Just A Noob's 6X12 Conversion

[bigdave_185]

I love the clear finish on all of the cabinetry. Really old in our cabinet shop painting everything white it really dark stains.
Well done


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[VegasBell]

Thanks for the kudos, Pete.

Yeah Dave, I don't have a sprayer, so finishing cabinets is a real pain. So for this project, I used pre-finished birch. I like the look of it, but the outer veneer is paper thin, so I'm concerned about how it'll hold up.

Fred

 

[VegasBell]

Some updates...

The trailer is NOT finished, yet (are they ever???), but it IS functional. This past couple of weeks, I've installed the bed/mattress, dining table and tongue box that houses the propane tank. That also means that all of the utilities are working, except for one more light that I have to install. I also install a electrical shore connection, circuit breaker, and one GFIC outlet. (That's working fine except for one problem that I'm making a separate post, because I'm not sure why it's a problem.)

So what's left? I have one last cabinet to make. It's a wardrobe cabinet for the back corner. (There will also be a sub-cabinet at the bottom that will hold the porta-potty.) I have to finish the back deck with outdoor carpet, make a screen door for the rear exit, and install the vinyl flooring. However, I'm sure that won't be the end of it, but it'll do for now.

Fred

 

[VegasBell]

Here's the tongue box. Nothing fancy.

Fred

 

[VegasBell]

Finally, the big day (but not the biggest day.)

I hitched up the trailer and took it for a drive around town. Just wanted to see how it handled and if anything shook loose. After an hour of driving a couple of rough roads, railroad crossings and 20 miles of freeway, I'm happy to report that all is fine!

Now for my curious problem... when I hooked up the 7-blade connector to the my truck, the truck's 30A tow-circuit fuse blew. I hooked it a few weeks before after I swapped out the 4-pin factory connector for the 7-blade connector, because I added backup lights. Everything worked fine at that time.

What I did in between was add a 120V shore connection, breaker panel and one GFIC outlet. I also grounded the breaker panel and shore connection to the trailer's frame. The 120V circuit seems fine. My tester shows the correct lights and the GFIC works fine. Of-course the trailer running lights are also grounded to the frame. When I disconnected the 120V ground wire from the frame, I got my running lights back and the truck's 30A tow-circuit is fine. (120V shore connection was DISCONNECTED when I hooked up the trailer to the truck.)

My question is why would grounding the 120V shore connection to trailer's frame blow a fuse in the tow vehicle?

Fred

 

[Modstock]

Sounds like power is traveling back to the truck. I always disconnect the 7- plug from the vehicle when parked.

From what I've been told, you dont need the ground to the frame in 110.

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[Ol' D]

Modstock,
Hi, I have an idea that could be causing your electrical problem. The frame should be bonded to the equipment grounding buss in the breaker panel. The ground shouldn't have any current running through it except when you have a fault. I suggest that you check in the breaker panel to see if there is a green screw in the neutral buss, that is the bonding screw to tie the ground and neutral together. In your application they shouldn't be tied together, that is supposed to be done at the service. If the screw is turned in, remove the screw and see if the problem still exists.

good luck,
Dan

 

[Ol' D]

Modstock,
This is a follow up, I just got a better look at your breaker setup. I can't see any point for bonding the neutral and ground in your panel. What I said in the other post doesn't apply to what I'm seeing here. Just make sure the neutral isn't bonded to the box. Sorry for confusing the issue.


Dan

 

[Modstock]

You mean VegasBell. His trailer.
I just passed the question along to a friend . Curious since im about to add shore power too.

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[VegasBell]

Thanks for the response.

120 volt shore power was disconnected before I hooked up the trailer to the truck.

Could it have something to do with the GFIC outlet that I installed in the trailer?

I think I'll just pull the ground wire from the breaker box to the frame.

Fred

 

[Modstock]

That should fix it. You get your ground through the box at the campground.
Here's a good video.
https://youtu.be/Q2zctGoAR60

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[VegasBell]

Happy Holidays everyone.

Installed flooring and the last cabinet. The flooring is vinyl planks. Hopefully this works. I left plenty of room around the edges, so maybe it won't buckle when the summer heat gets here. It's floating, so not a huge problem if I have to rip it up and try something else. Guess I'll know in June, LOL!

Cabinet is a tall wardrobe cabinet in the back passenger side corner. There's room to hang a few things, a little mini-cabinet that holds the porta-potty in the bottom, and a little cubby for whatever up top.

All of the cabinets are frame and panel, with 3/4" pine for the frame and 1/4" plywood for the sides. The doors and drawer faces are made with 1/2" plywood. That helps keeping the weight down, but a lot more construction work.

So I just have a few finishing items and it's ready for it's first trip next week.

Fred

 

[VegasBell]

Well it's more or less finished.... as much as these things are ever finished. LOL!

The pendant light was a cool find on eBay.

Took it out for its first outing last weekend to a local state park. Everything worked pretty well, no real changes to consider for now. (My wife loves it! So bonus!)

Temps were a bit chilly, but not too bad, highs in 50's, lows in the upper 30's. Stayed nice and comfortable inside. Used a Little Buddy heater that brought the inside temperature up to 65 in about 20 minutes. It took an hour for the temperature to drop only 5 degrees, so maybe all that work insulating paid off. I got a little USB fan and placed it behind the heater to help spread the heat around. (Yes, I cracked a window and the top vent for fresh air, although the heater says it's safe for indoors.)

I don't the final weight, yet. Need to investigate on how to get it weighed. I do know that the tongue weight is appx. 300lbs. Tacoma towed it pretty easy, although it really kills my MPGs, (around 15mpg.) I can see adding electric brakes just to take some of the pressure off of the TV. And once I start taking longer trips, I'll add solar and a bigger battery. For now, my 35Ah battery did fine for a 3 night trip.

Fred

 

[bigdave_185]

That last photo is what makes this whole adventure worth every penny! Ever smashed finger and the late nights in a trailer.

Looks amazing


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[VegasBell]

Thanks Dave.

It took about twice as long as I planned and cost about twice as much as I hoped. But that's all a faded memory now.

Just happy trails and good times ahead.

Fred

 

[Modstock]

Looks great inside. How did the electrical work out for ya?

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[featherliteCT1]

I REALLY like what you have done with your trailer .... looks great!

 

[VegasBell]

These conversion projects are never really finished,.... RIGHT??? LOL. I've had a few good trips, and everything has worked out pretty well. So far no regrets. My coldest temps so far was about 26F one morning. Trailer temp inside was about 46F. After burning a Lil Buddy heater for about 20 minutes, I got the cabin up to about 65F, and it stayed comfortable for about an hour. So I guess all that work insulating paid off.

The only slight disappointment is that it seems a little heavier towing than I had hoped. But keep in mind that I'm used to towing a 13' Scamp. My Tacoma handles fine, but towing really kills my MPGs. I haven't weighed it yet, but I did measure the tongue weight which is about 300lbs.

Anyway, I used some of my stimulus money to install a solar system. I just started with a single 100W panel, and I'll see how that works for me. It'll be simple to add another panel if I feel the need for it. My power demand is pretty low, and there's plenty of sun here in the desert. The biggest challenge was routing the cables inside. Wished I had thought ahead more last fall before I closed the ceiling. But it worked out fine. Here's a couple of pics.

Stay safe.

Fred

 

[VegasBell]

First outing with the solar system. Very satisfied. It's only a single 100W panel charging a 35AH battery, but my needs are pretty low, all LED lights and a water pump. In the summertime, I only need lights for a couple of hours. I had one day where I charged 4 camera batteries, an Anker battery for my audio recorder, and charged my laptop. No problem at all. Of-course, living in Nevada, I have plenty of sunshine.

Fred

 

[VegasBell]

Seems like you never stop working on these things. There's always something to change or improve.

The first photo shows a small stereo system and shelf. It's just a basic amplifier and speakers. Where I frequently camp there's no radio reception, so that's why I didn't install a car stereo system. Also, I didn't want to create another hole in the roof for the antenna. I tried a wireless speaker, but I just don't like the sound of those things. The shelf has also proved to be very handy.

In the second photo, I built steps that easily slid into the mounts that I attached to the frame. I could have bought steps, but I would have to wield steel to the frame underneath, and I really didn't want to do that. The steps have adjustable feet for uneven ground and remove easily to store in the trailer when traveling.

Happy Trails All,

Fred