More M101 CDN Restoration Questions

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That looks great! How is holding up under the weight? What are your plans to seal it up?

Looks really sharp.

Rezarf <><
 
That looks great! How is holding up under the weight? What are your plans to seal it up?

Looks really sharp.

Rezarf <><

Thanks! I have reinforced the deck with 2x4s underneath, and it doesn't budge when I stand on top of it (and I weigh about 200). I am going to paint it OD green to match the trailer. I hope the paint alone will provide a sealant, although I have some other ideas that might work.

I forgot to mention that I built this type of deck so that I could avoid drilling into the steel on the trailer itself. This thing is completely independent of the tub. It will be secured for highway driving, but is 100% removable.
 
Really great looking design. I would probably find a sealer that works well before painting. There are a lot of good sealers out there, just make sure it will work in conjunction with the paint you have.

How much room does the "lid" take up in the cargo area? (how far down do the braces hang?)

Looks great man, you are doing a bang-up job on that thing.

Rezarf <><
 
If your looking for a weathertight hinge try a "huricane hinge". Search for teardrop forums, they use these hinges on the rear hatch, they are weathertight and strong. You lid looks great, now to get started on mine.
SC
 
Really great looking design. I would probably find a sealer that works well before painting. There are a lot of good sealers out there, just make sure it will work in conjunction with the paint you have.

How much room does the "lid" take up in the cargo area? (how far down do the braces hang?)

Looks great man, you are doing a bang-up job on that thing.

Rezarf <><

Thanks! It sure is a fun little project.

I am going to do some research on sealers this weekend. I hope to have this thing painted and finished within the month.

The braces are 2x4s and 2x6s, and only take up some space around the upper perimeter of the trailer. It would have saved some space if I had just drilled hinges into the side of the trailer, but to me it is worth it to keep the trailer hole-free as much as possible.
 
WOW! Man that looks awesome. Nice work.
 
Attached are a few pics of the latest progress. I spent a lot of time thinking about what type of support to put under the lid, and I wanted something lightweight AND strong. I settled for steel building studs, and I think they are going to work great. They are inexpensive, very light, and very strong. I used galvanized bolts to secure them underneath.

As for the top, I used Simpson building heavy duty brackets with 3/8" galvanized bolts that go through the deck and through the steel studs underneath. The brackets fit the tent brackets perfectly, and the bolts support them on top as well as the steel framework underneath.

Prior to painting the lid, I used a masonry sealant on the plywood. Although it sounds strange, it was perfect for the task. It not only waterproofed the lid, but also filled in gaps and holes that plywood has around the edges. It was also designed to be painted over, and none of the other wood sealers I looked at would recommend painting over them.

I also got her registered this past week, and my to-do list is as follows and then it's done:

License plate light
Locking mechanism
Allegis Corp gas shocks
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Nice job!! That lid looks sturdy, good enough to serve as a platform. Great paint job, too, I like the mil-spec look, reminds me of my little M416 at the beginning of the journey!
 
CBMONTGO,

You stated earlier "This thing is completely independent of the tub. It will be secured for highway driving, but is 100% removable." How do you plan to secur it "for highway driving"? Nice design!
 
CBMONTGO,

You stated earlier "This thing is completely independent of the tub. It will be secured for highway driving, but is 100% removable." How do you plan to secur it "for highway driving"? Nice design!

Well, I am going to attach straps from the lid frame to the ring latches that are built into the trailer. I feel like the weight of the lid and tent alone are safe for the highway, but the straps secure it for other reasons (i.e. off-camber situations or rollover).

There are times when I am just going to want a trailer, so I didn't want this tent thing to be permanent.
 
Cbmontgo, why not mount four L-shaped brackets at the corners of the tub instead of using straps? Realistically, taking out 8 bolts out when you need to convert it back to an open trailer won't take long, and it will much cleaner than using straps. Just a thought....
 
Cbmontgo, why not mount four L-shaped brackets at the corners of the tub instead of using straps? Realistically, taking out 8 bolts out when you need to convert it back to an open trailer won't take long, and it will much cleaner than using straps. Just a thought....

Could you clarify? I am mainly trying to avoid drilling holes in the tub of the trailer. I guess I am afraid of that first big "mod" and I am keeping it original for now. The straps I was thinking about are just short straps inside the trailer that are not visible from the outside.

Let me know what you have in mind.
 
Could you clarify? I am mainly trying to avoid drilling holes in the tub of the trailer. I guess I am afraid of that first big "mod" and I am keeping it original for now. The straps I was thinking about are just short straps inside the trailer that are not visible from the outside.

Let me know what you have in mind.

Ahhh...no holes. Gotcha! Hmm...then how do the straps hook up inside the trailer, to the tie downs? That would work! Sorry, I'm a sucker for a drill, no caveats! :)
 
Ahhh...no holes. Gotcha! Hmm...then how do the straps hook up inside the trailer, to the tie downs? That would work! Sorry, I'm a sucker for a drill, no caveats! :)

Yeah, I am tempted to use a drill every day on it; it would make things MUCH easier!

I am going to strap the 2x6s to the tie downs. I still need to figure out the cleanest way to do it, but I expect that it will be pretty easy. Probably on the to-do list this weekend...
 

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