M116A3 off-road camper build

Bmxer524 · **Posted:** Tue Nov 10, 2015 3:38 pm

Wow, you've made quite a bit of progress since I last stopped in here (I need to check this section out more). It looks great!

My family comes from a generation of roofers, and you're top looks good to me. I've done the shingles on my house and some commercial roof repairs with my dad and grandpa. The biggest thing they taught me is to think like water. You got the roof right, starting from the back and working your way forward like shingles will help stop water from penetrating when you're towing it.

The weirdest part is the front windshield. I don't remember how big you said the part by the windows is. The safest bet would be to continue it down the bend to the flat part of the front for extra protection from rain and spray when towing.

As for overlap, I believe shingles are 3-4", but it's been a long time. I'll talk to my dad when he gets home and see how much overlap they do with the metal and rubber they use for commercial roofs.

And I can't help with the metal bender. I was WAY too young when that stuff was around the houses. I haven't seen that at my house since my grandpa retired and closed his business in the mid-late 90s. Sorry...

PALiftedKK · **Posted:** Tue Nov 10, 2015 4:15 pm

lauren, today as you saw was a whole day of rain and overcast. highest voltage i saw today was 56v. check this out though:

remember what i pm'd you about winter sunlight. you'll have great voltage, but little amperage. and the picture above and below directly correlate with the winter lighting. thats why its better in the winter to have smaller wire to carry the voltage more efficiently then the gauge required.

the batteries are charging, but slower then 100 mili amps (0.1 A). which isn't even charging any battery.

what gauge did you hook up again?

Bmxer524 · **Posted:** Tue Nov 10, 2015 7:20 pm

Spoke to my dad. He said with regular sheets do about 3". Then he said when you caulk the seams use polyurethane. Silicone won't stick and will peel off.

lfhoward · **Posted:** Tue Nov 10, 2015 9:56 pm

Jimmy, thanks for the roofing tips. 3" overlap will work well, and I see the logic of extending that windshield panel down over the top of the lower front panel. The sealer I have, Sikaflex, is a polyurethane sealer. I only used silicone once on this trailer, until I realized the error of my ways. Since then everything has been urethane based.

Ryan, thanks for the update on winter solar charging. I am definitely interested in that. I used 14 gauge wiring, which is a happy medium for my panel and the distance to the charge controller. My panel is high volts and low amps like yours, but is not as beefy. I don't have a dedicated charge monitor yet. All of the stats I reported on voltage have come from my handheld multimeter. I would like to get a device I could install inside to keep tabs on the charge status, so I may purchase one like yours eventually. At this point, I put the panel up on the roof and plug it in on nice days when I am home and can keep an eye on it.

It's a bummer I've been so busy with work lately, and today I officially have a sinus infection and spent the afternoon at home on the couch. The trailer sits outside under its tarp, and I want to go work on it, but I can't. :banghead:

Patience, Grasshopper.

PALiftedKK · **Posted:** Wed Nov 11, 2015 8:35 pm

lfhoward wrote:

Ryan, thanks for the update on winter solar charging. I am definitely interested in that. I used 14 gauge wiring, which is a happy medium for my panel and the distance to the charge controller. My panel is high volts and low amps like yours, but is not as beefy. I don't have a dedicated charge monitor yet. All of the stats I reported on voltage have come from my handheld multimeter. I would like to get a device I could install inside to keep tabs on the charge status, so I may purchase one like yours eventually. At this point, I put the panel up on the roof and plug it in on nice days when I am home and can keep an eye on it.

I bought mine for 50 bucks... buy one now, their soo cheep now...

http://www.amazon.com/Remote-Meter-Display-Regulator-Meters/dp/B008KWPGLI/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1447288344&sr=8-5&keywords=tracer+meter

as a test of the panels efficiency, keep it plugged in and with a 12v fan hooked to it. maybe one rated close to 1 amp and run it for 7 days straight. record the battery voltages in between days.

PALiftedKK · **Posted:** Fri Jan 22, 2016 12:07 am

lfhoward wrote:

Well, I won a military surplus auction this morning, so I will officially be building an offroad camping trailer! :BANANA:

Here are the details:

M116A3 1-ton trailer chassis, running on 37's! In a former life, it transported a diesel generator for the Marines. This thing is about 750 lbs empty, and beefy! It would probably be somewhere in the neighborhood of 1200-1500 lbs once I'm done modding it. :twisted:

Well that's pretty heavy for an empty trailer! The trailer I'm looking at is double the weight... M1102, 11"3'. Yours would certainly be a gem to haul on and off road. Mine with all of the items I want in it will most likely be around 2500 lbs, so I really don't know how it will be off road.

How does yours tow?

lfhoward · **Posted:** Fri Jan 22, 2016 12:33 am

The M1102 is a bit larger but it will be a great platform to build on. Does it have sides or is it a flatbed?

Well, it turns out my trailer is more like 1000 lbs empty! (the 750# estimate was something I read online before I actually picked up the trailer but the official plate on the tongue says it's about 1000 empty and gross weight with cargo can go up to 3150). That's a beefy axle and frame. It will be closer to 2000# when it's fully built, probably. I'll weigh it at a truck stop when it's done.

It actually tows pretty well. It had the old style bias ply humvee 36's on it, which were never quite round. Since those tires vibrated the trailer at 55 mph, I swapped them out for 32's and conventional rims from a GMC pickup. Much smoother now. Since your M1102 is newer, it will come with radial 37's and you won't have the same issue.

The KK tows the trailer fine with overdrive locked out. Gas mileage was 14 on the highway before building on it, and now it's closer to 12 mpg because the new trailer body I built creates more wind resistance. I haven't taken it off road yet, but I imagine the trailer is tougher than my Jeep.

PALiftedKK · **Posted:** Fri Jan 22, 2016 2:37 pm

Yep. The m1102 im after has sides. Thats really the only platform that accepts my concept. The M116A2 technically can fit everything. I dont want to limit any rhing on this trailer. I will build it all to quality and not like my usual quick jobs like my jeep.

I saw one in texas just sold for around $600. Not bad reguarding how over built it is. Though im going to be cheep on the trailer, the more i spend on the trailer the less i have for the actual build. The M1102 is a great platform to build off of for any roof top tent.

lfhoward · **Posted:** Thu Feb 04, 2016 8:51 pm

I had a package delivered from Amazon containing a remote meter for my solar charge controller. Looking forward to plugging it in tomorrow.

PALiftedKK · **Posted:** Fri Feb 05, 2016 11:31 pm

PALiftedKK · **Posted:** Fri Feb 05, 2016 11:35 pm

The RJ-45 that it ships with is absolute chinese junk. I made my own cable but if you feel the need to have a shorter or longer cable you can use a computer ethernet cable. Same exact pin layouts.

lfhoward · **Posted:** Sat Feb 06, 2016 12:09 am

With the yellow facing and the square shape this meter could be a relative of Sponge Bob's....

Quick question. The setting where it shows the amps will only work if drawing current thru the Load port on the Tracer, right? I have my fuse panel and inverter direct wired to the battery because the amp draw is potentially higher than the Tracer load port can handle.

Another one. How does the Tracer know when the battery is full? I have it set to 240 amp hours, which should be about right for summer temperatures on my 3 battery system. It shows 12.6 volts but only 45% full. Shouldn't it read closer to 90 or 100% full at that voltage? (Solar panel was under a tarp for that test.) Is it due to the cold?

Thanks for the suggestion on the Ethernet cable. I haven't figured out where I want to mount the meter yet but if it is more than 2 m from the Tracer I'll need a longer cable.

PALiftedKK · **Posted:** Sat Feb 06, 2016 6:28 pm

lfhoward wrote:

With the yellow facing and the square shape this meter could be a relative of Sponge Bob's....

Quick question. The setting where it shows the amps will only work if drawing current thru the Load port on the Tracer, right? I have my fuse panel and inverter direct wired to the battery because the amp draw is potentially higher than the Tracer load port can handle.

Another one. How does the Tracer know when the battery is full? I have it set to 240 amp hours, which should be about right for summer temperatures on my 3 battery system. It shows 12.6 volts but only 45% full. Shouldn't it read closer to 90 or 100% full at that voltage? (Solar panel was under a tarp for that test.) Is it due to the cold?

Thanks for the suggestion on the Ethernet cable. I haven't figured out where I want to mount the meter yet but if it is more than 2 m from the Tracer I'll need a longer cable.

Well there's the two options, charging amps and load amps. Charging amps only displays when your charging. Load only works when you have a load directly connected with the controller. And there's a manual that ships with the charge controller that shows how it decides the batteries are full. Its fully voltage based and not capacity and temperature based. I think its something like 13.8 volts is full. So your battery capacity display is 100% incorrect. All you should really rely on is the battery voltage.

Also, if you'd like to mount it further away then the RJ-45 is, I could stop by one day to help out with the build and make you the cable.

Also, set the capacity about 10% to 15% higher then the total capacity of the batteries to allow for internal battery resistance and controller loss.

lfhoward · **Posted:** Mon Feb 08, 2016 9:29 pm

I had a chance to spend a few quality hours with the trailer today.

I got some more styrofoam insulation cut to shape and installed. I also installed one of the interior wall panels - an 8' X 1' long section of plywood that goes beneath the right side bench. I also found out that my 1000 watt pure sine wave inverter is a very good one, as it powered my router as I trimmed the top edge of that piece of plywood flush. That router draws some serious amps, so I was pleasantly surprised by the result!

In terms of the solar/battery setup...
Last night when there was no solar charging, the battery read about 12.4 volts and 45% capacity. When I uncovered the solar panel today, the voltage increased to 14.8 volts and went up to 100% state of charge within an hour. After I disconnected the solar panel later in the afternoon the battery status went back down to 55%. It was a very overcast day, so the charging amps only hovered between 1 and 2 amps all day. Looks like I got some juice from the sun, just not a ton with so many clouds. It also looks like if I want to know the actual battery status, I have to check the voltage at night or with the panel disconnected. When the panel is connected and charging, the voltage is higher.

PALiftedKK · **Posted:** Mon Feb 08, 2016 9:48 pm

lfhoward wrote:

I had a chance to spend a few quality hours with the trailer today.

I got some more styrofoam insulation cut to shape and installed. I also installed one of the interior wall panels - an 8' X 1' long section of plywood that goes beneath the right side bench. I also found out that my 1000 watt pure sine wave inverter is a very good one, as it powered my router as I trimmed the top edge of that piece of plywood flush. That router draws some serious amps, so I was pleasantly surprised by the result!

In terms of the solar/battery setup...
Last night when there was no solar charging, the battery read about 12.4 volts and 45% capacity. When I uncovered the solar panel today, the voltage increased to 14.8 volts and went up to 100% state of charge within an hour. After I disconnected the solar panel later in the afternoon the battery status went back down to 55%. It was a very overcast day, so the charging amps only hovered between 1 and 2 amps all day. Looks like I got some juice from the sun, just not a ton with so many clouds. It also looks like if I want to know the actual battery status, I have to check the voltage at night or with the panel disconnected. When the panel is connected and charging, the voltage is higher.

don't let the winter conditions dampen your hopes and or progress. this is really the worst time to make a judgement on the capabilities of your install. i have 6 batteries and more then an amp being drawn from then all the time. every morning they are dead though the batteries are all new. flooded lead acid batteries are just junk in the winter for sure.

lfhoward · **Posted:** Mon Feb 15, 2016 12:43 pm

I found a 20% off coupon for a well known auto parts store, and ended up purchasing a 30 inch aluminum ATV tool box. $110 including free shipping! I can't wait to install it on the trailer tongue and get the batteries out of the cabin!

Does anybody have any good solutions for mounting tongue boxes (I'm thinking rectangular U-bolts)?

Has anyone used flexible conduit for wiring between a tongue box and an enclosed trailer, so that both stay waterproof?

Cheers, and thank you,
Lauren

PALiftedKK · **Posted:** Mon Feb 15, 2016 3:59 pm

Rectangular u bolts would work. Tapping into the frame would be risky unless your frame is aluminum or weather sealed from the hole. And as far as the cable sheathing goes, go to an hvac store and ask if they have any junk AC power delivery lines. They are grey brand new and are supper durible with weather and heat. I forget the name of the wire but its for sure not an "SE" (service entry) rated wire. Id highly recomend that option as there is virtually. O wear and tare on the product its self!

Thats the wire im talking about.
https://www.google.com/search?biw=360&bih=291&noj=1&tbm=isch&sa=1&ei=sy7CVsKdGIStjgS1zqmADA&q=air+conditioner+breaker+box+wire+se&oq=air+conditioner+breaker+box+wire+se&gs_l=mobile-gws-serp.3...25429.26584.0.26966.3.3.0.0.0.0.286.606.0j2j1.3.0....0...1.1j4.64.mobile-gws-serp..0.1.196.V7ee6Ck1S-A#imgrc=f0DmAuGXktLrBM%3A

lfhoward · **Posted:** Sat Feb 20, 2016 10:51 pm

PALiftedKK wrote:

Rectangular u bolts would work. Tapping into the frame would be risky unless your frame is aluminum or weather sealed from the hole. And as far as the cable sheathing goes, go to an hvac store and ask if they have any junk AC power delivery lines. They are grey brand new and are supper durible with weather and heat. I forget the name of the wire but its for sure not an "SE" (service entry) rated wire. Id highly recomend that option as there is virtually. O wear and tare on the product its self!

Thats the wire im talking about.
https://www.google.com/search?biw=360&bih=291&noj=1&tbm=isch&sa=1&ei=sy7CVsKdGIStjgS1zqmADA&q=air+conditioner+breaker+box+wire+se&oq=air+conditioner+breaker+box+wire+se&gs_l=mobile-gws-serp.3...25429.26584.0.26966.3.3.0.0.0.0.286.606.0j2j1.3.0....0...1.1j4.64.mobile-gws-serp..0.1.196.V7ee6Ck1S-A#imgrc=f0DmAuGXktLrBM%3A

Thanks for the suggestions on the wire, Ryan. I will be checking that out. I have a 150 amp fuse between the battery bank and the 1000 watt inverter, so the wire would have to be rated high enough to handle that. Currently I am using 2 gauge starter cables.

lfhoward · **Posted:** Sat Feb 20, 2016 10:52 pm

I like weekends with beautiful weather! 60 degrees F today. Got me in a trailer building mood...

... So I came home from HD today with pretty much everything I need to fix up the interior. There will be Pacific knotty cedar planking on the walls. I am still working out whether I want the 3.5 inch wide tongue and groove cedar planks to be diagonal or vertical. There will be light birch plywood on the ceiling. And the side benches that convert into a queen size bed frame will be made of pine boards, but with oak bed slats to hold it up. The "dashboard" across the front will be made of select pine.

The workshop smells amazing with all that new wood in there. Makes me want to get back to woodworking! :hammer:

dieselenthusiast · **Posted:** Sun Feb 21, 2016 1:27 pm

I can't wait to start seeing pics!

M116A3 off-road camper build

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