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For the past few months I have been researching a CTC build on this website. I have spent a lot of time, so I feel like I know many of you guys personally & all the great CTC trailers each of you have built. I only hope I can do half the job you all have done completing each of your conversions.
I'm a steelhead fisherman located in Montana where we don't have any steelhead in any of our rivers. We do have great trout fishing if you like combat fishing & being over run by guides guiding dudes. I have a 35' Montana 5th wheel trailer located on the Clearwater River in Idaho where I & my dog have been spending 6 months of the year steelhead fishing. It has been a good base camp for the last 5 years, but steelhead run returns have been shrinking every year on the Clearwater. I decided I need to chase these fish closer to the ocean in OR, WA & BC but refuse to lug a 14,000 lbs trailer to do it. I feel there are many more advantages using a CTC so I will sell the Montana this spring.
As you can see from the pictures attached I have received my 7x16 cargo trailer last week. Unfortunately, the snow at my house is over my waist. I have to wait until the Spring breakup & runoff to start my build. Until then, the trailer guys are storing it for me free of charge. I ordered the trailer with a 30" V-nose, 18" extended tongue, 2 windows (one is an escape window I hopefully can get my ass out of), 2 roof vents, 12" extra height to bring the ceiling up to 84", an RV door, barn doors, undercoating & tandem axles. Unknown to all of you, my research into your advice & experience offered to other builders helped me zero in on how I should order the trailer. I hope I go most of the bases covered to avoid the big hit.
My plans for the CTC take into consideration some of the issues I have with the Montana 5th wheel like contending with having to put antifreeze into the water system every time I need to go home to pay the bills, easier towing, better heating & insulation, reduced operating cost, more maneuverability, & reducing campground fees (these guys are charging what I use to pay for motel rates).
I have a detail hand written drawing of how I want to lay the CTC out (sorry, no fancy Sketchup only something that works for me). I feel a queen size bed would work (my lab doesn't hog the bed), porta potty, shower, gas range, instant hot water for a shower, cooking & sink, Dickinson Vented Propane Heater, AC & Dc electric, converted 3.5 cu freezer into a refrigerator, & other water needs will be limited to jugs under the sink area.
A major concern for me is insulating the trailer because I usually fish in the Winter months when outside temps are in the teens to low 20 degree range excluding wind chill factors. Currently, I'm planning on using Corning Foamulator XPS in the floor, walls & ceiling. The walls & floor will each have 3" of foam at R-15 & the ceiling will have 5" of foam at R-25. I'm not sure if I'm overdoing it when you consider my planned use of the Dickinson heater which can heat twice the space I have in the CTC. Any thoughts/comments/suggestions regarding my insulation plans or for that matter any of my plans would be greatly appreciated.
I'm not sure about the pictures attached. They looked too large in the message preview mode even though I used TinyPic to reduce their size. I also wanted to arrange the pics differently but didn't know how to do it...Don