Today I'll start by describing the camper's systems; current and future planned. Then we'll build the "hookups wall".
In much the same way we did Lil' Queeny, we're adding extra capability, to existing holes in the siding, etc. In some cases, I was designing new additions where old labels had been screwed through the sheet metal near another opening.
Tow-Mater has holes too! But not as many, I mean if you don't count the gashes!
Propane-
Current: Two 20 lb tanks on the tongue. Plumbing runs underneath and tees from street side to curbside and up through the floor to the furnace. Back over at street side, it goes up through the floor, and tees behind the galley base cabinet to the range and propane light. Yes, we'll keep the light. Like the paneling, it's part of the character we want to retain.
Planned: Addition of a water heater (accessed from street side under the front sofa base), and a fridge (in place of the icebox). That will require a base cabinet raised 3.5", and a specific size of upper and lower wall vents (plus fan) for correct operation. So one line will need to tee early on to the water heater, and also in the neighborhood of the range/light tee, another run teed over to the fridge. The extra fridge we have in the parts camper is a 1995 Dometic 4 cubic foot. It might fit (entry door width is the issue). Otherwise we'd locate a smaller unit and maybe won't have to raise the counter.
12 Volt Electric-
Current: None.
Planned: Single battery on the tongue. We'll put a circuit breaker on the battery post and the line will run under the camper and up through the floor of the galley base cabinet to a fuse block, with at least two circuits run up into the galley overhead cabinet (lights, maybe device-charging outlet or two) with one or two circuits exiting the base cabinet sides for a light or two near the street side sleeping areas at the sofas. Another line run under the front sofa base for a water pump, and potential water heater self-ignition, but the extra water heater we have is just propane, so it might stay that. Theoretically we can run lines up from either sofa base for wall lights used while seated on the sofas. Additionally, with front sofa base containing water heater on left (curbside), fresh water tank and pump in center, our extra Power Center (110/12 Volt and charger) from the parts camper can fit under the curbside of that cabinet and be easily accessed while standing outside the entry door.
120 Volt Electric-
Current: 15 Amp inlet behind galley base cabinet, line runs up through the wall to the overhead cabinet, where there was a switched fuse box. That's being replaced with Lil' Queeny's 20 amp two circuit breaker box mounted in the upper cabinet, feeding existing line to the ceiling light. In that case the 15 Amp inlet will remain and circuits will be 15 amp breakers on 12 gauge wires.
Planned: Several outlets within the capability of the two circuits, run here or there where needed, but with additional future plans of much greater electrical capability up to a 30 Amp inlet, and 10 gauge line to the planned Power Center under the front sofa base. From there branches to where needed.
Fresh Water-
Current: City hookup under the camper floor, directly from below the tap. Straight up! Gravity feed curbside front sofa cabinet. Unknown tank size, but maybe 10-15 gallon metal tank. Condition unknown at this time. Line from there to the galley hand pump.
Planned: Move the city inlet to the wall behind the galley base cabinet. Tank size/condition inspected and replaced if determined. Gravity fill left where it is, 12 volt pump (one in parts camper), outdoor shower or spray port behind galley base cabinet.
Gray Water-
Current: Galley sink drain (and vent) exit camper on wall behind the sink. No tank.
Planned: Small grey water, wherever best for space and balance. Maybe under rear sofa if we can keep trailer balance correct. Otherwise, perhaps outside over axle, especially since we'll be flipping the axle, gaining greater ground clearance.
Black Water-
Current: None.
Planned: Small Portable Toilet.
I think that's it. So while these future plans will evolve, and be brought on board as time goes on, it's important right now to make repairs and behind the walls changes (while inside there), so as to accommodate the vision.
And that brings us today, to the systems and hookups wall behind the galley base cabinet.
Let's start with the fridge. Our extra "parts fridge" requires 32" height wall opening, and that takes the cabinet up, to accommodate. So there will be some slight cabinet face modification, but pretty simple. The 3.5" base cabinet height rise is required to keep the original sink (character again) and make room for the sink drain by using a "limited space" tub drain. Those elbow 90 degrees right off the bat, so would route the drain away from the top of the fridge. Dometic vents for this model fridge require rough openings, and that's what you see in the wall. Both upper and lower (I forget exact, but about 9.75" high by 19.25" wide) are shown in the pic with an almost exact same size in between. That just happened. Also, I reinstalled that 3/4" by 3/4" filler mentioned yesterday, to bring the lower plate wall framing up to floor level where the lower vent starts.
Yesterday I spoke about re-routing part of the trailer lights wiring? This is why. In the pic you see it along the top of the board which makes up the upper vent top framing member.
Now on to the left side (above the wheel well). Down low is a small vertical connector between the two lower horizontal members. That is where the back of the drawer guide fastens.
The two 1x8 horizontal boards are used thus. Top will house the electrical inlet toward rear (left), and waste water vent forward (right). The bottom will house the waste water drain forward. The city water inlet will be added to the top board in center. The outside shower/spray port will be placed just forward of the drawer guide mount location, so as to accommodate minimum clearances from the back of the range.
Maintenance and inspection of these "behind the base cabinet" systems components (such as leak checks of the indoor propane tees), will be through the drawer and door access located below the range. Repairs and modifications will be through "range removal".
As you can see from the pic, by this stage I only have 120 Volt electric run. No 12 Volt, no propane. We'll do those as we go.
As I was adding the insulation, I remembered "oh yeah, let's get that propane light line run"! Here you see it roughed in.
I was going to run a single ground for the two overhead 12 Volt circuits, but didn't have 10/12/14 gauge white wire on hand, so just ran two colored and two white lines in 16 gauge for basic/small current draw upper cabinet circuits. Good enough.
And the upper galley exit. That was the old propane light tube hole.
Here it is all run and insulated.
Back outside, re-positioning the batting.
And back inside getting the lower wall panel in.
I only stapled along the three vertical studs, and along the top horizontal edge. Down below the bottom edge is fastened (2" drop) along the floor framing sandwiched with the lower member and those 16d nails!
After that (I forget if it was the same day or the next) the weather forced me back inside, so after the back side-wall prep described earlier (I think I did that earlier?), the stain went on.
I'm sure glad I have pictures. Otherwise I would forget what I've actually done. Putting up finish walls has that effect on me. That's why I hate to wall it in until I'm pretty confident things were first completed. It can be hard to slow down sometimes and verify.
