M101 tailgate & homemade fold out tent... (1 Viewer)

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So I zip cut the tailgate out last night, tonite started the tailgate, Tuesday on to the fold out tent rack, I'm going to post all the pics as I go.... First pic is is the tailgate I cut out, ...2nd The Finnish Flash boxing in the tailgate with 1X1, 3rd the trailer...wrong order I know...
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4th pic, boxing in tailgate with 1 x 1 to match the other two pieces of 1 x 1 already on it...5th pic the detail of the 1 X 1 around the heavy plate in the lower corners of the tailgate,
6th pic, the trailer, 1/2" angle set into the bottom, after we cut back the folded steel at that point, 1/2" angle boxing in the hole...
trailer 006.jpg
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next

next pic, the detail of the angle set into the floor..it's flush with the floor, and gives me the spot for the hinges, tying them to the box...the last pic shows it from the inside, the angle being tacked up the sides of the hole...

We did the gate fitted in and the hinges tacked on, but no batteries,..Tuesdau night will update, and begin the fold out tent part....
trailer 001.jpg
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For the tent rack, I'm basically making a 7 X 4 rack out of 1 X 1, that will sit on the trailer. Attached on one side by a hinge is a 5" X 7' panel, with another hinge attached to a 41-5/8 X 7' panel. all panels are covered with 5/8" ply. So it kind of unfolds twice, this gives me 5 inches to leave the tent, bedding etc, in the rack when folded...I've cut and routered the ply, and cut my 1 x 1 to length, will start welding tomorrow night, pics to follow..
 
Great work...keep it up!
 
Slow night, two pics, tigged on the hinges, welded up the open 1x1 ends, cleaned up the welds, drilled and tapped holres for the latches...I'm putting some sikaflex on the joints to match the sealer on the rest of the trailer, maybe paint tomorrow night, I'm planning on painting it to match the trailer, but for now, just spray bomb the mods with olive drab...
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Painted the tailgate, cleaned up welds and sealed up the trailer, the bar across the top is the first bar of the fold out tent, just for mock up...
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Tailgate paintes and installed, latches in place, the reflectors went back in the stock holes...I hung it open just to show it, I'll be installing two aircraft cables to support it...

On to the tent rack....on Tuesday : ) Long weekend now : )
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One of the cleanest mods for a tailgate I have seen, great job dude. :D

Looking forward to the rest of it.

Drew
 
How did you make your straight cuts...simply by eyeballing it..or did you have some straight edge steel as a guide to keep the cut straight with the zip wheel?

airlaird
 
For the vertical cuts, I clamped angle to the trailer on the inside, then layed in it and zipped it, it really sucked, you are in a box with the sparks bouncing all around...then I went outside and finished the cuts through the 1 x 1. For the long horizontal, I cut just under the plate at the corners, from the outside, then connected the two cuts by eye. This was tricky as I didn't realize that there is a double folded layer inside the trailer right here, I cut it in different places, so to make it even i dressed it back 1/2 inch, then welded in the 1/2" angle so it formed a new lip on the trailer...
 
Nice work Mike. You going to be bringing it up to Ardbeg when we go?
Dave
 
just let me know:)
 
Ok, starting the folding tent rack...basically I will have a 4' X 7' rack mounted to the trailer, attached on one side by a hinge is a 5" X 7' rack, attached to that rack also by a hinge is a 3' 5" x 7' rack. The hinges are 1" pipe with 1/2 bolts as the pivot. when unfolded it gives me an 8' X 7' platform. when folded, it is bi-folded, so it gives me a 5" space to leave the tent and bedding inside. all the racks are covered with 1/2 plywood, sealed and painted.

Attached pics, -one sheet of ply with the beginning of a rack,
- the three racks,
- three racks again

Next few nights I'll weld on the hinges and suport brackets...
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I certainly am getting a lot of strange looks when people drive by in the parking lot at my firned's shop...with us holding and clamping all the square tube...told one guy it was cage for mountain lions : )

and I made it inside without cracking a smile...
 

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