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Old 03-01-2014, 02:17 PM   #81
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Thanks Carol - I have plenty of time to decide on everything. With your input, I'll rethink placement of electrical stuff, but I know the layout pretty well, and can't see putting them under the sink - neither a safe nor an adequate space.

I'm a mechanical engineer, so space considerations are interesting to me - those EEs talk about imaginary and unseen things. I guess they have their uses, though:-)
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Old 03-01-2014, 04:37 PM   #82
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LOL well having looked at the trailers layout I have hunch there are a few places to move your converter etc to than under the sink. :-)

Yup those EE's do indeed talk about strange and interesting things here now and agian but they have been know to hand out some good advise ..... even if it means having to do a little homework to understand what the heck they are actually talking about!
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Old 03-01-2014, 09:32 PM   #83
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Installing a 12v DC refrigerator in a Lil Snoozy

Two golf cart (6v 220ah) batteries fit fine on the tongue.
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The battery charger and inverter are just behind the batteries, inside, under the front bed. Primary cables are only 2-3' long.

A full 20# cylinder of propane only weighs 40#, that would be OK on the tongue also.

The more weight on the tongue, the better the trailer tows, as long as the tow vehicle's rear suspension and hitch can take the weight. My Snoozy has 390# on the tongue the old RAV4 handled it just fine.
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Old 03-01-2014, 09:49 PM   #84
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Did you build out the tongue? It looks so much better than the factory-built one, though it's not so bad, either.

Yes, the battery in the back just doesn't make any sense, considering the layout. I'll put the water heater in the compartment near the water tank - there seems to be enough room to vent it there. And your idea for the furnace is perfect - little inside space used.

I'd like to have that cute little accessory in front. Do you use him for ballast?
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Old 03-01-2014, 09:49 PM   #85
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Thanks Carol - I have plenty of time to decide on everything. With your input, I'll rethink placement of electrical stuff, but I know the layout pretty well, and can't see putting them under the sink - neither a safe nor an adequate space.

I'm a mechanical engineer, so space considerations are interesting to me - those EEs talk about imaginary and unseen things. I guess they have their uses, though:-)

The charger and inverter practically never need to be accessed so are best placed somewhere out of the way saving easier to access space for more frequently needed items.

I have to remove the mattress and take out a dozen screws to remove half the piece of plywood that is the bed platform. That is a big PITA but after the 15 minute chore I have free access to the electrical gizmos.
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Old 03-01-2014, 09:53 PM   #86
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My Snoozy has 390# on the tongue the old RAV4 handled it just fine.
Are you aware that the RAV4 stated tongue weight capacity is 350 lbs. ?
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Old 03-01-2014, 10:00 PM   #87
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Installing a 12v DC refrigerator in a Lil Snoozy

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Originally Posted by blodn1 View Post
Did you build out the tongue? It looks so much better than the factory-built one, though it's not so bad, either.

Yes, the battery in the back just doesn't make any sense, considering the layout. I'll put the water heater in the compartment near the water tank - there seems to be enough room to vent it there. And your idea for the furnace is perfect - little inside space used.

I'd like to have that cute little accessory in front. Do you use him for ballast?

I scrapped the fiberglass platform that came from the factory and made my own out of 3/8 marine plywood and epoxy. In addition two the batteries it holds two 25' 30 amp power cords, two 25' water hoses, half a dozen one pound propane cans and some butane canisters plus misc wood wheel chocks and other junk. It has a sun fella cover attached to the trailer body with a C channel and snaps to the sides of the tongue box. I picked beige fabric to match the trailer. That was a mistake, black would have hid the dirt much better and looked just as good when new and a lot better two years later.

My grandson Luke was"helping" me and I mostly tried to keep him out of the box.
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Old 03-01-2014, 10:01 PM   #88
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Installing a 12v DC refrigerator in a Lil Snoozy

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Originally Posted by Glenn Baglo View Post
Are you aware that the RAV4 stated tongue weight capacity is 350 lbs. ?

Of course.

My new Grand Cherokee says tongue weight should be less than 350 unless a WDH is used, then it's 620. Like that makes any sense.
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Old 03-01-2014, 11:05 PM   #89
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Of course.

My new Grand Cherokee says tongue weight should be less than 350 unless a WDH is used, then it's 620. Like that makes any sense.
If your Snoozy has the surge brakes that are/were standard equipment, most weight distributing hitches are out of the question.
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Old 03-02-2014, 06:32 AM   #90
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If your Snoozy has the surge brakes that are/were standard equipment, most weight distributing hitches are out of the question.

I do have surge brakes and of course WDH wouldn't work. I meant that the "factory rating" endorsing 620# tongue weight with WDH but only 350# seems inconsistent. What I really meant to imply is that I am of the opinion that factory towing specs are substantially laced with marketing hooey.

PLEASE, no more comments on towing specs.
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Old 03-02-2014, 06:33 AM   #91
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Always a little surprised when I see 2 20lb tanks on a small trailer & wonder why, I assume they stay of the grid for weeks at a time and never drive anywhere near a refill station when out exploring the area they are in. Would think that you could get by with a 10lb tank that would last you at least 5 days and probable longer when boon docking and using it to run a fridge.
Fridge and cook top only, I'm with you, but a propane furnace can be a hungry beast. On my first trailer I added a second tank after we ran out on the Outer Banks. Now I only have one tank. The dog is a lot bigger. Dog puts out a lot of heat.


I'm an EE. I like electrical stuff and I have the skills to keep it running longer than most. But when Trillium only came with a 12 volt fridge, I said no thanks. I may be wrong but I believe I have the only U.S. made Trillium with a propane fridge. The simplicity is hard to beat.

It's much easier to install a compressor fridge, and so manufacturers are going in that direction. I wonder how long the propane fridge has? Raz
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Old 03-02-2014, 06:52 AM   #92
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This little propex unit http://www.propexheatsource.co.uk/he...gas-air-heater says it uses 150 grams/hr. That would be three hours per pound. Certainly the heater doesn't run constantly either.

I have no idea whether or not the 150g/hr is a real world spec or measured in a perfect world nirvana (like solar panel specs)
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Old 03-02-2014, 06:56 AM   #93
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Running the extra length of charge wire to the rear of the trailer while in build stage wouldn't be all that much more costly (whats another 14' of wire cost?)
I realize that the wiring wouldn't be costly, but the cost of labor and supervision to completely redesign the system would (or should) cost more.

And Raz - no offense to EEs. I just never really "got" i's and p's. I need to see what's happening (though my last job was as an electrical insulator designer).

My thinking at present is to use propane for water heating and furnace. I know how to take a navy shower, and the furnace will be used in special circumstances, so I'm not too worried about the smaller tank. I like the compressor fridge, and I've been using a little butane burner for a while. So my main electric needs are for fridge and lights and pump. With solar, I think I can keep the batteries nicely maintained.

My real worry at present is where to put the litter box - don't like the shower 'cause it's too small. And I KNOW y'all will have advice for me on that, too:-)
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Old 03-02-2014, 07:23 AM   #94
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Ok, i am going to let everyone know just how dumb i am. How about you do not run the fridge while driving, i can not see myself driving any more then 3-4 hours at a time between sites. I can use the fridge like an ice box while driving and turn it on when stopped using shore power or battery when boondocked. If it is not running the bumps in the road should not hurt the compressor and should last longer. Carl
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Old 03-02-2014, 07:33 AM   #95
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And Raz - no offense to EEs. I just never really "got" i's and p's. I need to see what's happening (though my last job was as an electrical insulator designer).
No offense taken. Most mechanicals get one survey electrical course in school, think it's voo doo, and wonder how they passed. I got the same feelings when I took Thermo from the M.E. Dept.
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Old 03-02-2014, 07:46 AM   #96
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Ok, i am going to let everyone know just how dumb i am. How about you do not run the fridge while driving, i can not see myself driving any more then 3-4 hours at a time between sites. I can use the fridge like an ice box while driving and turn it on when stopped using shore power or battery when boondocked. If it is not running the bumps in the road should not hurt the compressor and should last longer. Carl

To be clear, the Magic Chef still worked fine when plugged in to shore power, even with the bumps. It's a fine and much less expensive solution if you are always plugged in.
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Old 03-02-2014, 10:05 AM   #97
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Ok, i am going to let everyone know just how dumb i am. How about you do not run the fridge while driving, i can not see myself driving any more then 3-4 hours at a time between sites. I can use the fridge like an ice box while driving and turn it on when stopped using shore power or battery when boondocked. If it is not running the bumps in the road should not hurt the compressor and should last longer. Carl
Sorry Carl your not dumb at all! Lots of us do as you suggest.

I keep a couple of small freezer packs in the freezer section of the fridge when its running. I don't like to run propane while traveling and the fridges 12V option is a real power drain on the tug - meaning there isn't any power left over to recharge the battery. Something I like to have happen when moving between sites with no power. When on the road I stick the freezer packs in the fridges main compartment beside items that really need to be kept cold - such as dairy products and meats. If the fridge is well insulated around the outside of the box and don't open it you can go a lot longer than 3-4 hours and have it maintain a safe temperature - of course how long depends a lot on what the outside temps happened to be while traveling.
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Old 03-02-2014, 12:53 PM   #98
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I do have surge brakes and of course WDH wouldn't work. I meant that the "factory rating" endorsing 620# tongue weight with WDH but only 350# seems inconsistent.
There's no inconsistency there- a WDH transfers weight away from rear axle, which in your case can evidently only tolerate/ride level while carrying 350 pounds of trailer tongue weight. Sounds like a properly setup WDH on your tug will move almost three hundred pounds.

Side note:
All of the work is done by leverage on the trailer tongue, and a fair portion of the weight transferred goes to the trailer. Hence concerns in some cases as to trailer ability to tolerate this kind of hitch setup.
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Old 07-29-2014, 12:14 AM   #99
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Ouch, this trailer sounds a lot heavier than I thought it would be which is really too bad. Must be the large amount of wood or the double wall construction, at least it sounds double wall. I would have thought it would weigh no more than the scamp at about 2,000 lbs.

I really like this design but it looks like I'm back to looking at the Scamp or others.
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Old 07-29-2014, 09:00 AM   #100
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Ouch, this trailer sounds a lot heavier than I thought it would be which is really too bad. Must be the large amount of wood or the double wall construction, at least it sounds double wall. I would have thought it would weigh no more than the scamp at about 2,000 lbs.

I really like this design but it looks like I'm back to looking at the Scamp or others.

I see the Lil Snoozy factory website now has raised the weight spec to 2500 lbs. Mine was supposed to be 2150 lbs but actual weight after my mods was 2850 lbs. It's also 18'6" long, about 18" longer than a Scamp 16 both inside and out.

Everybody wants a light trailer. Manufacturers tend to understate weight to attract customers. The "real world weights" thread here is a lot more reliable data.


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