A new Showhauler was conceived on 5/20/03!

[geof]

As far as refrigs are concerned I am using a small "WOODS" 5.5 cu.ft. unite whch uses 3.5 amps at 120 vts AC the unite is foam filled and a top opener so cold does not pour out everytime it's opened....quiet and cheap $149 at Home Depot......Electric heaters (2) are Arvin 220vt AC or 120 vt AC 2000 or 4000 watts at $59 at Sears..has a thermostat so they cycle and are on the floor so they have convection...I have a 220 vt electric HWH on a 25 amp circuit that heats <20 gals in an hour-that's enough for a shower....I use 120 vt AC florscent lites and LCD nite lites....a $59 Microwave and a 6000 cfm reversable window fan $193 form Grainger. Haven't found anything else I need....yet....I have a 12,500 watt Onan Diesel Generator Oldphoneman put me onto last spring...so juice is no problem...I have foam reinsulated to an "R" 15 overall with the stock 13,500 btu A/C unite...might get to a wndow unite for nite time we will see....geof

[Gary Atsma]

12,500 watts!?!? No power shortages in YOUR RV are there? Sounds like you've set yourself up well, with good name-brand products, at prices nobody would sneeze at. All electric, with a nice-size Diesel genset to run it all. When camping, what would you say the duty cycle of the genset would be, and about what would you say the fuel usage is(if you know)?

[geof]

Gary....I'm usually not in the trailer that much. I 'm a camper/boater/hiker type and I try to go out for meals as much as possible-'cuz my cooking skills suck. I need electricity in the evenings and at nite and first thing in the AM....but most of the time nothing is on requiring juice. I do use a shore line whenever possible. Refrig/freezer only requires a few hours at the most. A/C and fan will cool almost immediatly and of course heat is instant. At the most HWH runs for a hour in the morning and evening. I have the potential to run evrything at one time and also power a house at 100 Amps continously....but I have never done it.....The generator uses > 2 gallons of fuel a day. Compared to my airboat[50 gallons a day] and/or bass boat[24+gallons] depending on usage. The trailer requirement is nothing. What I've done is use household appliances with the most efficient electrical rating for use on shore power and spent the money on a generator if I even need it....and energy efficient insulation products. So I use very little energy when and if I use any at all......geof

[Gary Atsma]

Geof-
Man, as the English would say, your setup is QUITE the business! I don't know how much fuel you carry, but 2 gal/day is chickenfeed, enabling you to camp out wherever you desire for as reasonably long as you desire. My "dream rig" is a 2-axle ex-roadburner with camper body on back; sort of a heavy-duty Class C as it were. What sort of deal did you get on the Onan diesel genset? I hear they are about the best. Get back when you can.
PS- What type of trailer do you have? 5er?

[geof]

Gary: I have a 1977 27' Airstream which I was painting inside today...it's a strip out because of the Black Mold thing and not being opened in two+ years...pretty bad when I got it. Generator is a 12.500 diesel Onan form Rocky Mountain Cummins through Southwestern Supply...it was on our truck dock for $6000 as I recall. It is mounted on my roll-off wrecker which I use for towing currently. I have two 50 gallon tanks on the wrecker. I also have a 100 gallon tank for fuel if I need it-but have never used it. This is my first try at the camping lifestyle so I'm going into it easy and cheap. At the IRV2.com rally in Nashville is when I will decide to get a Showhauler or build a larger tag trailer with a 610 Volvo....we will see how this thing camping goes...geof

[Patrick]

Warpath: Why the bedroom slide? Do you prefer an east/west bed? My fears of a bedroom slide are that with the slide in (say at a rest stop) it would be unuasable. Another fear is I've heard folks complain that slides are not insulated as well as the rest of the coach and your head (if in the slide) gets cold at night.

[geof]

I've been working on a heat loss/gain calculation for a trailer for about a week now to figure what size of a heating unite and cooling unite to use...GOD forbid if I had to figure that one...OY!..you'd have to figure all that crack-extended and retracted and add in the factor for glass and insulation plus the change in cubic feet and of course the wind factor....I have a feeling that is why some trailers are over heated[btu's] and under cooled[lack of btu's]...kinda of a best guess judgement....geof

[geof]

As I think about heating and cooling issues, I recall that a hearse manufacture here near Cincinnati, used to use radiator heated hot antifreeze/water mixture to circulate through a 2nd heater in the rear of the the coach to heat the back end of the rig.....it was also used to heat the rear of special limos that they made....another guy told me about a hot water heater that had a s/s coil in it that was heated by the radiator fluid so you had hot water when got to your destination...any comments?...geof

[Jack Mayer]

Patrick,

I wouldn't worry too much about your head getting cold in a properly insulated slide. On our 5er there is no problem, and we have been down in the teens at night. Having the slide gives you so much more space and flexibility. You can use the bed just fine when it is in - someone just has to climb across!

Jack Mayer
F550 Centurion Conversion
36' Newmar Kountry Star

[geof]

I think the issue here is: can it be done consistantly-at a confortable level and at a reasonable price? I can heat anything with enough Btu's at a high cost....but when the coach furnace is running constantly at maximun output of say 30,000 you aren't heating economically-reasomably or probably evenly. I heat my home with 35,000 btu's and the furnace cycles on and off. Heat is one issue. A/C is the real issue that most face....It's electric-which is the most expensive source but, 100% efficient for heating but not cooling-stratification is another issue-solar gain/humidity is excessive in the south and west of USA....these issues have to be dealt with by radiant/thermal barrier/insulation of some type instead of massive ammount's of Btu's. I know of mold and mildew issues and air exchange isssues also that have been brought up by owners....example is the toxic fume issue....which bothers some to the extent of rash and breathing probs....geof

[geof]

Another issue:...How about a wood burning stove for a coach?..any ideas?....something maybe stainless and able to be closed up tight when traveling to eliminate problem of ashes flying around-with an outside air intake-and a chimmmney that can be closed up also....something small with maybe 12-15,000 btu's and a blower attachment for forced air movement...geof

[OLDphoneman]

Geof --

Here's another idea for you to research -- an oil heater. I have 2 - Toyo heaters .. one in each shop -- Here's their link:

http://www.toyostove.com

I use Kerosene in an above ground bulk tank. If I remember right -- Diesel can be used.

I LOVE my Toyo heaters !! !! !!

Just a thought as I read your posts .. ..

OLDphoneman

[geof]

Thanks for the heads up OLDphoneman I'll look into those asap. Right now I use electric heaters in trailer b/c they are only $59 each. With electric, CO is not issue-though I know of people who use kero-suns in the winter for space heating-I don't. I have a superinsulated home-so venting of heat buildup is sometimes necessary but, any kind of fume or CO isn't...As I get older safety isssues become more important.....thanks again, geof

[Patrick]

<hijacking thread back>

Well, I don't have any good news or pics yet...this is very frustrating. Rumor has is my truck is painted but Showhauler doesn't have a working e-mail to send pics. The original delay of a week because of their moving into a new building has been extended by another week and it was somehow forgotten they shut down production for a week for July 4th so that makes 3 weeks delayed.

[Warpath]

Patrick -

I know you must be champing at the bit to get your rig, but if I can give any advise, try to enjoy the build process as best as you can. Don't get me wrong I am as excited as all get out to have my rig, but the time spent prior to recieving the rig was really exciting. My build ran into X-mas & New Years so I know how frustrating is was to here that things would be moved out a bit.

Hang in there.

Bill

2003 28' Show Hauler Motorhome on a 1995 FL 120 www.showhauler.com

[geof]

Patrick:...Showhauler must me working on your truck now!....I was by there last night and It isn't outside or in Showtimes fenced cage....so It must be inside....it was late in the evening and there was nobody around. I drove around back and the only thing out was dumpsters...compaired to other campanies in the area Showhauler/Showtime/Kibbi are the cleanest-most organized companies.... I visited Kibbi/Renegade Jayco Pace Innovator U.S.Cargo and two other trailer makers.....I'd say that a plant tour is in order If you are having a conversion unite built or a trailer made....It was an eye opening tour as they quickly made up my mind as to what I want and who I want to build it for me.....I was going to the IRV2.com rally but business took me the opposite way-towards Chicago- this week and 'course when we arrived the problem had already been solved....OH WELL!...so I drove to Elkart and took a look around. I can not stress the value of plant tours and watching your's/other's trailer/motorhome/converions being built as well as watching other models and the techniques of their construction.....'specially if you know anything at all about construction in general....I really don't want to express any reservations about some companies on this list-but LOOK at their construction before you purchase..."sticks and staples is putting it mildly"....I could see why there are much complaining/warranty issues about structure-materials-construction issues. "Buyer Beware".....'course I have taken the Airstream plant tour also and have NOT plunked down $53,784.04 for a new one of those.....geof<keeping his old Airstream for the time being>

[Warpath]

Who Who Who!!!

Geof who are you going with?

While I was in Nashville I picked up a digital wireless internet connection so I will be able to keep intouch on the road from here on out.

I will start a new thread on my Nashville trip.

Bill

2003 28' Show Hauler Motorhome on a 1995 FL 120 www.showhauler.com

[geof]

Warpath...Showhauler-kibbi/Renegade are N/A as Conversions unites as Pace-Jayco-Innovator are N/A for trailers....Now I'm looking at Classic-worse comes to worse I'll go with USCargo and do a refit/rebuild/remanufacture......I can't stress the value of several factory tours...there is an all aluminum trailer made called Featherlite-that is top of the line and about twice as expensive as any other trailer. I saw one at a retailers but haven't talked to the factory....yet!...Have also noticed that if you show up at the factory they will bend the rules for a cash deal-[ask for sales manager]- and run it through a "friendly" dealer for you.....seems that CASH is still King in Elkhart Indiana.......Things are slow there currently and some are talking about a lot of unites sitting on dealer lots as well as their own....If you are shopping now is the time to head for Elkhart with some cash......geof....still on the trail of a somewhat custom trailer and a Volvo.....OY!

[Patrick]

<hi-jacking thread back>

I got pics of the chassis stretch and new paint.

Check out the photo gallery!!

[Warpath]

Wahoo!! Patrick you have to be excited!

It looks great, can't wait to see it with the box on it. Are you leaving that second axle in that position ??

Bill

2003 28' Show Hauler Motorhome on a 1995 FL 120 www.showhauler.com