I was correct in that I could beat the estimates I saw from the pre-built sheds, but the further I got into it, the more I realized that I was still way over the weight. After taking some initial structural downgrades into considering (I originally had 3/4 plywood for the flooring for example) and getting it closer to reasonable, I ended up 1520lbs for the shell. Considering the water alone is 250lbs, that is still too high.
So, I went through and made some structural compromises: 2x4 floor joists (there is no span, so 2x6 was overkill. I reduced the wall sheeting to 1/4". I didn't like doing that one since it has an impact on the wind strength of the trailer, but the wall sheeting was almost a quarter of the shell's weight. I still intend to put aluminum wind bracing inside as well. I considered switching to a 24" OC wall stud, but haven't made that jump yet. I got it down to 1350 for the shell, though that is still heavy. It is worth pointing out though that I assumed an 8' wall (which it won't be, it will be closer to 7'), so the estimate is still high. The biggest problem is that adding 30 gallons of water and a couple hundred feet of wire isn't light. I used steel siding, which I would swap out for aluminum, but I couldn't find any aluminum to use as a reference. I asked Dad to stop by Mansea (sadly I don't have a metal plant near me) and try to get some info on corrugated aluminum. If they have it thick enough, I could use it in place of the sheeting for the walls, similar to the Rambler that I wrecked for the frame for the tiny home. Here is a throwback to how it was constructed.
The weight analysis spreadsheet is in the same shared workbook as the solar research I did, just on a different tab:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/16g0W-_9pEH2vaUiGeYPaBuW3A21ksxqL/view?usp=sharing
I am currently sitting at the weight rating of most of the trailers that I looked at, and I haven't finished filling in any of the interior stuff. Small problem.
Friday night I went out to Stefan's to pick up the hard drives I left there that I bought from Matt. I installed one of them into my Drobo this morning, and it is now upgrading my array. Disappointingly upgrading one of the 4TB to a 6TB didn't actually increase the space all that much. That said, I don't really need more space...
Unfortunately on the trip to Stefans, the truck started acting up again, so it is still busted.
This morning I went and picked up another nice lawn mower. It is a Troy Bilt, like the one I killed that I really liked. It was a bit more than I normally pay for a mower ($75) but it isn't a bad price for a self-propelled. That wasn't a feature I specifically looked for, but it had it. It had a bagger on it, but I won't use it.
The mower doesn't have a lot of hours on it. The muffler is barely discolored.
The self-propeller worked better than I expected. It noticeably draws a fair bit of power, but it pulled the mower up the steeper part of the hill by the septic tank. It also cut down the tall crap like the queen anne's lace with just one pass. The yellow Poulan would typically only cut half of it and just lay over the other half.
I finished up the front with it, even though it was really wet out. The deck is set substantially higher than the part that I did with the free mower, which is why it looks funny.
I saw another deer this morning when I woke up. This was just a fawn though.
I also had an annoyance when I went to use my clothesline. It is kind of obnoxious that I have to sweep it for spiders every time I go to use it, but today I had another problem. I watched a mouse climb into one of my short's pockets. I didn't think they could climb PVC, or the drum for that matter, but he found a way. Grrrr
After chasing the mouse away, I decided to get rid of some other pests. The bee traps are worthless (I couldn't find pear juice anywhere, not at Hannaford or Market basket), but the bee spray isn't. I won this round, even if they won the day.
After that I went and walked around before it got hot. Other than my finger being in the way, it is good to see that my sink hole/old well is still filled in after the storms late in the week.
After that I went to pull my utility out. It was behind where they dumped the gravel though, so I decided to pull it out through the yard. I turned the trailer, and turns out the bees built a nest in the frame (I think) of the utility trailer. I didn't see the nest, but I saw about a half dozen of them come flying out, and I didn't stick around to analyze the situation. I am not allergic to bee stings, but I do react to them (they swell a lot), and 6ish was more than I wanted to pick a fight with. Sigh. So the trailer is still down there.
After that it was getting hot, so I went out shopping. I picked up the stuff I needed for the 10 hour servicing on the tractor. It is crazy to think that with everything I have done with it that I still only have 10 hours on the tractor. I grabbed another mineral block while I was there. I got that put out when I got home.
A more zoomed out picture of where I put the test brick. I put one in the front and the back.
While I was putting out the one in the back, I found the trails that the deer have been using.
I also picked up a 4x4 so I can redo the supports for the tiny home. Harbor freight (yeah, I know) recalled the jack stands that I was using for supporting the frame. Fortunately since I was lazy, I didn't go and get the replacements for the recalled ones, which they recalled last week (way to go Harbor Cheap, recalling the recall replacements).
Apparently there is a lumber shortage at the moment, Tractor Supply didn't have any 4x4 at all, and Home Depot only had longer lengths (the more expensive ones). The lumber aisle of Home Depot was scarily empty. Something to keep in mind when I go to build the carport, regardless of the path I choose to go.
I opened up the underside of the house so it can get some air. I intend to replace the jack stands with chunks of 4x4 and concrete block. I never got vented skirting which could be the cause, but I might want to poke around a little too, since there was more moisture than I would have liked to see under there.
I actually forgot that I still have a set that I never even took out of the box. I will bring them back; I only paid 17 bucks for them, and they are taking them back for 30.
As I was putting stuff away, I noticed that my chainsaw leaks a little bit of bar oil. That is pretty common though.
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