Upgrades and Downgrades

So if the trailer has everything we wanted, why are we upgrading immediately after buying it? Or, in the case of the bed, downgrading?

That’s a fair question, and the answer is … well … because we might not have a campground sometimes (and yes, I know we will be glamping, not camping). The trailer, as currently configured, is entirely compatible with full-time living, provided there is a 30 or 50 amp connection to plug in to. But I would like to have the option to choose to stop in the middle of nowhere and hang around for 2-3 days, with no place to plug in to. “Off the grid” as the saying goes. Also known as “boondocking“, or “dry camping.” That means we need to have better batteries than the lead-acid types we have now, and the ability to monitor their charge status. We can boondock now, just not for very long, and we don’t have much information about the charge status and how much longer we could go without a recharge.

Also, the trailer came with a king size bed, which takes up valuable living space and makes the bedroom feel a little cramped. Space is definitely a premium when living in a tiny house. The trailer’s living space is about 300 square feet, so every square foot is valuable. Our plan is to downsize the king mattress to a queen, which means trimming the king metal frame down to match the new mattress. Which means I get to play with my angle grinder and diamond cutting disks! This will have to be done while inside the trailer because the frame is too big to get out the door.

So the plan is to replace the two heavy lead acid batteries with two lighter lithium batteries while also upgrading the converter/charger to a type that will fully support the new lithium batteries. Also coming, a Battery Monitor System that will keep us informed via Bluetooth of the status of the battery charge. Depending on how our first try at boondocking goes, we may also end up getting an inverter so that the 12V DC from the batteries can be used to run the microwave and TV.