Galley - a work in progress

 The galley end of the trailer is very definitely still a work in progress.  There are a number of tasks still to be completed before it's really functional, but you can get an idea of the basic shape.

The 45 liter Iceco was a great addition.  One of the keys for me is that it runs on 24 volts, which means it doesn't need the voltage stepped down (or worse- run thru the inverter).   You can also see the Propex heater installed on the lower left wall.  Like the stove above it, it's awaiting hookup - I need the bottle mount to arrive so I can mount it and the regulator outside, and then will plumb it to the two units.  Eventually, there will be a water jug in the propane bay, and some drawers in the leftover space between the two sides.

Both the fridge and Camp Chef stove sit in finger-jointed box frames made from 1/2¨ Baltic birch, and cut on the CNC.  I learned making the first one (which fit the Iceco too tightly) that when CNC'ing interlocking fingers, you do need to leave a little clearance between them.  So making the pins .98¨ and the gaps 1.02¨ worked out just right.  They're glued up with Titebond II, and finished with a few coats of Total Boat water based varnish.  I cannot say enough good things about Total Boat products.  They are not cheap, but you definitely get your money's worth.  Easy to work with, dries quick, and great support.  I've finished a boat, and this camper with their product, and I absolutely love it.  And no, they don't comp me.

The back wall is still a work 'in study'.  I decided that the right half would be used for electricity related 'stuff', like switches, fuses, meters, etc, and the left side will eventually turn into storage for kitchen gear.  I'll put some sort of doors over the electrical bay so that it doesn't spoil the view.

An earlier shot of the right hand bay.  I'll pull the fridge and get a 'final' shot, but at the moment - here it is.  
Widget ID starting from the top right -
Epever 20A MPPT charger.  I tried to balance cost/performance.  This can handle the current 200 watts of solar, plus another set if I were to choose to add them later.  
Victron IP67 5A charger - will be connected to the shore power side of the transfer switch.

Fuses and wiring
12v buck supply - to step down 24v to 12vdc for lights,  the heater, fan, etc.  40A should power everything with more than a little room to spare.

Here's the Propex all vented in, and the 2500W inverter.  I got the inverter when I was planning around a 5000BTU room air conditioner, and needed AC power.  Now that I have an AC unit that will run on 24vdc, this is gross overkill, and I'll probably sell it and replace with something about half the size.  The biggest thing I anticipate needing AC for is a small Instapot.  It draws more power than the fridge does when in idle state.  

What isn't shown here is the battery pack - 16 50Ah LiFePo4 cells wired series parallel to provide 24 volts 100Ah of usable power.  I'll add that to the walkaround.

 That about wraps up the galley at the moment.  As you can see in a couple of pics, this is a work in progress.  I still don't know what all the nooks and crannies will be used for, but we'll figure it out as we go.  

Soft launch!!!

 

It's done - or at least somewhat usable...  It's been almost exactly one year since my wife and I first talked about the idea of a teardrop (since the motorhome was a non-starter).  I spent a month or so researching, watching youtube videos of manufactured trailers, people's video blogs, youtube channels, personal blogs, and Tony's book, ¨Building a Teardrop Trailer¨.  And by October, I'd decided that I could build what I wanted, instead of buying it.  There are a lot of cool trailers out there on the market, and I didn't build because they weren't available, but rather because they didn't tick all the boxes - or mostly, ticked too many!

When it was all said and done, I wanted:

• A queen sized bed
• Simple storage
• Heat
• AC
• Fan
• Stove
• Fridge
• No plumbing

What you see here is the 'soft launch' - mostly done, but still a lot of cosmetic touches to finish up, a lot of seam sealing, and a few things left like hooking up the AC, hooking up the propane system for heat and stove, and some more cosmetic touches.  

The really important stuff - it tows well, the mattress is comfortable, it breathes, and I think it shined up pretty well.  I have to admit I took a step back when I pulled off all the blue and really got to look at it.  

I'll do a couple of additional posts over the next few weeks, including the always questionable 'cost sheet'.