How did the camping trip go?


Sam

Well my idea and some folks idea of camping are probably different.
We are at a fairgrounds so we aren’t exactly roughly it. We pulled in yesterday and the first night in the new “camper” was great.
My wife shows horses so that’s why we are here and what this was built for.....I get the luxury of sitting around all day drinking beer!
The camper isn’t 100% complete and I am seeing some things I would do differently, if money and time were no object. For example, I put no insulation in the trailer. We will only use it for the summer months any way so that isn’t a big deal but it is a bit noisy, or I should say nosier than our class A.
The Pete pulled the trailer great and I think I actually am smoother getting through the gears with the added weight.
Here is a photo taken last night with the boys (a have 10 and a 5 year old) watching TV....a projection TV against the the front wall of the trailer.

Wow! Yes! Looks good!

.........Awesome!

Neat! Kids must have loved it!



Sam

Have now spent 3 weekends in the rig, one at a horse show and two at the race track. Need to find time to finish the plumbing and get the windows in. Outside needs painted as well and I flip flop between painting and adding a thin polished stainless steel layer...again weight is nevwr going to be an issue.
We used it at the races to entertain a few customers and friends. Here is a photo I snapped of the setup before the craziness began.

That's impressive! Nice job!

You have plenty of room for sure!

I would be screwed trying to fit at all the campsites I stay in with something that large. Better write a blank check for choices of places to park it.

Had another weekend camping at the race track...photo guys for the track took one from their perch for me.
Still undecided on what to do with the outside. I Checked into wrapping it and the cost would be about $8K. Would love to have some polished stainless but there are two many rivets to keep a flat face and have been told stainless would reflect and burn anything that it hits.....like my canopy. Don’t really want to paint it either, too much sanding. Thinking of going painted diamond plate sheets riveted to the outside...I don’t have to worry about weight.
Any cheap suggestions?

Digital camo paint job :cool:

wrap wont last either - at best youll have to rewrap every 5 yrs.
You could paint it white and add some swoops and swirls (stickers)

It is nice to see another dry van conversion. As stated above, not many of them around. Especially that get used.

Man oh man there's got to be a lot of room inside, but those have got to be a mother trucker to land! :):cool:

Put stripes on it and call it zebra!

Maveric would love to see some more photos in what you have done!
Decided to go polished aluminum on the outside . Got one side and the front done.

Here is the latest. Started today with the chicken lights....

I like the polished aluminum. Is it coated, so it won't oxidize, or will it require regular re-polishing.

There are so many great after market parts and lighting options for the Petes! I'm jealous.

I guess most campgrounds are just out of the question for that rig? However, I'm also guessing that isn't a priority for you?

Thanks for keeping us up to date on your build.

It is just a mill finish and is not coated so it will require some polishing down the road...….hopefully way down the road.
The chicken lights on the trailer shouldn't be that difficult but as it always goes it isn't exactly straight forward. I like lights so there will be plenty on the trailer to match the truck. I bought some LED lights already for the trailer and go figure the wiring is different. It did not have LED lights on it and there is only a hot wire running while my Lights I bought have two wires...….One hot and one ground. Im not an electrical guy but I will figure it out.
It is a big rig and you are absolutely right.....Im not worried about getting in any campgrounds. But, it can be a tight squeeze at the race tracks.

It may not be a bad idea to go ahead and add a ground wire and a turn signal lead (if there isn't one near the outside already) I'm a big fan of the "mid ship" turn signals, and plan to add two to my renegade one day. Also, a good solid hardwired ground is preferable to "screw ground" in my book.

Looking forward to seeing the lights.

In adding a ground wire I am thinking I am better off to run all new wiring?
Is there a good place to buy wiring that would be plug and play style? I know I probably need to add a connector to the end of the LED wires.

It really depends on how the lights you selected are set up and what condition the existing wiring is in.

I doubt you could find an entire plug and play harness for a dry box. If there is already a hot wire, I'd just install a ground, starting at the plug (so it can be connected to truck ground and also grounded to the trailer frame), then just install a dropper for each light in the run, as you go along.

I get the concept but you lost me. Anyplace I could see a video? What would I search under?

https://seabeemagazine.navylive.dodl...ced-Part-4.pdf

This has a good wiring diagram. I apologize if I made this confusing. That is not the nature of the project, that is my inability to communicate clearly. Hope the link helps.

Don’t put Romex in only stranded wire, if you got extra money go with marine grade. Are you going with DC or AC or mix, how are you going to power up, generator, solar or plug into RV parks?

I’m not going to lie....I have no idea what you are asking.
The chicken lights will run off of the truck battery. What I am seeing so far is that I will run brand new two wire (one hot and one ground).
For my interior lights and outlets to run my refrigerator and outlets I wired it just like a house. I used an RV 50 amp cord and wired right into the main breaker on panel, just like I would at home. From each breaker I ran to to each appliance or outlet. I can plug into any normal outlet, through an adapter or plug into my generator.

In simple terms don't use solid wire that is used in homes to wire the interior and such, it will break over time with vibrations in the rig and cause a fire or short out. Use stranded wire such as you find in vehicles and use marine stranded wire if possible for best results.

Got it and understand that part of it.
I have the bottom lights mounted down both sides of the trailer, 10 lights will go top and 10 lights bottom in each side.

On problem I have is that my side door locks from the outside. I need to have at least one escape route towards the front in case of fire. Previously I would have had to escape through the rear doors or leave the side door open all night.
So I decided to build a door behind the trailer door that I could lock. Not completely finished yet but roughed I’m anyway.

New front door complete

Quite an entrance.

I love the thought of some jackass going through all the trouble to crack the cargo doors and then presto! One more lock, assh0le.

Weldman has a good point on marine wiring. I have noted some car manufacturers used to use a much more rubbery insulation on all the under vehicle wiring. I assume it is better at protecting from water, punctures, and crud. Marine wiring for exposed areas and non solid braided/strand wire for interior spaces might save some money.

I have no idea how much more expensive marine wire is. I do know it's a tough environment full of owners with more money than your average Joe Sixpack building a toterhome. Me included. [emoji481][emoji1531]

Let's put it this way, for a foot of 4/0 marine wiring it's $13 a foot and I have about 20 feet in just the PV system :eek:

That ain't cheap. Ouch.

Nope and neither is the system it goes to. All together on 1.2 kw @ 24V with 440 AH of storage it ran $5k and that's me building the system myself. Unlike 99% of RV'ers with solar I can move my panels up to 50' from the rig to catch sunlight in partly shaded campgrounds. And I think I found a way to put 600 more watts on :eek:

Sorry haven’t posted an update but the chicken lights are done.

Haven't heard from you in a year, good to hear Covid-19 didn't get you. Nice looking it's moving around now, spend any nights anywhere in it yet?

Has it really been a year?
COVID didn’t take me, still here so far.
Been to the races quite a bit and the furthest we went so far is Memphis. Will be in Oklahoma City for a few weeks over thanksgiving this year.
How have you been?

Yep on the 6th would be a year, well we have been to Washington state again, finally moved last bit of our stuff here, bought another 20 acres, a couple backhoes working on a pole barn from drill stem pipe and few other odds and ends.

Our rig decided on our last journey back from Washington state as it left out the driveway to break a rear axle. So we limped it 1200 miles home making sure to not make any turns unless it was to get off freeway for fuel once.
Guess it's time to move on to a rig with air brakes single not tandem axle, got another semi with tandem axle air but wouldn't work for this rig.
How have races been, win any?

East of the River you can’t get anyone to work so I hope you are building that pole barn by yourself?
Not sure I would know what to do if I broke an axle on the road. Bet that was pretty nerve racking trip! Does that mean another build in the future?
I don’t race, just a spectator.