Update: On my RV Building Plans....
UPDATE: On my RV building plans Well, you spoke..... and I listened. Thank you to all those that provided feedback to me on my RV building plans. Your ideas and suggestions have been very helpf...
Forum Discussion
Thanks everyone for the great feedback. To avoid multiple posts I am responding here in one (I respond to all comments.) Please keep your ideas and suggestions coming. I really appreciate it. Best regards, Darla
TONYAND KAREN
Yes, I’m going to take plenty of photographs during the build. Knowing that it would be important to have access to plumbing and wiring I made a specific effort to incorporate most those elements within interior non-insulated walls. Love your blog!
PATPERRY2766
I would agree that there are many “homemade” RV builds out there. Actually some of them are pretty nice and well built. People put a lot of time and thought into some of the ones I’ve seen online. As you suggest I may consider having someone outside the RV trade do some of the interior decor finishing work, but from a logistics point I am hoping a professional builder will take it most of the way. I agree with your follow-up post on the cargo stacker trailers.... those things look pretty solid and haul big weights.
WESTEND
I think I understand your point about insulating the floor from the exterior size. Yes, I always hated my exterior RV hatch door. It was always flying out of my hands in the wind and I could never angle my awning low and open the door. I hear your point about possible water infiltration, but question why most people do not experience the same issue on their residential entry doors which open in. Oh, I’m not trying to get around laws dumping grey water. I plan to dump my grey water in accordance with the law. I was just pointing out that if I had to dump it in a pinch or in a place that was not a dump station that it would not be harmful to the environment. (For instance, say I was invited to park in someone’s field for a night or 2 and I was given permission to dump my gray water tank (basically soapy water not unlike what most would wash off their cars) on their grass that I would not cause an environmental issue.)
2012COLEMAN
“Discreetly” is often the best way to do things when you don’t want others to misinterpret your intentions. I plan to start building at the end of the summer. The next step will be to run my plans by some builders, get estimates, visit their factories, etc.
FLA-GYPSY
“Fecal Coliform”.... I checked into this and the human waste levels are so low they are not really a considered a measurable variable. (Mostly a concern in farm animal waste disposal) I was told that if “fecal coliform” actually posed a danger to another human that your exposure is 400x greater in a backyard swimming pool. The idea about a “portable grey water tank” is a great idea! (Maybe using an old water bed I could throw in my truck... but I would have to work out the gravity issue of pumping water up)
OHHWELL
I did consider exactly your suggestion about working my floor plan around the wheel wells. It they just made things difficult. Now that my renderings accurately reflect the correct height it actually comes in at a height less than most 5th wheels. I am going to made good use of the access area below the floor for the water tanks, storage, heating ducts, etc. I don’t intend to stay at many campgrounds or parks. If I was at a park I would dump in accordance with the park rules. I have no intention of harming the ecosystem either, but if I’m boondocking out in the middle of no where and I want to take a shower and my tank is near full I can’t really see the harm in pulling the value. (People take outdoor showers, we wash dogs outside, we wash cars, hose down the garage, and rinse all kinds of things off on our driveways)
TNSCOUTR
Hey, great website! That’s a good place to get some ideas. Thanks.
JEREM0621
A dry toilet as I understand it isn’t exactly a “compost toilet” as the compost process really takes months to a year to work. Dry toilets if used properly are safe, less maintenance, less headaches and have no odors. I intend to dispose of the waste just as one would discard dog poop or a baby diaper on the road. No, I’m not intending to collect a bucket of it first, but a single days use. Yes, it doesn’t sound appealing, but this is just one of the trade-offs in living on wheels. Believe it or not I have been reading that many are installing such an toilet alternatives on high end RV’s. The benefit of not having to deal with a black water tank or the traveling imitations it imposes is wonderful. Thanks for your comment about the interior renderings.
BUBBACHRIS
I don’t intend to park much in campgrounds or many public areas (I did that for 3 years and I found that the better RV experience is in going to places people usually don’t.) So, to add a little more on this issue I won’t be dumping a bag of human waste at the rest stop McDonalds or in the Walmart parking lot. The “cat hole” approach is more of what I have in mind. In regards to your follow-up post I did incorporate an awning (It’s a “case awning” and it rests in a box on top of the trailer. There are no support arms on the trailer.... these things are neat. Look at this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1__99AuhT4Q )
MOSSEATER
I too had the “wool insulation” idea!! I loved all the benefits and I even called the place you noted. They were very nice and they sent me a sample. The price was a little high, but in a small space it was doable. Here’s the downside.... it works great in homes, but in a moveable vehicle subject to vibration over time the insulation would condense with gravity. As the insulation condenses it loses it’s insulation properties. Spray foam insulation stays in place forever and is compared to the principle of a styrofoam coffee cup in that it only takes a thin layer to insulate you from that hot coffee.
TONYAND KAREN
Yes, I’m going to take plenty of photographs during the build. Knowing that it would be important to have access to plumbing and wiring I made a specific effort to incorporate most those elements within interior non-insulated walls. Love your blog!
PATPERRY2766
I would agree that there are many “homemade” RV builds out there. Actually some of them are pretty nice and well built. People put a lot of time and thought into some of the ones I’ve seen online. As you suggest I may consider having someone outside the RV trade do some of the interior decor finishing work, but from a logistics point I am hoping a professional builder will take it most of the way. I agree with your follow-up post on the cargo stacker trailers.... those things look pretty solid and haul big weights.
WESTEND
I think I understand your point about insulating the floor from the exterior size. Yes, I always hated my exterior RV hatch door. It was always flying out of my hands in the wind and I could never angle my awning low and open the door. I hear your point about possible water infiltration, but question why most people do not experience the same issue on their residential entry doors which open in. Oh, I’m not trying to get around laws dumping grey water. I plan to dump my grey water in accordance with the law. I was just pointing out that if I had to dump it in a pinch or in a place that was not a dump station that it would not be harmful to the environment. (For instance, say I was invited to park in someone’s field for a night or 2 and I was given permission to dump my gray water tank (basically soapy water not unlike what most would wash off their cars) on their grass that I would not cause an environmental issue.)
2012COLEMAN
“Discreetly” is often the best way to do things when you don’t want others to misinterpret your intentions. I plan to start building at the end of the summer. The next step will be to run my plans by some builders, get estimates, visit their factories, etc.
FLA-GYPSY
“Fecal Coliform”.... I checked into this and the human waste levels are so low they are not really a considered a measurable variable. (Mostly a concern in farm animal waste disposal) I was told that if “fecal coliform” actually posed a danger to another human that your exposure is 400x greater in a backyard swimming pool. The idea about a “portable grey water tank” is a great idea! (Maybe using an old water bed I could throw in my truck... but I would have to work out the gravity issue of pumping water up)
OHHWELL
I did consider exactly your suggestion about working my floor plan around the wheel wells. It they just made things difficult. Now that my renderings accurately reflect the correct height it actually comes in at a height less than most 5th wheels. I am going to made good use of the access area below the floor for the water tanks, storage, heating ducts, etc. I don’t intend to stay at many campgrounds or parks. If I was at a park I would dump in accordance with the park rules. I have no intention of harming the ecosystem either, but if I’m boondocking out in the middle of no where and I want to take a shower and my tank is near full I can’t really see the harm in pulling the value. (People take outdoor showers, we wash dogs outside, we wash cars, hose down the garage, and rinse all kinds of things off on our driveways)
TNSCOUTR
Hey, great website! That’s a good place to get some ideas. Thanks.
JEREM0621
A dry toilet as I understand it isn’t exactly a “compost toilet” as the compost process really takes months to a year to work. Dry toilets if used properly are safe, less maintenance, less headaches and have no odors. I intend to dispose of the waste just as one would discard dog poop or a baby diaper on the road. No, I’m not intending to collect a bucket of it first, but a single days use. Yes, it doesn’t sound appealing, but this is just one of the trade-offs in living on wheels. Believe it or not I have been reading that many are installing such an toilet alternatives on high end RV’s. The benefit of not having to deal with a black water tank or the traveling imitations it imposes is wonderful. Thanks for your comment about the interior renderings.
BUBBACHRIS
I don’t intend to park much in campgrounds or many public areas (I did that for 3 years and I found that the better RV experience is in going to places people usually don’t.) So, to add a little more on this issue I won’t be dumping a bag of human waste at the rest stop McDonalds or in the Walmart parking lot. The “cat hole” approach is more of what I have in mind. In regards to your follow-up post I did incorporate an awning (It’s a “case awning” and it rests in a box on top of the trailer. There are no support arms on the trailer.... these things are neat. Look at this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1__99AuhT4Q )
MOSSEATER
I too had the “wool insulation” idea!! I loved all the benefits and I even called the place you noted. They were very nice and they sent me a sample. The price was a little high, but in a small space it was doable. Here’s the downside.... it works great in homes, but in a moveable vehicle subject to vibration over time the insulation would condense with gravity. As the insulation condenses it loses it’s insulation properties. Spray foam insulation stays in place forever and is compared to the principle of a styrofoam coffee cup in that it only takes a thin layer to insulate you from that hot coffee.
