kilos SLOW build

[valkyrie610]

I just don't know what I'm doing anymore?

Well, figure it out already! Chop Chop!

 

[kilo]

Well, figure it out already! Chop Chop!

I do know once I get the rack welded on and RTT mounted it will be ready enough to use. From there i'll try to think things through a little better before adding all of the extras to it. Hot water is a must. Which means adding water tank, pump, batteries and extending the tongue maybe. I hope that will be the end???

 

[kilo]

A few more updates. I forgot about this one so I'll show you guys some pictures of my spare tire carrier. I cut into one of the cross members and welded in a tire winch/carrier. It looks good but may not work? For one, a 33" spare tire is going to hit some under the trailer and probably not going to fit right. I think I can snug it up and it will still hang down a bit, but for what I do, shouldn't matter. What does matter is that it may rub up against the shocks? Once done I mounted a 16" steel rim just for a test fit and run around the hood and it dropped about an inch by the time I got home. That's the rim alone. So I thought I might put some kind of lock to prevent it from lowering while driving. I don't know, may not be worth it?

I also got the lid rack built for the RTT to sit on. How or why I asked the steel guy to cut tubing at 6' long I don't know?? I wanted to miter the corners to have a clean look and now have to weld in some ends at the corners. The tent will ride towards the back and should leave me some room up front for a good size cooler full of COLD beer, just so I don't have to keep raising the lid. Maybe some jerry cans of water, fuel or anything. I also got some latches welded on to keep the lid shut. I had a piece of strap welded in between the latch to slide in a cotter pin to make sure the latches didn't move. Next for the weekend....some how weld on something to lock the lid down and clean the hell out of it. Need to start prepping for paint job and bed line the inside.

Any more ideas from you guys would be real helpful.
Thanks!

 

[kilo]

Well I did a little more today. I added a drain plug, cut an 1 1/8" hole out and welded it in.....just in case something real bad happens.

I also welded on some strips of steel strap to lock the lid, one on each side. Lined the strips up and drilled out.

Hope to get a spot sand blaster in a day or so so I can start painting. Need to por-15 some areas.

 

[valkyrie610]

Izzy, any idea of your dry weight/loaded weight numbers yet?

 

[kilo]

Izzy, any idea of your dry weight/loaded weight numbers yet?

I'm not sure Chris. The dry unmodded weight is under 700#. The biggest things I have done as far as weight is the wheels/tires/axle, lid and rack. I'm thinking maybe at the most and extra 340#? Then add the RTT about another 130. Adds up to 1170 roughly?? The only thing else would be some of that do it yourself bedliner. That's all the weight that will stay on the trailer fulltime for the most part. On trips maybe a cooler or 2? Couple of water cans and fuel cans? EU2000 generator. Camping/fishing stuff. That's it for now. I would like to keep it all around 1500-1700# max. Later I'll add the water tank and battery if I decide that I need them?

I think I'll ask Todd or Chris if they could take some time out and weigh the trailer empty with their portable scales?

 

[kilo]

Want to thank Jacque, Barb, Gerone and Chris for hooking me up with this here tent. I got the roof top tent put together and installed with the help from the boys at TOD and TTR this past Sunday. I purchased the Overland+Series (part number RTT9009) from TRDparts4U/GO Overland!. Sure does look good and can't wait to use it! I will have to weld in another cross bar to move the RTT forward a little and balance the trailer. It doesn't pull too bad but now you know it's there. I will also need some bigger struts for the lid. It's now harder to open than it is to close. I wouldn't want to have my fingers caught on the rim if you know what I mean. I'll get those here soon. For now it works OK. Here are some pics...

 

[Brentbba]

Purtty!!!!!

 

[Assassin]

nice build----------i like the look

 

[gaberelli]

Looking good. How do you like your hinges and their placement? I have the same ones to be mounted soon.

 

[kilo]

Purtty!!!!!

nice build----------i like the look

Looking good. How do you like your hinges and their placement? I have the same ones to be mounted soon.

Thanks guys. As far as the hinges go they are stout. The guys that made the lid placed and welded them on at first. Brought it home and sprayed a few coats of primer. Everything was fine until I installed the struts. I already had and issue with making it water proof on the front edge where the lid and trailer meet. After installing the struts it made it worse. Not sure if they where to close together or welded on crooked? I was told one or the other and maybe both? One, was that the hinges where not welded straight to the lid, because that's the only thing straight on the trailer now, they welded it as best they could to make them both straight. The second problem would be that the hinges where too close? I even thought that the lid was given way? I installed 1" square tubing in front and back edges to give it some support. That didn't help. There was no way that two 150# struts could be bending this lid. So finally I cut off the hinges and moved them out as far as I could and welded them straight to the lid and then welded the other portion to the tub how it sat. BAM! Fixed it! Here are some pics of the issues I had.

Here you can see that the lid sits right above and or towards the front edge of the trailer.

After installing the struts you can see the primer line of how the lid sat good on the tub and about a 1/4' back from the front edge after strut install. Hope that makes since? I painted it sitting right then you could see the change?

But now all is good with the exception of needing stronger struts? I may even center the RTT to the trailer and give up outside storage but balance the trailer? I may end up with some 200# struts and leaving it as it sits? It's only money????

 

[swampman]

looks great !! do ya think ya have to move it forward.. if you were puttin a rack in front of the tent with some coolers or jerry cans or whatever would that not balance it out,,

 

[kilo]

looks great !! do ya think ya have to move it forward.. if you were puttin a rack in front of the tent with some coolers or jerry cans or whatever would that not balance it out,,

I think it would. My only issue with that is that I may not put any weight up top and front as far as cooler or jerry cans. Maybe a small trip here and there for a weekend camping trip. That's why I was thinking about centering the RTT for those types of trips. What I'm thinking about doing is adding another cross bar that isn't welded on but one with tabs on top and bottom on each end that would be pinned onto the rack which would make it adjustable frontwards and backwards if that makes since. This is just until I decide if I need/want on board water and pump. If so, the water tank will go inside and up front. Then I could always leave some water in the tank and even batteries to balance it out with the RTT on the back end. I would also like to have the fuel cans on the front side corners and small propane tanks in the back. So until I decide what else to add I would like it to balance with just the RTT. Here are some moc up pics of jerry cans and placement. Let me know what you guys think you would do.

.

 

[Brentbba]

I think the bungee cord jerry can holder there on the side is unique!

 

[OlympiaFJ60]

Looking good. I like the lid a lot, it has come together nicely.

 

[kilo]

I think the bungee cord jerry can holder there on the side is unique!

I think I would be the only one able to get away with it???

 

[kilo]

I made a couple of adjustable crossbars that will bolt into place. This way I can center the RTT as the trailer sits. Then I could always drill some more adjusting holes on the rack for some adjustments. The trailer sits almost level with the Tacoma and pulls good now.. I think it came out OK. I'll be able to fit a ton of stuff inside the trailer but it looks REAL small compared to the taco. LOL

 

[swampman]

WELL .... for what its worth, i think it looks real good centered on the pic behind the truck.. i think your line of thought is good , for the amount of times you may need the jerry cans they could just go in the bed of the truck.. .. good job !

then again , the jerry cans on the trailer,, just look killer

 

[kilo]

I did a tad more these past few days. I welded on the stabilizer legs for the back of the trailer. Still need a taller jack for the tongue, I hate the one that I have.

And I have been layering the primer in different colors. Decided to stick with the Urban camo colors. I guess it came out OK? Tired of messing with the paint. Still have a lot left but it sits ready to use right now. I'll be taking her down to Padre Island National Seashore in a couple of weeks for a 3 day trip of camping, fishing, good people and a whole lot of cold beer! I can't wait! Here she is now....

Hope to finish her soon! Thanks for all of the comments and ideas guys!

 

[1loudLX]

that looks kool....but where is grey camo going to help in Texas? The interstates?