Small Garage, Big Project

[Tom Foolery]

I wanted the wheels to match my trucks wheels so I picked up a set on Craig's List. The only issue was the center cap for greasing the axle stuck out too far and I needed to get a hole saw and cut out my plastic wheel cap to accommodate it.

 

[Token]

That's funny.. This is what I did last weekend..:coffeedrink:

 

[womacje]

Great Build! Looks fantastic. I can't wait to see more details on the side boxes once they have sheet on them. If that trailer is under 1000 i'll be impressed. You go up there with Rezarf in my book! I wanted to do boxes as well, but I'll probably stick with the M416 tub for now.

 

[Tom Foolery]

That's funny.. This is what I did last weekend..:coffeedrink:

Your lucky, you can cover up the lug nuts.:ylsmoke:

 

[Tom Foolery]

The side boxes were one of the most involved parts of the trailer. I considered buying a couple of the tool boxes by Weather Guard, but at $600.00 a piece it just didn't make sense. So I made them myself. I skinned the doors with 16 gauge sheet metal by cutting the sheet a little oversize, and then using a hand grinder and grinding it down to size. Any imperfections were dealt with by using JB Weld because it is stronger then Bondo, and at this point I wasn't sure if I would powder coat the trailer or not.







I cut in the locks with a 1/16" x 5" grinding wheel and a cardboard template.








I used (L8835) Triple Point T-Handle Latches for all my doors.

http://www.kaffenbarger.com/index.php?productID=1270

 

[Tom Foolery]

Finally I skinned the side box itself, again with 16 gauge sheet metal. The box frame was made from 1"x 1" x .063 square tube, and for the doors I used 3/4"x 3/4"x .063 square tube. All hardware that wasn't exposed to the elements was grade 8 bolts nuts and washers and for the exposed hardware I used stainless steel.

 

[Tom Foolery]

Great Build! Looks fantastic. I can't wait to see more details on the side boxes once they have sheet on them. If that trailer is under 1000 I'll be impressed. You go up there with Rezarf in my book! I wanted to do boxes as well, but I'll probably stick with the M416 tub for now.

Funny, I have no idea what my trailer weighs. I guessed around 800lbs, but your figures may be right. Where do you suggest I go to weigh something like that??? The DMV guy just took a guess, and he wrote down 500lbs.

 

[fire931]

alot of truck stop's have large scales.. you can pull up and would be able to weigh the truck as well... just separate them so you get a weight for each

 

[Tom Foolery]

Thanks

I'll give it a try.

 

[Token]

Your lucky, you can cover up the lug nuts.:ylsmoke:

Yeah, but now I've got these goofy MMER hubcaps..

 

[Tom Foolery]

Yeah, but now I've got these goofy MMER hubcaps..

I was lucky to have a smooth round bowl like surface. You like you had to deal with a couple square edges making your saw jump a little. My buddy did his FJ caps and he had those edges too.

 

[Token]

I was lucky to have a smooth round bowl like surface. You like you had to deal with a couple square edges making your saw jump a little. My buddy did his FJ caps and he had those edges too.

The holes actually drilled pretty easily and cleanly.. The lube caps make it look like crap right now.. Seems like UPS shipped the axle standing on it's ends.. Both of them

 

[Tom Foolery]

After rolling the trailer outside I had a chance to skin the main box. First I clamped on all the skins to check sizes. The top, bottom, and front were done in 14 gauge sheet metal. The sides were done in 16 gauge metal. Each skin, like the side boxes, were cut a little over size at the metal supply yard. Then the welding began.

 

[Tom Foolery]

The holes actually drilled pretty easily and cleanly.. The lube caps make it look like crap right now.. Seems like UPS shipped the axle standing on it's ends.. Both of them

Yep, me too. I got a crushed end as well.

 

[Token]

Nice thing is, for about $7 they can look brand new again..