of the blue DRZ. All packed up and ready to go.

Going camping and riding off the grid this weekend so I got a little larger generator so I can run everything without overloading the generator. Didn't have $2K for one of the 3000W quiet inverter Honda's which would be the best... so I bought a cheap Generator ($279.00 at Harbor Freight) that will last a while. Just using it a few times a year... wasn't worth the expensive generator for me. The issue with these cheap generators are they are louder than the 70dB advertised. I don't want to be obnoxious to others, so I built a sound box for the generator. To make it light and manageable to lift, I ripped some 2x4 into 1/4 width and built a light frame. I covered the frame with some plastic panel I had, used R30 Insulation I had along with some acoustic ceiling tiles and some dense cardboard to hold it all together. I left a 3" gap at the bottom side where the air and exhaust come off and put a 6" vent directly in front of where the engine draws air from the flywheel fan. I will use some 7/8 flex copper tubing to extend the exhaust outside the box by the 3" gap.


If I see the generator getting too hot... I may get a 7" electric radiator fan and force some air, I saw some cheap fans on eBay for $29.00 and the Generator has a 12VDC 8A outlet to run it directly from. We'll see if it is needed. I think the generator will draw enough air and with the exhaust outside the box... should be no issue.


I have a UPS to use inside the trailer for the LCD TV and other sensitive electronics... or I could run the TV directly from the 12VDC 2000W inverter I have already installed. Either way.. covered for the dirty power if the generator runs out of gas or etc..


The added benefit is that this sound box is weather proof... so I can run in the rain. :-)


I tried it out tonight.... the generator stayed cool and cut the noise by 10dB at least. I can barely hear it from 20 ft away. Just a low purr now. Also runs the Air Conditioner, Fridge, Lights, etc.. all together without hesitation. Now I will be able to use the microwave and AC at the same time. :-)


I am going to field test it this weekend. Going out for three days. I'll let you know how it goes.

Looks good! Can you share more info on the antenna?

flboy,
I copied your idea re: the sound damping box around my Champion 1400 today. It made a difference but the real test will be in the woods at the camp site. I am spraying it now to be a little less visible from the road.

I will aim the opening away from the camp. This should give me the cooling I need and this is November and the temps should already be low.
I will give a report on it during Thanksgiving week when I return.

I ran the generator today camping. It got too hot. I will have to get a fan to force air. The box built too much heat. Going to try a 7 inch electric radiator fan. They have them for 29 bucks on EBay and the the generator has a 8 amp 12vdc plug. The sound was great... Just need to keep it cooler.

flboy,

I wondered about the heat also. But I thought I could get away with it here in the National Forest in VA starting in a week given that the nights will be in the 40's down to 30's this year. It will only be run at night when the day hunt is over. But I will take your implied warning and watch my unit very carefully.

I will add some holes in the side for more air flow now and be prepared to move it back if things get to hot. I could just move it behind a close tree and just let it run as there will no other trailers close enough to be bothered by it. For now, this is just a low cost solution for this fall until my budget allows the Honda unit.

But checking this unit out may be another alternative for me:
http://www.amazon.com/Champion-Equipmen ... n+inverter

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YumUf2UdEuQ

More research on it is required. And I am always looking for a lower "value" solution for item.

That looks great-the video says that you would need 2 of them to run ac or micro-is that true-what can a person run with just one?
Thanks