Tear build without a plan

[91kuhndog]

Thanks Wood! I stopped everything today as I spent 2 hours in Lowes getting wiring, outlets, switches, and power boxes for the AC side of everything. I already have the DC switches and lights... just had to get the wiring. For the remainder of the week, I'm going to get hte sides on and the center wall stood up and the wiring started. It's a simple set up with all my 110V in the center wall between the kitchen and the bunk area. I'm using an Elixir ELX-20 power converter so I'm having to work through as the Elixir's manual showing the wiring schematic isnt very good. Im going to run to a local RV store tomorrow to ask a question about the wiring the AC into the converter. This is the sticking point right now.... then I'm building cabinets all week.

[91kuhndog]

OK... So I had some good weather this afternoon and took the liberty of working on the Palmetto Bug! For 3 hours of work, I made more progress today (physically) than at any other point in this build. Here are a few pix of the walls stood up and the ribs installed. My plywood warped pretty bad last week following 5 days of rain, I had them standing up inthe garage and they warped real bad. As you can see below, I clamped angle-iron and box tubing to the plywood in hopes it'll straighten out.

ON another note, the Elixir converter, as it turns out, is pretty straight forward. there was an extra black wire in the panel that looked like a peice of scrap left over! I got it now too! With everything understood on the wiring side and a very detailed schematic thanks to those on this forum, I'm planning on installing the ceiling and pulling wires soon!
















OK... I feel better but knowing I have two days of heavy rains moving in, I hope this plywood reacts to the clamps and straight bar and quits warping. Other than that, I'm planning on finishing the center wall tomorrow while it rains and building cabinets for the kitchen.

[Fyddler]

Nice! I can't wait to get my walls up!

[Oldragbaggers]

Walls up is a major milestone. Good going!!!

[Ron Dickey]

once the walls are up in an unplanned trailer it all falls in place. will you be doing any wiring?

will you have a galley in the back.

When I built the boxkite I closed off the back and in time made a hatch for the back. the hatch will be heavy get some struts to help you lift it.

Looking real good

Ron

[_Ryan_]

Looking great! I really admire your jump in and start building attitude, I am at the other end of the spectrum and have to plan everything in SketchUp beforehand.

Keep it up, I am looking forward to your updates!

[_Ryan_]

The best way to build an inexpensive camper is to not keep track.

This is EXACTLY my mindset at the moment! My budget is blown wide open but I am having a blast!

[Oldragbaggers]

I have exceeded my planned budget by about 100% already (not kidding) so I decided to stop keeping track also.

[91kuhndog]

Thanks everyone for the feedback... As much as I hate to do it, I am keeping a very detailed list of money spent, but only for informational purposes. Some things I remain frugal about and pick up used or off ebay, others, I dont skimp, just go for it! (not wastefully though) Becky, your right, with the budget blown, we just keep building because it doesnt make sence to stop now.

Ron, I running a power converter so I'll have 12V and 110V power throughout the trailer. I am putting a galley inthe back, complete with a small sink, 12v pump setting on a 10gal water tank. The refrigerator is a must to keep food cold too. I'm planning on keeping all the 110V power in the center divider wall as to simplify the AC power wiring. I opted for 12V lighting throughout, using LED lamps instead of filiment bulbs.

Again, I'm off today and tomorrow to take care of some things around the house and work on the Palmetto Bug... but we hav a 100% chance of rain! I can build the cabinet faces in the garage as well as the center wall... so all I have to do is screw it in to ensure everything is square.

For the record though, I'm at $1100 now to include trailer chassic complete with levelers, used tires and wheels, deck, walls, refrigerator, sink, electrical stuff all bought, power converter, and sink & faucets. Much more to go but I think the $3000 cost I was looking at initially is in geopardy....

[Martiangod]

Profile is looking good, walls are a major milestone.
Not hard to spend though is it. I gave up keeping track on mine, with all my bargain hunting and being in the busness freebies, I still surpased $3000 by a longshot. But at the end I can still say I built it. Which for someone in the RV trade is a rarety. Techs ussually fix up some beat up trade in.

[eamarquardt]

[quote="len19070"]Plans, we don't need no stinkin Plans!


You probably don't need no stinking badges either.

Just a thought.

Cheers,

Gus

[91kuhndog]

OK, yesterday was very productive despite the 3" of rain we received. I was able to get both pieces of plywood bent (inside and outside), the center wall is constructed, and the overhead cabinets for the kitchen are cut, glued and screwed. Hopefully, this afternoon I can pull the Bug around to start mounting everything in it. If I can get the cabinets in today, I will be able to finish drilling, routing, and pulling wires tomorrow! I'd love to be able to have power by COB Sunday!

First things first.... I have to get that bent piece of plywood installed for the inside ceiling today hopefully, it'll fit and the box isnt warped too bad. As of my Tuesday post, I had all that bar stock clamped to the trailer trying to pull about 1.25" of warp and bowing out of the trailer..... when I chacked it last night, many of the clamps were loose and about to fall off which means the humidity and wet weather have had an affect on the plywood (positive one)... pix coming this afternoon! To my "Not so internet savy" Dad in Ohio, Hey Dad! Welcome to the web-forum world.

[91kuhndog]

OK, so I had a day off today and instead of working on the house, teardrop, or anything else of importance, I broke out from my normal activities and played paintball with my 12 year old andf his friends. For 7 hours! WOW, am I going to feel like a Mack truck hit me tomorrow! I did work on the Bug for a couple hours this evening.


I tore out the wall between the cabin and the galley and scraped it! I'm staring over again on the wall. This time, I built a 4" recess in the wall at the lower level so my water tank would clear the faces of the cabinets.





I then installed the interior plywood to the front of the cabin area.... tomorrow, the center wall gets built and paneled, the wires will begin to be pulled and all the 110V electrical will get completed (I think)! Anyway, updates to follow.....

[S. Heisley]

WOW! That's lookin' good!

[Oldragbaggers]

You're making a lot of good progress, sore muscles notwithstanding.

It's better to tear things up at this stage of the game than to either be stuck with a design you're not pleased with or try to change it further down the line. But you're moving along really quickly.