Starting my M146 Build

[agazza2]

After spending a whole morning a few months ago reading Rayzers M146 build, I decide to buy a M146 for myself and do and RV conversion. Well the trailer has been sitting for the past two months in the storage yard as I ponder the many ideas of how to build it.

My original ideas (not on paper) were to put the bathroom across the front. But after looking at the underneath framing/5th wheel, that is not easy. So I decided the bathroom would be placed the same as Rayzers. Now the various options for dining, kitchen, and the sleeping area are easier to plan on paper. I am attaching a floor plan designs which I am considering. I do want to have the ability to move the couch/bed, and possibly the table if I need to use the trailer to move something in the future. As this build goes on, there will be many similarities to Rayzers, as this inspiration to build this trailer came from all his posts and photos. I have put all the photos from his build into a Microsoft PowerPoint presentation so it is easier to show friends what I am trying to accomplish. It also helps in quickly looking back, at the way Rayzer constructed different portions of his trailer.

Some of my ideas for this trailer are to use my MEP-531 generator for power (120VAC only). Add 12V batteries and solar panels on the roof to help keep them charged. The interior will have a full bathroom, kitchen with sink and a small gas stove, or cook top, dining area, and couch/bed. In front of the bathroom, there will be a small storage closet on top, and water heater on the bottom. I have started the build out for the bathroom walls, and will post pictures later this weekend. For A/C I am trying to decide whether to do front mount, or top mount. Pulled behind the M915, there would be plenty of clearance for most bridge over passes, but behind the M931A2 I would have to be very cautious about hitting the A/C unit if it was mounted on top. Has anyone had luck with mounting it below the trailer? Some plumbing photos are attached, but will need to be modified to have all the proper ventilation requirement necessary. The plumbing is one area, I may need to ask for some help with the design

One of things that amazes me is how big Rayzers trailer looks inside. Rayzer has done such a excellent job with his build. The M146 trailer is only 20' long, and ceiling height is 6' 4". I would also like any other suggestions that the SS members have to help
me in making this build another one on the SS site to be proud of displaying at the many events.

 

[RAYZER]

Awesome agazza2! I'm excited to see this build start up!
Let me know if I can be of assistance.

 

[agazza2]

Awesome agazza2! I'm excited to see this build start up!
Let me know if I can be of assistance.

Thanks Rayzer. I am sure I will be asking you questions as the build-out continues.

This weekend I put the framing in for the bathroom, and started to put up drywall on 1 wall. The corners of all the drywall will have wood trim, since the drywall will need to flex some, and the joints/putty would be most likely to crack. Picked up a sink and cabinet at home depot for $39 on sale. I will have to add some trim, and some paint to get the appearance I want to achieve.

 

[RAYZER]

Agszza2. If your going to use holding tanks for black and grey water undetneath,before buttoning up the wall covering, you may want to run some vent pipe from underneath through the wall and out the top with a vent cap.
Lookin good!

 

[agazza2]

Agszza2. If your going to use holding tanks for black and grey water undetneath,before buttoning up the wall covering, you may want to run some vent pipe from underneath through the wall and out the top with a vent cap.
Lookin good!

Last weekend I bought the vent cap for the roof, and have not finished the bathroom interior walls for this reason. I studied your pics thoroughly and determined that was the way you did it. Your pics are definitely worth 1000 words, or instructions. What type of pvc is the pink?

 

[agazza2]

I have been working on the M146 trailer after work every night this week to get some of the build out done. I will take it to Temple Texas for the Airshow this weekend. At least the floor will be done, and offer a decent place to put an air mattress to stay overnight. I will take the outlets that run along the ceiling done, and run a few outlets in the lower baseboard.

Once the baseboard and some of the trim work is done, I will be adding a kitchen cabinet next to the bathroom wall. A small sink will be added, and still provide some counter space for food preparation. If I want to extend the cabinet at a later date for a cook top range, it will be easy to extend. The bathtub will arrive tomorrow, so I will start figuring out plumbing for the bathroom soon. The sink I purchased from Home depot may be to wide for the bathroom, and I may have to also custom build that as well so the bathroom allows enough room to move around.

Here are a few pictures of the progress up till now. Tomorrow I should have more photos to post with the bathroom.

 

[RAYZER]

Nice floor!

 

[agazza2]

A few pics of the M146 behind my M915A1 at the Temple, TX airshow this morning after spending the night. Maybe tomorrow I will get more done on the trailer, or start prepping the M915 for paint for the parade in two weeks.

 

[Tornadogt]

looking good .....

 

[agazza2]

Thanks, I should be able to get some more work done on the trailer this weekend. The last week has been spent putting some paint on the M915 for a parade. This week I plan on putting some laminate in the square sections on the wall, and then adding the quarter round trim around the squares. If I get a chance, I will go to PPL RV in Houston and pick up a toilet, and shower walls. I would like to get all the walls finished out in the main section first, and then start on the bathroom, and plumbing, which seems to be the most expensive part of the build. I will have more photos in a few days to show the progress.

 

[M35A2-AZ]

Looking good!!
I was thinking of getting a M146 for my M931a1 and make a rv out of it.
But I have a question about the 931 tires hitting the trailer legs, is there any problem with that on your M931?

 

[agazza2]

Looking good!!
I was thinking of getting a M146 for my M931a1 and make a rv out of it.
But I have a question about the 931 tires hitting the trailer legs, is there any problem with that on your M931?

Sorry for not answering this sooner. On some tight turns, or if the turn is into a parking lot were there may be a dip in the road the landing gear rubs the outer portion of the tread. What I am going to do, is round off the trailer feet. This only has to be done to the outer front corner. The other thing that will help eliminate this problem is to put 1100 x 20 tires on the trailer, which will help level the trailer out some. This will bring the feet away from the tires as well.

I think a combination of small things like this will give me the space I need for any road condition that I may experience.

 

[agazza2]

A few photos of what I worked on Thursday evening. Yesterday I went and picked up the toilet from PPL RV in Houston. Was hoping to also get the shower walls, but they order those. Hate to buy the shower walls without seeing them, as some are very thin. I will probably either make my own, or buy ones that are made for homes. In the pics, I installed Laminate counter top material in the squares to cover up the plywood, then trimmed it out with quarter round molding. The wood I will probably paint dark brown. Also one pic of the M146 trailer behind the painted M915A1. Still have to paint the camo on the truck.

 

[Recovry4x4]

Y'all are going to have to start the M146 RV club. Build is really taking shape.

 

[silverstate55]

That looks awesome, good work!!

 

[agazza2]

Saturdays progress

Had a few hours yesterday to do some work on the trailer. So I added the vents for the grey & black water tanks through the bathroom wall. Now once all the plumbing is added to the walls for the toilet, kitchen sink, shower, I can finish out the walls. Also added the toilet flange to the floor. Applied first coat of rubberized white sealing coating to the roof, since I had to be up there to put the vent on the top. Today I will work on framing for the tub, and securing the kitchen cabinet. I will add more photos this evening.

Any suggestions/preferences whether it is better to go with PEX tubing for the water lines, or PVC?

 

[RAYZER]

Exelent work agazza!
Pex will be more durable than pvc pipe, it is also freez proof.
Installing pex in areas with limited space can be a challenge due to having to use a crimping tool, you could use the quick connects, but they're pretty exspensive.
You can buy an inexpensive pex ring crimping tool that you squeez with vice grips, this worked for me

 

[agazza2]

Thanks Rayzer. I was thinking that the PEX with the quick disconnects would not be too bad, since there will not be too many connections. But I am sure that is will be at least $100 in just the quick disconnects. You have been a inspiration to many of us with M146 trailers. There are so many things that you have to think through, because you can't install somethings before other things are ran. So many times I find myself thinking through the installation, and what it may affect for other items that need to be installed.

I was going to buy the shower walls, but they did not have any in stock to preview the thickness of the material. If it is just very thin, then Lowes has some discontinued shower walls that are very thin for only $19.99. Normally these were $150. But it seems like they would have to be glued to plywood to make them sturdy enough to be happy with the finished product.

 

[RAYZER]

Be sure and use green board in the shower area on the walls.
Usally those shower wall pannels have to be glued anyway.
I used vinal flooring glued to the walls for my surround, it worked very well and people think its tile.
Imo, buy contractors bags of pex brass fittings and rings, you will need alot of them.
It took 60' of 1/2" pex to plumb mine so far.

 

[Tornadogt]

nice work, keep the photos coming...