eatSleepWoof gets a 6x12

[eatSleepWoof]

the diesel heater exhaust. Curious why the extra length created by not going straight out the back of the trailer?

Ah. Going straight back out of the trailer would mean going through the lid of the case that it's mounted in, and it would be impossible to fix the outer flange (through-hull fitting) in place while still allowing the lid to open.

 

[eatSleepWoof]

Moved the trailer outside, installed the MaxxAir fan, installed original wheels, installed four 7500lb stabilizers.

The fan is almost imperceptible at low speed, and can move a lot of air when needed.

 

[eatSleepWoof]

Got the trailer on the scales. These scales give weight by axle, so I first came in with the LX (tow vehicle) and weighed each axle, then hooked up the trailer and weighed each axle again.

Weights (as of right now):
- Trailer axle: 2711lb
- Tongue weight: 374lb
- Total: 3085lb

That is way, way lower than I anticipated, and is just about perfect as far as weight distribution goes.

I'm guessing I have about 300-400lbs of weight to add before the build is complete, which will still keep the trailer under the original GVWR dry. I am very happy with these numbers! I will still likely either swap to a single 5000lb axle, or dual 3500lb axles, but this means there's no immediate urgency to do so.

 

[karlfunk]

Also impressed with how light you are! We have been working soooooooo hard to save pounds on our build. Just like with race boats those extra weight savings come at a premium.

 

[eatSleepWoof]

Installed a new, 5000lb jack, and mounted propane tanks with auto-changeover regulator. Leak-tested the interior, fixed a few poorly seated fittings, good to go!

 

[eatSleepWoof]

Added flanges and downward facing pipe for the two air intakes on the diesel heater. This will keep rain/snow out.

Built the second access panel, finished it in the same Herculiner that was used before, ran hot and cold water plus propane through it. The panel is insulated on the inside.

Finished the bed. It is composed of three carpeted pieces of 3/4" plywood, which are easily removable for access to everything below.

The two Exped Megamat 10 LXW mattresses are an absolutely perfect fit. Also temporarily mounted the heater's controller (using double-sided tape) until I figure out a more permanent location for it.

Installed roller blinds on both windows. These ensure privacy while still letting some light through.

 

[eatSleepWoof]

Took the trailer on a shake-down camping trip this weekend. Three days, two nights, about 1.5 hours away from home.

Towed beautifully; very stable and predictable on the highway, on twisty backroads, and a dirt FSR, too. Everything worked great inside and out.

The 2KW heater is a perfect match for this trailer: at lowest heating setting (level 1 of 6), with the bed window fully open and 3-4C outside, the trailer was kept at 24-26C inside (thermostat hanging on the wall by the open window). The only noise we heard from the heater was the ticking of the fuel pump; it was otherwise silent. We actually had to open and run the fan to cool it down (which it did), otherwise it was simply too hot. All that insulation I put in is already paying dividends. This will be an absolute gem in winter camping.

Two nights of running the heater (12-13 hours each night) used only about half of the 5L tank of diesel.

We also came home with 80% battery charge left, and most of the 170L of water that I filled up before leaving home.

 

[eatSleepWoof]

Another recent trip.

Is that enough firewood? I think I could have fit a bit more. And yes, the trasharoo was filled with firewood, too.

Firewood is stacked on a rack I hurriedly put together from leftover scraps the night before the trip. It's butt-ugly, but it has held up great.

This little fella did a few passes by the camp:

This trip we had even larger temperature swings from night time to day time. While near-freezing at night, it was around 25C~ish during the day. This is where the MaxxAir fan really paid for itself: with a partially open rear window it created a breeze inside that was cooler than my home AC. Phenomenal!

 

[80t0ylc]

Just curious, do you really need to bring firewood in BC? I would've thought that with as plentiful as the trees are that you could just gather at your campsite. Here in OR, the southwest and places where trees and wood are scarce and campfires are allowed I can see the need for bringing firewood. Just asking. I mean it's nice to have that ability when it's needed!

 

[eatSleepWoof]

Just curious, do you really need to bring firewood in BC? I would've thought that with as plentiful as the trees are that you could just gather at your campsite. Here in OR, the southwest and places where trees and wood are scarce and campfires are allowed I can see the need for bringing firewood. Just asking. I mean it's nice to have that ability when it's needed!

It's a bit of a mixed bag, depending on where/when you go.

Finding firewood in camp is rarely an option. The vast majority of places are cleaned out and you're not likely to find anything more than twigs; certainly not several evenings' worth of wood. That is, unless you're okay with cutting down things you shouldn't be cutting down, which some people do.

I used to look for deadfall or logging leftovers while making way to camp, cut and split those, transport them to camp. That isn't ideal as it takes a lot of time, it's difficult to transport/secure lots of wood, and really it adds stress to a frequently already stressful day of packing/traveling/finding a site.

There are lots of folks in town that'll sell already cut and split firewood for a fraction of gas-station prices, and at those cheap prices it's just a heck of a lot easier to buy/load/secure the wood ahead of time and not have any worries on the day of. I know I've got loads of wood, I know it's dry and seasoned, etc. This is especially useful when winter camping.

 

[eatSleepWoof]

Trailer is listed for sale: https://forum.expeditionportal.com/...g-huge-bed-large-capacity-consumables.239961/. Please see that thread for details.

 

[eatSleepWoof]

Had a few spare moments, made some updates.

Added kitchen cubbies/shelves. Dividers are adjustable.

Got a base plate for the porta potty toilet, made a matching 3/4" plywood base, mounted it to the floor.

The toilet clips in, and removes easily by pulling the latch at the front. It's not meant to be used inside the trailer (although it could be), so this is more for secure transport & storage.

Added a shelf above the toilet. Also added a new 12v outlet in the corner, powered through 8 gauge wiring from the existing electrical setup. Note the 3 tiny holes drilled through the shelf - the fridge is bolted down through these holes.

And here is the 30QT fridge. Runs very quiet, and draws 4.45amps at max power. Completely empty, it cooled from 30C to 10C in about 15 minutes.

The fridge is bolted down through the plywood shelf, using original holes/threads on the fridge's floor, but with longer bolts. I might remove the bolts and use an overtop strap in the future; will see.

I'll be adding a drawer between the fridge shelf and the toilet in the near future.

I also removed the propane lines running through the interior of the trailer, leaving only the one running to the water heater. I did a ton of research into propane appliances and realized that my low-pressure system would not run typical camping propane stoves (as I intended), and the best course of action was to remove it. I might add an inverter for a hot plate in the interior, but realistically, will probably just use a 1lb propane tank and my existing stove when/if cooking inside.

 

[eatSleepWoof]

Drawer is in!

 

[eatSleepWoof]

Beneath the bed was a vertical wall which divided the area into two spaces; I decided that a single large space was going to be more useful, so I relocated that wall as far to the passenger side as possible, and enclosed the back, giving me a 48" deep and 32.5" wide space. This will be a huge storage spot to haul bins of firewood (or whatever else) on the way in to camp, and will act as a crate for my dog when we are in camp. By keeping the dog contained here it'll free up much needed floorspace, which will make our own lives 10x easier.

The storage door swings open all the way, providing unobstructed access to the space, and locks via a single sliding barrel bolt.

I trimmed out everything around, painted the trim, applied silicone between the trim/walls and floor.

On the left of this space I mounted two shoe holders. They expand (outward) to hold shoes of different thickness, and work for everything from slippers to boots. Another little upgrade to maximize the floorspace!

 

[ITTOG]

It is looking great.