1 more CDN M101 Build

[Eric S.]

Well it's overdue but it's time our Canadian M101 gets some love.
This season hoping to get all the add-on's done. Then in the winter or early spring the trailer will get stripped and repainted.

First up a lid and rack to mount the new Tepui Kukenam Ruggedized XL tent.

Framed around the outer edge with 3/16 thick 1.25"X1.25" angle.

Then tacked on the 18" thick 1"x2" rectangular tubing that I welded in bungs with 1/4-20 threads to line up as close as I could with the tents mounting holes. I wanted to keep the tent as low as possible so the extruded channels that are usually used for mounting will not be used in this application.

Cross tube end cap. I added a hoop to them, they are a little small but you can't have too many tie downs

Made three hinges. Tried to guesstimate the room to leave for the foam rubber seal before welding in place.

Reinforced the hinge. My welds aren't prety but should hold up

Welded on tabs for the lift struts.

My lovely wife was kind enough to paint the frame with POR15 to keep it protected until the whole trailer gets done. She has much more patients when it comes to prep than I do...best to leave it to the professional.
After paint I used Sikaflex to bond a sheet of 10ga 5051 aluminum to the frame.

More to come....

 

[johnspark]

Keep it up, can't wait to see the results.

 

[Eric S.]

Mounted on trailer

Picked up two adjustable toggle latches from ebay. I liked the looks and added beef of the McMaste-Carr latches better but they wouldn't sell me any since I live in Canada. Ridiculous.
Had to make some aluminum spacer blocks for the latch and I just welded the other half to the lid.

150 pound lift struts. I picked up from the local Peden RV. I just bolted the 10mm ball mount on the trailer but I think I'll add more reinforcement to them soon. A lot of force applied to them.

So much force when trial fitting before I glued the aluminum sheet it would twist the angle iron when closing. I wasn't that confident that the lids frame would hold up to the twisting over time so I made a brace that spans from the tab to a crossbar. Think it's a bit overkill but I like to overbuild.... It's more fun
In this pic you can also see the 2"x3/8" foam rubber seal added to the lid. I allowed for 1/4" compression of the seal and it seemed to work out okay.

Added a mount to each side for a jack. Tried to get way with two an the back but after testing I'll add two more near the front just to help stabilize and level things out.

 

[Eric S.]

Tent mounted.

With the bedding for three (minus pillows) it was a tight squeeze to get the cover zipped up. I don't want to have to fight the zipper each time so we decided to remove the ladder. Since the cover didn't have a pocket made into it for the ladder if freed up the last but of space needed to get it closed up nice. I'm a bit upset I'll be giving up some storage space for a ladder now but It's really my only option if I don't want to pack up the bedding every time. I'll made a quick release for the ladder so it will be a quick on and off.
Another benefit of no ladder... it looks better

 

[Mark Harley]

Very nice fab work. I like the tie downs you used to cap the ends of the tubing.

 

[Eric S.]

Cut off the blue plastic from the latches. They just didn't fit with the trailer.
You can use our imagination, no photo of that lol

Oh, in case someone else wants to try. I first mounted the lift struts (or gas springs whatever you want to call them) to the other side of the trailer box so they would act the same way as most rear hatch lift struts do on vehicles. Turned out that 150lb springs would be nowhere near strong enough. In that orientation one strut would not even hold up the bare lid frame. So I swamped it around like you see in all the trailer builds....should have known.
Now with the two struts and tent they work well. It requires a bit of a push to get things moving but it is quite liveable. Thought about adding a handle but didn't want the look of it. In hindsight I should have welding something on to push and pull on. Think I'll try and add a rope or something soon.


Since the gas cans can't go inside the trailer I used the left over angle and scrap metal I had laying around to fab up a rack for three cans on the front.
Planning on adding an axillary fuel tank to my Jeep Commander so hopefully soon this will be the place for water instead.

Had to re locate the parking brake.

 

[Eric S.]

Maiden Voyage...Seems I didn't take many pic's of the tent deployed. Still have to do a few little things like move the jack bracket further up the jack so their travel is more useable. Add two more jacks to the front of the box. I would also like to cut off the jack handles and just weld nut on. They just get in the way packing.

Tow vehicle.

 

[Eric S.]

Made a quick release ladder mount.
1 3/8" shorter than the original. You can't use it to leaver over the tent mounting it that low but since mine is on a trailer no problem there. If in the future I find it to be a problem I'll make a new bracket on the ladder side.

Two brackets mount to tent with the original M6 bolts. The ladder uses the 5/16 quick release pin.

Ladder is nice and quick to remove now. Another benefit, I can use it around camp if needed

 

[johnspark]

nice work. it's looking good.

 

[Box Rocket]

I like the quick release for the ladder. Where did you find those brackets?

 

[Eric S.]

Thanks. I made the brackets.

 

[johnspark]

Thanks. I made the brackets.

Even more awesome!

 

[Mark Harley]

Eric S. You should pattent those ladder brackets amd market them.
Very nice design.

 

[Eric S.]

I'll try and make some "prototypes" next week. No way they are worth paying for a patent but I don't mind helping people out.

 

[GVDocHoliday]

So is that a Steel frame with the aluminum sheeting? The reason why you used an adhesive rather than welding?