Upgrade recommendations for Tear Drop & TV

SoCal Tom

Explorer
I think I have a plan for the water system. The goal is simplicity in setup, and use as well as saving space and money. I don't have space for an easy gravity setup, and my main travel companion only weighs 80lbs, so I want a system he can use and setup easily.
So I'm planning a hybrid system. It will use water jugs as the main water supply, with a dip tube that can be inserted into one can or the other, as needed.
I have two RV water pumps, so I'll put one of those into service, and I have a place on my galley bulk head I can install a faucet. I won't add a sink, I still use wash basins on a table for dish washing, and I'm working on emptying a tide container for a hand washing station.

If for some reason the pump doesn't work I can still pour out of the jugs, and I can remove the when I get home to lighten the tongue for easier maneuvering of the trailer. I'm still planning on a zodi shower eventually. So I'll still be able to take the jug somewhere convenient for showering ( showers attached to the side of the trailer just look like a mud puddle making system to work around).

I'll only need to spend money on the faucet $40 and the tubing $25 to make it happen.
Tom


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SWbySWesty

Fauxverland Extraodinaire
Sounds good! That's what I do now (minus faucet). It also makes refilling your water supply on the fly easier if you have to walk down to a river or something
 

SoCal Tom

Explorer
So I got the water system basically installed. One small leak I can fix tomorrow, and I need to make a dip tube to pull the water out of the can. I used a hose bib for the water outlet. The thought being I would have flexibility to hook up a hose if I needed to. What I didn't think about was how bad water sprays out of it, water goes everywhere. I'll make a small hose to connect to the end to better control the flow.

I also did a little redneck engineering. I had an old aluminum truck bed box, that I had cut in half years ago. I split one of the pieces in half, then used the pieces to make an open box to carry the water cans.
Here's a pic.
9ajeba5a.jpg

Tom


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Last edited:

SoCal Tom

Explorer
Here is a pic of the faucet in the galley.ImageUploadedByTapatalk1390162915.299334.jpg the little strain relief hose works perfect for controlling the water.
Tom


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SoCal Tom

Explorer
Did the spring over today, added about 5 inches of clearance. Still plenty of room to get it in the garage. Makes my 24" tires look tiny.ImageUploadedByTapatalk1390689713.938149.jpg really changes the character of the trailer. Now it looks a lot more like an off road trailer.
Tom


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SoCal Tom

Explorer
While doing the spring over, I noticed the original springs didn't flex much when I jacked it up, or jumped on it. Made a few measurements and ordered some 1000lb/pair springs from Northern Tool. They got here yesterday and so I put them on today. The are much more compliant, as best as I can tell the old springs were probably rated around 3500lb for the pair. Since the trailer weighs about, 900lb, and less than 700 were carried by the springs I think it was the right thing to do. The frame is about an inch lower than it was before, but hopefully it won't beat up the trailer as much when I pull it down the road.

I also notice a post where someone here took an and IKEA LED strip and removed the transformer and mounted in on a RTT for lighting. Well a while back I got infatuated with the DIODER kit at IKEA, and bought one. ( It was shiny and had buttons and knobs to turn I couldn't resist its power). Anyhow, it was a complete waste of money, but since I saw that thread, I decided it would be awesome in my galley, so I mounted it today. The Dioder set lets you turn a dial to change the color coming out of the LEDs, it can also cycle through the colors. While I can see no practical need for this, its awesome.
Here are some picturesIMG_0596.jpgIMG_0595.jpg, it does green, blue purple, yellow and red. I've heard red is good if the bugs are out. It also draws a lot less power than my old light.
Tom
 

SoCal Tom

Explorer
It’s been over 3 years, so I thought I would update the thread. The dip tube idea didn’t work out well. It was difficult to prime, so I installed a bulkhead fitting in the bottom of the tank. I honestly thought it would leak, and then I would get a Pre threaded tank from Frontrunner, but it’s been holding tight almost 3 years now. I also moved the water to the top of the fenders for better weight distribution.
I had to replace the roof, so it got a paint job as well. IMG_1533.jpg a recent camp photo
Tom


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SoCal Tom

Explorer
It’s been another 5 years, so another update.
The galley has been pretty stable for a while. Camp chef oven twists out and the Waeco CF 35 pulls out.

The water cans now sit on the fenders. The PS can has a gravity drain that primes the pump, the DS can uses a dip tube once the pump is primed. Once I prime the pump I shut off the gravity tank and use up the other one.
Mounted a tankless water heater, primarily for washing dishes. The most recent upgrade was mounting the solar panels on the roof. 3x50 watts give me 300 to 400 watts of charging on a sunny day, more than making up for me needs.
7cb89a0d8e02a4f70abce0b17c633af1.jpg
 

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