The World Needs Another M1102 Build Thread

Long time lurker here thinking I should probably give something back. So here is my current build as it happens.

About me: Average shade tree mechanic, hobby welder, nothing special but I enjoy working with my hands. I have a garage, 110/220v Hobart MIG, chop saw, angle grinder, compressor and air accessories.

Why: Purpose is a camp trailer that I can tow behind Toshi, my 2006 LC100 with OME lift and a few goodies. We own a 26' RV that I generally detest because you can't take it anywhere cool. It does, however, make camping with a 2 year old very easy. Goal here is to make overland camping just as convenient and to provide a camp trailer I can use on hunting trips into the mountains, desert and the like. Must be very capable off road but have a reasonable amount of family conveniences that are easy to deploy. Definite components include a CVT rooftop tent, exterior lighting, cooking station, water and awning.

What: I found a 2006 M1102a locally for a very good price. It looked barely used and had been sold in San Diego to a gentleman who used it to move to Idaho. He then sold it to me. Everything is stock except an auxiliary lighting kit he put on in haste instead of replacing the 24v bulbs. Still has everything else, soup to nuts. Unfortunately the seller duct taped the For Sale sign on it. Oh well.

The day I bought it:

forsale.jpg

Wedged into the "shop."
20180203_181245.jpg
 
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The first thing I did to her was replace the monstrous 37" Humvee wheel/tire combo with a set of Federal 33" mudders. I live in the mountains so road tires were not an option. I kept the GMC 8 lugs as they were and simply bought some black steelies to mount the Federals on. This brought the height of the trailer down and it now sits pretty happily on the Land Cruiser instead of ultra stink bug. Ultimately I will add a spare to the trailer but these will do for now. They sit maybe 1/2" out of the wheel wells at most and look great.

Federal Cougaria M/T's on Black Steelies

wheels.tires.jpg
 
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Next up comes a hinged lid. The basic idea here is a stout framed, hinged lid that can be lifted with strut assistance to access the bed for both maintenance and for storage. It has to be strong enough to hold a RTT, 2 adults and a nub, and a firewood "rack" of sorts with around 40lbs of firewood. As you'll find out, I tend to overbuild in these sorts of instances.

Down to the local metal shop I went and spent roughly $280 on 1x1, 1.5x1 and 2x1 tubing. Once home, I cut and welded the initial rectangle that sits on the trailer, adding four corner braces shortly after. My welding skills were rusty (ha ha) but I carefully inspected the welds and wailed on them as well, with zero sign of failure or issue. As I continued to weld, I found myself getting back into the rhythm and producing decent looking welds.

Frame done, starting to build up with corner "posts."

lid.corner.weld.jpg

I am going to do my best to complete the lid frame this week before leaving next week on family vacation. It should allow me to get an order in at the sheet metal shop to enclose the frame.

Questions:

1. Should I choose aluminum or galvy? Aluminum will be lighter and more corrosion resistant but costs roughly three times as much per square foot. On the flip side, I do plan on painting whichever I buy, so I should be able to effectively protect it should I go the steel route. Thoughts?

2. I was planning on using heavy duty trailer door strap hinges with zerk fittings on them for the hinges like these: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0002ESB2I/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER&psc=1 Any thoughts on these? I'd rather not use piano hinges as I've seen them break before.

3. Any suggestions on the seal between the lid and trailer? I was thinking some sort of rubber strip but I wasn't sure if there's a better alternative. I will be using heavy duty lever latches to secure the trailer lid closed.
 
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ottsville

Observer
If you are doing a good paint job, the base metal doesn't need to be galvanized. I'd just use steel sheet. Painting galvanized has it's own set of issues.

For a seal, you could use a rubber(not foam) weatherstripping that is designed for truck caps. Maybe something like this but in a narrower width?

Your pictures aren't coming up.
 

shifty98

Observer
Yes, the world does need another M1101/2 Build thread! I love seeing everyone else's ideas. Unfortunately I am having trouble viewing your pictures in the format they are in as well. Sounds like it is off to a great start!
 

shifty98

Observer
I can see the pictures now. You weren't kidding when you said you have a tendency to overbuild things. That lid will be stout!
 
Okay, kids, had some time this week to largely complete the rest of the frame.

frame.welded.jpg

frame.welded.2.jpg

As you can see, I overbuilt the ******** out of this thing. It's just how I roll when I weld. Anyhow, feels good to finally get that frame together, measure it and confirm that all is well and square.

I went ahead and ordered pre-painted steel sheet metal in an off white. It wasn't too much more than plain and saves me a step. It should be ready to pick up next week. I ordered hinges from Ebay--the heavy duty type you see on box trucks that I will ultimately weld on. I also received all of the HD latches (4) that I'll use to secure the lid to the tub when closed. My plan is to have have two on the back, two on the rear of the sides to really keep that thing snug. Some of the sink components also arrived from Ebay, but more on that later. And finally, all of the kitchen stuff I ordered from CampChef also arrived--stove, dutch oven, Sherpa kitchen organizer/table combo and griddle top. I have a friend at CC that really helped me out.

My CVT Mt. Rainier Standard Stargazer Summit RTT arrived yesterday but will sit in it's box for a few weeks until everything else is done.

Next up: Remove and paint the lid frame, likely just a quick and dirty prime and black to protect it from the elements. After that, I'll likely sand and Monstaline the trailer itself. I need a break from fabricating and it makes sense to get it painted and set at this stage before adding other components to the exterior. Going to go with a dark grey for the tub and a black for the trailer frame. The sheet metal lid is off white, so I think it'll look nice all put together.

More on long range plans:

--Swing out tire carrier that doubles as a support for counter on driver's side.
--RV water tank, pump and plumbing to driver's side where it'll culminate in a hose bib. I can then use that alone or run a hose to the sink that will be part of the counter.
--The counter will ride in the tub, somehow secured upside down so that the sink basin is facing up during transport. Upon arrival, I'll pull it out and attach it to the swing out tire carrier (all the way open) and to attachable bracket on the drivers side. This will allow it to be stable, bare weight but also be optional depending on whether or not I want to use it. It'll feature a sink, cutting board area and sufficient space for the Camp Chef Summit Two Burner Stove.
--Run propane line to kitchen area for stove.
--Dual battery/Blue Sea setup
--Run electrical, including LED lighting above kitchen, in tub and near RTT ladder, plus floods in corners; USB ports on driver's side for counter power; 12V outlet in same area to power portable Traeger; power to water pump and another outlet for portable air compressor.
--12v bulbs
--Rear hitch receiver for bike rack or cargo tray.
--Interior tie-downs for cooler, Sherpa kitchen set, etc.
--ARB Awning to span over kitchen area.
--Trasharoo
--Propane tank mount
--Got an aluminum smaller truck box for batteries, fuse box, etc. Need to mount to tongue.
--Mount shovel, axe, etc. on RTT bars
--Create Firewood cradle that sits on lid.
--Create means to transport 3 comfortable chairs.
 

shifty98

Observer
Looking good. And hey if it ain't overbuilt it's probably underbuilt. I put a bedslide on my M1101 and it worked out really slick. That might work well for you especially if you are going to put a top on it. It allows me to reach all the way to the front of the trailer without climbing in there. Off to a great start! I'm excited to see how it goes and I may be stealing some of your rack ideas this summer.
 
Well, progress has been made. I got the sheet metal and placed on the frame only to find it was "off" by about a 1/4" on one of the RTT posts that protrude through the sheets. Sadly, I consider this a victory because it means this behemoth that I fabricated was actually square and that it was true enough that the sheet metal fabricator was able to deliver.

I ended up cutting a weld in one of the corners and bringing it in 1/4", thus moving the sheet. After doing this, I was able to concentrate on my coup'de'etat, the hinges. Now please bare in mind that I've never taken on a fabrication project anywhere near this magnitude. I've welded some stuff before like firewood racks, winch bumpers for farm trucks, etc. but nothing that had to be super precise with moving parts and any sort of engineering involved.

So, after starting a thread on hinges, I ended up using these dump door hinges which I actually bought on Ebay. They're burly as hell and I like the fact that they have grease ports on them.

Here's one mounted

single.hinge.jpgsingle.hinge.jpg

After much deliberation, I ended up welding on an extra tube of 2x1 heavy gauge steel to the frame, then used two more pieces as vertical columns to tie it all together on the front side of the trailer where the hinges would undoubtedly put some stress on the frame.



That night I used some Rustoleum black primer on the frame and gave it two coats just for protection, even though it should be fairly protected from the elements.

Mostly primed

frame.primed.jpg

I used my hobby drill press that actually worked quite well to drill two holes on each hinge--one on the "flap" and one behind the hinge on the mounting plate that would attach to the trailer itself. After a trip to the hardware store and $28 in Grade 8 bolts, nuts, locking washers and locktite were procured, it was time to try and put this whole thing together.

It took me a good 15 minutes to position the frame. I placed angle iron under each side because I'll ultimately be using 1x1 angle iron attached to the trailer rails to both keep water out and also keep the lid from wanting to move at all laterally. I happened to have enough sitting around the shop to use to get the frame off the rails as it will sit when done. After many taps, pushes, square checks, cussing, repeating, I finally got the frame exactly where I wanted it.

I then placed the first hinge on the mark I had measured and used a square to make sure it was absolutely vertical. Once I did this, I outlined it in orange marker just for posterity, then c-clamped the hinge to the frame. Once I was satisfied, I used three graduating bits to drill through the frame to provide a bolt hole for the hinge. I then took the hinge off, reversed it, and used the the flap to locate where the lower trailer hole would be since you cannot mark through those dump hinges. Again checking for vertical squareness, I drilled and drilled and drilled. My holes were true and the bolts slid easily into the hinge. I then repeated on the other side of the front, taking my time. Once I was sure everything was set, I applied the locktite and tightened the **** out of the hardware.

The finished product:

hinge.weld.jpg

Now came the moment of truth--would the hinges work? Would the lid lift vertically or off center? Would the frame sit back down exactly where it was? I was admittedly stressed simply because of the sheer amount of work I had put into this coupled with the absolute lack of experience. I walked to the back of the trailer and lifted the frame from the middle. Up it went without any issues (it's a heavy mo'fo, though) and down it came right back onto it's spot. I was elated. I know that sounds stupid but my stress level dropped significantly at this point. Happy, I took the welder to the hinges and welded them to the frame just for more reinforcement.

After doing some family stuff, I went back into the shop and plopped the sheet metal on the frame. I was happy to see my adjustment had worked. The sheet metal is comprised in three sheets and they all go on relatively easily now. Only one has a slightly larger gap of 1/8" on one side that I'll have to remedy. But all in all, it's starting to look like a trailer with a lid.

Sheet metal placed but not secured:

sheetmetal.placed.jpg

Next steps:

1. Secure sheet metal to frame using rivets and self-tapping screws.
2. Attach latches on back and sides.
3. Procure 1x1" angle iron to provide interior "guides" for lid frame, and attache them to the trailer rails.
4. Sand and prepare for paint. I ordered 2 gallons of Desert Sand Monstalina but I might save those for the duck boat and automotive air or even rattle can paint. I'm thinking a dark gray would look good with the black wheels and white lid.
5. Start the fun stuff--I got a six switch marine grade panel with USB, 12V and voltmeter; Blue Sea fuse box and four LED work lights. I'll also have to wire in the water pump that I have yet to purchase and buy an RV water tank.

I also need to decide what to do with the surge brake system. Keep it? Replace with electrical? No se.
 
I would glue that sheet metal on with the 3M stuff. It water proofs the seams and is stronger.

Dude, thank you. Hadn't thought about that and I'm about to go bananas on securing the sheet metal tomorrow night. Using that in conjunction with stainless 3/16 rivets seems pretty solid.
 
Got frame done, sheet metal riveted, and HD latches put on.



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Added HD latches.
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Painted outside with Monstaliner Desert Sand20180326_201550.jpg
 

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shifty98

Observer
Looking good! I love the Monstaliner Desert Sand. My plan is to paint mine with U-Pol Raptor Tintable and try to make it Toyota TRD Tan. What is the finish like using the monstaliner? Did you spray or roll on?
 

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