Little Guy Galley Mod

[NW_Subie]

Nice mod.

It looks like Little Guy will be offering a new Economy model with a fixed galley platform.



They have the prototype listed on ebay right now.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Little-G ... 3aUSQ3a101

[iOpine]

It looks like Little Guy will be offering a new Economy model with a fixed galley platform.

Nice find. That's a cute TD and a good value.
That fixed shelf looks sturdier than the hinged ones (but there's still a gap).

[hiker chick]

Buy It Now price: US $3,995.00

Very smart to aggressively go after a lower price point. But just a 4'-wide. That's a limited market.

These are nice stats for people with 4-cylinder cars:

Curb Weight: 740 lb. Tongue Weight: 75 lb.

Seems with Little Guy there is a 100-pound difference between 4-5-6 wides. Is that generally the case with teardrops?

If they can get a 5'-wide at $4500 they'd really have something. Forget the cabinetry, period. Sell the shell with the flooring but no carpet, no cabinetry.

With that window on one side, I could live with one door.

They could also sell an optional blueprint for cabinets and hardware so all peops have to do is buy some wood that they can have cut at Home Depot and do a rudimentary install.

Good initiative, LG!

[wlooper89]

John,

I have been looking at my Little Guy galley and thinking about a possible modification. At present there are four small hinges intended to hold the particle board shelf. The hinges are attached to the particle board with two screws each. One of the hinges is already loose even though I have not transported heavy items on the shelf. The screws just came out of the particle board. Probably the weight of shelf alone could cause this the way it is attached.

My question is would a new plywood shelf attached with piano hinge all the way across be strong enough to hold a microwave oven and other camping gear? I would retain your idea of the vertical panel across the back to support the shelf there, but still be able to raise the entire shelf (without anything on it).

I would also try to make a small storage area as you did in front of the tail lights, perhaps with a removable lid/cover, and leaving room for the galley door latches.

New ideas keep popping into my mind. It is hard to pick and choose.

Bill

[iOpine]

Bill,

I think a 3/4" plywood shelf that is supported on one side the way the original shelf was with the addition of a piano hinge and the other side by a vertical panel would be plenty strong enough for almost anything you would want to put on it as long as it's locked down during transport so it doesn't bounce around.

I'll PM you with some other suggestions and opinions (always have opinions) about your approach. It'll be cool to see how it turns out.

[Zig]

The best thread on this is found at http://www.tnttt.com/viewtopic.php?t=23859.

But I thought I would start a new thread to describe the mod I did in a little more detail in case somebody else wants to improve on it. Here's what I started with - a Little Guy Rough Rider:



Some nice features, but I didn't like: 1) Open to sleeping area -- bugs, crumbs, etc. 2) Very limited storage room above the 3) heavy particle board 4) hinged lid. I just feel the whole galley area is very limited in its design.

I decided to see if I could address these issues as cheaply and easily as possible by reusing whatever I could and scrounging around in the piles of wood and other leftovers around the shop. It was cheap, but it wasn't as easy as it should have been due to my lack of planning.

To be continued...

My new 2006 (long story) has a divider built in from factory: ???

.

.

[iOpine]

My new 2006 (long story) has a divider built in from factory: ???

How about that! Definitely looks like a factory job and partially addresses a couple of the issues I had: adds support for the shelf and pretty well seals off the bed area. Adds storage aft of the bulkhead. And for those who wish to it retains the ability to access the bed when the shelf is lifted.
For many people this looks to be a good compromise. Makes one wonder whether it can be ordered as an undocumented option.

[IndyMatt]

I'm re-working my Little Guy galley now, or rather my dad is. I removed the factory shelf and supports in the back. I'll have to admit that I was a little surprised with the quality of the materials - or the lack of quality rather. The wood used is an inexpensive composite - almost looked like cardboard in the center.
I love my Little Guy, but I'm sure I'll love it even more once the galley is brought up to par. I'll post pictures of my modifications after this weekend.

[wlooper89]

This piano hinge has a partial wrap feature similar to the four hinges used by Little Guy on the galley shelf. For a larger view one can click on "More Images". It is made to use with 3/4" plywood.

http://www.rockler.com/product.cfm?page=18

This hinge is 48" long and my shelf is about 62". I might use two of the original hinges on each side to support the shelf all the way to the end. Where the hinge attaches to the galley cabinet wall is also particle board like the original shelf, but I think with piano hinge and all those screws it should still be pretty strong. Latches on both sides of the shelf instead of just one side should also help to keep the shelf from bouncing around and pulling on the hinge. I think I will make my new shelf about 1/2 inch wider than the original to minimize the gap on either side. A vertical panel as John used will support the shelf in the rear. No more sagging.

Bill

[nawlinsteardrop]

Nice mod. looks nice. I think the galley is the sweet!

[IndyMatt]

Here are the pictures of what my dad and I have accomplished thus far. I ripped out the counter and we put in some angle braces underneath. Dad had some leftover wood flooring that we used for the new counter area. That's all we have done right now. We have plans to put in a table that flips out as well as some shevling on the back wall that can be moved around to accommodate different layouts. I'll post more pics when we are finished.

Angle Brace from underneath:


New galley counter:





Petcool:

[dobbur23]

Great looking galley mod! I just got my six wide Little Guy and I can definitely see some improvements in the galley to be made.

How does the a/c work sitting on the roof? does it slide or make alot of noise? I haven't used my a/c yet but I was just going to use the window template but I like the way your mod looks.

[IndyMatt]

The A/C doesnt slide. I put a towel up there to keep the black rubber from marking up the roof. The noise wasnt bad. I have small fan inside the teardrop that I have to keep running for the "white noise" but this is something that I have to do at home too.

[wlooper89]

The A/C doesnt slide. I put a towel up there to keep the black rubber from marking up the roof. The noise wasnt bad. I have small fan inside the teardrop that I have to keep running for the "white noise" but this is something that I have to do at home too.

That is a very interesting arrangement for a PetCool. I have one that has sat idle for almost 2 years, mainly because we have to keep the passenger side door open into the attached screen room tent for the cat. So the cooling would not have a lot of effect. But for the occasions when the cat stays at home it would be nice to have the Air Conditioning.

I have a few questions if you do not mind giving more details about how you did that:

1. Where did you get the plastic cover for the roof vent that the hoses plug into? I assume it is removable for towing.

2. Is that a stock LG vent cover that is open all the way? Is there any trick to get it open like that?

3. Where do you put the PetCool while towing?

4. Is it very difficult to lift it up on the roof? I am wondering if my wife and I could do it. Neither of us has a very strong back anymore.

Sorry to ask so many questions. It looks like something we might try if we can do it.

Thanks!

Bill

[IndyMatt]

1. The plastic cover is an old cover to a ceiling mounted light fixture. My dad saw it lying in a pile of stuff he had and it just happened to fit. We didn’t plan it that way.

2. Yes, that is a stock LG vent cover that is open all the way. We cut a round notch in the arm that lifts the vent cover. This allows you to pop the other part out and fully release the vent cover. I'm going camping this weekend - I'll take some detailed pictures for you.

3. I'm no body builder, but it wasn’t too difficult to lift. You might try it before investing any time in the other modifications first.