Mark Harley
Expedition Leader
All I can say is WOW! you hit it out of the park with this one......Now let's get it into production!
I need a reason to build anouther trailer..
I need a reason to build anouther trailer..
Fiberglass M416/M100 Military-style Trailer Tub Kit
- Thread starter jscherb
- Start date
jscherb
Expedition Leader
Thank you
. I hope to have things wrapped up with a company that's interested in marketing the kit in the next week or so, then I'll make plans to get the mold masters delivered to them so they can make their production molds. They're thinking summer availability, although until everything gets finalized and I deliver the masters to them I wouldn't say that anything's official.
justageek
New member
Thank you
Jeff,
I don't know (and don't need to know) what financial arrangements you make as part of the marketing deal, I just hope that some of the money I'll be spending for my kit finds its way into your wallet, and soon.
jscherb
Expedition Leader
Jeff,
I don't know (and don't need to know) what financial arrangements you make as part of the marketing deal, I just hope that some of the money I'll be spending for my kit finds its way into your wallet, and soon.
This is a hobby for me, not a business, so whenever I license a kit like this to a company, I do it for a pretty small amount. I don't want my cut to cause the retail price to be too high, my reward is seeing people build these kits and enjoy them. For me it's not about making money, it's about the enjoyment I get out of seeing people take my designs and customize them to their own needs. So if these make it to the market and you buy one, please post a build thread for me to enjoy!
jscherb
Expedition Leader
This morning I'm trying on different wheels/tires and fenders. I also put the tonneau cover on. This first set of photos has the stock M416 fenders (9.75" wide). The tires are 235/75-15's on Jeep 15x6 steel wheels (same as yesterday's photos).
I'll do these same 3 poses with all three sets of fenders so you can compare to see what you like.
I'll do these same 3 poses with all three sets of fenders so you can compare to see what you like
.
jscherb
Expedition Leader
In this set of photos I've mounted the M100-style round fenders, although these are 13" wide to cover the 265/75-16 tires on Jeep Moab alloy rims. Because the center hole of the Jeep alloy wheels is too small to fit over a trailer hub, I've also installed 1.25" spacers.
jscherb
Expedition Leader
Josh,
Thank you very much! I'm glad you enjoy the threads too. I saw your trailer being towed around Moab this year, very nice!
jeff
This morning I'm trying on different wheels/tires and fenders. I also put the tonneau cover on. This first set of photos has the stock M416 fenders (9.75" wide). The tires are 235/75-15's on Jeep 15x6 steel wheels (same as yesterday's photos).
I'll do these same 3 poses with all three sets of fenders so you can compare to see what you like
Pretty cool! I think the DIY market, but also folks looking to restore old trailers, will love this. What a great way to introduce folks to a classic trailer with a brand new product that will last! Easily one of the best thought-out designs - but also the manufacturing aspects, I have had a chance to see up close. Thanks for letting us be a part of it! :victory:
Heifer Boy
Adventurer
Awesome Jeff, just awesome :wings:
Joanne
Adventurer
First off, just an amazing thread! To be quite honest, I wasn't expecting too much at the beginning of the thread. Lots of people have good ideas but few actually follow through. Especially with a project as ambitious as yours! As I watched your progress my whole perspective changed. Like others have expressed, I looked forward to each future post to see what was coming next. My expectations for the final product were pretty high and you exceeded them.
I had to smile when you wrote about not doing it for money, but rather the satisfaction of seeing others build and enjoy your trailers. That attitude is one that we don't hear expressed very often. I'm surprised how often I receive e-mails asking if it is ok for a builder to model their trailer after my Desert Dawg. When I was young my parents would tell me, "Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery". I didn't understand it back then, but I do now. I love the idea of someone liking my trailer enough to build one similar. I finally drew up a diagram with the basic dimensions that I could email people just to give them a starting point. I know that you aren't in it for the money, but I hope that your positive energy comes back to reward you bountifully.
With regard to the round VS square fender choice, I had to make the same decision when building my trailer. Ultimately I ended up choosing the flat top fenders primarily because I like the way they look. But after a number of years of regularly camping in the trailer I found that the decision was a great one, not for aesthetics but for a purely practical reason; storage at the campsite! The fenders become small but very handy tables on each side of the trailer. I set my small "packer" boxes on them rather than on the ground. At night my shoes get set on top of the fenders to keep bugs out of them and so they are handy for those night time trips to the restrooms.
Anyway, I've droned on enough. One last set of kudos on the trailer!
Joanne
I had to smile when you wrote about not doing it for money, but rather the satisfaction of seeing others build and enjoy your trailers. That attitude is one that we don't hear expressed very often. I'm surprised how often I receive e-mails asking if it is ok for a builder to model their trailer after my Desert Dawg. When I was young my parents would tell me, "Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery". I didn't understand it back then, but I do now. I love the idea of someone liking my trailer enough to build one similar. I finally drew up a diagram with the basic dimensions that I could email people just to give them a starting point. I know that you aren't in it for the money, but I hope that your positive energy comes back to reward you bountifully.
With regard to the round VS square fender choice, I had to make the same decision when building my trailer. Ultimately I ended up choosing the flat top fenders primarily because I like the way they look. But after a number of years of regularly camping in the trailer I found that the decision was a great one, not for aesthetics but for a purely practical reason; storage at the campsite! The fenders become small but very handy tables on each side of the trailer. I set my small "packer" boxes on them rather than on the ground. At night my shoes get set on top of the fenders to keep bugs out of them and so they are handy for those night time trips to the restrooms.
Anyway, I've droned on enough. One last set of kudos on the trailer!
Joanne
jscherb
Expedition Leader
Thank you for being a part of it. All of the comments, suggestions and criticisms in the thread help guide me to a better design. I like to think of these projects as a "group design exercise", where I'm the lead designer but all of the participants in the thread are part of my "design committee", checking what I do and giving me ideas for improvements. So thanks to everyone who participated by posting ideas, suggestions and criticisms - it all helped.
I think I've met my goals for the design - something that's as easy as possible to manufacture so it can be affordable, easy enough to build that a DIY-er could do it in his driveway and get good results, and an end product once built by the DIY-er that will be durable and strong enough to use for its intended purpose.
I'm really looking forward to how people might build and outfit them. There are so many good and different ideas in this forum for outfitting the M416/M100 trailers, it'll really be fun to watch people develop their own personal implementation to meet their needs. I hope there are plenty of build threads!!
Right now I'm working on finalizing arrangements with a company that's interested in marketing the kit, so let's hope that goes well. And if it the discussions don't end with the company signing up to market the kit and it doesn't get to market, that's ok with me too, it's been a fun project. On to the next project!