trailer questions

1st I'd make sure you get insullation put into it, esp. if you plan or do have a roof mounted a/c unit. 1" foam board should fit fine, did in ours as we put it together this weekend.

E-Track for tie down, we just ran 4 8' strips in the back ouf our 7 x 16 trailer this weekend. 1/8" pilot holes with #12 self tapping hex head screws to secure.

Electric - I don't have any pictures, but think if you're going to put cabinets into the trailer, then plan slots accordingly. Also think about a refrigerator placement as well. I'd also put a GFI on the door / passenger side of the trailer on the outside if you can get it in, but make it last in the line.

Finally, lights, think about to small lights in the front and back to give more light off than the 1-2 12v lights. It's really thinking it through and figuring out the best placement.

My old competition trailer was bought in 2003. It changed every year until 2006 and again in 2008 and became a vending unit in 2009. THings got moved around until I had what I thought I wanted. So after 7 years when I ordered my new trailer I made sure everything I learned went into it.

Best advice I can give is figure out your floorplan and draw it and make sure you have room for 2 people to move around. As far as electric a 30 amp breaker box unless you are running air in which case probable 50. If interior walls are already in then you will need to run conduit to the plugs. I suggest going up to the roof and running conduit to the plug locations and then straight down.

Nate ... ever wish your rec room had an outlet there (where one ain't) to plug in the Boondoggle Pale Ale neon sign? I think the same would be said for a trailer. Personally, I'd run a line down both sides (where the side and roof meet) with outlets about every 4-5' (3 per side) and at least one in the front end and another to the outside on the side door side. Then if you put in the metal junction boxes, you can always run conduit down from each at a later time to have outlets at a lower level (I'm going to do that for our water heater/pump and another one to add an outlet outside)

Tie downs - this was a concern for me too as I wanted to make sure to distribute the stresses of shifting weight while traveling. My sidewall plywood was only 3/8" and my floor is 3/4" so the BWS and the refridge were mainly tied town to the floor using ratchet straps. I bolted down hardware using about 2" washers to further help with stress on the floor. The BWS gets tied town to the tie down rings that were factory to hold down a car with another strap that ratchets to the front bunk. We don't really have much of any weight tied to our walls.

We have about a 32" walkway down the center of our trailer between the table on the door side and the sink. That works fine for us as our smokers will fit through and we can pass through while someone is working without much distraction. A friendly coming thru is said so neither of us drop something or cut ourselves. I don't think I'd want to go much smaller than that.

I layed out the trailer using Excel - each square was 6"x6". Allowed us to come up with options to see where/how everything would fit before doing the work. The trailer come out a lot different then I had pictured it in my head. And I've already altered and moved a few things around this year - doubt many would notice.

Does this mean you've given up on the Jambo or will you be taking two vehicles to comps?

Just roll your smoker into the trailer. I saw a video where a guy had his Jambo in the trailer and rolled it out.

^^^^^ Good advice form these guys.
As for tie downs, my Hobbi had these in the floor. I just ran ratchet straps down and around the cookers. Never had one move on me.
Good luck.

I used google sketchup http://sketchup.google.com/ to draw my trailer out. Now if I just had the money to finish it out I would be in business.

He rolls the pit that he uses in and outta a trailer all the time at contests-how do you think it stays soo purty?!