Perseverance

[tony.latham]

It would channel water leaking past the hinge ...

Well... you could use the tried and true hurricane hinge that's been used in teardrops for many decades, eh?





Tony

[tomhawk]

I should have given credit to my neighbor. He looked at the sticks I was using to support the raised hatch and said "you need gas struts".

As another after thought, a 40V lawnmower battery provides boon-docking electricity for a 12V and USB power system I installed. This system is described here:

viewtopic.php?f=30&t=74583.

The 240 watt-hour lithium batteries weigh together 5 lb. It provided several nights of plentiful light and a few cell phone and fan charges on a single 40V battery charge. When not in the trailer, I use it to mow my lawn.


The battery holder has a step down transformer to give 12 V output. I added two USB ports as well.
I put 12V LED light strips in the cabin and galley.


I like the idea of solar. I have not seen a way to charge these batteries with solar. Most products I have seen are specifically for 12V batteries not 40V.
As it is, I have not depleted the battery charge on trips of several days. Maybe I don't really need solar.

Power tool batteries are certainly not standardized. Each brand has propriety battery chargers. The available products for my battery use only 120-240V AC and too many watts for my anemic inverter. I have seen some descriptions on the web about DIY charging. It all seems like a hack to me. I don't want to destroy my battery.

I am still finding ways to tweak things on the trailer. The thermos holder is an example. It prevents catastrophic spills. We put some shelves in the cabin to hold personal items at night.

We have a compact folding charcoal grill and charcoal chimney. I have been storing the dutch oven in the car. The small fold-up table is nice since it stows well and lets me cook sitting down.

In this picture I am showing a double burner propane stove. We have replaced this with a single burner Coleman model 576 white gas stove purchased new in the 1970s. It saves several pounds, takes up much less space and provides plenty of heat output for two people.



My old white gas stove was a bit unstable when I put a large pot on it. I fabbed up a few pieces of 3/8" nuts, bolts and rebar to yield a much better cooking support.


This disassembles to stow with less space.


Tom

[GPW]

When covering the FS , we didn't shrink the 18 oz. canvas we used , and applying the canvas we found we had to allow a foot extra of canvas due to shrinkage , then once shrunk on the trailer , we just trimmed off the excess. Surprising how much the canvas shrunk in the long direction ...
For covering Inside , we just allowed extra or the shrinkage and we had no bubbles.. But we had to keep going back with a small rubber roller , to smooth things out ( PIA ) ... Much better to do the inner covering while the pieces are still unassembled. Then you can just leave some extra on the edges as a flap to join to the other pieces...
Or you can just hang the new canvas on the clothesline and hit it with the water from the garden hose... That will shrink it as it dries in the Sun . Easy !!!

One point ... Covering should be an unhurried job , take your time , make it Neat , and it will look good and last a long time ...

Continued testing with the FS sitting outside for ten years , I'm finding little rot spots to patch , but not a lot of large damage ... ( Drip edges are really great in our humid climate. ). But if your trailer is stored inside and protected from the elements , it should last indefinitely ...

[tony.latham]

He looked at the sticks I was using to support the raised hatch and said "you need gas struts".

Whatever direction you go on this, the hatch props need to lock it in the up position so a gust of wind doesn't catch it and take it over the top.



Tony

[tomhawk]

the hatch props need to lock it in the up position so a gust of wind doesn't catch it

Agreed. So far this has not been an issue where we have camped. I am thinking some rope could be attached to the hatch corners that could be attached ad hoc when wind was an issue. In real windy conditions, no matter how you secure the hatch, keeping it closed is going to be the wise move.

I liked the under counter sliding silverware drawer so much I installed another slide out shelf to hold a box that contained other useful cooking items. Both are secured in place by draw latches.



When extended, the tote box can be removed easily and the surface becomes available for cooking/dining activities.


Cost
At this point in the build process, I would estimate we have sunk somewhat under $2000 into this project. I tried, within reason, to make things such as doors rather than buy them. The details mount up. Many items were purchased pre- COVID. There have been increases since then. The chassis components were $730. $130 for a spare tire. $200 for paint and glue. $80 for canvas. $200 for foam. $150 for plywood. Hinges, gas struts, latches, window screen components and other assorted hardware and items were purchased.

I was able to use some odd scraps but mostly it was new material. I bought most material from one or another of the local big chains. A few items not available there were purchased from the big online store. The chassis steel came from the metal store in town. The axle came directly from the manufacturer. I made a forge for bending steel rods and making a few custom parts from an old broiler pan, some kitty litter and an old hairdryer. There will be a few more little projects to spend money, but they will be small.

It is true that it took us several years to bring this into existence. That said, I have been hearing that backlogs are happening for orders of commercial trailers that may take over a year for delivery. Besides, then all you would have is a trailer someone else built.

This is a placard present in several local campgrounds that I have not seen outside the midwest.

Everywhere seems to have hazards. Near the coast they warn about tsunamis.
Yet many scarier hazards don't warrant warnings.

Tom

[tomhawk]

On our first long trip traveling to the west, we spent the night at the only forest service campground in Nebraska. Having actual trees, this was a nice place except for the noisy ATVs (with modified mufflers probably) that a few campers incessantly drove around the campground roads. I have since noticed most other campgrounds (federal or state) specifically ban them. The USDA rules forbid: "Operating a motorbike, motorcycle, or other motor vehicle for any purpose other than entering or leaving the site." I think the Nebraska folks chose to interpret this loosely. I did notice a forest service area in Mississippi listing ATV driving as an activity.
We visited a state park campground in Minnesota where folks did joy rides too. Their vehicles were instead electric bikes and scooters. This is a much more considerate activity.


I was surprised they had any forests. In eastern Nebraska there is some farm land almost as lush as in Iowa. Further west, things become less verdant. A bit west of Ogallala NE, this photo better fits my notion of Nebraska.


Tom

[tomhawk]

So far, some things I might have done differently on this project:

1. I could have been more careful trimming the canvas as I was gluing edges down. There are several ragged looking spots.
   I had some trouble applying canvas in a few places on the assembled trailer, when I was in a hurry and day light was fading. I should have taken my time and insisted that the work situation was optimal. Nothing structurally unsound, just a cosmetic issue.


2. Although most canvas was applied to wall segments before assembly, I had to apply some of the canvas on the inside after the cabin was assembled. This was unavoidable. I should have preshrunk the canvas. Applying canvas to a concave surface is asking for bubbles.


3. I should have planned for an electrical system. This is a challenge for new trailer owners. I had no idea what would be useful until I camped a few nights in the trailer. My wiring is ad hoc. I am worried about loose wires becoming disconnected or worse, shorting. Electric lights and fans are a very attractive addition. There are a number of rechargeable devices that are available that make more wiring and power unnecessary. I am thinking the main power draw I can imagine is a refrigerator. I am going to resist this. I have camped for weeks without refrigeration. A cold beer is going to be hard to do without though.


4. I still don't know if I should have had my axle specified for an even lower capacity. Mine is derated to 800 lb. It works pretty well but it might still be too stiff. The weight of the cabin and trailer turned out lighter than expected.
   I also failed to appreciate that the tongue weight and wheel weight are excluded from the weight supported by axle.
   A bit lower rated axle might have been better. Items stored in the trailer appear to have been bounced during travel.
   
   This is a definite issue with foamie trailers. Trailers are designed to haul weights within limits. Foamie cabins can easily be too light for the trailers that carry them. If you have ever seen a empty boat trailer bouncing behind its tow vehicle on the freeway, that is what is to be avoided.


5. I probably could have saved more weight if I had used some 1/8" plywood for the floor and doors instead of 1/4".


6. I should have spent more time designing the fender attachments on the chassis. As it was, it was an afterthought and a time sink. It works fine, but it ought to have been easier to implement.


7. I would avoid Great Stuff (I had been warned!).


8. When building the rear wall segments that meet with the closed hatch, I should have included a wooden hard spot to attach the bottom gas strut attachment point. Had I planned to use gas struts from the beginning, I could have implemented this easily. As I noted, I ended up using the the wooden galley counter top for this anchor.


9. I can imagine that high winds may easily damage an opened galley hatch. Maybe having some safety ropes would be of use to prevent this damage. I will have to think some more about that.


10. I have seen some suggestions that the roof should not be perfectly flat but should curve or slant somewhat to shed water. That seems like a good idea that I could have added to my design.

Some things I think worked well for this build:

• Attaching the walls to the floor worked really well. Putting a strip of fabric around the floor that I could wrap up onto the bottom of the walls when they were installed worked very well.


• Except my error using great stuff, the doors worked well. Making doors & frames was easier than expected for me.


• I am glad I welded the chassis myself.


• I am glad I went to the effort to make a curved roof segment.

As it is, this trailer works for me. It is comfortable, it is sturdy, we can prepare meals efficiently, and it tows fine at 70 mph. When we downsize to a smaller car (maybe even electric?), it is light enough to give us many models to choose from able to tow this trailer.

On trips this summer, random campers would stop and inquire about our camper showing genuine interest. One guy bemoaned his many woes due to equipment failures of his behemoth motor home and expressed appreciation for our camping rig.

While infrequent, we have occasionally run into other tiny campers. When we do, it is great fun to have a show and tell session. If you travel with a homebuilt camper, expect to have people show interest.

We have no plans to start another trailer, but you never know...



This shows us camping amongst the giant RVs at Gros Ventre campground in Grand Teton national park. The brown boxes are "bear boxes"; storage to protect food from hungry wandering grizzlies. Quite nearby we saw moose and a small herd(only 50) of buffalo. Traveling to and from Iowa we stayed at several campgrounds with narrow unpaved roads that these large RV would not have been able to negotiate.

Tom

[tomhawk]

One goal of our trailer build was to minimize weight. We wanted to be able to tow with a smaller car we may have in the future. We are pleased setting up camp is easier since we can move the trailer to an optimum position by hand with little effort.

One factor to reduce weight is to limit size. Limited space restricts what we can bring along. We can bring more if our stuff is compact.

Here are several cooking items we have purchased or fabricated that fold or disassemble to reduced packed space. Displayed left to right:

• Charcoal Chimney
• Grill and firepit
• Windscreen (in rear)
• Trivet for gas stove or dutch oven
  viewtopic.php?f=44&t=68905#p1225171

Here are all them items packed flat for stowage. I need to finish making some custom bags. They help keep things tidy.


Here is the windscreen in use for cooking pizza in the dutch oven.


Tom

[KCStudly]

Cool. Can you say more about the collapsible charcoal starter? Did you make that or buy it? I like the design and would like to buy or make one for myself. Thx.

[tomhawk]

There are a number of versions for sale out there. Make sure it is stainless steel. This one was purchased from the big online store. The brandname was Campingmoon. It was the cheapest one. In the rating comments, some complained about the non-insulated wire handles. I have not felt at risk yet. I keep some heavy gloves for handling hot items as well.

My only complaint maybe is that the capacity is too large. If you are lighting fewer than 20 briquettes, they tend to spread out. Since they are not piled on top of each other it takes longer to ignite. I am thinking I will place a piece of expanded steel in the cavity to help the charcoals heap up. For my 8" dutch oven we often only need to light 10-12 briquettes to cook rice or dutch babies.

On the other hand, its large size make it possible to use it for searing just a few items by placing a small grill on top.

I am happy with this model.

Tom

[KCStudly]

Thanks.

[tomhawk]

So far the trailer is working out well for us. We have spent nearly a month and half camping various places. We have continued to have social interactions stimulated by folks who ask us about our trailer. In one case, it was challenging to explain things to a group of folks from Quebec who were not at home speaking english but I think they got the general idea.

Whatever direction you go on this, the hatch props need to lock it in the up position so a gust of wind doesn't catch it and take it over the top.

This is definitely a concern! The hatch is almost a parasail. Here is a quick and dirty fix that adds a lot of safety in moderate wind. It consists of nylon cords attached to the bottom hatch edge and to the trailer chassis. It is a nuisance to step around it so I only use it when there is some wind.

If a derecho strikes again, I would at least make sure the hatch is closed.

In a related hatch issue, note the horizontal ridges on the garage door in the above photo. I parked the trailer near the garage door. I opened the hatch for some reason and then must have backed the trailer a bit closer to the closed garage door. Not paying attention, I opened the garage door.
One of the horizontal ridges caught the edge of the opened hatch and ripped the hatch off its hinge.

I was able to repair things after applying some wood glue and screws so not a catastrophe.
My advice to my future self is: Don't do that!

[tomhawk]

This is an update on a forest service campground we stayed at in Nebraska I mentioned earlier. My beef with this campground was the ATVs that other campers incessantly rode around the area and produced a lot of noise. Except for the ATVs, I thought this was a pleasant campground.


I read that in time since we visited, one of these ATVs crashed and then ignited a fire that destroyed nearly 1/3 of the Nebraska national forest!

I suppose one could argue that the natural condition of the great plains area where this occurred is prairie land. Prairie is composed of mostly grasses that have in fact adapted themselves to periodically burn. This forest is composed of trees planted by the Forest Service during the last century that replaced this prairie. Maybe a forest in the middle of Nebraska is not meant to be.

Nonetheless, in the newspaper articles I read about this event no one seemed to think maybe ATVs have no place in a national forest either.

Tom