Dan L wrote:
Instead of a ramp, how about a "Tommy Lift".
Dan
Instead of a ramp, how about a "Tommy Lift".
Dan
That would be nice for getting a disabled snowmobile into the garage pod (I was going to weld up a winch anchor point on the lower foward wall for just this instance, since snowmobiles do tend to break).
I am unsure if the weight and expense of a Tommy Lift would be worth it though. Ramp is just so simple and easy to make.
maraluke wrote:
This has been around longer than that eco coat as far as RVs. You might want to check it out. RVRoof.com
This has been around longer than that eco coat as far as RVs. You might want to check it out. RVRoof.com
Thanks, I will look into that. The local Rhino guy has mentioned that instead of Eco coat, a lot of people are going with the regular Rhino truck liner and a paint called Tuff Deck (or something like that). It is cheaper than the Eco-coat.
On another topic, we have hit a major slowdown on the build due to a problem with Sikaflex. Two of the bottles of Sika 210 Primer were gelled when I opened them ($50 a bottle!) and I had to get the company to send me a new batch even though these didn't expire until the end of may. This past weekend we opened one of the new bottles (Oct 2013 expiration) and it was fine, nice and liquid. We used it Saturday and Sunday but when we opened it up again Tuesday evening, it too had gelled.
At $50 a pop for a wee bottle, I am not going to be able to work on this part time during the week, because I would end up using 20 of these bottles if they gell like that. The Sika 205 cleaner (which I think is really just methanol) seems to have no issue storing after opening. The Sika 210 primer does make a world of difference on the adhesion of the Sikaflex 252 to aluminum and steel. Without the primer it is sticky and has a pretty good hold, but you can peel it off of the metal if you get a good start. With the 210 primer it is unpeelable by any means (have to cut/sand it off).
Had I known I would be spending $1500 just on glue for this build, I think I may have gone some other method.
This past week we finished up the belly (1/16" aluminum Sikaflex 252 glued to the steel base frame) and some of the walls. Progress still slow because of the fickle nature of the Sika 210 primer (once you open it you have about 20 to 30 hours to use it or $50 is down the drain).
One pic shows the siding pieces with cutouts for the jackstand quick-connect mount and the water heater hole. Another pic shows the finished belly, all nice and shiny aluminum...probably will coat that with something, but the Rhino guy says he can't get his equipment under a camper. The last pic shows us using every rare earth magnet to put the final piece on the back wall...magnets were the only way to clamp it in place while the Sikaflex 252 sets. Could have used about 10 more magnets so we could do other stuff while this one dried.
We are thinking now of going with spray in foam, done by a contractor, instead of cutting out the pink or blue stuff and fitting it in ourselves. I need to research this to find out what type to use and what to do about fire protection and smoke protection from the foam.
![[image]](http://i1051.photobucket.com/albums/s435/IGBT/sidingprogress.jpg)
![[image]](http://i1051.photobucket.com/albums/s435/IGBT/sidewallprogress.jpg)
![[image]](http://i1051.photobucket.com/albums/s435/IGBT/backwall.jpg)
![[image]](http://i1051.photobucket.com/albums/s435/IGBT/bellyfinish.jpg)
2012 Lance 825 on a 2008 Ford F-250 Diesel with Rancho 9000's, Fast Guns, Stableload Quick Disconnects for lowers and homemade Bumbers for the uppers, TokLift Tie Downs
Jfet wrote:
yes, we talked about that and it would be a good idea, except our snowmobiles are 10 feet long (the pod as drawn is 8' inside wall to inside wall and 10'8" foward wall to rear door). The snowmobiles would thus not fit crossways and you would have to somehow maneuver them 90 degrees after driving them in from the side.
I have racked my poor brain trying to figure out a way to make the garage pod work better when towing the boat, but I think the solution is we unhitch the boat when we need to get our toys. It sucks though, because what if you just need to get one motorcycle out so you can scout a questionable road...have to unhitch the boat, fold down the ramp door and drive out.
Could do a side door and the rear ramp door....more doors, more $$$, more welding. Perhaps RV'ing full time it just won't be that big of an issue to spend 2 min unhitching the sailboat.
Bedlam wrote:
Move the ramp to the curb side wall to allow you load and unload without unhitching the trailer
Move the ramp to the curb side wall to allow you load and unload without unhitching the trailer
yes, we talked about that and it would be a good idea, except our snowmobiles are 10 feet long (the pod as drawn is 8' inside wall to inside wall and 10'8" foward wall to rear door). The snowmobiles would thus not fit crossways and you would have to somehow maneuver them 90 degrees after driving them in from the side.
I have racked my poor brain trying to figure out a way to make the garage pod work better when towing the boat, but I think the solution is we unhitch the boat when we need to get our toys. It sucks though, because what if you just need to get one motorcycle out so you can scout a questionable road...have to unhitch the boat, fold down the ramp door and drive out.
Could do a side door and the rear ramp door....more doors, more $$$, more welding. Perhaps RV'ing full time it just won't be that big of an issue to spend 2 min unhitching the sailboat.
Nice project - Could you set up your hitch / boat trailer so you can jack knife the trailer to one side or the other out of the way and drop your ramp?
2009 Holiday Rambler 42' Scepter with ISL 400 Cummins
750 Watts Solar Morningstar MPPT 60 Controller
2014 Grand Cherokee Overland
Bob
I would consider a door within the ramp door for the motorcycle....but it would sure complicate things since the snowmobiles would have to drive over this door when on the ramp, and they are 600 pounds plus a 200 pound rider.
After countless tubes of Sikaflex 252, several bottles of 205 and 210 primer, we have finally put on the last 0.063 aluminum panel! We decided to go with polyisocyanurate 2" insulation (R13) instead of using spray. One reason is the TSX-8500 is exposure rated for houses, easing some of the fire concerns vs spray polyurethane (which is probably just fine when behind panels). The other nice thing is the rigid insulation comes with aluminum facers that act as a vapor barrier. We are taping the seams with aluminum tape too. In the picture we have started putting in the foam in the floor. The walls will also have 2 inches of foam even though the studs are 1x1. There will be 1 inch of foam over the studs to provide a thermal break to the interior.
Finally feeling like we are getting somewhere. I still need to cut out the openings in the sides for the windows and hatch panels, but they are framed and skinned.
![[image]](http://i1051.photobucket.com/albums/s435/IGBT/skinned.jpg)
![[image]](http://i1051.photobucket.com/albums/s435/IGBT/floorinsulation.jpg)
![[image]](http://i1051.photobucket.com/albums/s435/IGBT/loft.jpg)
Looking good.....hang in there, you'll get to the fun part sooner or later!
I've been a pretty big fan of the polyisocyanurate; I've used it for all the insulation projects I've done in the camper to date and that adds up to quite a few sheets already. Great you are doing the extra layer on the walls over the frame members. That should help a LOT with heat loss through them!