Showing posts with label camping. Show all posts
Showing posts with label camping. Show all posts
Tuesday, July 23, 2013
More Power for Tilly
Long term plans for Tilly have always included the ability to recharge our computers and other devices and perhaps run a small appliance or two. To this end, we bought a basic power inverter along with some heavy duty cables to to hook it to the battery. Installation was accomplished last month in anticipation of a camping trip starting this weekend. No pictures as it was simply attaching yet another box under the counter. Now we wait for solar panels to go on sale....
Monday, June 27, 2011
Electrifying Tilley (2)
What follows involves a little temporal jumping around and I hope to add some more photos later.
The push was on this weekend past to get the electrics in Tilley finished up for an impending camping trip. As detailed in previous posts, when we first got her, Tilley's electrics were in a state with 12v AC and 12v DC trailer circuits, 12v DC running lights and even a 110vAC circuit all going into a single un-fused connector box with a terminal block pop riveted to its lid. That has all changed with the running lights on their own panel, the 12v DC trailer circuits on their own fused panel connected to the deep cycle battery and the 110 v AC on hold until further notice.
Locating the battery box was a bit of an interesting exercise. I have seen many Bolers with tongue mounted batteries and others with batteries located in the front stowage area. I was not too keen on this as we already have a 30lb propane cylinder up front so I was reluctant to add more weight there. Under the sink would have been ideal as there is good ventilation there and I had hoped room for the battery where the Frankenstein's monster of an AC transformer was located. Sadly there wasn't quite enough room for a 27 series battery box and as it turns out, the last thing you want to do is put a wet cell battery near where sparks might be generated by the electrics. In the end, I put it in the rear left storage compartment. with flex cable running to the electrical panel. The weight is more or less over the axle and is about the same as the weight of the original water tank so handling should not be affected. Now the rear side storage bins are pretty much sealed which raises the problem of ventilation. I was reluctant to cut more louvre holes in the trailer. so I went looking for other solutions.
I didn't really find anything helpful in the travel trailer sites so I did some thinking about other types of vehicle that needed ventilation. Boats! I thought - tight enclosed spaces with lots of nasty fumes to get rid of. Now where to find boat stuff? Years ago, my father took a good chunk of a lifetime to build a motor sailor out of white oak and marine plywood. In doing so, he spent a lot of money at a local boat supply company. With little hope it was still in business, I went on line and found it still was.
The Chandlery. is the Naughty French Postcard of my Boler modding world. While I had been doing most of my shopping at the automotive supply store, this store sells the same things in greater variety and sometimes at less than 1/3 the cost. One does have to be to careful stay away from some of the much more expensive marine grade equipment like salt water rated electrics, but then there are treasures like this:
A purpose designed vent in chrome plated brass - for $12. One small hole, a fitting, some hose and a little epoxy putty later and the battery box now has its own built in venting system to the outside world.
The main job on the books for this weekend past was to get the lights wired up. Again as mentioned in previous posts, the wiring to the pantry side especially was interesting. with wires changing colours and gauge as they went from fuse panel to fixture. I did a quick total of what was already on the circuit, rounded that up to 10 amps and did the standard double for safety. The 18 gauge wire that wasn't buried was barely rated for the job. Knowing that I will want to add canopy lights, a 12v socket and other goodies in the future, the existing wire had to go. Blue Seas systems has a handy little tool to calculate wiring requirements based on load, wire length, operating temperature and other factors. Based on paranoia and the assumption I might want to put some heavy loads on the awning side of Tilley - maybe a sound system or something similar, I bumped up the maximum possible load to 30 amps (or only about 3 hours of use before the battery goes completely flat!) and came up with 12 gauge wire. So that is what went in. There are many advantages to getting a professional to do the work, like the trailer socket described earlier, but one of the advantages in doing it yourself is that you can up the specification without worrying about profit margins.
Of course, no desire to do the right thing goes unpunished so to actually replace the wiring required removing the two rear seats. This almost put me off until I discovered the woefully inadequate piece of 20 gauge wire that made up part of the previous magical colour changing wiring system. Another joyful discovery was that to make the wire bins fit in the pantry, they had been cut with a hacksaw or more properly hacked with a cut saw. Getting the one bin in and out to re-wire and install the terminal block was a bit of work and involved a little coarse language. A longer term solution will be required. The last job remaining before our trip is to hook up one more light - some epoxy putty to affix the cable run for this is setting up as I write.
Future projects will be the solar panel, an inverter and a battery isolator so I can charge Tilley's battery from the car. Then there are those solar powered ventilation fans from the Chandlery, and the 25 LED mast head light that would make a nifty TARDIS like homing beacon for Tilley and....
Till next time.
The push was on this weekend past to get the electrics in Tilley finished up for an impending camping trip. As detailed in previous posts, when we first got her, Tilley's electrics were in a state with 12v AC and 12v DC trailer circuits, 12v DC running lights and even a 110vAC circuit all going into a single un-fused connector box with a terminal block pop riveted to its lid. That has all changed with the running lights on their own panel, the 12v DC trailer circuits on their own fused panel connected to the deep cycle battery and the 110 v AC on hold until further notice.
Locating the battery box was a bit of an interesting exercise. I have seen many Bolers with tongue mounted batteries and others with batteries located in the front stowage area. I was not too keen on this as we already have a 30lb propane cylinder up front so I was reluctant to add more weight there. Under the sink would have been ideal as there is good ventilation there and I had hoped room for the battery where the Frankenstein's monster of an AC transformer was located. Sadly there wasn't quite enough room for a 27 series battery box and as it turns out, the last thing you want to do is put a wet cell battery near where sparks might be generated by the electrics. In the end, I put it in the rear left storage compartment. with flex cable running to the electrical panel. The weight is more or less over the axle and is about the same as the weight of the original water tank so handling should not be affected. Now the rear side storage bins are pretty much sealed which raises the problem of ventilation. I was reluctant to cut more louvre holes in the trailer. so I went looking for other solutions.
I didn't really find anything helpful in the travel trailer sites so I did some thinking about other types of vehicle that needed ventilation. Boats! I thought - tight enclosed spaces with lots of nasty fumes to get rid of. Now where to find boat stuff? Years ago, my father took a good chunk of a lifetime to build a motor sailor out of white oak and marine plywood. In doing so, he spent a lot of money at a local boat supply company. With little hope it was still in business, I went on line and found it still was.
The Chandlery. is the Naughty French Postcard of my Boler modding world. While I had been doing most of my shopping at the automotive supply store, this store sells the same things in greater variety and sometimes at less than 1/3 the cost. One does have to be to careful stay away from some of the much more expensive marine grade equipment like salt water rated electrics, but then there are treasures like this:
A purpose designed vent in chrome plated brass - for $12. One small hole, a fitting, some hose and a little epoxy putty later and the battery box now has its own built in venting system to the outside world.
The main job on the books for this weekend past was to get the lights wired up. Again as mentioned in previous posts, the wiring to the pantry side especially was interesting. with wires changing colours and gauge as they went from fuse panel to fixture. I did a quick total of what was already on the circuit, rounded that up to 10 amps and did the standard double for safety. The 18 gauge wire that wasn't buried was barely rated for the job. Knowing that I will want to add canopy lights, a 12v socket and other goodies in the future, the existing wire had to go. Blue Seas systems has a handy little tool to calculate wiring requirements based on load, wire length, operating temperature and other factors. Based on paranoia and the assumption I might want to put some heavy loads on the awning side of Tilley - maybe a sound system or something similar, I bumped up the maximum possible load to 30 amps (or only about 3 hours of use before the battery goes completely flat!) and came up with 12 gauge wire. So that is what went in. There are many advantages to getting a professional to do the work, like the trailer socket described earlier, but one of the advantages in doing it yourself is that you can up the specification without worrying about profit margins.
Of course, no desire to do the right thing goes unpunished so to actually replace the wiring required removing the two rear seats. This almost put me off until I discovered the woefully inadequate piece of 20 gauge wire that made up part of the previous magical colour changing wiring system. Another joyful discovery was that to make the wire bins fit in the pantry, they had been cut with a hacksaw or more properly hacked with a cut saw. Getting the one bin in and out to re-wire and install the terminal block was a bit of work and involved a little coarse language. A longer term solution will be required. The last job remaining before our trip is to hook up one more light - some epoxy putty to affix the cable run for this is setting up as I write.
Future projects will be the solar panel, an inverter and a battery isolator so I can charge Tilley's battery from the car. Then there are those solar powered ventilation fans from the Chandlery, and the 25 LED mast head light that would make a nifty TARDIS like homing beacon for Tilley and....
Till next time.
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
Intermission
Pat has started working on Tilley's electrics. He even took some nice photos to share with everyone. Then I asked him to clear off the card....of course forgetting about the photos. Sorry! So until he can retrieve them so we can show you what he's been up to, I would like to share with you a couple of Canadian sites dedicated to the Boler:
The first is Bolerama The site is dedicated to the preservation of Boler trailers. It was established in 1999 by Linda Vanderwiel in Saskatoon. There is a great history page. It has an interview with the father of the Boler, Ray Olecko. It also provides a forum, a page of rallies across Canada, photos, tips and even manuals!
Another site is Boler Life Here you can find how to's and information to restore and repair your Boler with lots of before and after photos. You can even buy Boler decals.
There are also two Facebook Groups for Boler lovers : The Boler (US based) and I own a Boler (Canada based)
Some of the restoration work people have done really shows the love owners have for their Bolers.
Check out the beautiful exterior work on this Boler owned by Mark Bergen.
There are a lot of people who like to restore their Boler to match their fabulous antique car!
(photo and owned by Beverly Wayne Armstrong)
Cheers to all you Boler fans out there!
The first is Bolerama The site is dedicated to the preservation of Boler trailers. It was established in 1999 by Linda Vanderwiel in Saskatoon. There is a great history page. It has an interview with the father of the Boler, Ray Olecko. It also provides a forum, a page of rallies across Canada, photos, tips and even manuals!
Another site is Boler Life Here you can find how to's and information to restore and repair your Boler with lots of before and after photos. You can even buy Boler decals.
There are also two Facebook Groups for Boler lovers : The Boler (US based) and I own a Boler (Canada based)
Some of the restoration work people have done really shows the love owners have for their Bolers.
Check out the beautiful exterior work on this Boler owned by Mark Bergen.
Cheers to all you Boler fans out there!
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
Have Tilley Will Travel
Last week we finally had time to take Tilley on a long journey for an entire week. We took her to our friends' campground, Raven's Knoll. It was great to finally take a break from fixing and decorating and actually live in her. One word to describe the experience - Sumptuous!
Evening photo of our set up. We decided, as it is quite hot in our area right now, to not cook inside but to cook outdoors on our three burner stove. Notice the kettle on top ready for tea.
On the inside we were ready for comfort. Every person who came by wanted to see her insides and we proudly showed her off. Many people were talking of looking for a Tilley of their own after visiting ours.
Here is our eating area during the day, notice the lovely pillows on the benches, you'll see them again soon. The books on the table will hopefully one day be set on a self above the window behind them.
In the evening, the same space is transformed into our incredibly decadent sleeping area. The pillows you see in the first photo are feather and the covers come off. Just add bamboo pillow cases and Voila! they do double duty.
You can see the cushions that go from bench to bed, but on top is a feather mattress. On top of that is the softest, warmest blanket we have ever owned. The pillows, covers, mattress and blanket all come from a little shop called Quiltsetc
On the inside we were ready for comfort. Every person who came by wanted to see her insides and we proudly showed her off. Many people were talking of looking for a Tilley of their own after visiting ours.
In the evening, the same space is transformed into our incredibly decadent sleeping area. The pillows you see in the first photo are feather and the covers come off. Just add bamboo pillow cases and Voila! they do double duty.
You can see the cushions that go from bench to bed, but on top is a feather mattress. On top of that is the softest, warmest blanket we have ever owned. The pillows, covers, mattress and blanket all come from a little shop called Quiltsetc
Best sleep we have ever had camping...ever!
Sunday, June 6, 2010
Odds & Ends
In just one week since having Tilley home we have been very busy.
Last weekend we took her out for her first sleepover. We have friends with land and they invited everyone for a weekend there. It's currently quite rough camping, but they were kind enough to hack out some flat land for us to park Tilley near the entrance...and so we did.
It was wonderful spending time with our friends in the great outdoors, and even better sleeping inside Tilley on our new feather mattress. It was wonderful!
This weekend Pat and I (but mostly Pat) added a few odds and ends to Tilley. First off, to add some extra comfort for future trips, I used some recycled stuffing, some second hand and dollar store purchases and a little sewing and voila...
Decorative and comfortable pillows. I will be adding a few more as the right materials come together. As the look we are going for is gentlemen's club,steampunk, posh, cozy....how's that for descriptive...you can rest assured that there will be no frills or lace involved.
Pat used his birthday money (gift card from Lee Valley) to purchase a number of bits and decoration pieces. One such piece we have dubbed moustachio. One of the finest looking of all time....
It is cherry wood. This is before staining.
And after staining....
....and in its destined place of honour.
I have saved the best for last. Pat bought some very important pieces that are lovely and practical as well.
First a puzzle....
Why would anyone put a hole in the center of a cupboard door???
Pat working hard on his secret project....
Teaser of instrument in cupboard door....and finally....
The cupboard doors with instruments installed. There is a hygrometer, a clock and a barometer. All very practical when in the great outdoors. Every explorer should have them.
There is more to come, but still in the planning stages. There is work to do on the electrics and also the propane cooker. As well, our refrigerator may not actually work so we will need to decide on whether to fix it, replace it, or use it to store our clothes.
....Until next time.
Last weekend we took her out for her first sleepover. We have friends with land and they invited everyone for a weekend there. It's currently quite rough camping, but they were kind enough to hack out some flat land for us to park Tilley near the entrance...and so we did.
This weekend Pat and I (but mostly Pat) added a few odds and ends to Tilley. First off, to add some extra comfort for future trips, I used some recycled stuffing, some second hand and dollar store purchases and a little sewing and voila...
Decorative and comfortable pillows. I will be adding a few more as the right materials come together. As the look we are going for is gentlemen's club,steampunk, posh, cozy....how's that for descriptive...you can rest assured that there will be no frills or lace involved.
Pat used his birthday money (gift card from Lee Valley) to purchase a number of bits and decoration pieces. One such piece we have dubbed moustachio. One of the finest looking of all time....
....and in its destined place of honour.
I have saved the best for last. Pat bought some very important pieces that are lovely and practical as well.
First a puzzle....
There is more to come, but still in the planning stages. There is work to do on the electrics and also the propane cooker. As well, our refrigerator may not actually work so we will need to decide on whether to fix it, replace it, or use it to store our clothes.
....Until next time.
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