Teardrops n Tiny Travel Trailers

The desire to post about progress keeps a guy motivated.

My brother, the electrician helped me do my wiring rough-in today. (I'm pretty much clueless.) After looking over my drawings and the fixtures and components that I've already purchased, he came up with a plan, and we made a Depot run.
I reinstalled one of my fir plywood panel and added a piece of 1/4", finished birch to mount the electrical panel to. It will all eventually be the inside of a cabinet.



When I frame out for my ceiling panels, I took a cue from the placement of the factory running light wiring and left a gap for my house wiring. It worked out really well.
There will be a trim piece at the finished wall to ceiling joint that will give me access to the wiring without tearing the whole interior apart.
There will be a second layer of insulation board between the ceiling framing.



We started out with a 100ft roll of stranded 14 gauge (speaker wire) for the low voltage lighting, water pump, and exhaust fan. It took every inch of a second roll to complete the job.
Who'd a thunk?... 200 ft. of wire in a 16 ft. trailer. Plus the 110.
A 20 AMP transformer will provide the 12 volt DC.

My build is based on having shore power hook up. Having been through a few extended outages due to hurricanes, we know how to survive without it.
Without getting too fancy, I will probably, and eventually add the ability to switch my low voltage to battery power, with maybe, even solar charging.
Then again... There's nothing that says "Camping" like the hiss of an old Coleman gas lantern.


Next up... Reinstalling the plywood and mounting the windows.

I've been keeping my nose to the grindstone.
The wall plywood is all back in. I cut in boxes and neatened up the wiring.
Today, I added a second layer of insulation and installed the finished ceiling panels.


We found 1/4" plywood already laminated with white cabinet liner. My employer got it for me at cost for $20 a sheet.

The windows are in too. The black, 1/2" screws that came with them weren't long enough, so I used leftover 3/4" screws from putting up the plywood.
Then I masked the glass off and hit them with a black bug bomb.


There's a few things going on on the outside.
Under the window is my water fill dish, an below that, a box for a 110 receptacle.
At the top is the wire for my side door porch light. There's another one in back.
...Not so stealth anymore.



I also finished making my little curved vanity cabinet.
If the material I want is available, my kitchen cabinets, paneling, and trim are going to be knotty alder.
Alder doesn't bend well, so I used ash for the vanity. Instead of trying to stain it to match, I'm thinking of painting it barn red.



My floor is creaking again in spots.
I guess I need to get under there and force some more goop in in places, maybe give a few screws another turn.
Then I'll do some Bondo work, and sand my floor before gluing down my PVC diamond plate.

Hey, Flboy, If you see this, what kind of adhesive did you use? regular vinyl flooring adhesive? Thanks!

My big carport has been great for working under. We've been getting some serious rain every afternoon.
I almost sold it to a neighbor when I sold the boat that it originally stored.

Nice work on that!

Awesome vanity. Do you have to steam the wood to bend it?
I used this adhesive for the diamond flooring. No problems so far.
https://www.homedepot.com/p/Roberts-628 ... /204064790
I really like the flooring. I can hose down the floor and it looks like new. A couple of rugs make it more comfortable on bare feet but it holds up well to the dirt and Harley traffic.

McDave

Thanks for the compliments and the link.
For the curved parts, I laminated several thin layers over a form with a vacuum press. (Just one of the fun toys I get to play with.)
You can see it if you look at the top edge of the door.

A little bit every weekend...

This was a biggie for me. I wasn't looking forward to it... but it's done.
My floor is down.



Battle ship gray, PVC diamond plate.



It's one-piece and there's a left over chunk big enough to do the ramp, which I'll do after I take the plywood off to insulate it.
After looking at the millions of different adhesives, including the one McDave recommended, I ended up using "Stick-N-Stay" from Lowes.
Sounds hokey... I know.

But I did a test piece and it stuck well enough. I rolled the floor down heavily with a pressure roller and it seems well fastened.
Time will tell.

Before working on my paneling and cabinets, I need to install my screen enclosure at the ramp door.
I won't know exactly where it will sit until I start messing with it. It has to be far enough forward to clear the ramp cables.
Then I need to leave enough room between it and the cabinets for standard size RV mattresses.

It will be nice to be building the cabinets on a bench. This old fart's about worn out on the overhead and hands and knees stuff.
Walking on the diamond plate barefoot is like a foot massage. Kneeling on it is plain torture.

That floor looks great!

Nice job on the floor!

I used the same flooring except the black color and I am liking it alot. I used the adhesive recommended in the instructions. Nasty stuff to clean up!



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flboy wrote:Nice job on the floor!

I used the same flooring except the black color and I am liking it alot. I used the adhesive recommended in the instructions. Nasty stuff to clean up!

Ummm... Yeah.
My instructions mentioned two sided carpet tape. In the Q and A section on the Home Depot site, two part epoxy was mentioned.
I went with, "works with... sheet vinyl" on plywood.
What didn't clean up with water right away, came off with mineral spirits easily enough later.
Like I said, time will tell.
It ain't rocket surgery. Right?

Wow... That seems odd. I used an adhesive that was the same as McDave used. I believe we set our floors around the same time and remember collaborating some on adhesive. Maybe it wasn't in the instructions, but on the website for the flooring. Also, I had the flooring guy in Home Depot recommend the adhesive, and he went right to the same stuff. In any case, I am sure you picked something better than carpet tape!

You don't actually want an adhesive that will require 50 hours of chiseling to remove when time comes to replace the flooring.

I just want to mention that at home ripoff. There is one person in each department, with knowledge. A plumber in plumbing, electrician in electrical. When asking questions you need to find this person.
I didn't know this when building my home. And HD had just opened. My vinyl flooring was installed with the tape. It has all pulled away and curled. My ceramic tile by my wood stove hasnt any spacers. Because when I bought the tile. I was told they didn't even carry them because they aren't needed.
But... My friend works there, all this bad advise was given when she was out. Now, either I call ahead to her. Or since, I now know the "right" person in a department I find them.

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Padilen wrote:I just want to mention that at home ripoff. There is one person in each department, with knowledge. A plumber in plumbing, electrician in electrical. When asking questions you need to find this person.
I didn't know this when building my home. And HD had just opened. My vinyl flooring was installed with the tape. It has all pulled away and curled. My ceramic tile by my wood stove hasnt any spacers. Because when I bought the tile. I was told they didn't even carry them because they aren't needed.
But... My friend works there, all this bad advise was given when she was out. Now, either I call ahead to her. Or since, I now know the "right" person in a department I find them.

I'll avoid asking for that very reason. I try to talk to a pro before going in so that I have some kind of idea what I need.
If all else fails... Read labels.

Karebru, Howdy;

I'll agree about reading the "Directions", it is easier, after all, to pour
the contents from a vessel if the directions are written on the heel.

hank

INSTALLATION METHODS
□□ Free-floating Installation: Roll it out and trim to fit.
□□ Tape or Glue Optional Installation: Roll it out and trim to fit. Use an acrylic-based, double-sided tape, such
as Roberts® MaxGrip™, at the edges and along the seams or, for full glue down option, use an acrylic based
vinyl adhesive such as Roberts® MaxGrip™ 2310 or 2315 sheet vinyl adhesive

https://images.homedepot-static.com/cat ... bc2edc.pdf

If you are riding a 800lb motorcycle in and out and up and down the ramp, you will want it glued down WELL. Also, consider the environment the trailer is exposed to. The expansion/contraction, wet/dry, twisting and flexing, vibration etc. I hope I never have to replace the flooring, but I have scraped and sanded flooring adhesive before, not fun but do-able.

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Roberts-18- ... /303069300