Took some pictures earlier while I was waiting for paint to dry on today's project.
Yesterday spent a couple hours running around to Lowes and a somewhat local (30 minutes) camping store to get all the different hardware I needed to get the new stove working. What a pain. Some fittings are flare, and some are pipe. I could have gotten everything the way I wanted online, but didn't think far enough ahead. Took me two trips to each because I was in a rush and didn't plan everything out before hand. I'm going to have to live with a temporary setup for next weekends camping trip because I wasn't able to run the hard line under the trailer until I know where the water tank and heater are going to end up. Still, it works well, I'll just have to move the propane tank from the back of the trailer to the kitchen area. When I'm done, there will be quick disconnects at the front for the stove and grill. As for the fittings, I used a nice high quality, all brass and stainless type from Amazon. These are mush higher quality than the ones that would normally come with a store bought camper for an outdoor grill. I know this since I thought they'd be the same, and bought a stock extension hose to try and save some time. They are not even close in terms of quality. Anyway, on with pictures:
This is the hose that connects the kitchen with the propane tank (or in the hard line under the camper in the future):
Dual regulator and the other side of the quick disconnect:
Connected:
Just showing everything set up, and the new I built table and portable grill:
Today's project was the tire/propane carrier. I really didn't want to put the propane on the back, but because of the tongue weight being over 600lbs, I needed to redistribute weight a little. I figured the easiest way to do this was to put a spare on the back, and since I was putting the tire back there, I figured it would balance things out to just put the propane back there too. Maybe it will keep people from tailgating me?
The ramp is rated for 2000lbs, so hopefully it won't have any issues. It's made from 1.5" tube, 3/16" wall thickness, so it should be plenty beefy to hold these two things. I haven't tried opening or closing the gate yet with extra weight, but it has a torsion spring helper and as it stands now, it only takes a finger to close and you actually have to hold it back so it doesn't slam shut, so this should still be easily manageable. My only real concern are the hinges at the bottom. I'll have to keep an eye on them to make sure they don't deform, and add some additional ones if they start to deform from the weight bouncing down the road.
Where it will go on the trailer, I'm just going to through bolt it to the inside with 6, 3/8" grade 8 Bolts. There is 14 guage alum, 1.5"x3/16" Steel tube, then 3/4" Plywood:
And the holder. Can't see much detail because of the shadows, but it's just 2"x1/4" angle top and bottom, 1.25"x3/16" tube verticals, and 2"x1/4" tube for the tire holder. The propane mount is for a forklift and fits a 20lb tank very well. The angle on the bottom just helps support the weight of the tank, and will have two notches cut in to accept the bottom ring of the tank.
That's all for today. I was going to apply some graphics, but after reading the directions (gasp), it says you have to let them lay flat for 24 hrs before hand. They been rolled up in the garage for a couple weeks and I don't want to take any chances since they're a little pricey. Hopefully I'll have time to put them on this week, but it's not looking good. Either way we're ready for camping next weekend. Can't wait. Have over a cord of dried pine from a neighbors tree that we're going to tow up behind my friends truck. Hopefully it will burn well enough, and I won't have to waste any of my good fire wood.
Don
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by dustboy » Mon Mar 25, 2013 10:32 pm 
Very nice!!
