These Xscapers know how to have a good time! Yesterday we went on a short hike in Palm Canyon, had a pot luck for supper, had a live band in the evening, and even had a little night-time photography tricks. Continue reading Palm Canyon
Category: Design
Dump tank plumbing
I’m working on building the frames to hold the dump tanks, and their placement. Tonight I tried to figure out where, exactly to mount them down. I know the general area, but an inch or two here or there can cause various complications. Continue reading Dump tank plumbing
Unnecessary Engineering
I’ve been working on a solution to a problem I don’t yet have. Why? I don’t know, I guess I like to figure out solutions to things that could possibly bother me in the future. Continue reading Unnecessary Engineering
AZ Layout & Bed Frame with Storage
I’ve been thinking about how exactly I want to arrange my household furniture in the trailer, and I went back into design mode. Household furniture is large by RV standards, so it’s a bit awkward. I’m pretty happy with the design I’ve come up with, including a new bed frame / storage solution I’m going to be building early next week. Continue reading AZ Layout & Bed Frame with Storage
Weight Distribution Hitch Options
After the CAD drawings came in, I requested some changes, as all customers do. Most of their suggestions or compromises I can live with pretty easily. One though, I’m struggling with a bit. Continue reading Weight Distribution Hitch Options
Solar Panel Roof Wiring
The image above (larger version) shows my planned solar panel wiring that will be on the roof of the RV. I wanted to work out exactly which connectors, how many, and what wiring methodology I wanted to use, plus exactly what parts would be needed.
The complete parts list is as follows: Continue reading Solar Panel Roof Wiring
Holding Tank Layout v2
With the recent news that the wheel wells would be 12″ instead of 10″, I’ve reconsidered the height of my raised floor. 12″ was just a little more than I wanted, and something a bit less than 10″ would work pretty well too.
At the moment, I’ve settled on a 7″ raised floor. The image above (larger version) has been updated and I’ve moved things around since the last time I laid it all out. I’ve done a whole bunch of shopping around online and I’ve found what I think is the most competitive price for holding tanks. I’m staying at about my 100-gallons-per-tank goal, and I’ve managed to reduce the cost by around $700. That cost of course depends on shipping, which is pretty awful for these things, so I’ll wait to hear what that ends up being. Continue reading Holding Tank Layout v2
Pondering Window Height
Today I’m trying to figure out how high to have the windows. The 4 large windows are 48″ wide by 30″ tall, each. The smaller egress window is 30″ wide by 22″ tall.
I know that I want the windows to be at least above the level of a standard countertop, which is 36″. I also don’t want them to be so high that they’re like looking out of a basement window. There’s a happy medium somewhere in there. Continue reading Pondering Window Height
Utility Area
Here we’re seeing a rough layout (larger image) of the utility area, as it’ll be seen when opening the rear barn doors.
Essentially I wanted to be able to access all of (or as many as possible) of the various mechanical systems as possible in one area. To that end, I managed to get all of the guts of the electrical systems in this area. It would have been nice to get all of the plumbing in this area as well, but it didn’t quite turn out that way. Continue reading Utility Area
Roof Layout
The roof layout (larger image) is actually pretty simple. Since I’m not using a roof A/C unit, nor is there a TV antenna, it’s not too bad.
The most obvious feature is the 5 giant solar panels. My current favorites are the SolarWorld 340 watt panels from altE. (In a previous blot posting I think I mentioned they were 345 watt. My bad.) These are Monocrystalline panels (higher efficiency), and they’re quite cost effective. They’re also about the largest panels I can physically place on the roof and still have room for vents and other accessories. A theoretical 1,700 watts of solar is pretty impressive for an RV of this (or any) size. Continue reading Roof Layout