Expedition trailer made from FJ40 tub

[Combat Chuck]

just heckling ya, man, I understand you've been busy with work and the family.

Your little project's looking really schweet, my friend, I look forward to whatever progress you're able to share with us!

 

[Volcanic Iceberg]

The floor in the front is a bit of a dilema. The front corners are radius, and there is not enough OEM material without scrapping out 2 more cruisers to make a floor with stamped ridges. So I had the local metal shop bend some 16 Ga. steel for me. I had them bend the edges up and put a strengthening bend through the center. this will make it ridgid and give me someting nice to weld to once in place. Its not as pretty as an OEM bed, but once kitchen, water tank, propane tank, shower etc. are installed it wont even be seen.

When I got the pan home I made up a bunch of templates to determine the radius on the inside of the tub. Aprox. 14.5 cm. Once I figured that out I cut the corners off with a jig saw. Worked great for precision. The metal shop made the pan to exact specifications so the fit is really snug. Im glad though, right now the corner radius are too big so the tight fit will force the slightly mis-alligned body into submission. I would have tapped it in tonight, but it was late and it was like banging a huge drum. I didnt want the neighbors to get upset.

So pushing it the rest of the way in will be the next step.

 

[Volcanic Iceberg]

Couple more pics

 

[Volcanic Iceberg]

I also cut out the fuel filler piece, as you can see in the above photo, which I plan to reposition and use as a filler for the water tank. Misterpepper is coming over tonigh to help me work on the trailer. Hopefully we can make some headway on patching up the remaining holes in the sheet metal.

 

[Volcanic Iceberg]

Got the floor in. It was very snug. Alot of tapping and teaking to shoehorn it into position. Couldnt have done it without Misterpeppers help. But I accoplished my goal of bringing the body into alignment. Overall I am really satisfied with how it turned out.

 

[Volcanic Iceberg]

Pics everyone has been waiting for (including myself)

My single car garage is a mess. I have been tripping over chords, tools hoses, etc. for weeks. So over the week end I stuffed an axle under the trailer & today I pulled it out of the garage so I could clean up a bit. I couldnt resist a test drive. So I took it down the block to find some dirt & do some articulation testing. Although far from being complete or fully loaded, my first impression of the handling is very good. It tracked nicely articulation worked exactly as planned.

 

[Volcanic Iceberg]

A few more.

 

[Volcanic Iceberg]

Here is one of the rotating lunet durring articulation.

 

[misterpepper]

That looks awesome. Now get a 40 running and fabricate the top for the trailer so I can get a real sense of the proportions. Good work.

 

[Combat Chuck]

That's awesome! Great job so far, that baby's gonna rock when she's done!

 

[77TLCFJ40]

Nice progress VI! It should all go pretty quick from here...haha.

 

[Volcanic Iceberg]

No progress pictures to post yet. I have started working on the top however. I have 2 of the 4 corner pieces cut to size & the other donor roof torn apart ready to cut. I decided that since the bed sits so high, (the matress is above the tub) that I needed some volume in the top to contain the matress, bedding, & tent material. So I cut the pieces at about 6" tall. Next I will need to reinforce them. Havent figured out exactly how to do that yet, but i know I need something for the cap to sit on.

My friend is at the Barret Jackson auction in Scottsdale right now & he sent me this Trailer photo. Its being pulled by a restored FJ45 LWB of the same color.

 

[titanpat57]

Your trailer already looks about twice as good as that ....

 

[Combat Chuck]

Your trailer already looks about twice as good as that ....

X5,000,000,000
I almost stuck a link to your thread onto that Barret Jackson dealie, but it struck me as OT.

Your 40Trailer is better than that POS in every possible way!

 

[Awl_TEQ]

Your trailer already looks about twice as good as that ....

x3

That one is kinda cool but too small IMO and a bit "gimmiky" Yours is a better front end design. There is a 60 series trailer I've seen that was well done using the front clip parts though.

 

[waiting for time]

No progress pictures to post yet. I have started working on the top however. I have 2 of the 4 corner pieces cut to size & the other donor roof torn apart ready to cut. I decided that since the bed sits so high, (the matress is above the tub) that I needed some volume in the top to contain the matress, bedding, & tent material. So I cut the pieces at about 6" tall. Next I will need to reinforce them. Havent figured out exactly how to do that yet, but i know I need something for the cap to sit on.

Why not use the top and bottom of the hard top side wall? You can create as much room as you like and still keep a cruiser look.

Maybe I missed it but what type of system are you going to use to keep the roof up while camping?

 

[77TLCFJ40]

Exactly what Michael said...

Cut the middle (window) section out of the hardtop side panels and reconnect top to bottom. You will have an OEM fit to the tub and the cap. Its looking awesome!

 

[Volcanic Iceberg]

Why not use the top and bottom of the hard top side wall? You can create as much room as you like and still keep a cruiser look.

Maybe I missed it but what type of system are you going to use to keep the roof up while camping?

Right now I am planning to use the spring assisted half scissor like you see on the outside of old pop up trailers. Idealy I would find a realy cheap trailer that i could get the hardware from. Id like to mount it on the inside however for a cleaner look if it will hinge 180 deg. If I cant find a donor trailer or the hardware wont hinge far enough I may have to fabricate my own.

Exactly what Michael said...

Cut the middle (window) section out of the hardtop side panels and reconnect top to bottom. You will have an OEM fit to the tub and the cap. Its looking awesome!

That was my original plan, but upon close inspection the sides taper at the back and the radius top & bottom are not the same. So to avoid the frustration of matching up & feathering the two halves together, I am just using the bottom part below the windows and then fabricating reinforcement and attachment points to the driprail & cap.

 

[waiting for time]

Right now I am planning to use the spring assisted half scissor like you see on the outside of old pop up trailers. Idealy I would find a realy cheap trailer that i could get the hardware from. Id like to mount it on the inside however for a cleaner look if it will hinge 180 deg. If I cant find a donor trailer or the hardware wont hinge far enough I may have to fabricate my own.



That was my original plan, but upon close inspection the sides taper at the back and the radius top & bottom are not the same. So to avoid the frustration of matching up & feathering the two halves together, I am just using the bottom part below the windows and then fabricating reinforcement and attachment points to the driprail & cap.

Why not use hoops, like a camping table, that fold up inside the top and open with gas struts, to keep them in place when opend and limit at max. Easy to fabricate and you can open them alone if you have to, just unlock and lift. Then you can slide them on a rail at the botom, that way the struts help you lift the roof.

 

[misterpepper]

Why not use hoops, like a camping table, that fold up inside the top and open with gas struts, to keep them in place when opend and limit at max. Easy to fabricate and you can open them alone if you have to, just unlock and lift. Then you can slide them on a rail at the botom, that way the struts help you lift the roof.

Do you have a picture of this? I'm trying to visualize what you are saying and I think I get it, but volcanic iceberg wants more height than I can see that solution providing. I think he's looking for something like 48" inside with the top raised. Also, this seems like it would work best lengthwise with the trailer (most lift) so it might get in the way of having a door where he wants it. (I've been helping him some on his build.)