Utility trailer (removeable camper mod)

FireMedic82

FireMedic82

DIYer
dc, Body filler is one thing that I have worked alot with and can give some personal experience on. It's awesome to work with and really easy, but one thing I've found by using it on wood to fill holes is that the wood will expand and contract with temperature differences and the body filler will not. What you may end up with is a visible ring around each hole that you fill. It may start out smooth as glass after sanding, but the changes the wood will go through will leave an uneven joint between the two. With paint over it, it's pretty visible. Not sure if that would bother you or not, but just something to think about.

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dcollier32

dcollier32

Adventurer
Yea, now see that is what I was concerned with. I have used body filler when I use to work on cars, but never experienced it with wood. Thanks for the heads up. I will probably just silicone the screw heads with the paint-able silicone...
 
dcollier32

dcollier32

Adventurer
Not much going on today. Weather is really crappy today. Did do some sanding, but still have a ways to go with that. Tonight I may finish siliconing all the joints. I'm just giving y'all an update on the lack of progress... :)
 
dcollier32

dcollier32

Adventurer
UPDATE....

I got the camper 3/4 way sanded. About 1/2 way with caulking screw heads with piantable silicone caulk. There a couple of places on the back that is going to require the camper shell to be slid back enough to get some sanding and caulking done. I'm getting closer, I still need the frame up a door jamb to seal out the rain. Hopefully this rain will hurry up and get out of here so I can pull it back outside to work on it. I got sanding dust all over everything in the garage...

:)
 
G

Grim Reaper

Expedition Leader
Why dont you skin it in aluminum sheet?

http://www.wrisco.com/ is south side of Atlanta and sell factory painted sheet. Price up front will be more but once you work in all the time and materials you will about pay for half a sheet but you wont have an issue with needing to repaint in a couple years and if done correctly it would reduce the possibility of rot to just about zero. They can get "coil" 60in wide if you want to go that route. They may even be able to get 72 wide so you can do the roof in one solid piece. Harbor fright sells a cheap Pneumatic sheer that makes it a breeze to cut.

I built a little cargo camper out of a similar angle iron trailer but just used a pickup truck shell for the roof. On mine the VIN was stamped into the top front rail. Because it was covered I was able to get the DMV to issue me a home built VIN for it. If your VIN is in a similar location where it is no longer visable you may need to do that.
 
dcollier32

dcollier32

Adventurer
Grim Reaper said:
Why dont you skin it in aluminum sheet?

http://www.wrisco.com/ is south side of Atlanta and sell factory painted sheet. Price up front will be more but once you work in all the time and materials you will about pay for half a sheet but you wont have an issue with needing to repaint in a couple years and if done correctly it would reduce the possibility of rot to just about zero. They can get "coil" 60in wide if you want to go that route. They may even be able to get 72 wide so you can do the roof in one solid piece. Harbor fright sells a cheap Pneumatic sheer that makes it a breeze to cut.

I built a little cargo camper out of a similar angle iron trailer but just used a pickup truck shell for the roof. On mine the VIN was stamped into the top front rail. Because it was covered I was able to get the DMV to issue me a home built VIN for it. If your VIN is in a similar location where it is no longer visable you may need to do that.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the idea. I will check into that. As far as the vin goes, I already have a home built trailer vin... When I bought the trailer, the previous owner must have been a tax evader, because he never bothered to register it, and when I went to register the trailer, we couldn't find any signs of a vin# So they just issued me the home built vin and had sheriff deputy come out to verify it...
 
G

Grim Reaper

Expedition Leader
Well the cool thing about the home built is you can do anything you want to it now as long as it doesn't have a good description. They changed some of the requirements trying to combat theft but all the really did is screw a bunch of home builders. There has been quite a few trailers confiscated and sold at auction when people let tags laps. Now they want receipts for axles and material.
 
dcollier32

dcollier32

Adventurer
Are you for real? When did that go into affect? I've had my trailer for about 5 years now, hope that doesn't happen to me, because I don't think I even have a bill of sale anymore... Which, I don't plan on letting my tag expire either, since I do use my trailer very often
 
dcollier32

dcollier32

Adventurer
Okay, the more I look at these off road teardrop, the more I'm thinking of modifying mine to act as a teardrop. For example, instead of the box riding on top of the trailer side rails, buy or build a frame specifically for the box, and cut in side doors and redesign the rear for a galley... I'm seriously thinking about this, but I may just finish what I have so far, to see how it works out... Deep thoughts. Ummm....
 
FireMedic82

FireMedic82

DIYer
A friend of mine is doing one just like that. Well, he only has the frame build right now, but his idea looks exactly like your current build except he plans to have side doors and a flip down galley type hatch that will serve as a counter. And he plans to have it sitting on 33s or 35s to match the Jeep. He has a child on the way and plans to maintain all of the intetior space as possible for a bunk bed. That is the reasoning behind the flip down counter instead of an actual galley space.

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dcollier32

dcollier32

Adventurer
That sounds good. My 2 daughters are 11, so they are too big for bunks in a teardrop. They would have to sleep in the FJ or in a tent... (if they even go that is)
 
dcollier32

dcollier32

Adventurer
Get Help?

Could I get someone's Help with designing a frame for my camper top using Google sketch up? I want to build a frame for it, to use like a teardrop instead of it being a removable top for my utility trailer. I am not good with Google sketch up, and asking anyone that is, would you please draw up the trailer frame for me and send it to me? I would greatly appreciate y'alls help... Thank you :)
 
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