My scratch built expedition style trailer build up thread (11 Viewers)

[REZARF]

ahh, forgot about that. Good idea. Also, are you using a wind up/down retractable wheel for the tounge to be able to move the trailer around in your garage? if so, which one are you going to use?

I am using a Bulldog tongue jack rated for several thousand pounds, I got it because I was having a hard time finding one that could extend as high as I needed it to reach. I will get the model number for you.

I plan on making a removable wheel on the bottom of the jacks base plate.

Rezarf <><

 

[REZARF]

Well, I got a lot done today. I got the entire large box framed up, and it is starting to look like something now.

My wife came out and made some great suggestions and I am going to sleep on them to see if it could be the direction I take. Basically, she mentioned some sliding drawers that would come out along the sides of the trailer. With the kitchen and other stuff still sliding out the back. It really makes sense dimensionally, and I am going to have tons of room when all is said and done.

I will post up some pics tomorrow when I have some daylight to work with.

Rezarf <><

 

[REZARF]

So here are a few pics from yesterdays work.

One of the most time consuming things is trying to fit all this tube together at weird angles and make it look right. Here you can see the joints I made to have proper overlap, I cut them by hand with a cut off wheel on my grinder. All in all they came out good, I would like to see the gaps tightened up a bit but for now I can live with it!

 

[REZARF]

Alright! It finally looks like something more than a beefy small flatbed

This is real simple tube work, but to make it square was quite a challenge and time consuming. My wife has suggested making a long drawer down the side of the trailer, over the kitchen drawer that will come out of the rear. This would make two drawers on one half of the trailer, with the kitchen extending out the back and a 12" high 20+"deep drawer that slides out of the sides for the more common stuff. I would keep the other half of the trailer as one Monster drawer that could swallow coolers and larger items with ease. Whatta' think?

Starting to look cool, IMHO

Rezarf <><

 

[REZARF]

And just a few more for fun...

 

[REZARF]

To clarify...

 

[Box Rocket]

coming together. Good work

 

[J-man]

perfect. I'm looking for one that i can weld to the side of the tounge so i can crank it up and down with a wheel at the bottom and roll it on/off the hitch. Yours looks like it fits into the tube, right?

Nice way you angled the back of the box - stylish. I made mine the simple easy - 90* angles everywhere.

 

[LakeNorman_FJ40]

Looks great! You trailer-building guys are getting me interested in taking a welding class so I can build a trailer instead of going the M101 route I'm currently thinking about...

Just a thought...will you ever use the trailer for landscaping or other odd-hauling jobs around the house? I'd skip the drawers (unless you mount them from the underside) and just use Pelican cases, RubberMaid tubs, and 5-day coolers strapped down in the trailer bed. This way, you have a multi-purpose trailer. But then you may not need it for anything other than camping...

 

[sseaman]

thats looking great, i wish i had the patience to work through all the little details like those on some of my projects

 

[REZARF]

Just a thought...will you ever use the trailer for landscaping or other odd-hauling jobs around the house? I'd skip the drawers (unless you mount them from the underside) and just use Pelican cases, RubberMaid tubs, and 5-day coolers strapped down in the trailer bed. This way, you have a multi-purpose trailer. But then you may not need it for anything other than camping...

Check out post 38 for the answer

Also, you don't need to take a class, just get a welder and get after it, the technique with MIG comes pretty easy. Guys in my local club, Rising Sun, all walked me through it until I started to get good strong beads. Just a thought. A class certainly wouldn't hurt but I bought a welding book and read it up before I allowed myself to purchase a welder.

Just my .02

 

[REZARF]

thats looking great, i wish i had the patience to work through all the little details like those on some of my projects

Patience... maybe.

Mre like, slow at getting things done...

 

[Degnol]

Drew, will the tub bolt directly to the frame or are you going to use some sort of body mount rubber or urethane? Second question, are you goint to use some of that square tube to support the floor?
Sorry for all the ?s but I am sort of copying off your paper

Ed

 

[nat]

Nice work!

 

[REZARF]

Drew, will the tub bolt directly to the frame or are you going to use some sort of body mount rubber or urethane? Second question, are you goint to use some of that square tube to support the floor?
Sorry for all the ?s but I am sort of copying off your paper

Ed

Ed-

I am thinking of bolting right to the frame through the small tubing. No body mounts. I thought about it, but I don't think it is necessary.

I might use some of the square tube on the floor, but for now I plan on using a plywood floor, it makes all the drawers a lot easier to figure out. If I get excessive flex in the floor I will brace it. The floor lays over the inside inch of the frame while the tubing rests on the outside inch of the frame. If you look close in the pics you can see a small 2x2' piece of 3/4" plywood sitting on the frame edge and the tube on the outside edge.

...as for copying, make sure to copy off a smart kid not me

 

[spressomon]

Look'n good!

 

[Jacket]

Drew - Great to finally meet you today. Fascinating thread and build up you got going here. Very impressive, especially since the metal work is all very new to you. If you ever need an extra set of hands, I'm happy to help out.

I'm anxious to see the finishing work!

- matt

 

[REZARF]

Thanks Matt-

I may need a real engineer to pass this thing as road worthy when it is done.

Good to meet you too bud, Go TECH!

Drew

 

[REZARF]

Guys I need a few opinions.

I was at the hardware store today and they were clearing out the stainless bolts for a good price. I plan on bolting the "cage" or box to the frame. I am a bit unfamiliar with stainless, but it wasn't much more than the grade 8 stuff.

Would you...

Go grade 8 with nylocks

Or...

Go stainless with stainless nylocks (I think stainless is closer to a grade 8 than grade 5, anyone?)

I am leaning towards the stainless. I am going to use ten 3/8" bolts to hold this thing down.

THANKS!

Rezarf <><

 

[Arya Ebrahimi]

I've always been under the impression that generic stainless bolts are pretty soft. I would go grade 8, but that's me.