Upgrading the Car trailer

Charlie Chops 1940 · June 27, 2008, 11:00:11 PM

After using the car trailer as my accommodations at Indy Good Guys I've started on the A/C installation. I'm using a small 110V unit. I originally planned to have the unit slide in and out of a side wall. I never really came up with a good plan for that.

Instead I made a 16 ga. box for the unit with a couple inches of clearance around the sides. With a flush fit door in the wall the unit thinks it's in a window when the door is open. It uses accordian side baffles that came with it ans will have a wooden baffle on the top ( which will also hold the front in securely. The box projects about 14" into the trailer and though it is hooked solidly into the wall studs I will also run a couple supports to the ceiling framework. The top of the box will hold my microwave oven.

Next will be a cupboard across the top front for food and other light storage. I will be hauling the track roadster to Columbus in a couple weeks so it will get some vital camp testing before installing a couple 3 speed roof fan/vent assemblies.

All in preparation for taking the car to Bonneville and camping along the way and at the Bend in the Road at Bonneville.

Charlie

enjenjo · June 27, 2008, 11:14:31 PM

What are you doing to drain condensate?

Charlie Chops 1940 · June 27, 2008, 11:22:01 PM

It will run out under the door seal as soon as I fire it up for a few hours and see where it wants to collect when the trailer is level. The box is slanted slightly to the outside.

Plan B will be to incorporate a sump and a drain tube.

Plan C, of course, is to let it run onto the floor.

Quote from: "enjenjo"What are you doing to drain condensate?

purplepickup · June 28, 2008, 01:24:04 AM

Cool!

I'd like to do something like that in my trailer. Thanks for the pics.

GPster · June 28, 2008, 06:32:06 AM

I have some misgivings about that. The vents on the sides are air intakes for the air that is forced out of the condenser . The air going in is going to take air from the easiest place, which is inside that box. If you think of an air conditioner as a unit that takes heat out of the air using electricity the inside of that box is going to have the heat of the compressor and the fan motor radiating into that box which is supposed to be the cool air suction for the condensor. I have seen these A/Cs overheat if they are set in the window on the sunny side of a house and set to run on low fan speed. In these conditions just the outside air will not cool them enough at slow speed air movement when the heat of the outside of the unit can radiate properly. I think that adding that heat that should radiate to the intake of air to the condensor air intake will compound that problem. I'm supposed to be on the road to Gallipolis so I'm not making much sense to me either. I'l try more this evening. GPster

C9 · June 28, 2008, 08:08:50 AM

Gonna need one of these.

Everything fits pretty good.

20' trailer with 20'6" floor length.

Roadster is 12' long.

Spare tire bracket, 1" x 2" x .120 wall rectangular tubing.

And a place to take a nap.

This is the two passenger middle seat out of a Chryco Soccer mom van.
A little short, but a nice place to sit down.

I had the three passenger seat in there for a while, but it intruded into the doorway about a foot so I took it out.

No pics, but I added four more car type floor tie downs along with some lighter duty ones as well as some eyebolts to tie stuff down.
Very handy when we moved the shop and cars and still handy nowadays.

Charlie Chops 1940 · June 28, 2008, 01:06:15 PM

As always you guys bring me lots of food for thought.

Joe - your concerns about the unit overheating are well noted. I think I will look at some sort of slide arrangement and not chance it. Also avoid the condensate problem.

Jay - My trailer only 16 foot outside. Car is 12 foot. I'm afraid that the potty room is not gonna happen. I put a couple e-track strips horizontal across the front of the trailer. Stows the spare and EZ-up with straps. I'll take a picture and post it tonight.

No doubt it is packing two bushels in a one bushel basket but I believe it will be worth it. I can buy a lot of gas and campgrounds spots where necessary for the $100 a day motel avoidance. I know there are cheap motels out there but you really have to spend too much time finding them.

Charlie

Crosley.In.AZ · June 28, 2008, 03:09:43 PM

Charlie.... with your short trailer get a bumper dumper.... problem solved

phat rat · June 28, 2008, 03:12:21 PM

Quote from: "Crosley"Charlie.... with your short trailer get a bumper dumper.... problem solved

I'll bet that would go over big in a crowded campground

Charlie Chops 1940 · June 28, 2008, 05:01:35 PM

That's real CLASSY Tony!!!

wayne petty · June 28, 2008, 05:26:00 PM

that could get to be an exciting ride on a truck with air ride with dancing controls...

GPster · June 28, 2008, 07:47:03 PM

A note about the condensate. The condensate comes off the evaporator (front) coil and it usually drains into a trough (sometimes styrafoam) and through the bottom of the bulkhead into the compressor side of the A/C. Sometimes you see A/Cs set on an exagerated slant and a bunch of water running out the back.You can look at this situation like "Hey look at all this water. I don't want it running inside" and it probably isn't BUT. Most of the fan blades on the condensor cooling side have a slinger ring around their circumference and that slinder ring is supposed to run in a water bath and sling that water at the condensor and aid in its' cooling. When you have an exagerated slant on the unit all the water is running out the end and isn't making a water bath for the fan blade's slinger ring. A 1/2 of a bubble out of level is sufficient to make the water run from the front to the back of the A/Cs' base and allow it to build the water bath as designed. On your mounting, maybe if you made the inside of the A/Cs' box compartmentized so that the air on the top was separate from the air on the sides and had a little fan to blow the top compartment out with an air source from somewhere else. Just ideas. GPster

chimp koose · June 29, 2008, 02:53:04 AM

that bumper dumper should have a 5 point harness, then it would work for the after effects of mexican food!

UGLY OLDS · June 29, 2008, 02:38:25 PM

QuoteA 1/2 of a bubble out of level is sufficient

Does this mean that Charlie will have to get Dave to help him or just Vance :?: :?:

Bob......

Charlie Chops 1940 · June 30, 2008, 10:41:46 PM

Finally got some more progress pics.

First, in reply to Jat is a pic of the e-track wall storage. Worked out well on the trip to Indy early this month.

In deference to Joe's comments and a lurker from the HAMB I decided to do a tray to roll the A/C out of the trailer and avoid any possible overheating issues. Took a day and worked out quite well after all. I will need to do some baffles yet and a rod or cable to hold the door open.

Charlie