Haulmark 7 x 16 V-Nose Motorcycle Trailer

[holtbv]

Hello gang.....

Bobby,
Sounds like a plan. 2 weeks will give you more ideas than you'll imagine. You'll be ready to get to work on it as soon as you get back. Painter's tape does help. Just don't make the mistake I made. Don't leave it down when you start work. You will walk it down into the grain of the wood and you will end up scraping it off the floor. Now that was a duh brain fart moment on my part.

Earnest

Well the weather turned to crap today down here in Bama, but I was able to get a few things done. I actually punched two holes in the trailer, one on the drivers side for 30A Service and the other on the passenger side to be able to pass a propane hose to my Mr. Heater Portable Buddy Propane Heater. I'm taping of a 20lb tank that I've got a multi-tap pipe on it which will supply the heater, a camp stove, and a propane Lantern. I have the hose passing thru a access door for electric cords, but it works well for the supply to the propane heater. I won't use the Propane when I have 30amp supply, since I've got a Lasko Stanley Pro-Ceramic Utility Heater.

Got the 4.5 cuft fridge running. It's a cheapo Magic Chef for Home Depot. Seems to be working well so far, but I wonder about the road life of it. I'm working on a way of keeping it in place, which might be some bungee cords for an interim. The V-nose space is kind of an "awkward space" withe the factory installed storage cabinet that's in place. I've stared at the space and I'm hoping something will come to me eventually to utilize this area.

For a temporary bed, I have a Coleman queen sized cot w/ air mattress. The wife and I set this up tonight to see what the foot print looked like. While we were doing this I had the propane heater going because the temperature outside fell into the upper 30's. Even without insulation the heater kept the space relatively warm, but I could see the condensation begin to form. I absolutely need to make insulation one of my top priorities when I have the time! Although the thought of removing the interior factory paneling seems kind of overwhelming..... ughhh.

Earnest & Hank: Blue painters tape is a great idea!

Earnest: I've been checking out your build and all I can say is..... wow! Now I know what you mean by "sharing the same purpose".... hauling bikes.

I'll post some pics soon.

Bobby

[holtbv]

Howdy everyone.....

As I stated before. My CT is first and foremost a "Motorcycle Hauler". Since the interior height is only 65" (hence the "Low Hauler" moniker) this will be a far cry from the Ritz.... lol
My first trip will be to Dayton Beach, FL for Bike Week and I want to add some "creature comfort" for the times I use the trailer as sleeping quarters.

Now that you know my general purposes for this trailer, I'd be interested in what other members deem as "must haves", i.e. Things that make your CT conversions more livable. I'd love to hear your tips and tricks.

Also, I have an old Blogger Account that I'm going to actually start posting too. I started this a few years ago when I was assigned to work in the Eastern Hemisphere, but I never really got motivated to post to it. I plan on using this to journal our upcoming epic bike ride of the Four Corners USA ride.

The Blogger website is: http://roadwarriortravels.blogspot.com/

And the Google Map of the bike ride adventure is here: http://tinyurl.com/ples6b3

[Rainier70]

If it was mine, the first thing I would put in would be vents. Vents reduce the condensation, removes heat, and will also help to remove gas fumes from off the bikes. I would also install MaxAir covers over the vents so that they can be open in the rain and while traveling. Fans in the vents are even better. I used a large computer fan and I love it. It's quiet, but very efficient. viewtopic.php?f=42&t=55219&start=45 Lots of other people swear by the Fantastic Fan Vents.

Next I would insulate it. Then coat the roof with the solar reflective paint.

Windows would be a nice addition, as well as a window mount AC if you camp in campgrounds with power.

Next would be to add led lights and other extras.

[bc toys]

you might want to look at E-track for your bed get 3 2x4s and the e-track brackets for 2x4s you'll need to get 6 one about 6'' in on each side and one in the middle get a 4x8 sheet of ply I used 1/2'' and you can make a way to stand it all up against the wall while bikes are in the trailer.

[roadinspector]

Another idea for your bed is a folding unit. Nothing to remove. It just folds up against the wall when not in use. 100% ditto on Rainer70. Reflective paint really works and so do the Maxair vent covers. The key factor (IMO) for condensation prevention & removal is air circulation.

Earnest

[holtbv]

Hello bc toys

you might want to look at E-track for your bed get 3 2x4s and the e-track brackets for 2x4s you'll need to get 6 one about 6'' in on each side and one in the middle get a 4x8 sheet of ply I used 1/2'' and you can make a way to stand it all up against the wall while bikes are in the trailer.

That E-track looks to be some versatile stuff! Thanks for the head-up on this!

Bobby

[holtbv]

Hello Rainier70,

If it was mine, the first thing I would put in would be vents. Vents reduce the condensation, removes heat, and will also help to remove gas fumes from off the bikes. I would also install MaxAir covers over the vents so that they can be open in the rain and while traveling. Fans in the vents are even better. I used a large computer fan and I love it. It's quiet, but very efficient. viewtopic.php?f=42&t=55219&start=45 Lots of other people swear by the Fantastic Fan Vents.

Next I would insulate it. Then coat the roof with the solar reflective paint.

Windows would be a nice addition, as well as a window mount AC if you camp in campgrounds with power.

Next would be to add led lights and other extras.

Thanks for the recommendations! On my 6x10 V-Nose Lark trailer there is a vent/skylight and I sure do miss that in this trailer. There isn't a fan on it, but it does help with keeping it cool and putting some daylight in the trailer. Also the my Lark trailer is all white; my new trailer is black on the sides which today I could feel the walls getting kind of warm and I didn't have any heater going today. The temp was about 48 degF outside and comfortable inside.

I'm definitely going to look at vent(s) when I pull the skin to insulate it. So many things that need to be done..... nothing that time and money won't take care of... lol

Thanks again,
Bobby

[holtbv]

Howdy Earnest,

Another idea for your bed is a folding unit. Nothing to remove. It just folds up against the wall when not in use. 100% ditto on Rainer70. Reflective paint really works and so do the Maxair vent covers. The key factor (IMO) for condensation prevention & removal is air circulation.

Earnest

Puttered around the trailer a bit today and mounted a handle on the inside of the door, and mounted a fire extinguisher on the inside. Then my ADD mind went to my bike and I worked on that the rest of the day. Hopefully it won't be too hot or cold at Daytona in March (keeping fingers crossed).

bc toys mentioned something about E-track and that looks pretty interesting for numerous uses. I'm going to get my trusty tape measure out and start "foot printing" the trailer on the first trip and put the pen to pad and document it. I'll post a sketch and some pics when I get that accomplished.

The inside of the Haulmark is somewhat finished out with a white vinyl covered walls and there's aluminum flashing as a transition from the side walls to the ceiling. The whole rear door cable/spring assy is covered in this flashing as well. I haven't got too brave yet, but to remove the inner walling it looks like I'm going to have to remover the flashing first and then start removing the paneling.... fun, fun, fun.

The Ventilation fan w/ Maxair vent covers look like the way to go, but I imagine I'll need to have the inside ceiling taken off to install this...? Regarding the reflective paint, do you have any recommendations on brand/type?

Thanks for all the tips and hints!

Bobby

[roadinspector]

Bobby,
E-track is really nice & sturdy. It has multiple choices of brackets & tie downs. Pen to pad and measuring tape, looking forward to the strip down of the wall. Oh hell, my ADD squirrel just poked its head out too, looking forward to your sketch. Ya think stripping a CT down is gonna be fun, it'll go 10x faster than the build. I was just about ready to wring that flippin' ADD squirrels head off by the time I was 1/2 thru.

Reflective paint, hmmm.... I used Henry Solarflex 287 from Home Depot. I've had mine on for a couple of yrs now and it is holding up well. I'm sure there are better elastomeric brands out there. I don't remember the brand I used to paint the roof of a mobilehome years ago, but it worked well. It will prob take more than one coat but it worth it in the long run. For any roof opening, I sealed all vent edges with Eternabond tape then painted the roof over the tape. This is not required, just an additional move to prevent leaks. Yes, the Elastomeric paint actually does seal. It's even good for leak repairs. The vent fans can be mounted however you wish depending on what type you use. The Maxair vent cover mounts to the exterior part of the vent. Super easy to mount, no disassembly required.

Earnest