The Poet Creek Express - Foamie Hybrid

[GPW]

Why not a foamy’ shelter ? You know what to do ...

[Wolffarmer]

I think you have foam on the brain.

[GPW]

Yep ... perhaps ... maybe ... Thinking SIPS...

[KCStudly]

I think there are definitely more economical ready made solutions for a farm service building. Unfortunately, since it is no longer an active farm (?) I fear that any of them would be hard to justify the expense.

Modern Quonset Hut Images

[dales133]

If you built a pole structure with a scillion roof it would be the cheapest design but you don't get the hight advantage of the apex of a gable roof.

Nice work KC been following your progress while I've been away and it's looking alot closer to skinning.
When do you recon you'll be ready to.

[Wolffarmer]

Any kind of somewhat permanent structure is way out of my budget. Something that will last a few years I can do some wood working in is all I am looking for.

[Fred Trout]

Those prefabricated shed kits are pretty reasonable in price and could work for a small shop.

example: home depot $1,399.00 / each Arrow Commander 10 ft. x 20 ft. Hot Dipped Galvanized Steel

[KCStudly]

Nice work KC been following your progress while I've been away and it's looking a lot closer to skinning.
When do you recon you'll be ready to?

Thanks, Dale. I am terrible at predicting this type of thing. There is still a lot to do to get to that stage. Fairing, repairs, the filler pieces for these wire ways I'm working on and the wall to roof gaps (will be using the "chinking" method with glue there, too).

I will start by doing the hatch. That way I can see what adjustments might be needed at the fit to the wall edges and finalize the rabbet for the sealing step. After the cabin I may have to resize the doors, depending on how much of the gap I lose.

I was tired and dehydrated after work today, a hot and muggy one here (... and my assigned task today did not help), so took the evening off to recuperate... which certainly does not help forward progress on the camper.

I will hit it again on Wednesday.

[dales133]

I hear you on the bits and pieces that need doing and drag on before skinning and your task is harder than mine as I'm skinning mine in ply prior to canvas.

[KCStudly]

Does CT require all those marker lights ?

Good question. They might not check everything but the CT trailer regs are listed here, and they appear to match the NHTSA trailer lighting requirements.

All trailers require side marker lights front and rear, in addition to reflectors. Note how they show the front and rear markers at the widest point out on the fenders. I may have to add those, too, as much as I would prefer not to. If I do, they will be separate front and rear lights placed on the vertical face of the fender (rather than those two in one lights that you typically see mounted on the top of the fenders), reserving clear space on the top surface to set "stuff".

Over 80 inches wide requires side and rear clearance lights and the 3 center "rear identification" lights.

The only things not required are the intermediate side marker lights for vehicles over 30 ft long, and the reflective tape for GVWR over 10k lbs.

My deal is that because I am a home built, I have to get a state VIN inspection. The only inspection station is about an hour and 20 min drive and is only open during weekday hours, so I will have to take time off of work to go. If for some reason they don't pass me, I have to do it again. I'm trying to avoid that at all cost and it really isn't a bad idea to be conspicuous for safety.

Last time, when I went thru this with The Charcoal Briquette (my resurrected UT), I had to make two trips. One for the initial inspection and one after getting a scale ticket and installing the 3 rear identification lights on my 79-3/4 inch wide trailer (don't argue with them, in fact don't say anything more than absolutely necessary to answer their questions). This time I will have the scale ticket in hand and all lighting requirements will be in place.

Maybe they are stricter here because of the congestion on our roads. The population density is pretty thick along the I95 corridor, especially down by NY where all of the rich people live, so when people cry about the traffic and lack of good public transportation they stick it to us out here at the rural end of the state with high income taxes and picky DMV regs.

[Fred Trout]

Sadly, KC, it really it just boils down to too many people. Too many bureaucrats, too many taxes, too many cops, too many lines, too much corruption. I grew up in northern NY metro and voted with my feet 35 years ago. I used to flyfish a lot of streams in CT too; the Housatonic River around W Cornwall was a favorite.

[KCStudly]

I wish I could convince my wife that there are other places in the world where people might want to live, but she will not think of moving away from family.

It's really not that bad here, all things being relative, but I wouldn't mind somewhere with more wide open spaces and a little more temperate weather. Snow is pretty to look at and can be fun in small doses, but moving it gets to be tedious after a fashion.

[Fred Trout]

I certainly understand the desire to stay close enough to family. We all make compromises in life as best we see it and CT as well as upstate NY is nice too. At least you are not in the cheek by jowl parts of the NE.

Snow does not bother me - it's the price for the best trout fishing in continental US bar none. New Zealand is pretty nice too; I used to go down there in winter.

[capnTelescope]

(rather than those two in one lights that you typically see mounted on the top of the fenders)

Yeah, like mine.


I agonized briefly about what to do about the side clearance lights. My alternatives were:

• the ones like you said,
• Separate lights on front and rear of the fenders. This would have doubled my wiring pleasure, and the only way I could see to do it this way would have exposed the wiring to certain death if a tire blew out and came apart. Meh.
• Figure it out while everyone else is at LCG, cuz the tear can't go on the road without those lights, and LCG is next weekend, and my TechShop membership which is $125 a month is expiredso I can't weld. Rejected!
• Mount the lights on a Sticking-Out Thingy welded to the frame. Actually, this is the Cadillac way to go. The Sticking-Out Thingy can double as a brace for the lower edges of the fenders, as well as a wiring conduit for the side clearance lights. Add a strut from the trailer frame to near the outer end of the Sticking-Out Thingy, and you've got an effective brush deflector for off roading.

I've been mulling over how best to execute the Sticking-Out Thingy. One day, I want to make that upgrade. Someone's build had the fender forming part of a convenient cubby for the wheel chock, right there where you need it.

It turns out that the side clearance lights are as, or more, useful to you than to the rest of the rabble out there. They give you a lighted point on the trailer that keeps you informed where your outer boundaries are and that the running lights are working. I recommend them.

[GPW]

I think all those lights are Cool ... Gonna’ really dress it up !!! Those little touches .... I vote for underneath trailer lighting ,like they do with cars ... so you can see the ground around it ... Better to see the Bear sleeping under your trailer ...

One of our other addictions is building point to point old school Tube Guitar amplifiers from scratch (see pic of a simple one) ... so no complaints about wiring ... Wiring a trailer is Easy ... It just takes time , patience and prior thought. Do we need a discussion about Foamie wiring ... ???