MyAway build - Updates for space usage & organization

[Shadow Catcher]

Looking GOOD.
A thought, unless you are using an AGM battery you need to periodically add water to the battery. It looks like this may be difficult with the vent and hinge of the battery box as it almost is.

[S. Heisley]

Shadow Catcher:

Thank you! You were paying attention! I appreciate your care and comments, as this is my first trailer build and mistakes happen. That’s what this forum is about: supporting and helping each other.

You're right; the battery box is a tight fit. I feel safer with an AGM and will be using that; but, the way the cabinet is built, I could possibly use the other kind. Before I finalized the design, I taped boxes together to the size of an AGM battery (6.5â€

[Shadow Catcher]

Sharon
An AGM is recombinant and does not vent or very little. If you can plan on sticking with an AGM you probably do not need more than the fan from the converter to prevent hydrogen gas build up. Ours, because I specified an AGM has no vents and is back in the galley with the water heater and converter.
It looks like you have been doing your homework (this is a very good place to do that) and your project is well thought out.

[S. Heisley]

Thanks, Shadow Catcher. You're right again! But, I just wasn't comfortable without the battery box and venting as my dog and I will be sleeping in that same area. My converter fan doesn't vent to the outside. It only cools the unit. Also, having things set up this way allows for other possibilities.

Thanks for watching my back. I can use all the help I can get!

[bbarry]

Sharon,

It's a shame not to use that little stove, it looks great. Surely there's a way to run the propane line a little bit away from your electrical, yes?

[Shadow Catcher]

Looking at the materiel from Concord/Lifeline concerning AGM batteries the only thing that is vented is a very small amount of hydrogen gas, not enough to be explosive, and bear in mind these batteries can be mounted on their sides and will work upside down, even when punctured the acid does spill out. The hydrogen is the reason there are precautions about jumping a conventional car battery. i.e. ground to the frame not the battery. I just hate putting holes in things you don't have to. As an example the mounts for our solar cell will be put on using 3M VSB tape, no hols in the roof.

[S. Heisley]

Bbarry wrote:

It's a shame not to use that little stove, it looks great. Surely there's a way to run the propane line a little bit away from your electrical, yes?

Not the way I designed it. Had I realized this problem sooner, maybe; but, the electrical lines run right under the back of the counter and out the side. I'm a firm believer that things happen the way they do for a reason. Recently, there was a thread about cooking inside the trailer and quite a few people were negative about that, discussing smells, grease build-up and lack of counter space. It was causing me to have second thoughts anyway. With the old design, counter space was pretty limited and this will give me more. I'm looking at a possible two burner butane catering stove that could be kept on a shelf just under the counter. With that, I'd only need one stove as it would be portable so I could use it inside or outdoors. This would also cut some weight off because I wouldn't need a propane tank. This idea may actually work out better.

[S. Heisley]

Shadow Catcher wrote:

Looking at the materiel from Concord/Lifeline concerning AGM batteries the only thing that is vented is a very small amount of hydrogen gas, not enough to be explosive, and bear in mind these batteries can be mounted on their sides and will work upside down, even when punctured the acid does spill out. The hydrogen is the reason there are precautions about jumping a conventional car battery. i.e. ground to the frame not the battery. I just hate putting holes in things you don't have to. As an example the mounts for our solar cell will be put on using 3M VSB tape, no hols in the roof.

I agree, which is why I haven't put the air intake hole in yet. The exhaust hole is already there; but, I have special fittings for that and feel comfortable with it. I'm thinking that the air inside the cabin would be enough for the intake. What I think I will do is wait and see whether I need that bottom hole. Other than air intake, the bottom hole is used to eliminate any water that might sneak in through the exhaust vent; and, the way that is made, I don't think there will be any. So, what I plan to do for now is put a tube on the bottom intake hole to direct any drips to a container. That way, I can watch to see what happens.

Thanks, Shadow Catcher, for all your thoughts and help.

[S. Heisley]

I found it! Thanks to Brad (bbarry), I got to thinking about that stove and thought of a way to use it. All I have to do is turn it sideways and enclose the shelf area! That area needs to have something to keep items from falling off /out anyway; so, if I use some 1/8â€

[Steve_Cox]

I checked the installation requirements and the available spacing meets them; barely, but it does. Woohoo!

Woo Hoo indeed Sharon . Cooking inside little gypsy makes me a happy camper. And, it smells just fine. I run the exhaust fan while using the stove.

[wlivesey]

[quote="S. Heisley"]I found it! Thanks to Brad (bbarry), I got to thinking about that stove and thought of a way to use it. All I have to do is turn it sideways and enclose the shelf area! That area needs to have something to keep items from falling off /out anyway; so, if I use some 1/8â€

[S. Heisley]

wlivesey wrote:

Hey Sharon. It looks great! Just one suggestion though... You might want to turn that stove around so the big burner is in the back and the controls are up front. The way you have it, you'll have to reach over the big burner to get to the controls in the back. That might be a problem if you have a big boiling pot on there.

I thought of that but it won't fit frontward in a way that allows me to segregate the area to prevent a "KaBoom!". I tried it both your suggested way and the way it is in the picture, including right-handed knob motions. To my surprise, I found that my right arm didn't cross the big burner either way. With the left hand, it was a problem whether the controls were in front or on the right side because the stove design itself is not very good. With it this way, I can cook from either the front or the side and I'm right-handed anyway. If I kick the bucket ( R.I.P.) and my family sells it to a left-handed person, all he has to do is turn the unit around and the controls will be on the left! It works!

[bbarry]

Yippeee!!!

[wlivesey]

wlivesey wrote:

Hey Sharon. It looks great! Just one suggestion though... You might want to turn that stove around so the big burner is in the back and the controls are up front. The way you have it, you'll have to reach over the big burner to get to the controls in the back. That might be a problem if you have a big boiling pot on there.

I thought of that but it won't fit frontward in a way that allows me to segregate the area to prevent a "KaBoom!". I tried it both your suggested way and the way it is in the picture, including right-handed knob motions. To my surprise, I found that my right arm didn't cross the big burner either way. With the left hand, it was a problem whether the controls were in front or on the right side because the stove design itself is not very good. With it this way, I can cook from either the front or the side and I'm right-handed anyway. If I kick the bucket ( R.I.P.) and my family sells it to a left-handed person, all he has to do is turn the unit around and the controls will be on the left! It works!

Oh, yeah... I see what you mean... Good thinking!

So when are you going to post a pic of the pop top in place? I'm really wanting to see that!

[S. Heisley]

wlivesey wrote :

So when are you going to post a pic of the pop top in place? I'm really wanting to see that!

Sorry, Bill. The way it keeps raining, seemingly continuously, it may be late April before I can start working on that. Even testing the lifting roof in place is an issue with all the rain we’re having. On average, the rain here usually stops just in time for the Dam Gathering (except for last year).

(On the plus side, our Shasta Dam rose 89 feet in one month and, after 4 years of drought, the "glass" is 59% full!)

I think my time is better spent working on the inside because, once the roof is on, I won't be able to stand up unless the trailer is outside the garage. So, right now, I'm sidetracked a bit on the galley and the wires versus gas lines concern and want to be certain that it is permanently settled before I continue. That issue is just too critical to the overall plan. Therefore, I think I'm going to work on the galley some more before I wire up and close up to ready things for the roof.