The lil Draggin's draggable live-in
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LowTech
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The other thing was that my soaps, sponges, scrubbies, etc. all ended up on the piece of wood that I was using a temporary shelf to hold the water pump under the sink. Of course when the sink got pulled out they became even harder to access, as well as having to get put somewhere to travel.
I'd been designing a place to put them that would eventually be part of the entirely closed up front under the counter. Figured it was time to throw together a prototype and see if I liked the way it worked.
I was trying to avoid having a place that would hold moisture and dirt but still keep things in place during travel.
I used a piece of birch ply offcut and some pierced metal sheet to make this up.
What looks like a bottom on it in the third photo is really the shelf under it.
After some paint and attaching the metal sheet I ended up w/ something that would hold the basic things that I needed at the sink.
It also moves out w/ the sink and keeps everything still in reach.
I'd been designing a place to put them that would eventually be part of the entirely closed up front under the counter. Figured it was time to throw together a prototype and see if I liked the way it worked.
I was trying to avoid having a place that would hold moisture and dirt but still keep things in place during travel.
I used a piece of birch ply offcut and some pierced metal sheet to make this up.
What looks like a bottom on it in the third photo is really the shelf under it.
After some paint and attaching the metal sheet I ended up w/ something that would hold the basic things that I needed at the sink.
It also moves out w/ the sink and keeps everything still in reach.
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Putts
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Wow. A pull-out sink. Whoda ever thunk it?
Out-of-the-box thinking; I love weirdos.
Out-of-the-box thinking; I love weirdos.
simply lesa
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Pink goo... Kombucha? Love the pull out shelf. Good job Wolf
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LowTech
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That's not in any of the pics, so I'm not sure what she is asking about. :-/simply lesa said:
www.DirtTrackTravelers.com
simply lesa
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Ok thought it was the gallon jug... no idea.
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LowTech
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Have some time online, so going to add some more little/current projects.
My never ending goal is to get everything off the floor, . . . well, and the bed . . . but the floor first. Of course for me that involves building in more storage, and to build that area I have to move out what's there, which means moving everything out of the thing that's there and into new places (which don't exist yet). It's like that slide around puzzle that only has one piece missing and they all need to get shuffled around until the picture is clear. Any way . . . part of that is making a place to keep my dishes.
This corner was were that was going to happen.
The metal piece that I mounted to the ceiling was originally the air conditioning/heater vent, only it covered the whole window (the unit would have been on a trailer and vented in through what is now my window). After doing some measuring I figured I could use it as the basis for such a space. I cut it off at the right distance from the top, painted it, and using the already existing mount holes it easily, and securely, mounted in place.
Now all I needed was a bottom for it.
I found this scrap of what seems to be redwood and sanded it down. I also took a piece that had been "edge trimming" (to give a board a straight edge) and cut it to use as dividers.
I drilled a series of holes along the bottom edge, cut the board to fit (it was an inch too long when I found it), and mounted the board in as the base.
Some, of the many things that need to move out of the field-desk, are now in their own space.
All that was left was to find my fishnet and cut some netting for the front of it.
My never ending goal is to get everything off the floor, . . . well, and the bed . . . but the floor first. Of course for me that involves building in more storage, and to build that area I have to move out what's there, which means moving everything out of the thing that's there and into new places (which don't exist yet). It's like that slide around puzzle that only has one piece missing and they all need to get shuffled around until the picture is clear. Any way . . . part of that is making a place to keep my dishes.
This corner was were that was going to happen.
The metal piece that I mounted to the ceiling was originally the air conditioning/heater vent, only it covered the whole window (the unit would have been on a trailer and vented in through what is now my window). After doing some measuring I figured I could use it as the basis for such a space. I cut it off at the right distance from the top, painted it, and using the already existing mount holes it easily, and securely, mounted in place.
Now all I needed was a bottom for it.
I found this scrap of what seems to be redwood and sanded it down. I also took a piece that had been "edge trimming" (to give a board a straight edge) and cut it to use as dividers.
I drilled a series of holes along the bottom edge, cut the board to fit (it was an inch too long when I found it), and mounted the board in as the base.
Some, of the many things that need to move out of the field-desk, are now in their own space.
All that was left was to find my fishnet and cut some netting for the front of it.
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LowTech
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LOL., TMG, you should know that if there is a screw not set in all the way, it's for a reason.
I had to spend a week moving the trailer between that point and when I could get my fishnet, so I quick screwed a board on the front to keep things in until I stopped. Being that I didn't want to make more holes in the wood if I didn't have to, I used holes that would end up being for the netting, I did have to use longer screws for the board so I backed the side ones out so that they didn't interfere and split out the limited wood in the corners.
I need to take a good pic of it w/ the netting and get that edited in to the post before it changes too much more.
I had to spend a week moving the trailer between that point and when I could get my fishnet, so I quick screwed a board on the front to keep things in until I stopped. Being that I didn't want to make more holes in the wood if I didn't have to, I used holes that would end up being for the netting, I did have to use longer screws for the board so I backed the side ones out so that they didn't interfere and split out the limited wood in the corners.
I need to take a good pic of it w/ the netting and get that edited in to the post before it changes too much more.
LowTech
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More of what I needed to move out of that space was food. And part of where that food needed to go was taken up by a 5 gal LP tank. The move to get the LP outside had been going on for well over a year. 
This was the solution,
This 19 gal underbody tank was going to get mounted on the trailer. I'd already cleaned, wirebrushed, and painted the tank. Now, . . . the problem that the "solution" creates is that it going to go inside the framing of the trailer, . . . Right, no one is going to crawl under there to fill it. They'll just look at me like I'm crazy. Which, . . . sometimes, . . . kinda happens anyhow.
The solution to the "solution" problem, was to build a remote fill. It would have to have the special fill port that they use and the 80% valve. It would also have to be built well enough that it would be able to withstand my form of travel, safe, and not even questioned at the refill stations. (that was a safety second moment)
I started w/ new brass at the tank and ran high pressure, stainless steel braid, propane lines for both the fill and the vent.
The line mounted nicely w/ coated pipe clamps (which I'm going to add a few more sets of now that I see how it sets).
The lines end at a box that's mounted on the side of the trailer. You can see the fill port and the vent on the end of the lines.
At this phase I was going to have to start fabricating a bit. Up until now it was just putting together parts.
The box was just an empty box. It needed a plate set back enough that the lid would close, holes for the lines to come through, etc.
This was the solution,
This 19 gal underbody tank was going to get mounted on the trailer. I'd already cleaned, wirebrushed, and painted the tank. Now, . . . the problem that the "solution" creates is that it going to go inside the framing of the trailer, . . . Right, no one is going to crawl under there to fill it. They'll just look at me like I'm crazy. Which, . . . sometimes, . . . kinda happens anyhow.
The solution to the "solution" problem, was to build a remote fill. It would have to have the special fill port that they use and the 80% valve. It would also have to be built well enough that it would be able to withstand my form of travel, safe, and not even questioned at the refill stations. (that was a safety second moment)
I started w/ new brass at the tank and ran high pressure, stainless steel braid, propane lines for both the fill and the vent.
The line mounted nicely w/ coated pipe clamps (which I'm going to add a few more sets of now that I see how it sets).
The lines end at a box that's mounted on the side of the trailer. You can see the fill port and the vent on the end of the lines.
At this phase I was going to have to start fabricating a bit. Up until now it was just putting together parts.
The box was just an empty box. It needed a plate set back enough that the lid would close, holes for the lines to come through, etc.
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LowTech
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A couple months back I saw a some aluminum plate pieces and grabbed a few for this project.
After cutting it to allow me a few extra inches, I marked and cut out the corners w/ a hacksaw. Then I clamped it to a piece of angle iron in a vice and hammered it over to make a fold. Once all side were done it looked like this.
I marked placement for the two fittings and drilled them out w/ a "step-bit", one of my favored tools. Then I did a test fit.
Think it's going to work.
Painted it and while it was drying I drilled out entrance holes for the SS lines. Then another test fit.
Of course it goes in farther than that, but then it would be really hard to get out. ;-]
Now I needed to add some more material between the fitting on the outside, and the fitting on the inside. One thickness of aluminum was not enough.
After cutting it to allow me a few extra inches, I marked and cut out the corners w/ a hacksaw. Then I clamped it to a piece of angle iron in a vice and hammered it over to make a fold. Once all side were done it looked like this.
I marked placement for the two fittings and drilled them out w/ a "step-bit", one of my favored tools.
Then I did a test fit. Think it's going to work.
Painted it and while it was drying I drilled out entrance holes for the SS lines. Then another test fit.
Of course it goes in farther than that, but then it would be really hard to get out. ;-]
Now I needed to add some more material between the fitting on the outside, and the fitting on the inside. One thickness of aluminum was not enough.
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LowTech
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While I was working on this I figured I would make a small mudflap out of another piece of that aluminum. That box was newly painted and shiny just one run ago.
I put a fold in it and planned to have it share two of the bolts that held the box in place.
Here you can see the SS lines coming in through the bottom of the box.
For the extra material between the fittings I used some of the off-cuts and basically made my own washers. The plan was to be able to stack a few of them and when the fittings get tightened together they will also be tight in the plate. It would also make the fitting more rigid in the plate by going through a few thicknesses. The fill fitting I backed w/ larger pieces. I knew that they were going to attach a weighty brass nozzle to it when filling.
The corner cut-outs made good pieces for the vent fitting.
Knowing that the fittings were going to have to tighten together enough to seal @ 200+ psi I couldn't have too many or it would hold the fittings apart. Like most of this the real work was measuring. Measure . . . measure . . . measure.
W/ those made up I turned to the mudflap.
I radiused the corners (because there is nothing like a pointy metal corner to make your day suck!) and painted it to match.
I put a fold in it and planned to have it share two of the bolts that held the box in place.
Here you can see the SS lines coming in through the bottom of the box.
For the extra material between the fittings I used some of the off-cuts and basically made my own washers. The plan was to be able to stack a few of them and when the fittings get tightened together they will also be tight in the plate. It would also make the fitting more rigid in the plate by going through a few thicknesses. The fill fitting I backed w/ larger pieces. I knew that they were going to attach a weighty brass nozzle to it when filling.
The corner cut-outs made good pieces for the vent fitting.
Knowing that the fittings were going to have to tighten together enough to seal @ 200+ psi I couldn't have too many or it would hold the fittings apart. Like most of this the real work was measuring. Measure . . . measure . . . measure.
W/ those made up I turned to the mudflap.
I radiused the corners (because there is nothing like a pointy metal corner to make your day suck!) and painted it to match.
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LowTech
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Now it looks like this,
The plate is mounted by drilling into the folded sides and running short machine screws up from the bottom and in from the side.
The next part would be running a line from the tank to the shelter.
The shelter is removable from the trailer, . . . the propane tank is on the trailer, not the shelter. So I need to be able to "uncouple" the line that goes between.
Under the window over the stove is another opening that is the same size, only now behind the stove. The next phase would be to turn that into my panel for coupling the LP, city water, shore power, and maybe an outside hose bib.
The plate is mounted by drilling into the folded sides and running short machine screws up from the bottom and in from the side.
The next part would be running a line from the tank to the shelter.
The shelter is removable from the trailer, . . . the propane tank is on the trailer, not the shelter. So I need to be able to "uncouple" the line that goes between.
Under the window over the stove is another opening that is the same size, only now behind the stove. The next phase would be to turn that into my panel for coupling the LP, city water, shore power, and maybe an outside hose bib.
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highdesertranger
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nice work buddy. repurposing material at it's best. highdesertranger
When I started reading that last update I was wondering how you'd make it pass at a fill station. I even get resistance with my weirdo van at some fill stations. But what you fabricated looks totally legit. I bet the average fill station employee would just assume the tank is inside that box and not even realize you've relocated the fill port and 80% valves.
