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[RC] LQ do-it-yourselfers! Help please! - Jessica - Part I - Lucy Chaplin TrumbullFor some reason, I can't get this to go through, so I'm sending it intwo parts: * * * Jessica - I built my own "living quarters" over several years - basically started using the trailer and figured out as I went along what I needed. As a result, it gets a little extra something additional each year. Jessica: > ...Who do I get to do the electrical? what sort of electrical do you need? My do-it-yourself living arrangement already came with interior lights (x 2). My husband rigged up a reading light above the gooseneck bed, together with a two-way switch so I could turn on the outside light to inspect my horse if I heard him banging around - a definite plus when it's cold out (the other switch is in the tack room). Here's some pics of what we initially did for insulation, curtains, lights: http://www.quacky.co.uk/~elsie/trailer-conversion/trailer-conversion.htm > ...The system I want to setup is basically a bank of deep cycle > batteries that I can recharge during the day with my generator. Not sure why you need this much? Do you just want lights, or were you planning on running a microwave or something? My electrical system is what came with the trailer - the single battery gets charged when the truck is running and has enough power to easily last a few days for interior lights. In the long-term, I wouldn't mind having a solar panel to charge the battery so that I never had to worry about it, but right now haven't found that necessary. > Another question, what options do I have for heat and possibly ac? I haven't bothered with a/c (come on, you're out riding during the day!) but doing rides in the winter like Death Valley, heat was important. I bought a "Wave" catalytic heater which runs off propane, so no electricity needed. This kind of heater doesn't give off poisonous fumes, but it does suck all the oxygen out of the air, so you have to crack a window or wake up hyperventilating. Here's what I wrote about it: March 2007 - Trailer Heater Finally, we got the catalytic heater installed in the trailer on Saturday. It just took a leap of faith drilling four holes in the walls of the virgin wall (and a minor panic when I thought I'd positioned it so the gas line would have to go through one of the cross-braces, only to find I was an inch clear <phew>). The resulting heater looks very spiffy and chucks out tons of heat - Nevada/Death Valley here we come! We opted to rotate the heater 90 degrees because it meant that the gas line was better hidden and protected against bumping, plus now the dial is easy to get at. The propane bottle sits on the other side of the wall in the back corner of the tack room - a location formerly filled by a bucket with rope in it, so it hasn't really caused any trouble. The propane bottle cost $11.20 to fill - have to see how long it lasts. Better and better, Ann brought me some foam mats from Lowe's. They are like 2' x 2' puzzle pieces that fit together. I pulled up the carpet and just plunked them underneath. Ta-da - insulated floor. Prior to this, the floor was always quite cold. Heater location in trailer: http://www.quacky.co.uk/~elsie/2007/IMG_8553a.jpg Calatytic Heater: http://www.quacky.co.uk/~elsie/2007/IMG_8554a.jpg Propane bottle in corner of tack room: http://www.quacky.co.uk/~elsie/2007/IMG_8556a.jpg [in retrospect, having the heater tucked around the corner a bit hasn't been great - much of the heat is radiant (I think that's the right word?) so goes outwards - towards the wall in this case. I'm still considering relocating it to the wall next to the mirror so that it radiates towards me in my bed :) ] > ...The first early season ride I went to up here I woke up with > ice above my head lol! Insulating your trailer will take the worst off (see first link above). Before I installed my heater, there would still be ice on the inside of the windows, but not on the ceiling because of the insulation. The first year I went to Death Valley I just had the insulation, no heater and that worked OK - took the worst of the cold off. I invested in a hot water bottle and that really helped :) on to Part II... Lucy Chaplin Trumbull elsietee AT foothill DOT net Repotted english person in the Sierra foothills, CA * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
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