Getting ready to outfit a 40 foot 5th wheel trailer. Could use some suggestions.

[jaguarlax]

I bought this trailer a year and a half ago for my moving company, and I'll cut through the sob story. Long story short I got some medical shit going on so I cant drive long distance any longer. So my natural thought process was to turn the trailer into a grow house :). I think I have the lighting narrowed down, but I still have quite a bit to consider. Mainly keeping the trailer properly insulated and regulating temp and humidity in such a large space. Security will also be a thing being that its going to be on a buddies property. Are there any other threads with a similar setup? Has anyone ever outfitted a storage container or trailer?

 

[Dirtbag]

We've done numerous shipping container grows which would be the same basic Idea. Depends where you live how well insulated it needs to be, but options would be spray foam insulation or building interior walls floor and ceiling out of 2x2"s and insulating between the studs with foam board and covering with 3/8" plywood. That way you have a proper wooden wall and cieling to hang things like lights, fans and outlets etc.. One thing is for sure, if it's cold outside and it's not insulated properly, itll be raining from the ceiling in there from condensation.

 

[jaguarlax]

We've done numerous shipping container grows which would be the same basic Idea. Depends where you live how well insulated it needs to be, but options would be spray foam insulation or building interior walls floor and ceiling out of 2x2"s and insulating between the studs with foam board and covering with 3/8" plywood. That way you have a proper wooden wall and cieling to hang things like lights, fans and outlets etc.. One thing is for sure, if it's cold outside and it's not insulated properly, itll be raining from the ceiling in there from condensation.

Northeast USA. My walls are actually all wood, and I had run some track in there as well for straps. So mounting and stuff is easy. What do you use to bring the temps down in the summer? This particular trailer is black, but has two 18x18 windows on the front and back ceiling. It gets quite warm in there in the summer months

 

[Dirtbag]

Northeast USA. My walls are actually all wood, and I had run some track in there as well for straps. So mounting and stuff is easy. What do you use to bring the temps down in the summer? This particular trailer is black, but has two 18x18 windows on the front and back ceiling. It gets quite warm in there in the summer months

We used AC units to control heat. Not much getting around that in the summer time.

 

[jaguarlax]

yeaaaaaa. i guess I could get two RV air conditioners for the windows on the top

 

[jaguarlax]

We used AC units to control heat. Not much getting around that in the summer time.

do you run generators? Or are your containers close enough to power?

 

[Dirtbag]

do you run generators? Or are your containers close enough to power?

I havent grown in them in almost a decade but we ran 100Amp sub panels in each 20' container and fed them from a 200Amp residential service drop. We had 3 at 3 seperate locations and always just tapped into the household panel and ran teck cable to the containers. I know it can be done with a big enough diesel genny, but I cant see it being cost effective running a genny that size 24/7

 

[jaguarlax]

I havent grown in them in almost a decade but we ran 100Amp sub panels in each 20' container and fed them from a 200Amp residential service drop. We had 3 at 3 seperate locations and always just tapped into the household panel and ran teck cable to the containers. I know it can be done with a big enough diesel genny, but I cant see it being cost effective running a genny that size 24/7

that my friend is the question of the day.

 

[jaguarlax]

I havent grown in them in almost a decade but we ran 100Amp sub panels in each 20' container and fed them from a 200Amp residential service drop. We had 3 at 3 seperate locations and always just tapped into the household panel and ran teck cable to the containers. I know it can be done with a big enough diesel genny, but I cant see it being cost effective running a genny that size 24/7

I have a few different big generators but the ones that are quiet enough are too small :/

 

[Dirtbag]

Running a generator 24/7 365 has never sat well with me. I remember a grower in surrey back in the early 00's got busted with 2 shipping containers buried in his backyard when his generator overheated and started smoking and neighbors called the FD.

 

[jaguarlax]

im with you there. too many things can go wrong. Im starting to come around to the idea of running power or getting closer to civilization.

 

[Dirtbag]

im with you there. too many things can go wrong. Im starting to come around to the idea of running power or getting closer to civilization.

I'm a fan of 200A. Ideally for something that size I'd want at least 100A coming into a subpanel. The biggest expense running a large space is environmental control. Just some numbers off the top of my head depending how much of that trailer you want to fill... I'd probably run 12x 600w lamps. At 3 btu per watt plus 20% means you'll need about 26000 BTU of AC. If you skimp you could use 2x 1 ton AC units, but it would be better to use mini-split AC units as they're smell proof and very efficient, and most are designed to function when it's cold outside as heat pumps so they will work better in the spring and fall than a window/RV type AC. In winter you could just ventilate it and shut the AC's down. I'm not super familiar with RV units, but regardless you're looking at about 16000 watts in just lighting and AC not to mention Dehumidifiers which will take it up to 18000 give or take. If you run that all on a 240V circuit you're looking at pulling 75-85 Amps when everything is on and running with fans and everything going, and that's only with 200sqft of canopy, using roughly 24x8' inside to the rear of the trailer. I'd want 100 Amps to play with at the very least.

You could save on power some by going with LED, but then you're looking at spending quite a bit more money upfront. And then youre paying for heat in the wintertime.. Having never run LED myself I cant really offer any advice if that's the route you're going to take.

 

[Formallyhap]

20k-30k in solar and LEDs

 

[needshelpguy]

20k-30k in solar and LEDs

I personally would not go solar for many reasons

 

[jaguarlax]

I'm a fan of 200A. Ideally for something that size I'd want at least 100A coming into a subpanel. The biggest expense running a large space is environmental control. Just some numbers off the top of my head depending how much of that trailer you want to fill... I'd probably run 12x 600w lamps. At 3 btu per watt plus 20% means you'll need about 26000 BTU of AC. If you skimp you could use 2x 1 ton AC units, but it would be better to use mini-split AC units as they're smell proof and very efficient, and most are designed to function when it's cold outside as heat pumps so they will work better in the spring and fall than a window/RV type AC. In winter you could just ventilate it and shut the AC's down. I'm not super familiar with RV units, but regardless you're looking at about 16000 watts in just lighting and AC not to mention Dehumidifiers which will take it up to 18000 give or take. If you run that all on a 240V circuit you're looking at pulling 75-85 Amps when everything is on and running with fans and everything going, and that's only with 200sqft of canopy, using roughly 24x8' inside to the rear of the trailer. I'd want 100 Amps to play with at the very least.

You could save on power some by going with LED, but then you're looking at spending quite a bit more money upfront. And then youre paying for heat in the wintertime.. Having never run LED myself I cant really offer any advice if that's the route you're going to take.

Sorry dude I didn’t even see that you typed all that out. Luckily its pretty tight so it insulates well. Would you believe me if I told you I forgot to do the math for the dehumidifiers. I totally forgot that thing is gonna stay at 100 percent in the summers. LOL I’ve only gotten heat stroke in it about 1000 times working in Florida heat. Thank god I’m up north now. There are also solar panels ran all the way across the top of my trailer. Not sure how much power they collect but they came with the trailer and they are already there.

 

[Mr.jiujitsu]

Well this should be fun to watch. Gonna grab some popcorn, sit back, and enjoy the show. I love it when people with almost no experience jump into big grows. I’m also north East and have done barn/garage/trailer grows and you will have your hands full. Good luck !

 

[Mr.jiujitsu]

I havent grown in them in almost a decade but we ran 100Amp sub panels in each 20' container and fed them from a 200Amp residential service drop. We had 3 at 3 seperate locations and always just tapped into the household panel and ran teck cable to the containers. I know it can be done with a big enough diesel genny, but I cant see it being cost effective running a genny that size 24/7

The only place I have seen really turn a profit in running generators is in the UK some farms had some very successful large grows done with generators. We know about them because they got busted, because of the large diesel generator running 24/7 I had read. We did containers many years ago and damn it was hard to control temp. Summer got so hot. And people say throw it in the ground. Ever seen a shipping container dropped in the ground? Well after a couple years the sides fold in. No joke. My friend has a slightly smaller trailer that he built into a full grow. He’s also in biopharmaceutical, but he’s automation and built some really great controls. He said that was his biggest thing was automating controls via sensors vac use the changes in the smaller encased grow chamber changed so fast.

 

[jaguarlax]

Well this should be fun to watch. Gonna grab some popcorn, sit back, and enjoy the show. I love it when people with almost no experience jump into big grows. I’m also north East and have done barn/garage/trailer grows and you will have your hands full. Good luck !

I love when douchebags troll threads with nothing productive to say other than spewing negativity on the world.

 

[jaguarlax]

I love when douchebags troll threads with nothing productive to say other than spewing negativity on the world.

I love when douchebags troll threads with nothing productive to say other than spewing negativity on the world.

Well this should be fun to watch. Gonna grab some popcorn, sit back, and enjoy the show. I love it when people with almost no experience jump into big grows. I’m also north East and have done barn/garage/trailer grows and you will have your hands full. Good luck !

I love when douchebags troll threads with nothing productive to say other than spewing negativity on the world.

also would you consider spending 2000 dollars on small grows and lights to test and research before spending the money (literally the other thread you are trolling) to get the data “jumping in with no experience? Am I not allowed to improve? Am I not entitled to medication because I do not have 20 years of growing under my belt? Am I not allowed to learn too?

 

[Mr.jiujitsu]

also would you consider spending 2000 dollars on small grows and lights to test and research before spending the money (literally the other thread you are trolling) to get the data “jumping in with no experience? Am I not allowed to improve? Am I not entitled to medication because I do not have 20 years of growing under my belt? Am I not allowed to learn too?

Just happy to watch you spend money. Call
Me a douch bag all you want, or a troll but I have been growing for a long time and regularly offer positive advice. Again popcorns made and I’m happy to watch.

Go take another bathroom selfie, post it on your Facebook and cheer up.

Again good luck with your grow, hope you produce some , but having been around for awhile I Get this reaction some times. You dont have to like me, but I’m not just a troll I’m your troll now just kidding. Act a I’ll call ya a and mars is a clown. I’m sorry you took my distaste for the company personally. I actually think you could be headed in the right direction, if we just made that skin a little thicker.