The Schnoodle Shack - Final Update - Goodbye My Friend

[droid_ca]

Great job Jim. I love the idea of the lifts I may have to borrow that. Glad to see everything is coming along. Do you still have the mechanical timer, I think that was my favorite part of your build....

[Jim Edgerly]

This next picture is about non-UV protected rubber. My Shack is about 6'2" and the hurricane hinge is only 6' long. I took some rubber from an "exercise band" and clamped it over the extra inch on both end. Little did I know that after a year of "periodic exposure" to the sun, no more than maybe 6 weeks total exposure, the rubber was drying up and just falling apart on me. Take a look at the picture and you'll see what I mean. Last fall before putting the Shack away for the winter I replaced those pieces of rubber. I used rubber membrane left over from when I had my flat roof installed over 20 years ago. The rubber I used has been kept in the basement out of sunlight, and the rubber on the roof is 20 years old and still holding up OK. Second picture is with the replacement rubber.

[Jim Edgerly]

Droid: Yes, still have it and use it all the time. Have not had an instance where the vent fan was required all the time, so we use it on 12V "constant" right up until bedtime, then switch to the mechanical timer to run another hour before turning out the light. I occasionally wake up in the middle of the night and switch it on for another 10 minutes to an hour, and I have to agree with you, it was one of my better inventions. I am posting the picture of the electrical layout below for someone who is unfamiliar with what we are talking about. I use 2 switches to #1 control my power source, either continuous, or route through a one hour mechanical times (about $15 at Home Depot)...then #2 to determine the destination of my 12V power, either the vent fan to cool the Shack, or to a little portable heater for cooler weather. Simple in design, yet ingenious in application.

Thanks for posting again.

[Jim Edgerly]

The battery cage is coming along well. It is simplistic in design, as is most things I build. The cage is basically a flat bottomed "U" to hold the battery, bolted to a pair of 3 foot long heavy steel L brackets, which are then bolted to the trailer frames C cross members. Inside the cross members I bolted a 1 1/2" L beam, 4 foot long, to spread the battery weight out over just about the entire 5 foot length of the cross member. I will use grade 8 bolts throughout. I will clamp the battery to the middle of the "U" using a standard battery hold down, and bolt a 2x6 board in front of and behind the battery to make sure it is going no where. Here are pictures of what I mean, but it will be a couple months before I can bolt the L beams to the trailer cross members. Once the L beams are bolted in place I will drop the "U" shaped battery cage, install the battery, then put it back in place and bolt it secure. I'm using "A" and "B" in the pictures to represent the steel trailer cross members. The battery/U bracket will weigh about 70 pounds, so I plan on making a little lift, on top of a bottle jack, to lift the battery the last 5 inches into place while I bolt it secure. I don't need a 70 pound battery falling and altering my smile getting this thing into place. I figure every 4-5 years or so between battery changes, so it may be awkward to change, but once every 4-5 years is not so bad.

[Jim Edgerly]

The weather in MA is now allowing me to working on the camper. It may be hitting a high of 40 degrees today, but the last couple of days have been in the mid to upper 60's. The long planned for battery cage installation was time to implement. My tongue weight was right at the maximum of 200 pounds for my car so it is time to shift the battery (60 pounds) from the tongue further back on the trailer. There is no place to mount it above the trailer floor so I have no option but to mount it below the trailer bed.

The first picture is just getting the camper up on the ramps so I can get underneath. You can see the battery cage at the left side of the picture, and in the next picture. It is on a creeper so I can move it into place under the camper. You can see it sitting on a box, which I call my "battery elevator." The battery with steel cage and wood weights about 70 pounds...much to heavy for me to lift into place with one hand while I secure the 4 grade 8 bolts with the other hand. The "elevator" is 2 wooden boxes, one inside the other, top one upside down. I then inserted a bottle jack inside with a 4" lift capacity. By jacking up the top box one pump at a time I can life the battery less than 1/4 inch per pump, gradually lifting it into place to allow me to insert the bolts.





The next picture shows the battery cage rails installed under the camper. They are bolted, again with grade 8 bolts, through the frame with additional angle iron for additional support.



The next 2 pictures shows the battery cage installed, from the front, and from the rear.





This final picture shows the battery wired into the 12V circuit and ready to do it's job.



Before with battery on tongue...tongue weight 200 lbs. Battery moved to just behind the axle and underneath...tongue weight 135 pounds. Well worth the approximately $60 invested to move it.

[Jim Edgerly]

After doing a functional upgrade like building the battery cage I just had to do something non-functional, like polishing the aluminum. I didn't polish it to a mirror finish like Tom's (aggie79) camper, but enough so that it didn't look all water spotted and like a bird target. I didn't take a picture from the back, but first is my most recent picture from the back (same finish as the front) without polishing, and a picture from the front after polishing. I spent 4 half days polishing half the camper (back/top/front) and my heart goes out to those who have an entirely aluminum camper. I can't imagine the maintenance required for one of those. I am duly impressed with the work you put into those keeping them nice.





So after polishing I realized today that I could remove some of the ballast I had placed when my battery was up front. Moving the battery changed my tongue weight from 200lbs to 135lbs. I decided to remove 80lbs of ballast and let my tongue weight go back up to 175lbs, well within the range where it should be. 80lbs is 80lbs and should make some difference, although I don't know how much.

Before taking the ballast out I did some mileage tests with my Subaru Forester. I have a mileage gauge so I reset it once up to speed, went 5 miles on the highway (between 2 bridges 5 miles apart), then turned around and came back the same 5 miles.

No trailer @61mph 30mpg, then 25mpg...average 27.5mpg
with trailer with ballast @61mph 21mpg, then 15mpg...average 18mpg
with trailer ballast removed @58mph 24mpg, then 19mpg...average 21.5mpg

I'm not sure how much of the increase after removing the ballast was due to the 80lbs less weight, or the 3mph slower speed...probably both. Before anybody asks why I did not go 61mph on the final test...I TRIED! But these damn MA drivers, swerving in and out, cutting me off to exit, stupid drivers coming onto the highway without looking who is already there so you have to swerve if there is room or brake if there is not...you all know the routine. It's like every time you hitch your trailer up you put up a big sign viewable from all directions that says "Hey, I'm towing a trailer, please do something really freaking stupid to me!"

Please don't hijack this post and reply here about stupid drivers...that is for another post under "OFF TOPIC." I'm so frustrated with stupid drivers I think I will go there now and start a post on stupid drivers.

[Jim Edgerly]

It's been a little over 2 years since my last post on the Shack. The Shack is as pretty as it was when I first took it out. Replaced the tires last year, because of age, not mileage. I put on a full length on EPDM rubber over the galley hinge to prevent a small intermittent leak from the hinge being too short for the hatch. Solved the problem, no water problems since then and looks good doing it. Been though countless thunder storms, and heavy rains at 70mph and not the slightest hint of a leak over the last year and a half. The wife and I, plus Wally, have put a few miles on the Shack. Last year we made a 4 state loop up to Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, then Massachusetts over a 24 day trip stopping at 9 different campgrounds, putting on a little over a thousand miles. Made 6 other trips last year putting on another 1500 miles or so. Previous year we probably put on another 1500 miles, maybe 2000 miles. The little thing has 6000+ miles on it now, and I still have to check the mirror at highway speeds to make sure it is still there. I could not be happier with it.

Sadly, next summer will be my final summer camping in the Shack. I plan on camping with it through most of July, then selling it. My wife will be retiring next fall, and almost everything we own we will be selling. The plan is to sell the house, move to Florida and buy a 32 foot tug trawler boat. The plan it to move aboard, sell both cars, and cruise America's Great Loop. It will be a 6,000 mile journey, touching 18 states, and takes a full year to complete. Everybody who has ever done it (a couple hundred boats per year make the loop) say it is the adventure of a lifetime. My wife is already talking that one loop may not be enough and is already planning on making a second loop as soon as we finish the first.

I already have a couple campers interested from talking about it this summer camping. Will see if they are interested next summer. I will be on here this winter seeking advice on how to set an asking price for the Shack. Thanks for all the help on this past leg of my life's journey!

[mikeschn]

Hi Jim,

Wow, that's quite a journey!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Loop



Mike...

[rebapuck]

How exciting. Will you be doing the remodeling on the tug? Or buying one already converted?

[Jim Edgerly]

My plan it to buy a used Nordic Tug Trawler, 32', probably in the 2003-2005 model year range. Buying a used one in that range can save us in the range of $200,000+ over buying a new one, yet have many years of life still left in her. Will be pretty much turn-key condition. I don't want to start doing major reconstruction on a boat at my age (66). If I was 20 years younger I would be more inclined to pick up something that needed work. Living on a boat that size will be a lot like camping, only on water, with a few more luxuries. It will be like having a full size camper, taking us where the roads can't.

I want a 32' Nordic Tug like this one...



I had a blast building the Shack, and I can't pull into a campground without somebody coming over to view inside. Last summer at a 2 week stay at Acadia National Park (Maine) I stopped counting after the 80th party came over to see it (we averaged 8-10/day). High turn over means all the new people walking by wanted to see it. We made the mistake of parking between the tenters and the main entrance so everybody walked by every day. It's been a blast, but next summer it will be time to turn over the reins to a new owner and let them have some fun, and for me and the wife (and Wally) to start the next stage of our life's adventure. I only hope that any boating forum I join has as many helpful people as this forum has.

[PKCSPT]

Hope you keep us updated when you start your next adventure, sounds amazing.

[aggie79]

Hi Jim,

It is good to hear from you! It's been awhile. It sounds like you've had a wonderful time camping in your teardrop. You're next adventure sounds even more incredible. Check back with us every now and then and let us know how you're doing.

Take care,
Tom

[Ned B]

Congrats on the upcoming change. I follow a blog by a couple who went from full timing in a Neoplan Coach called Odyssey for several years to living aboard their 57' trawler Vector .


They have been plying their way up and down the East Coast. http://ourodyssey.blogspot.com is their blog. I'm sure you will find lots of great info there..

I just checked out the great loop page mike linked to. I wondered why Sean & Louise hadn't mentioned the Loop. It turns out that Vector's draft is such that it would not be able to navigate the shallowest parts of the loop.

Your adventure sounds like a grand one, hope it is all that you want it to be!

[Jim Edgerly]

I thank you all for your support and words of encouragement!

I like to think of my new adventure as camping with a teardrop...only on water. As a matter of fact the teardrop played an important role in making the decision to move forward with doing America's Great Loop. When we were tenters we had a tendency to camp for longer periods in one place because it was a pain to set up then break camp with a tent, stuffing everything back into the car so it all fit. The though of doing it daily for extended periods of time was overwhelming. The teardrop made it easy to move camp everyday as there was no effort to set up or break down camp, everything was in the teardrop...just show up and enjoy the adventure, then go to the next place. The Loop will be the same way, and a logical extension of camping...just drive the trawler to our new marina/anchorage/mooring field, tie it off, and enjoy the adventure. And the teardrop also confirmed that my wife and I can still love each other at the end of the day when packed into a small container. As a matter of fact, one of our standing jokes when under somewhat 'tense situations' is "WE NEED A BIGGER BOAT." We laugh, and it kind of prevents the situation from escalating for no reason.

I've already started a blog for our Great Loop adventure. Right now it is pretty much just a place holder, just to get me in the habit so to speak of making periodic updates. It's going to be an awful lot like our build journals as far as the process of getting "road/sea worthy", and then as the adventure begins will be daily (or as time allows) updates of where we are what we've seen.

I can't thank our teardrop community enough through the entire process of starting a teardrop build, through completion, and now onto my America's Great Loop adventure. The support, friendship, and well wishes is truly inspiring, and I will always be a teardroper at heart, and one of our community.

[rebapuck]

I've put it in my "favorites" list.