The Moonshine Motel
- Thread starter GLTHFJ60
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- Thread starter
- #462
Coming back to the motel after 6 months of hammering other projects.
IMSA race in August is coming up, and I promised the boys that I'd have a roof top deck for this year. Time to get moving.
Finally decided on a design, mimicking these people; https://trickfab.com/
First step in that process is designing the side brackets. I have a 3d printer now, so yay for rapid prototyping! Started with the grey one, but didn't like how it looked and it wasn't tall enough. White one looks like the winner. This is just a section of the 0.188" thick plate that will be bent as a continuous 8' long bracket, one on each side of the roof, to serve as the mounting point for the deck joists.
The joists will be 4080 aluminum extrusion, bolted onto these bent brackets. The joists will hold the deck surface, then railings and a shade solution will come next.
I had considered this style because it exists and would be easy, but it's just not flashy enough for me.
The 4080 brackets showed up yesterday, and the 4x 8' long 4080 joists show up today. Once I have those I can verify my bracket design and have it bent up by a local shop with a massive press brake (hopefully).
Stay tuned for updates.
In other news, after getting back from logan's run last fall, the trailer jacks froze up on me. Dreading the worst, I hadn't touched the trailer since then. Wednesday I had some buds over to help do some landscaping which required moving the motel, so we got it figured out after jacking the trailer up off of the jacks. Turns out the pillow block bearings for the jackshaft need grease, and I don't remember ever greasing them, lol. They freed up right quick after some back and forth and a few shots of grease, so that's a huge win.
IMSA race in August is coming up, and I promised the boys that I'd have a roof top deck for this year. Time to get moving.
Finally decided on a design, mimicking these people; https://trickfab.com/
First step in that process is designing the side brackets. I have a 3d printer now, so yay for rapid prototyping! Started with the grey one, but didn't like how it looked and it wasn't tall enough. White one looks like the winner. This is just a section of the 0.188" thick plate that will be bent as a continuous 8' long bracket, one on each side of the roof, to serve as the mounting point for the deck joists.
The joists will be 4080 aluminum extrusion, bolted onto these bent brackets. The joists will hold the deck surface, then railings and a shade solution will come next.
I had considered this style because it exists and would be easy, but it's just not flashy enough for me.
The 4080 brackets showed up yesterday, and the 4x 8' long 4080 joists show up today. Once I have those I can verify my bracket design and have it bent up by a local shop with a massive press brake (hopefully).
Stay tuned for updates.
In other news, after getting back from logan's run last fall, the trailer jacks froze up on me. Dreading the worst, I hadn't touched the trailer since then. Wednesday I had some buds over to help do some landscaping which required moving the motel, so we got it figured out after jacking the trailer up off of the jacks. Turns out the pillow block bearings for the jackshaft need grease, and I don't remember ever greasing them, lol. They freed up right quick after some back and forth and a few shots of grease, so that's a huge win.
- Thread starter
- #463
Time to catch this thread up to present day.
I printed a few more brackets in PETG and tapped the ends of one of the struts for M8x1.25 so I could bolt a test together:
The strut is a little close to the roof, so I modified the bracket design to be an inch higher. That will be perfection.
Bought a 4x8 sheet of 3/16" 5052, cut it up, then had it bent. Gentlemen, we have brackets. $500 for the sheet, $40 for the bends, not bad.
I printed a few more brackets in PETG and tapped the ends of one of the struts for M8x1.25 so I could bolt a test together:
The strut is a little close to the roof, so I modified the bracket design to be an inch higher. That will be perfection.
Bought a 4x8 sheet of 3/16" 5052, cut it up, then had it bent. Gentlemen, we have brackets. $500 for the sheet, $40 for the bends, not bad.
- Thread starter
- #464
Need to do some sealant prep to the roof, so first up was pressure washing with a surface cleaning head. Love that tool for pressure washing the roof, works so well.
As you can see, the edge butyl sealant was in terrible shape.
Got all that s*** out and put flowable sealant in.
After a day of cure, the sealant lies very flat. Big fan.
Did that to both sides, about 15' of the roof so far. Need to do the forward half of the trailer, but right now I need this deck to be completed, so that will wait till a later date.
Going to put a bit more flowable sealant in the bottom to fill it up a little more, then stick eternabond tape over that. Should work good, just hope the tape sticks to this sealant.
More to come, stay tuned.
As you can see, the edge butyl sealant was in terrible shape.
Got all that s*** out and put flowable sealant in.
After a day of cure, the sealant lies very flat. Big fan.
Did that to both sides, about 15' of the roof so far. Need to do the forward half of the trailer, but right now I need this deck to be completed, so that will wait till a later date.
Going to put a bit more flowable sealant in the bottom to fill it up a little more, then stick eternabond tape over that. Should work good, just hope the tape sticks to this sealant.
More to come, stay tuned.
Have you considered rolling the entire roof in Henry Dura-Brite to keep the interior temps down?
- Thread starter
- #466
Yes!! I don't think I will because with this deck and adding two more solar panels, most of the roof will be covered already. That was the original plan before I added all of this extra stuff on top though.
- Thread starter
- #468
Eternabond tape and a little bit of trim trimming on the rear panel in prep for the test fit:
Next up was removing the interfering side roof screws and marking the aluminum brackets for the trimming they needed, then test fitting to verify fitment.
8' length of deck looks tiny on top of the trailer, doesn't it?
Did the same for the other side bracket, then drilled all the holes in the aluminum brackets for mounting to the trailer, and for bolting on the joists.
Next up was removing the interfering side roof screws and marking the aluminum brackets for the trimming they needed, then test fitting to verify fitment.
8' length of deck looks tiny on top of the trailer, doesn't it?
Did the same for the other side bracket, then drilled all the holes in the aluminum brackets for mounting to the trailer, and for bolting on the joists.
- Thread starter
- #469
With all the holes drilled, I could do a full test assembly. ****in exciting.
First iteration of the deck will be marine grade ply, so I offset the joists down an inch to give a nice little lip. It's all about the details.
First iteration of the deck will be marine grade ply, so I offset the joists down an inch to give a nice little lip. It's all about the details.
Nice, I would do some extra sealant on the edge of the plywood before you install it. That lip will collect water and wick it into the edge especially where the screws penetrate. So which side will the slide come down?
- Thread starter
- #471
No slide, it's going to be fun enough as-is, lol.
It'll be marine grade ply, not what is pictured, but good call on the edge caulking! Current thinking is to skin it in astroturf.
It'll be marine grade ply, not what is pictured, but good call on the edge caulking! Current thinking is to skin it in astroturf.
Please place a rubber golf tee under that turf. I golf left handed. FYI.