Posted 2009-04-27 1:07 PM (#104030) Subject: LQ Remodeling HELP
New User
Posts: 2
Location: Morral, Ohio
So, I bought this elderly trailer that has 'LQ' space but NO components. So I am to make this little space home sweet home for me and my kids (9&4mo) when we are at shows! The wiring is done (professionaly I'm not that daring!) but I need to insulate and cover the walls, put in some kind floor covering (outdoor carpet maybe?) and make a bed/storage space for my sons friends/stuff ect. I need help, are there books, websites ect ect that can guide me in the right direction? Thats me trying to run a drill!
Even though you've had the wiring done already, still wouldn't hurt to read "hosspuller's" article on electricity... http://www.mrtrailer.com/hosspuller.htm
Our friend "GARD", has started a series on an Exiss LQ..
Posted 2009-04-27 6:08 PM (#104039 - in reply to #104030) Subject: RE: LQ Remodeling HELP
Extreme Veteran
Posts: 317 Location: Barnesville, Ga.
I don't know much about remodeling; we haved owned 2 LQ trailersand we travel with my 9-yr old twin daughters.
You most important thing to remeber: 1. Storage 2. More storage
Our current LQ has bunk beds and we love them, but you may not have the room for this. The jack-knife sofas are great because they can fold out into an easy bed and I have cabinets over my sofa for the kids stuff. A good microwave is a must for cooking kids favorites. I deleted the oven when ordering our last trailer since I rarely used it in the first trailer. I have a cook-top with a counter extension pull-out underneath. It's a great space for fixing food. I would try looking at as many floorplans and sample pictures as I could. When I was trailer shopping I would go to the manufacturers websites to look at actual floorplans with measurements to compare them with the space you are trying to work in. Also try looking at conversion companies. Most have sample pictures of their work and can give you lots of ideas. Most of the folks on the forum can tell you where to look for cabinet and RV components once you decide what you are looking for.
Lastly, I would forego the outdoor carpeting and use linoleum. The only place we have carpet is the steps going up to our bed in the nose. Carpet may be softer for the baby, but linoleum is much easy to clean and will look betters longer. Small rugs are cheap and easy to replace. Carpeting is not. Showers are great if you have the room in the trailer. Kids have a way of getting dirty and having a place to clean them up is well worth the money. Good luck with your project. Look at lots of pictures and remeber you can't have too much storage!!
Posted 2009-06-12 12:57 PM (#106368 - in reply to #104030) Subject: RE: LQ Remodeling HELP
Member
Posts: 8
Location: Salem, SD
We built bunk beds for our kids (ages 2 and 5) and staggered the bunks - we put the head of the bottom bunk up against the front gooseneck and the foot of the top bunk against the slant wall so that you can sit up in both beds without hitting your head. We ordered semi trailer sleeper mattresses becuase they are narrower to give us more room. The bottom bunk is about 20" off the floor - we purchased small tubs that slide underneath for kitchen and food supplies.
There is storage room at the foot of the bottom bunk under the top bunk for tubs of clothes and coolers. I'm short enough I can stand under the top bunk but hubby has to be careful.
Posted 2009-06-12 1:33 PM (#106373 - in reply to #104030) Subject: RE: LQ Remodeling HELP
Veteran
Posts: 233 Location: Tennessee
Interesting setup you describe with the offset bunks. I would like to see pics of this. I too designed my 4'sw lq space to accommodate myself and two daughters. It has worked out perfectly and actually we all had more sleeping space in the 4' sw trailer than we do in our new Kiefer with a 9'sw! But now we have our own shower. . . .and that is PRICELESS!
Link to some photos. 2007 Kiefer Genises 4 horse slant purchased new off dealer lot Dec 2008. Short wall 8 ft long. Camper part door on driver's side. We have only taken a couple trips with it so far.
We ordered twin mattresses from a semi-truck dealer as they are a few inches narrower than a regular twin so we had more room. Our 2yr old sleeps in the bottom bunk. We put her sleeping bag with the zipper side to the wall and scoot her toward the foot of her bed so the ladder is next to her if she tries to roll over. We installed electrical but no plumbing. We have a porta potti in the back for kids and at night and are still thinking about a cowboy shower; we are fairly close to bathroom facilities most of the places we camp at. Walls and ceiling are all 1/4" thick tongue and groove screwed into the aluminum studs overtop of insulation. We just poly'd over it but no stain. There is a gap in front of the queen mattress in the nose where the nose angles in that we use for storage - cell phones, alarm clock, kids books, etc. Shower kits are stored on the side of the mattresses. Steps to the nose are built into the head of the bottom bunk but I don't have a photo of those. Electrical hooks to a plug in run under the nose of the trailer. We put 5 outlets in the nose part and will run a 2nd cord through a window in the back for fridge and freezer (chest freezer around 3 cu feet used only for week long trips).
Kitchen and food supplies are stored under the bottom bunk in 14 gallon plastic tubs. Cooler and large tubs of clothes go at the end of the bottom bunk on the floor. The fridge and small chest freezer are in the camper part on the trip out then we haul them to the back when we take horses out to make more room. Coats, boots, weber grill and camp stove, chairs, firewood, feed and tack are stored in the mangers under the windows - 14 gallon tubs fit in there also for extra tack and supplies. I wouldn't own a trailer without the mangers - its unbelievable how much fits in them!
4 saddle rack in the back with bridle rack built in the door. Step stool, pails and barn shovel/forks fit there also. We bought the trailer with extra heavy axles and will max out what our 3/4 ton diesel truck can haul before we max out weight on the trailer.
We are hauling 4 horses and food/clothes for 4 adults and 2 kids to Custer State Park for a 7 day trip in a couple weeks. Still thinking about attaching an awning - trips this year are lucky enough to get shady spots in camp. We usually camp with family and its nice to be able to tie horses to each side of the trailer without getting in the way of awnings. May buy a free-standing easy-up canopy for later in the summer.
Posted 2009-07-05 6:42 PM (#107567 - in reply to #107312) Subject: RE: LQ Remodeling HELP
Member
Posts: 5
Location: Henderson, NV
I just purchased a Trails West 3 horse goosneck, and wanted to add air, and electrical to it, but I am really unsure of how to. We live in NV so the air is a big deal. Would like it to run into the horse area also. Mine is smaller, but I would like to do it as best as I can. How did you do the wood on the walls? Any ideas or tips woule be great!
Posted 2009-07-08 1:25 PM (#107693 - in reply to #104030) Subject: RE: LQ Remodeling HELP
Member
Posts: 8
Location: Salem, SD
We installed our electrical wiring first - just ran the wires and installed the boxes before insulating then wired the switches/outlet covers after the wood was up. The end of the electrical system is run out the gooseneck nose right next to the hitch part for the extension cord to plug into.
We used sheet insulation - the pink stuff from Menards - the thickest sheets that would fit flat against the aluminum and not extend beyond the edges of the braces in the trailer. Then we used the rolled batting type insulation and a screw driver to fill in any gaps along the edges of the pink and the braces, windows, etc. And then we used duct tape on all the seams.
The wood we used was actually made for closet lining but was not cedar - I think it was fir or pine. We had to pre-drill holes to screw the wood to the braces. We did not stain the wood but used several coats of polyurethane on it after it was up. We started at the bottom of the walls and worked up. We did the ceiling from outside to center. Our trailer rounds where the walls and ceiling meet so we had to use 1 wider piece mounted at an angle to cover the gap which was OK because our electrical wiring runs along the rounded piece and will be easier to get too if we have a problem. The center of the ceiling was not wide enough for one board so we overlapped and screwed it on in case we need to get up there to fix something. Our roof is reinforced for AC but we do not have on installed until we redo our shed door so it would clear. We have roof vents and window screens rather than air in the horse area.
We can fix a queen sized mattress in the nose with a space at the front for some storage - too narrow for cabinets so we just use small plastic tubs. We have 1 plug-in in the nose, 2 on each sidewall and one along the slant wall. We wired in 3 additional lights.
LQ Remodeling HELP
Thats me trying to run a drill!
