Hikerjohnd's Great Escape - Update 1-16-11

[GeoDrop]

John,
Your reading light looks very familiar. :-)

Sweet! Great minds really do think alike!

I don't need to send royalties or anything do I?

Nah... It is funny that we did identical design, even the little routed edge. Mine is made of ambrosia maple. Yours looks great too!

Just powered mine up a few days ago, they put out a lot of light!

[Hikerjohnd]

Another day of progress!

I started the day planning to work on Christmas presents for family members... not sure how I ended up working on the camper!


Well, here's what I've accomplished so far:

I ordered some formica for my counter tops. After an extra week getting here, I finally got it installed on my counter and since I have a whole 4x8 sheet to use, I am looking for all the places on the camper it might be useful. So far I've got a piece reserved for a side table and one piece for the top shelf in the front of the camper.



Then I installed the front shelves and painted the inside of the cabin.




Then, because I wanted to see what it would look like, I put the first coat of paint on the outside of the camper! It looks like the Hulk threw up right now, but a couple of coats down the road, and I think it's going to look pretty sweet!



Next up, another coat of paint inside, epoxying the wood joints outside, and wiring the 12v and 120v systems!

[absolutsnwbrdr]

It looks like the Hulk threw up right now

Looks good! You're almost ready to go camping!!

[Hikerjohnd]

So I've been studying my skylight while I wait for rains to stop. The more I look at it, the more I am convinced if left as functional window, it will leak. The window certainly wasn't designed to be a skylight, but I thought it might be able to serve that purpose.

The window has a rubber seal, but the space between the window and the frame has the potential to fill with water in rain and I believe that will eventually leak.

It will still be a very nice, non-functional, skylight so at least all is not lost.

[S. Heisley]

Well, John, now you've done it! You won't be able to rest until you've got another coat of green paint on that incredible hulk! That's okay. You can make Christmas presents while that second coat is drying.

All kidding aside, you're doing a good job and it's looking good.

[Hikerjohnd]

Cant believe xmas is next week

Added cabin lights last night. Still going to push to get this thing towable by xmas so i can go to jacksonville to make curtains and an awning. Its the only time i have to get it down there & mom has extra day off to help with the sewing. (help with? Yeah right, she is going to do all the sewing!)

Tonight's plan is to finish wiring the cabin & insulate the roof & get the lid put on. Then, if time allows, get started on wiring the brake/running lights on the trailer. Not sure if mother nature is going to cooperate though, supposed to rain today and tomorrow!

[Hikerjohnd]

Got more done - still not as finished as I'd like to be, but I'll get there eventually.

Went to my uncle's house outside Charlotte for a couple of days work. My fantasies included getting windows installed, but after seeing how much work is involved in wiring, I am happy we completed that and got the hatch installed.

Uncle Don is a master electrician and went right to work turning my dreams into reality!

We are using 12ga wire for just about everything. The look on Uncle Don's face when he realized I was using 12ga wire for the 12v system was priceless. I didn't realize that was overkill for my needs, but it will work!



The air-conditioner is installed! The one piece of this whole project that started everything!



The rear hatch is wired and ready to install. We added quick connects so if the hatch needs to be removed, it can be done without removing all the existing wiring.




12v systems are wired and working great! Bob's light is bright! I don't think I will need a 110v light, but it's already installed so it stays.



The cabin is small and I think my next build will be a standie. The roof hatch has proven a valuable part of this project! Getting in an out of the camper when the rear jacks are all the way up is a bit challenging (as Uncle Don illustrates).




Here is the rear wall with all outlets installed. There is a little red indicator light in the upper right corner of the wall. If I forget and go to bed with the rear lights on, that light will also be on so I don't run down my battery with the galley lights being left on all night.



The rear hatch is installed - That's the side of Aunt Elaine's head. She was marveling at the galley lights.



Here is all the wiring in place.



And these two days have come to an end. Uncle Don did more than I could have dreamed. I now can hook up and camp, knowing that my camper won't burn down from electrical mistakes. I still have work to do, but this project is beginning to look like I can really finish it!

[myoung]

Nice to have an Uncle who knows how to wire. Can't imagine what you are going to plug into all those outlets though.

I'll be watching the completion with interest.

[pete42]

John don't you love working with those electrical boxes the ones with the wings, cut hole place in hole turn screws done.
I have used them on an all fiberglass trailer I owned I found the dealer didn't install enought for me and the ones they did install didn't seem to be where I wanted them.
Having been an electrician over 41 years you can't have too many outlets.
pete

[Kens]

John tell your Uncle Don the way to get in a TD is rear first then lay back and swing your legs in. Simple and easy. Once the bed is in its much easier. Ken.

[mcspin50]

Wow! Great progress on your teardrop, John. You'll be camping before you know it.

[Hikerjohnd]

Can't imagine what you are going to plug into all those outlets though.

I don't know either but I figure better to have and not need than need and not have! I have a TV and a device that streams movies from a hard drive to the TV, so that's one recpticle filled!

You cant have too many outlets.

Amen!

[YuGun]

Wow the devices looking good...

[Miriam C.]

Can't imagine what you are going to plug into all those outlets though.

I don't know either but I figure better to have and not need than need and not have! I have a TV and a device that streams movies from a hard drive to the TV, so that's one recpticle filled!

You cant have too many outlets.

Amen!

Great to have an Uncle Don! Tell him I said "good job". You can have too many outlets but not often. You will need one for the TV and devices. One for the battery maintainer if you have one. Another for the coffee pot and alarm clock---NOT, and then there are the electric blankets and stufffffffff....

The TD is looking great. I would love a picture of your hatch and how you will make it weather proof....

[Hikerjohnd]

The TD is looking great. I would love a picture of your hatch and how you will make it weather proof....

It has to be weather proof?? Crap. Back to the drawing board...

At the present time my plans for weather proof include some rubber seals around the galley hatch and lots of paint everywhere else.



So here's the latest update:

I got the windows installed but didn't have time to get the door in.





Then a quick sanding and I'm ready to paint!



The roof is going to be black. Why black you ask? I have 2 gallons of black paint and need a place to use it.



And now the Great Escape is a little less Hulk vomit and a little more emerald.





And the galley is starting to come together nicely. the microwave fits perfectly in front of the light switch. Uncle Don did a good job with the switch considering we had no idea how big the microwave was!




Up next is the galley hatch and finishing the wall between the galley and the cabin. The current plan for the wall is a cabinet on the cabin side and a cabinet on the galley side.