Tradgrans..trailer build. Its now is a pop top, We have a tent and AC

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Okay per the request for pics, first wall panel laminated and cut to shape except over all length which I will do when I go to put it on the frame. The wall and floor panel are on a shelf I built for storage that is 6 feet off the floor. Its fun trying to lift a 75 lb 12.5' by 5.7 foot panel on to the shelf alone. The wall panel has 3 1x1 steel tubes laminated in it. They will be bonded and screwed to steel tubes welded to the frame at the bottom and steel cross braces that will be hidden or used for the inside edge of the pop top ( also to stiffen the pop top edge ). The roof panels pieces will be 1 inch thick, the tube running around the pop top opening will be 1.5 inches high. This will give me a dam for any water that gets past the seals on the top, plus I will be attaching the canvas to it.
very boring pic, they are on the shelf. Having a 14 foot high garage in nice.

 

[ajmaudio]

What kind of vac bags etc you use?

 

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What kind of vac bags etc you use?

The table is built on the frame using melamine coated osb/particle board for the bottom. The "bag" is pvc pond liner, pretty stretchy and epoxy wont stick to it. I also waxed the melamine surface so there is no way to have a panel get stuck to the bag or the table. I used 1/8 inch neoprene weather seal to seal the edge but it did not work well, Now I have a simple weather stripping from home depot. The pump is a 7cfm 2 stage pump I got off craigslist for 75 bucks, it pulls down to 27 inch mg. That works out to about 11 or 12 psi of clamping force. If we use a size of 12x6 its over 120,000 lbs of clamping force. The worse part is I had to buy 30 more clamps to seal the bag. I bought out 2 harbor freights of 3 inch clamps of the bar and ratchet squeeze clamps.

 

[ITTOG]

Now show us pics of the table in action. Please. It sounds interesting.

Sent from my Pixel 3a XL using Tapatalk

 

[high-and-dry]

Now show us pics of the table in action. Please. It sounds interesting.

Sent from my Pixel 3a XL using Tapatalk

Sawtooth ultimate is documenting it so much better than I can. Although he is burying conduits in the wall, I am doing steel tube for a buried skeleton frame. His methods are what I based mine on, very little differences other wise. I do have conduit in the floor and will use the steel tube as a wire way where I need it, which is only up to above the bed for power points and reading lights. Most of my wires will run only in the "power" wall except for the water pump, future fan and pump for water heater based heat, and power to the bed area which go thru the floor. then run under the couch and or bed, along with water and propane lines to the bed area. Use his videos for how I am doing it.

 

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Okay, I found out maryland mva is 6 to 8 weeks out for vin plates for homemade trailers so now I am moving on to the assembly phase. I have made and attached the wheel wells, bending .120 thick al diamond plate is a night mare. I had to curf the back and anneal it. Axle went on saturday as well, took it for a test spin around the block, everything works.

Today I glued the floor down, I will need to trip it flush with the frame tomorrow after the glue cures, then on to trimming the walls. I cant glue any walls on, I am waiting for the torosen 939 to arrive, supposed be next monday. I will be doing the old clamp and tape it together until then.

Pics will be coming.

 

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A few more pics. This was test fitting and final trimming of the wall lengths. Side walls, rear wall, 1/2 the bed platform, and the front lower panel are all cut to size. Tomorrow they get the edges routed to form the overlap for gluing and support. The front lower wall, and bed platform all lock the location and squareness of the side walls in the front and the rear wall lock the rear square, basically they all box each other out.. They are all going in saturday, so end of day saturday it will look like a camper. May even get the upper front in as well.

 

[john61ct]

Why did you decide to keep the walls' width inside the outer line set by the axle / wheels?

I would have thought every inch counts for interior comfort, storage?

 

[high-and-dry]

Why did you decide to keep the walls' width inside the outer line set by the axle / wheels?

I would have thought every inch counts for interior comfort, storage?

A couple pf reasons. One its already going to be 5'6" wide inside, most of its bed so wider than a queen bed. On the road side rear is a short couch/seat, curb side is the pantry and "power" wall which is going to have cubbys for storage. The pantry and power wall come inside for 9 inches or so so they will be hiding the wheel wells. I like the look of exposed wheel well, as well as the curb side will have a small counter that will use the wheel well as a support. Finally the wheel well out edges are 79 inches over all width if I went any wider I would have to add a bunch of clearance lights. Plus a few other minor reasons, like keeping it behind the wind drag of my truck as much as possible.

 

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Okay the frame is legally tagged and inspected. First mva kind of sucked, had to make an appointment to show pics and pay tax on all the materials that where used. Its an excise tax, not sales tax so its another 6%, then pay for title and vin plate, then pay for tags. After going there they where not happy with one of the pics, so I had to run home and take another and go back. Well 3 hours sense the first arrival at mva I left with tags and the vin plate. Today I took it to get inspected and it passed with flying colors, and the guy who did the inspection was impressed with the build. He stated the design is great and the tongue was super strong.

So all legal, this week end body panels start going on. So it will be a day of going from a frame with a floor to 90% of the body panels going on in one day. Lots of pics tomorrow as it goes together.

 

[john61ct]

Congrats and great work, very fast!

Sorry if I missed, what state?

 

[high-and-dry]

Congrats and great work, very fast!

Sorry if I missed, what state?

Maryland

 

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ok in the span of 3 hours we went from just a floor to 4 walls and half a bed platform. All the rivets are in, most joints are caulked, all the sheet metal angles on inside corners are bonded and riveted it. Windows are cut in, the door is not cut out all the way so the wall stays square. The front part of the bed is fixed and has the support for the kitchen slide out, the rear section sits on the angle on the walls and will be hinged to lift for storage.

Next is the 3 pieces of steel tube that brace the roof and form out the area where the top will lift.
pics

 

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Okay filling in a few blanks. they are not glued yet, just being cut to fit. Having only about 1.5 hours before dark kinds sucks thou.

 

[Roam.Wild]

Youre killin it, this is an awesome build!