Custom "nose cone" & storage for Scamp - Fiberglass RV
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Old 12-09-2014, 09:51 AM   #1
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Name: Tim
Trailer: '88 Scamp 16, layout 4
North Florida
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Custom "nose cone" & storage for Scamp

This is "Phase One" of my solar electrification project on the old Scamp. I got a little ahead of myself buying solar panels and stuff without having the battery issue squared away. I want two 6V batteries with secure mounting and did not really like any of the available boxes that would fit the space. I also wanted a place to mount a tongue box so I just made something to suit. I am pretty happy with it although it makes for a whole lot of bright aluminum on the front of the Scamp and it doth offend the eye somewhat. This is my first attempt to post pictures so please be gentle.
The framing for the nose cone (1"X1"X 1/8" angle iron):
Click image for larger version

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The various components. Tongue box, framing with propane bottle, and broken (bent) .063 (1/16") aluminum diamond plate. I bent this by hand! Well, hand, angle iron clamped down over it, and a 2X4 and hammer. Turned out pretty well:
Click image for larger version

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And this is all of it mocked up. The aluminum plate has been cut to follow the radius of the trailer:
Click image for larger version

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Toolbox open:
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Toolbox pivoted over on hold open rod. Hinge is heavy duty aluminum piece I picked up out of the trash 20+ years ago and it was patiently waiting in the shed for just such a worthy project. Also seen on the bottom right is a pin I made that comes up through an existing hole in the bottom of the box. A smallish 3/16" lynch pin locks the box down from inside:
Click image for larger version

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There will be a lot more to this project but I think that is a pretty good lick. Total out of pocket expense was around $40 for the aluminum and misc. hardware. I had the hinge and steel. And I am almost ashamed to admit that you are looking at 24 hours work, over 6 days. Yes, I am slow and take lots of breaks when I am piddling on a project.

I should also mention that although I removed the dual propane rack and second bottle there is still a net increase in weight just from the second battery (a 6V battery is heavier than a propane bottle). The framing, aluminum cover and tool box weigh 43 pounds. I intend to only stow semi-light stuff in the box but tow with a full size 1/2 ton truck so tongue weight is not an issue. A later project is a bike rack on the back which will help offset some of the front weight.
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Old 12-09-2014, 01:41 PM   #2
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Tim,

I made a similar box but used wood. I like your diamond plate better, but I'm more skilled at wood than metal.
Cheers, and congrats on a nice job.

John
Attached Thumbnails
scamp tool box 1.jpg   scamp tool box 2.jpg  

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Old 12-09-2014, 02:03 PM   #3
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Name: Tim
Trailer: '88 Scamp 16, layout 4
North Florida
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Quote:
Originally Posted by John Linck View Post
I'm more skilled at wood than metal.

Yep, me too! For me Welding is a perishable skill and I just don’t do enough of it regularly to keep in practice. Luckily, I have lots of grinders and disks. Owning the Scamp has made me pull the stuff out and use it though. First I swapped the axle, then had to fix a frame crack, then this front end work and finally I am going to do a bike rack. Who knew I would have to brush up on my welding to go camping?
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Old 12-09-2014, 05:31 PM   #4
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Name: RogerDat
Trailer: 2010 Scamp 16
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Originally Posted by Timber Wolf View Post
Yep, me too! For me Welding is a perishable skill and I just don’t do enough of it regularly to keep in practice.

Luckily, I have lots of grinders and disks. .....
Oh so true! I pretty much stopped doing production and fabrication welding as part of my job about 20 years ago, then stopped doing any home fabrication projects about 7 years back.

Went to do a simple weld the nut on the rebar to make a stake, by about the 7th one it was actually a half decent weld. The first 6 where more of an exercise to brush up my grinding skills

I plead it was a mig welder and I'm more into stick arc welding. Yeah that's it using the wrong equipment.

I do wonder about aluminum skin on a steel frame having a tendency to corrode faster. Not sure how much of an issue that would be other than on a salt water coast.

The box does look really nice sitting up there, lots of space and following the curve gives it that made custom or factory look.
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Old 12-09-2014, 05:36 PM   #5
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Name: Totie Fan
Trailer: Tote N Tarry
West Coast
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Originally Posted by Timber Wolf View Post
I want two 6V batteries with secure mounting
That's gorgeous work. I wish I could weld or do metal work. It transforms the look to high end, plus the propane/battery seem vulnerable out there when exposed.
Is there a reason to use 2 6V batteries instead of 1 12V battery?
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Old 12-09-2014, 08:08 PM   #6
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Name: Larry
Trailer: Escape
Oregon
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Very nice work on both projects, you both show excellent skills. Now you both should be ashamed of yourselves for giving me another mod to put on my very long list.��
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Old 12-09-2014, 08:11 PM   #7
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North Florida
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I am slightly concerned about the dis-similar metal issue but hope that the good coat of paint I put on the steel and using aluminum rivets will keep it to a minimum. Maybe the rivets will give out eventually and need replacing.

The two 6V batteries is because they seem to be the most economical and size efficient way to achieve the most true deep cycle capacity.
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Old 12-09-2014, 09:14 PM   #8
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Name: Jim
Trailer: 2014 scamp 16
Kansas
Posts: 27
Thanks for the ideas. I recently made one out of a white plastic panel, but didn't anchor it strong enough, or put a floor in it. The wind pressure underneath must be strong, because it eventually pulled the screws through the plastic. Your picts gave me some good ideas. One is to move the sewer hose tube to another location. I never understood why it was on the front.
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Old 12-10-2014, 09:40 AM   #9
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Nice job Tim!
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Old 12-10-2014, 03:08 PM   #10
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Looks good Tim! I like the "tilting box" solution to access your batteries. It looks like you have the picture posting riddle solved as well.

Tom
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Old 12-15-2014, 12:18 PM   #11
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Trailer: '88 Scamp 16, layout 4
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I got the shroud riveted to the framework this weekend using 5/32” X Ľ” aluminum rivets. They are what Home Depot had and I figured 5/32" is just a little more than 1/8” but less than 3/16” and was about right. Eighteen of them, nine per side ought to hold it on. Something I thought should be memorialized with this thread is maybe I could/should have used a thinner sheet material. I think there is a .040 diamond plate out there and it would have worked just as well as the .063 for this application. The .040 would have been cheaper, lighter, and easier to cut and bend. Mounted on the framework I really did not need the strength of the “thicker” material. I put thicker in quotation marks because to my old school way of thinking even the .063 (1/16”) sounds pretty thin but diamond plate it is stout stuff.

Apparently these thinner aluminum sheets are available already coated or anodized in different colors, for the sign industry. It might be neat to track some of that down in white to build a nose cone out of. Something else that might come up; the lip of the box is a couple of inches below “armpit height” on me and I am of average height. I am able to reach all the way to the bottom of the box without bending over. I also drilled out the rivets holding the “Tradesman” sign and removed it; I just did not like the looks of the sign on the front of my Scamp. I filled the holes with some short rivets and like the cleaner look.
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Old 12-16-2014, 09:52 AM   #12
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Name: Charlie
Trailer: Casita 13
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hello. I am far from being the expert re: propane but I don't think a floor / pan under the tank is a good idea. If a leak were ever to develop the propane would accumulate in the pan since propane is heavier than air. This is why , I believe , propane line are always run outside of the living space and the area under the tanks is always open from the manufacturer. This might even be a code issue. Perhaps a more qualified person can give a perspective. They look great ( tongue mods ). If I were to put a shelf in that location, which is a good idea , then I would drill holes in it to allow for adequate drainage of the propane.
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Old 12-16-2014, 11:34 AM   #13
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I added three vents to the floor of my box with sinking propane in mind. Hard to know if these are adequate vs. a fully open box. I do keep a careful eye on propane connections and frequently check/smell for leaks. My vents are 3 inches in diameter and screened for critters. Still a real bad leak may outrun the convection driven draining of gas. What is a likely source of ignition? The stinky slinky can sometimes get somewhat ripe but hasn't self-ignited yet. ;-)

I do have a 12 volt outlet in the box, but haven't ever used it. I installed it for my electric impact wrench should I need to change a tire. I would certainly open/vent the box for a few minutes before plugging anything in. I also have a wireless temperature sensor in the box driving an indoor display so I can know how cold it gets outside without venturing out. I doubt the unit produces open sparks, but highway induced vibration might cause both a propane leak and a electronic malfunction. That's very unlikely, but I think I will relocate the sensor just the same.

All this arm-chair theorizing is exhausting. Time to go camping. I'm getting severe hitch-itch.

John
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Old 12-16-2014, 12:02 PM   #14
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Name: Tim
Trailer: '88 Scamp 16, layout 4
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As an old-timer once told me: "if you have gas and spark it should run". Yes, an enclosed area and gas buildup can be an issue, if a spark is introduced. I am comfortable with the fully open bottom on my setup though. In addition I stopped the sides of the shroud 3/8" to 1/2" from the trailer body. This was mostly for any flex and vibration but I suppose it would also help any "wind" entering the box from the bottom to exhaust out the back carrying any fumes with it.

John has given me an idea though. It would be easy enough for me to add some hardware cloth to the bottom of the compartment just to keep any cats, squirells, etc. from stowing away for an unintended road trip.
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Old 12-17-2014, 11:36 AM   #15
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Name: JD
Trailer: Scamp 16 Modified (BIGLY)
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Propane is heavier than air and will settle to the bottom of the box and fill it as a leak develops. There should be some vents in the floor for this. They can be angled towards the rear to help keep water out, but need to be there!
The vents on the top will not help this issue unless you are using compressed natural gas which is very unlikley.
I like the idea and I am planning on doing something like this with my new rebuild posted in this section. I will have a little more room to work in since I have extended the tongue a bit. I need to keep the weight down to stay within the limits of my tow car though.
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Old 07-12-2015, 10:28 AM   #16
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Name: Pat
Trailer: Escape 2013 19 ft
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Timber Wolf View Post
This is "Phase One" of my solar electrification project on the old Scamp. I got a little ahead of myself buying solar panels and stuff without having the battery issue squared away. I want two 6V batteries with secure mounting and did not really like any of the available boxes that would fit the space. I also wanted a place to mount a tongue box so I just made something to suit. I am pretty happy with it although it makes for a whole lot of bright aluminum on the front of the Scamp and it doth offend the eye somewhat. This is my first attempt to post pictures so please be gentle.
The framing for the nose cone (1"X1"X 1/8" angle iron):
Attachment 79127

The various components. Tongue box, framing with propane bottle, and broken (bent) .063 (1/16") aluminum diamond plate. I bent this by hand! Well, hand, angle iron clamped down over it, and a 2X4 and hammer. Turned out pretty well:
Attachment 79128

And this is all of it mocked up. The aluminum plate has been cut to follow the radius of the trailer:
Attachment 79129

Toolbox open:
Attachment 79130

Toolbox pivoted over on hold open rod. Hinge is heavy duty aluminum piece I picked up out of the trash 20+ years ago and it was patiently waiting in the shed for just such a worthy project. Also seen on the bottom right is a pin I made that comes up through an existing hole in the bottom of the box. A smallish 3/16" lynch pin locks the box down from inside:
Attachment 79131

There will be a lot more to this project but I think that is a pretty good lick. Total out of pocket expense was around $40 for the aluminum and misc. hardware. I had the hinge and steel. And I am almost ashamed to admit that you are looking at 24 hours work, over 6 days. Yes, I am slow and take lots of breaks when I am piddling on a project.

I should also mention that although I removed the dual propane rack and second bottle there is still a net increase in weight just from the second battery (a 6V battery is heavier than a propane bottle). The framing, aluminum cover and tool box weigh 43 pounds. I intend to only stow semi-light stuff in the box but tow with a full size 1/2 ton truck so tongue weight is not an issue. A later project is a bike rack on the back which will help offset some of the front weight.
Really nice work . Actually I think it is a nice compliment to your trailer . Pat
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Old 01-27-2020, 02:32 AM   #17
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Trailer: '88 Scamp 16, layout 4
North Florida
Posts: 1,547
Five years and an update. It is the middle of the night in camp and my propex heater stopped and is blinking red at me, and my CPAP is cutting in and out. A quick check of the Trimetric meter shows 60% charge but only 10.67 volts. I shut everything off and was laying here trying to remember how old the batteries were when I thought of this thread. I bought the batteries soon after completing the box so searched this thread out for my answer.

The box and “nose cone” has worked great and does everything I intended. I suppose five years out of a couple of batteries is not bad. We 3 1/2 season camp down here so have gotten a lot of use out of them over the years. They were the cheapest GC2 golf cart batteries I could buy back then. I wanted something better eventually, but we are apparently in a marketing dead zone and I have not been able to find the Crowns or Trojans I would prefer. Without paying an exorbitant shipping charge that is.

It is actually not a terrible time to have to trouble shoot this issue, other than being the middle of a cold and dark night!. We are at an annual retreat with a group I volunteer with not too far from home (and the battery store) so in the morning I will look things over and make a town run.
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