TheGillz Trailer

[TheGillz]

Well another weekends worth of work completed. We scrapped the 14" side box that we had and decided that with the suspension travel we could accomidate 16" boxes, so those were worked on.

Things left to do before powedercoat:

Finish the tailgate along with its latch system.
Build the side boxes with their latch systems.
Mount the propane tank.
Mount the fuel cans.
Build the fender segments.

 

[Degnol]

Gillz, are you doing the fab work or is your guy doing most of the work? NTTIAWWT

 

[TheGillz]

I am doing nothing unfortunately except buying stuff. He lives 300 miles from me, so I am not able to help. You can bet if I were closer I would be over there helping every weekend.

Mike gets all praise and credit for the fun stuff. I just help work out ideas and plans in our heads, and he impliments them, and frankly comes up with most of the ideas as well.

Basically we talked about what my family needed, what trailers I liked ect. He then scetched up the design in the first pic, from there he has been going to town, and consulting me from time to time on preferences, and I have been chiming in when I have an idea or question.

I love working with my hands and am pretty handy, but this is wayyyyy beyond my current skill set. I am sure once I get it here there will be mods galore to personalize it, but I don't have a welder or grinder. (yet)

ps what is: NTTIAWWT

 

[TheGillz]

Got a mockup of how the side doors are going to work done wed. night. As well as finishing the passenger side box.

Also a gratuitis photo shoot. Not much left before powder coating.

 

[sirenmoses]

NTTIAWWT Not That There's Anything Wrong with That

 

[REZARF]

Gillz-

What is going on the front of that thing? I am hoping you have figured out how to get the proper tongue weight up front, looks like it might be a bit heavy behind the axle. Keep it up man, looking sweet!

Drew

 

[TheGillz]

Its funny that you posted this...someone over on expo just expressed the exact opposite concern. That with fuel and whatnot, that it is front heavy. All I can say is that it will have very much to do with loading, and something I plan on keeping in mind loading for each trip.

 

[REZARF]

Personally, I think you are front light. You will need a good amount of tongue weight (roughly 10-15%) to have the trailer track correctly behind your vehicle. Without enough tongue weight the trailer will begin to wander and sway back and forth. Any plans for gear on the sweet front deck?

Just a thought, from the side profile the rule of thumb is 60% of the weight should ride in front of the axle.

Just another .02

 

[TheGillz]

I appreciate the concerns and thoughts for sure. There will be tie downs on the front deck. I will keep coolers gas and water up there to even out any other weight from the rear, and the tent position on top. It is something I am concerned with and will have to figure out the best way to load depending on what is needed for each trip.

Also there is a future battery box planned for the front triangle area, but not till next year or this winter.

 

[TheGillz]

Front fender section placed to guage looks. Tailgate is done. Hoping to finish enough to powdercoat satruday!!!

 

[TheGillz]

Some more work was done last night on the fenders.

Centering the hub, and building a rear platform to make the fenders even around the tires.

Testing the look with the one segment that is done.

 

[TheGillz]

Another weekend, more work done. Mike got a Rivnut gun, and put it to good use. These Riv-nuts are great for installing threads in thin wall material. They are offered in various thread sizes and grip ranges.

These Riv-nuts are for a 1/4"-20tpi bolt and as you can see in the picture they really compress well on the back side. These are also fluted to give greater resistance to twisting within the hole when torquing down the bolts.

This shows the passenger side with both the front and rear fender segments in place. It also has the side box lid hanging in place. It looks a little naked with out the latches.

Drivers side didn't quite get done this weekend.

Lock-n-roll hitch all welded up to the 2" square tube tongue. There are eight rosette welds, two per side as well as a multiple pass circumferential weld around the opening that the 2" tube slides in to.

Mike was able to weigh the trailer today and as it sits in the pictures here it weighs 840 lbs. (Across the street from his in-law's place there is a certified truck scale, so he ran it over there and un-hooked from it.) Just for comparison purposes the "Base Trailer net weight lbs" for the Horizon and the Chaser are 1100 Lbs and 700 Lbs respectively.

Getting so close I can't stand it.

 

[sseaman]

great progress

 

[titanpat57]

Damn Gillz..she's one sweet unit. If you had to give it a name I'd have to vote for "Shock and Awe"...there's no other way to describe the quality of work and off the hook design. Plese keep posting progress...friggin ' thing is unbelievable.

 

[TheGillz]

Damn Gillz..she's one sweet unit. If you had to give it a name I'd have to vote for "Shock and Awe"...there's no other way to describe the quality of work and off the hook design. Plese keep posting progress...friggin ' thing is unbelievable.

Wow, thanks for the kind words. I have to agree. I am stinking excited to get this thing in the hills.

Name huh? I hadn't thought of that. Sounds like a cool idea to come up with a good name. How bout "The Titan"?

Mike is a great fabricator and I am lucky to have met him!

 

[titanpat57]

P.S. For the record I'm jealous as hell too!!! Now ya' got me shaking waiting for it to get done... Yeaaaaa..Titan has a nice ring to it now that mention it! Go Dog Go >>>>>>>>>

 

[62FJ40]

How are you going to seal your side compartment doors? Looks like water falling on top of compartment will tend to work its way inside.

Looks like it is gonna work well otherwise

 

[TheGillz]

How are you going to seal your side compartment doors? Looks like water falling on top of compartment will tend to work its way inside.

Looks like it is gonna work well otherwise

Redneck trailer supply is where we got the latches, axle, and some of the other parts, also supplied us with some industrial weather stripping that will get adhered to the outside edge of the side boxes and the tailgate.

 

[TheGillz]

Some more work done. Latches on both Side boxes on, and Both rear fenders and flat sections done.

 

[REZARF]

One dimple!