This isn't so much a build thread as just a basic trailer refurbishing story. I have a Jeep Wrangler TJ and wanted the additional cargo capacity of a light weight off road capable utility trailer. Lurking here at EP reading various threads I decided an m416 would work well. Unfortunately, no one really suggested how hard they are to find in usable condition. So after several months of searching I managed to track one down out in Northern California. Unfortunately I live in Colorado and taking the time off from work to drive out and pick it up wasn't feasible. I had it shipped here by listing it on Uship.com; the shipping cost was almost the price of the trailer. So anyway, I got my hands on an m416 that was complete including the lights. The tub was in fair shape, not too many dings but a few areas of deep rust and everything had about 10 layers of paint. I was anxious to get going and not having a sandblaster around I decided to strip the tub by hand using a heat gun and various scrapers. This is a miserable process and not one I suggest anyone try but after about 40 hours of work I managed to get most of the tub down to bare metal. I used a several rust/paint remover wheels in a drill on corners and non-flat areas. I then primed and painted the tub. The first three pictures show the original trailer and various stages of tub paint stripping.
to be continued in next post
to be continued in next post