First TTT Build- The Mobile Mango

[MadMango]

Busy weekend. I managed to get my 2nd coat of resin sanded down, mounted 110lb gas shocks on my hatch, erected the galley wall, and built out my inner wheel wells. Whew!

So this is the inner wheel well.


The outside looking in. I'll have to weather proof the interior beyond what The Mix can offer.


The galley wall is 3/4" poplar. It is light weight for the thickness.


The 110lb gas shocks are a little on the strong side, it keeps my hatch open about 5 inches, but is easy to push closed without issue.


About 19-3/4" deep for the counter, so it will be a small galley. Don't mind Darth Vader taking a nap, he helped out a lot this weekend. Next weekend I hope to get a few coats of paint on, and get all my windows and fan installed.

[tac422]

Where did you get the 15" rims from ?

[MadMango]

Tac, I purchased them off of Amazon, as they were about $30-50 cheaper than I could find in stores like Northern Tool. Plus, I wanted black wheels and didn't want to paint white ones. Free shipping was nice.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B016K ... UTF8&psc=1

[aggie79]

Looking great!

[MadMango]

Looking great!

Don't tell anyone, but I played hooky from work yesterday and managed to get 3 coats of Scarlet Sun (reddish orange, Valspar @ Lowe's) on the trailer. This photo was between coat 1 and 2. In the end I took off the hinges and door hardware, much easier than cutting-in with a brush.


I was a little nervous when I put the first coat on, as this acrylic paint was thick, but it was very translucent. It also was going on a bright salmon pink, and I'm sure all the neighbors were ready to have me committed. This photo shows the translucent 1st coat on the right, and I tried to capture the pinkish color of the 2nd coat on the left.


In hindsight, I wish I had more time to get my resin-over-plywood as smooth as I wanted, but it's just not in this build schedule. Even using a thick-pile roller for heavy texture you can see my fiberglass tape edges and plywood texture. My wife being ever so support says I'll do a better job on the NEXT one. I think if there is a next one, it will be skinned in aluminum or similar. With the 4-day Thanksgiving weekend almost here, and our adult kids visiting on the Gulf side of Florida, I'm hoping to get all my windows and ceiling fan installed and sealed. My wife and I have joked that this Thanksgiving it will be hotdogs and grilled cheese sandwiches for us and the 4 year old. I hope all stateside followers of this build have a great Thanksgiving with family, friends, and other loved ones.

[Iain Hall]

That is a very bold colour! but I like it!
Your experience with the sanding is about what I thought it would be which is why I switched form planning a plywood skin to having one made of aluminum.
Coincidentally today is the day I go out and buy my aluminum!
I am just a bit nervous because it will be quite expensive and it represents the beginning of the last lap of the build and its something that I have to get absolutely spot on if it is to look any good

[MadMango]

Iain, if I had purchased higher quality plywood it probably wouldn't have been such a large task to try to get the surface smooth. Lesson learned.

[MadMango]

Product Thanksgiving! With our kids gone visiting family it left us plenty of free time between cooking our bird to work on the trailer.

I managed to get the main counter and upper shelf installed in the kitchen. Clearance for the hatch reduced our counter to only 17.5" wide, still plenty of room we think. I still need to build out some upper cabinets.


I also achieved my goal of getting all the windows and fan installed. These are installed with butyl tape and screws. I think I'll caulk the insides since I don't any any trim rings.


The butyl tape was sticking out pretty far around the edges of the exterior frames, so I had to trim them up with an exacto knife. I'm thinking about taping off the edges and applying some black sealant/caulk as well.






I'm hoping this long weekend I get my wheel fenders complete, my son's bed, and some wiring figured out. I am also thinking that the doors are going to get some Wiley windows, if I can figure them out. I saw some videos and found a few postings here, so I think I get the concept.

[Iain Hall]

I really like the colour combo between Black frames and the orange body colour and I think that you are doing the right thing to seal around the windows with black caulk

[noseoil]

Great job Mango! I made a "knife" for trimming around windows & hatches out of a small off-cut piece of formica scrap from my counter top, about 6" long X 1/2" wide. It's very thin & flexible, so I taped the "handle" end (could use a bamboo skewer to reinforce it prior to the tape), ground the edge from one side (right handed chisel grind for me), & use it like a knife blade, but it won't cut into a surface like the steel knife blade will. Just a thought to protect the finish when working with putty tape or caulk on a finished surface.

[MadMango]

Great job Mango! I made a "knife" for trimming around windows...

I've been in that situation before, having to "craft" a custom tool to get the job done. Not on this trailer (yet) but when I was bone carving. I was pretty careful to only cut through the butyl tape, but I'm following up with caulk just in case I was heavy handed.

[MadMango]

I decided I needed to build a tongue box for my battery and associated hardware. I'll mount this to my a-frame of the trailer, leaving a 2" gap between it and the trailer. I'll then add some protective rubber, and this will be the storage slot for my 100w solar panel. I'll need to add a flat plate and drill a hole in the panel frame for a lock or two. I painted this green, and will have a stripe/swoop on the sides of the trailer in the same color to match. Something to break up the orange.


I went with a piano hinge, and used a rubber strip under it. I was doing pretty good at keeping the wave out, driving screws as I puled the rubber taught. Not sure what happened at the RH end, a lot of waves. The missing screws were due to these being temporary, I replaced all with round head screws with integrated washers.


Then I turned my attention to the Wiley Windows. I'm not sure how well they will work, as I keep reading that one wanted a 2" overlap of the window and door to keep driving rains out. Due to my geometry, I was only able to get 1.5" at the top and about 5/8" at the sides. As I read on another post, I applied a lot of resin to ensure water shedding ability.


Interior view of other side.


I made my Wiley wedges with a spring-like finger, hoping the extra pressure will help mitigate my lack of overlap.


And finally, I cut a hole in the counter for a recycled sink from our old '88 Sportsmobile. It is only 10x11, but shoud be enough for our needs. I want to get a different faucet, one that has a taller and hopefully longer neck to allow for filling or washing items outside the trailer/on the ground. I'll place the faucet against the side wall, and run 5gal fresh and grey water containers.

[MadMango]

So before I go much further on the electrical system, I'm hoping to get a sanity check from all you knowledgeable folks here. I plan to run shore power and solar to my tongue box which contains my battery, smart battery charger, and charge controller. Then I play to run 12v through 6ga wires back to my kitchen wall area (~9ft total) and connect to an inverter for 120V and 12v distribution block for porch lights and interior lights. Will it work?

These are the power ports on my tongue box, 120V and Solar.


Inside the box I have a smart battery charger and charge controller installed, with a 40A circuit breaker on the positive side of the solar panel output. The wires pass down to connect to a deep cycle battery.


And here's a quick a dirty wiring diagram. The red were ideas for circuit protection. I skipped the battery disconnect since the 40A circuit breaker I can just trip open.


Maybe a little on the unconventional side? I just want to ensure I'm not overlooking something. I will mostly do campsite camping with shore power, but every once in a while we boondock, but nothing more than 2 nights.

[saywhatthat]

Nice build .You won't get lost in the snow. I'VE been thing about adding my air vent the same. Not on the flat of the roof . Do you think you will have any problems with water , snow build up at the top of the vent?
On the Wiley Windows. On the inside top will the wood that is up and down make the glass not set right when you have the glass open.

[MadMango]

Do you think you will have any problems with water , snow build up at the top of the vent? On the Wiley Windows. On the inside top will the wood that is up and down make the glass not set right when you have the glass open.

For the climate I am in (Florida, hottest month average temperature of 28°C (82°F) and the coldest at 16°C (61°F)) I don't have to worry about snow. I do worry about wind at highway speed trying to open the vent when driving, but hope the angle will help to force the vent closed instead of trying to open it. For the Wiley Windows, the wood at the top does not effect the window being open. The Plexiglas pane just rests against it. I just needed something sturdy as I know my 4 year son will want to pull and tug on anything he can.