7x16x6.5 Featherlite Build

[featherliteCT1]

Did you see / hear my video comparison ? A cheap generator that I fixed with a HF motor?
https://youtu.be/sU-BABfF9Eg

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I just watched your video. My hearing is not able to distinguish sounds very well, but the HF Predator sounds louder than your Champion.

[featherliteCT1]

I am pleased to report that my new Haier 8,000 btu window unit air conditioner

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Haier-HWE08X ... r/49368523

starts in econo mode using my 2,000 watt Powermate generator, with the ac fan on high and with the ac unit in cool mode.

When the ac unit turns on, with the generator in econo mode idling at about 35 percent of full throttle, the generator will speed up to around 65 percent of full throttle (those percentages are just my rough guess, I could be way off).

I wonder if the percentages would be any different with a portable Honda or Yamaha generator.

In any event, now I can start installing the ac unit in the trailer.

[featherliteCT1]

I decided to insulate the floor by laying down a layer of 1 inch polyiso between the e-track and a layer of 3/4” on top of the e-track (the e-track is 1/2” tall).

I did not tape the foam boards so that I can remove the foam board at will.

170801 Floor Insulation 1 (480x640).jpg (192.22 KiB) Viewed 4430 times

Then I layed down sections of 3/4” cedar plywood, rough side down. I had this cedar plywood laying around from a prior project and decided to use it up. Not as pretty as, and does not match, the sidewalls. However, I think the cedar will perform well.

170801 Floor Plywood 1 (480x640).jpg (198.32 KiB) Viewed 4430 times

170801 Floor Plywood 2 (480x640).jpg (168.35 KiB) Viewed 4430 times

[featherliteCT1]

I had a piece of scrap oak plank laying around so I installed a piece at the threshold of the RV door where the foot traffic and scraping takes place as I drag stuff in and out of the trailer.

170801 Floor Threshold (480x640).jpg (180.4 KiB) Viewed 4426 times

I have not yet insulated the floor in the rear on the side where my quick release Condor chock is located because I need to raise the chock before I lay down 1” of foam plus 3/4” of plywood. Otherwise, the rear of the 900lb. motorcycle will stick up 1 3/4” higher than the chock, making it very difficult to wrestle the bike backwards out of the chock, even with the nose of the trailer jacked up.

170801 Floor Plywood 3 (480x640).jpg (175.98 KiB) Viewed 4426 times

The plywood is easily removable. In due course, I will attach a small, low profile cleat between each sheet of plywood at the seam to prevent the plywood from creeping to the rear of the trailer.

As need arises, I will cut out small, rectangular openings through the plywood floor to access the E-track with clips. You can see one cutout on the right side of the chock leg I made to accommodate the width of the chock.

[flboy]

Good to hear your 8000BTU cranks up on Eco mode for you. That was a big deal for me. Also, I think the 8000 BTU is ideal size for my trailer.

I apologize if I missed the conversation, but why are you covering up the etrac ? I liked that aluminum deck.

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[featherliteCT1]

Hey flboy,

I covered up the e-track now because I was too impatient to cut the plywood flooring now to accommodate the e-track. I figured that I can always go back and cut out areas of the plywood as needed to expose the e-track when I want to tie something down. I was impatient because I wanted to get the AC unit installed ASAP, with the floor mostly insulated, so I could test how the AC works.

This afternoon, I installed and fired up the window AC unit for the first time. Today it was not very hot outside (high of about 83 degrees F) so I could not tell how well my insulation works. I do know that in a couple of hours with the AC on, with the trailer sitting in the sun, it got down to 66 degrees F. However, I was surprised that, when I turned the AC off, it only took about an hour or so for the trailer to heat back up to 75 degrees F.

Tomorrow, I hope to post some photos of the AC unit installed in a temporary location.

One of the big problems I have is that I do not yet know where I want to install things as my build progresses. So far, my electrical wiring, flooring and AC unit are all installed in make shift fashion, on a temporary basis, so I can go back and change as needed.

[flboy]

I see. Good luck with figuring out your floorplan. I wrote down my most important requirements for the trailer build and prioritized them. I went through many floorplans and layouts on scratch paper before I settled on what I ultimately built to satisfy those requirements. It is tough to decide and you need to be sure before you start cutting holes in the roof and sides. Having a working AC while building the interior out is priceless in the summer. I did learn that. :-)

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[featherliteCT1]

Thanks flboy, good advice.

[featherliteCT1]

Here is the AC unit I installed on a temporary basis in order to test how well my trailer is insulated and how the 8k btu unit would perform. The rear ramp door is not yet insulated. The ramp has a 1/4 diamond plate welded to the ramp framing that I will need to deal with later on if I want insulation inside the ramp door.

I installed two 2x4’s between the horizontal e-track on the walls. I also installed two 2x4’s at the ceiling that can quickly be removed … I nailed small wooden supporting blocks on each wall at the top into which the 2x4’s slide in and out.

I then set the AC unit on a piece of plywood that slides along the two lower 2x4 rails. That way I could easily slide the AC unit along the rails as I tried to figure out proper positioning. The AC unit weighs 50 lbs.

170801 AC Mounted (480x640).jpg (177.26 KiB) Viewed 4347 times

Here is the foam box I glued together with liquid nails to affix onto the rear of the AC unit as an exhaust manifold. I also pinned the edges together with some nails to help secure the edges.

170801 AC rear Box (480x640).jpg (183.1 KiB) Viewed 4347 times

170801 AC rear Box2 (480x640).jpg (172.61 KiB) Viewed 4347 times

[featherliteCT1]

Here is the foam box I made to serve as the intake manifold. The AC unit has intake louvres on both sides and on the top of the unit.

170801 AC Side Box (480x640).jpg (164.13 KiB) Viewed 4346 times

170801 AC Side Box2 (480x640).jpg (185.6 KiB) Viewed 4346 times

[featherliteCT1]

Here is the AC unit installed. I used 6" insulated flex hose for the intake and exhaust ducting.
I cut pieces of foam board to press fit into 1/2 of each window opening (so the windows and screens still slide open and shut), cut a 6" round hole in each board, installed a round galvanized sheet metal duct tube in each hole and then fit the insulated duct around the tube secured by a 6" worm gear clamp.
Intake is on the drive side window and exhaust is on the curb side window.
Not sure if this set up would work, rather than tape the manifolds onto the AC unit, I temporarily installed an adjustable black strap around the AC unit to squeze the manifolds tight against the AC unit ... I experienced very little air leakage around the AC unit. .

170801 Haier AC 1 (480x640).jpg (139.64 KiB) Viewed 4345 times

170801 Haier AC 2 (480x640).jpg (152.71 KiB) Viewed 4345 times

170801 Haier AC 3 (480x640).jpg (164.77 KiB) Viewed 4345 times

[featherliteCT1]

Here is the rear of the AC unit showing the exhaust duct.
Now I need some hot humid weather to test this stuff out. Today the high is forecast to be only 85F.

We shall see!

170801 Haier AC 4 (480x640).jpg (157.51 KiB) Viewed 4340 times

[flboy]

Wow.. seems like alot of work for a temporary fit/test. Have you decided on where the permanent position will be.

I hope it works well for you. I suspect it will. The 8K BTU I installed works great.

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[featherliteCT1]

flboy,

I suspect that, when i am ready to cut holes in the walls, the permanent position will be just about the same position you installed yours, with the understanding that your trailer is 18' long and mine is 16' long. Recall that imitation is the highest form of flattery!

[featherliteCT1]

Hydrometer (420x450).jpg (93.52 KiB) Viewed 4217 times

Here is the hydrometer I use to test my wet cell deep cycle batteries. Cost $30.
https://www.altestore.com/store/deep-cy ... es-p11208/
This hydrometer automatically compensates for temperature, which compensation is a must. The other $5 hydrometers I bought from the local auto stores were terribly inaccurate (no two hydrometers would read the same). It was also very difficult to take a reading and then go to the temperature charts to scale the readings. Again, this new one compensates automatically.
A hydrometer is the only way I know of accurately to determine the state of charge of a wet cell battery. That is why I prefer wet cell to AGM because an AGM battery cannot be tested with a hydrometer.

I am one of those guys who follow manufacturers' specs for batteries (which means I am too frugal/cheap to buy batteries any more often than necessary ... LOL).

Edit: I forgot that each battery cell can also be tested with a multimeter by affixing a metal extension onto each probe made out of coat hanger. The probes are then dipped into the acid in alternating cells to read the voltage in each cell (e.g., 2.1 volts per cell is fully charged). However, the metal probes must not touch the plates. I tried this method one time but it was way too hard for me to suspend each probe low enough to touch the acid (especially when it was low on acid) but high enough to avoid touching the plates at the same time. Also, the acid dripping off the probes was messy and the whole process was time consuming.