First set of prints are in!

The first CAD-based prints are in!  They’re amazing!  Here’s a link to the 3D view and the full 6-page PDF file.

After seeing it in 3D, I’m having them change a few things, but overall, not much. I’m going to change the side door to have it’s hinge on the left side instead of the right (so I don’t block my window when it’s open).  The 4 main windows are being raised by 8″ to accommodate the 8″ raised floor I’m adding.  They’ve modified the “concession door” concept covering the front windows to a “Cover” which hinges on the “side” (instead of the top), so I’m asking about more details on that.  I rather liked the idea of having those doors hinge on the top so I could have them double as awnings.  We’ll see how that goes. Continue reading First set of prints are in!

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