I studied the wiring section of the Kuffel Creek plans, and worked out a course of action. As my framework was radically different from the plans, my wiring methods would be a little different, also. I had the luxury of a finished interior, so I could better visualize where things were going to be. I could also walk around outside the trailer, for pulling wire and making my connections.

All of my lighting was going to be LEDs, so current draw and heat were not going to be an issue. I was going to have an 80 watt solar panel on the roof, permanently mounted. I was going to have a good sized battery, but not yet sure if it would be in front of the trailer or inside it somewhere. The charge regulator/monitor for the solar system was going to be inside the cabin. We had decided to use a solid-state cooler for our refrigeration unit, and chose one by Koolatron®. These work by Peltier effect. What this means, in Gandy dancer terms, is that it is somewhat like a giant transistor. You run electricity through it in one direction, and it gets cold. You run electricity through it the other direction and it gets warm... maybe hot. This unit has several advantages for me. The only moving part is a small fan to move air around. The unit can operate in absolutely any position and does not need to be leveled. The price was very good - under $150 with shipping. It works on 12 volts DC and draws less than 5 amps. So it does not have a freezing compartment, so what?

I ran the wires across the roof, near one edge. Each wire had its own hole, so there would be minimal weakening of the rafters or spars in the roof. By the way, most of the strength in these members is along the upper and lower surfaces, for withstanding tensile and compressive stresses, so small holes drilled through the center will have very little effect. I also took several pictures of the wiring, so I'd have a better chance of not injuring a wire if I did any work on the trailer in the future. All splices were soldered and taped securely.

Any place inside the cabin where there was to be something attached to the paneling, I attached a piece of plywood inside the wall or ceiling. I secured the plywood in place with a liberal application of polyurethane glue, and a couple of toenailed brads to hold the wood until the glue set up.

I had a void space about 1 3/16" deep in the roof and the sides. I had an ample supply of pink styrofoam panels, and my trusty Japanese saw. I cut the insulation to fit snugly.. For the curved areas of the roof, I scored the insulation with two lengthwise cuts. The pieces would then flex easily to match the curve of the roof, yet stay in one piece. A couple of staples here and there would hold the insulation in place. I did a little carving on the edges of the insulation, where the wires passed through the framing, so the insulation would lay flat without undue stress on the wiring.

Where there was a piece of plywood glued to the paneling for an interior fixture, I cut and split a piece of insulation to fit over the plywood.

As an aside, one of the virtues of insulating the cabin is to help keep the interior surfaces warm, so that exhaled moisture will not condense on the walls at night, as would happen inside a tent. As the galley area is not occupied, humidity is not likely to be high, so condensation should not be an issue there.

A concern of mine was the wiring for the hatchback lid. The wiring had to flex and not get pinched by the lid when it was being shut. I decided the best I could do is have the holes at the edge of the roof framing line up as well as possible with the wiring in the upper edge of the hatch. As the lid goes up and down, the wires should slide freely back and forth in the framing. I'll just have to keep an eye on things and see what happens. All seems well so far, as I have already cycled the lid many times with no ill effects to the wiring.

please see plywood sides

first page the frame the floor the sides the roof the flooring the shell wiring and insulation sheet metal molding the hatch lid doors fenders light fixtures cabin cabinets solar panel tanks other stuff

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