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richard77 · 10-07-2006, 02:03 AM

Hi Carlos,
I stumbled upon your thread about 10:30pm , it is now 2am ! A great read from start to finish! I'm 1/2 done with a 59 tradewind camper/studio and found lots of helpful info from your posts and pics. Inspirational too!! Props for posting. You do great work. Keep us informed.
Richard

ps. is your site down?
http://www.carlosferguson.com
Index opens and a few sketchbook links work, but nada after that. ie and ff

you mention a top opening refrig. got a link?

jcferguson · 10-30-2006, 05:33 PM

I'm back at my father's workshop trying to finish up a few last bits: the shower, a pull out pantry, seat cushion covers, window curtains, the fridge. So far the systems have worked pretty well. The solar is just about right I think. I'm careful with electric use, and it has been enough almost all of the time, if it gets cloudy for a 5 or 6 day stretch and I want to do something like run a soldering iron then I have trouble. The macerator system works well. Some bugs too: I had to take off and re-install one of my vents due to leaks, I would leave out the foam gasket (which was the problem) and apply sealant directly to the skin and the vent.

Shower:

The shower interior is going to be copper if I can get it all to work. I couldn't think of any other material that I could work with that would waterproof the space - I guess fiberglass would be ok, but that would be un-removeable. I made a shower pan with a bit of a slope for just in front of the toilet. The walls are next and I am thinking of making the pieces so that the two side walls have a 90 flange that covers and inch or so of the back wall. The back wall will then overlap this flange and allow for some sort of sealant (vulkem? Butyl rubber?). I went to an HVAC place today to see if there is some magic machine that could make this flange on a curved edge, they referred me to a roofing place that I will try tomorrow. In the meantime, I tried to make a flange on a scrap piece I have, nipped about 1 inch from the edge, bent it with vise-grips and then clamped the pieces together and soldered them. It seems like it would work, and I like the way it looks. Picture below.

Curtains:

What about magnets to hold the curtains up to the wall? I assume I will need something top and bottom to hold the curtains as the wall is sloped enough that the curtain would hang out a few inches from the wall at the bottom. I also like the idea of removeable curtains so I can put them out of the way when I don't need privacy. So I would use some magnets screwed to the wall: http://www.kjmagnetics.com/products.asp?cat=110
and then sew small magnets into the top and bottom of my curtain material. Or I could use snaps to the same effect.

Fridge:

Actually a super-insulated ice-box to start with. I am thinking something along these lines:
http://www.practical-sailor.com/news.../896icebox.pdf
I could add a small 12v compressor later if I feel like I need it. It would probably mean another solar panel though, and another battery. With 5 inches of insulation and a very small space (like the size of one shelf on a regular house fridge). I think it would be possible to run one of the small boat compressor on 10-25 amp/hours a day

Pantry:

This design is pretty much what I remember from Uwe's post about his. I used 1/4" aluminum rod for the little hold-ins and a set of heavy-duty sliders from Rockler. My row of drawers is finally finished.

How cold can it go before I worry about freezing my pipes? It's supposed to get down to 20 or so in the next few days. I might run a test to see when things start to pop just so I will know when I need to head south.

jcferguson · 10-30-2006, 05:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by richard77

Hi Carlos,

ps. is your site down?
http://www.carlosferguson.com
Index opens and a few sketchbook links work, but nada after that. ie and ff

you mention a top opening refrig. got a link?

My site is in a reconstruction phase, just sketchbooks and recent paintings right now, it should be slowly populated over the next couple months.

See the link for the fridge in the post below.

Thanks!,

Carlos

A-Merry-Can · 10-30-2006, 06:18 PM

good to see you back at it, man! i'd love to see your trailer in person sometime. let me know when you head south, i may be able to head north. these 70 degree sunny days are killing me!

JP

flyfshr · 10-30-2006, 06:46 PM

Carlos ~

Fantastic work as usual. If you head this far south, I can find a place for you to park for awhile. Don't imagine we'll be getting any snow.

Brad
FF

jcferguson · 11-03-2006, 04:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by flyfshr

Carlos ~

Fantastic work as usual. If you head this far south, I can find a place for you to park for awhile. Don't imagine we'll be getting any snow.

Brad
FF

Thanks Brad, I might take you up on that as soon as it gets too cold here. Thanks for the compliment.

Carlos

jcferguson · 11-03-2006, 04:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by A-Merry-Can

good to see you back at it, man! i'd love to see your trailer in person sometime. let me know when you head south, i may be able to head north. these 70 degree sunny days are killing me!

JP

I hear you, that weather makes you unhealthy. You need a good freeze to keep you sharp.

Carlos

jcferguson · 11-03-2006, 04:35 PM

The shower pan is in, now on to the walls.

I put in a row of magnets to hold my tools in front of my workspace.

richard77 · 11-03-2006, 05:11 PM

That shower pan looks too cool!
You have a place to park whenever you come to Colorado too. Half way between Aspen and Telluride ( read - lots of high end galleries)
Love to see your AS!

You should do a site " 1001 uses for magnets" The pop off elec oulet cover was the best

great work.

A-Merry-Can · 11-03-2006, 07:35 PM

magnets in an AIRSTREAM??? madness... MADNESS i say!! (unless they say:"SEE ROCK CITY", of course...)

i have to say, that copper looks awesome! how does the copper's finish last? do you have to pollish the shower? or does it patina to an old penny look, and you're done?

jp

jcferguson · 11-03-2006, 09:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by A-Merry-Can

magnets in an AIRSTREAM??? madness... MADNESS i say!! (unless they say:"SEE ROCK CITY", of course...)

i have to say, that copper looks awesome! how does the copper's finish last? do you have to pollish the shower? or does it patina to an old penny look, and you're done?

jp

I think it will look old penny after a while, or it can be polished up with brasso and steel wool for when I am entertaining. It was a lot of work (and not done yet) I think I could do it much better/faster a second time. I am going to need another trailer.

soldiermedic · 11-03-2006, 09:46 PM

Just drove the 68 Dafari home today and I brokedown when I saw how UNBELIEVEABLE yours looks.

Any estimate on what your renovation costs will run without the trailer cost added in?

A-Merry-Can · 11-04-2006, 03:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jcferguson

I am going to need another trailer.

NOW you're talking sensibly!

jp

Zeppelinium · 11-04-2006, 10:13 AM

when you have more than two you can get totally frustrated with one project and abandon it for a year, work on another project, and still have one (or more) ready to go boondocking!

A-Merry-Can · 11-05-2006, 08:24 AM

my plan exactly. i have 3.. none with working propane or water... in fact, 2 with nothing at ALL! haha!

jp

jcferguson · 11-05-2006, 07:25 PM

The platform under my bed got WET after a few days of sleeping - too much condensation with no place to go. I noticed this right away and finally got around to fixing it yesterday and today. I replaced the hinges with aluminum and stainless screws. I did some research on the web and it seems like boats often have this problem, there are several ventilation pads made to put under the mattress. I will see if these holes are enough to ventilate things, otherwise I will put one of those pads under there. I think it is something to consider, especially if you will be living in the space (sleeping in the bed every day for an extended period)

jcferguson · 11-05-2006, 07:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by soldiermedic

Just drove the 68 Dafari home today and I brokedown when I saw how UNBELIEVEABLE yours looks.

Any estimate on what your renovation costs will run without the trailer cost added in?

Thanks!

I'm trying to avoid thinking about this precisely. I would guess somewhere between 13-15 thousand but it is probably higher. The trailer was $2600. I probably could have spent a lot less knowing what I know now, but this is my "house" and so it doesn't seem too outrageous, especially since the new models of the 22' Safari seem to cost over 40K!

Daedalus · 11-05-2006, 08:11 PM

Carlos

The transformation of that trailer is very original and inspiring. I have a question about your use of the wood skins on the interior. Did you consider applying the birch ply as a second inner skin over the original interior aluminum skins? Were they already gone, or in bad shape? Would it have been too heavy, or too thick to have both? The reason I ask is that there were some who seemed to think the choice of plywood rather than metal might compromise the structural integrity of the assembly through wear and tear at the connections over time. Have you noticed that to be the case to any extent? Also, do you perforate your own plywood (seen in #358)? I've been trying to find a source for it.

Thanks,

Don Keppler

A-Merry-Can · 11-06-2006, 08:22 AM

could your trailer get ANY cooler?

jp

dmaiden · 11-06-2006, 10:51 AM

Hey Carlos,
I lost this link for a while and just checked back in. Amazing work my man. I was happy when I got all the mousy insulation out of my Flying Cloud.

If you ever get down to AZ, look me up. I'd love to see it. And thanks for the icebox link. I was thinking of doing something similar but had no idea how.

Dave