Rocket Hauling Trailer

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As for using LEDs for lighting, i would mention my dad's experience. They stayed in their travel trailer for four months last summer. His previous home on wheels he had switched to use florescent. He it in retrofit LEDs and noticed an immediate improvement in radiant heat in his trailer.

Kirk
 
Picked up the generator 2200w continuous/2500w peak(Harbor freight for $600 including a 3 year warranty), and the LED lighting from Lowes. Shelving is installed. Decided not to mount the table to the wall so I can use it for a lunch table as well.
Decided to go with 120v all around for a couple reasons.
1. To address loading the trailer at night, it would be in my driveway with access to a 120v outlet in the garage so no problem with light for loading at night.
2. Lots less expensive than buying the battery system, etc.
3. The generator I bought explicitly says in the instructions to not use the 12v output at the same time as the 120v, so its either charge the batteries or have light and heat/cooling.
I have a heavy 10/3 x 50ft extension cord I am cutting the receptacle end off of and terminating it in a wall box/outlet, then running that to a wall switch for the lights.
The shelving I picked up worked out perfectly, its 3ft wide and the walls of the V-nose are 3ft. So I mounted it to the left side of the V.
Of course as I continue to work on it and add things I will change things for sure, so nothing is final yet, and Im sure over time I will move and adjust things. But for now it will get me to LDRS and back!
 
I'm really jealous Dave,,,
I've wanted a trailer for a long time..
I have no place to store it at home...

Use it in good health man....

And do me a favor,,
After you become a bit comfortable with it and used to living with all that space
one time while you're loading it or working with it I want you to think to yourself,,,,
Man,,, Teddy would really love this.................lol...

Teddy
 
No one has mentioned it yet but you are going to be surprised how much more gas the tow vehicle will use. I have a trailer about the same size as yours, also with a v nose and pull it with a 2013 Ford Explorer now and a 2007 Ford Explorer previously, both with 4 liter V6's. 2013 gets 25+ MPH without trailer. 12.5 with trailer. 2007 got 22+ MPH without trailer and 11 with. (Canadian Gallons). I have decided not to take mine to LDRS 34 due to the fuel costs. 3600 miles = 288 gallons of fuel, 345 American gallons. I guess with those numbers I can make due with the back of my SUV and a sun shade! Around these parts our bigger launches are a 5 hour drive and the fuel costs aren't high enough for me to leave the trailer home.

Greg
 
Teddy, yes I am very lucky, I have space at my parents to store it. You'll have to stop over at LDRS, we'll be having steak, hamburgers, sausages etc throughout the weekend!

Greg, My tow vehicle is a 2007 Trailblazer SS. 6.0L V8,(425hp, 400lb/ft torque) 19mpg without, 15mpg with trailer. I should be able to make it to Potter only stopping once for Fuel (19 Gal US tank)
Lucky me, its only a little over 300 miles from my house.

Oh, I also got the Fire extinguisher mounted just inside the door on the left, and picked up a nice First Aid kit.
 
Nice trailer! And, just in case you haven't thought of it yet, a spare tire/wheel, and, make sure you have a jack and lug wrench that will fit it also.

David
 
Nice trailer! And, just in case you haven't thought of it yet, a spare tire/wheel, and, make sure you have a jack and lug wrench that will fit it also.

David

Dave,
Yep got the spare, picking it up this week, havent decided if I am going to mount it inside or up front, they make a mount for it.
 
Here's what I got done this weekend. Thanks go out to G-Dog and wfcook for the help and sarcasm in getting the ceiling up!

ImageUploadedByRocketry Forum1433757096.195636.jpg

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ImageUploadedByRocketry Forum1433757128.984622.jpg

ImageUploadedByRocketry Forum1433757153.417878.jpg
And finished for the most part:
ImageUploadedByRocketry Forum1433757186.288092.jpg
I did the floor and ramp with Rustoleum 10x deck paint, this stuff is like liquid grout! Goes on super thick but at only $25 gal. it dries like spray on bed-liner.

All that's left is to get the generator and work table secured, then finish getting mounts/cradle built for the rest of the rockets.
 
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Looking very good!

Just one question, if you drop the gate, can you grab the fire extinguisher from the outside? Would you have to go into the trailer with the fire to get the extinguisher? Might want to consider mounting it low. That way it would be easily reachable from outside and below any smoke or flames that might roll out when the gate gets dropped. Then again, if a fire was big enough to be that kind of issue, you might be better off just throwing the extinguisher at it and run. :grin: (advice from a EHS guy I knew once)
 
That's lookin fantastic Dave...
I'm really jealous......lol...

Teddy
 
Looking very good!

Just one question, if you drop the gate, can you grab the fire extinguisher from the outside? Would you have to go into the trailer with the fire to get the extinguisher? Might want to consider mounting it low.

I tried not to mount too much too low towards the rear by the gate so as not to be in the way of loading and unloading, the extinguisher is not so much for the trailer if it catches fire but for general use if needed (say for the generator, or burning propellant raining down etc)
 
Another bit of advice Dave, your trailer appears the same as mine and rated at 3500 lbs. if so make sure everything is really secured well as the use as a rocket hauler doesn't load the trailer enough to really make use of it's suspension. The results are that the trailer ride is extremely rough on the trailer contents. When I use mine, the things packed in the trailer such as totes, chairs, sun shelter, launch pad base are moved around and in a mess. My tool box is tied down but a few drawers are usually open.

Greg
 
Greg, Very good advice and observation, I am in the process of tying down or devising ways to tie down everything! I've made one 1hr trip to the club launch field with it, making that trip again this saturday and will see how everything looks, then its the 5hr trip to LDRS in a couple weeks. Should have all the bugs/kinks worked out by then (I Hope!)
 
Here's what I got done this weekend. Thanks go out to G-Dog and wfcook for the help and sarcasm in getting the ceiling up!

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And finished for the most part:
View attachment 265018
I did the floor and ramp with Rustoleum 10x deck paint, this stuff is like liquid grout! Goes on super thick but at only $25 gal. it dries like spray on bed-liner.

All that's left is to get the generator and work table secured, then finish getting mounts/cradle built for the rest of the rockets.

I got a question, does the flourescent fixture have a bulb protector tube on it? If not they are cheap insurance in the event that bulb gets broken most of the glass will stay inside the protector.
 
I got a question, does the flourescent fixture have a bulb protector tube on it? If not they are cheap insurance in the event that bulb gets broken most of the glass will stay inside the protector.

Its actually an LED fixture with a plastic cover.
 
ImageUploadedByRocketry Forum1434632918.132111.jpg

Perfect size grill for field-gating!
Only $39.99 at Bass Pro
 
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