This morning's post steps back into an earlier part, the evaluation portion of "Acquisition and Evaluation". Kind of weird perhaps, but these next pictures aren't about any system in particular. Rather we have reached a stage in the build where it was beneficial to set in place all the little interior parts for a new evaluation as I get ready to more fully plan systems, routings and storage.
Some of these cabinet frames have had a little work done last summer, and now need a bit more effort as my overall rebuild level and intentions have deepened from my original thoughts.
Here's the ten cent tour...
The new galley (left) side wing assembly with and without the galley cabinet face. Lots of rebuild to do in this cabinet.
Here you see the left side of the galley.
The two larger drawers on the left side will become access doors to the plumbing side of the water heater. The original camper didn't have hot water. Some may lament the loss of kitchen storage, but we don't intend to have a kitchen. Kitchens are for houses. We need a place to prepare food, but no more, and that's called a galley.
But there are aspects of a kitchen we want in our galley. And to our minds, hot water is more important than more drawer space. The two small drawers on the right then become both "enough space" and "all important". Can't encroach on them, they are a "must keep".
Still referring to the above photo, the opening between the left and right drawers is the under sink. The double stainless steel sink basin curves up a little into the space of the top right drawer, and over toward the left side drawers. With the hot water heater under the left side drawers, all the space under the sink remains available, but that area will include some plumbing lines, and both the water fill station and exterior spray port station at the bottom rear. The extra under cabinet space to the left of the water heater then becomes inaccessible (as it was originally due to drawers being in the way). We can't afford to lose that space so I'll be adding an access door to the cabinet face for it.
The area to the right is of course for the range, not just a stove top. Our style of food preparation requires a gas oven well before it does an electric microwave oven.
Under the water heater is another recess. That may become a swing out kitchen garbage location. There is no place available for a vented furnace, and we prefer the quieter and non-power hungry aspects of the catalytic type heaters in this particular camper application, so we'll place one of those below the range.
Many of our systems will be manual and will require a little more brain engagement than do the automatics. The back door has a vented window as does the roof (two vents) and we'll be installing and maintaining carbon dioxide and oxygen depletion alarms along with our propane and smoke detectors.
Still on the galley side and now up front is the refrigerator cabinet (next photo). The cabinet has a built in storage space at the top in front of the curved roof area, allowing enough space behind it for a fridge vent. The cabinet depth is 24" just like required for fridges in our cubic foot range. But, the rounded roof begins to curve at a height where detailed measuring becomes necessary for installed height of the fridge shelf. In our case I want to install the roughly 4 cubic foot Hadco 410 fridge from out donor camper, a gas/110V electric unit. But I want to plan and build the cabinet to accept a new Norcold 410 for when and if we need to upgrade the old unit. Doing so will require placing the fridge shelf level with the current bottom opening in the cabinet face and building a 3-4" high opening at the top below the storage cabinet. That 3-4" opening (above the fridge) will become more storage. Below the fridge will be a small 2-4" high space for utility lines that don't matter if they freeze. Fresh water lines (under pressure) will all be run on the inside of the camper's living space, except where they have to run for "behind the scenes" connections. In those areas I'll make certain heat can be brought to them.
Under the cab-over access step is a major player. Here you see the 40 gallon fresh water tank. The original was 30 gallons. I altered the cabinet face to provide a location for two waste receptacle containers. These may be for dirty laundry, accessed by a small lift up hinged panel. There's also space between the water tank and the dinette floor for a fresh water fill hose (but mainly for the galley grey water drain plumbing). To the left are two anti-freeze jugs. This area may work for a quick winterization involving simply throwing a valve or two. On the left wing assembly wall near the jugs is where the water pump will mount, keeping water line runs as short as possible. In front of the waste can receptacles is an original door access that can be used for getting warm air under the step in one way or another.
The u-shape dinette area will double as a second bed (twin size), and a lounge area. With the table up or down there will be a lounge facing to the rear, or to the front, or while sitting in the front - facing to the left. The space under the dinette floor is shared with the grey water tank to the rear, the pedestal table mount in the middle and a storage space in the front. The storage space will be accessed with a narrower drawer front access door from the donor camper, while the rearward drawer will also become an access door. Under the rear u-shape seat is the electrical cabinet. There is space here for two large group size batteries, a power center (charger, converter, fuse/circuit breaker panel) in addition to the bathroom sink drain and trap plumbing.
And finally - here - high on the wall is space for a 24" low power draw smart TV. It will be hung on the wall near the cabinet for permanent wiring runs through the ceiling archway channel and via a quick disconnect wall mount. That way we can snap on the TV stand and take it outside to the patio area for outside viewing. Of course I'll have to run exterior connections too. For normal interior viewing the lounge will give us an appropriate distance for an enjoyable experience even with a small screen. The "smart" part of the TV means that it contains the components and software necessary to connect via wireless Internet signal to such streaming video sources as Netflix.
Being a small screen, we'll be able to even run the TV for a few hours on 12V batteries via a small size power inverter. Along with our OTHER very low power consumption amenities we should be able to pull in to a spot for the night, watch a couple hours of TV, use normal lights, etc. during the evening and over night, again in the morning, and be on our way allowing the truck to charge again while we drive - oh and then there's the solar panel plan too.
So there's the systems and layout in general. I'll probably keep these furnishings in place as I start planning the connection runs and building the left utility side of the camper.
EDIT 8/8/15. This thread "Acquisition & Evaluation" is in essence done. I'm currently at a "break" stage of work on Lil' Queeny and will get back to it sometime this winter.
