The new money pit... 2010 Forest River Take-it-EZ mini toy hauler

[cmcolfax]

I think I may have found the source of my water leak in the nose.

There's this (TV?) antenna front center above the galley hatch.

View attachment 143997

Well I climbed up where I could see the base of the antenna and found this.

View attachment 143998

Sealant (caulk?) around the base of the antenna is torn/missing, and it looks like the base is a little loose too. That would match with what I was seeing. The wide round antenna is somewhat going to block the rain from hitting it when sitting stationary, and what water is running off the roof there is still likely to channel around it. When driving down the road, the wind is going to blow water right into that gap. Looks like remove, clean, and reseal that gap will probably take care of that leak.

Next up I need to pull the window unit AC. It works, seems to do pretty good job of cooling, though I need to test it on a truly hot day. If you are familiar with window units, you know that they create condensation. Georgia summers are hot and can be very humid. That means running the AC a lot and a lot of condensation. There's no drain for said condensation, so if it creates enough it's going to overflow the bottom of the housing, out case louvers, right into the floor. Need to figure out adding a drain into the case and through the floor of the compartment. Possibly also some better vent fans for that compartment. Currently just two 120mm computer case fans. Not a great design for the AC, but looks better than a window unit through the wall. Eventually with modifications I will make a catch pan for this area as well, that way if it does overflow the case, it's not damaging the floor. No pictures of that right, but will get some when I start on it.

When you repair or replace that use Dicor self-leveling sealant.
Don't use "regular" caulk.
Find any places where your roof or other horizontal surfaces have openings, scrape back as much of the existing sealant as you can. Clean. The. Reseal with Dicor.

 

[cmcolfax]

Dude. Are we related? Where in Georgia are you? I thought you were in VA. That trailer was likely built to fit in that guy's garage, hence the butchered torsion axle. I honestly think you could, and should, do it better. Hard foam insulation. LED lighting. Alumacorr wall panels over birch ply. Redesigned passthrough kitchen with common drain. It could be nice.

Oh, and a heat gun and some patience, or eight 3M sticker removal wheels would give you a blank slate. That thing lifted on A/T's with a sage green paint job and black mountain pattern along the side would be epic. That TV antenna spot? Starlink.

Oh, and it's aluminum box frame, so rooftop basket and maybe even a rooftop tent, too.

likely built to fit in that guy's garage, hence the butchered torsion axle

Or hack job lowered to make getting his bike into it, especially if he has a heavy or low clearance type like a Road King etc

 

[cmcolfax]

I dealt with water leaks / intrusion / damage in two different campers , a pop-up and a 30' bunkhouse travel trailer.

They are all built like shit with the lowest quality materials you can imagine.

This one looks like it was built like an enclosed cargo trailer. And that is a GOOD thing.

Even if you have to rip the whole floor out, it will be on aluminum farming.
New plywood new vynil done.

Same for the walls. Easy AF to add some 2*2 or 2*4 horizontal "braces" between the aluminum studs to create "mounting points" for heavier things, hard foamboard insulation then luan skin. Light and cheap.

Expanding spray foam will be your friend.

The AC where it is is actually a pretty good idea.

Most window units should have a fitting for a drain line.

They make kits to increase airflow behind RV refrigerators that are designed to vent out thru the side of the camper. One of them would probably work well to add negative pressure ventilation to the front storage compartment. All you would have to add (if it's not there already) would be a passive vent / entry point for airflow. A basic residential forced air register with the vents facing down would work. Or a dryer vent installed in reverse (so the flaps open inward when the fans are on and creating that negative pressure).

The shower pan under the sink/galley is a great idea. You could do it even cheaper by using the ones that people place underneath washing machines.

For the sleeping area it would be very easy to make a "side folding" Murphy bed attached to the side wall of the box. It could be up and out of the way when you had the ramp/tailgate down, then dropped down when you close up for the night.

What does it have for power? Is it standard 30amp RV?
Lithium Ion batteries and solar are cool ideas but not NECESSARY.

I would definitely add a standard RV roof vent fan with a cover.

Can't tell much about the axle, but if it were me, since I can't weld...
I'd cut the whole feckin' thing off, buy a complete bolt-awn 3500# utility trailer axle kit and be done with it.

 

[Li'l Work Truck]

Warner Robins area. That is exactly what this trailer model is designed for. Low and narrow to fit through a standard garage door, tongue removable for depth.

All stuff I'm considering. Wading through the upgrade ideas, but not much I'm going to go all in on getting done. Mostly things that would either reduce weight or increase efficiency. LEDs will happen, more energy efficient and/or better light output. Everything else, mostly as I'm working in the areas or on the systems.

Other changes/upgrades I'm considering:

• Timbren axle-less suspension, better ground clearance and shock absorption. Got to buy an axle anyway, it's not much more.
• Taller tires, possibly AT type, see how the axle goes.
• Convection microwave/air fryer combo
• Water heater
• Outdoor shower attachments
• Lithium battery or battery bank, lighter weight and/or more capacity
• Smaller water tank. I'll mostly use camp water hookup, or carry more in truck bed if needed.
• Roof rack for kayak, solar panels, etc.
• Backup lights and maybe camera if I can figure out connecting to truck.
• Fishplate rear wall after welding cracks.
• Possibly rear spoiler to shield rain on top of ramp and provide attach point for lights and tarp.
• Soft wall for ramp door, have ramp down as deck, and soft wall to keep bugs out.
• Screen for front door.

I'll probably just reseal the antenna, or remove it and install a plate. Not likely to buy into starlink. Either I'm not going to be off grid enough to need it (cellular hotspot), or I'm off grid enough to not want it.

Definitely think the cosmetics can be improved. Removing the old decals, buff the gel coat, and wax will go a long way. Replace some of the exterior plastics that are deteriorated, yellowed and cracking will do a lot. I'd like to investigate nicer trim to replace the cheap stuff used when they installed the new roof. Not sure that I want to paint, that may be a little more permanent that I want.

Have been floating the idea of a wrap once I have the physical & mechanical issues squared away. Something like these. Like the white for being cooler, and will match with any tow vehicle. That grey looks good too, especially with the splash of color. They also have teal and white as accent colors for the grey, but I'm partial to the orange. I considered mountains, but I think I like the trees and topo better.

Excellent design ideas. The orange tree portion is quite eye-catching, which is frankly great on a trailer in modern traffic... Plus, the sharp angles on the trailer will work really well with the rounded topo.

 

[Li'l Work Truck]

I would love to do some sort of gray topo wrap on our Apache.

She is wanting to keep it in a Native American theme so I doubt that will happen though. The anodized aluminum body is kind of splotchy after 60+ years and it bothers me...

Native American theme and topo absolutely work together, if the topo is a specific region where a particular tribe lived...

It tells a story.

 

[RobbieD]

I like the topo wrap, too.

The orange / gray looks better, but the white / black should be a little cooler, as far as absorbing solar radiation. Maybe wouldn't be too bad though, with keeping a white roof.

 

[JoshT]

When you repair or replace that use Dicor self-leveling sealant.
Don't use "regular" caulk.
Find any places where your roof or other horizontal surfaces have openings, scrape back as much of the existing sealant as you can. Clean. The. Reseal with Dicor.

Yeah, like 75% certain that I've found the main leak sources in front. Theres that gap around the antenna base. Then down in the galley there is a drain for water any water that gets into there. Pulled the stove out to get a look at how gas is plumbed, and saw a bit of wet around the underside of that drain.




There are actually no other seams on horizontal surfaces to leak. A one piece rubber roof was installed a few years ago, it's still in good shape and there are no penetrations through it.

likely built to fit in that guy's garage, hence the butchered torsion axle

Or hack job lowered to make getting his bike into it, especially if he has a heavy or low clearance type like a Road King etc

It is possible that he wanted it lower for loading his bikes. He does have some classic, low, and long machines. Personally I would have installed taller bumpers on the ramp to decrease the angle, and used a ramp extension like a lot of the cargo trailers come with now. Better angle for loading without sacrificing height, easier transition onto the ramp, and the extension flap would protect the top edge of the ramp.

Even if lowering some was intentional, I don't think that getting it this low was. As I stated previously I have the order sheet for the axle. I'm pretty sure he didn't fully understand what options he was checking when he ordered, or the axle was built wrong. I know that at least one of the specs (bracket height) on the manufactured axle does not match what he ordered. In a way he got lucky that the order got messed up as it did because the taller brackets offset the lost height from the incorrect arm angle. I doubt that he ever knew. Most likely the installer received it, made it work, and called him for pickup.

Note the bracket and the location of the spindle in this picture. That is the tall bracket option, It's about three inches tall. On the order form the PO selected the low bracket which would place the top of the bracket right at the top of the axle tube. The PO also selected the 0° start angle, that should place the spindle level with the axle centerline when fully loaded. This spindle is almost three inches too high, and I don't think that the axle has gotten worn out in the last three years, at least not if its a 3500lb like it's supposed to be.



Realistically, I think that the original axle probably should have been made with 10° or 25° degree down angle, not sure about the bracket. He may have ordered the 0° hoping for a little drop. He the 10° or 25° up start angle with a big drop.

Really being harsher that I should on the install. Considering what they were working with, the install is actually solid. Doesn't change the fact that the wrong parts were installed. If I keep the dexter style axle I'll probably keep the rectangle tube they used for liftand weld sidemount plates to it for bolting the axle in. Get a custom axle with 45° down start angle which will give a decent lift (hopefully). Instead of the high bracket, I'll add the dexter lift kit if needed. IMO, going that route gives more options for future adjustment with the dexter axles.



I'm really liking that Timbren Axle-less setup though and it's only a few hundred more than ordering a new custom Dexter. With that setup, it should be a simple spindle swap to change ride height down the road.

 

[JoshT]

I dealt with water leaks / intrusion / damage in two different campers , a pop-up and a 30' bunkhouse travel trailer.

They are all built like shit with the lowest quality materials you can imagine.

This one looks like it was built like an enclosed cargo trailer. And that is a GOOD thing.

Even if you have to rip the whole floor out, it will be on aluminum farming.
New plywood new vynil done.

Steel framing. The chassis frame is steel, wall frames are aluminum. Hopefully that won't be necessary, but feel much better knowing that it's got metal structure so I don't have to worry about that being rotten. If I do have to replace whole floor, it'll be getting bedliner again like it does now for wear and water resistance properties. I'll have some rugs to roll out over it for walking on.

Same for the walls. Easy AF to add some 2*2 or 2*4 horizontal "braces" between the aluminum studs to create "mounting points" for heavier things, hard foamboard insulation then luan skin. Light and cheap.]

That might happen eventually. I'm thinking that I would like to move the spare tire from the front since it kind of interferes with the galley there. Maybe the inside, maybe the outside over a fender. If I lift it, maybe enough space for it underneath inside the frame rails. I do have idea for hanging a table on the wall, but I think that the existing studs will hold that fine, and it would be partially supported by its own legs. Aside from relocating the spare, I can't think of many heavy things I'd want to mount on the walls. Time and usage will determine how long that lasts.

Expanding spray foam will be your friend.

Only if interior walls come out, and even that'll be iffy. Don't see too many places I'd particularly want to use it for sealing.

The AC where it is is actually a pretty good idea.


Most window units should have a fitting for a drain line.

They make kits to increase airflow behind RV refrigerators that are designed to vent out thru the side of the camper. One of them would probably work well to add negative pressure ventilation to the front storage compartment. All you would have to add (if it's not there already) would be a passive vent / entry point for airflow. A basic residential forced air register with the vents facing down would work. Or a dryer vent installed in reverse (so the flaps open inward when the fans are on and creating that negative pressure).

I'm sure it's got a place to add a drain line, but there isn't one there now. I'll pull it one of these days and investigate, might even go ahead and upgrade it. Considering GA weather and how much I like the AC for sleeping, I wouldn't mind having a slightly overpowered unit.

These pics show the AC cabinet better than I can describe. Those fans open out into the space below the trailer. I do need to flip them on and check which direction they are blowing. Outside vented access. Inside the door and the "vent fans". Around the far side of the unit, just to see what was around there.



I'm not above creating more ventilation and adding more fans there. Just not sure on the best way to accomplish it.

The shower pan under the sink/galley is a great idea. You could do it even cheaper by using the ones that people place underneath washing machines.

Yeah, I was just saying something like a shower pan. Any sort of drip pan will work if it will fit. I'm not afraid of making one custom for the area. Biggest slowdown to making one is I don't currently weld, and I'd rather weld the corners than rivet and seal. I do have access to a welder, and don't mind buying an aluminum spool gun. Also have a few contacts that may be able to handle that part.

There's also the issue of getting a large enough pan into that area. Turns out that the galley is not a separate panel like I thought. That whole angled front portion is one big fiberglass panel with the hatch mounted to it. If I want to remove the galley for access, the whole panel has to come out. Other way to go would be removing the interior wall in the front. Not looking forward to doing that either. Fortunately if I fix those two potential leak points, I don;t think I'll need to worry about it for quite a while.

For the sleeping area it would be very easy to make a "side folding" Murphy bed attached to the side wall of the box. It could be up and out of the way when you had the ramp/tailgate down, then dropped down when you close up for the night.

That is a consideration. For now, at least the first several outings, it'll probably just be a cot.

What does it have for power? Is it standard 30amp RV?

Lithium Ion batteries and solar are cool ideas but not NECESSARY.

RV 30 amp. Adapter to run off standard 15 amp 110 outlet. 12v battery, allegedly new, but I haven't checked size or date yet. Standard 15 amp 110v is enough to run AC or microwave, likely not both. Several 110 outlets around, not sure if I could run anything on them with the AC running when on 15amp, probably need to test it with a fan. Everything else is 12v.

Completely unnecessary. Lithium is lighter weight for same energy density. They are better about being deeply drained. They have stead output over discharge cycle. They have a longer lifespan. When I need to replace the lead acid battery, it makes sense to replace with a lithium.

No a bettery bank and solar are not necessary. It would be nice if I could possibly run the microwave off of battery power, and have solar for recharge. No running a generator and disturbing the peace. Granted it would only work out during the cooler months when AC wasn't needed. It also isn't worth trading a lot of cargo capacity to gain solar power or battery bank. Much carry a quiet inverter generator in the bed of the truck than give up the cargo capacity.

I would definitely add a standard RV roof vent fan with a cover.

Not going to happen. At least not for the forseable future. The roof is allegedly only a few years old and has no penetrations to leak. I'm not about to create any. If I ever have to pull the ceiling or roof and find bracing for a roof mount, I might consider it. Until then, not happening.

That said, I'm not above replacing the escape window with a vented window. Given the size of this thing there isn't too much worry about not being able to get out of the door. There's not going to be any one in it while traveling to worry about rollovers.

Can't tell much about the axle, but if it were me, since I can't weld...
I'd cut the whole feckin' thing off, buy a complete bolt-awn 3500# utility trailer axle kit and be done with it.

Can't weld yet, but have welder and supplies.

You'd be hard pressed to find an axle on the shelf with the proper spacing for this trailer. I've got the specs ofr the ordered axle, and just the spring spacing makes it a custom order. I'm not certain if the hub spacing is correct, or will be correct for lasrger tires.

Keep going back to timbren axle-less. In adition to the shock absorption proprties, the measurements arent as critical. There really aren't any measurement other than locating them. Basically aligh new spindle locatyion with old spindle location, ensure square, drill holes and bolt units to frame. Wheel mounting surface is automatically located. Since there isn't a strong crossmember on this frame where they will mount, run a square tube between the sides, it bolts in. Locate and mount fenders to clear tires, going to have to do that anyway.