"Phoenix" 5'x11' Build

[Bezoar]

Looks like a great trip!

[cjlangellier]

I worked on a couple upgrades before our trip. When I built the trailer I installed trailer brakes on the camper but never got around to installing a brake controller on the truck. I looked at a bunch of controller options. I really wanted to avoid a bulky controller that screwed to the bottom side of the dash. I opted for the Redarc Tow Pro Liberty. It has a remote adjustment switch that can be placed in an inconspicuous location. Even with the smal switch I struggled to find a location that would not require me to drill a sizable hole in the dash. I opted to remove one of the two 12v power outlets and replace it with the tow switch. I cut a piece of plastic to fit the back side of the outlet cover and drilled it out for the switch. I then epoxied it in place and installed the switch and cover. Turned out great and worked really well in the mountains.






Next, our baggage door for the electronics closet had one of those keyed latches that requires the key to turn the latch when opening and closing. It was super easy to turn the latch without the key so it really wasn’t lockable. I ordered an rv door latch from Amazon. I used the provided gasket as a template to cut out the latch opening. I also had to knock the lip of the door frame in a bit as the catch uses that lip to latch and it was tight with the foam gasket. Ultimately it’s much more secure and latches tighter.



Finally, we had been using adhesive Velcro to hold our curtains in place on the doors. It get so hot in the summer the adhesive gets extra soft and eventually would fail. I decided to try to make some simple brass mounts using a metal lathe I acquired last summer. This was my first attempt at metal turning. I think they turned out okay. My wife sewed button holes into the curtains and I mounted them into the window flange. They worked great as well.





Spent multiple hours washing the truck and trailer today. Unsurprisingly, 4000 miles on the road had the camper pretty dang dirty. After the bath, I had to tend to a squeaky MaxxAir fan. I ended up having to disassemble the electric motor to clean the dust from the brushes. There was a shocking amount of dust that was generated. I can see this having to be a biannual maintenance issue to keep the fan from squeaking.

[cjlangellier]

Sadly the camper is tucked away all nice and cozy in the garage. We only made it out camping a few more times in the fall. I'm on to my next project now. I'll be building my grandfather's 1975 Ford F150 into a tow rig/fun toy for our camper. We are going to do a long bed to short bed conversion, as well as a full suspension and driveline upgrade, all while maintaining as much of the original look of the truck as possible. When done the truck will even feature the original bed topper that I will shorten down to match the new bed length. I'm starting a YouTube channel to document the build, something I wish I had done for the teardrop. If any of you have any interest please follow along at https://www.youtube.com/@CodyBuilds. The first video is going live on Dec. 29.

[cjlangellier]

Wife the dog and I just got back from a 10 day trip around Lake Michigan. We made stops at the Indiana Dunes, Mackinac Straights, Fayette State Park in the U.P. and Door County in Wisconsin. We did stay one night at Illinois Beach but I’m not counting it as it was terribly disappointing park and facilities. We actually went home a night early it was so bad. Other than that it was an excellent trip. 4 years on from the build and the only issue I have is an extremely slow leak from the star gazer window (who could have foreseen that)

For those interested, I’ll be posting a YouTube video of the camper this Friday. It’s a full tour of the trailer with some build details. I’ll be sure to link it here.

[cjlangellier]

https://youtu.be/lvWARWdtcV0?si=zaq-7EdGj08DzcKy

Tour of my trailer for anyone interested.