Conch Fritter Woodie - Finally gets its topsides painted!

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

Re: D and R's Conch Fritter Woodie

Postby daveesl77 » Tue Mar 31, 2015 5:53 pm

Well, my book match siding copy between the two exterior walls unfortunately will not be an exact match. While I was laying out the strips today getting ready to glue up I tripped over an air hose and broke 2 boards. I have a number of spares, and while not matches they will be close enough. As I said, pretty much I would be the only one that knew the sides were matched, since you couldn't see them at the same time, unless you had "stalk" eyes. :lol:

To the positive side, I did get the strips all mounted to the starboard side. Tomorrow I'll cut out the other door and cloud window, then flip the wall back over and start sanding. Depending on how it goes, I might actually get the first sealer coat on tomorrow, but if I don't it doesn't matter, I'll get to it another day.

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Re: D and R's Conch Fritter Woodie

Postby KCStudly » Tue Mar 31, 2015 6:37 pm

It's the over all impression that counts. People won't necessarily notice a small difference in a somewhat random pattern. Funny how the eye and mind work. If you made no effort at all to match them and parked it next to a camper where someone had, a person walking around both might not be able to put their finger on the difference between campers, but my guess is, all other things being of similar design and quality, that they would perceive a better quality from the one that was similar on both sides than the one that was totally random.

Just saying, I think you will be fine and it will be worth the extra effort you have made. :thumbsup:
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Re: D and R's Conch Fritter Woodie - WALLS!!!

Postby daveesl77 » Fri Apr 03, 2015 3:38 pm

Well, we got the two walls located on the trailer now. They are just temporarily mounted, as I'll be doing the full tie in this weekend. It is starting to look like something! And I am so proud of the very, very special method I am using to prop up the canopy to take the photos...real pro, eh? :D

Aluminum square tubing will replace the temporary wood planks. There will also be 3 steel angle brackets on each side mounted under the siding. If the weather holds and things go well, I might have the spars installed this weekend.
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Inside there will be angle aluminum running the full length, tying the walls to the floor.
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There will also be a 4" wood trim piece that drops below the existing bottom, simply as a kind of skirt for looks. Wood trim also goes around the door, window, roofline and a another one I'm still working on the design.
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Right now the walls are just located. The 27 cross spars will get installed this weekend, along with the aluminum angle systems that will permanently attach the walls and the spars. The spars will be attached using aluminum angle brackets I made. There will also be four 1/4" all-thread rods attaching the walls to each other.
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There is also a temporary diagonal for the port side too. :-)
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We built this you could sit up inside when the weather gets really nasty. The chair is just about the same height as the bed frame will be.
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Yes, from the right side of the door to almost the front of the trailer is kind of Max's spot.
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As long as old Maxie has his comfy bed and plenty of room, he loves camping.
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dave
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Re: D and R's Conch Fritter Woodie - WALLS!!!

Postby Atomic77 » Fri Apr 03, 2015 4:07 pm

I'm really enjoying the build Dave. The wood is beautiful! Keep up the great work!
Michael
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Re: D and R's Conch Fritter Woodie - WALLS!!!

Postby KCStudly » Sat Apr 04, 2015 12:57 am

Atomic77 wrote:I'm really enjoying the build Dave. The wood is beautiful! Keep up the great work!
Michael

+1, everything he said. :thumbsup:

Make sure to glue your walls and spars as well as the mechanical fasteners. Much stronger and more stable that way. Maybe obvious, but... just saying.
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Re: D and R's Conch Fritter Woodie - WALLS!!!

Postby pchast » Sat Apr 04, 2015 9:03 pm

+1
:thumbsup:
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Re: D and R's Conch Fritter Woodie - WALLS!!!

Postby daveesl77 » Sun Apr 05, 2015 7:24 am

Thank you all for your kind support and encouragement. Please, if you have a critique or question something I'm doing, please bring it up! I like criticism! It is NOT an insult to me but helps.

The way I'm attaching the walls is kind of like creating a 3-way clamping system. I had a bunch of aluminum angle and square tubing that I cut out of some wonderful, heavy-duty shelves my neighbor didn't want. I mean like over 40 linear feet of the stuff! Including the 18" and 24" wide aluminum sheet used for the shelves.

As can be seen in the photo, I set the walls on the side of the floor sitting on some 1x6, end run pine. This is just to set the location and squaring. For the actual mounting, on the bottom of the floor panel, where the floor overhangs the trailer frame, I've installed 1" square tubing. Over the top of that, at the outer wall side, is 1" angle, 32" long. There are 4 of these pieces, 2 on each side. The interior wall/floor join also gets 1" angle. So, the way it all attaches is the outer angle is first welded to the square tubing. Holes are predrilled in both the tubing and outside wall angle. The square tubing is through-bolted through the floor system. The interior angle is through-bolted down into the square tubing. The outer wall angle is through-bolted into T-nuts built into the floor system. So, the top angle/bottom tubing is through bolted to each other. Outside angle is through-bolted into the floor system. Outside angle is also welded to the square tubing. Oh, and interior angle is through-bolted into T-nuts in the exterior wall.

I'll try to do some photos today, if the weather holds, as I lock the system down.

On the walls, the spars are 3/4" x 1.5". I'm placing them every 8" along the curve, simply to make the bends easier (I think). In 4 positions around the exterior radius will be all-thread rods tying the two walls together at double thick spars. The spars will be held in place by both glue and "L" brackets I've made from that good old aluminum angle I have. Why buy stuff when I can just chop up stuff I have. Yes, it actually pained me to rip those 1x10x12' clear pine boards down into 1.5" spars, but heck I got them from the "cull" bin and they only cost like $3 each and I think I got like 8 spars out of each board. Plus I still have 3 left.

It is nice to actually see my wood/parts pile shrinking. Regina is happy too, since I've actually been throwing stuff away as I've continued in the build. :)

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Re: D and R's Conch Fritter Woodie - WALLS!!!

Postby daveesl77 » Mon Apr 06, 2015 7:07 pm

Well, I was too tired to do photos today, but I'll try to shoot some tomorrow. Got the walls fully attached with the aluminum "clamping/mounting" system and it worked out great. Over the weekend I cut all of the spars and this afternoon the wife and I installed them. They fit PERFECTLY!!! Yippee! I was actually amazed, there wasn't 1/16" variation on any spar location around the entire perimeter. They slid in like they were supposed to. I guess getting old still allows me to make a lot of cuts and actually get them right from time to time. :D

I still have to add in the brackets and also the 4 all-thread rods I'm running between the walls, but this puppy is solid! So after I install those tomorrow, then I'll shift gears and build the twin, slide-out and rotating galley components and the fender wells.

Oh yeah, a galley that stores under the bed, slides out the back and can also rotate 90 degrees. It will be two sections, each 4' long, 16" wide, 16" tall, riding side by side. They will ride on bearings and rails (kind of like how I do one of my camera jib crane dolly). The outside 24" length of each side splits and flips into a 4' long, 8" high section, one holding the sink, the other holding the stove. This then makes the total galley length 12', but it can be in a straight behind configuration or "L" shape or both sides fully rotate to make it 12' wide, plus a central panel 32" wide where the two sections rotate away from each other. Sorry, the only "plans" for this reside in the dark recesses of my very strange mind, but I promise to do photos as I build it.

Onward, upward, forever!

dave
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Re: D and R's Conch Fritter Woodie - WALLS!!!

Postby daveesl77 » Thu Apr 09, 2015 3:51 pm

The walls are now attached and got almost all the panels cut for the galley boxes. Began gluing up the first box today and will do the 2nd one tomorrow. Now that I've made the final determination on their sizes, I'll put in the rear support spars for the galley access door. I guess I might be laying some interior roof skin this weekend!

Time to complain about L*wes...I've been a customer of that company for decades and have spent a substantial amount of money with them, including most of the components that went into my house I built in the Colorado mountains. Their products have just continued to get worse and worse over time, though. It should be an eye opener for a company when customers say "I'm getting to where I actually hate coming to this store". I've put up with ignorant sales staff, products that don't exist even though the inventory says it does and garbage. The "garbage products" is what finally got to me. Last week I went to pick up a couple of sheets of cabinet grade ply to build my galley boxes. The junk at HD was eye watering bad, so on to L*wes. I get 2 sheets of their 1/2" because they did not have anything thicker. I get it home and rip it down. In both sheets, about 16" into the panel, they delaminate. I mean like spring open delamination. I WAS HOT! See it is a 30 mile round trip for me to go to that store. So yesterday I take the cut panels back. Granted, after having to argue with the moron at the service desk who...well never mind on that...I get the manager over and show him the crap. "Oh we need to send those panels back to the manufacturer" YA THINK? What about the rest of that shipment? So, long story short, got my refund, made them give me $50 for my gas and told them I would never, ever shop at their company again. Oh, I found a cabinet shop that sold me the 3/4 ply I wanted - FOR THE SAME PRICE AS THE GARBAGE L*WES WAS SELLING. :roll:

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Re: D and R's Conch Fritter Woodie - WALLS!!!

Postby daveesl77 » Fri Apr 10, 2015 6:07 pm

Well, I didn't get to work on the trailer today, as I had to help my neighbor set up some security cameras. But the first galley box did glue up nicely and I'll do the other one tomorrow. Here are some shots for the week - I actually did not work on the trailer for 2 whole days this week! I feel guilty!

Got most of the spars installed. These are glued, bolted and mounted to L brackets. I set the spars every 8 inches. I know it is overkill, but I had them all cut and figured why not.
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4 areas I've put 1/4" allthread rod, linking the two walls together. When tightened against the spar it creates a very, very strong system. Allthread is through-bolted.
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Not tightened yet
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The walls are mounted using aluminum angle and square tubing. I've created kind of a 3 way clamping system. Inside angle throughbolts into outside bottom square tubing. Square tubing is welded to outside angle. Angle is also through bolted into walls and floor system. Tubing is also throughbolted through floor.
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I've decided to build in small storage areas below the floor. I was going to mount trim board holders under here anyway and figured why not just box it in to hold stuff like water hoses, electric lines, etc. Not big boxes, but say 5" tall x 8" deep by 30" long.
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The chair is to give me a reference to bed height.
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Plan for tomorrow is to start gluing up the second galley box. I'll then add in the poplar spars for the galley cover. Possibly by Sunday I'll start skinning the interior.

dave
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Re: D and R's Conch Fritter Woodie - WALLS!!!

Postby KCStudly » Fri Apr 10, 2015 7:03 pm

I think your spar spacing is spot on. Except for the 2x2 spars at my roof fan, my 1x2 spars are all about the same as that and I wouldn't have gone any less.

You are really getting things sorted out now and it is looking good. :thumbsup:
KC
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Re: D and R's Conch Fritter Woodie - WALLS!!!

Postby daveesl77 » Fri Apr 10, 2015 8:14 pm

Thanks KC.

Yeah, I'm not doing a roof vent. Instead I'm following the designs of some others that use a vent system. I'm going to put kind of a thin duct running the sides, going from top to underneath, also front to center to back. The idea is to use it with computer fans to pull air out of the top and also enable me to pull from underneath and exhaust into the top if I want. At the same time, the other end of the ducting will enable me to do the external AC hook up if needed. This design is still in the working stage, as I've gotten into the discussion on using a hot water heater for a cabin heater. I'll test out the basic idea this weekend, using my on demand heater. So if the heater system works, then I'll figure out how to do an all encompassing HVAC system. Pretty weird, eh?

:)

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Re: D and R's Conch Fritter Woodie - WALLS!!!

Postby KCStudly » Fri Apr 10, 2015 8:56 pm

Yeah, sounds a little different. Is there a thread somewhere discussing it that I missed? If so linky?

Caveat would be to be sure that you have enough exchange air to handle the humidity from breathing, perspiration, damp clothes, etc.

I am making provisions for a hooded roof vent fan supplemented by a 5 inch case drawing from underneath feeding a register under my rear cabinets; cross flow and the ability to have a lower volume (both in flow and noise level) when the roof fan on low is more than enough.
KC
My Build: The Poet Creek Express Hybrid Foamie

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Engineering the TLAR way - "That Looks About Right"
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Re: D and R's Conch Fritter Woodie - WALLS!!!

Postby Gunguy05 » Mon Apr 13, 2015 8:22 pm

I'm liking that all these idea. I would never have thought of using that. Great idea.

That cedar looks outstanding. I like the variations in the grain. That will be one of s kind when it's done.

Great stuff. Keep it coming!
Brian


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Re: D and R's Conch Fritter Woodie - WALLS!!!

Postby daveesl77 » Mon Apr 13, 2015 8:38 pm

Here is the thread on using a hot water heater as a cabin heater. I tried the concept of using my little tankless heater and it worked actually far better than I thought it would. 75-140 degrees on the reservoir side in 105 seconds. I've ordered an aluminum heater core and hi-low temp sensor to do the full test.

viewtopic.php?f=54&t=62327

I don't remember the various threads I've found talking about not using a roof vent, but multiple folks have done them.

I got the interior skin on today and am now gluing up the insulation panels. I'll install them over the next two days. What some may have noticed is that I have no wiring in my walls or roof, that is by design. All wiring, pipes and ducting will run in chases in the bed frame area, the front cabinet and on the ceiling perimeter also inside the interior trim. I making it where wires are hidden, but accessible. Also, so they won't be accidentally cut in the future with screws and such.

I'll post some more pics when I get the insulation installed.

Thank you all for the comments and support. Building this is so much fun. Oh, and I haven't updated the cost of the build in a while. It must be remembered that I lucked up and got a bunch of stuff at super discounts, as much was in the "cull" bin. So the total to date for everything is... $1,147 . As I said in the beginning I also already had a bunch of stuff which continues to reduce the cost. I'm kind of doubting I'll have $2k in the build.

8)
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