A Minnesota Build - The Lily Pad

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

Postby mcspin50 » Tue May 03, 2011 5:03 pm

OK, is it safe to come out of the house now and NOT find snow on the ground??? The Lily Pad is back hogging all the garage space. Now I need to get back to work on it.

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I need to get the teardrop bolted to the trailer, but I have a niggling suspicion that, with my ultra-tight measuring and cutting, and the Herculiner on the sides of the floor frame, it might be just a teensy bit too wide. I'm hoping if I trim the excess glue from joining the walls to the floor, I'll be able to get it to fit.
Wish me luck.
Lil M.
In every walk with nature, one receives far more than he seeks. - John Muir
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Postby Gary and Cheri » Tue May 03, 2011 5:35 pm

Lookin good Lil. ING 4 is in a few weeks. A few long nights and you will be there. Well maybe a few long nights and a few months will see you in an awesome build. Good Luck.

Gary
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Postby S. Heisley » Tue May 03, 2011 7:36 pm

Lil, you're doing a great job. I love the woody sides! :thumbsup: :applause:
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Postby mcspin50 » Tue May 17, 2011 1:11 am

I have to confess that I've been stalled on my build. I wasn't sure how to proceed with the galley since I couldn't picture what size the shelves and compartments should be. This is what happens when an over-enthusiastic, inexperienced builder flies by the seat of her pants without a firm plan. :baby: Where should the power center go? How much room should I leave around it, around the battery, around the Camp Chef?? Where should I put the water spigot??? SHOULD I put in the water spigot???? What would it all LOOK like????? Aargh!! :fb
So, when in doubt, AVOID. I did laundry, weeded the front flower bed, did a little organizing and sweeping in the garage, moved the 4 big 4x8 sheets of 3/4" extruded polystyrene out of the teardrop, and once again scolded myself for buying 3/4" instead of 1-1/2". Tried propping up the pieces of plywood I'd cut and finished last fall (lower bulkhead, countertop, galley shelf front) to see how they looked. They kept falling down. Frustrating. :fb Then it dawned on me :lightbulb: :lightbulb: Since I plan on making the walls and shelves out of 3/4" plywood, I could use the 3/4" polystyrene sheets to make a mockup of the galley/bulkhead/inside shelves. After all, it'll just been insulation that no one will see, and I'd have to cut it 58.5" wide anyway. I was an art major in college. This would be like an art project with posterboard...REALLY THICK posterboard.

I assembled my tools...
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Used the drywall square to measure and make the first cuts with the rotary cutter...
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Then finished the cuts with the filleting knife.

Here's the mockup of the already finished pieces (the ones that kept falling down)...the lower bulkhead and the piece that makes up the galley countertop and the lower sleeping compartment shelf...
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Then I cut the lower galley vertical partitions, the backsplash, and the piece that makes up the upper galley shelf and the bottom of the sleeping compartment shelf...
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I'd like to put two drawers in the galley (wish me luck)--one above the battery and one in the space to the right of that. The area below the middle drawer will be for the water container and other bigger galley items.

Here's what it looks like from inside the sleeping quarters. Lower shelf fits DVDs perfectly :thumbsup: ...
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Here's the last vertical piece in place. I left it too tall because I'm not sure where to cut it...
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View from the inside...
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The upper cabinet will be framed with two doors and an open space in the middle for a TV & DVD player.

Galley shelf with finished piece on front. I left the support on this side of the WFCO power center too wide in order to hold up the finished front piece of the shelf...
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Here's the battery compartment and power center mockup. How much room should I give the battery? I'm planning on venting it out the side.
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Any thoughts on mounting the water spigot on this side (above battery compartment and drawer, and in front of power center) as opposed to the side with the Camp Chef oven? Speaking of which, I have the oven on a pull-out drawer. Can I mount the full extension drawer slides on the bottom of the drawer instead of the sides? Then I could move the oven to the left enough to mount the water spigot on this side. I'm not going to have a sink, just the tap for potable water from a container in the middle compartment.

Does this look right as far as the hatch spar goes? I just have it wedged in there, not screwed in yet...
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I'm not sure if the wall should come up to the bottom of the hatch spar or behind it. Any suggestions? I left it long on purpose (since I really don't know what I'm doing. :scratchthinking: )
Thanks for your suggestions, and thanks for making it to the end of this long post! :applause:
Lil M.
In every walk with nature, one receives far more than he seeks. - John Muir
Generic Benroy Build Journal here - My LilScamper Update Journal here
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Postby aggie79 » Tue May 17, 2011 8:43 am

Very nice Lil,

Glad to see the weather is allowing you to get back on your build. (It's getting close to being to hot to camp here, although the last few days the high temps have been unusually cool and haven't exceeded 80 degrees .)

That is a really innovative way to lay out a galley using the foam. I wish that I had mocked up my galley this way.

Please keep the pics coming!

Take care,
Tom
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Postby pete42 » Tue May 17, 2011 5:30 pm

I don't know why you are asking for help, looks to me like you could help us.

great ideas keep going once started things will fall into place, I'm also sure there are many builders who when finished building have said " darn wish I had add this or left off that"

keep up the good work.

pete
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Postby mcspin50 » Tue May 17, 2011 5:38 pm

Gary, Cheri and Sharon, Thanks so much for your encouragement. I'm hoping that I'll be done by mid July. Still have to order windows and aluminum trim. Think I've got everything else I need...and more!

Tom, Thanks too for your message. Hope things are going well in TX. Still dry there? We're waiting for 80 deg. days here. It sure was a long winter and lousy spring.

Pete,
No...really...I'm flying by the seat of my pants. But I must be doing it with penache if you think I'm competent enough to finish this project. :lol: :lol:

Take care,
Lil M.
In every walk with nature, one receives far more than he seeks. - John Muir
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Postby DMcCam » Wed May 18, 2011 10:48 am

Hi Lil, Aren't mock ups unbelievably cool or what! What a great way to visualize and see if you like everything. Your build is coming along wonderfully.

Cheers,

Dave
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Postby mcspin50 » Sun Jun 12, 2011 2:23 pm

I'm inching along on my build.
Made a template out of some old news...
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And installed the $10 vinyl flooring remnant...
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Then installed the lower bulkhead and the countertop.
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BIG gaps abounded back and side, so I uninstalled and reinstalled. Encouraged by the progress, I started installing the shelf for the Camp Chef oven.
After much :thinking: and :scratchthinking:, I figured out how to mount the full extension drawer hardware (sure wish they'd give a little more information like measurements on their "instructions"), while attaching the first vertical divider. So now the oven goes from this...
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to this...
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I was hoping to be able to leave the regulator attached to the back of the oven all the time (it sticks out a good 4 inches), but the depth of the cabinet leaves very little wiggle room. I'm afraid that, as I drive down the highway, the stove will bounce around enough to jam the regulator and damage it or the oven. I thought of cutting an opening in the lower bulkhead wall and building a little box to allow some wiggle room, but then I remembered that I need to KISS or this project will never get done. And it really doesn't take THAT long to attach and detach the regulator. I'm also going to hold off on drilling the 3" hole for the outlet cover that would allow gas hose to exit the sidewall. I'm hoping that, with the stove fully extended, the hose will reach around the side of the teardrop to the gas tank mounted on the tongue. One can only hope. :)
Time to stand back and contemplate the scene...
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Now it's on to the left side of the galley...
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My first :scratchthinking: ...how much room to leave for the battery which is one heavy puppy. It doesn't slide in or out, it needs to be hefted in or out. I was trying to leave as little room as possible because I had a neat but long IKEA towel rack I could use for a drawer pull, but then I realized that, once I installed the hatch, the drawer pull/towel rack would get in the way. Scratch that idea.
Then there's the 15A Power Inlet and the Battery Cut Off Switch...both items highly recommended on this list. Not sure where each of them should be located. :thinking: I'm gonna hazard a wild guess and say that the battery cut off is located with the battery in its compartment and the power inlet is mounted so it accesses the WFCO 8725 in its compartment. Did I get it right?
I'd like to install a fixed shelf above the battery to isolate it in its own little compartment. What's the best way to vent to the outside? Round vents? Where's the best place to get 'em?

I'd also like to install the water tap...strictly for its cuteness factor. I have the water container below with its own built in spigot, but geez, where's the cuteness factor in THAT!?! This little voice in the back of my head keeps saying KISS. I can always install the tap later on. Besides, I can't figure out a way to hook up the pump to the water container so that I can disconnect and fill it. (I just looked at the directions and saw I had the tube connected to the wrong fitting on the pump.) Are there fittings I could find to create a connection that works like a spray bottle with a long tube that reaches to the bottom of the water tank, rather than laying the tank on its side? Can I find threaded connectors that will work in the threaded opening of the lid? This is where I start going :?

So I think, for now, I'll just fit, finish and install the pieces I've already cut for the middle galley bulkhead, the upper galley shelf/bottom of inside cabinet, and then tackle the compartment for the WFCO 8725. Or maybe the face frame of the interior cabinet.
Got a nice piece of cedar for a shelf above the head of the bed, but that will have to wait until I get the ceiling installed. Might trim the open shelf under the cabinets with another piece of cedar just to tie things together a bit.
Lil M.
In every walk with nature, one receives far more than he seeks. - John Muir
Generic Benroy Build Journal here - My LilScamper Update Journal here
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Postby mcspin50 » Mon Jul 04, 2011 1:32 pm

Inching along here.
Got No. 3 Son and his buddy to help get the Lily Pad actually sitting IN the trailer. There are some sizeable (<1/4") gaps between the sidewalls below the doors that will need to be dealt with (perhaps some kind of trim board and caulking). Will for sure bolt the Lily Pad down before I take it anywhere. :thumbsup:

Been fitting the pieces for the galley and bulkhead. It seems that whatever I cut does NOT fit the first time. Mr. Belt Sander has once again proved to be an invaluable helper. :lips: :lips:
Once I got the pieces to fit easily (but not TOO easily) without any pounding and swearing, I commenced sealing, and sealing, and varnishing and varnishing.

In the meantime, I have been contemplating wiring and plumbing.

I know, in my last post I extolled the virtues of KISS and decided to eliminate the pump and tap....well, I changed my mind....the tap and pump are back in the galley plans....and I added a sink to the plans as well.
Here it is....
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Ain't it cute?? Bowl $4.49, Sink Strainer $7.19. Tool to cut hole in bowl $19.99. :shock: I turned the bowl upside down and cut the hole from the bottom side. I learned that I really should've had some kind of sacrificial piece of wood under where I was cutting to press down on. The bit kept sticking as I pushed down on the bowl, but I persevered. My Mum's old file helped to take off the burrs. Still need some plumber's putty to seal the strainer to the topside of the bowl.
Then I've ordered one of these to take away the grey water. Hope it fits...
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I only plan on using this bowl/sink for washing my face and brushing my teeth, so it's not going to see high dishwashing usage. It's mainly just for personal hygiene and its boatload of AWESOME CUTENESS factor!
Of course, this does mean I'll need to cut an almost 9" hole in my counter. :shock: :baby: :shock:

Next step will be to locate the tap and attach it to the pump...
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which will be attached to the 2.5 gal Aquatainer which will be located under the counter to the right center. Battery will be on the left in its own vented compartment.
Synthesis has been a big help in helping me figure out how to get the water from the container up to the tap. Thanks Chris!! :applause:

Of course, now that the sink and tap are going to be taking up space on the left side of the galley counter, I find I need to relocate the WFCO 8725 Power Center. I'll be moving it up to the center of the top bulkhead wall, which works out great because the area behind it will be the spot where the TV, DVD player, and radio/CD player will be located in the sleeping compartment. It was kinda wasted space anyway. Will need to cut an opening and build a frame to mount it on 1/2 or 1/4 inch plywood. I think the 3/4" is a little thick and blocks the vent on the top of the WFCO 8725.

That's about it for now. I did get my windows. Next teardrop I build will be with those window/door combination units that are $275. More money, but much less headaches and steps to completion.
Lil M.
In every walk with nature, one receives far more than he seeks. - John Muir
Generic Benroy Build Journal here - My LilScamper Update Journal here
The Lily Pad...Image My LilScamper...Image Image
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Postby PhotoGuy » Mon Jul 04, 2011 8:05 pm

I like the bowl..sink. what size of bowl did you use? I have one of my wifes older bowls but I think it might be to big.

your build is looking really good
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Postby Steve_Cox » Mon Jul 04, 2011 9:08 pm

Lil,

You mentioned your LP regulator sticks out 4" behind the stove. I was thinking why not have the regulator at the propane bottle on the tongue. Most regulators have a vent hole that can release propane in some conditions, the galley might not be the best place for that to happen and moving it will free up some valuable space behind the stove.
Steve
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Postby mcspin50 » Mon Jul 04, 2011 11:10 pm

Hi Photoguy,
I forgot to mention here it's a 3 qt. (2.85 l) bowl. It's @ 9.75 inches (25 cm) in diameter to the outer edge of the lip.

Hey Steve,
I did call Camp Chef to ask about moving the regulator to the other end, but the woman I spoke to said that it wasn't possible to do that.
Here's the regulator in place...
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You tighten down the collar while the regulator part stays still.
And here's what it attaches to...
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I figure there's got to be a way around it because I saw how you did the Outback stove on Sandy's teardrop that you built, but I figured I'd figure it out after I got the trailer built. I just tried to leave myself options to change things down the road...pun intended. ;) :)
Lil M.
In every walk with nature, one receives far more than he seeks. - John Muir
Generic Benroy Build Journal here - My LilScamper Update Journal here
The Lily Pad...Image My LilScamper...Image Image
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Postby aggie79 » Tue Jul 05, 2011 8:36 am

Hi Lil,

The Lily Pad's galley is coming along nicely.

Cooking is one activity I like to do when camping. I really like your stove/oven and wished I had incorporated one into my galley.

Keep up the good work!

Take care,
Tom
Tom (& Linda)
For build info on our former Silver Beatle teardrop:
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93503
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Postby David S » Tue Jul 05, 2011 1:35 pm

Looking Good! :applause:
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