Mobile base camp build

[loren85022]

I thought I saw you chopped one wheel well. Then I reviewed and didnt see it. Oh well.

As for showers, the best way to minimize consumption is to add ice .

 

[rdsk8ter]

I thought I saw you chopped one wheel well. Then I reviewed and didnt see it. Oh well.

As for showers, the best way to minimize consumption is to add ice .

haha i gotta try that think the wife would be pissed?

 

[Arya Ebrahimi]

Been playing with some aluminum the past few nights.

Got the "clip-on" sink mount wrapped up. This will clip on to the rear of the trailer immediately below the faucet. The faucet will be contained within the kitchen box but will have it's own door out the rear of the trailer. This will allow quick access to water without having to hassle with anything inside the kitchen box.






Also been working on the fridge slide. It's almost done, but not quite. This will all get recessed in the cabinet next to the kitchen. I got the structure in place over the weekend for the slides to attach to. Then I set about building the base and sides for the "tray"




Hopefully I can wrap up the fridge slide tomorrow as it is driving the completion of the water tank mounts(there may or may not be an interference issue that will need to be addressed).

After that it's on to plumbing/wiring. T-minus 2 weeks, hopefully I get everything finished :Wow1:

 

[IamHUCK]

Oh my gosh you read my mind. I want to do the exact same thing. I think it may be a little much for my Fj. I have a neighbor who has one for $250 right up the street. But that thing is increadibly heavy. Would make on heck of a tailgating rig come football season though. Can you imagine a beer tap sticking out of one of the compartments May make those camping trips more fun as well. Cant wait to see more pics / progress. Please take lots of pics. I cant wait to steal some Ideas

 

[loren85022]

Parallel Universes....

I too am working on the sink. I thought I'd insert my plan here to see what we might cross-develop.

Getting a functional kitchen is essential to getting the cook on board for some extended trips. My thought was to make the sink fold out from the rear-most cabinet. On the passenger side I reversed the door hinges to make everything swing out. Thus a more open galley.

I'm bench-testing my idea now. I think we have the same SS sink. I bought a plastic faucet set for $25 on eBay. From my RV experience, I know I dont want the faucet to be moving or require set-up. If it all works I'll hunt down some stainless steel ones.

My metal-fab skills are non-existent, so I have a nice piece of teakwood in mind for the 'counter.' The drain is still mostly TBD. Currently when I flop the sink down it aligns with a larger dia pipe that then will flow to the other side of the trailer. From there I have in mind to have a bucket and/or hose.

Will you faucet always remain mounted to the exterior?
You are ahead of me on the refrigerator. Which make/model are you thinking?

 

[Arya Ebrahimi]

I too am working on the sink. I thought I'd insert my plan here to see what we might cross-develop.

Getting a functional kitchen is essential to getting the cook on board for some extended trips. My thought was to make the sink fold out from the rear-most cabinet. On the passenger side I reversed the door hinges to make everything swing out. Thus a more open galley.

I'm bench-testing my idea now. I think we have the same SS sink. I bought a plastic faucet set for $25 on eBay. From my RV experience, I know I dont want the faucet to be moving or require set-up. If it all works I'll hunt down some stainless steel ones.

My metal-fab skills are non-existent, so I have a nice piece of teakwood in mind for the 'counter.' The drain is still mostly TBD. Currently when I flop the sink down it aligns with a larger dia pipe that then will flow to the other side of the trailer. From there I have in mind to have a bucket and/or hose.

Will you faucet always remain mounted to the exterior?
You are ahead of me on the refrigerator. Which make/model are you thinking?

Loren, it's funny how different people can be doing such similar things at times.

My faucet will actually be mounted INside the kitchen box, but with its own access at the rear of the trailer. This will allow me to open the access door and pivot the head out(the knobs will remain inside). The sink will simply clip on below the faucet.

The drain that came with my sink has a 90* fitting to a garden hose thread. I simply intend to attach a length of hose and route it away from camp. I don't intend to do any heavy washing with anything more than campsuds, so I don't believe this plan will have a significant impact on the campsites I will visit.

For the faucet, I purchased a $30 "laundry" faucet from Lowes. It has an 8" head/neck/spout whatever you call it that rotates 360* and the connections are 4" on center which makes for a relatively compact package.

For the fridge, I purchased an Engel MT60 last year and the tray has been built to its dimensions.

 

[loren85022]

If I got it right, I like your set up for washing hands real quick or cleaning a tool where you dont even need/want the sink below. Or filling a water bucket. Just stand clear.

I'm on the fence about refrigerator location. If I opted to have it in the vehicle it would get used 10X more often. When trailer comes along it just requires a lil' walk. In spite of the untold hours I have invested, I also dont want the trailer to become so valuable that I'm afraid to leave it for the day while we go s'ploring. I prolly past that point already, anyways.


I'm not sure where you are located but clearly we need to find a cool spot half way in between and compare contraptions.

 

[Arya Ebrahimi]

If I got it right, I like your set up for washing hands real quick or cleaning a tool where you dont even need/want the sink below. Or filling a water bucket. Just stand clear.

I'm on the fence about refrigerator location. If I opted to have it in the vehicle it would get used 10X more often. When trailer comes along it just requires a lil' walk. In spite of the untold hours I have invested, I also dont want the trailer to become so valuable that I'm afraid to leave it for the day while we go s'ploring. I prolly past that point already, anyways.


I'm not sure where you are located but clearly we need to find a cool spot half way in between and compare contraptions.

Yup, you got it right. The faucet is accessible regardless of the position of the sink.

The fridge is only held in by the 4 bolts on the feet. It will more than likely live in the trailer its whole life, but it would not be difficult to remove it and put it in the truck or take it inside somewhere.

I'm in Maryland, but the inaugural trip for this trailer is to Colorado in 2 weeks :smiley_drive:

 

[Arya Ebrahimi]

Shifted gears a little last night and got the tent mounted in its final location.

I decided to have it open to the front which will allow for a 4'x4' "front porch" as you exit the tent to the rear. My only concern is how it might interfere with the truck if it's not all parked in a straight line, but we'll see how that goes when we get there.

 

[loren85022]

Those alum ramps might also work good for getting the pooch to RTT.

 

[Arya Ebrahimi]

Those alum ramps might also work good for getting the pooch to RTT.

I'm not too worried about the dogs yet. They can jump in my mini-truck on 38s, but I suppose one day they will be unable to make that leap. The rear deck is less than 2' off the ground at "camp height" and the jump from the rear deck to the floor of the trailer is roughly 6". The biggest leap I think will be from the floor into the tent, but I think they'll be fine.

 

[Arya Ebrahimi]

Fridge is all but done. Just need to finalize a few welds, but it was close enough for a demonstration video :sombrero:

 

[VanIsle_Greg]

very kool!

 

[Arya Ebrahimi]

I'll be posting up some progress photos and detailed shots later, but I have to say the trailer's first tow was a resounding success!! :wings:

Did I mention that it's first tow was straight out of the driveway to Colorado? :sombrero: 4028 miles in 11 days and not a single hiccup :bike_rider:

I'm a proud papa, what can I say?

This pic was taken at a campground in Silverton, CO

 

[loren85022]

Bravo! Great photo too. That pooch is living large up there.