The Veggie Coffin

• Lay everything out and count it — nothing kills momentum like a mid-build store run.
• Ply: 4 sheets ½" CDX (walls ×3, lid ×1) + 1 sheet ¾" (floor deck).
• Lumber: 3× 2×4×8' (skids), 6× 2×2×8' (corners, AC + lid framing).
• Glue: Loctite PL 300 Foamboard ONLY — ordinary construction adhesive dissolves XPS.

• Build an 8'×4' rectangle of 2×4s on edge, one joist down the center line.
• Square it: measure both diagonals — equal diagonals = square frame.
• Set it on blocks or pavers (playa: on stakes-anchored blocks). The air gap underneath is free insulation.

• Screw the ¾" ply deck to the frame (2½" screws every 12" around the rim + center joist).
• Cut one XPS sheet to fit inside the future wall line (~7'9"×3'9") and lay it on the deck — dry, no glue, so it's replaceable.
• 25 psi Scoreboard handles stacked produce cases directly. No extra wear layer needed.

• Cut four 2×2 uprights to 36", screw one plumb into each corner of the deck.
• These are your screw targets — every wall panel lands on wood, never on bare foam.
• Add a mid-stud on each long wall if your ply feels wobbly (2 more 2×2s).

• Ply: circular saw/jigsaw. 2 sheets → 8'×3' long walls · 1 sheet → two 4'×3' end walls.
• XPS: hot knife + straightedge, identical cuts. Slow steady passes, cut from both faces on 3" foam.
• Save every 1-foot offcut strip — they tile into the lid's insulation layer. 🧩

• One AC sits LOW in end wall A, the other HIGH in end wall B → diagonal air circulation the full length of the box.
• Trace the real AC chassis onto the ply, add ⅛" clearance, drill a starter hole, jigsaw the opening.
• Cut the matching hole in that wall's XPS with the hot knife using the ply as your template.
• Frame each opening's sides with 2×2 offcuts — the AC's weight bears on wood, never foam.

• PL 300 in S-pattern beads on the ply, press the matching XPS on, weight it flat.
• 1¼" screws with fender washers through foam into ply on a ~16" grid.
• Do all 4 walls, leave to cure per tube directions (30–60 min grab) while you prep step 8.

• Stand end walls first (they're lighter), screw into deck rim + corner 2×2s.
• Long walls go up next, overlapping the end-wall edges — hides end grain, strengthens corners.
• Foam faces inward everywhere. Check the top edges land level all the way around.

• Lid = full 4×8 sheet of ½" ply + the 1-foot XPS offcut strips from step 5 tiled underneath (tape seams with PT-15).
• Screw a 2×2 lip frame around the underside perimeter, sized to drop just inside the box opening — the lid self-centers and blocks drafts.
• Stick foam weatherstrip on the wall top edges for the seal.
• Recommended: cut the lid into two 4×4 halves, hinge one — daily kitchen grabs only open half the box, keeping the cold in.

• Slide each AC into its framed opening — snug fit on the 2×2 frame from step 6.
• Seal: BOMEI reinforced tape as the structural collar (inside + outside), then PT-15 over everything as the weather layer. The tapes finally get their moment. 🎉
• Tilt each unit slightly outward so condensate drips OUTSIDE — catch with a drip pan (greywater rules apply).
• Cords exit through drilled, grommeted holes — never through the door gap. GFCI on the circuit.

The layout: LOW unit in the far left-bottom corner of end wall A · HIGH unit in the far right-top corner of end wall B — a full diagonal both across and along the box. Corners are also the strongest part of the structure (2×2 corner posts right there = free anchoring). Window ACs are heavy, so every pound bears on wood, never foam — and everything uninstalls in minutes for travel.

• Weight path rule: every pound goes AC → wood → ground. The wall opening only locates the unit; it never carries it. (2×2 opening frames from step 6 stay as the locator.)
• LOW unit: exterior 2×4 cradle shelf — two legs to grade + diagonal brace + interior 2×2 cleat under the sill. Deck screws into the corner post, not into foam.
• HIGH unit (Shaka's build): the exterior plywood storage chest doubles as the stand — double the lid (two layers ¾" ply), sit it flush under the opening, cam-strap the AC chassis to eye screws. Bonus: the chest holds spare tapes, filters, and the travel hardware itself.
• Easy in/out: retainer battens on 2 screws (upgrade: hanger bolts + wingnuts = tool-free), cam straps, and NOTHING screwed through foam. Target: one turtle, 3 minutes per unit.
• Travel mode: port plugs from saved XPS offcuts (tape the edges) keep dust out of the box in transit; ACs ride upright and padded.

• Paint the whole box white (exterior latex) — cheap radiant rejection. Wrap the lid in spare Aluminet if we have offcuts.
• Site it under shade, ACs on the shaded side, near the kitchen trailer but clear of the cook line (XPS + flame = no).
• Anchor: ratchet strap over the lid to two staked points — 70 mph gusts vs a 300 lb box is a fair fight; don't make it fairer.

• Pull-down test at the Gulch: lid on, both ACs running — target ≤55°F within the hour and stable ~50°F after. Fix leaks before the desert, not in it.
• Mount the min/max thermometer inside, visible from the door end. Kitchen lead logs temp every morning (food-safety protocol).
• Load discipline: cases off the Bonanza truck straight in — apples/oranges low (they take chill), greens and bananas up top away from AC blast.
• Then: ~15 cases of fresh produce, cold and crisp, feeding 40 turtles for a week in the desert. The shell is fed. 🐢🥬