Squidget Tongue Box almost complete

[cracker39]

This has been my focus (at least off and on) for the past 3 or 4 days. I believe that this part is the most detailed and complicated of anything I'll be doing on the trailer. It is made up of at least 29 individual pieces of spruce and plywood. I finally decided on how to make it water tight, and I think it will be.

These two photos show the tongue box in place temporarily. It still needs one piece of trim at the front bottom, brad holes filled and sanded, sealing and painting, and the hinge and latches installed. But, we finally got some rain, so I had to give it up for a while. I won't mount the box on the tongue until the trailer is painted.

On the closed pic, the inset pic shows the end view of the box and lid, showing more detail of the "door".

On the open picture, ignore the cut-outs on the left side (facing the box). That's where I made the opening for the cord and installed the ends backward, so I made cutouts in the other end too. I'll use the round one to put in a vent for the battery gasses. The red lines on the open pic represent where the weatherstripping will be installed. I have a picture of the 1/8" x 3/8" foam weatherstripping I intend to use inset in the lower right corner. If I find with use that it doesn't seal well, I'll take it out and put sometning else in it's place. The white object on the right side (facing the box) is my cord hatch. The cord and main breaker go in that side. The battery goes in the left side. With the jack stand vertical, the door won't open that far. It will probably open to about a 35-40 degree angle, but that's enough to get the battery in and out and stow the cord.

[rampage]

Very nice work, Dale. I hope I get a chance to see your TTT in person eventually.

[Ira]

What are you going to put in there? It looks small!!!

MY BOX IS BIGGER THAN YOURS!!!

Not built better...just bigger.

[cracker39]

Ira,

MY TRAILER IS BIGGER THAN YOUR TRAILER!!!

And that's why I don't need as big a box. I have storage inside the trailer under the bed/couch and in the front galley cabinet. Seriously (if I have to be), The box is mainly for the battery, main breaker box, and shore power cable. I have room for a few other things, and probably will put my leveling jacks in it.

Rampage, you're welcome to come by and see it any time. When my TTT is finished we want to go up to the Anastasia State park to camp one weekend. That's pretty close to where you are. But, by the time it's done, it may be getting to hot to do any camping. As you know, it's been in the low 80s here most of the pas week. We're in a cool spell right now, in the low 70s with some rain finally.

[Loader]

Dale, the trailer, it is really coming together nicely. So, all electric will be housed up front? Nice.

[cracker39]

Yes, Loader. From the battery to the converter will be about 6 to 7 feet of wire. The main breaker in the box is about 2 feet of wire closer to the converter than the battery. I'll run both sets of wires through conduit from the box inside to the converter, so that I won't have to have an extra fuse on the battery end. I'll probably mount the converter behind a cabinet door, in a panel that is removable to get at the wiring. These details aren't thought out yet. I'll work it out as I get to the electrical work.

As you can see, the box is divided into two compartments to prevent the battery gasses from getting to the main breaker. The battery side will have one or two vents for any gassing to exit the box. My tail lights will run through conduit from the coupler into the box, and then inside the galley cabinet, and then through a raceway along the floor that will look like regular carpet molding, to the rear storage compartment, then inside the rear wall to the lights. Wiring to the front clearance lights will run back through the raceway to the left front lite, and then, under the galley cabinet to the right front lite.

I already have all of the 12V wiring strung inside and tacked to the spars and framing, waiting for the paneling to be installed, which will be much later after the I locate the fender placement and install framing in the wall to attach the fenders to. That still depends on whether they have to be removable or not.

[cracker39]

Ira,

Actually, I could have just skipped making a tongue box altogether, which would have saved me a lot of work. The batery could have been put inside in part of my porti-potti cabinet, and vented to the outside. I could have had a plug-in in the wall for the shore cable, which could have been stored in the rear compartment. I just went with the tongue box, because it seems to be traditional with TDs. Now I have to figure out a way to lock it to keep the battery from being stolen. I haven't seen anything to use for a lock except for a hasp and padlock.

[mikeschn]

Now I have to figure out a way to lock it to keep the battery from being stolen. I haven't seen anything to use for a lock except for a hasp and padlock.

Keeping it under cover is half the battle. Who's gonna steal something they can't see?

Of course I think the better solution is to put a hasp and a padlock on, like you said. The one on my tongue box is solid brass!

Mike...

P.S. Dale, how are you going to keep all those seals under compression?

[cracker39]

P.S. Dale, how are you going to keep all those seals under compression?

I've cut all the pieces to very close tolerances. I plan on putting on the hinge and latches with a 1/16" clearance before putting in the 1/8" thick seals. With the door hinged at the bottom, when it closes, it will press the lower seal to half it's original thickness at the bottom. When it is pulled in tight with the latches I bought, it will compress the rest of them the same amount. There is a lip at the bottom, 1/2" above the hinge, so that if any water gets in at the hinge, it can't get into the box even it it could get by the hinge. The only place water could possibly get in is at the top. If I keep it compressed enough, I think it will keep the water out. Besides, if it should leak, I'll just drill a couple of drain holes in the bottom.

[mikeschn]

Dale,

I knew you thought it thru... heck you even have a backup plan... good for you...

Mike...

[cracker39]

Mike, I really believe that I've spent more time both planning and building this box than on anything else. Again, it's probably overkill, and I've probably spent more time on it that I should have. I can't say it won't leak, but if it does, I'll find a way to remedy it.

I plan on sealing my rear storage compartment door the same way. The advantage there is that the door is on the lower rear wall, in the "underhang", so that any water that reaches it will be from turbulence. So, I am less concerned with leakage there. I had planned all along to have two small side doors to the compartment, but when I got around to putting on the skin, I saw the advantage of a larger, single door in the back. You can see the door opening in my avatar.

[cracker39]

Mike, I now have my hardware for the tongue box and cargo hatch. For the tongue box, I found a locking hasp at WM for $6, but it was a 4 1/2" hasp and it was too long. Then, I found a 3" locking hasp at West Marine in town...at over 3 times the price of the WM hasp. But, it's stainless steel, so I guess it's worth $20. With this, I won't have to keep up with a padlock.

For the cargo box, I picked up a garage door locking handle with a square shaft. I got a sturdy angle bracket to make the catch from. I used a square diamond file to square the sides of one of the screw holes for the shaft to fit into. I'll mount the door, fit the handle, and slide the catch piece onto the shaft, fit it to catch the inside of the door jamb, tape it so it won't move, then remove the door and spot weld the catch to the shaft. I'll screw a thin piece of metal to the inside of the door jamb so the catch won't wear away the wood. Total cost of the handle and catch, about $8.

I may put a chest latch on each end of both doors to help hold them tight against the weather stripping, with the locks in the middle.