H&H 14x7 V nose conversion in MN

[rebapuck]

You are ready to go! Do you have a floor plan yet?

[nunrleft]

You are ready to go! Do you have a floor plan yet?

I've got a couple in mind, but can't finalize anything until I actually have the trailer to take proper measurements. Basically base cabinets and the refrigerator at the front, straight across the v-nose. This should give me room behind the cabinets for the fresh and grey water tanks. Sink will most likely be in that countertop. Above that area will be a hand built platform the full depth of the v-nose for storage. On the wall opposite of the side door will either be a 24 or 15 inch deep base cabinet, most likely about 3 feet in length. Above that will be a cabinet with slide out bins. One of these openings will house the power center.

I've got the manufacturer installing a 30 amp RV plug and I'm not sure where they're going to be putting it, same thing with the windows their installing. So, until I actually get the trailer things are a little up in the air. The trailer still isn't done, but speaking with the dealer today, they should have it early next week.

In the meantime, adventurerv.com stepped up and sent me a new brown (undamaged) power center cover gratis. I've also received a few more items that I've ordered:

2- 10 foot 5050 LED light strips from www.glowhut.com about $42.00 shipped. They'll give me about 4700 lumens, which is pretty bright, but plan on installing them under a white lens and individually switched, so they should be ok. If not, I'll have to install a couple dimmers.

1 12 volt marine style power outlet, which I'll be installing in one of the cabinets, about $8 shipped from ebay.

18 e-track tie downs from etrailer.com 12 of which I'll be using to make 3 custom wheel chock mounts. They were about $90 shipped.

I've also got an exterior porch light coming from ebay, which was about $8 shipped.

The wife and I plan on going to Home Depot tomorrow to pick up the flooring and some textured decking paint for the rear and shopping for a rug for the back when the bikes aren't in it.

I think I'm going to be over-budget on the build. But as long as the wife is happy I don't have a problem with it.

[MAC33]

Hey nunrleft, I know your probably itching to get going on your build. I know I am. My trailer came in a few days early and I couldn't wait until next weekend, so I hauled hind parts down to the dealer to pick it up, about 100 mile give or take, today. I had the 30 A installed also, and I noticed that they ran the wires in proper tubing to avoid chafing. (Freedom 7x14) I was extremely please to see that. It also bodes the question that if I am taking the walls off and insulating, why can I not then just move the box where I want it? It would certainly be easy enough, now that I can actually see how it all is, and the wires are already ran through the proper protective tubing and zip-tied to the ceiling supports. Just a thought, if you don't like their placement. Mine was in the V nose portion, and I'm still not sure if I want it to stay where it is, but I like the option.

looking forward to seeing more.
MAC33

[nunrleft]

On my trailer, the manufacturer isn't supposed to be running any a/c wiring. Only installing the plug, which I will wire to the power center I'm installing. My point is, I don't know where they are installing the plug and I want as little length of supply wiring to the power center as possible to avoid current drop. Sure, I could move the plug to where I wanted it, but then I'd have a hole to deal with. We'll deal with it when it gets here

On the plus side, I spent another $280 at Home Depot.

Had to order the flooring for the front since they didn't have it in stock:



I picked up some Rustoleum 10x Deck Restorer to coat the ramp and parking area with a textured, none slip finish:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aceDld1xC9I&feature=player_detailpage

I also got all of my water supply fittings and hoses and a new battery for my pickup so I could take the deep cycle battery out to use in the trailer.

When we got home the wife spent another $150 on a rug for the parking area when the bikes aren't in it.

[nunrleft]

Hey nunrleft, I know your probably itching to get going on your build. I know I am. My trailer came in a few days early and I couldn't wait until next weekend, so I hauled hind parts down to the dealer to pick it up, about 100 mile give or take, today. I had the 30 A installed also, and I noticed that they ran the wires in proper tubing to avoid chafing. (Freedom 7x14) I was extremely please to see that. It also bodes the question that if I am taking the walls off and insulating, why can I not then just move the box where I want it? It would certainly be easy enough, now that I can actually see how it all is, and the wires are already ran through the proper protective tubing and zip-tied to the ceiling supports. Just a thought, if you don't like their placement. Mine was in the V nose portion, and I'm still not sure if I want it to stay where it is, but I like the option.

looking forward to seeing more.
MAC33

Re-reading your post, it looks like your dealer installed a 30 amp electrical panel for you. Similar to a household secondary service panel (sub panel), most likely with the plug wire run through an access in the floor. Yes, you can pretty much move your box anywhere. On mine, they are supposed to be installing an RV style 30 amp plug through the side of the trailer (like an RV would have), without an electrical panel or any wiring to that plug. I'm going to wire in my own RV style electrical panel (30 amp AC with 12v DC converter and charger).

[nunrleft]

Still no trailer...but I order a 19 inch ac/dc LED television and mount from Amazon.com. About $180 shipped.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00BEJ ... UTF8&psc=1
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000ID ... UTF8&psc=1

[nunrleft]

Trailer came in last night and I picked it up today.

At the dealer:


Got it home:




RV door with interior screen door:



Recessed E-track:


Roof vent, reinforced to support an air conditioner (note the doubled up ceiling framing):


Two sliding side windows with screens:


Instead of installing a 30amp RV receptacle on the exterior like I asked, the installed an access hole in the floor and a 30amp panel with no wiring. I'll have to order and install the RV receptacle, use the hole in the floor for my grey water drain and pull their 30amp panel out. Not that big of deal.

[nunrleft]

Took the trailer to Hibbing today. 150 miles or so. Spending some time with family over the weekend. While there I pulled out the roof vent and mounted the A/C.

Pics tomorrow.

[McDave]

Wow!
That is a beauty! What a great platform to start your build with.
Congratulations. Can't wait to see the build pics.

[nunrleft]

As promised, some pictures:

Removed the vent. Big pain in the rear. Cleaned it up even further with a putty knife and a little acetone, then seals the screw holes with Three Bond.


View of the inside before the interior mounting plate was installed:


Set in place. I didn't run the wiring as I'm going to have to install a 1/4" shim between the metal framework and interior mounting plate to conceal the wiring inside the ceiling:


On the way home. At a rest area south of Moose Lake, MN:


One the way home we stopped at the Home Depot in Forest Lake. We were pretty much the only people in the store on Easter afternoon. 13 sheets of 1" R-6.5 rigid insulation (Dow Tuff-R), 3 rolls of R-3.5 HVAC duct insulation for the seams/framing, a gallon of water based urethane, a gallon of white ceiling paint, some rollers, 4 tubes of Vulkum, a can of expanding foam and some 3/4" self tapping screws. $400 later I had to drive across the street to Menards to pick up 5 sheets of luann (for the ceiling) since Home Depot doesn't carry it. $60 for the Luann.

[rebapuck]

Nice looking trailer.

[nunrleft]

The wife gave me the day off from work so I was able to get started on the layout and insulation.

Above the blue tape will be one wiring chase and 10 feet of LED lights:


Lower blue tape on the wall will be my counter height. The counter top will extend across the v-nose. I was just too lazy to mark it out. Higher up on the wall is the blue rectangle. This will be wood framed with pull out bins. However, the area in front of the round vent will actually house the RV Power Center (the breaker panel in the pic won't be used). Below that will be another set of pull out bins. I just didn't mark them on the wall. High up on the wall to the left is another 10 feet of LED lights and wiring chase.


The narrow but wide rectangle on the right side of the floor will be drop front bins. The dead space behind it will house the fresh and grey water tanks. The square box in the center will be the home of the refrigerator. To the left of the refrigerator in the triangular dead space will be my battery and water pump. Access to this area and my water tanks is by pulling the refrigerator out. On the floor near the left wall will sit a 15" deep by 36" long base cabinet. Somewhere above the counter top will be a an open shelf that runs across the front of the V-nose. On the bottom of that shelf will be 3 or 4 LED 12v puck lights.


Start of the insulation:


The wife received her order from Etsy today. She's exited to go camping.

[nunrleft]

I got home from work this afternoon and my wife was out in the driveway sealing the wood panels I had taken off. Two coats of water based urethane:





I got the rest of the paneling off and most of the wall insulation installed. As I've been going along I've been re-caulking where the manufacturer missed and repairing wiring they chafed with their screws. I'm not saying that the trailer was poorly built, but they sure didn't take their time to do things correctly. I'm glad I tore things down so corrections could be made.

[nunrleft]

Insulation is pretty much done. I've still got to trim back the little bit of expanding foam I used and stick the insulation tape over a few pieces of framing:


Mounted the porch light. I wasn't comfortable just screwing and gluing onto the skin so I used a 1x6 cedar backing plate. I'll be doing the same at all of my exterior penetrations.


Tomorrow I'll run the wiring and start re-installing the walls.

[Rocky5000100]

Looking good!