Meet the Trot'n Turtle - Unimog U1300L Build
- Thread starter Hodakaguy
- Start date
Hodakaguy
Adventurer
Time to finish up the passenger side ladder.
Here both base plates are installed and I'm using magnets to line everything up and hold the side bars in place. The magnets with black T handles are called MagSwitches, the larger square ones will hold 400 lbs each and you can turn them on/off at will by twisting the black handle. These magnets are really handy to have around for this type of fabrication.
Installing the steps.
Clamped and ready to tack everything up.
Fully welded up.
I did the welding this time around, not as pretty as my fathers work but it will do
And bolted onto the truck...now to replicate it on the drivers side.
My father was the first to try out the ladder and go for a climb
Hodakaguy
Here both base plates are installed and I'm using magnets to line everything up and hold the side bars in place. The magnets with black T handles are called MagSwitches, the larger square ones will hold 400 lbs each and you can turn them on/off at will by twisting the black handle. These magnets are really handy to have around for this type of fabrication.
Installing the steps.
Clamped and ready to tack everything up.
Fully welded up.
I did the welding this time around, not as pretty as my fathers work but it will do
And bolted onto the truck...now to replicate it on the drivers side.
My father was the first to try out the ladder and go for a climb
Hodakaguy
patoz
Expedition Leader
Beautiful work as usual, but I have a couple of questions.
1. Are you using stainless tubing, because I don't see a speck of rust on any of it anywhere?
2. That first step looks pretty high, so I'm wondering why you didn't extend the ladder all the way down to the bottom edge of the cab?
1. Are you using stainless tubing, because I don't see a speck of rust on any of it anywhere?
2. That first step looks pretty high, so I'm wondering why you didn't extend the ladder all the way down to the bottom edge of the cab?
Hodakaguy
Adventurer
Thanks. That is just fresh carbon steel tubing from the steel supply house, I will remove everything and get it all powder coated before final assembly. We talked about extending the ladder down to the bottom of the cab and adding a kick in the side rails to follow the body lines on the cab. In the end we liked the looks of the shorter ladder so that idea won out
Hodakaguy
Hodakaguy
Hodakaguy
Adventurer
Yeah trying to get the truck into shape for this summer, then I'll work on installing a camper unit. I may end up trying to install our FWC camper for now.
Hodakaguy
Hodakaguy
Adventurer
Today's project...fab up the drivers side ladder.
Here's another handy tool, it's a deburring tool you use to smooth the edges of drilled holes. This ensures no burrs are left on the insides of the holes so the rivet nuts will sit nice and flush/tight.
Assembling the rack.
Tacked up.
Needed to turn the truck around in the garage so I HAD to take a couple pics of the truck while it was out
Now to start on the push bar.....once I decide on how I want it to look
Hodakaguy
Here's another handy tool, it's a deburring tool you use to smooth the edges of drilled holes. This ensures no burrs are left on the insides of the holes so the rivet nuts will sit nice and flush/tight.
Assembling the rack.
Tacked up.
Needed to turn the truck around in the garage so I HAD to take a couple pics of the truck while it was out
Now to start on the push bar.....once I decide on how I want it to look
Hodakaguy
Hodakaguy
Adventurer
I first seen these deburring tools for working on aircraft, deburring holes in aluminum before riveting.
Not positive on the paint scheme yet but I'm leaning towards a blushing/grey color.
Hodakaguy
thebigblue
Adventurer
Maybe you would want a vertical small tube behind the latter in order not to scratch the body with the tip off your boots?
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Hodakaguy
Adventurer
Maybe you would want a vertical small tube behind the latter in order not to scratch the body with the tip off your boots?
That's a pretty click idea, just not sure I like the way it looks on the ladder. I was planning on installing some 3M paint guard material on the paint at the toe points. Hmmm...
Hodakaguy
Hodakaguy
Adventurer
Seats arrived yesterday. They are the middle row seats out of a 2017 Chrysler Town and Country Van. These units are black leather and were new take outs, for $100 a seat they will be nice upgrades.
The bulky metal bases will be removed leaving the tracks to bolt the new mount setup to...add another item to the list of things to get done by summer
Hodakaguy
The bulky metal bases will be removed leaving the tracks to bolt the new mount setup to...add another item to the list of things to get done by summer
Hodakaguy
Hodakaguy
Adventurer
My father and I hit the wrecking yards today looking for a center seat solution, we found a couple that I think will work but not in the right color yet. While we were there my father had the great idea to check out some of the trucks to see if we could find a fuel tank for the drivers side of the truck, luckily we found one that should be a perfect fit!
Here's the tank still attached to what's left of a Ford LCF Chassis.
The tank holds 40 gallons and is sized perfectly for the Mog. It is like new inside, outside will need a little elbow grease but will look like new as well once done. For $125 it makes for a fairly cheap Aux tank and should give us great range with 80 gallons of fuel on board. Now to research fuel switching valves and figure out the sending unit to gauge connections for both tanks.
More to come....
Hodakaguy
Here's the tank still attached to what's left of a Ford LCF Chassis.
The tank holds 40 gallons and is sized perfectly for the Mog. It is like new inside, outside will need a little elbow grease but will look like new as well once done. For $125 it makes for a fairly cheap Aux tank and should give us great range with 80 gallons of fuel on board. Now to research fuel switching valves and figure out the sending unit to gauge connections for both tanks.
More to come....
Hodakaguy