New trailer PICS & Maiden Voyage

[Jeff]

I believe the empty tongue weight of your trailer is about #425, Jeff

Well yeah!  425# is +300 ;-)

man... that fat boy needs atkins if anything does...

[MightyDuc Racing]

How much was that trailer?  Do any trailer places have financing, and how much do you guys think I'd have to spend for a 7 X 14 with shelves, chocks, and a little A/C unit and power for a TV/etc?

[KBOlsen]

You will save mega-dollars and time if you do the interior setup yourself.  Check with your credit union or bank for financing (you'll get better interest rates).

Go to HOBO or someplace for "closeout" cabinetry and flooring.  

[GSXR RACER MIKE]

How much was that trailer?  Do any trailer places have financing, and how much do you guys think I'd have to spend for a 7 X 14 with shelves, chocks, and a little A/C unit and power for a TV/etc?

     I have A/C on my trailer and can't use it too effectively due to a mistake the trailer manufacturer made when building my trailer. I paid extra for the trailer to be completly insulated, but they kinda forgot to do it. I did get a refund of that money but now I am going to have to remove alot of screws on the outside of the trailer in order to insulate the walls. The reason I have to go from the outside is because of the way the wall studs are shaped (i'm not a happy camper about this!). I tried using the A/C at MAM last summer (about 100*!) and it was worthless due to the lack of insulation and the fact that the trailer is dark colored which just soaks up the sun.
     Realize that unless you want to be restrained to parking in a certain area where electricity is available your going to need a generator. Generators can get quite expensive if you want a quiet one with enough surge capacity to start up the A/C unit (not enough wattage during start up can burn out an electric motor, so make sure you get a generator with enough surge wattage for your highest draw motor - most likely A/C or an air compressor).
     Also remember that if you get one of the cheap generators that aren't made to run for extended periods of time you may burn it up. The really cheap ones are also very loud, don't have a spin on oil filter or low oil shut down, and don't have the automatic idle down feature. A loud generator is just going to piss off everyone around you due to the noise, especially during lunch time when it's fairly quiet.
     Another concern is electronic equipment like TV's, radios, and computers. These have sensative electronics that can be hurt by 'dirty power' and you should make sure the generator you get is ok to run electronics. You may also want to look at hours of run time per gallon of fuel that the various generators have. Most that I found dropped dramatically in fuel efficiency once you get over 4000 to 5000 watts continuous output. This is a variable to consider if you want to use your generator all weekend.

[Jeff]

My trailer was $5k.  Very reasonable for what I got.  I financed it through my credit union at a whopping 8%.

I am looking for roof AC units on ebay from old RV's, etc.  One thing which I did was insulate the roof with reflective hard insulation, now I'm finishing it off with whiteboard.  

I'll be building bunks and a separating wall this weekend.  Painting the interior as well.

[KBOlsen]

John and I were discussing air conditioning... for now, my plan is to fabricate a screen door for the side, hang a mosquito net curtain at the rear, and run a box fan to draw air through at night.  If it proves to be too hot we'll look into rooftop units for next season.

Insulating the ceiling does sound like a good idea, in any case.

[Jeff]

Insulating the ceiling does sound like a good idea, in any case.

Absolutely.  The sun bakes down and heats that thin metal up to a billion degrees.  I burned my bald head on my trailer last year :-(

Home depot has the stuff for like $6/sheet.  Use a carpet knife and cut it to the width of the trailer and width between beams on the roof.  Then wedge it up there, shiny side towards the roof...

[khanson]

Jeff,

You still eyeing the dually?  I picked up my new one today.  That thing is awesome!

Look into getting a rebuilt a/c unit.  I need one myself and supposedly you can pick them up for $300 as opposed to $600.

Ill let you know.

[Super Dave]

And those wheels on your truck...

You can't go wrong with 22's! 8) 8) 8) 8)

[Jeff]

Very interested Kevin, but unfortunately my reality is that I'm stuck in the van for now...

I could likely manage a dealer trade and bring over the "negative equity" (what a term) onto a used truck, but selling the conv van outright would be difficult.

I knew it when I got it that *NO ONE* wants one used.  They just plain don't sell...  Right now I'm so swamped that I don't have the time to try to sell it outright either...

If something comes along where I could get out of the van for around $15.5k, I'd be on my way to pick up your truck...

Soooooooo...  If *ANYBODY* wants a good deal on a conversion van, give me a call!

Here's the details:

• 99 Chevy Express 1500 (new purchase 10/00)
• Cobra conversion
• 5.7L V8
• 36,000 miles
• Pwr windows/doors/tilt/cruise/tape/cd/etc etc...
• Rust-proofed & Scotch guarded
• Just installed air shocks (still have factory shocks)
• Class 4 hitch
• Just installed transmission cooler
• 4 captains chairs
• Full size rear seat / bed
• Rear heat/AC

The van runs & drives great, seats 7.  Last year while pulling my LOADED 5x8 trailer, I'd get 17mpg on the hwy going to Gateway or MAM.  In-town, I get about 12mpg.

I have an extended warranty for 6 years or 80k miles which I could sell (or I'll cash out of it).  Never had a problem, and don't anticipate ever having one with it...