Ameralite ATTX 6x12 Build

[Grummy]

I also got to another project I was waiting for the right moment to do. This has allowed me to move just over 25lbs of items from being in the way and on the wrong side of the trailer regards load balance, over to the passenger side.

What is right inside my entry door ? A Norwex Rug. This thing catches everything when it comes to dirt.



What is under the rug ? Now there is a Hatch.



Under the hatch ? A new sealed storage box.



It only reaches 24" towards the center and uses two of the floor channels. I dropped an aluminum pan 1-1/2" below the floor joists to give me a 4-1/2" deep box, perfect for all those things I want handy, but do not need in my way.



Perfect for my tools, jack and tons of other support items. Still need to get it hinged and some sort of flush handle to open it with, but done for this weekends project !

[hankaye]

Grummy, Howdy;



hank

[Grummy]

Thanks Hankaye,

Seems like everything I take on as I get old now takes longer and longer. That front tongue box took me 9 days in all to get finished. Crazy as I think about it, but it was a lot of on and off trial fitting.

The floor storage took a full two days out of me ! I'm thinking of not bothering with the hinge... just lift it out when I need to get in there. I did get to move 46lbs of stuff into it instead of 25 I thought it was. That along with some other changes is now counterbalancing my heavier drivers side.

Next project is to build dedicated storage methods in that tongue box. I have to cut my additional exhaust ductwork for the A/C into it and dedicated Intake and Exhaust concepts for the generator so it does not need to come out to use it.

No end I tell ya ! No End !

[hankaye]

Grummy, Howdy;

What came to mind was something like this for your pull handle;
https://www.marinedepotdirect.com/reces ... -ring.html

Boat folks have lots of neat 'stuff'. chuckle

hank

[Grummy]

>>What came to mind was something like this for your pull handle;

Yep, That is what I am thinking as well. Good thing the cost of marine hardware hardware has dropped some because I have used a lot of stainless bimini parts on my awning. Soon I need to find the perfect rectangular vents as I increase the free flow exhaust area of my Air Conditioner thru the inside of the new tongue box.

[Grummy]

A little update.

I chased a few ideas around for having a hot water option for my 6 x 12. Nothing permanently mounted appealed to me. So I bought a 4 gallon Stainless Sprayer tank and "plug it in" to the trailer when I want to. I sewed up an "Insulated Cover" that does an amazing job keeping the water warm for hours on end. Maybe something like this would fill someone else's needs.



I put the connections in the rear corner of the trailer. This area is actually under my awning and awning enclosure so it is near a power plug for quick heating and also a good spot for a private shower. And, 4 gallons gives a better shower than say 2 gallons which my wife tends to appreciate.

This whole method gives me an awful lot of options. In the trailer, I do have a dedicated hot pump and solenoid that allows me to circulate water to the tap and then back to the tank rather than waste any cooler water in the tubes. The pump with solenoid engaged allows me to send water not just back to the tank, but also via a 3 way valve on the tank, to an exterior shower head or outdoor faucet depending on which is installed via the Push to Connect fittings.

Of course the tank also allows complete independent use via the original hand pump (or compressed air cylinder) without the trailers electric pump.

Heating the water also has a lot of options. If I have 120v access or my generator along, I drop in an immersion heater and it heats 4 gallons to 110 degrees in about 15 minutes. If I am camping off grid, I can also pull off the bottom half of the insulating cover, and put it on any propane or butane stove. Or, I can even drop the tank into a hot bed of coals.

I also have started experimenting with a DIY 22" x 22" solar water heater that uses as many wraps of 3/8" tubing I could fit into the area sandwiched between black ABS plastic and a clear top. In testing, circulating water with a small pump through my solar experiment also keeps the water over 100 degrees quite easily. At some point, I will permanently mount this solar water panel on the roof, and it will only have water in it when I'm hooked up... Unless I find it effective enough to use on site just from my cold tank for washing dishes or hands. I'm really looking forward to finding out.

Lastly, I once made the "boy scout water heater" system with a copper coil heated by charcoal feeding a 5 gallon bucket. I'm thinking of building something similar to see how many briquets and time it would take to heat 4 gallons.

[onehoser]

excellent! great idea!

[Grummy]

Just an Update:

Not much done this year, at least I do not feel like I accomplished much. The cheap Harbor Freight Silver tarp I had sewn up for my awning has been failing for some time (silver plastic dust coming off all over), so I did sew up a really nice replacement. I ordered an ALEKO outdoor 20' awning replacement cover which is a whole lot cheaper than buying the material by the yard. On the HF cover, I had sewn velcro all the way around the edge to attach my screen room to, but that is not the perfect answer. This one still uses velcro all the way around, but a 6" wide section that has the velcro ZIPS onto the awning, and the screen room attaches to it. I did this so I can when necessary, adjust the height of the screen room better when the ground requires it. There is a lot more velcro width on the zip on part.

I also finished the Drivers Side Fender Storage Box.



I did so pretty much for the Water System, and then I got the itch for a propane water heater. Boy, those rascals sure are nice!



I did not intend to have a city water connection, but at my last camping adventure, I did buy a dedicated water hose and filter, and the wife said she liked having access to more water than just our on board tank. So, the filter and pressure regulator are now fit into the box, as well as the new heater. I went with the Foruee brand as they seem to have a good customer relation thing going. I have no inside shower, but have a line to the each side of the trailer for an outside shower or just hot water. Now with the Pump also mounted outside the trailer, I only have two lines running inside, so future leakage will be minimized.

For now, Propane will be connected as needed... Not sure if I am mounting any tank or not, though I did already buy a 5lb tank. I have since cut a vent in the top of the fender, but I am not thrilled with how that worked out, so I will be coming up with a better plan for that.

[Vnose]

Got a temporary cover made....

Door Open


Door Closed

This is a great idea! Thank you for sharing this, other folks would have made the pieces and told me it was a kit for $299.99, then how I could order the kit from them!

[Grummy]

It's actually a pretty EASY idea because the tandem fender very quickly gives you the matching shape to look decent.

Steps are essentially:

1. Cut the new tandem fender in the middle (though, I made one longer than the other for more battery room).
2. Use masking tape to run a parallel line towards the rear for a guide based on how high you want the tandem fender to ride.
3. Cut your tandem fenders forward edge to match the fender angle or curve (when the originals are round).
4. Locate your trailers vertical studs and screw the tandem fenders inner edge into the trailer.
5. Foam seal or caulk the edge between the new fender and trailer wall.

With that in place, it is easy to build the floor and then the front door. 1/8" aluminum is easy to work with and pop rivets are your friend. My second one went really fast and it is really nice to now have fenders that I CAN stand on to reach the roof. Its made for a really rigid setup. I also like having them to assist with more space within the footprint as well as provide more options for addressing weight management.