New cargo trailer ordered!!!!

[lrrowe]

gonefishing,
I remember your posts. I followed them quite a bit watching your minimalist approach. I think it would be a great idea for me to also try this until I really know what I want.

Question for you: I see your windows look like 30 x 15's (L x H). I am thinking of ordering mine with factory installed windows but the secret is to first absolutely know where you want them. There is no going back if you have them done for you. How do you like yours being so high? I think that is what I want as I think it makes it harder for the wrong kind of people looking inside to see what you have. Oh, and I would also use some sort of inside window covering.

Also what do other members think of a small window in the door?

And Keystone, I am with you...while I did not sleep on the ground, I did it in the back of my Tundra with a cab over the bed...very uncomfortable for an old man. I look forward to your progress also.

[Gonefishin]

lrrowe, I like my windows higher for the privacy aspect, and mine were factory installed. When I want to see out, I can stand up and look out. But when I'm inside eating, sleeping, tying flies, or whatever; I can still have the curtains open and the window cracked yet nobody can really see much inside. This is especially evident at night, when it's easy to see inside any lighted area from outside. Some say they want to be able to see outside while sitting down inside their trailer. I'd rather have it the way I do.

I've never had a door window, but I can see where it would be convenient to see who's knocking. Maybe something very small with a curtain.

[lrrowe]

Thanks and I think I am leaning on doing what you did with higher windows, one on each side. The door idea needs more study.
I just prepared a pencil sketch of my idea for a layout in a 6x12. In addition to the typical needs in the trailer, I want to be able to stealthy carry two 12 ft fishing kayaks and I have ideas on how to do that.

For the time being (i.e. before I get an actual trailer) I think I will put masking tape on my garage floor and do a lot of planning from there.

There were some other sites which I did not bookmark which I need to go back and find where the posting member showed some grey and black water tanks in elevated showers and toilets.

[hankaye]

lrrowe, Howdy;

hankaye, howdy back.

What are planning on doing with the cover? Cut a hole in the side or rear door, install it and then have the AC behind it? When your coin finally lays flat, I will watch for your progress. The only issue I am having in not going to the 7x12 is my cheapness.

And I tried the cut and paste thing using the url button and no go. I am obviously the problem here.

Those come with the trim ring as well. I'd get 2 as they are 21"X13" and the lower would be for intake and the upper for
exhausting the hot air like alot of the RV's that have the 'fridge in a slide-out. A drain tube can be installed to drain out the
lower so that any drainage from the A/C unit won't be able to rot the floor.
I see things a bit differently as I live in an RV. I don't have to oppertunity to draw things out in the garage. I use my combo
living/dining/kitchen/office area, ... it measures a tad over 12'X9'. The slide sectiom is 11' 5" L X 8'9" W. So, I work around
that for ideas...

hank

[BC_Explorer]

Thanks and I think I am leaning on doing what you did with higher windows, one on each side. The door idea needs more study.
I just prepared a pencil sketch of my idea for a layout in a 6x12. In addition to the typical needs in the trailer, I want to be able to stealthy carry two 12 ft fishing kayaks and I have ideas on how to do that.

When I ordered my CT, I had one window installed and the side door window installed by the factory. It was not any cheaper, but I didn't have the tools nor the time to do this work anyway. Plus any potential leaks were covered by the warranty...

In retrospect, I am glad that I only had a single side wall window installed and not two as in the smaller trailers such as these, the side wall windows take up wall space and does not leave a lot of room for other design features. With the side wall window, the side door window and the roof vent, air circulation is fine even at around 100F last summer.

[roadinspector]

I am glad I went with a 7x CT. It has allowed me to put my bed across the CT. My bed is 78x60. This saved me 18" of length space.

FYI: I have found trailer measurements are exterior. Most interiors are about 6" shorter. You might want to find a CT the size you want and check interior dimensions. You might have a hard time putting 12' kayaks in a 12' trailer but you might get lucky and run them diagonally. Won't know till you measure 2-4 times and cut once.

Looking forward to all the new builds that are being talked about. Sure enjoy new ideas.

Earnest

[BC_Explorer]

Most interiors are about 6" shorter. You might want to find a CT the size you want and check interior dimensions. You might have a hard time putting 12' kayaks in a 12' trailer but you might get lucky and run them diagonally. Won't know till you measure 2-4 times and cut once.
Earnest

You are correct. My CT is 6' (72") wide outside but only 68" inside. However since my CT is a V-Nose, it is 11' 3" inside length and my old town pack canoe which is 12' will fit by having it strapped centered high up to the roof in the front v-nose and lowered and angled down to the left back door. Hard to describe, but if I have a pic, I will post it. In any case, if that canoe was 1 inch longer or the interior was 1 inch shorter, the canoe would never fit...it is that tight in there.

[lrrowe]

Has anyone considered going with a straight axle instead of the standard drop axle? I am interested in the extra ground clearance when traveling off the main road while hunting or fishing, etc. I can get this as an option at no extra cost. I guess the downside will be the extra 4 or 5 inch height for the trailer step-up (side and back doors). While this might be an issue for ramp doors and for loading wheeled tools or other cargo, I do not see it as a "deal breaker" for me for a primary use of camping. And I do realize that this along with an added 6" interior option and the height of the exterior roof vent will not allow me to back it into my garage with an 8 foot high opening (101 1/2 inch for trailer versus 96 inch for door)

But I could back it into the garage if I did not get the straight axle, but I will be giving up ground clearance.

I will appreciate the thoughts of others who have already looked at this issue.

[lrrowe]

The comments about the inside dimensions and fitting kayaks and canoes hit the spot. I made paper drawings of a 6x12 and 6x14 trailer (V Nose) along with cut-outs of my kayaks and your comments were right on. The 6x12 will not work for what I want to carry and how I want to load them. So I went to the dealer yesterday and got the prices for a 6x14. The base trailer was $215 more and $28 more for the higher roof height. Not bad at all and it gives me more room for other amenities at the same time. So I am glad I posted the question and glad you guys sent back your opinions and thoughts.

I am trying to avoid the 7 foot width for aerodynamic reasons and the extra 2 feet in length allow for bunks to be made lengthwise.

[roadinspector]

Glad we can pay it forward. Thats the beauty of this site. A collective of many simple minds is better than a solo flight. The folks here have helped me and still are.

Earnest

[NO David!]

Welcome Myates and Lrrowe etc...

I ordered straight axles exactly for ground clearance reasons. Added the 6" interior height as well. Can't fit it in my garage either but haven't dragged the back end on steep driveway cuts or forest service road sharp turns. Had the factory install a single step below the RV door, and we just use a portable single step stool for the kayak loading in the back.

Width and length, order a little wider and longer than you think you need...keeping within your tow vehicle capabilities of course.

Windows, gonefishin's design was my go-to. Add the fantastic vent fan in place of a roof vent, and it is amazing how well it ventilates even on a hot day.

RV side door, seemed expensive at the time, but have never regretted it. The stabilizer jacks were really worth it as well.

The use I never considered but have been amazed at is using the trailer for day trips. We can go paddling, have all our supplies neatly stowed, be able to load and unload easily, and have a nice dry place to change clothes, have a snack, move on to the next destination. In our case it is worth the effort to tow for the ease and convenience of loading boats, bikes, and accessories, and to have a mobile base camp to work out of.

Here was our cheap solution for modular sleeping for the crew:
http://www.tnttt.com/viewtopic.php?f=42&t=49766

Easier to post the link: (ground clearance, windows, rv door, kayaks, jacks, side step, all the great ideas borrowed er(stolen) from the fine folks on this forum).
http://www.tnttt.com/viewtopic.php?f=42&t=48345

Been a little slow during the winter months, reading through these posts makes me want to plan for a trip next weekend!

edit here: re-read the posts missed a few questions.

My RV side door came with an opaque glass vertical slide window. Privacy is great, and open the window about 1" and it creates a nice breeze. Window has a screen in addition to thefull length RV door latching screen.

as far as locating windows, up and offset is my preference too. Privacy, great cross-ventilation, wall space is valuable, and it really lights up all areas inside of a normally dark trailer.

Might as well stir the Air Conditioning pot again...here's my vote:

-Window unit mounted in a removable "closet"
David

-It "might" rain...


-Inside view


David

[lrrowe]

No David! and BC_Explorer,

Thanks to both of you and others with their replies.
No David!, I like your picture of your trailer with the side and door windows. I think I want mine to look like that. How long is your trailer?

BC_Explorer, I have read most of your earlier posts and took away many ideas, especially those cots you ordered. I went to the link you gave and will order one cot to experiment with. Even though my lower bunk will be more or less permanent, I cannot use it there. But for my upper bunk, it looks like a perfect fit....and it is thin and light. Now how did you secure it to the ceiling and be able to take the weight of the sleeper? I suspect I would have to add a re-enforcing bar to allow for the weight of the person sleeping there..

Also your AC addition section and removable closet is similar to what I had designed in my head. I think I will go with the extra ground clearance and guess I need to add the power vent to my "check it out" list.

I cannot wait until I can get started.

[NO David!]

Hopefully I'm replying to right questions:

BC_Explorer: my apologies in advance if I mis-understood his question...

I think BC-Explorer's is a single axle 6x10 V nose, mine is a tandem axle 7x16 standard front.

If you asking about my cots, details from the above link here:

Had a few questions about our home built bunk beds...

Disclaimer: "Danger Will Robinson" absolutely no engineering went into this design, i.e. "y'all are on your own on this one..."

Kinedyne makes vertical e-track: We had ours shipped loose with the trailer, our trailer builder shipped horizontal e-track, said they had never heard of vertical. They fixed this later.

http://www.easternmarine.com/E-Track-Strips-Straps-Parts/

I installed the vertical e-track on top of the floor/wall trim and attached it to the wall studs and wall panels.

For the roof, I cut a ~6 foot section and installed it into the roof spanning 4 sections of roof bracing to spread out the load. Note: I have found no evidence that e-track can be used overhead, it just worked for my needs. I nor the manufacturer have any idea how much weight the roof braces will support. I can verify that I made a sling out of the kayak strap and used a single anchor to test the overhead e-track and performed all kinds of circus trapeze acts to the amusement of the kids and the result was a rock solid mount. I had to use fasteners to mount the e-track if you can weld, so much the better. I reasoned that if I spread the load over the 4 braces using a single piece of e-track it would be better. Did the same for the other side of course. When installed the cot has 4 different support points, seems to be more than enough margin for our needs. The e-track, fittings, and straps are way stronger than needed. My concern is related to the mounting points in the trailer itself. Keeping an eye on that one, but so far so good.

Here's the wood beam end socket for the wall mount: I cut a short 2x4 and cutout a round slot for the cot pipe to lay in and made a clip to anchor the pipe into the wood.


Here's a picture during construction, shows the e-track beam sockets, and the overhead mount.


Here's the "flat" d-ring e-track anchor I used for the ceiling mounts:


Here's the cots:
http://store.colemans.com/cart/cot-euro-military-p-610.html

Here's the straps: These are great for everything, I was going to use chain or cable, but had some extra straps, checked their strength rating, and the rest is history.
http://www.nrsweb.com/shop/product.asp?pfid=1440&pdeptid=1188


BTW, these hooks are for hanging cargo beams in big trucks. They are awesome, we use them all the time in the trailer, they fit vertical track or horizontal.
http://www.easternmarine.com/e-or-a-tra ... hook-80023

I'm sure there are much better ways to do this, I was just determined to stay on budget and keep the modular concept of the trailer alive. Can't believe how useful and versatile the e-track has been. I was going to remove the bunks when not needed, but now can simply un-clip the overhead mount, move it to the top of the wall, take up the slack in the straps and presto...the cots rotate up against the wall, and make lots of room for other stuff. The e-track looks pretty utilitarian, but we wanted function first.

Now back to your regularly scheduled program, thanks for looking.

David

btw, the cot frame is the support, nothing else needed, it is non-folding, had to cut the braces holding the legs on with a hacksaw... can't find it now, but remember a rating for <300 lbs. The treated burlap works like a pipe berth on a sailboat, like a hammock that doesn't swing I guess.

David

[lrrowe]

No David!,

My question might have been confusing. I was asking about the support for the rope/cable or chain coming from the ceiling to the cot bed. Did you anchor it directly from the manufacturers ceiling's cross member or did you beef the ceiling beam up?

[NO David!]

I attached a 6 foot section of the vertical e-track directly to the 1" square tubing beams that the manufacturer used in the roof. Roof beams were on 24" centers and welded together at the factory, pretty sturdy. Each track section attaches to 4 consecutive roof beams spreading the load.

When I finished out the roof with the wood paneling, I left cutouts for different mount points for the hangers for flexibility. I think if you had access to a welder, it would be much better, but everything is still good with mine after several road and light off-road trips.

E-track runs front to rear, D-ring e-track hanger clips/locks into E-track, NRS 1" wide nylon straps thread through the D-ring, down around the cot frame and back to the strap cinch lock, making an adjustable loop. Wall mounts are supported by the 2x4 E-track brackets, and clamps cover the top of the cot frame to keep it from lifting when climbing in/out.

These NRS straps are used by river folk everywhere, put through all kinds of abuse holding canoes/kayaks to the roof of vehicles, tying down gear in boats, etc. It was a simple trial that worked out. I'm sure "Safety Sam" would not approve but what can I say...I live in NW Georgia after all. "Hey ya'll watch this!!!"