Sleeping in a box trailer is not a luxurious experience, but there are things that can make life a bit more comfortable. One of the biggest problems was that the roof of the trailer was made from translucent glass fibre. This has several problems. In cold weather, the fibre glass is so thin that it does not retain heat and in the early hours of the morning it can get very chilly. At the opposite end of the scale, on a hot and sunny day the sun can enter through the roof and heat up the trailer like an oven and with no air vent in the ceiling, the heat cannot escape. Also, being translucent, the light can pass straight through it and during the summer it can get light at 5:00am and wake you up.
So I felt it was time to look at this problem. So I came up with a plan. I decided to try and buy a second hand skylight from a caravan, fit it in the roof and then insulate the roof. This would cure all three problems. I managed to find a skylight on Ebay and proceeded to cut a large hole in the glass fibre roof. It was then a case of getting some industrial roof insulation and cutting it to fit between the metal spars on the ceiling.
The next problem was to hold up the insulation. This was easily done using strips of aluminium, fastened to the metal spars. I now have a trailer that's warm when it's cold, cool when it's sunny and with the addition of a ceiling vent with a built in blackout blind.
If you look carefully at the finished picture, you can just see the finishing touch. An oscillating fan mounted on the ceiling for those hot summer nights.
The next addition to comfort was to look at the entertainment. Up until now, a small radio has been the only way of filling a night on my own. I decided that what I needed was a Television. So I purchased a 12V television and fixed it to the wall on a removable bracket. I then needed an aerial and a way of connecting the two.
I mounted the aerial on a telescopic pole from a disco lighting stand and clamped that to the gas bottle box on the front "A" frame. The pole is stored in one of the side hoppers for transport.
I then fitted an aerial connection box on the side of the trailer and an aerial signal booster under the sink inside the trailer. I can now watch TV to my hearts content when tucked up in the trailer.
As I said at the beginning of this blog "Sleeping in a box trailer is not a luxurious experience, but there are things that can make life a bit more comfortable". Well the next thing that has frustrated me, when camping in the trailer is keeping the milk cool on a hot summers day. I do like a cup of coffee and milk in my coffee is essential. However on a hot summers day a pint of milk will not even last for a full day and when I wake up in the morning it's gone off.
Once in was in my possession, it soon became apparent that there was no room for it inside the trailer. So I started looking at alternative locations for it and finally came up with the idea of putting it inside the awning (Gazebo).
The next obstacle was to get gas to it, and because it cannot be permanently installed, the gas feed has to be removable.
Running a copper gas pipe from the gas box, at the front of the trailer to the back, near the door was easy and so was fitting a "shut off" tap inside the gas box. But finding a connector that would allow me to connect and disconnect a rubber pipe from the fridge was not.
This was achieved by using weatherproof 13A socket box. I removed the electrics and made an aluminium mounting plate for the gas socket. I then mounted the box onto the side of the trailer.
Now I can transport the fridge in my car, then place it inside the awning. I then run the rubber pipe under the awning wall and plug it into the socket box.
On this picture you can just see it nestling against the back awning wall adjacent to the trailer door. Sorted, I now have cold milk and can keep food fresh for the duration of a rally.
You can contact me on hopcroftscoot@gmail.com
Copyright 12.01.20 all rights reserved.
My Other Blogs:
1961 BSA A10 Super Rocket Motorcycle:
http://60sclassicmotorbikes.blogspot.co.uk/2012/07/before.html
1961 Ariel Arrow Super Sport Motorcycle :
http://60sclassicmotorbikes.blogspot.co.uk/2014/01/1961-aerial-golden-arrow-restoration.html
Miniature Land Rover Defender:
http://miniaturelandrover.blogspot.co.uk/2016/02/1-miniature-land-rover-defender-idea.html?view=timeslide
1971 VW Karmann Ghia Convertible Car:
http://karmannghiarestoration.blogspot.co.uk/2017/03/1-karmann-ghia-retoration-project.htm
