Hey all,
There is another, albeit smaller, side to this whole RV thing - those crazy folks who build their own for whatever reason. Whether you've scratch-built it from the ground up, assembled a kit, or (like me) scrounge up appropriate frames and go from there: let's hear about it.
I'm on number three.
The first was simply a utility trailer that got an enclosed box for a fraction of the cost of the used toy haulers I was looking at. It was carrying mountain bikes and race gear, so the GVW didn't matter and all the commercially built units were overkill for what I needed. A guy my dad worked with had a dump trailer he didn't need anymore...and so it began.
Number two was a more adventurous project. I started with a tent trailer deck and built a steel stud frame and sheathed it, first in OSB then in 1/4" ply when that failed dismally. I camped the trailer as a bare shell a few times, but the noise when the wind blew wasn't conducive to a good night's sleep. It's still on my 'ideas' pile, but it wold have to be FAR more rigid than that 'technology demonstrator' was.
Those two were pre-internet and pre-digital (for me at least) so there are pics but they are in a box in the basement and haven't seen the light of day in a long time...lost at sea.
Then I got a great deal on a 24' 1977 Dodge C..."had I known then what I know now..." nuff said.
That was how I found this forum.
A couple other projects and work since then and now I'm at a stage in my life where I want to go back to school and get the education I should have gotten years ago. Part of that 5 year strategy is staying in a trailer to keep my accommodation costs down....the rub is that I drive a compact pickup and don't have said trailer.
For this boatbuilder, the solution was a cinch...
My principal build requirements have been low build cost, low towing weight, four season (no canvas) and a permanent bed.
So far, I am building to all of those except for a minor concession in the bed - it will convert to form one side of the dinette.
I started with a tent trailer - $50 on craigslist. Once the body was off, the build could begin:
The deck is a sandwich of 3/8 ply, 1" foam, and 1/8 doorskin on top to provide some puncture resistance. At the moment, I'm sheathing the top of the deck in epoxy and 6oz cloth (pics to follow). The body will be foam and epoxy and will be shaped like a horse trailer - the head will be u in the nose and the bed will be in the back with a slide out in the back wall for a footwell. I will have to fab the (manual) slideout mechanism. My plan is to use heavy duty drawer slides, but any insight there is appreciated.
This is the completed but not yet glassed deck:
.
For the appliances, I scrounged up a free camper on craigslist. For the cost of a case of beer and the dump fees ($60), I got a stove/oven, two way fridge, lantern, windows, and a bunch of other bits. I still have to replace the heating element in the fridge (works great on gas) and the furnace valve body was beyond my desire to fix it, but otherwise everything works great and just needs to be cleaned up a bit.
Today, I'll be glassing the rest of the deck and next weekend I'll start assembling the cabinet carcasses and bulkheads. I was going to get the shell done first (the way you build a house) but the overhang off the back will be easier to build if I have the bed framing in place first. All will be built with 1" foam and then glassed. I haven't decided to make a weight concession with the galley countertop and dinette table and go with 3/4" ply or to use foam with an upper skin of 1/4" ply. Either way, they will be small enough that I can make both from the leftovers.
That's my build to date...let's hear about yours !
There is another, albeit smaller, side to this whole RV thing - those crazy folks who build their own for whatever reason. Whether you've scratch-built it from the ground up, assembled a kit, or (like me) scrounge up appropriate frames and go from there: let's hear about it.
I'm on number three.
The first was simply a utility trailer that got an enclosed box for a fraction of the cost of the used toy haulers I was looking at. It was carrying mountain bikes and race gear, so the GVW didn't matter and all the commercially built units were overkill for what I needed. A guy my dad worked with had a dump trailer he didn't need anymore...and so it began.
Number two was a more adventurous project. I started with a tent trailer deck and built a steel stud frame and sheathed it, first in OSB then in 1/4" ply when that failed dismally. I camped the trailer as a bare shell a few times, but the noise when the wind blew wasn't conducive to a good night's sleep. It's still on my 'ideas' pile, but it wold have to be FAR more rigid than that 'technology demonstrator' was.
Those two were pre-internet and pre-digital (for me at least) so there are pics but they are in a box in the basement and haven't seen the light of day in a long time...lost at sea.
Then I got a great deal on a 24' 1977 Dodge C..."had I known then what I know now..." nuff said.
That was how I found this forum.
A couple other projects and work since then and now I'm at a stage in my life where I want to go back to school and get the education I should have gotten years ago. Part of that 5 year strategy is staying in a trailer to keep my accommodation costs down....the rub is that I drive a compact pickup and don't have said trailer.
For this boatbuilder, the solution was a cinch...
My principal build requirements have been low build cost, low towing weight, four season (no canvas) and a permanent bed.
So far, I am building to all of those except for a minor concession in the bed - it will convert to form one side of the dinette.
I started with a tent trailer - $50 on craigslist. Once the body was off, the build could begin:
The deck is a sandwich of 3/8 ply, 1" foam, and 1/8 doorskin on top to provide some puncture resistance. At the moment, I'm sheathing the top of the deck in epoxy and 6oz cloth (pics to follow). The body will be foam and epoxy and will be shaped like a horse trailer - the head will be u in the nose and the bed will be in the back with a slide out in the back wall for a footwell. I will have to fab the (manual) slideout mechanism. My plan is to use heavy duty drawer slides, but any insight there is appreciated.
This is the completed but not yet glassed deck:
.For the appliances, I scrounged up a free camper on craigslist. For the cost of a case of beer and the dump fees ($60), I got a stove/oven, two way fridge, lantern, windows, and a bunch of other bits. I still have to replace the heating element in the fridge (works great on gas) and the furnace valve body was beyond my desire to fix it, but otherwise everything works great and just needs to be cleaned up a bit.
Today, I'll be glassing the rest of the deck and next weekend I'll start assembling the cabinet carcasses and bulkheads. I was going to get the shell done first (the way you build a house) but the overhang off the back will be easier to build if I have the bed framing in place first. All will be built with 1" foam and then glassed. I haven't decided to make a weight concession with the galley countertop and dinette table and go with 3/4" ply or to use foam with an upper skin of 1/4" ply. Either way, they will be small enough that I can make both from the leftovers.
That's my build to date...let's hear about yours !
The idea for pulling air from under the trailer came as a result of seeing where the dog likes to hang out when we're in camp & it's away from any smoke, exhaust, etc.
I've seen people box and duct window air conditioners so that they can have a supply and a return duct while keeping the box (and its noise) outside the trailer. With a bit of ingenuity, I'll bet one could duct or baffle the furnace to draw from wherever you wanted.
UP, that's quite a project you took on. I've got a similar 'donor' trailer rotting in a field, waiting until I have the truck to move it and the place to rebuild it:
The tin is good, the frame looks good, the appliances are all there and don't look damaged. Kids have partied in it so the interior's trashed and the windows are busted out. If the stars align and I take that on, I'll probably go with foam and glass again. I would probably go with Klegecell or Divinycell for the foam and a conventional (styrene based) composite layup and prefab a bunch of flat panels.
I've seen people box and duct window air conditioners so that they can have a supply and a return duct while keeping the box (and its noise) outside the trailer. With a bit of ingenuity, I'll bet one could duct or baffle the furnace to draw from wherever you wanted.
UP, that's quite a project you took on. I've got a similar 'donor' trailer rotting in a field, waiting until I have the truck to move it and the place to rebuild it:
The tin is good, the frame looks good, the appliances are all there and don't look damaged. Kids have partied in it so the interior's trashed and the windows are busted out. If the stars align and I take that on, I'll probably go with foam and glass again. I would probably go with Klegecell or Divinycell for the foam and a conventional (styrene based) composite layup and prefab a bunch of flat panels.
DeadeyeLefty wrote:
With the shell on hold for the time being, its time to turn my focus to other parts of the build. I won't be installing an air conditioner, except maybe one of the portable units if I'm going to have shore power available. I will be using the trailer when temps get into the 30s (high 80s) so it would be nice to have a way to get some airflow going, given that I'm building a giant insulated beer cooler :B
I have a roof exhaust vent going in on a curb to minimize the chance for leaks (still needs to be etched and painted):
For the air intake, I have a two speed squirrel cage fan salvaged from a projection TV I was scrapping out. It's rated for 10V and moves a lot of CFMs.
I'll connect it to a rheostat in the cabin to control the speed and duct cool air into it from under the trailer (wheel well) via 3" ABS. I formed a diffuser out of foam and glassed it. It needs a vane inside to divert the air down to the end and it will get some sort of grille (varnished cherry lovers maybe ?) to finish it off. The whole works will be concealed in the cabinetry with the outlet grille just below the counter top. Conversely, if I install it on the curb side instead of the street side, it will go into the dinette seat box and dump out just below the seat cushion. Either way it's concealed and provides plenty of air circulation.
interesting idea for air flow thru your camper got me to thinking about cold air inlet for my furance...i have to decide on that soon about ready to glass outside of it and not real sure of my skills in that area
With the shell on hold for the time being, its time to turn my focus to other parts of the build. I won't be installing an air conditioner, except maybe one of the portable units if I'm going to have shore power available. I will be using the trailer when temps get into the 30s (high 80s) so it would be nice to have a way to get some airflow going, given that I'm building a giant insulated beer cooler :B
I have a roof exhaust vent going in on a curb to minimize the chance for leaks (still needs to be etched and painted):
For the air intake, I have a two speed squirrel cage fan salvaged from a projection TV I was scrapping out. It's rated for 10V and moves a lot of CFMs.
I'll connect it to a rheostat in the cabin to control the speed and duct cool air into it from under the trailer (wheel well) via 3" ABS. I formed a diffuser out of foam and glassed it. It needs a vane inside to divert the air down to the end and it will get some sort of grille (varnished cherry lovers maybe ?) to finish it off. The whole works will be concealed in the cabinetry with the outlet grille just below the counter top. Conversely, if I install it on the curb side instead of the street side, it will go into the dinette seat box and dump out just below the seat cushion. Either way it's concealed and provides plenty of air circulation.
I have a roof exhaust vent going in on a curb to minimize the chance for leaks (still needs to be etched and painted):
For the air intake, I have a two speed squirrel cage fan salvaged from a projection TV I was scrapping out. It's rated for 10V and moves a lot of CFMs.
I'll connect it to a rheostat in the cabin to control the speed and duct cool air into it from under the trailer (wheel well) via 3" ABS. I formed a diffuser out of foam and glassed it. It needs a vane inside to divert the air down to the end and it will get some sort of grille (varnished cherry lovers maybe ?) to finish it off. The whole works will be concealed in the cabinetry with the outlet grille just below the counter top. Conversely, if I install it on the curb side instead of the street side, it will go into the dinette seat box and dump out just below the seat cushion. Either way it's concealed and provides plenty of air circulation.
Nice work, my hat's off to anyone that is skillful with fiberglassing or gelcoat. It's part art, part magic, and mostly messy, IMO.;)
When you're done with that rowboat and camper, I have another project for 'ya:
This is the SS POS, a 1934 steel lifeboat that now resides at the back end of my lot. I am not in a hurry to get going on it since it hasn't rusted in the last 75 yrs. and should hold together for a few more.
When you're done with that rowboat and camper, I have another project for 'ya:
This is the SS POS, a 1934 steel lifeboat that now resides at the back end of my lot. I am not in a hurry to get going on it since it hasn't rusted in the last 75 yrs. and should hold together for a few more.
Ask and ye shall receive, lol.
More glassing yesterday...I flipped the panel in the previous pics so I could glass the inside face. Now a bit of fairing (I've already got compound on the other side) and it will be ready to hang back onto the form:
The stay is there to maintain the distance between the two edges so the glass isn't under any strain when it's offered up. It did cause the flat side (on the table) to curl a bit, so I grabbed a couple hunks of fir that are destined to become a bar top when I get to that item on the honey-do list:
The rowboat you see in the background is the next project. I've got to get some more hours in to buy a bunch more glassing stuff to continue, so Project Glacier will likely live up to its name for a couple more weeks. It will give me a chance to get the purpleheart deck onto that boat and get the gunwhales and new oarlocks on (fir and polished bronze). I may also start moving some of the appliances into the trailer and start laying out the final floorplan (with pics of course !)
This shot shows how clear the glass cures (West 105/205 and 6 oz cloth). You can see why it's so popular for bright-finished wooden boats.
More glassing yesterday...I flipped the panel in the previous pics so I could glass the inside face. Now a bit of fairing (I've already got compound on the other side) and it will be ready to hang back onto the form:
The stay is there to maintain the distance between the two edges so the glass isn't under any strain when it's offered up. It did cause the flat side (on the table) to curl a bit, so I grabbed a couple hunks of fir that are destined to become a bar top when I get to that item on the honey-do list:
The rowboat you see in the background is the next project. I've got to get some more hours in to buy a bunch more glassing stuff to continue, so Project Glacier will likely live up to its name for a couple more weeks. It will give me a chance to get the purpleheart deck onto that boat and get the gunwhales and new oarlocks on (fir and polished bronze). I may also start moving some of the appliances into the trailer and start laying out the final floorplan (with pics of course !)
This shot shows how clear the glass cures (West 105/205 and 6 oz cloth). You can see why it's so popular for bright-finished wooden boats.
