1962 22' Safari

[uwe]

Originally Posted by Jim & Susan

Carlos, I finally finished your unbeleivable thread. Man, this is great! I've got a question about the lights. I found them at the link above. $9 is a great deal. Questions is are the 12v dc or 12v ac? We've been able to find lots of 12v AC stuff at the local stores, but we don't want to have to deal with power converters (they usually don't last all that long). Any help would be greatly appreciated. Oh yea,thanks for the tips on the insulation!

Jim

Can I butt in here with an answer??
Ok, no one objected...here goes:
Lights do not see the difference between a/c and d/c.

[jcferguson]

As Uwe says... these run great on my batteries. Not terribly bright but a nice even light. I will get them in the next few days and post some pictures. If you come across any really good looking track lights in your search let me know. I have two spots in the back I want to track light but can't find but plastic tracks!

Carlos

[flyfshr]

Hey Carlos ~

Try a product called Juno Trak 12. I have a few of the older style of them as individual lights and have been very satisfied with them. They have a wide variety of fixtures and mounts/tracks. Any prominent lighting supplier should have them on display.

Brad
FF

[Jim & Susan]

Originally Posted by uwe

Can I butt in here with an answer??
Ok, no one objected...here goes:
Lights do not see the difference between a/c and d/c.

Ooooo, really? That's too cool. I read that in another thread, but I thought, that can't be right. If that's the case, our local Lowes has "boxed set" of 6 lights that look a lot like the ones Carlos is using for $30. That would seem to be the way to go.

Carlos, Lowes carries several tracked lights by the same manufacturer at less that $100 per. Some are pretty cool looking. They would probably accent your good work quite well.

I guess the only question about the Lowes products is quality, right? It's one thing to put these in your kitchen, but a completely different situation in a moving camper, eh?

Jim

[uwe]

Originally Posted by jcferguson

As Uwe says... these run great on my batteries. Not terribly bright but a nice even light. I will get them in the next few days and post some pictures. If you come across any really good looking track lights in your search let me know. I have two spots in the back I want to track light but can't find but plastic tracks!

Carlos

How about the exposed wire type track? I can see it in your design, so long that it is not in the way of movement inside the trailer.
There are very many fixtures for these available, with different wattage lamps.
Here is one example: http://www.ikea.com/webapp/wcs/store...79*15932*15935

A short run, maybe from one cabinet to another, might be very attractive and functional. Let me know if you want to try some, I have wire and small fixtures on hand.

[tphan]

hi carlos- all I can say is "Outstanding"!! You, and roughly a half dozen other artists and creative owners on this site are my heroes. I cannot possibly add anything to what others have said about your beautiful coach, your vision, your attention to detail and function. Amazing! A couple questions though: Where does one find such small wood-burning stoves? Are they vented for intake as well? Do you personally think that non-vented catalytic heaters are dangerous? I see that there are LOTS of them for sale on ebay.Does a wood-burner represent significantly greater safety? Will you have a carbon monoxide detector in your coach? Thanks, I'm just trying to figure out a simple heat source for boondocking. Looking forward to following your progress and innovation- tim

[jcferguson]

Originally Posted by tphan

Where does one find such small wood-burning stoves? Are they vented for intake as well? Do you personally think that non-vented catalytic heaters are dangerous? I see that there are LOTS of them for sale on ebay.Does a wood-burner represent significantly greater safety? Will you have a carbon monoxide detector in your coach? Thanks, I'm just trying to figure out a simple heat source for boondocking. Looking forward to following your progress and innovation- tim

Thanks for your thoughts tim, this forum is a great motivator - to know there is a community out there that is interested in similar "problems"... I wonder, before the community-facilitation of the internet, how we would have all gotten this information shared...

I bought my stove from Andrew Moore at www.marinestove.com. You can see lots of pictures of installations on boats at his website. He is an artist and lived in an airstream in Brooklyn, NY for a couple years and was really great to talk to about my installation - and to have someone with this kind of practical experience made me feel better about my use in the airstream.

I would say that my woodstove is certainly more dangerous than a regular rv furnace but that I love wood stoves and will have to be more careful. I don't know if a heater or a woodstove is safer. I will get a carbon monoxide detector too I think (I should think about this soon since I am effectively living in there right now).

I also thought about installing something like the design on this page:

http://www.solarhaven.org/HPArticle.htm

it looks like a good efficient solution to me....

[jcferguson]

Originally Posted by uwe

How about the exposed wire type track? I can see it in your design, so long that it is not in the way of movement inside the trailer.

Uwe, I have been thinking of that too - also a kind that has a kind of "bar" that the lights slide along - they look good and are all metal. I bought one track light and installed it in the rear and I like how I can direct the light to a particular area but am not pleased with the white plastic. So of course I just put off selecting lights until later. But I think what you are suggesting is probably the best solution, I should get back to looking for things to order.

What about powered subwoofers? Do they need to be exposed in any way or could I get one and put it under one of my front dinette seats and cushions without losing the bass? My pioneer stereo has an output (70w) for a subwoofer, or I can control the frequency on a set of preamps. I would like to be able to shut them off to not drain my batteries while off shore power (don't they use a lot of power?)

Carlos

[jcferguson]

Originally Posted by Jim & Susan

our local Lowes has "boxed set" of 6 lights that look a lot like the ones Carlos is using for $30. That would seem to be the way to go.

Jim

Jim, were those the plastic ones? I looked at those but liked these metal pieces a bit better (though they cost twice as much)

Carlos

[uwe]

Originally Posted by jcferguson

Uwe, I have been thinking of that too - also a kind that has a kind of "bar" that the lights slide along - they look good and are all metal. I bought one track light and installed it in the rear and I like how I can direct the light to a particular area but am not pleased with the white plastic. So of course I just put off selecting lights until later. But I think what you are suggesting is probably the best solution, I should get back to looking for things to order.

What about powered subwoofers? Do they need to be exposed in any way or could I get one and put it under one of my front dinette seats and cushions without losing the bass? My pioneer stereo has an output (70w) for a subwoofer, or I can control the frequency on a set of preamps. I would like to be able to shut them off to not drain my batteries while off shore power (don't they use a lot of power?)

Carlos

Carlos,

For power conservation, a powered sub in combination with ull range wall mounted speakers is a good idea. You can run the speakers full range when you're concerned with battery power conservation, or kick in the sub when it's appropriate. Most powered subs have a crossover and volume adjustment built in already, and can run on either audio level or speaker level inputs. Most sound better on low level inputs.
The good ones do use a bit of power.

I'll send some of the light stuff along with the antennae next week. You can try it and return/keep/discard whatever you don't want. It's a 12V light string system with 3 20W lamp holders.

Remember - friends don't let friends put up ugly white lights.....

[A-Merry-Can]

Originally Posted by jcferguson

What about powered subwoofers? Do they need to be exposed in any way or could I get one and put it under one of my front dinette seats and cushions without losing the bass? My pioneer stereo has an output (70w) for a subwoofer, or I can control the frequency on a set of preamps. I would like to be able to shut them off to not drain my batteries while off shore power (don't they use a lot of power?)

hey carlos!

i think it's time for me to uncover the "Silver Pickle" and get back to work. i'm falling WAY behind! life's been kinda busy, so i haven't been on in a while... this weekend, i ended up buying a 64 tradewind, so i'll have somethig campable while i finish the little guy. another fine eBay purchase... we're naming it shotgun... for the shotgun blast under the kitchen window... adds character, i say!

anyway, i'm planning on a sub setup under the front couch of the pickle as well. i don't know a lot about them, but what i DO know is, the box needs to be ported. i plan on porting mine to the interior with a 4" piece of PVC or something. it's also important to port them low in the room, rather than higher. bass seems to sound better when it's got walls and floors to reverberate off of.

cheers!

jordan

[Jim & Susan]

Originally Posted by jcferguson

Jim, were those the plastic ones? I looked at those but liked these metal pieces a bit better (though they cost twice as much)

Carlos

Well, Kinda. They can be surface mounted or flush mounted. The housing is metal, but the "inside" is plastic and the wire looks kinda cheesy. That's what I'm a little worried about, too, that they may be too cheap to withstand all the movement of the trailer.

I finally got my floor back in this weekend, so maybe I can pick up set and test run them for a while.

Jim

[jcferguson]

This is the console above the front table - a car stereo with two speakers (sub woofer down in the dinette later?). The front is cherry and the sides are the same material as the walls.

The lights on the top will have some sort of lantern over the top later on, it is a little "brassy" right night. The lights below have individual switches and illuminate the table nicely.

I love having sound in there. The stereo came with a remote so I can control it from the bed. Luxury!

Also got my new ride.

[jcferguson]

Originally Posted by A-Merry-Can

anyway, i'm planning on a sub setup under the front couch of the pickle as well. i don't know a lot about them, but what i DO know is, the box needs to be ported. i plan on porting mine to the interior with a 4" piece of PVC or something. it's also important to port them low in the room, rather than higher. bass seems to sound better when it's got walls and floors to reverberate off of.

cheers!

jordan

Jordan, will you get a big speaker and build it in to use that for a subwoofer or something "premade" like a bazooka tube?

[fastrob]

Looks super!
I enjoy your posts.
Have you any idea about weight, where you were and where the unit will end up?
Weight might not be much of a concern if you do not plan on frequent long trips or if rich as Midas.
R

[jcferguson]

I have thought about weight and I am pretty sure I can manage with the new 4500 pound axle I put on. I am trying to build as light as possible while still having a very strong structure... probably I am still overbuilding.

Towing my minivan home with my brand new 1985 diesel suburban (anyone want a dodge caravan from 1994 with 190k miles?) I got about 14 mpg, which I think is pretty good for towing, no? I think my rig will be a similar weight.

I have no home other than this jobbie, so my gas expense is as close as I will come to rent for a while at least, assuming I can find enough friends with driveways and bits of back 40 for my parking.

Carlos

[A-Merry-Can]

Originally Posted by jcferguson

Jordan, will you get a big speaker and build it in to use that for a subwoofer or something "premade" like a bazooka tube?

i'm going to custom build it. my cousin used to design custom subwoofer enclosures a few years back. i don't know all the details, but he used to clamshell 2 speakers together, and have 2 sealed chambers, with one of them ported. you have to wire one speaker backwards, so the 2 speakers work essentially as one. the advantage is the air trapped inside the clamshell lets you run more power through them, without blowing anything up. the chamber volume is very important, though. and that's the part i'm not 100% familiar with.

when i get to that point, i'll definitely post what i find. the good news is, if you plan on building it from scratch, you can squeaze it under a seat or whatever. it's the different volumes of the enclosures that's so important.

jp

[jcferguson]

There are very few things I like less than moving the axle on and off my trailer. There just doesn't seem to be a good way of doing it short of buying two floor jacks. So I took the jack from beneath the hood of my minivan and did my step by step unstacking of cinder blocks and bits of wood to lower the axle down to the ground, weld on the shock brackets, replace one of the top shock brackets that broke when I took off the orignal shock, and then reverse the process to get it back up. It was dark by the time I finished (and cold) and the pictures aren't the best.

After all this, I hope it helps.

I also planed and glued a huge cherry table-top for the back workspace 28" x 10'. I will thickness sand it down to about 3/4 or a little less. It will still be pretty heavy, but I NEED a good solid surface back there. I am going to have to fill my water tanks with helium.

When I bought my axle, the axle-seller thought I should get a lower rating (I chose 4500, up from 3900 originally) but I am happy that I went with this heavier rating. I imagine I will be close to capacity by the time I am finished and loaded. I think the original dry weight was supposed to be 3050... I am at 2700 right now.

[A-Merry-Can]

my original weight on my tradewind was supposed to be somewhere around 3500#, so i'm probably going with a 4500# myself, axles are "relatively" cheap, so if you end up upgrading at the end of it all, it won't be TOO terrible...

... by "cheap", i of course count our hourly labor rate at 2¢ an hour...



jp

[47WeeWind]

Originally Posted by jcferguson

When I bought my axle, the axle-seller thought I should get a lower rating (I chose 4500, up from 3900 originally) but I am happy that I went with this heavier rating. I imagine I will be close to capacity by the time I am finished and loaded. I think the original dry weight was supposed to be 3050... I am at 2700 right now.

Carlos: You nailed (riveted?) your 1962 22' Safari's original dry weight at 3050 pounds, which exactly matches the catalog spec. Tongue weight is listed as 420 pounds, for an excellent 13.8% of the body weight. I've been admiring your project and progress without saying much, but it is absolutely spectacular! I can't wait to see your Safari in person some time soon. Best regards,