Close enough I can start looking at the final trim work for the galley edges, seals, doors, etc...
My final over-all cost for the camper, after the cost of the trailer, the materials, the trim, is going to be around 1400.
I knew it would be pricey, but did not expect the aluminum trim to add up that much.
Synth, where did you get the aluminum trim from? I need 14' of the same kind with the channel that uses the gimp viny insert that looks like what you are using, and I cant find a good source. Still rebuilding my popup camper roof. (Thread coming)
Thanks!
[This message has been edited by tbone42 (edited 05-26-2011).]
WHY have I not seen this before? This is one heck of an awesome project. May have do one for myself, I do tend to move around a bit. And I do like small spaces... Though I would have to add a projector, external sound system and portable screen somewhere for my movies and games. Bless you to heaven for giving me ideas
Updates: My order from Grant came in. The windows yesterday, the rest of the molding today.
I went molding happy on the camper. The rear galley wall with the molding curved over it. I need to remove the wall cap and place putty tape beneath it then reinstall.
The street side door frame with the outer piece of molding installed. I have already used a thin strip of putty tape in the corner of the molding and pressed it firmly into place and then ran in screws.
The door hinge with the door behind it. I did a dry run fit of the door, and need to sand it in a few areas to make it fit well. The hinge fits and works perfectly. Putty tape between plastic hinge and wood side, 1/8" aluminum strip over the hinge.
The biggest update so far. The hatch is built and on. The EPDM adds some serious weight to a fairly lightweight hatch. I'd say it gained probably twenty lbs with the EPDM, so now the whole hatch weighs in at about 45-60 lbs. I may opt to trim the side ribs down some in the future.
I need to trim the rest of the fiberglass off of the ribs and then do some light sanding to clean it up along the edges.
The Hurricane Hinge installed.
A booboo I made. I cut the RV roof edge molding off on the side, when I planned to leave just the side rib to overlap under the hurricane hinge, and then caulk heavily with Silicone. Not sure how I will fix this yet... But I will find a way.
The doors are mounted, windows are in, latches are in, weather seals on the doors and hatch.
I have to add the RV roof edge molding along the hatch and the lower rear panel, and then weather seal the bottom of the hatch.
About 2 hours of work to get the hatch roof edge molding installed and then the exterior is done-ish... Except for some caulking work around the molding.
Then all I have left is the rest of the wall paneling inside..
Down the road I'll be adding the roof vent with fan, and the AC unit in the front box that is yet to be built. Photos incoming in a little bit. Waiting for some adhesive to set up for about 30 minutes so I can start the roof edge molding. EXCITED!
Today I finished building the doors and installing them. The T-Molding on the Street side of the camper has some issues due to some clearance issues I did not account for. I tried to assemble all of the aluminum molding and trim with some nice screws, but the screws remove about 1/8" of clearance. I did not take this into account when I built the doors, so the molding on the Street side is pretty banged up and bruised from my attempts to make things fit right. The door also sits just a hair too low in the opening, so the bottom hits sometimes when I close it. I have enough T-Molding to redo the door, I will do so at a later date. I ended up removing all of the screws on both the T-Molding on the door and the edge trim in the door opening. I discovered that the finish nails on the nail gun work perfectly for securing the trim in place.
The galley hatch had some sealing issues against the gasket. The single 1/4" plywood edge wasn't thick enough. I remedied this by gluing a strip of 1/4" on the inside, then placing a piece of 1.25" aluminum edging underneath it. I clamped this in place when I installed the RV Roof molding. I drilled holes all the way through all four layers, and through the EPDM, and installed button head machine screws (couldn't find flat ones). I then used blue loctite from above and put the nuts on. The nuts will sit under the plastic trim in the roof molding. This provides a smooth surface for the gaskets to seal against.
I also installed rubber bumpers in the notches on the hatch ribs so that when it sits down, it sits nicely on the counter top. I still need to sand and finish the bottom side of the hatch and trim the rough edges out, but for all intents and purposes it is completely campable at this moment.
Difficult to see here because of the flash, but my hatch prop rods are 3/4" dowels, with a pocket in the hatch ribs. One dowel on each side.
And a shot of the double gasket for the galley hatch.
This will be the last "build" post for a while, at least until I get the interior 100% finished (less than 4 hours of work there, with the exception of carpet). I plan to take this and get it weighed this week to see where I am at with my goal. I suspect I may be a bit over my 700 lb limit. But don't think I am too far over that. I need to see how this pulls as well. And I may tow it to Cumberland, WI tomorrow when I drive to work there just to see how she does.
Next up, widescreen LCD and 12v PC installed in it.
My goal weight was 700 lbs empty. This is with no mattress or any extras.
I tossed the spare into the trailer today, drove onto the scales, disconnected the trailer so that it was the only thing on the front axle scale..
680 lbs! When I get the interior finished with the last pieces of plywood, and get the carpeting installed, it will weigh in at a whopping 700 lbs. Right on my goal.
Actually, the fantastic part is that I got the fan for 75 bucks. Smoked cover, interior trim bezel, and everything.
It has both suck AND blow modes, a thermostat to control the temperature and the fan really pushes some air.
This was the last thing I really needed to make this fully ready to go for the summer. AC is not a must, but is still in the plans. The vent will make things a lot nicer though.
The roof vent is installed.. To give you an idea of how excited I was to find this roof vent...
The Fantastic Fan retails for 150 for the base-line model. Exhaust fan (blows out only), no extras.
This one has the thermostat for temperature control, both intake and exhaust modes, and the tinted top cover... It normally retails for right around 200. I bought it for 75 bucks as a "take-off" from another RV. I practically crapped myself when we pulled it from the stack of used fans and it was complete AND WORKED... And damn does it seriously move some air, even on the lowest speed.
I am running out of time to get the little stuff finished on this thing. It is becoming a rush now to get it done. I have to get a battery box mounted on the tongue as soon as possible in order to get the deep cycle mounted where it needs to be.
The roof vent is installed.. To give you an idea of how excited I was to find this roof vent...
The Fantastic Fan retails for 150 for the base-line model. Exhaust fan (blows out only), no extras.
This one has the thermostat for temperature control, both intake and exhaust modes, and the tinted top cover... It normally retails for right around 200. I bought it for 75 bucks as a "take-off" from another RV. I practically crapped myself when we pulled it from the stack of used fans and it was complete AND WORKED... And damn does it seriously move some air, even on the lowest speed.
I am running out of time to get the little stuff finished on this thing. It is becoming a rush now to get it done. I have to get a battery box mounted on the tongue as soon as possible in order to get the deep cycle mounted where it needs to be.
Aw geez.. I know a place on ebay (classAcustoms) that you can get a vent/fan for $35 shipped as I just bought one for my pop up. Unless you really WANTED that particular fan, I could have saved you some $$$. Sorry. You are right though, the devil is in the details and its the small stuff that adds up. I have spent a fortune on contact glue, polystyrene and aluminum flashing, but its the screws and the trim and the silicon caulk that are killing me on restore price. I am somewhere around 750 in fixes and improvements and am not finished yet. I do have a nice new roof built from the outer skin down though. Now I need to find 3 strapping lads to help me lift, balance and put it back on.. it must weigh 250 lbs.
Aw geez.. I know a place on ebay (classAcustoms) that you can get a vent/fan for $35 shipped as I just bought one for my pop up. Unless you really WANTED that particular fan, I could have saved you some $$$. Sorry. You are right though, the devil is in the details and its the small stuff that adds up. I have spent a fortune on contact glue, polystyrene and aluminum flashing, but its the screws and the trim and the silicon caulk that are killing me on restore price. I am somewhere around 750 in fixes and improvements and am not finished yet. I do have a nice new roof built from the outer skin down though. Now I need to find 3 strapping lads to help me lift, balance and put it back on.. it must weigh 250 lbs.
Are you repairing a tear or a popup?
I looked at many vent fans, but they all have the small 6 inch fan that sounds like a dremel tool on high speed when it is on.
I could get those for 35-45 bucks locally, with no thermostatic control or any extras.
This one has the larger fan that seriously pushes some air. If I close the doors, open the windows and vent and kick the fan on low, it will exchange ALL of the air in the cabin with fresh in under 3 minutes. On high, it would be under 30 seconds.
What does this mean for those hot nights with no breeze? It means you stay cool all night long due to the air flow in the camper.
I'll be finishing up the last of the exterior trim tonight, and doing my best to get the last two pieces of paneling inside with insulation in the bulkhead wall. I still have to hook up some wiring and try and get that front tongue tray mounted for the battery. And all of that has to be done tonight/tomorrow.
Have you considered Gas Struts for the rear hatch? No rush, obviously. I was looking at them for a work project today, and they were much more affordable than I'd thought.
Have you considered Gas Struts for the rear hatch? No rush, obviously. I was looking at them for a work project today, and they were much more affordable than I'd thought.
I have. There is no practical way to mount them with the counter that swings up. Unless I can find a gas strut that will allow a very short compression stroke but still be a very long body shock. If that makes sense.
I'd have to mount them on the bulkhead wall under the hinge of the galley hatch. They would also have to be VERY stiff shocks to hold the hatch up at a short angle like that.
At one point I considered using the front lock strut from a Fiero hood as one of the props for the hatch. I may be able to make that work, but will research it later.
I looked at many vent fans, but they all have the small 6 inch fan that sounds like a dremel tool on high speed when it is on.
I could get those for 35-45 bucks locally, with no thermostatic control or any extras.
Its a popup camper.
But yeah, you want all the whistles and bells for your fan, I just wanted a plain jane one that would be an exhaust while I am cooking, and fresh air when I am not.. no thermostat or anything fancy like that.
This is a great thread. I still think you need to replace those tail lights with something more round and retro looking.. but I know how it feels to dump a bunch of money into a project lately, so I am trying to get by on functional, not looks, my own self.
But yeah, you want all the whistles and bells for your fan, I just wanted a plain jane one that would be an exhaust while I am cooking, and fresh air when I am not.. no thermostat or anything fancy like that.
This is a great thread. I still think you need to replace those tail lights with something more round and retro looking.. but I know how it feels to dump a bunch of money into a project lately, so I am trying to get by on functional, not looks, my own self.
I agree on the tail lights... Which is one reason I left the lower rear panel nice and smooth like I did. I may eventually do some form of retro tail lights..
Right now, I'd like to find someone to do some aluminum CNCing for me. Need some lettering that I can mount on the back. The Escape Pod Stacked one on top of the other, centered in an easy to read script.
[This message has been edited by Synthesis (edited 06-01-2011).]
I agree on the tail lights... Which is one reason I left the lower rear panel nice and smooth like I did. I may eventually do some form of retro tail lights..
Right now, I'd like to find someone to do some aluminum CNCing for me. Need some lettering that I can mount on the back. The Escape Pod Stacked one on top of the other, centered in an easy to read script.
He does superb, reasonably priced work. Not sure how thick you want the letters, but he has some pegasus emblems that he makes that may be close to the thickness you want, and he does custom.
[This message has been edited by tbone42 (edited 06-01-2011).]
I finished the electrical system. It has 110 and 12v now.
I vacuumed it out, and then installed the mattress. The mattress is a bit wide, so it "bows" in the middle. A futon mattress.. I think laying on it some may help smooth it into place, but I need to find a mattress the right width to avoid this issue.
The mattress is definitely too big. It was free, so I can't complain. I'll just lay one side against the wall for now, which means the curb side door is the only one that will open for the time being. No big deal for me.
The girls seem to like it. Molly is the Border Collie, Izzy is the one on the right. Puggle.
My Fantastic Fan currently on Exhaust mode. You get a very strong breeze with this fan on the low speed.
Yep, the girls definitely love it.
The external lights are on. They have dedicated switches on each light, but I can also control the whole lighting circuit with one of the two switches shown in the above pictures (dangling from the inner wall)
An outside shot of the Fantastic Fan. This shows you how big the fan motor is. This thing really moves some serious air. I may not need AC after all. I still need to run some of the EPDM caulking around the vent base and the screws.
The side windows are safety glass and very darkly tinted.. It will take a lot of light shining even through the screen to get a view inside.
My power distribution system. I am using a Bussman AMG fuse holder as the power block. 8 gauge wires come from the battery to the power block. The top bolt is the ground, the bottom is the positive. The wiring from the positive post to the fuse block is 12g. The white wiring to the trailer is 14g lamp cord. All ring terminals are crimped and then soldered. All of the push on spade terminals are crimped with the correct crimpers (the terminals are Metri-pack connectors that I use in my wiring harnesses), and then heatshrinked.
The 5A fuse is for the lighting. The first 15A fuse is for the fan. I will reduce this to a 10 when I get a chance to pick up some fuses.
The battery is currently mounted in the back. It gets moved into the sleeping compartment for traveling purposes until I can get a tongue box built. Down the road sometime. Lower priority. The battery is very large for the trailer, but I wanted to be able to run 2-3 days easily before needing to recharge, and without getting below 50% on the battery.
The 110v system plug. This is a 15a 3 prong plug.
That runs into a 6 outlet power strip. I cut the plug off the strip and wired it directly into the screw terminals on the back of the RV plug. This will give me 110v when I plug in, until I can actually wire in a GFCI circuit and plugs in the walls.
The power inverter you see is a 400 watt with two outlets and a USB port for charging electronics. It connects directly to the battery and is fused.
This will most likely be going to the Dells run just like this.
Been following your efforts. I am impressed. I'm not into camping any more, the military paid me to camp for quite a few years and I've somewhat lost interest in that.
Very nice end result for your efforts.
------------------ Ron
[This message has been edited by blackrams (edited 06-02-2011).]
Tonight I added two final pieces of paneling and mounted the electrical switches for the interior lighting and exterior lights.
I am running two very short strips of LEDs from the Ricers R Us aisle at the local parts place. They are white and 12v, and should provide just enough subtle light at night if I need it on the interior.
The mattress is definitely too big. It was free, so I can't complain. I'll just lay one side against the wall for now, which means the curb side door is the only one that will open for the time being. No big deal for me.
The girls seem to like it. Molly is the Border Collie, Izzy is the one on the right. Puggle.
Border Collies are Smart. She's probably thinking: "Dad, I TOLD you this mattress was too big! But did you listen?"
I was wondering if they make a suspension(leaf springs and shocks) for these little trailers? I still want to build one to drag up the Alaskan Highway, but I'm afraid that the solid mount axles would shake the trailer to pieces by the time I drug it back to GA. Any thoughts anybody? One other question, is the 4 foot width wide enough for two people to sleep comfortably?
[This message has been edited by carnut122 (edited 06-04-2011).]
I was wondering if they make a suspension(leaf springs and shocks) for these little trailers? I still want to build one to drag up the Alaskan Highway, but I'm afraid that the solid mount axles would shake the trailer to pieces by the time I drug it back to GA. Any thoughts anybody? One other question, is the 4 foot width wide enough for two people to sleep comfortably?
carnut, any kind of suspension will work.
The default "Utility" trailer axle with leaf springs is fine for most cases. There are also torsion axles which work great for the highway, but may not work so well for off-roading, etc.
One guy has a tri-link suspension. Two pivot points mounted ahead of the axle center line with a swing arm design, and a coil spring. His wife used it for a 4,000+ mile trip through the US hauling live rabbits in the back. No issues with the ride, and the suspension is a true independent.
You can mount a shock to the suspension as well if you need it.
As for the four foot width, I slept fine in it, Island Cat fits into it with me just fine, but the nightly toss and turn, I am not sure how well that would work for two people unless you are VERY close. lol
A five foot width would be more adequate.
[This message has been edited by Synthesis (edited 06-06-2011).]
for you!
