After today’s meeting, some items have been taken care of and are done, and now there’s new questions and issues!
Items accomplished:
- Egress window moved forward and down
- Bathroom vent moved back
- Main windows moved up 8″
- Weight distribution prep kit option skipped
Not-yet completed item:
- Window covering / concession door.
New issue:
- Potential frame upgrade to handle weight
The window coverings haven’t been nailed down yet. Jeff, the engineer on this project, is going to look at what kinds of options they can build for me. The goal that we all seem to be aligned on is having gas shocks attached to the covers so they will open themselves simply by unlatching them. When it comes time to close them I’ll either have a handy strap to grab, or will use a ladder, or something. The latch to close them will be at the bottom of the frame, so that should be accessible without a ladder.
The potential new issue is tongue weight, weight distribution, and possible frame upgrades. Jeff was concerned about the amount of weight going over the axles area and was thinking that I might need to upgrade from a 5″ frame to an 8″ frame or possibly switch the floor beams from 16″ on-center to 12″ on-center.
To help not have to make these changes, I’ve modified my holding tank layout a bit, and made it just slightly more conservative. Instead of (3) 97-gallon tanks, I’m going with (1) 93-gallon tank plus (2) 48-gallon tanks. All of these tanks are 8″ tall, so they’ll be exactly as tall as the wheel wells. They’ve also been moved back towards the axles now that they’re a bit smaller. That should help with tongue weight. I’m also thinking I shouldn’t need any frame upgrades, the trailer’s original frame was designed with 6,000 pound axles from the start, so I figure they must have had an idea that I would be putting some significant weight into it. Maybe with the slightly smaller and better oriented holding tanks they’ll not push on that item.
The feature image above is one the screenshots I took during the meeting. In the image the frame underneath is visible which is really helpful for figuring out where/how I can mount the brackets for the weight distribution hitch I want to use. I think it’ll work out just fine, I’ll just need to find a welder and have him weld my brackets in place once I have everything in my possession.
At this point I’m waiting to see what they come up with for the exact window covering design, and hoping they don’t recommend upgrading the frame. The ball is in their court at this point.