Truck Canopy Trailer - Updates... Solar Panel, Jack, etc.

[PcHistorian]

Hey, Welcome Aboard Marine! (what kept you, recruit. ;-)
Sempre Fi.
:-)
\

But do you have a bed with wheels to go along with the cap? Course you could go to a salvage yard and get the bed the right size from a truck where the front end is totaled, and in practically new condition, or even call a local car insurance agent, even yours, and ask them for one. Like a 2013, model even. (pist: remember to tell them to make it in your favorite color, too.) Offer them half the scrap rate. ;-)

[KristyG5]

This is AMAZING! Thanks for posting! Did you just stumble on the truck canopy with the door or did you have some better keywords to search Craigslist with? It seems like truck canopies sans doors are much easier to come by. This totally looks like a build my husband and I could tackle ourselves. Again, nice work!

[ohbugger]

This is AMAZING! Thanks for posting! Did you just stumble on the truck canopy with the door or did you have some better keywords to search Craigslist with? It seems like truck canopies sans doors are much easier to come by. This totally looks like a build my husband and I could tackle ourselves. Again, nice work!

The canopies with a door are certainly rare. No idea how to search for one other than to just keep checking out craigslist every day.

[Oldragbaggers]

Bummer Erik, I can't see any of your images. Whahappen???

[ohbugger]

Been doing some updates... just took it out last weekend and it was great, the tent sleepers were a little jealous.
So, first I added a tongue box. It's $80 at Amazon or Walmart, sturdier than a Rubbermaid Actionpacker, about the same price, AND most importantly it matches my color scheme! I could fit a pony keg or just tons of drinks and plenty of ice in there, OR last weekend we kept a small cooler in there. The double cooler was VERY effective at keeping the ice frozen.
http://www.amazon.com/Igloo-Quick-Cooler-150-Quart-White/dp/B0001DI46I/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1342722326&sr=8-1&keywords=150+qt+cooler


Next I added a wheel to the tongue jack. The jack originally had a wheel that was below the foot of the wheel, but I had to cut it off due to it hanging too low. I fabricated this wheel frame from the harbor freight folding trailer stands that I cut off the trailer seeing as it's days of folding were over. My back already appreciates no longer picking up the tongue to move the trailer around. It still needs to be painted black.


After that I finally got my solar panel mounted and solved the problem of bringing the wire in though the roof without leaks. Also redid the wiring and batteries, it's all much nicer and cleaner now. The solar panel is a 50 watt unit I got on ebay. It will fully charge my little 24 amp hour battery even on a cloudy day.

If you need to bring a cable in though an exterior wall, there's this thing called a cable gland, and it works magnificently. I got one in black that matches the black cable, and it looks really pro, no picture unfortunately.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cable_gland
Here's the solar charge controller and behind it a new 120watt power supply that can run everything AND charge the battery if I'm plugged in, although now I only need to plug in for high power draw items like an AC heater or something. The solar keeps the batteries ready for LED lights, iphone charging and some music on the stereo. In this picture there is still a little clean-up to do on the wiring. Also, I got 2 12AH batteries that fit inside the tool box/battery box/wiring box.


If you've seen the whole journal, you might remember that I sealed the interior floor and wall with caulking, well I did a poor job and it never looked good. I picked up some pre-stained quarter round and went to work with the mitre saw and pin gun. Here's the result of that.


Finally, I am currently working on a tent / changing room that attaches to the rear of the trailer. Here's my sketchup drawing to figure out the dimensions and what concept works the best. (I went through half dozen designs before deciding on this one) It'll provide a place for shoes, a place to stand fully upright to change, and possibly a place to shower.

And here's the first side all done. I made it from a big old tent with some broken poles, I was going to get new fabric from the store, but that was going to get expensive, and this has the added benefit of windows already built in!

[e_cag]

Great updates to an already great trailer. Someday i too may start...

[PcHistorian]

I am looking at your tongue wheel and thinking, "someday I'm going to appreciate the same thing."

so is that a removable tongue box - cooler? take it to the beach?
I was able to scrounge a used and no cables electric cooler. (hot/cold) I made a 12v cable from an old phone charger's 12v lighter plug, some lamp cord (18 gauge stranded) and some crimp connectors with the plumbers epoxy for the handle around the crimps (non-conductive.) I also put a switch in line with it, I could have used one of those that just clamp on around the the cord, like for a lamp cord, but I went with something I could solder. :-)
Little arrow on the plug epoxy before it hardened for the negative side to show the hot/cold operation. Draws 2 amps continuous and 4 peak, so it would kill a battery pretty quick at the size I have. I'll probably run from the tow vehicle if I have to and just run it every so often with the car on for now, or be on "shore power" and run it off the battery chargers. (hmmm, I don't have an external, wet, 12v lighter socket.... hmmmm...) I should remind my self to take pictures of that for the web pages. :-)

Oh your tent thing, I was going to suggest a study of umbrellas for your sides on that tent thing. I've been trying to design a colorful awning for the window from an umbrella. (needs thinking...)

EXCELLENT on the 1/4 round trim.Beautiful color. When are you going to poly coat the rest of your ply? (Or have you?) I finally got around to doing the initial trim on my own window. (up here on the build page) I was getting tired of looking at the red stain of the wall back boards in a room of nice, dark oak paneling. :-)

I haven't checked my mileage with the trailer yet. But the truck gets about 26-28 otherwise and I really don't feel it while driving. I have to keep checking the mirror to see that it's still there. I wonder if you made a "tube skirt" while you're doing fabric, that would connect your tow vehicle to the trailer if it would save you on your suv drag, leaving only the trailer drag. My rig has only like a 3' x 4' area of total drag. Every thing else is pretty much air flow.

[pjo129]

Totally stealing your idea.

[ohbugger]

Totally stealing your idea.

Just logged in after a long time away so I could tell you, DO IT, DO IT, DO IT!

[pjo129]

ImageUploadedByTapatalk1375392348.823401.jpg (67.63 KiB) Viewed 10764 times

It's about 50% done. Took it to CRA 2013 last weekend.

[Sidekick]

My van canopy trailer done
About 10 ft x 5 ft with slide out kitchen