RE: Photos Of Trailer Interior Layout, Please Post Yours Too!!
Shawn,
Awesome design! I like what you have done with the supports for the aircraft. It sounds a bit more logical than what I had planned which was just tall 2x4's with round angled pegs to insert 1 in ch diameter dowels as adjustable supports. What are you using in particular for this design?
UPDATE: They called in from the trailer maker and they have basically finished the main structure, axle installation, ouside painting, doors, external lights, etc. etc. I will visit them next week to have the jack with wheel installed, while they set up the plywood internal paneling. I am also waiting for my d-rings and planning and setting up the plane holding system.
The electrical stuff needed for "ease of use" is already here, and I am attaching a picture of my marine electrical hardware, clockwise from top left:
1. Xantrex 40 Amp 12V automatic charger and optimizer, with 110-220v input auto select.
2. Perko ON/OFF switch. I will use this between the batteries and charger and the Fuse BUS.
3. 2 8 LED + 2 16 LED dome lamps to illuminate the trailer well with minimal load, day or night.
4. 2 fuse buses for up to 14 circuits.
5. a Xantrex battery monitor to measure amp hours in or out, voltage, etc. Fully programmable. I don't want to b e guessing how much I will have in my batteries.
NOT PICTURED:
2 75 Amp hour 12V deep cycle batteries in parallel for a total 150 Amp hour battery bank. I wanted to use golf cart type, but they are a bit too expensive here. Once I set the trailer up with these two, I will be able to change them.
7 pairs of Banana Plug terminals from Peak Electronics. These will run off the fuse buses and I will directly plug my fast chargers into them.
2 12V car cigarrette receptacles for running impromptu inverters, other chargers, or gadgets
ABC Fire extinguisher
Basically I am running power to the fuse buses, then distributing to both sides and front of the trailer internally, well secured with plastic tubing to prevent chafing, between outer aluminum wall and plywood inner walls (which will be removeable). The ground will be the trailer frame.
Power from the batteries before the switch will also include two terminals at the rear that will let me use alligator clips for starters, and a 400W inverter for the inside front of the trailer to run my laptop or cell phone, camera, other toy chargers.
The 12v terminals at the rear will be covered properly, the inverter has an off switch, and the perko switch will enable me to kill power to the trailer immediately to avoid any short circuits and potential fires.
While I get the shore power attachments, I will run the Xantrex charger with a 20 foot cord through side door to charge 12V batteries. This charger allows me to charge the batteries while using a modest load (2 Amps for all 4 led dome lamps and one or two plane chargers with up to a 10 Amp consumption) I estimated that I can fully charge from empty the 12V battery bank while I also charge one or two planes in about 5-7 hours, and realistically, be able to fly the next day, charge each plane as I finish with it, and by the time I am done, the only remaining charge items will be the last two planes and the consumed Amps from the 12V bank.
It's looking good so far. Now I need to save up for some beasty planes deserving of the space with wheels I am creating!