Under bunk Storage and AC for Compact design

[angib]

i was reading the plans to say that the side panel was 57.5" and the peak of the folding roof to be 20.5" for a total of 78". i am not sure why that is not the case, but if the roof actually peaks at 84" then it would be more than tall enough for even me as drawn. my wife is short, so no worries there. most likely I am overlooking something in your plans that accounts for the additional 6".

I think 84" wasn't exactly right, but close - I think one thing I forgot was the floor thickness.

The sides are 57.5", the (fixed) roof panel is 1.75" thick, the fixed 'side base frames' are 2.5" and 20.5" of folding side panel gives a total of 82.25".

years and years ago, before i got the full blown case of the boatbuilding disease, i stumbled on some pictures you posted online of a nice solid bright finished scow with white epoxy fillets.

It's not a big place, the internet, is it? You're bound to meet someone you know sooner or later.

[mikeschn]

Sounds good guys! Thanks!

Mike...

[Ravenous]

Andrew,
I'm 74" standing. Even at 82.5, I think I might have enough head clearance to cook standing, and put my britches on. I would certainly prefer to build the top exactly as designed, as I always make many mistakes when I go off on my own. My trial and error ratio is about 10 to 8 when I try to do my own designing. I usually get there, but it takes longer and costs more.
Do you think it would be problematic to add small fixed windows in the triangular side panels of the pop-top. Just for extra light and increased view while standing?
I think the idea of foamie/fiberglass construction for the top panel is interesting. I've never had much luck with epoxy/fiberglass over styrofoam, though--always had issues with melting foam, bubbling, and denting. So probably stick to ply and seal the endgrains and seams with epoxy and fiberglass tape.
Thanks for the advice,
Peace,
Rhett

[Ravenous]

Bruce,
I had no idea that RV Cargo Doors could be had so cheaply in so many different sizes and shapes.
I was thinking about hatches designed/built by RHETT being prone to leaks. But these look relatively easy to install and seal in place.
Thanks for the tip.
Rhett

[myoung]

For another take on the Compact design, have a look at my build thread. The basic dimensions are 6 x 11. The popup uses a linear actuator with an 18-inch throw. So far, I haven't seen any need to add the fabric enclosure that I had originally planned. The weather has always been good enough to leave it open and I just close the top at night. Quick and easy.

If I could stand having an A/C unit in the trailer, I'm sure there are plenty of places to install one. In fact, I have much more storage than I need and all is easily accessible from the inside, even the two cargo bays.

Enjoy the journey!!!

[bdosborn]

Interestingly enough, I put my AC on drawer slides behind a cargo door:





Bruce

[Ravenous]

I took the time to read the build journals for Mike Young's modified Compact and Bruce's Boxcar. What amazing work!
My favorite things about Mikes build: The floorplan was really really nice. I loved the Pantry Drawer. And the gaucho-style bunk extension, I really like that idea. Also putting making a space for the tabletop to fit in when not in use.
I really liked Bruce's pop top. And his shower arrangement was quite ingenious. I don't plan on incorporating a shower in my build, as then I would have to add plumbing and a water heater, etc., but the dropped floor in front of the portapot. . . I liked that. I lack visualization skills, so seeing that setup made me realize that a shower was certainly possible. And I will definitely use the slidout AC behind a cargo door/hatch.
Mike,
What is the inside height with the top down on your Jr.?
Bruce,
Did you use some type of flap to weatherstrip around your AC on the inside? I sure would like to see a picture of your AC in the out position from the inside, if you have one. It looks as if that particular AC doesn't have to extend out too far to expose the condenser coil and vents.
I also wonder about whether one would need to install a plug to drain the drip pan after use before retracting the AC after use.
hmmmm
Thanks all for the comments and sharing your experience.
Peace,
Rhett

[myoung]

Rhett,

Thanks for the kind comments. Glad you found some useful ideas there as I did from seeing what others had done before me.

My goal was to keep the overall height under 82 inches so I could fit the trailer in our garage. The floor is only 16 inches off the ground and the interior height beneath the popup is about 63 1/2 inches. So adding the two together plus about an inch and an eighth for the roof thickness makes the overall height outside 80 5/8 with only a tiny amount for the flange around the fixed window in the roof. So, say 81 inches which gives me an inch to spare.

Oh, by the way, I'm vertically-challenged at 5-foot 8-inches but probably shrinking a bit each year.

Enjoy the planning and building.

[bdosborn]

Bruce,
Did you use some type of flap to weatherstrip around your AC on the inside? I sure would like to see a picture of your AC in the out position from the inside, if you have one. It looks as if that particular AC doesn't have to extend out too far to expose the condenser coil and vents.
I also wonder about whether one would need to install a plug to drain the drip pan after use before retracting the AC after use.

Here's an inside shot of the AC in use, I have a little fan underneath it to circulate air to it:


Here's the interior view of it in travel position, it slides in and out using drawer slides. It was kind of a PITA to get the slides installed and adjusted. I also measured a dozen times as well as mocked it up with scrap to make sure the cubby hole was the right size. I used a screen door latch to keep it from moving when in transit or it pushes against the door. I couldn't figure out why the hatch latches kept getting bent the first few trips out. I think it would slam right through the door if I ever hit something and it wasn't secured.:


Here an exterior view of the AC in use. The hatch also is a nifty place for the satellite connection. I can close the hatch over the wire when its cold or wet outside. And yes, I have to push the AC back in when I need to get to the tongue box. I built the tongue box early in the build before I measured where the AC could fit. I was lucky to get everything there to fit.


The AC doesn't really stick out that far and I've never had a problem with it dripping inside the trailer. I didn't use any weather seal on the AC, believe it or not the cargo door keeps most of the rain out. The AC was a $79 end-of-season special from Home Depot.


Hope this helps.
Bruce

[Ravenous]

Bruce,
Thanks you so much for the pictures. That is just what I needed to see.
Good information I hadn't thought of--securing the AC on its slides.
And now that I think about the slight space around the AC and the opening, It might be a good thing
to have a little outside ventilation that is there only when using the AC, to keep the evaporator from
frosting up. I like the shape of that little unit with the evap "cool out" more on the top. And the fact that it seems to run
fine with only a half protruding instead of 3/4 or more. I think, like you said, my difficulty will be getting the enclosure exactly the right width to accomodate the slides and the AC. I recently redid the slides and frame for a bathroom drawer at least a half a dozen times--I couldn't seem to get the slides parallel and the drawer would slide in part of the way and then bind because the width was too tight, and then I overcompensated and it would bind because the width increased. But in the end I prevailed. Like I have mentioned before, I experience a lot of error in my trial and error.
I am extremely encouraged to see the simplicity of the set-up and hear that it works well.
Thanks,
Peace,
Rhett