Enclosed / Toy hauler / RV / racebike hauler build

Cool. I plan to get the Renogy flexible 100s for the roof and rigid 100 slims to make window awnings for the street side of mine.

 

Do some research into flexible panels. I believe they are less efficient than solid panels. I would quote a link if I had one but you tend to forget where you read what after a year or two of research.

 

They are less efficient. Renogy actually recalled them a few years back due to fire hazard. But the new design is suppose to be better. Using them on the roof because it has a curve.

 

Mine is curved as well. Unsure if I am going to try and curve my framework or just lift it slightly to accommodate the curve (most likely). We are talking 1” - 1.5” max.

 

I think Renogy has a foot kit that uses adjustable curved brackets for flat panels on a curved roof.
I plan to put a flexible panel on the roof of my truck and Ill test fit before I order some for the trailer.

 

I am welding an aluminum frame to mount similar to a rooftop ladder rack. The panels are mounting to this via rubber anti-vibration mounts. I want to be able to remove the framework in winter in case a storm knocks branches down and could smash the panels. I want to minimize the number of holes in the roof and my screws will be into the side of the walls where they meet the roof. The frame will pin into these mounts.

 

Added to updates to original post.

 

Aug 26 interior detail addition.

 

@Exracer2,
Do you remember what your roof bow spacing was? Any sag in the FRP panels?
I about to do my ceiling and am debating FRP over entire ceiling or just the bathroom.

 

24” centers.

It is imperative to laminate (glue) the FRP panels to a layer of 1/8” Masonite to give it structural rigidity and prevent bowing or sagging. On the ceiling the FRP is simply way too flexible on its own and I guarantee it will sag and look like crap by the end of minute one let alone over time. I can bend a 4x8 sheet back on its self both length and width wise. Great if you need it to curve on one axis or another but the ceiling curve is pretty minor compared to the capability of the FRP. The Masonite still has some flex and it stiffens up once everything is laminated but there is still lots of flex if needed. I actually put a 2x4 under one edge while curing to pre-curve everything but this may have been over cautious.

In my case I decided against using the FRP joiner strips on the ceiling. Couple of reasons for that. My test to try and add the strips while using the Masonite proved to be quite troublesome. With the aluminum flat bar (1/8” x 1.5 iirc) on the crossways joints it gave a lot of support to the joint and after a number of months and a couple thousand km nothing has shifted, sagged or pulled away at all. I also did the 2” strips down the center seam which allowed me to run some wire between the center joint to my fan.

I strongly suggest using adjustable supports similar to what I used for the install. A huge help. My ceiling bows are not square or perfectly spaced so I had to layout the drilling once on the ceiling. I basically marked the edges and then transferred the marks to the FRP on the ceiling and had a long flexible straightedge to layout the hole locations. Worked awesome. All of my sections are tight and no sags due to the solid supports during drilling and riveting.

The plastic rivets designed for the FRP work well and have held up with zero issues. The only possible issue with plastic rivets is cold temps making them brittle and the flex of the trailer causing them to potentially break. I won’t EVER use this unit when salt is on the roads due to how it destroys them so I will never know what effect cold and jostling down the road will do to the rivets.

 

I am actually looking at getting a drywall jack to install. Looking at used so I can use it and sell it when I am done without losing as much money.
I forgot to ask what your backer was, thanks for pointing that out.
I braced my ceiling out and got lucky in that only is a little out of line from the others and will need shims. So, my ceiling will be flat.
Im will have to see how the bathroom ceiling looks before I decide if I will do the whole thing.

 

Nice build, I just ordered a 7x16 tandem for track duty. Should have it in a few weeks. I ordered with wall mounted flow through vents and a simple roof vent. Other than that its pretty basic (plywood).

I researching options to control climate inside for sleeping. I'm not planning long weeks in the boondocks, just 3-4 day track weekends.

My question for you is how effective is the paneling you installed at controlling temperature? I noticed you installed insulation on the roof, did you install in the walls too?

Also, have you considered one of these for hotter days?

Ivation 10000 BTU Portable Air Conditioner – Compact Single-Hose AC Unit & Dehumidifier w/Remote Control, Digital LED Display & Multi-Mode Function - 400 Sq/Ft Coverage

https://www.amazon.com/Ivation-000-...d=1548902911&sr=8-3&keywords=portable+ac+unit

 

The panelling does nothing for temperature. It’s purpose was strictly for looks, light reflectivity and the ability to clean any greasy or dirty marks off the walls. Cleans up easily and as you can see from pictures it reflects light very well which allows for low power led lights to really come alive.

The roof insulation really helps. I did do not do the walls but if I did another build I would do them as well. The insulation has its benefits and drawbacks. Due to the small cavity between either the roof or walls and the outer skin you can have either air space or insulation. Optimally you want both as well as vents to move air in the air space similar to a house. The insulation helps to insulate the temperatures between outside and inside differentials but it can also hold heat or cold as well which can sometimes be less than ideal.

I have considered AC. I mean as in seriously considered to the point of shopping for pricing. In my research there are HUGE differences between different units / technologies. From my research you want a 2 hose system. Been a while so I don’t remember much of the details but the single hose systems are much less efficient as they use your now cool inside air to exhaust the coil to the outside. The two hose systems don’t. You would need to do some research on this to verify the accuracy of what I just said and maybe there have been more improvements in design to render my comments inaccurate compared to current units. IF you do AC then I would consider it a must to do insulation on ceiling and walls. On that case I would exhaust air through the floor and out.

Now I did add the roof fan and found some issues there due to lack of air exchange when all doors are closed. This took the window from a wish list to a nessecity. The fan moves more air than air leakage from the seams etc could supply. Even with the window full open it is bordering on restrictive. I have some side vents I am going to install. The typical d shaped ones are what I am using. I plan to mount these low on the walls to avoid / reduce sucking hot air in from the wall cavity on hot days. This will also help when trailering so I can leave the window closed but have the fan slightly open and drawing cold air through the trailer. It is surprising how hot it will get inside while trailering so you stop and open the doors and wham the heat hits you like a ton of bricks. That’s why I have my big 24” portable barn fan to quickly move lots of air and exchange air almost instantly. 5 minutes of this and you have equalized outside and inside temps. Once you dropped the initial temps the roof fan and window keep air flow which makes sleeping no issue for me. Stupid hot climates may dictate more consideration for an AC system. I am sure my side vents will help even more for nighttime sleeping as they will pull from the floor and the side window near my bed and everything being exhausted through the roof (or pushed in through the roof as my fan is reversible).



I know I gave you some intricate detail in this reply but seriously write down everything you want to accomplish before starting your build. The costs can get away from you quite quick so having a plan and a budget are mandatory so you can rein in things before you run out of money for other stuff that was more important to you. I didn’t plan on spending near as much as I did but I am also glad I blew the shit out of my budget on the items I did. The panels while expensive and a pain to install are worth it in terms of professional look, light relectivity and ease of cleaning. If on a strict budget / utilitarian build it would be the first to get axed. The fan moves such a serious amount of air. It was NEVER budgeted or planned for but I realized the insulation while good needed help and airflow makes all the difference. The window also was a nessecity with the fan. Even before the fan it can get stuffy so I would bungee cord the side man door open slightly to allow air flow but not have the door fling wide open in a breeze. Window is now on my nessecity list. On that theme you can’t ever have enough vents and air exchanging.

Hope this helps. My build while expensive is still a fraction of the cost of a commercially built toy hauler.

 

Thanks for the detailed reply. I'm currently living in the SE and in need of track time this year. Most tracks are a days drive away where as in the past I had multiple track within a few hours drive. I contemplated buying a toy hauler but figured I would try this route first.

The plastic panels look nice, but I think I will hold on that route for now. Top of my list is anchoring gear and climate control. This will get me out to the track for weekends at a time in comfort.

I Plan to insulate the roof, walls and rugs on the floor. I have a auto-deploy air mattress that I plan to use. It has its own platform packaged in so I don't sleep on the ground.

I believe this setup will get me through most of the season, but I fear some days may be hotter or colder than I would like. Therefore exploring supplemental cooling and heating are in order. I already have a 2000w quiet generator, but ideally I want to ad basic wiring for RV hookups.

Thank you for the heads up on the AC systems, I have not even considered getting that deep into researching them. I've only ever seen one of them at a restaurant and seemed to cool the place down pretty well. The other thing I want to consider is getting an AC that can double as a garage AC. Another research project.

I'll post up once I get my trailer. But for now the laundry list continues to grow.

You probably know this site but For anyone else reading, check out this forum on cargo trailer conversions. If you want a lightweight toy hauler or camper to pull with your Tacoma, this opens up allot of possibilities.

http://www.tnttt.com/viewforum.php?f=42

 

Seriously check out Pitbull’s trailer restraint system. It isn’t cheap but it is the only way to secure a bike these days. It is a lot easier on your springs because only the weight of the motorcycle is on the springs vs tying down the suspension to restrict movement.



https://www.pit-bull.com/honda-moto...1/trailer-restraint-rc51-all-years-f0075m-000

 

And no I didn’t know of tnttt.com. My inspiration has been Pinterest, my own ideas and a friends enclosed camper conversion.

 

Those pit bulls are amazing, but $300 each is not in the budget for this project at the moment. I would need 2 maybe 3 for my needs.

I have 2 sport bikes and a dirt bike I would like to haul.

 

There are some cool toyhauler builds in there worth checking out. Might find an idea for getting your moto stands off the ground.

 

I will chime in on the air conditioner portion. The reason the two tube is better is that the second tube draws outside air through the separated portion of the unit while single tube draws air from the room (any leaking seams or vents). This causes the single tube system to draw in outside heat.
Note: there is a brand that uses a single tube that actually has the intake tube inside the exhaust tube.
In the Airstream, I built in a Whynter ARC-14SH. They do require some time to get the room to temp if the room is hot, but work great to maintain temp if they are turned on before it gets hot.
I used an access panel to allow the vents to be covered while parked and sealed while driving. A modified shop vac wet filter (black plastic spongy filter) works great as an intake filter to keep leaves and bugs out.
It does require a drain as it sucks a lot of water out of the air.
A Yamaha 3k barely notices the AC turn on or run.


Edit: If you decide to get a "portable" ac, get one that has a heat pump built in. It is a nice feature.

 

Already have that sorted. Just didn’t make it into the pictures. In addition I have an aluminum platform I am working on that will be above the racebike for additional storage. Will hang off the e-track lumber connectors. There is a ton of wasted air space that can be utilized if you are creative and it doesn’t have to be a pain to install and remove at your destination.

As usual @windsor has done his homework and his execution is top notch. Thanks for chiming in on the differences of the single vs twin tube AC units. I knew the difference was substantial in operation which is why I backed off when I saw the pricing difference between the two. Either do it right or be underwhelmed when you really need it.

I find the fan is quite good at keeping air moving and even in August I was comfortable even when it was quite hot out. As of yet AC isn’t a nessecity but my new Honda 3000w was bought over the 2000 in case I make the AC upgrade later. When I am camping I am not expecting the Hilton (although my buddies think I do when they first saw my build in person). You have to find the best value when doing a build like these. My Serta pillow top mattress on clearance was one of those and a stellar upgrade from an air mattress. It was $50 more than a cheap foam futon style. Honestly a good bed makes hot, cold or any other uncomfortable conditions suddenly much more bearable.