The Justintime: 6/21/11 update *interior finishing*

[RockyMountainTeardrops]

Been a while since I posted....busy on the plugs for the ultralight I'm working on.

Time to document the galley improvements
This is what the Justintime galley looked like when we took the first trip.


The hatch was not quite stiff enough, so I added a couple of blocks to help.



We got sooooo lucky with this Formica "Spectrum Blue" is pretty close to the body color.
We weren't even thinking about the galley counter-top when we picked the body color.


Cutting the laminate.


Top shelf


Bottom shelf with the rubber trim on the face frame


Sorry about the dark pictures.......a light went out and I hadn't fixed it yet.
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Wiring for the taillights, marker lights and license plate had to go in before the galley storage box is finished.


Replaced the hideous AutoZone trailer lights (seen in the first picture today) with nice LED lights.


Something is not right here......quick call to the eBay seller (R&P Carriages), and a new one was on the way.


Of course now I needed new side marker lights.
They don't *quite* match the tails....(angular vs. round) but they look nice and you don't really notice the mis-match.


Galley storage box lined with carpet.
Hot water heater, chairs, screen tent, and lots of extra room.
The plan is to open this up first thing when setting up camp, then not needing to get into it until it's time to pack up to leave.
Only "long term storage" stuff in this area.


Battery moved from the tongue box to the rear to help balance.


Blue Sea Systems automatic battery switch and a disconnect.
The auto switch is pretty nice, it works like an isolator. When it senses charge, it will close the switch to both batteries. When is senses a discharge, it will open the switch to isolate the batteries.


Counter-top with flush hinges and lift handle (edges taped cause I was painting the bottom)


Sorry about the dark picture, this was taken the same day the light burnt out. The block at the top / front of the hatch is for the lift handle, it's thicker than the 1/4" plywood that I used for the hatch.


The hinges and lift handles caused me no end of trouble....they were cast pieces, so I had to make templates to match what they are shaped like.......more than a few days were spent making templates and cutting test pieces before I cut the laminated hatches.

Still didn't get a perfect fit....but it's not as bad as the picture shows.



Custom hatch props next!!

More later,
Lee

[RockyMountainTeardrops]

Hatch props!
On the first trip we just used a spring loaded hinge on a couple of pieces of scrap plywood.
They were just strong enough to keep in a vertical position (in case a gust of wind came up), but they would also lay flat on the counter-top without needing to be tied down.
Of course the problem is you had to hold the hatch up while pulling the props down. Easy for me, but kind of hard for the Wife to do.

I tried gas struts, but the hatch construction (1/4" ply with epoxy & fiberglass tape) is not strong enough to put up with the abuse.

With the understanding that the hatch must be open and closed by hand, here's the design requirements:
1. supports must activate when hatch is lifted
2. supports cannot require more than one hand to lower both at the same time.

Parts list:
1. Rat trap
2. Aluminum block
3. 1/4" stainless steel bolt and lock nut
4. Wooden dowel
5. 1-1/2" square tube steel
6. Ceramic drawer knob.
7. Paint
8. String, screw eyes, and a split ring (key ring)

Disassemble the rat trap for the two springs.
One spring. spare bolt, scrap of dowel, and a quick test to get some idea of the measurements.


Machined the block to size, then drill the hole for the 1/4" through bolt.


Beveling the edges (this side is already cut to size, don't cut it again!!)


Cut the 1-1/2" square steel tube for the mount, mitered the bottom, drilled holes.


Ceramic knob for the top. (so it will slide along the inside of the hatch when it is being opened and closed)


Pull string not shown, but it runs from the top of both struts to an eyelet in the center of the hatch to the split ring.
Pull the ring while lifting the hatch a little, and both props fold down.


Front tongue box rebuild up next!

More later,
Lee

[RockyMountainTeardrops]

Tongue box upgrades...

Built the Justintime with a traditional tongue box.
Battery on one side, hot water heater on the other.
After the first trip, we decided that the cooler box in the back was unworkable, and we didn't need a full size hot water heater.

Tearing the box apart.



Adding more material to the sides (started as 1/4" plywood, adding 1/2" to get to 3/4")
Also added a back panel.


Wire shelf from a closet.


Added another piece of shelving.


Lower it down, slide the cooler forward....instant access.


Found these latches at Lowes.
Unlocked:


Closed:


Locked:


Up next: interior carpet and trim.

More later,
Lee

[Cliffmeister2000]

Very nice!

If you were in Phoenix, I would suggest a lid to protect the Yeti from direct sunlight. In Colorado, this is probably not as big an issue.

[RockyMountainTeardrops]

Very nice!

If you were in Phoenix, I would suggest a lid to protect the Yeti from direct sunlight. In Colorado, this is probably not as big an issue.

Actually....that's something we need to worry about too.
We live at 9,200 ft.
The wife will sew a cover when she gets a chance.

I'll re-do the shelving too. I started with the vinyl covered stuff, and once you cut and weld it.....it's pretty nasty looking.

Lee

[Dusty82]

Great looking mod! I love the use of wire shelving!

I know several people who swear by Reflectix for making cooler covers. Supposedly it keep the ice for about twice as long. I haven't tried it out yet myself, but it's cheap enough that I'm going to give it a shot this year.

There's a company called Pop-Up Gizmos that makes insulated cooler covers based on the same idea. You can check them out here:

http://www.popupgizmos.com/cooler%20cover%20page.htm