Trailer Project for a buddy...

[AnthonyG]

Well, i usually dont post things like this, but some of you may have trailers & use them for all kinds of stuff, especially if the wifey comes along on the trips & needs a blow dryer or someone needs to charge a phone/tablet etc :roflblack:

19.5x6 ft enclosed business/toy trailer aluminum pop can...

He uses this trailer for dirt bikes, sled's etc & his roofing bus occasionally if he is really swamped.


Project:
Install heat & Power

Mr. Heater 30K BTU heater, its completely over kill & basically on low with out opening the pass thru doors, you will become a baked potato.

Im still waiting on a vent, he isnt sure he wants a powered vent installed in the ceiling, but i informed him regardless, it needs some venting, as he will have the doors closed when he is sleding out in CO etc.

So here are some pics, some of them are from test fitting stage, some are from a point of almost finished, that is until he seen the poor performance the cheap Chinese light bars he bought for me to add, they have been removed & reinstalled under his addon shelf & cabinets.

He ordered a light bar, well that went out the window as he doesnt like how it lights up the trailer.

He has now ordered some led light strips, which is what i suggested to begin with & place a strip on every 3rd roof beam, so now im waiting on them to get delivered.

As this is a v-nose trailer, he originally wanted the propane tank installed inside with him lmao, that was an instant no from me, the tank is installed on the V driver side & is equiped with a Mr. Heater quick disconnect, the 20lb tank has been used for aout 4 days, roughly 20 hrs & its still going, it hasnt been to cold here tho, but i only use it on the low setting.

The generator has your standard 30 amp 220 port, as he wanted the lights to run on a 15amp breaker & whatever he may power up with a 20 amp breaker, some power tools, an air compressor, & a small lift he has for sled track work etc...

His very own converted pop can aka rolling garage.

Before i get yelled at, yes i did use a load panel, why, because he didnt want a big breaker box, so 220 single phase, dropped to 110 per leg.
As this isnt a true grounded system, GFI's are installed to give him the most protections i could, i told him to install some grounding rod's in his most used locations, but he declined as he goes all over the place.
Grounding bar added to panel.

100w power inverter for the LED's
Cabinet under lighting on its own switch (custom fitted into home switch cover)
USB ports
The 30 amp external wall plug is shielded with a standard 4' box
Be aware this style Mr. Heater doesnt have a build in regulator, so you would need one.

So please make note, when im not doing IT crap, im doing other things :helpsmilie:

 

[Bob Denman]

You need to hit the RV FORUMS: this is clearly well within the scope of those guys! :bowdown:

 

[AnthonyG]

Im tooooooooooo busy

Full time job
IT side biz for 20 yrs
Build diesel trucks, current compound build in pics
Corvette Nut
Trailer resto's

Etc etc etc......

 

[Eviltwin]

Looks good to me. I assume that heater is vent free? Dont those types of trailers come with one or two roof vents? If not you could add one, which would help if for some reason he wanted to be inside it while the doors were closed and it was running .

For sure I would add in a CO detector, they are required in RV's along with a smoke detector. For the LED lighting I would have just left them as 12v and ran off the lighting circuit for the tail lights. Or you could add in a house battery and a charger hooked to the 110.

 

[AnthonyG]

It is vent free, but in my opinion it does emit some fumes, its not noxious, but i keep the pass thru's open on the low setting when i was heating it on real cold days.

It could heat 6 of these trailers lol

I did bring up a powered vent, but he didnt want to put one in the roof or wall at this point, i think after he uses it this holiday week he will change his mind.

I couldnt find a nice louvered with power that had a nice outside beauty ring.

The trailer has no stock vents as its just a covered utility/equipment trailer, even though it is paneled inside.

Whoever made it used torque bits for everything, the ones on the panel are painted & most are stripped out, the ones that you can get a t15 in, it dont fit right to remove them anyways or id of ran most of this stuff behind them, he didnt want to bother with all that.

The LED's are still 12v.

The odd thing i found in how they wired this trailer:

Trailer lights external - Powered off normal pin

Internal lights - Powered off 12v charging pin of the connector.

So i did some testing as i know this is a issue with Ford's newer trucks, my f150 wont power the internal lights, as the LED's dont pull enough draw for the truck to turn on the charging, it will for a trailer brake tho.

 

[DGoebel]

I used that same heater (ventless) in my old 20 x 20 shop, always had a CO and Low O2 alarm in the shop. Shop was very tightly sealed except me or customer's entering or leaving and never had an alarm whilst keeping the shop at 65 degrees warm in Minnesota winters. But I did always smell some fumes/burnt fuel odor. Mine was natural gas though.
Thanks for keeping up with the IT stuff though, looks like you have plenty of real work.

 

[Mazo EMS2]

Clearly you need a hobby!!!...LOL...Thanks for the IT work with the site....trailer looks good.

 

[IdahoMtnSpyder]

Mr. Heater 30K BTU heater, its completely over kill & basically on low with out opening the pass thru doors, you will become a baked potato.

I strongly suggest you add some sort of guard over the gas tubing for the heater. Being down low like it is it is vulnerable to damage, and it's not very tough. You sure don't want him puncturing it while he's manhandling a table saw or some tool on a dolly!

 

[Chupaca]

Awesome...!!

Well done. All the work looks great and you both must be happy with the job...:clap::clap:

 

[Bob Denman]

You need to get Mike in here...
(BK911) :thumbup:

 

[AnthonyG]

I strongly suggest you add some sort of guard over the gas tubing for the heater. Being down low like it is it is vulnerable to damage, and it's not very tough. You sure don't want him puncturing it while he's manhandling a table saw or some tool on a dolly!

Actually it is very strong, its coiled stainless steel, im not disagreeing with what you're saying at all, but he is installing cabinets in front of most of it, thats one of the reasons when discussing everything with him that it was decided to run it there.

Its coming back anyways once he finishes his trip for more work, the strip lights have to be installed once he gets them.

Trust me i'd of liked to have pulled the paneling off & hid everything, but he didnt want me to do that.

 

[AnthonyG]

Well done. All the work looks great and you both must be happy with the job...:clap::clap:

He is a happy camper, with what was discussed & decided & after 3 different light setups lmao, hopefully the next set of lights will finish that issue up.

The original lights he bought, you can see in a pic that they was installed up by the ceiling, but the 3.5w chinese junk that he bought wasnt giving him the light that he wanted.

Those lights ended up under the shelf & cabinet, which i did for him without saying anything.

You'll see the one light bar by the back door, well he bought 3 of those, but wasnt happy with them either lmao, they are very bright 126w, but they are to focused for what he wants in there.

 

[IdahoMtnSpyder]

Actually it is very strong, its coiled stainless steel, im not disagreeing with what you're saying at all, but he is installing cabinets in front of most of it, thats one of the reasons when discussing everything with him that it was decided to run it there.

I didn't realize that flexible gas tubing was usually SS. What few times I dealt with them I'm sure they were aluminum, hence my concern. The cabinets will be great protection. Sounds good and safe to me!

 

[AnthonyG]

They do make it in aluminum, but i wouldnt use that type in this situation.