A Trailer for Our Next Chapter - Part IV: Starting to build up the old fashioned way

After living in a 5th wheel for the past 11 years, we have come to admire "traditional tech" products that can take a beating. For this build, we've purposely avoided all of the technology that can control everything from a tablet or phone. We prefer manual switches that rarely fail and are easily replaced if they do. We want independent monitors and controls mounted in convenient locations rather than bluetooth this, that, and everything else. If any one mechanical or electrical component fails, it must not impact any other system and it must, again, be easy to fix or replace.

In keeping with this philosophy, we chose to skip the high tech composite wall options and opt for old fashioned aluminum welded walls. Heavier yes, but also strong, durable, time tested, and easily loaded up with insulation capacity.

Here is a mock up test lamination of the walls. We're using Crane Composites Noble Select exterior FRP panels (their thickest, premium option) that are fused onto a composite substrate. Everything is wood-free and the color is mixed into the fiberglass rather than being painted on. There will be high density foam between the aluminum studs as well as on the outside and inside of each stud to minimize thermal bridging. The interior will be Azdel (no lauan wood substrate). The walls will be more than 3 1/2 inches thick. They are old school, but should be very effective at keeping us warm in the winter and cool in the summer. Having just five reasonably sized double pane windows should also help with our insulation values. 

Cabinets are starting to spring up from the floor. 

It's not for everyone, but we prefer the wood tones over the multiple shades of white many new trailers are going with.

The under-bed rough in of three hundred pounds of lithium batteries offering 1,104 amp hours of power. Directly on the other side of that bulkhead is the passthrough basement where the inverter will be wall mounted. Having the inverter as close to the batteries as possible is the goal. Another goal has been to make sure there's absolutely no plumbing anywhere near the solar components. Water from broken/damaged/leaking plumbing and solar components is a bad mix.   

We never get tired of photos of the CruiseMaster ATX suspension and its components. Here's the control panel getting ready for it's new home.