Update/More Camping: Weekender-for-5

[Alfred]

*** ADDENDUM - THIS IS A BUILD JOURNAL- GO TO LAST PAGE OF POSTS FOR CURRENT PICTURES AND NEWS ***

Hi Gang,

I am starting a build journal for my "Weekender for Five", previously discussed under Member Designs ( http://tinyurl.com/2rkjon ). This week I got the trailer registered/tagged/titled for the State of NC. I am using a 5x8 Northern Tools Trailer, which I bought on sale for $299.00.

Last Wednesday, I pulled the trailer, loaded with some 2x2's, to the "Harvest House", which is a City of Asheville Community Center ( http://tinyurl.com/3b4szj ). It has a staffed and fully tooled/operational woodshop, open to the public on Wednesdays and Thursdays. I talked at length to the manager "Jim", who is very enthusiastic about my using the woodshop for the build, and I think he will be a great resource, as he actually has some woodworking skill, which I do not (grin). He looked at the drawing Steve did for me (Thanks again Steve). I have an "appointment" with him to start my build at the woodshop this coming Wednesday!

After spending several months researching this site, buying supplies, I have been a little apprehensive about actually "starting" the build, cutting wood and hammering nails. So I am excited to have a solid plan.

My thoughts are to do a lot of the measuring/cutting at the woodshop, then a lot of the assembling at home. Of course, I have the "crew" at home, eager to help Daddy with the build. I am hoping to get the floor framing done this Wednesday. I will send pictures.

Thank y'all for your support in this endeavor. I'll keep you posted!

Thanks,

Al in Asheville

[Joanne]

Hi Gang,

I am starting a build journal for my "Weekender for Five", previously discussed under Member Designs ( http://tinyurl.com/2rkjon ). This week I got the trailer registered/tagged/titled for the State of NC. I am using a 5x8 Northern Tools Trailer, which I bought on sale for $299.00.

Last Wednesday, I pulled the trailer, loaded with some 2x2's, to the "Harvest House", which is a City of Asheville Community Center ( http://tinyurl.com/3b4szj ). It has a staffed and fully tooled/operational woodshop, open to the public on Wednesdays and Thursdays. I talked at length to the manager "Jim", who is very enthusiastic about my using the woodshop for the build, and I think he will be a great resource, as he actually has some woodworking skill, which I do not (grin). He looked at the drawing Steve did for me (Thanks again Steve). I have an "appointment" with him to start my build at the woodshop this coming Wednesday!

After spending several months researching this site, buying supplies, I have been a little apprehensive about actually "starting" the build, cutting wood and hammering nails. So I am excited to have a solid plan.

My thoughts are to do a lot of the measuring/cutting at the woodshop, then a lot of the assembling at home. Of course, I have the "crew" at home, eager to help Daddy with the build. I am hoping to get the floor framing done this Wednesday. I will send pictures.

Thank y'all for your support in this endeavor. I'll keep you posted!

Thanks,

Al in Asheville

Hey Al,

That's quite the crew you have there. You are going to provide them with a lifetime of memories and that's a wonderful thing!

You'll be amazed that when they are grown up they'll start talking about your time together. That's when you realize just how valuable this time was.

Joanne

[gdhog]

Hi Al, I'm looking forward to seeing your progress. I have three of my own from your pic it looks like mine are about the same ages (6,4,2) I cant wait to get out of the tent. Next year may bring a family tear.

Bob

[Alfred]

Hi Gang,

Here is the final drawing I am working from for the build. I need to thank Mike S. for all of his help in taking the idea and conceptualizing on paper for me. It will be a modified weekender, taller in height, built on 5x8 trailer. There is an upper bunk for the kids. The upper bunk will convert during the day so that there can be a galley. At night, the galley door will close and the bunk will extend into what was the galley area. I will exchange the cabinet space of a more traditional build for the extra bunk to accommodate the family of 5. This is a family project, and I could not state it more eloquently than Joanne's post above how I hope the kids will remember our build together. My ideal goal is to have something "campable" by the Spring thaw. Otherwise, will be happy if I am able to camp in it anytime this year before next Winter.

Will keep you posted!

Al in Asheville

[Sam I am]

Looks good, Al! The build will be fun for your family. Good luck!
Sam

P.S. Use screws and glue, not nails!

[tonyj]

All your apprehension on cutting the first piece of wood will disappear as soon as you have cut the first piece too short! Then it becomes what it is--a project of design, problem solving and skill building.

You can do it, you'll enjoy it, and your family will have a blast. We can't wait to see your progress.

I really like your solution for packing in the extra sleeping space with the convertible bunk.

Good luck on your build.

[Alfred]

Hi Gang!

Today I finally got started on the build for the modified weekender for 5. Here are some pictures:


This is the Harvest House, the community center in Asheville where they have a woodshop you can use for $2.00/day.

This is me and Jim. Jim is a volunteer at the woodshop, who helped me a lot today. Among other things, he taught me how to use the Miter Power Saw, to cut all the wood the same length.


Here is a close-up of the framing...


Here are two separate views of where we are, so far...




Had a lot of fun today. Got there about 1:00pm and stayed 'til about 6:30pm. Had to go to Home Depot once. Going to try to return tomorrow for a few hours before work to get the rest of the framing done and get the floor board on.

Will keep you posted!

Al in Asheville

[Miriam C.]

All right Al! Way to GitRdun What a wonderful resource you have there. And a Volunteer Tell Jim we said good job

Thanks for the pictures.

[starwars]

Hi Gang,
Here is the final drawing I am working from for the build.

Will keep you posted!

F.Y.I One human factors issue with that design. I know from experience!

The 18" clearance from the main bed to the bunk may drive you crazy because: if you are laying on your back at night and want to turn over, what you will do is to raise your knees up to put your feet flat on the matress so you can then lift your butt in order to "flip" yourself.

18" won't be enough to do that. I found I needed 24" clearance between the bottom of the bunk and the lower mattress. Your knees will hit on the bottom of the bunk and you won't be able to lift yourself.

Then the problem becomes, the top bunk won't have enough room and the kids will feel clostrophobic (been there, done that - and I only have one kid!)

The other thing is that the volumn of air inside that trailer is not very much for 5 people. If you are camping where it gets down to 50deg at night, you'll still have to keep a window open to get enough oxygen. First time we went camping, I woke up in the middle of the night and I was breathing rapidly, then I realized I was suffocating! Just opened a window (not a crisis), but then in the morning the humidity from all the "breaths" makes the inside of the TD a cold and dank place.

I am getting rid of my bunk this year and I am going to make a expandable box out the back of my TD. That way I will go from 96 cubic feet of interior air space to 160 ft^3. I don't know if it will help but craming us into bunks wasn't so nice in reality.

[peggyearlchris]

Great start Al.My son gets excited about my build. He wants to help me now.I'll be watching your build. Have fun. Peg

[Jason and Amanda]

No more updates? I was excited.

[bobhenry]

Looks good, Al! The build will be fun for your family. Good luck!
Sam

P.S. Use screws and glue, not nails!

I second that I don't think I have a nail in mine!!!

[Alfred]

Hi Gang!

Greetings from the beautiful mountains of Western NC!

I am still here, and still planning to finish the build. Life has gotten in the way for a few months, but I hope to work on the Weekender for 5 this week. We went tent camping to Myrtle Beach State Park a couple of weeks ago (And I cannot rave enough about what a great camping experience you can have at Myrtle Beach State Park), but being back in the tent, five of us on the ground, reminded me of how much I want to get out of the tent and into the camper.

The community woodshop I've been using is open on Wednesdays and Thursdays, so I want to get back in there on Wednesday. I will send an update then!

Thanks!

AL in Asheville

[mikeschn]

Hey Al,

I can't remember what you said you were going to do to allow adequate ventilation in there? Can you refresh my memory?

Mike...

[Alfred]

Hi Mike,

I have three crank open windows, one for each door, which I believe are 18 x 12 and a larger one 18" x 15" for the front. I also have a FanTastic Vent fan which will go on the roof. I do not plan to camp in the Winter, as the family does not like camping in the cold, so I anticipate all the windows and the vent being open when we camp. I also plan to have some sort of tent fan on the inside to move the air around (I have a Coleman Tent Ceiling fan that I like, also saw some small tent window fans at Walmart).

ADDENDUM: Decided I am going to put the crank-out windows that were going in the door, farther back on the body instead. Then, I have ordered two slide windows for the door. So there will be two windows on each side and one in the front, for a total of 5 windows. I think this will be ample.

AL.