The Adventure Begins: 6x12 V-Nose Conversion

[flboy]

Sorry the trip did not turn out as you had planned. Glad to hear you got some seat time in on the Dual Sports and the CTC worked out as you designed it! That snow is crazy! I could not imagine it...... well okay.. I can.. but I'd rather not


I was camping right after Christmas in the National Forest near where I live and never thought about the Fed. Gov. Shutdown. It turns out that they had shut some campgrounds, but the one I stayed in was run by a contractor who apparently gets paid.. I never thought to call ahead because of that shut down.. I guess I got lucky in this case.

[kirkupnorth]

Even though it wasn't as planned, it was still a good trip. We got to ride the new bikes, which was really fun! And, it's always good to camp.

We can't get over how much we love camping in the CTC. Maybe it's because we built it ourselves, but it sure beats the heck out of the pickup camper we had years ago. We're spending today getting it all cleaned up and re-winterized. It's gonna be a long few months until we get out in it again.

We're already busy planning a summer camping trip to the Black Hills, which should be a lot of fun. And of course, right here in our own part of northern Minnesota there are countless great places to camp. We'll just spend all winter dreaming, I guess.

[kirkupnorth]

I just noticed that you are from Minnesota also. I am very curious about how well your new heating system works. I have been around the Webesto units, which are very expensive but work well. So if yours works well I would certainly be interested in getting one.

Very nice job on your trailer!!

Thanks for the kind words.

When we took the camper and enduros out west over Christmas, we had a chance to see how the heater performed.

We stopped outside of Vail, CO to get some sleep. It was 10 degrees outside. We unloaded the bikes, and turned on the diesel heater. Within just a few minutes it was very comfortable in the camper.
That was a good night's sleep!

That Chinese diesel furnace is really quite amazing, and it's just a fraction of the cost of a Webesto.

[low277]

Thanks for the update on the diesel heater! I see another member getting ready to install one as well.

I also like your dual sport/enduro motorcycles. Any information on them?

[kirkupnorth]

Thanks for the update on the diesel heater! I see another member getting ready to install one as well.

I also like your dual sport/enduro motorcycles. Any information on them?

The enduros are Chinese bikes. We wanted an enduro for each of us, and we just couldn't afford the $$ for two Japanese bikes. We looked at used enduros, but even used Japanese bikes are crazy expensive when you need two of them. So, we started learning about Chinese bikes. They run the full gamut as far as quality/reliability, but the ones we bought are of higher quality. So far, we're really happy with them. If you want more specific info, send a PM and I'll get back to you.

Really recommend the little diesel heater!

[norcal2]

You did a great build I should have started with the taller 6 x 12 mine is a little short...just FYI my RV failed a pre purchase inspection due to a home C02 sensor installed, they are not rebust enough and take vibration as the RV rated ones do, (per the inspector) so i had to buy a new RV rated one, just want to let you know, great build i will keep following, my 6 x 12 has worked great the last few years just got done installing some solar to keep the batteries mantained...cheers!

It's been pretty wintry this past week in northern Minnesota. On Tuesday we had four inches of snow, and it's been cold all week. Definitely time to finish up the camper tasks needed for cold weather camping!

We started with finishing the under floor insulation. We used 2" thick, foil backed rigid insulation. To install, we cut insulation pieces to fit between the steel crossmembers of the floor. We then foil taped all of the pieces to the under carriage. We also bought some big washers so we could screw the pieces up into the subfloor.


We finished up the diesel heater install. We wanted the ability to continue using that cabinet for storage, so we built a box around the heater. If we ever need to get to it, we just need to remove a few screws.


The heater came with a round black vent cover. We installed that into the door. We thought we'd hate how it looks, but it's okay. The door opens and closes easily, and fits over the metal hot air vent just fine.


This little diesel furnace works great!! We tested it yesterday morning. At 10:00 AM the temperature inside the camper was 24 degrees. We turned the furnace on to warm things up. We went back out to check progress one hour later. At 11:00 AM the temperature inside the camper was already up to 65 degrees. We're really pleased with that performance.

The final step, of course, was a combination smoke/CO alarm. We chose this one for several reasons: It's small (4 inch diameter and 1-1/2 inch height), it uses AA batteries, and it has a photoelectric sensor for smoke and an electrochemical sensor for CO. If interested, it's at Amazone here:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07D5TQQNV/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1



I still need to make some insulated window coverings-- maybe I'll work on that this weekend. We're excited that we can now use the camper in cold weather.

[kirkupnorth]

You did a great build I should have started with the taller 6 x 12 mine is a little short...just FYI my RV failed a pre purchase inspection due to a home C02 sensor installed, they are not rebust enough and take vibration as the RV rated ones do, (per the inspector) so i had to buy a new RV rated one, just want to let you know, great build i will keep following, my 6 x 12 has worked great the last few years just got done installing some solar to keep the batteries mantained...cheers!

It's been pretty wintry this past week in northern Minnesota. On Tuesday we had four inches of snow, and it's been cold all week. Definitely time to finish up the camper tasks needed for cold weather camping!

We started with finishing the under floor insulation. We used 2" thick, foil backed rigid insulation. To install, we cut insulation pieces to fit between the steel crossmembers of the floor. We then foil taped all of the pieces to the under carriage. We also bought some big washers so we could screw the pieces up into the subfloor.


We finished up the diesel heater install. We wanted the ability to continue using that cabinet for storage, so we built a box around the heater. If we ever need to get to it, we just need to remove a few screws.


The heater came with a round black vent cover. We installed that into the door. We thought we'd hate how it looks, but it's okay. The door opens and closes easily, and fits over the metal hot air vent just fine.


This little diesel furnace works great!! We tested it yesterday morning. At 10:00 AM the temperature inside the camper was 24 degrees. We turned the furnace on to warm things up. We went back out to check progress one hour later. At 11:00 AM the temperature inside the camper was already up to 65 degrees. We're really pleased with that performance.

The final step, of course, was a combination smoke/CO alarm. We chose this one for several reasons: It's small (4 inch diameter and 1-1/2 inch height), it uses AA batteries, and it has a photoelectric sensor for smoke and an electrochemical sensor for CO. If interested, it's at Amazone here:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07D5TQQNV/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1



I still need to make some insulated window coverings-- maybe I'll work on that this weekend. We're excited that we can now use the camper in cold weather.

Wow - I had no idea there were special RV rated CO2 detectors. Thanks for the info!!

[kirkupnorth]

We just completed one post-winter repair. The removable wallpaper that we used for the kitchen backsplash could not handle temperatures below 30 degrees. Everytime we went into the trailer the wallpaper was hanging off the wall all over the place. We'd reposition it, but it always came back down. We tried 3M Spray Adhesive, but it did not solve the problem. This was really disappointing since we were happy with the looks, and it was easy to wash clean.

We started shopping for a better alternative that is not temperature sensitive. As always, cost was a factor. We just couldn't find anything affordable that we liked as much as the original.

We decided to try mastic, and it really worked! It's been up for a week now, with nighttime temperatures in the teens, and it looks great. No shrinkage, and nothing coming loose from the wall.

I know that a kitchen backsplash is not exactly a top priority item, but I thought that others who might be considering removable wallpaper would be interested in the cold weather performance. Plus, it's fun to putz around in the camper while waiting for warmer weather!

[kirkupnorth]

Spring fever has hit northern Minnesota like a snow shovel to the face. We've been planning our pre-summer improvements to the CTC, ordering our goodies, etc. Just when most of the snow was gone, we had another blizzard yesterday. Unacceptable!! We had CTC projects to do, and the parts to do them.

So, hubby moved enough snow out of the way to get the camper out from under its covered winter parking place. This is what the middle of April looks like right now in northern Minnesota:


Once the camper was out, we decided to get the new spare tire holder installed on the ramp door. We went with a LoadLocker aluminum spare holder from eBay. We actually bought two, since we wanted two bolts holding the spare. These things are nice! The quality is excellent, as is the mounting hardware. A nice bonus is that they give you an actual lug nut to hold the spare on. Here's a picture of one of them:


The link is here: https://www.ebay.com/itm/load-locker-enclosed-trailer-spare-tire-mount-aluminum-ready-to-go-TMB0-USA-made/391476323694?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2060353.m2749.l2649

We put butyl tape on the back, and stacked them. That gave us some adjustability, so the bolts fit through our lug holes perfectly. After we were done, we put the spare tire cover on. I'm hoping some warm weather, (eventually!), will take some of the wrinkles out.



We've got a few other additions/improvements to do over the next couple of days. It feels good to be getting some stuff done, but it makes it that much harder to wait for some decent camping weather!

[kirkupnorth]

We finally got around to installing electric trailer brakes on the camper. I don't have a great understanding of all that was involved, since hubby did all of the work. I do know that he's happy with the brake kit he bought, and pleased with how the installation went.

We decided to get self-adjusting brakes, just to make life simpler. We got the brake kit at Amazon:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B014VDBSSE/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1




These are the existing trailer hubs that came off.



These are are the spiffy new electric brakes that are there now.


After he finished, he hooked the trailer up and went out driving to give them a good test. They work great, so mission accomplished!

We had other enhancements we've been wanting to do, too. We added a step and a handle, which will be a nice thing. We looked at a lot of different handles, but we finally decided to match the handle on the ramp door. We're very happy with that choice.



We've also been wanting a screen door. We shopped like crazy for this since there about a million options, and some are nicer quality than others. We finally decided on this one from Amazon:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07LCZKRGD/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o04_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

This was a good choice! The width fit perfectly with no adjustments needed. We had to cut about 8 inches off the bottom. I finished the bottom with some black vinyl that was left over from making the water heater cover. My poor old Singer sewing machine did not like sewing through fiberglass screen, but it did the job. The opening/closing magnets seem to work great, and the overall quality of the whole thing is really nice.


We also installed a cool little shelf in the kitchen. This freed up a lot of drawer space, gave me a place to hang the dishtowel, and I just like how it looks! The scale is perfect for a little camper.

This also came from Amazon. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07BF3XK4N/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o05_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I just realized that it's been exactly one year to the day that we bought the cargo trailer and started building it into a camper! This has been such a fun project --- both the building, and now the camping! I'm so glad that my husband found this website and started lurking and learning about doing a conversion. When he first mentioned it I thought he'd gone a little cuckoo, but I got on board pretty quickly. Without tnttt, we never would have come up with this idea on our own. Seeing all of the various projects out here, though, really lit a fire under us.

[McDave]

Hey Mrs. and Mr. kirkupnorth,
Those are the exact improvements I am looking into for this year. And I have just been informed that the shelf/rack is priority one. The boss says it is "too cute". ummm, Ok. But what I am wondering about is the step. If you could give a link and short review, that would be great.
Camping season soon in Big Sky country!
Thanks,

McDave

[kirkupnorth]

Hey, McDave, here's the scoop on the step. We chose this one because the height of it worked out really well for us. Amazon had the best price that we found -- about $20 cheaper than eBay.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00T36G7Y0/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

For install, we tapped the bottom of the frame for 3/8" bolts. We're also going to tack it on to the frame with some welds.


On the back side of the step, the step arms did not align with our 16" on center joists. We used some scrap angle iron to span the floor joists, and attached it with self-tappers. The back of the step bolts onto that angle iron.


The quality of the step is VERY nice, and the design is simple. The step feels very strong, and is easy to operate. This is how it looks when stowed:


Previously, we've been hauling a homemade wooden step in the bed of the truck. One less piece of equipment to haul is a good thing, so we're pretty happy with the addition of this built-in step!

[flboy]

Nice job on the step. That is on my list also. I am just trying to decide how much drop I want. I do not want a double step, but need something before I break my neck on the portable step.

Sent from my SM-G935P using Tapatalk

[kirkupnorth]

Nice job on the step. That is on my list also. I am just trying to decide how much drop I want. I do not want a double step, but need something before I break my neck on the portable step.

Sent from my SM-G935P using Tapatalk

Yeah, our portable step was also a personal safety threat -- glad it's gone!

[featherliteCT1]

We've also been wanting a screen door. We shopped like crazy for this since there about a million options, and some are nicer quality than others. We finally decided on this one from Amazon:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07LCZKRGD/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o04_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

This was a good choice! The width fit perfectly with no adjustments needed. We had to cut about 8 inches off the bottom. I finished the bottom with some black vinyl that was left over from making the water heater cover. My poor old Singer sewing machine did not like sewing through fiberglass screen, but it did the job. The opening/closing magnets seem to work great, and the overall quality of the whole thing is really nice.


.[/quote]
Does your screen door have magnets the full length from top to bottom thereby creating a good seal? I bought a magnetic screen door that only had a few magnets with the effect that there were gaps between the magnets which allowed insects to get through.

Yours looks like it seals well.