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Old 10-13-2018, 11:34 AM   #201
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A WDH doesn't just level the tow vehicle. It results is a much more comfortable and secure ride.
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Old 10-28-2018, 01:48 PM   #202
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Name: Michael
Trailer: Casita 16ft.
California
Posts: 338
Just got home from our first boondocking adventure after rebuilding the chassis with 3" exta raise in ground clearance. I am very pleased with the results. This is not an adventure that I would recommend to the average fiberglass trailer user. Nor would I recommend it to any vehicle except a full on 4wd tow vehicle. We took our trailer into Usal Beach which is on the southern end of Northern Callifornia's Lost Coast. The road in is five miles of twisty, steep, mostly single track road that hugs the coastline as you drive in from the costal highway RT1. Vehicles must use turnouts to pass. Here are some of the rewards for your efforts.

This was taken from the Lost Coast Trail while we were on a hike. You can see one of the switchbacks of the road in on the far left center of the photo.




Here is the road to the beach. The photograph doesn't really capture how deep this dried up mud hole is. I was very happy for the increased ground clearance.



Our campsite for 3 days. we had a birds eye view of the pounding surf from our dinette window. You may see that the stance on the trailer is low in the front. I can kick myself now for not going ahead with removing the original drop in the trailer tongue while I had the chassis out. I tried turning the 2" dropped ball mount over to raise the front but then the rear hatch fouled the trailer jack and would not open. With the new body mounting sustem (five welded angle iron tabs down each side of the chassis with 5/16" bolts through the trailer floor) it is pretty easy to remove the body for further frame modifications. I could have the body off again in a couple of hours with most of the time used being the time rounding up the cribbing materials to support the body while the chassis is out.



And there were the sunsets over the Pacific.



We drove out about 6:00 AM this morning in a rain shower. The torquey 4.0L straight 6 motor of the Jeep, auto trans, 4WD and limited slip axle did well up the now more slippery road to while driving out to paved roads and civilization. Running the Jeep in low range was a blessing for driving slowly with power to spare when needed.

This is exactly the type of use I wish to use this once derelict, broke down Casita. I wouldn't take a shiny trailer that I paid a lot of money for to places like this. My $300 purchase has grown to about $2,000 with the tow hitches, brake controllers, accessaries and materials used to rescue the trailer from a likely fate at a landfill. I am very happy for the blessing of finding a blank slate to work with. I will continue to refine it to make it the most useful for my purposes and lifestyle. It will change over time I am sure.
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Old 10-28-2018, 03:34 PM   #203
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Name: Eric
Trailer: 1987 Casita 16
Illinois
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Those pictures are great! We went down the Oregon Coast and it was really special. We are looking forward to the year we do the northern Cal coast. Going to Knoxville at the end of the week.
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Old 10-28-2018, 04:26 PM   #204
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Name: Michael
Trailer: Casita 16ft.
California
Posts: 338
I am glad you had a great time in Oregon Eric. We actually never made it to Oregon as hoped due finding the broken frame which required the last minute frame-off repair. Enjoy Knoxville.

I think my next project on my trailer will be removing the spare tire and replace it with a 2" receiver mount on the top edge of the bumper which will hold a luggage rack. With the receiver high, my excellent tail end ground clearance won't be too adversely affected. My Jeep and the trailer have the same wheel bolt pattern. Now that I am running 15" wheels on the trailer, the Jeep spare will also work for the trailer too. I see no sense in carrying redundant spare tires around. I think my loaded Yeti ice chest and a couple of bikes on the tail end should about bring the balance of the trailer back. If not I will find some more weight to shift backwards or forward to bring her back into chi.

Here is a pic of my sweetie while we were hiking up on the Lost Coast Trail.

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Old 02-24-2019, 08:13 PM   #205
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Name: Eric
Trailer: 1987 Casita 16
Illinois
Posts: 503
How did the frame work out? did you get the back part of it done?
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Old 02-24-2019, 10:30 PM   #206
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Name: Michael
Trailer: Casita 16ft.
California
Posts: 338
Hello Eric. I was just thinking about you the other day.

It has been a very rainy and cold winter her in NW California so we haven't had the trailer out since the trip pictured above which I think was in late October. The chassis repair worked out great. It tows great behind the Jeep. I really like the extra ground clearance.

I am not quite certain what you mean by getting the back part done. Please refresh my memory.

I have improved interior closet storage over the winter and have ordered a 12v fresh water pump and the misc hardware needed to get running water at the kitchen sink. Laura and I are out of town helping out her aging parents currently but plan to go home tomorrow. Hopefully all of my parts will have been delivered by the time we get there.
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Old 02-25-2019, 12:32 AM   #207
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Name: Eric
Trailer: 1987 Casita 16
Illinois
Posts: 503
You mentioned you were going to do something with the spare, and a receiver for holding stuff.
I am going to start going over mine again to get ready for a trip to the four corners area. Planning on May. Hope to have some good weather before then.
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Old 02-25-2019, 08:07 AM   #208
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Name: Michael
Trailer: Casita 16ft.
California
Posts: 338
Oh ya, I did do that. I took the spare off completely. The Jeep uses the same size wheel so I will rely on that its spare if I should have a flat. I also built a 2" receiver that is mounted on the upper above the bumper to maintain clearance. I will use that to carry a bike rack or an exterior gas bbq. I don't think I took any pictures.
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Old 02-25-2019, 11:40 AM   #209
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Name: David
Trailer: Casita
Arkansas
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Michael, while you guys are here, and I have the chance to ask you and Eric a question... I think both of you used an alternative method (from factory) for securing the shell to the frame. Did you countersink the subfloor for carriage bolts? And how many did you calculate was enough to do the job?

I'm pulling subfloor now, just about ready to send my frame to the welding shop. I need to start forming a plan!
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Old 02-25-2019, 01:27 PM   #210
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Name: Michael
Trailer: Casita 16ft.
California
Posts: 338
David,

I welded 3/16" thick, 4X4X4 inch angle iron taps along the outside side edges of my chassis. The welds are placed on the upper and lower edges but not down the sides because I didn't want to weaken the chassis tubing by heating it up in the field of the metal. I used 5/16 stove bolts with the special grip washers designed for those bolts to fasten the cab to the chassis. There are five along each side. In all cases but one, my bolts wound up under a cabinet so are invisible on the main floor. The one that does show is on the left side of the doorway adjacent to my bulkhead. I just used a stainless stove bolt in that place and called her good. I have a more of a minimalist preference for my trailer so I don't mind seeing that one bolt.

I don't know if I would advise counter sinking these bolts unless you are going over size during a flooring replacement. It would be better to plan your bolt placement so that they will land in out of the way places in your trailer.
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Old 02-25-2019, 04:44 PM   #211
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Name: Michael
Trailer: Casita 16ft.
California
Posts: 338
Rethinking my last post. The size of the angle iron used is actually 3/16", 3"X3". Each piece was 3" long. Sorry for the misinformation. I was on the road when I made the reply and recalled those numbers from memory. My memory ain't what it once was
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Old 02-25-2019, 05:12 PM   #212
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Name: David
Trailer: Casita
Arkansas
Posts: 15
Thanks for the reply! Depending on which floor covering the wife chooses, I could be going back with 1/2" or moving up to 5/8". The 1/2" ply would be too thin for any kind of countersink. It's good to know that 10 bolts will hold it all together instead of the seemingly endless number of self tappers I'm dealing with now.

Thanks again for your input!!
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Old 02-25-2019, 07:04 PM   #213
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Name: Michael
Trailer: Casita 16ft.
California
Posts: 338
I used 5/8 T&G. I feel a little sag in the floor between the cross members as I walk across it so I wouldn't recommend 1/2". I installed the T&G so that I didn't have to worry about making my joint over a cross or framing member below the floor. In a lot of the projects that I read about in these pages, folks coated the underside and ends of the plywood with epoxy. I did not due to cost. Instead, I used 2 coats of spar marine varnish on the underside and the ends. I brushed the varnish lavishly on the T&G joints just before I drove them together during installation. Since it will see no sunlight to break it down, I hope the varnish will protect the wood nearly as long as epoxy. We will see.
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Old 02-25-2019, 07:58 PM   #214
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Name: Eric
Trailer: 1987 Casita 16
Illinois
Posts: 503
When I had the frame in the trailer shop for frame strengthening and axle replacement, I also had the weld in the corners of the frame six places for me to put bolts. They also are in the cabinets so they are not seen. I used 3/8" bolts with large washers on top and bottom, and bolts that have the insert to keep them from coming loose. I have checked them several times and they have stayed tight. I also took them off once, when I needed to put in the grey water tank, and noticed the first time I mounted the shell, I didn't get it pushed all the way back, so got it aligned correctly the second time. That meant I had a set of holes that needed filled, so did that from the top, with foil tape on the underside to hold the rosin. One think I noticed is that the frame does flex a little more since there are not as many points of contact. But I feel better being able to take it off and on, and do things to the frame as a move along with changes.
My goal is also to have something that camps well, and in the way we want to use it. Changes as we work with it are important.
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Old 02-25-2019, 10:10 PM   #215
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Name: Michael
Trailer: Casita 16ft.
California
Posts: 338
Come to think of it, I used 3/8 bolts too. My memory was pretty fickle this morning.
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Old 02-26-2019, 03:10 PM   #216
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Name: David
Trailer: Casita
Arkansas
Posts: 15
Michael, I appreciate the responses from both you and Eric. 10 bolts, 6 bolts... I may be somewhere in between. This one has a grey water tank already installed, so that won't be a reason to remove the shell in the future. Of course, there may be something else that comes up, but I have NO intention of enjoying this experience again. If it happens, rest assured I was forced into it.

The T&G 5/8" ply sounds like a pretty good idea to me, and I'm thinking of having a center brace welded in between the frame cross members (right down the waking space) to stop any subfloor flexing. Even though that portion of my floor was not damaged, it certainly felt as though it was, and was one reasons I pushed on the point that I am.

Uhhhh, what's a "memory"?
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Old 02-26-2019, 03:31 PM   #217
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Name: Michael
Trailer: Casita 16ft.
California
Posts: 338
Accoeding to my doc, I am supposed to be getting a cpap machine any day. Hopefully that will help my memory issues. Of course, that will create my next project which will be to install enough solar power and battery storage to power the thing reliably off grid. Based on the Youtube videos I have been watching that should be doable.
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Old 03-31-2019, 08:31 PM   #218
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Name: Eric
Trailer: 1987 Casita 16
Illinois
Posts: 503
Mike,
Haven't been on in a while, but noticed the CPAP comment. Mine works well with the solar. They really don't take a lot of power, it is really just a small fan, controlled to up the air pressure to whatever number you need. It will also stop the snoring. When we camped out of the car I could run it all night on the car battery and never even worried about the battery being lower in the morning. I also got a 12V cord from the company but they sent the wrong one and I never did use that.
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Old 03-31-2019, 09:16 PM   #219
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Name: Michael
Trailer: Casita 16ft.
California
Posts: 338
Hi Eric,
It's good to hear from you again. It is serendipitous that you replied regarding the CPAP because I just did my first test run my Phillips Dreamstation machine on directly from 12vdc today. It purred like a kitten. I got the Phillips brand cord for running directly off of 12vdc for about $35 from an online CPAP dealer. From what I have read, if you don't use the humidifier and run directly on 12v eliminating the inverter loss, the machine will draw less than half an amp. I haven't bought a solar panel yet but we use so little power in our trailer, I can keep up with the battery pretty well while it is hooked up to the tow while traveling based on our average maximum of 3 day stays in one location. I also have one f those power stations with a Li-ion battery that should run the machine for 5 days according to what I have learned watching youtube.

Mike
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Old 05-03-2020, 08:58 AM   #220
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Name: Michael
Trailer: Casita 16ft.
California
Posts: 338
It has been awhile since my last update. Over the course of two years we have gotten a lot of enjoyment from boondocking in our Casita. But she remains a work in progress.

In January, I started a project that would add a 16 gallon grey water tank under the raised rear former dinette floor just behind the axle. My criteria for doing this is that I do not want any storage tanks or plumbing hanging below the frame rails and that they not hang below a line running from my tire to the bumper. This is to allow me to not worry about dragging on the tank or its plumbing when traversing uneven ground. To accomplish this, I decided that I wanted to add a little more depth between the chassis and the underside of the body. I added a 1 1/2 wooden spacers between the body and chassis to increase my frame depth to 4 1/2 inches (3 in. frame height + 1 1/2in spacer) This was easy to do thanks to the body mounting tabs with through bolt body mounting that I added at the time that I did the chassis repair last year. That frame repair added 4 1/2 inches of ride height to the trailer. This additional 1 1/2 inch spacer brings total body height to 6 inches above stock.

Here are some pics of the spacers.






Pics of the grey water tank.



Note that the bottom of the tank is higher than the axle.



The square tubing (black) on the lower right side of the photo is the bottom
of 3 spacers that were added to increase ride height during the frame repair. I left it long purposely because I figured it would be handy for either hanging a tank from or attaching a skid guard to after a tank was installed. I am currently working on extension that will continue to the back of the tank to provide protection from obstacles.
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