Debby T.'s Trailer :: "Tupper"
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"Tupper"
Debby T.'s Avatar
Debby T. Debby T. is offline
Junior Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: Santa Monica
Posts: 5
Registry
Trailer Name "Tupper"
Year 1972
Make
Model Compact Jr.
Length 9.5'
Packages We just kept the shell & the windows
History We just kept the shell & the windows and threw the rest away, New frame of 2"X 3" rect. tube, torsion axle, welded aluminum interior frames for shell stiffness, custom "euro-style" open interior, solar charging system and a few more goodies make this a new trailer.

Both Debby & Tim are long time "Sailboat People" who have cruised extensively around the Pacific Ocean, so they brought their "Sailor sense" to their redesign of the Compact Jr. As we wanted a sturdy platform and were not very concerned about GVW with our 4.0 L. engined tow truck, we did lots of interior stiffening in addition to the sturdy frame and over sized (3500 lb.) torsion suspension chosen for its better bump dampening,
Interior
Note frame extension for cargo box, The tongue is removable so the trailer fits in our driveway along with Debby's Mini Cooper.
Also shown is the welded aluminum framed door. and the side where we fiberglassed over the large holes in the side from the old propane Reefer,
The accent stripe is "boot stripe tape" from West marine.
We used two widths of tape, reversing the direction of the second piece to make it look like this.

Exterior
These are some progress shots. The counter top and cupboards are finished with speakers mounted behind the black cloth, stereo is mounted in the front next to the dimming light switch - Tim's a lighting designer. The table is removable and stows behind the (for now) ice chest - later a 12v top loading refer.
Just out of the picture are two high efficiency "Hela Fans" mounted overhead to cool the cabin on hot days & warm nights.
There is also an 800 watt (1600w. peak load) inverter to power up the coffee grinder and any other 120 v. A.C. stuff we night need.

Customization
While not entertainment, this shot shows the swing arms I welded up to support the pop up roof -- which also has a pair of 55 watt solar panels mounted. I welded up a 3/4" square aluminum tube frame to stiffen the top and maintain its arched contour. This support system puts the weight load of the raised top close to the corners of the opening, where the structure is the strongest.
The original set-up with the sliding arms was too ugly and weak for us to keep.

For entertainment, we have a Pioneer Stereo/disc/radio with remote control and front input for movie sound from the computer or I-Pod. We added two woofers and a cross over network from eBay for under $60. This is mounted in the galley cabinet next to the cabin light dimmer.

Renovations
Not under the hood, but inside the front mounted "trunk" (a molded fiberglass 'Dock Box' from West Marine) we have an extra 17 gal water tank w/ electric pump & hose bib, propane locker, storage for jacks, stands, camping lantern, bbq & assorted stuff that we want to always have on board without looking at it.

Between the trunk and our old Ranger pick-up, we have all the storage that the interior of the trailer lacks.

Next to the porti potti are two group 27 AGM batteries and the solar charging monitor. We will build a new ice box with 12v. D.C. refrigeration inside, so we can forget about schlepping ice and dealing with soggy food. We figure the 110 watts of solar charging will keep all the systems happy. If not, we can charge from the truck's over sized alternator.

Other Information
Here is one of the 4 leveling jacks which rotate 90 degrees to raise for travel. They were less than $20/each on eBay.

I took them apart, threw away the part for clamping to the frame and just bolted them directly to the frame, saving some weight and lots of bulk.

Tow Vehicle
Aluminum wheels & tires were also from eBay, and surprisingly inexpensive.
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