8x18 Toy Hauler / Camper

[PigTrail]

The big test came with the mattress test fit! Would it fit? Luckily, yes. Measure a bunch and cut once!

Here's a shot looking toward the back of the trailer.




Looking toward the front from outside.




Folded up with hinges and bottom covering.




Photo of the hinge setup. Very easy to latch and unlatch. I used a jigsaw to cut the plywood, so I wouldn't have a lip sticking out all the way around.

[PigTrail]

Forgot to mention...I also covered the bed-frame with gray speaker box carpet. It makes for a nicely finish surface. I bought a roll from Amazon for $25 that was 4' by 15'. One roll was enough. I used 3M contact adhesive to make the carpet adhere to the wood.

Here is a link to the product: http://www.amazon.com/Polymat-Charcoal- ... d+Interior

[lrrowe]

I like this idea. I had trouble visualizing what you were doing at first, but this is nice.
Bob

[dustboy]

Wow, I can't believe that's a queen mattress, that trailer is cavernous! With all that extra room on the side, what are you going to put there?

[PigTrail]

With all that extra room on the side, what are you going to put there?

The extra width of an 8' trailer really makes it feel big inside. My wife is slightly claustrophobic, so while a smaller trailer may have suited our needs we went with the 8x18' to make it "feel" very open and roomy. The area adjacent to the bed on the passenger side wall will be used to mount a few items and is where one steps when getting off the bed.

There is a bit of room behind the passenger wheel-well to mount the spare tire, so I set off to make a mount this weekend. I started with the same 14Ga 1" bar and cut and drilled a piece to fit the bolt pattern and mounting plan.




From here I cut 2 pieces of 1/2" threaded rod to attach the spare tire to.




After a few shots with the welder it was taped and ready for painting.




Here it is painted and mounted to one of the wall studs. It is mounted just high-enough off the floor so the tire rests on the floor and against the rear of the passenger wheel-well. This way the mount is only in tension pulling the tire against the trailer wall and not trying to hold it off the floor too.




I also cleaned up the paint trim and added grey about 12" up the walls. I used the same sheet metal screws to attach the mount through the plywood walls into a stud.

[hankaye]

PigTrail, Howdy;

Impressive SBS of the bed build! One question comes to mind, ... well ... actually 2.
First, what do you do with the support legs (those away from the wall), when you fold it up?
Second why the plywood cover? that frame looks nice enough to want to show-off.

hank

[PigTrail]

Thanks for the questions Hank. I was trying to finish the bed frame quickly on a Thursday night for us to use the trailer on Friday-Sunday, so I whipped up this little set of outer legs for the bed-frame.

It's just two 2x10's with a 2x10 support piece that runs the length of the bed. It's held together by a few 3" wood screws.



It was meant to be a quick fix for a single weekend, but after 3 trips I've decided that a simple, functional solution is a good one. I did however need a place to store the leg. I made a similar mount as the tire with the remainder of the 1/2" rod. There is enough room between the back of the bed and the tail of the trailer (about 16") to mount the support.

Here it is mounted. The wing-nut mount is about 5' off the ground and holds the legs to the wall.




You can see the metal bracket that spans to studs. I also ordered my trailer with 16" between studs instead of the usual 24".




With regard to the bed-base covering, I wanted it to look a bit more finished and I found it easier to attach the latches with a base-board. The bed-frame doesn't see the light of day anymore, but I added plywood to the base so it looks much more "finished". I'm sure it'll continue to evolve with stickers or a coat of paint.

[hankaye]

PigTrail, Howdy;

Thanks for the answers, makes sense, looks good.
Keep on jammin'.

hank

[PigTrail]

Before starting on cabinet construction I snapped a few picks of the finished Murphy-bed. I may paint it, but am pretty happy with how the final product turned out.





You can see the base attached to the wall in the rear of this trailer in this photo.




The main project for this weekend was to build cabinets in the front V-nose of the trailer. Any cabinet construction advise is appreciated! There were lots of parts to measure, measure, measure, think about, and measure before committing to a design and making cuts.

I started out with uprights of 3/4" plywood.



I purchased cheap plastic bins from the container store to house all my cooking gear and general camp items. I made a little hand drawing of all the gear, the bins, and how they could be stacked into a shelving unit. The wire within conduit coiled at the bottom is a hot wire that powers the lights and fan overhead. I haven't decided where to make my switch panel yet.




The interim result is pictured below. The cabinets are 39" high and house ~10 bins of various sizes, plus a big rubber-maid tote that I store food in, along with slots for my little grill and camp-stove.

I still need to:
1. build and install cabinet doors
2. add a few more shelves to the outer cabinet areas
3. figure out the control/switch panel
4. build an overhead bin (will hold pillows, sheets, and bedding for Murphy bed).
5. and probably a few other things I've yet to come up with...any ideas?

[PigTrail]

Finally made some more headway on the front cabinets.









I found most of the hardware on clearance at Lowe's. I had to route out the doors to fit the hinges, but it was otherwise a project of measure, measure, measure, cut, and fit. The one finishing piece I added was an angle-aluminum piece. It's an 8' strip of angle-aluminum cut down to the width of the table (92.5"). I tapered it to match the angle of the front and secured it with some liquid nails. Hopefully that'll hold up through all the Colorado temperature cycles. We'll see!

This weekend I hope to tackle the battery, Blue Sea Systems 12v/USB port, and swintch/wiring install. Stay tuned!

[PigTrail]

As part of the battery install I'll be installing a vent. This means I'll be cutting a hole in the side of the trailer

Any advise on how to get a good cut? My plan is to start with a small bit, tape off the edge to be cut and then use a dremel. Any help?

[craig113]

Hole saw to the size you want the first time.

[hankaye]

PigTrail, Howdy;

Hole saw to the size you want the first time.

,

Much easier and better results.

hank

[PigTrail]

Installed my simple electrical system this week. My parts list included:

10 and 14 Ga wire
assorted wire connectors
Blue Sea systems 12V fuse panel - link here
Blue Sea systems 12V socket and USB - link here
RV-Deep Cycle battery from Costco
Volt Gauge
LED Switches
Wood for panel

The results...








I ended up mounting the connections for the battery on the tongue of the trailer. This way I don't have to worry about venting or cutting a big hole in the side of the trailer. I simply ran a less than pinky sized hole through the floor to run the hot fuse box lead to the positive side fo the battery on the tongue. Plenty of silicon and conduit will ensure the mice and road grime stay out.

The panel will form the backsplash underneath an overhead cabinet that is yet to be built. More to come, but for this weekend we're heading to Ouray, CO.


Also installed assorted hooks and helmet hanger.




Overhead shot of LED lights and powered fan.

[CGRotorhead]

Dude killer job on the front cabinets and Murphy bed!