Building a fully enclosed Overland trailer to be towed by a Jeep
- Thread starter OldGreen
- Start date
More progress today. Wifey wanted me to hide the toilet when it isn't in use. So, I built the under cabinet shelf and the shelf for the future freezer then I built a sliding door for the 💩er. I will make some fill pa els once the plumbing is done. Waiting on brown Santa to bring me my weather delayed pex fittings. 
Kitchen is coming along. Job situation caused us to not to our big Mexico trip this year so I took some time for some upgrades. Today I laid out the drinking water system using the same type of jug I use for Grey water with a little USB pump. I also tied down the coffee machine, velcroed in the GMRS charger, mounted a new kitchen light with a dimmer and red mode and stuck the fire extinguisher to the wall. Next will be the freezer and trim work/decorating. Of course...using it as much as humanly possible.
Not yet. I keep saying I will as a last step, but there is no last step...
So, I boxed in the AC and cut a hole in the side of the trailer for the condenser intake. Pics are mirro images because my rear facing camera is broken on my camera.
The AC is primarily for the dog so we can leave him in the trailer while we go to lunch in town when it is hot. Therefore, it HAS to work without being plugged in to shore power. The math looked decent, but the real world is everything....
Result: in full shade with zero power input, the AC cooled the trailer from 75° to 65° in 20 minutes and it used 7% of the battery at about 40 to 42 12v DC amps on high. So, if it is sunny, the pup could hang out inside all day if necessary as long as we aren't trying to cool down more than 30°. We charge at about 31 amps in full sun. Bottom line = it works and works WELL. Probably as important is that the AC cost like 65 bucks on marketplace and not $2k like a DC unit.
What is that adjustment vent, you ask? It will become the duct for the diesel heater I don't have yet. I will just sit the heater on the rock slider and run the hose through the AC intake 🕳. That's a fall project to complete. I only need heat when it is below freezing.
The AC is primarily for the dog so we can leave him in the trailer while we go to lunch in town when it is hot. Therefore, it HAS to work without being plugged in to shore power. The math looked decent, but the real world is everything....
Result: in full shade with zero power input, the AC cooled the trailer from 75° to 65° in 20 minutes and it used 7% of the battery at about 40 to 42 12v DC amps on high. So, if it is sunny, the pup could hang out inside all day if necessary as long as we aren't trying to cool down more than 30°. We charge at about 31 amps in full sun. Bottom line = it works and works WELL. Probably as important is that the AC cost like 65 bucks on marketplace and not $2k like a DC unit.
What is that adjustment vent, you ask? It will become the duct for the diesel heater I don't have yet. I will just sit the heater on the rock slider and run the hose through the AC intake 🕳. That's a fall project to complete. I only need heat when it is below freezing.
LOL I was about to ask where you got an "ABIHZOT" brand AC unit - until I read your comment about the broken camera. D'Oh!!
Excellent-looking build, and it looks like you are making lots of good memories with it!
Two questions if you don't mind:
- Do you find it's not too claustrophobic or close-quarters going on longer trips in a rig with a low roof? (aka no standing head room). I see many benefits to a low-roof like yours, but wonder whether it gets tiresome after a while.
- I never noticed any details on your panel construction - did you end up vacuum-bagging FRP panels with epoxy over foam internal panels? If so, would you mind sharing where you sourced the raw materials?
Thanks!
Excellent-looking build, and it looks like you are making lots of good memories with it!
Two questions if you don't mind:
- Do you find it's not too claustrophobic or close-quarters going on longer trips in a rig with a low roof? (aka no standing head room). I see many benefits to a low-roof like yours, but wonder whether it gets tiresome after a while.
- I never noticed any details on your panel construction - did you end up vacuum-bagging FRP panels with epoxy over foam internal panels? If so, would you mind sharing where you sourced the raw materials?
Thanks!
Ceiling is 6'2" and I am a towering 5'8". So, no slouching. The materials and sources are in the first few pages of the thread. 2mm GRP with gelcoat on one side. Marine epoxy and 40lb hard foam insulation. The blue kind from a local industrial supply place. The huge roll of GRP came from...uh... somebody in the Carolinas. Except foe the electrical system, it was the most expensive part of the build. $2k plus. It's either somewhere in this thread or in Sawtooth's. The epoxy is from Amazon.
It's been from Jasper, Alberta, to Loreto, Baja California Sur and we just love it. Leaving for Colorado on Sunday. Of course, it has been there before. 🙃
The latest journey is underway. Stops near McCall, Galena Summit, and Driggs ID plus the Flaming Gorge and now it is in storage for a whopping 4 days in Colorado Springs before Camping in the Rockies and...uh...more? It needs a toilet paper roll holder. With running the fridge, freezer, starlink, espresso machine, and all the regular stuff, the battery was at 100% before dark each day. Needless to day, Beni the Travel Dog was thrilled...or napping. One or the other.
...and memorial day. This was a pressure test of all systems because there was damage to my daughter's camper water system. I had to support 5 people for 4 days and myself for an extra 2 days. Previous to this trip, the trailer hadn't seen shore power in 10 days. Still hasn't.
So, I ran the CPAP every night, the Starlink for work Wed through Fri and a couple hours before bed every night. Espresso for everyone, cycled the water heater multiple times, both a fridge and a freezer, and on and on. I never started the Jeep. Weather was mostly sunny. I put the trailer away with 75% battery Monday afternoon and when I went back out to retrieve my laptop charger, it was at 100%.
For 5 days, we used 37.5 gallons of water and over 12kwh of electricity. If I had a water purifier, I wouldn't have had to move.
So, it's still not ever going to be "done" but it is ready to be off grid for an indefinite amount of time.
So, I ran the CPAP every night, the Starlink for work Wed through Fri and a couple hours before bed every night. Espresso for everyone, cycled the water heater multiple times, both a fridge and a freezer, and on and on. I never started the Jeep. Weather was mostly sunny. I put the trailer away with 75% battery Monday afternoon and when I went back out to retrieve my laptop charger, it was at 100%.
For 5 days, we used 37.5 gallons of water and over 12kwh of electricity. If I had a water purifier, I wouldn't have had to move.
So, it's still not ever going to be "done" but it is ready to be off grid for an indefinite amount of time.
This week's camp sites.
