Unnamed toterhome project - Chapter 1

[Down&Dirty]

I am curious about your plans for the inside. What layout are you using for the camper section? Leaving the box intact will also leave you with room to run a large RV awning down the side for some shelter when camping.

 

[sam(slim)]

The air comp should have a adjustable governer on the side of it. It should be set around 125-135 psi.

Sam(slim)

 

[SHINTON]

I bet cutting it off will be more work than you want to mess with for "little" gain? In other words are you really worried about weight?

I bet you end up loving the "covered" garage ability more than the open deck...and gives you a place to hide from the RAIN / covered porch! Certainly would be worth doing several trips BEFORE cutting off to see...

You can obviously add more "doors" around the rear deck area if desired for more openess/breeze, sorta like a sunroom/using sliding glass doors.

Now what I would do is look at putting in "skylights" bubble things to give it plenty of free/cheap light inside.

For the "motorhome" end...I would put in a a/c window unit big enough to heat or cool the entire box. (Measure cubic feet)...I think the window units will do BOTH heating and cooling. Mount it with the rear end flush with the side of the box, so it will be coming to the inside on the front somewhere, prob right behind the driver.

Then on that same wall you build your sink/counter top, "porta potty", possibly a water tank. A camper usually has 3 tanks, a "fresh" water tank used if there isn't a water supply, a "grey" water tank for water from the shower and sinks. Finally a black water tank for the toilet..not sure if you want to go that sophisticated or not.

If you do, easiest thing might be, buy a "cheap/old" camper from the good ole days so you can pull the tanks from it (and toilet and hot water heater and maybe the roof mounted a/c unit instead of wall unit and...)

Now that maybe going way beyond your thoughts, you could easily just do a bed, wall unit a/c and literally a porta potty and be happy!

Ok..that is my .02 and another couple dollars I think..

 

[Yay!Gurrr]

Its parked !!! Me and my wife worked outside today to get enough of the wall and paver bricks in to get it out of the front yard... She asked me how many of my friends wifes would be outside in this heat helping their husbands... ??

Anyway I think that with some pratice it will go in easier, Its pretty maeuverable but the damn WB kills the turn angle.

I have yet to remove the gutter, thats been my opps buffer but now ill remove the front part. Thinking ill add a small piece of foam or somthing to act as a opps you touched vs having to actually hit the darn thing...

Step 1 - parking - DONE
Next will be some tie downs, need to hit northern for some bolt in tie downs..
Need to find an RV door, and some windows...

So far I think im leaning twords not cutting it... The encouragement has helped alot.. The locking storage seems to be the biggest factor.. I forget about all the crap one ends up with on a trip... (Not like i can remember when i went wheeling last time... )

Sam, I do have a small window A/C unit its rated for 120ft/2 so it will cover the RV area NP... And definlty a door and some opening windows should get a good breeze through there...

The water and tanks and stuff can come later on down the road if this all works out ok... Trust me ive been looking at all the cool stuff you can add in..

 

[Rob]

An RV vent or two in the roof. Would help with air flow, and get rid of heat that rises to the cieling on the inside.

 

[Blkvoodoo]

1" blue foam sheeting in the roof will also help with heat disipation ( keeping it out) will fit between the roof bows then sheet it again below the bows back to the door tracks, you'd be surprised how much cooler it would be/stay in there. insulation and the vents would probaly make it quite comfy on a cooler day.

 

[Yay!Gurrr]

ok a few pics... btw: for the record voodoo stacked a block or 2

 

[Blkvoodoo]

ok a few pics... btw: for the record voodoo stacked a block or 2

Actually no, I moved and dumped the wheel barrow once. Had I even thought about going to your house before we actually went, I would have been better suited to "hep", it was a spur of the moment thing.

Wall looks good, "you'ns" done a good job !

If ya need help wit sumethin, gimme a shout, If I can be there I will.

Kevin

 

[Rich]

one of those solar powered extraction fans on the roof would work very well...

 

[Yay!Gurrr]

thinking one up front one out back.. Probbaly wire them with a switch to be able to power them with 12v bat. or the solar...

 

[63cj5universal]

To help with ideas working with tight spaces, look at some horse trailers with living quarters. Some of them are nicer than my house.


1" blue foam sheeting in the roof will also help with heat disipation ( keeping it out)

I did this in my horse trailer. I made a small difference. If I was to do it again, I would put regular house insulation up. (Maybee the kind with paper on one side. Silicone will hold it until wall board goes up.) If you are planning on spending any time in this rig, do insulate it well. This is something you will not want to go back and do later. I have spent some miserable cold and hot as hell nights in that horse trailer, so learn from my mistake

 

[FishHunt]

FWIW..Here is another idea to keep the heat out. Paint the roof of the truck with one of the newer roof coatings that waterproof and reflect the sunlight to help keep things cooler inside. A guide at Santee-Cooper that I fish with painted the metal roof of his 30' pontoon with "Anvil" (at least that is what I recall it being called) and it made a big difference in the temps in the shade under the roof. Before he painted the roof you could not hold your hand to the bottom side of the roof on a suuny day. After being painted it was no problem. I'm almost 100% sure this was the coating he used.
http://www.anvilpaints.com/products/0400.html

Cool rig you have there. Post some before & after pics as you go along.

<><Fish

 

[kaiser715]

look at flettner vents. I'm thinking about one on my cab top.

http://www.flettner.co.uk/home.htm

looks like a good truck. I am thinking either that route, or a FL70 26k with 24' box. Have you looked into the RV licensing (House Car) yet?

 

[Yay!Gurrr]

I retitled it as a RV aka House Car.
Voodoo stoped by today and gave me a hand cutting the hole in the side of the box. Got the hole roughed in and it looks damn nice. Tomarrow ill cut some holes for the windows and epoxy the cut edges to keep moisture out.

 

[NCJeepin]

sweet. looks good man

 

[Ridgerunner]

Mike,
Will your rig fit inside with out cutting?

 

[792.5cj5]

What is the width wall to wall?

 

[Yay!Gurrr]

ya, its ~90" inside, and 86 ish going through the door.. Im 83" bulge to bulge. Door way is 7.5' inside is 8'3" im just under 7' tall so i should fit..
PBB is more updated but ill toss a few pics here.. ALL the pics will be updated on http://rv.yager.net

Door opening cut and epoxied
Rear garage area windows cut and epoxied
Stairs mounted...

 

[Yay!Gurrr]

I've been updating the pirate thread more ofter, but for those that dont get there much, I pulled out the rear air bag to get the part number off them, they are dry rotted and cracked pretty bad. The new ones be here late next week.
I finished sealing in the door and rear windows using butyl caulk.
I started building the divider wall. Drilled and epoxy sealed the holes to bolt the wall in place. Got my game plan for the wall all figured out.
Added insulation to the ceiling in the camper part. Made a big difference.
Its getting there....