The Adventure Begins: 6x12 V-Nose Conversion

[flboy]

Looks like you had a great time! That is my favorite.. camping and dirt bike riding! Your dog looks like he likes to camp too! Good for you! Take care.

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[dno1967]

Awesome spot & great photos. (Especially the Jeep.)

 

[kirkupnorth]

It's the time of year in northern Minnesota when we start getting the CTC ready for camping. This season's big change revolved around the refrigerator. On the initial build, we installed a 110V dorm style refrigerator:

It got the job done. However, when we built our portable solar suitcase, we hoped to be able to boondock for several days at a time.
We soon found that the refrigerator was using too much power. We'd have to run the generator to recharge the batteries after a day or two, which was not ideal.

We decided to get rid of the 110V fridge, and go with a 12V solution. After lots of research, we decided on an Alpicool 42 quart chest style refrigerator. It uses a compressor, and can be run as a refrigerator or a freezer. Of course, that meant we had to do a small remodel of the cabinet. An added benefit was that we were able to add two large drawers for more storage, which is a very nice thing! Here's what we ended up with:

We put it on heavy duty 300 lb. capacity full extension drawer slides, which work just great! We haven't had a chance to get out camping yet, but we've tested it here at home, and it works really well. It's VERY energy efficient -- it's pulling 2.5 amps when running. Over 24 hours it uses less than 20 amps. It does a great job of cooling and holding its temperature. It's nice not to need to run the inverter!

The capacity is good -- it seems like it holds more stuff than the original with shelves.

We're really excited about this change. It will allow us to stay as long as we want at state forest campgrounds where there are no electrical hookups. We hope to get out in a couple of weeks, once the weather starts to cooperate! I'll let you know how this change works out for us.

 

[TNDave-TNT]

I noticed on your youtube video (which was great!) that you moved the hot water heater inside. Can you elaborate on the reasoning for doing this, as well as the installation? What ducting vent did you use? Your floor plan is almost exactly what we were looking for. We are just about to start our conversion, and appreciate all the great ideas we gleaned from your build!

 

[kirkupnorth]

Hi TNDave- Thanks for your kind words about our build. We've been very happy with it!

Yes, we moved the water heater to the interior for a couple of reasons. The main problem with the exterior installation was that when the water heater was running, the wind tended to blow it out. It was really frustrating! We also found that when we used the CTC in the winter months, the weather and salt on the roads was kind of hard on it.

We've been happy with it indoors, in the cabinet under the sink. It does tend to put out a bit of heat, but not enough to be a problem. I'll have to ask KirkUpNorth himself for the install details. I'll get those, and a couple of pictures posted tomorrow to explain how we did it.

 

[kirkupnorth]

Well, I finally got around to snapping some photos of the hot water heater install. We have been very happy with it since we moved it indoors. We put it in the cabinet under the sink, and the install was pretty basic.

We used metal vent hose of the type that you use for dryers. When shopping for the heater itself, we made sure to get one with a flange that would work with the vent hose and a simple hose clamp.

We bought a stainless steel vent cover for the exterior. The one we chose is made to keep the weather out, and it works great! We just angled it down and to the rear.

The stainless steel looks just fine on the black exterior.

If you have any other questions just let me know.

 

[flboy]

I installed one of the OD water heaters in my new 6x12 and vented through the ceiling. Once I got a good 2 stage regulator, it works stellar as long as I have a good water flow..seems impossible to low flow a hot shower like I can with the conventional 6 gallon type.

Not an issue when hooked up to water and Grey water drain, but uses too much water IMO for boondocking unless I Navy shower it. not complaining when I have hookups.. can take the endless hot shower.

Have you had the same experience. Anything I can do?

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[TNDave-TNT]

This is a bit belated... but thank you for the follow up and pictures on the water heater install!

 

[kirkupnorth]

Wow, it's been a while!!

I wanted to let everyone know our impressions of the Andersen weight distribution/anti-sway hitch. Our trusty old friend, the F250 Super Duty, has been retired from towing duty. We wanted to be able to tow with my new Bronco, but were concerned about tongue weight. We were also a little worried about towing with a shorter wheel base vehicle -- the Bronco is a 2-Door.

Hubby did a lot of research, and finally decided on the Andersen Hitch. This hitch is absolutely amazing! We just came back from towing the CTC from northern Minnesota to Moab, UT -- about 2,600 miles round-trip. Lots of Interstate driving, up and over the Rocky Mountains, and lots of wind! With that hitch, we didn't feel any pushing/pulling from wind, from passing big rigs, etc. Absolutely no sway! It doesn't get bouncy over bumps. Tight turns and backing up are no problem, and the hitch is silent while you're doing it. If you're considering a weight distribution hitch, you might want to check it out.

It's a little different concept. I'll be honest -- I really don't understand how this works. I just know that it works really well.

So, towing on this trip was much easier than we expected. This was our first time in Moab, UT. What a cool place -- we had a blast while we were out there. On the way home, we had some weather!! We were up by the Eisenhower Tunnel in the Rockies, (11,000 feet), and the temperature suddenly fell to 34 degrees. Within a few seconds were were driving through a blizzard - blowing snow that was actually starting to accumulate on the ground. Living in northern Minnesota we've had plenty of experience driving in blizzards, but this was really freaky! It lasted for about an hour, and then we drove out of it. It was June 12 -- what the heck, Mother Nature??

We stayed in a very nice Colorado State Park campground -- Chatfield State Park in Littleton. That's where the first picture in this post was taken. Nice sites with full hookups if you want them, beautiful scenery, and convenient access to the Interstate. I definitely recommend it if you're in the area.

Overall, a great trip!

 

[flboy]

I bought that hitch for pulling my 7x18 CTC... I can agree. I love it.

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[hankaye]

Kirk... Howdy;

Have a brother that used to live in Winter Park, Co. for about 20 years,
according to him locals refer to it as the Never Summer Ranch.
chucklin' he now lives in Coco Beach Fl.

hank

 

[kirkupnorth]

We're considering a WIFI booster for when we're at campgrounds with WIFI. We'd love to hear about your experiences with these. Do they work? What make/model have you had luck with? There are a lot of options available, and they really range in price. Just looking for some experiences/recommendations.

 

[flboy]

We're considering a WIFI booster for when we're at campgrounds with WIFI. We'd love to hear about your experiences with these. Do they work? What make/model have you had luck with? There are a lot of options available, and they really range in price. Just looking for some experiences/recommendations.

I use a wifi booster and for me, it is worth it. Right now, I am staying in my son's back yard while I visit for a few weeks. His wifi does not work well in the trailer due to the aluminum skin and distance. With the booster, it works great and has full strength and speed.


I also used the booster on the trip here. In a Pilot Truck stop, I was able to use the Burger King guest wifi from across the street all evening and streamed Netflix. Many other examples in Cracker Barrel parking lots and etc.. . It will pick up the wifi a block or so away ussually. My booster is as follows:

It is an Alfa R36A Router (USB Wireless) which drives and interfaces with the outside long range antenna. The outside antenna is a Alfa TUBE-UNA 2.4Ghz AR9271 Super Long-Range Outdoor Wireless USB WiFi Booster. The following Amazon link is what I have in total (WiFi CampPro 2 system). I believe I found my system as separate pieces on E-bay a few years ago. You can use the antenna direct with a laptop usb port and some software, but the router is a better way to go because then you can use multiple devices (smartphone, PC, Smart TV , etc..) and setup is easier. It works like your wifi router at home.


https://www.amazon.com/ALFA-Network-2v2 ... c47c48c32f




Pictured below in my CTC next to the Cell Phone Booster.

Wifi booster antenna attached to ladder in back next to the cell phone booster antenna. I also have my HF Amatuer Radio antenna up since I will be stationary for a few weeks.

 

[kirkupnorth]

THanks so much for the info!!

 

[hankaye]

kirk, Howdy;

Some folks that I've dealt with in the past, good for knowledge and parts;
https://www.jefatech.com/
Give them a call and they'll talk to ya.

hank

 

[kirkupnorth]

Thanks to both FLBoy and Hankaye -- we'll definitely be checking out all of this information. We plan to have a solution chosen and installed before next summer's camping season. Fall is definitely in the air here in northern Minnesota, although we still some autumn camping weekends planned. At this time of year in our area, if you ask someone what they did over the weekend it's not unusual to hear "we were busy getting ready for winter". It's actually a thing that we all say and everyone understands exactly what it means.