Crazy Weather

Today was an interesting day.  Mostly cloudy, warnings of lots of bad weather, but so far only a teeny bit of rain.  I got a lot done today.

I built the slide out shelf for a laptop and/or to place iPhones or other I suppose even a fan, heater or whatever.  

Once I had figured out the dimensions of the shelf and how I was going to mount it, I needed to figure out how I was going to get the 12 volt power ports into the cabin.  I decided not to put them behind the slide out shelf because it would have been really hard to get to them.  Instead, I put them to the right of the shelf.

Here is the housing for the power ports.

Drawer slides in place and open.

Pull out shelf installed.

Open.

Power ports installed.

The next big project was to get all the cables cleaned up and organized.  This is the battery strap which holds the battery in its place.  

 

My simple on/off switch for the battery.  Simply twist it to the right to turn it on; twist it to the left to turn it off.

Everything tidied up and strapped down.  I installed the fire extinguisher too.

Doors and all hardware installed.

The galley is complete.  The only thing I need to do is install the sliders on the cooler slide out tray.  Still need to fix and install the reading lights again and install all the additional insulation.  Not too much more inside work left though.

Baskets and Electrical Outlets in the Cabin

So, after some thinking and brainstorming I've possibly come up with a solution for my dilemma on the cabinets.  I need to 'hide' my wiring chase on the bottom of the shelf.  So, I'll build a very short 'false bottom' to the shelf.  On top of this, I will place baskets similar one of these:

These would have many benefits over permanent cabinets.  1). I can take them out to organize clothing, etc.  2).  They can be cleaned easily.  3).  If I ever feel the need to use the shelf as a bunk, open storage, etc. I can do so without any permanent damage to the teardrop.  4).  They should be easy to access as well.  They could be tilted easily to see what's inside thanks to the shape of the ceiling.

I'll need to decide what 'ideal' sizes would be.  As you can tell from the image, there is a slight slope  at the back of the shelf area where the ceiling comes down.

The rear measurement is about 13" from the base of the shelf to the roof.  So, I'll look for baskets that are about 13" tall.  The length is about 21" so there will be a little bit of 'open space' in the back.  I'm planning to put a small shelf in front of the electrical outlets.  I'm thinking that they would be a good place to set an iPhone, etc. to charge.  I just had another idea that might be even better.  I could make a slide out shelf that would accommodate a laptop, iPad, heater, etc.  This would solve many problems for me.  The good news is that I have an extra set of drawer slides that will work perfectly!  I really like the fold down drink holders that are often used in boats.  I would like to place one of them on each side of the door for Erica and I to put our beverages.

I can't wait for the school year to end so that I can get busy finishing up all of the projects for the interior of the teardrop.  Once I'm done, I'll be able to start polishing that old aluminum!

First Night in the Teardrop

I took a half day yesterday; that got me home in time for a much needed nap and some time to work on the teardrop.  I successfully fixed the trailer wiring.  I'm not sure exactly what I did, but it was the front two marker lights that gave me the trouble.  I re-did the wiring and everything worked!

Because I had success with the wiring, I went ahead and put another coat of polyurethane on everything.  The countertop and all the surfaces are looking great and are super protected from moisture at this point!

One of the problems I've had is that my battery would never fully charge.  It turns out that my problem was the battery charger.  I tested it on the battery in my car, which I knew was fully charged.  I was able to salvage the inline fuse and battery clamps from the old charger and was able to use those as my main connectors from my electrical system to my battery.  

The business end of my GFCI power cord.

I spent a little more time working on the electric.  I cleaned up the wires and anchored them.  I thought I would start on the AC portion of the wiring.  I cut the ends off the GFCI extension cord and wired it up to the Marinco power inlet.  That went pretty well, but unfortunately, I can't get the GCFI portion of the system to 'reset' so that I can run power through it.  I need to do a little research to figure out what I'm doing wrong.

I decided that I would try spending the night in the teardrop.  The forecast was for a clear and cool evening.  We put the mattress in the teardrop; it still needs to be trimmed in order to fit into the area where our feet go, but for one person, it was fine.  I cranked up the Fantastic Vent, tossed in my sleeping bag and got comfortable.  After reading a few chapters of my book, I turned off the lights and drifted off to sleep.

Very comfortable.

My son came out to say goodnight to me.  I was in deep sleep when he opened the teardrop door.  He scared the daylights out of me.  I went into full freak out mode when the door to my teardrop popped open!  I think I scared him as much as he scared me!  Needless to say, I learned how the inside door locks worked after that.  Jack has some serious payback coming up!

Usually, this time of the year, I am awoken by the birds outside my window at about 3:40 in the morning.  I slept right through the birds this morning.  The fan canceled out any birds or any other noise in my backyard.  It was a pretty good night of sleep.

Wire Test: Fail

Well, once again, I am eternally grateful to the always helpful Teardrops and Tiny Trailer Web Site.  The site has been so supportive and kind to me as I ask incredibly simple, but important to me, questions.

I had no idea that I could 'test' my trailer wiring without plugging in to my tow vehicle.  Turns out all I have to do is use the 'extra' wire harness, that came with my tail lights, to connect to my battery and I can test the functionality and success of my wiring.


The good news is that I was able to test the wiring without dragging the Carpe Diem out to the road.  The bad news is that my front running lights did not work.

 

Back running lights lit up.  You can see that the front light is not lit.

Another shot of the back lights. 

 Now, before I go nuts and give up, I need to perform a few more tests.  Remember I noted in my last post that those lights "...Better freaking work?" It 'could be' anything from one bad connection, to a bad ground screw.  I hope to be able to crawl under the teardrop and test things, but it will most likely have to wait.  Even though there are only six days of school left, YES I am counting, the evenings are quite busy for me these next many days.

Lots of Electric Work

Spent a lot of this past weekend working on electrical projects on the Carpe Diem.  I am not a fan of electrical work.  I would say that the stupid butt joint connectors I worked with were the main reason I detest electrical work.  I can't imagine soldering the connections that are above my head as I'm clambering around under the trailer.  I used heat shrink butt joint connectors; let's just say that the percentage of them working as planned was pretty low.

Today I worked exclusively on the trailer lights.  I should say that I worked while waiting for it to stop raining.  Even though the teardrop is jacked up, crawling around on my back on the wet pavement was less than ideal.  Except for the butt joints, everything went as planned.  Unfortunately, I couldn't test the connections today.  I'm hopeful that next weekend will be beautiful and I can pull the Carpe Diem out to the road and give it a proper test.  All I can say is, those trailer lights better freaking work!  I don't want to have to crawl under the teardrop again to make all those connections.  I took my time.  I heat shrunk and taped everything very carefully.

Last night I took some images of the teardrop's lights.  You can see that I didn't get the spare re-mounted as of the images.  I ended up throwing everything in the cabin last night.  But, the lights work!  It wasn't pitch black out, but it was dark enough to see how the light looks.

I like the LED fixture in the galley.  It swivels and throws off a lot of light. 

The porch lights are much brighter than I thought they would be.  

Night vision red dome light.

Regular dome light.

The reading lights are as bright as the the dome light; but I really like the warm iridescent bulbs in the fixtures.

Here we go.  Short week.  Already looking forward to working on the insulation of the cabin.  Happy Memorial Day!

Frustration.

Today was less than excellent.  I met with a lot of frustration today.

It started out pretty good; I got my new fish eye lens for my iPhone and I had a lot of fun making interesting images with it.  Here you can see that I was filling the holes and then re-painting the drawers and the counter trip piece.

One of the only things that did go well today is that I was able to wire up the fuse panel and all of the electrical fixtures, even the galley light, worked perfectly.

This is 'mid-wiring.'  I like how the steel box worked out as a cover for the two 12 volt outlets.

I took the fish eye inside and I could finally capture how huge the teardrop is inside!  That was meant to be funny; but it really is pretty spacious.  Here you can see what it looks like when I am leaning up against the bulkhead; which is where you'll find me reading when it's raining out.

Here you can see the full span of the interior.  

About the only thing that did go well today was that I figured out how to get the wires from the marker lights and the LED lights on each corner, to the back of the teardrop.  I ended up being able to use the PVC pipe I had from another project.  I used insulated pipe clamps to anchor the pipe to the frame.  Pulling the wires through it was a cinch.

I need to figure out a water tight way of bringing in the marker lights and the LED leads.  I'm thinking of putting a piece of threaded conduit in the wheel well in such a way that no moisture will make its way into the electrical area.  I'm going to need to think about that some more.  

One reader, Emmett, noted that the floor is bare wood.  It's actually marine plywood that has been treated, but I am planning to take the teardrop to have an undercoating applied to it; or possibly do it myself once I compare costs.  I appreciate the head's up.  I had it on my radar, but sure do appreciate the reminder.  I'll remove the spare tire, etc. before the undercoating is applied.  

Thinking back on the day and realizing that what frustrated me so much was not having all the supplies I needed to do the job.  I had to go to the hardware store four times today for various bits and pieces.  That always frustrates me.  I also ran out of wire; another thing I obviously needed.  Oh well, this is a short week and a long weekend.  I'm hopeful that next weekend I'll be able to finish the electrical and begin insulating the cabin. 

Electrical System Configuration Plans

Now that the cabinets are 'built,' I can start planning the electrical.  I'm only putting in a 12 volt system, but I am going to put in a power port so that if we are in a spot that has power, we can easily trickle charge the battery and have access to a 120 volt outlet.  I'll be going with the simplest power system possible; basically a port which is connected to a power strip.

I have been thinking a lot about where to put the fuse panel/power center and think I've finally come up with a couple of solutions.  I'm not sure which I'll go with, but I'm going to work with both a bit and decide which will work best for me.

There is a magnificent blog by the creator of the Little Swiss Teardrop Trailer.  He has documented his complete build in clear and vivid photographs.

I came across his power center many months ago when I was planning.  One way to do the power center is the idea of the slide out in my build.  Here is an image of his power center:

He has both a 12 volt and 120 volt system.  He needs it; he lives in Texas!  He uses the 120 volt to power his air conditioner.

What I like about the pull out concept is that I could put the battery and control panel in a similar configuration.   Here is an image of the pull out without the electrical power center. 

The one reason I would not use this system is that my cabinet is really tight.  The battery is pretty wide and quite heavy.  I might be able to create a 'tray' to pull out the battery and then have the power center behind the battery.  If I put the pull 'slides' on the bottom of the tray, I buy a little more 'room' in the compartment.

Another solution is to put the 'control panel' on the inside wall to the left of the cooler tray.  There is about 1 1/2 inches between the wall and the cooler.  If I were to cut out the opening for the control panel into the sidewall, there would be plenty of room between the cooler and the box.  Plus, I don't really need to 'see' the switches.  They are there only for if a fuse blows and I'll know it has blown because it won't work.

I'm leaning toward putting the panel in the wall at this point.  This will also leave some additional room in the compartment for the AC power port/strip.  I'll end up putting a DC 12 volt power port next to the panel; possibly a 120 volt outlet too.  Just in case.  This will also make it easier for me to 'charge up' the battery when I have shore power or when I'm at home.  Then I won't have to pull out the battery each time I'm home.

Electrical System: Beginning Stages

The internet is an amazing thing!

Through it, I have been connected with like minded individuals who love teardrop campers.  I have found them to be nothing but committed to helping others in the creation of their own teardrop trailers.  One of my greatest obstacles in moving forward with the Carpe Diem is the electrical system.  I've read hundreds of pages of what are called 'build journals.'  These are the records of ordinary people who have built teardrops and have, like me, kept a journal of the process and the step by step progress.

First a little background.

Many individuals enjoy the RV lifestyle. This means, at least to me, to be semi-off grid.  However, most true RV's frequent 'improved' camp sites.  By this, I mean that there is a power source, and often showers, running water, flushing toilets and so on.  Many RV's have both 12 and 120 volt systems and receptacles.  I think this makes sense.  Folks who enjoy RV's tend to enjoy all the comforts of 'home.' There is absolutely nothing wrong with this.  I, however,  prefer to camp off grid as often as I can.  My teardrop is really nothing more than a much sturdier tent!  For this reason, I have decided to install a 12 volt electrical system in the Carpe Diem.  If I find myself at an improved site, I will have an extension cord and circuit breaker on hand to plug in my battery tender and any possible devices that will run on 120 volt power.  Additionally, while not the most efficient use of power, there are many converters that allow one to use 120 volt equipment on 12 volt systems if there is a compelling need.  (I'm thinking at some point, my daughter will want to run a hair dryer when we are in the boonies!)  Careful monitoring of the battery system will be required; a monitor with a digital readout  is essential.

The primary reason I've decided to run only a 12 volt system has to do with simplicity.  After everything I've read, I think this is the best way for me to proceed.  The reason I'm putting so much energy into planning the electrical system is that the wiring will be 'hidden' by the insulation and plywood 'skin.'

One of the most helpful build journals I've come across is The Desert Dawg, built by Joanne.  She has created a website of each step of her build.  The most helpful section, for me, has been her electrical system.  She, like me, has installed only a 12 volt system for similar reasons.

I like the two diagrams you see below which are from her site.

The first shows how she connected her tow vehicle to the battery on the teardrop.  I don't feel comfortable hacking into my leased car's electrical system, so I will probably run a line directly to the battery (with a fuse inline).  If I can find a 'cut off' switch, I will install one in between the two batteries so that I don't accidentally run down my tow vehicle's battery when camped.

The second shows her circuit layout.  I will have essentially the same system, except that I will not have a radio installed.  Reading through her step by step description gave me a much better sense of how to do this.  When I had a couple of very specific questions, I posed them to her and she kindly and thoroughly responded to them.  The kindness of strangers never ceases to surprise and comfort me.  I hope that my 're-build' journal will prove helpful to someone in the future too.

I've ordered a few of my electrical devices.  I don't plan on officially starting on the electrical until the hatch hinge is fully replaced and the cabin is completely water tight.  On that note, I want to remember to apply fresh caulk to all of the seams on the aluminum skin before I add any insulation, etc.  I don't want any leaking to happen once I make the commitment to insulating.

I've also been giving some thought to building into the floor a storage compartment or two.  Joanne has two of these built into hers and I really like the way she finished off the edges in aluminum.  The spare tire could easily fit in such a compartment, as could any emergency gear that I don't necessarily need on a regular basis.  I'll explore that a bit more before I finish the cabin by adding some type of layer to the plywood.  I am fairly sure I'll end up covering the space with linoleum, just to make clean up and maintenance a bit easier.

I will also need to use Rustoleum to care for any rust on the frame of the trailer and to use a water proof undercoating on the plywood 'floor' of the trailer.  Need to figure out a way to get the teardrop up in the air enough for me to work on it.  Harbor Freight sold some steel floor jacks that might work.  A little more research on that is in order.