"Jackal" 5x10 TD Running water.

[JmsCaverly]

James, I went with the Samsung 22" LED TV & a Sony DVD player to go with it. If you stay under 24" for a screen size, the Samsung model comes with a transformer which drops power to 12v DC, just like the Sony DVD. You can use 12v wiring for both of these and have a system which runs without shore power or an inverter and uses very little current. I'm using a solar panel to charge the battery (group 27 AGM).

Sweet I'll look into those in a few weeks when I really start diving into the wiring. I was looking over your build and I was really admiring your work great build you've got over there.

Go Torsion Axle from Dexter! No Question!
Especially if you are planning to travel with your Teardrop.
I hope for your sake that I am not too late with this recommendation???

Its a bit to late my parts for standard axle will be here tomorrow. I looked into the torsion axle briefly but I didn't know too mush about them so I just went with the standard axles, I can't really imagine I'll have too much trouble with traveling. Maybe it will be a future upgrade to look at down the road. Thanks for the info!

-james

[JmsCaverly]

Quick update on the build made my final preparations for mounting the floor. I finally had the time to put a few days into the trailer I was able to completely fiberglass the floor and I also plan to use truck bed liner. I really want to make sure I won't have water issues from underneath. Today is going to be the fun part I finally get to start constructing the walls. I don't have any visuals as to how this is going to happen because it's all in my head but I'll be sure to post pics as I go. Here's the pics from today

[JmsCaverly]

Big time update I got a lot done over the weekend. So much to talk about I finally got he floor laid out and got my first wall laid out and cut so very excited.

I hope to have some better pictures of the floor layout once I start to lay down the foam core. I my area we had a contractor buy out all the foam boards in a 50 mile radius so I'll have to wait a week or so till more comes in. No big deal I can move on, theres plenty to do. In the mean time I'll teach the little one how to work. I plan on doing what I have seen on a lot of other build journals is using the gutter piping to run my climate right ventilation to the back of the cabin to get a good circulation of air inside.


So after some internal debates and talking with the wife on what she likes I got trumped and the Grumman style tear it is. Not a bad choice now that I have been able to make some sawdust and see the shape coming along I am really starting to like it.


The first side is mounted and I am quite pleased and the wife was impressed. I am happy with the way its coming out. I had some major concerns about the shape of mine with it being a 4x5x10 going with a shorter roof I thought it might look a bit weird but I'm happy with it. Now I can install a roof rack without having to climb a ladder to get to the roof.

I'm thinking of maybe some fenders with side steps to get on the roof easier.

Lucky me I have my electrician buddy coming over this weekend to start laying out all the electrical wiring.

Just a side note the front will have bunkbeds thats why the door is so far back and the spacing bar in the center will be so I can bolt the top bunk right into the structure of the walls for good support i.e.. jumping kids

[JmsCaverly]

Busy Friday over here got both walls mocked up and ready to laminate the interior walls. I was able to get the floor finished also I'll get pictures when the walls are dry but for the most part I just 2 1/2" studs and filled them with 2" rigid foam used 1/2" birch plywood subfloor and some 12x12 vinyl tiles. I had some left over flooring from a kitchen remodel so I used those as my kitchen flooring looks good but I'll get pics for you to enjoy.

Had my little helper today to inspect my work I think he approved .....

[rebapuck]

It's already being enjoyed.

[JmsCaverly]

The laminated walls came out great no gaps or uneven areas, I am rather impressed by the grab anything heavy to compress the walls it worked quite well. And as promised I have pics of the flooring, tiles in the cabin and some left over pergo flooring for the kitchen. I got a chance to start laying out the frame work for the bunk beds but it got too late to run that table saw so that will have to wait till next weekend.



And once again the family takes over my work area to prematurely enjoy the camper

[S. Heisley]

And once again the family takes over my work area to prematurely enjoy the camper

Of course! They're excited!
Keep going....We're watching!

[bc toys]

Making memories with your family thats great

[JmsCaverly]

Not too much to report this weekend we're getting ready for a vacation back home in the cozy corner of Connecticut. But I did get a chance to run some of the very basic wiring for the bottom corner running lights and got the stab struts in. Over the next couple of weeks I hope to do some serious thinking about how the cabinets will layout. I have begun to question whether or not I am going to use a Climate Right or to go with a conventional ac and a space heater. The biggest thing that gets me is the price and as I'm trying to stick to a budget for this build it may have to be a future upgrade. But for now here's the stab struts......

[JmsCaverly]

Well ladies and gentlemen I am back at it again and how excited am I to be working again on the Jackal. I have made some good progress on the build over the last week. Now that I'm starting to skin the roof I can tell that my idea of doing a "inside out build may have been a choice that will haunt me, but I'm going to push with my design.



As you can see I have begun to skin the inside of the cabin from the exterior. I plan to run spars across every foot or so to support the roof and then another layer of 1/4"



here you can see come of those spars the will be 1 1/2"x 3/4" birch. right now I only have to over the plywood joints just for support, ill add the others in the next few weeks so I can start to run my electrical wiring and foam insulation. Now that the ceiling is in i have been able to start on the interior I have the top bunk installed not finished but in. I have also started to be the entertainment center and cabinets started.



And of course I got some help form the little man to make sure it can support its required weight I did a "dad" check before I let him jump on but no sag even with my weight so its good for him.



Heres a few more pics form around the build this thing is really starting to get big I already didn't have much room in my garage but now its really cramped.
I have ordered wheel and tire set ups so Im hoping to be able to measure and get an axle on its way so I can get her rolling an out of the garage to see how big it really looks.



Finally I thought I would give you guys a perspective of its size, I was a little worried it would feel cramped and closed in but really it feels open and spacious.

[noseoil]

James, looking really good now! If you keep the colors light & bright inside, it won't feel too small or like a cave. Figure on plenty of lighting as well with overhead & reading lamps in the bedroom.

A small dome light for the bunk area will be nice for the kiddo to have. Will there be a curtain for his sleeping area (pullman car, train berth type), seems like it might be a good idea.

The skin really helps make things stronger, doesn't it? Should be solid as a rock once the rest of it goes in place.

[JmsCaverly]

James, looking really good now! If you keep the colors light & bright inside, it won't feel too small or like a cave. Figure on plenty of lighting as well with overhead & reading lamps in the bedroom.

A small dome light for the bunk area will be nice for the kiddo to have. Will there be a curtain for his sleeping area (pullman car, train berth type), seems like it might be a good idea.

The skin really helps make things stronger, doesn't it? Should be solid as a rock once the rest of it goes in place.

You are AWESOME thanks for the great idea. I will plan to add curtains for the kids. Which really works out well because they can have their own reading lights and I can still sleep!!

YES! It is so much stronger now that the skins are being fitted also the back area where the galley will be it stronger now too that the cabinets are starting to take shape.

[JmsCaverly]

Wheels are in I just picked them up from Les Schwab today. They look good I like them. I made my measurements also so I can order the axle on monday looks like it will be a 71" HF/HF long axle which I figured a few months ago and I was right so that planning worked out well. Things are really coming along well now.

[JmsCaverly]

Ok so I got these two 6 volt deep cell batteries for free from work we use them on skyjacks. But they were going to be tossed so I grabbed them. Now I didn't plan on running two batteries but sense I got them for free I will be now. My question is has anyone had any experience using two 6 volt batts? And how have they liked it or disliked it? I know it will eat up more real estate than I really can afford but from what I was told these should last much longer than a 12 volt system. So you guys tell me would you stick with them or move on to a single 12 volt batt?

[MtnDon]

IF those have been well looked after, they are good batteries. The T-105 Trojan are a member of what is referred to as golf cart batteries. Wire them in series for 12 volts. If in good condition they will have approx double the amp-hour capacity of one 12 volt Marine/RV battery. Well cared for they can last 3 to 5 years, even longer with exceptional care. (Mine are now over 6 years old and working well). Abused they might last a year. Trojan stamps a date code on the positive and negative terminal. Scroll to bottom of this page.

When you lift the caps and look inside are the plates covered with electrolyte? Do they appear clean or are there crystalline deposits?

Do you have a hydrometer, or access to one? That is the best method to determine their state of charge. A voltmeter is second best. A voltage of 12.7 would be full charge, as long as the battery has been resting for several hours; no loads, no charging.