Interior ceiling and air conditioning.

[Model_A Bill]

After countless hours of looking through pictures of some really cool TD's I am getting some good ideas for mine.

A couple of questions:

I saw one TD that had a white ceiling and some very nice stained wood walls. I liked how bright the white ceiling helped make the inside.

Is that white ceiling Filon?? If so can filon be mounted as the ceiling directly to the wood spars or do you have to put ply on the spars and glue the filon to the ply. It would sure save some weight if you could glue it directly to the spars.


Second question: Can you get air conditioner/heater combos that can be mounted on the roof of a TD? Something that is as small as the vent windows that are put on the roofs. Something small enough that is only sticks up a few inches and maybe protrudes into the interior a couple of inches.

I googled and looked at some AC units that go into campers but they look WAY too big in physical size.

I've also seen where some people put AC units in cabinets and it seems to work well, but if I don't have to give up cabinet space, that would be great.

I'll hang up and wait for my answer

Thanks everyone

[SteveH]

Bill,

Don't know if it was mine you were looking at, but my ceiling is white painted wood paneling, painted like that when I bought it.

Should be a picture in my gallery.

[Ira]

Your heating needs will be a non-issue, even in Illinois.

There are a ton of tiny, dirt-cheap ceramic heaters that will fill your need to pull out WHEN needed. They don't have to be built into the TD.

As far as AC, those roof-mounted units are a fortune, and provide 10 times the btu's that you'll ever need anyway.

There's no getting around it:

It's either an expensive Pet-Cool which you don't install permamently but rather set outside and vent in to the cabin, or a cheap window shaker AC, which will cost you next to nothing.

[BrwBier]

The idea I like because I don't need A/C most of the time up here in Wisconsin is to make an extra door and put the cheep window shaker in there. Just use lift off hinges and it would work pretty easy. But that also means having to store an extra door with A/C unit while on the road. With me and a mini van not a problem, with an antique car, maybe not so easy.
Brwbier

[lcurrie]

My plan is to build a tongue box with an expanded metal bottom and put a PetCool in there. I chose to do it this way for a couple of reasons:

- I wanted a permanent, hidden installation. Living in Texas means I'll use it far more than not.
- It will fit in there. I couldn't find a good way to design my galley and get it in there.
- All ventilation issues can be easily handled because the toungue box doesn't need to be water-tight.

[Ira]

My plan is to build a tongue box with an expanded metal bottom and put a PetCool in there. I chose to do it this way for a couple of reasons:

- I wanted a permanent, hidden installation. Living in Texas means I'll use it far more than not.
- It will fit in there. I couldn't find a good way to design my galley and get it in there.
- All ventilation issues can be easily handled because the toungue box doesn't need to be water-tight.

If you're gonna put it in the tongue box, why not just use a window shaker? The box doesn't have to be watertght for that either.

[Model_A Bill]

What is a windoe shaker????

[bobhenry]

Remember back to single pane windows with wood dividers and wood sills and weight pockets , now stick in a window air conditioner. Turn it on and listen to the "window shake"

[critter]

Hey Bill,
Mine has whiteish wall paper on celling which is luan.AC is mounted in frt wall and im making a diamond plate box to cover it to keep water out while driving!

[Denny Unfried]

One large consideration is to get as much R-value insulation as possible in the roof as it makes a huge difference. Another is two doors which is great for cross ventilation. Another plus is that it's much easier to make the bed.

[Lynn Coleman]

I saw one TD that had a white ceiling and some very nice stained wood walls. I liked how bright the white ceiling helped make the inside.

For my white ceilings I simply used my styrofoam(sp) insulation and trimed it with molding in between each spar. The thin layer of plastic on the foam is great and keeps them easy to clean.

Of course I have a flat roof and it's a TTT not a TD but I do like the look of the ceiling and think it would work well in a TD.

Lynn

[Todah Tear]

Bill,

I don't know if you were looking at my Tear's interior, but my ceiling is that foil-bubble insulation that is sold at HP or Lowes. I painted it with some light, light yellow (looks almost white) exterior paint. I enjoy the contrast with the wood and the color helps to lift the mood.

I layed the material over my spars before I put the roof on and stapled it to the spars.

Todah

[madjack]

...we used a white "pickling" stain for our ceiling...it gives it a white finish but allows the wood grain to show through
madjack

[kennyrayandersen]

so, I put my engineer's brain to work on this and I think I found a good solution for how to put AC in a teardrop.

Step one -- find a naroow A/C unit. Fidgidaire FAX052P7A (manual), or FAX054P7A digital w/ remote. I saw one place had the latter on sale for $119

Dimensions: 15.5 W X 11.4 H X 12.0 D

Weight 40 Lb.

All of the others were wider or heavier

One other unit, which was cheaper ($99), was the MIDEA AMERICA CORP/IMPORT MWB-05CM-1 16W X 11.7 H X 12.8 D

weight 44 Lb

To me it was worth saving 4 pounds and having a more narrow profile.


This is what I suggest:

Extending the shelf just forward of the galley, to be 16 1/2 inches wide. Mount the A/C unit on a tray that is on heavy duty drawer slides.

Cut an opening in the side such that the A/C unit will slide in and out.

Mount a cover on the back of the A/C unit so that when it is in the stowed position (inside the teardrop) the cover would seal the trailer against the elements. and a flrame around the outside of the front panel such that

When in operating mode the tray is unlatched and slid outward until the inner frame seals the A/C unit to wall interface.

A deflector swings out and redirects the air forward into the cabin.

For me this is especially workable as I plan on having only one door and just a vent window on the opposite side (for cross ventalation). I'll mount tha A/C on the oposite side as the door.