- Thread starter
- #641
Mike! Welcome, I recognize your name from ExPo, lots of good stuff here too. Aren't you doing the indy suspension build up?
Rezarf <><
My scratch built expedition style trailer build up thread (2 Viewers)
- Thread starter REZARF
- Start date
This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate
links, including eBay, Amazon, Skimlinks, and others.
Mike! Welcome, I recognize your name from ExPo, lots of good stuff here too. Aren't you doing the indy suspension build up?
Rezarf <><
- Thread starter
- #643
I got the gas struts installed tonight. I made up a little plate with a nut welded inside them, then opened up a hole in the tubing on the side and lid of the trailer and welded them in place. This allowed me to keep all the mounting nuts blind, so you can't see them from the outside of the trailer. Keeps the lines clean! 
Got the buggers installed, closed up the lid... got the wife, to show off the struts of course... opened them up... and HISSSSSSSSS one of the struts puked its guts out and died. Bummer, this is my first bad item from McMaster, I hope they come through for me.
Any way here are the pics...
Got the buggers installed, closed up the lid... got the wife, to show off the struts of course... opened them up... and HISSSSSSSSS one of the struts puked its guts out and died. Bummer, this is my first bad item from McMaster, I hope they come through for me.
Any way here are the pics...
Last edited:
- Thread starter
- #644
Here is a few shots of the measuring fiasco... my geometry skills are kinda weak, but things started to come together once I had the tape up and could visualize the struts and their placement.
McMaster has a great write up on figuring out the pressure and length needed. Just search gas struts on their site.
McMaster has a great write up on figuring out the pressure and length needed. Just search gas struts on their site.
- Thread starter
- #645
The non-dead strut installed.
Geez Drew...how many times can we say "great job", "nice", etc.? But just about every set of pics and rhetoric you post inspires the same desire to send you kudos!
Great job!
But just about every set of pics and rhetoric you post inspires the same desire to send you kudos!Great job!
Guilty as charged! It looks like I have a lot more reading to do over here. Nice work on the struts. I'll have to check out McMaster on the install instructions. Thanks for the tip. It's amazing some of the tech info in some of the catalogs out there.
Top notch, just like the rest of your build.
Mike
Last edited:
- Thread starter
- #649
Nope, it just burst. Both are rated at 150 lbs of lifting force, and I have them arranged that it will aid in the lifting but probably still need a prop to hold open all the way. The lid actually opens a good bit higher when they were both working.
Cool thing to know, McMaster got back to me in about 20 minutes last night at 11pm Mountain time, and they are sending out a new one today for free! Got to love a place that knows customer service!
Lid gets stripped and cleaned up for white powder coat tonight! 
ALso, anyone here used Crossfire paint from NAPA, best deal around, I think it is what I am going to shoot.
THanks!
Cool thing to know, McMaster got back to me in about 20 minutes last night at 11pm Mountain time, and they are sending out a new one today for free! Got to love a place that knows customer service!
Lid gets stripped and cleaned up for white powder coat tonight!
ALso, anyone here used Crossfire paint from NAPA, best deal around, I think it is what I am going to shoot.
THanks!
- Thread starter
- #651
Geez Drew...how many times can we say "great job", "nice", etc.?
Great job!
Thanks man, the encouragement helps!
Mike, more on that indy build man! You should post up a link in a new thread over here to your build up on ExPo. killer stuff for sure. I might have to hire you out to install an indy suspension on my trailer
If you don't mind me asking, what do they want for a gallon? I presume it is Single Stage Urethane?
- Thread starter
- #653
IIRC it is acrylic enamel, which is great for my application, and I only priced out a quart, which is only 37 bucks.
Drew, I've been following your build. You've done a fantastic job of building this trailer. Very, very nice!!
Regarding the paint, I don't recall the exact name "Crossfire" but a few years ago I painted a friend's Bronco with a NAPA automotive paint. We used all the same brand for sealer, surfacer, paint, reducers, hardeners, etc. Followed prep and mixing instructions carefully, etc. It looked great but the paint peeled badly after a couple years and this vehicle is garaged most of the time. There was very little adhesion of the paint to the sealer. The paint was not very expensive but in the end, it was not worth it. I'd suggest spending a little more to get a more reliable PPG or Dupont system. Its not much fun to "do-over" a paint job.
I recall what we used was a Synthetic Enamal not an Acrylic Enamal so maybe it was a different paint but I do recall that a gallon of color ranged from $60 to $75 depending on the exact color you wanted. Thi swas factory packed paint so there was no color mixing options. For some reason, I want to think the name of this paint was "Western" or "Weston" or something like that... In anycase, NAPA was the only place I had seen this paint brand and I looked in quite a few places for paint.
I don't know if Nason is still making paint but it used to be fairly cheap in price and I've had pretty good luck with their Urathane paint. I think this is what Miracle and places like that used to use.
- Thread starter
- #655
Mike-
Thanks for the heads up. I do want this to last, but I don't need a hot rod finish either. I am checking out Sherwin Williams in the morning as well, I have used and like there spray can stuff lots!
Thanks!
Drew
Thanks for the heads up. I do want this to last, but I don't need a hot rod finish either. I am checking out Sherwin Williams in the morning as well, I have used and like there spray can stuff lots!
Thanks!
Drew
...and anyone else that sees a problem I would ask you to speak up! Not that I will change it though
Drew, I don't recall seeing or reading it but are you going to have any sort of stabilizer(s) on the trailer so that you are not dependent on the tow vehicle to keep it stable and also keep it from tipping backwards when you are using it as a tent, etc?
If you had some outriggers or down tubes then you could keep the tent/trailer in a base camp and leave the tow rig free to roam the trails.
- Thread starter
- #657
Actually, it is really stable. If you look at the design the rear axle is further back than some, I copied a lot of the aussies setups. I may add them later on if there is a need. But with the water and batteries up front, especially when I keep the drawbar in place, it is really hard to get to move.
So, if I keep my fat butt towards the front and my skinny-mini wife towards the rear, bet we will be fine. Thanks, time will tell. (isn't that half the fun, getting to mod down the road?
)Actually, it is really stable. If you look at the design the rear axle is further back than some, I copied a lot of the aussies setups. I may add them later on if there is a need. But with the water and batteries up front, especially when I keep the drawbar in place, it is really hard to get to move.
So, if I keep my fat butt towards the front and my skinny-mini wife towards the rear, bet we will be fine. Thanks, time will tell. (isn't that half the fun, getting to mod down the road?
Or if you do tip, it'll make for a great story.... especially if there are pics
Hey Drew are you using a tig for this or a regular mig? I only ask cuz all of the close ups of your welds look damn good. I have just gotten into welding myself and I am just curious. Thanks.
