110 wiring

Sorry to leave you all hanging for so long. I have been working on the trailer, but I have been too busy to post. I have been working on the wiring, both 110 volt and 12 volt.

When I pulled the power cord from the trailer a month ago, one of the brass blades broke off and came with it. Better now than in camp; it would be a pain to have to hard wire a cord in the campground. I just pulled the whole unit and scrapped it. It was pretty crusty anyway. Don’t worry; I put it in a box for you purists out there. The water fill got a little beat up during removal before paint and the bowl was damaged, so it went in the box too. The lid I sold to somebody on one of the Shasta groups for $20, so a little money went back into the Shasta kitty. I bought two round metal electrical plates at Lowe’s for about $1 each. These I painted to match and screwed on with a little putty tape for weather proofing.

The water inlet is city water only and comes out underneath courtesy of one of the two previous owners. It works and saves me paying $15 for a cheap plastic inlet or mucho dinero for a fancy metal one.

When it came time to do a new power inlet, I just couldn’t justify the cost of a Marinco, so I got creative. I wanted a couple waterproof outlets under the trailer for various things (radio, air pump, fan, etc.), so I wired in a couple boxes underneath using heavy-duty 12/3 extension cord.

I wanted the heavy jacket of the cord and the flexibility of the stranded wire. I also wired in two boxes inside the trailer, one in the wardrobe where the microwave sits above the fridge, and one under the dinette.

So now the camper has eight grounded outlets, assuming I have a grounded outlet to plug into. For a power source I created a double male power cord. Now I just plug one end into the waterproof outlet and the other into the power source. The key is to plug the cord into the camper first so I don’t accidentally shock myself. I will use a small bungee to keep the cord from coming unplugged. The waterproof outlets were $10 each, the cords were on sale for $15 each, and the additional interior outlets were about $2 each at Lowe’s.

For a 12-volt power source I was going to use an old computer power supply, but I was at my favorite junk store the other day and picked up a 110 to 12 volt power supply normally used in home security systems for $20.

It puts out about 4 amps, which is more than enough for my Fan-Tastic fan, and a few other small lights. I wired the Fan-Tastic fan using a short length of 14/3 wire. The power supply requires a small load on its 5-volt power in order for the 12-volt power to come on, pretty much like a computer power supply. For this I just used an old 12-volt bulb, which should last pretty much forever because it is only running on 5 volts. I ran all of my wires into this box for my connections. This way my wire nuts are protected.

Here you can see the wiring before and after the additional outlets were connected to the fuse box.

The fantastic fan whirred to life and moves a lot of air through the trailer.

In the future, I will run wire for some LED lights, the light over the bunk and use it to trickle charge a 12-volt marine battery.

So, if you are following along, so far we have:

Trailer $900

Bearing Repack $100

Steel $10

Sealant $10

Fan-Tastic Fan $140

Three Sheets 1/8 Birch $50

3M Polish $18

Buffer Pad $12

Mothers Aluminum Polish $8

TSP Cleaner/Paint Prep $8

Rollers, brushes and trays $30

Frog Tape $10

Etching Primer $5

Goo Gone $3

Paint 3 Gallons $98

Foam $250

Upholstery Fabric $510

Curtain & Pillow Fabric $80

Glass $50

Glass Seal $72

Backframe Gasket $80

Pile Weatherstrip $6

Vinyl Weatherstrip $5

Silicone Discs $5

Butyl Tape $15

Screws $70

Chains $10

Harness $6

Teardrop Lights $20

Sway Bar $45

Metal Plates $2

Wire and Outlets $54

Power Supply $20

Water Fill Lid SOLD -$20

Bringing our tally to: $2,682

Until next time dear readers, shasta la vista...

Trailer Hitch and Wiring

I also did a little work on the trailer wires and hitch setup last weekend. The wires turned into a rat’s nest of splices, dangling wires, broken grounds and lots of small pin holes in the insulation from years of testing. I cut the wires far enough back to avoid any trouble spots.

I saved the cluster as reference for matching wires since the lights worked off and on during the journey from Wisconsin. I also took pictures when I disconnected the lights for painting to cut down on confusion. For the new harness I purchased a trailer end harness for about $6 from Wal-Mart. It was a little short, so I soldered another length of trailer harness left over from a previous trailer project that was in my wiring toolbox.

I used a length of old compressor air hose that I salvaged from my dad when he got a new one to cover the harness where it comes up from the belly of the trailer.

This helps protect the harness from shorts as it rubs on the frame during transit or should I forget to plug it in and drag it down the highway. Would I do that? Nah, never.

Should you have an already dissected harness and you are wondering what is what, here is the skinny. On the trailer, the green wire goes to the four teardrop lights, the license plate light and the small running light bulb in the Bargman taillights.

The black wire goes to the dim filament in the large bulb in the Bargman taillights, sort of a second running light. The red wire goes to the bright filament in the left Bargman,

the left turn/brake light.

The brown wire goes to the bright filament in the right bargman, the right turn/brake light.

When you hook up a modern four-post harness to the existing wires, it should look like this: harness white wire grounded to the frame and body of the trailer; yellow left turn/brake wire connected to the red left/brake light wire on the trailer; green right turn/brake wire connected to the brown right turn/brake wire on the trailer; and finally, brown running light wire connected to the green running light wire on the trailer.

I also connected brown wire to the black wire. I think that you could either connect this wire to the running light system or just cut it short and leave it disconnected. I used wire nuts to connect to the wiring on the trailer so that I can change things up in the future, i.e., trailer brakes, charging system, back-up lights, etc.

I reused the existing bargman taillights. The bases were pretty rusty, but I wire brushed around screw holes for better grounding and replaced the bulbs using contact silicone to prevent highway light flicker. I reinstalled the bases using putty tape to insure no water leaks behind the base.

I cleaned up the lenses and put them back on.

If Vintage Trailer Supply gets their new replacement lenses for the Bargman Taillights, I may replace them, but for now they are fine.

For the teardrop lights, I ordered the Teardrop Marker Lights from VTS. Mine were rusted beyond repair and one was missing. These replicas have an aluminum base and the screw holes match perfectly, and at $5 each I thought they were a great deal.

I used a little putty tape on these as well.

I used wire nuts to connect all my lights. I like them better than crimp splices, and in the future I won’t have to cut the already short wires again.

Someday I may put LEDs behind the teardrops and the brake lights, if I have problems with burnt out bulbs.

After I got the lights functional, I moved on to the hitch. I bought new safety chains from Wal-Mart for $10 and a Reese Pro Friction Sway Control from eBay for $45. For the chains, I drilled a hole on either side of the hitch and attached them with ½” Grade 8 bolts. This way I can cross the chains to make a cradle in case the trailer comes off the hitch. The old chains attached at the same spot on the trailer, making this impossible before. For the sway control I had to drill five holes for the plate and bolt it on with 3/8” Grade 5 bolts.

I had a welder buddy of my father-in-law’s weld up a sway hitch attachment on the hitch that I had already been using.

I tested out the new setup on the way home from the farm and it worked great. I had trouble with sway before the sway bar when passing a semi on the highway, but now that isn't a problem. For $45 it makes for great peace of mind.

All in all, it was a very productive weekend.

So, if you are following along, so far we have:

Trailer $900

Bearing Repack $100

Steel $10

Sealant $10

Fan-Tastic Fan $140

Three Sheets 1/8 Birch $50

3M Polish $18

Buffer Pad $12

Mothers Aluminum Polish $8

TSP Cleaner/Paint Prep $8

Rollers, brushes and trays $30

Frog Tape $10

Etching Primer $5

Goo Gone $3

Paint 3 Gallons $98

Foam $250

Upholstery Fabric $510

Curtain & Pillow Fabric $80

Glass $50

Glass Seal $72

Backframe Gasket $80

Pile Weatherstrip $6

Vinyl Weatherstrip $5

Silicone Discs $5

Butyl Tape $15

Screws $70

Chains $10

Harness $6

Teardrop Lights $20

Sway Bar $45

Bringing our tally to: $2,626

Until next time dear readers, shasta la vista...

Windows, Windows, Windows

Well, I am finally getting around to posting about my window adventure, sorry to make you wait an extra couple days. I already pulled all the windows a few weeks ago before painting. They have been sitting in the corner ever since. Removing the glass is pretty straight forward. There are thin aluminum pressure strips that hold the glass in the frame. These are held in with 8-32 x ¼” round washer head machine screws. The nuts are these funny little lock-nuts that I have only seen in erector sets.

I used a stubby flat head screwdriver and a ¼” ratchet driver with a 11/32 socket to remove these. I also had to remove the bracket for the window lever operator at this time.

Once the bracket was disassembled, I could open the window further to get to the last of the screws. I was careful not to over extend the window hinge; I was afraid of bending stuff too far. The stubby screwdriver came in really handy here.

The screen is just stretched across the frame and tucked into a little channel to tighten. I used a plastic putty knife to tighten things up because it was nearby, but a screen rolling tool would have been nice for screen replacement.

I think that anyone who is handy could replace the screen, but if you are nervous, just take it to a hardware store. I don’t think it will break the bank.

Once the aluminum pressure strips were removed, I found a variety of goop sealing the glass in place.

The little window by the upper bunk had old vinyl weatherstrip, some had the original ¼” putty bead, some had silicone, and some had a combination of silicone and putty.

This can be tricky; I used a razor blade to free the glass from the frame.

Go slowly and be careful or this can happen:

Which makes me unhappy.

I made three trips to the hardware store that day. Also, when measuring for replacement glass, give yourself about ¼” slop for both measurements. I suggest this for two reasons: for one, none of these frames are particularly square, and for two, when the glass is tight and you live in a place like Oklahoma where it is 72 degrees one day and 100 degrees the next, if the glass is tight in the frame it cracks as things expand. Trust me I speak from experience. I spent $20 dollars on the glass for the front window, then $20 again the next weekend after it cracked in the heat, then I went back to the same hardware store again later for a $10 piece of glass for one of the side windows that broke.

For weatherstripping, I decided to use the silicone rubber Hehr Standard Glass Seal from Vintage Trailer Supply that looks very similar to the vinyl on the small window. I ordered three 24’ rolls for my windows for $72 total. I also ordered two 24’ rolls of silicone rubber Hehr Backframe Gasket to replace the old brittle seal for $80 total. For the Jalousie window over the kitchen sink, I ordered a 16’ roll of Pile Weatherstripping for the edges for $6, vinyl weatherstripping for the bottom edges of the glass for $5, and silicone discs to help hold the glass in place for $5. I also ordered three rolls of butyl putty tape for $15 total. Okay deep breath, I dropped some serious coin at VTS, but I feel like sealing up these windows will prevent a lot of trouble down the line. And their prices are hard to beat, their shipping is reasonable and their customer service is stellar. No, they don’t pay me, but I did get a free hat because I ordered a pile of stuff. You can get replacement nuts and bolts, lever arms and lots of other Hehr window goodies at VTS as well.

Now back to the windows. After the glass was out, I cleaned them up with a fine wire brush chucked up in the drill.

This didn’t give me the mirror finish that I got on the z stripe, but I got a nice brushed aluminum look. Once cleaned up, I cut the glass seal to fit, dropped in the glass and bolted the aluminum strips back in.

Many of the machine screws were pretty rusty, so I replaced them with 10-24 x 3/8” screws and lock nuts.

In hindsight I would have used the 8-32 screws and nuts from VTS, it was a bit snug getting the 10-24’s in the holes. I reused the original washer head screws on the sides because clearance was an issue and the washer heads had a lower profile. I removed the old brittle backframe gasket, it just pulls right off.

I then cut the backframe gasket to fit and put new putty tape at the top.

If you have trouble getting weatherstrip to stay in place, this is a time when it is okay to use silicone, a small bead inside the gap, to help hold it on the aluminum.

Now for reinstallation. This is where it gets tricky. The wise guys at the Shasta plant didn’t particularly care where screws went; for example, some went into wood,

some into air

and some just barely into wood, cracking it.

I would have been more concerned, but there are about 25-35 screws per window, so they still managed to stay put. I tried to angle screws when reinstalling to hit something solid. I used size 6 x 3/4” aluminum pan head square drive sheet metal screws from McFeely’s Fasteners online, to attach the windows and to replace other screws used on various places on the body of the camper.

I ordered 500 for $43. I also ordered 300 size 8 x ¾” aluminum pan head square drive sheet metal screws for $27 for the drip edge that runs the full curve on both sides of the camper. You could also use stainless steel screws in the same sizes for about 2/3’s of the price. I would avoid the temptation of the nickel-plated screws that are cheap at the box stores, because they will rust eventually. Personally, I just liked the way the aluminum square drive screws looked. Once I got the first window in, the rest followed fairly easily, but it took most of the weekend to do it. For the drip eyebrows above each window, I used butyl tape and the size 6 screws, as well.

Most of my windows were regular Hehr pop-up style windows, but I do have one Jalousie. Replacing the pile along the edges was really easy, I just grabbed the end with a pair of pliers and pulled; it slid right out. I had to persuade the new pile in with an awl, moving it a few inches at a time, but the new pile went in with little difficulty. The discs slid right into the fingers along the edges that hold the glass. This is all aluminum so I tweaked things with a pair of needle nose pliers as I went. The vinyl weatherstrip for the bottom of the glass was a great fit; I used clear silicone as an adhesive. I dropped the ball on this window, and forgot to take pics as I went.

If there are questions about anything in particular that you feel I haven’t covered, shoot me an email, or comment.

So, if you are following along, so far we have:

Trailer $900

Bearing Repack $100

Steel $10

Sealant $10

Fan-Tastic Fan $140

Three Sheets 1/8 Birch $50

3M Polish $18

Buffer Pad $12

Mothers Aluminum Polish $8

TSP Cleaner/Paint Prep $8

Rollers, brushes and trays $30

Frog Tape $10

Etching Primer $5

Goo Gone $3

Paint 3 Gallons $98

Foam $250

Upholstery Fabric $510

Curtain & Pillow Fabric $80

Glass $50

Glass Seal $72

Backframe Gasket $80

Pile Weatherstrip $6

Vinyl Weatherstrip $5

Silicone Discs $5

Butyl Tape $15

Screws $70

Bringing our tally to: $2,545

Until next time dear readers, shasta la vista...