Build 3 - Scenic Solo (Camping On the Blue Ridge)

[john]

For my third build I am going small and light. A build for a single sleeper.

42" wide (as dictated by the axle i had on hand) by 7' 2.5" long and is built on a modified version of Angib's
(http://www.tnttt.com/viewtopic.php?f=27&t=34755) triangular light-weight frame. His frame utilized a torsion axle set up; my frame uses slipper springs and had to be modified from Angib's design for that reason.

Interior height is 3.5'.

The current weight is 190lbs.

1/2" ply was used for the floor, the spars, and the "studs". I will use no more than two sheets. The rest of the build has used two sheets of 1/4" luan so far. I expect to use one more sheet for the galley.

The sides will be skinned in aluminum but I plan to use 1/8" hardboard coated in fiberglass for skinning the roof.

Question - Does fiberglass work on hardboard?

Anyway, here is a pic of my current progress...



And of the frame for those of you interested. The same guy balancing the Solo is pictured in my avatar:

[john]

I was able to install the "headliner" yesterday.

Current weight is now 218lbs. Roughly 90 at each wheel and 40 on the tongue. Hardboard is too heavy but the box stores no longer carry 1/8 ply paneling.

I spaced the spars at 12" but I found that when I pressed the headliner in place that it did not follow the spars the way I wanted. The solution was to install temporary blocks between the spars. I was able to remove the blocks today.

[john]

Another dry day, a little more construction...

Current weight is now 232lbs. Each wheel carries 96 while the tongue still carries around 40. One thing gone unmentioned is that throughout my weighing the passenger side has weighed 3 lbs more than the driver's side so the numbers regarding the wheels and tongue are approximate.

A start on the galley:



And the interior storage is done:



According to NOAA I'll be rained out for the next couple of days.

[kludge]

Look great!

Be careful backing up?

[john]

Look great!

Be careful backing up?

I suppose so... bumpers are heavy.

[absolutsnwbrdr]

Looking good John. Simple can certainly be better! I wouldn't mind doing a lightweight trailer like this sometime.

[kludge]

Look great!

Be careful backing up?

I suppose so... bumpers are heavy.

Nah, I meant the (seemingly) short tongue and hitting the td with the tv. Could just be an optical illusion.

[john]

I see.

My goal is to bring the camper as close to the tow vehicle as possible. Being that any tow vehicle will pinch against a trailer at some point going in reverse, the threshold I set for myself was not create the conditions for forward pinching when making a U-turn. My car can not turn sharp enough to pinch against the camper going forward.

It will, however, pinch in reverse...



I suppose a short wheelbase (IQ, Smart, Samurai) might cause problems, but then, most of those are narrower than my Camry. But yea, you're right. It's tight.

[john]

The rain has past as has the work ... for now.

With the few hours of sunlight left in the day I began wiring but more importantly I made decisions regarding that topic.

I will go simple which means no battery aside from that on my car. When without shore power I will connect the trailer to the car for 12v. If shore power is available I will use a trickle charger as a converter to run the vent and one light. I've tried the charger on the items I intend to install and it has no problem running them. Additionally, I found that when running the vent if I switch the charger from 12v to 6v the fan slows considerably while still moving plenty of air in relative silence. A plus.

Not much to show but pics are loved around here:

[john]

I focused on the 120 side of things today.

First up was extension cord storage. With no room for a tongue box and little storage in the galley I opted for cramming the cord into a "cram-box" under the floor. The little cord door was left over from a previous build and needs cleaning.







I also ran most of the 120:


And added another storage area under the primary storage area. The left side is where the electrical stuff will be located while the right side will be used for storing "pocket smalls" like my wallet at the end of the day:


Until the electrical work is done I see no reason to weigh the trailer.

[Oldragbaggers]

I really like this little guy a lot. I love the way you created your storage spaces, so simple yet very attractive. I am looking forward to seeing this build progress.

[john]

I began the evening thinking I would start with the sink inside and the galley shelving. Both were delayed when I realized that the galley shelving was dependent on first installing the galley hatch gutters and that those were actually galley hatch 'ribs?'.

So, hatch construction began with a template for the curved ribs.

The hatch gutters installed:




Not to be forgotten I finished cutting the hole for the door and the window ... well, until the aluminum is installed:

[KCStudly]

Looking really good! I especially like the extension cord storage; nice.

[john]

Thanks KC, I like it too. Won't leave home without the extension cord.

My daughter (she just turned 10 two weeks ago) ran her second 5k Saturday because she wanted to; no prompting from her mom or myself. She asked and we said ... Okay. Not only did she finish, but her time was 34:17 give take a few seconds. I'm still swimming in the pride. The winner, a guy visiting home from college, completed the run in around 17:30.

Here is my daughter coming up on the finish. She is in the green:


So Saturday was out due to the 5k and Sunday was mostly out due to work. However, I had couple of daylight hours after returning home and was able to build up the spacer between the headliner and the outer skin for the vent allowing for the glue to cure over night. Additionally I was also able to solder wires that would later be covered by the insulation and the outer skin.



Then this morning I installed the insulation:



followed by the outer skin:


Looks like fiberglass is not too far off.

[john]

I have a thing about brushing my teeth in public restrooms. I'm nuts, I know. I have no problem doing anything else, though. I also like having a place to dump leftover cola and such.

So, yesterday evening I built a little sink cabinet. The hole in the front is just large enough to slip in a one gallon water "milk" jug at a time. Two will fit inside the cabinet; one for fresh water, the second for grey. In some cases I imagine I might choose to have two fresh water gallon jugs with a drain to the ground.

Not installed yet are the power outlets to the left of the hole. One 120v and one 12v. There is a divider between the electrical and the water that is keyed such that it can be removed and reveal what my son calls a "hidey hole".

The current weight has increased due to the wiring, insulation, and outer skin.

103lbs at each wheel and 40lbs at the tongue. Nearly 250lbs so far.

With the addition of the door, window, (both needlessly heavy), aluminum sides, hatch, and A/C I see the final weight somewhere between the 350lbs. to 375lbs range.





Update:
Power bits added: