SawTooth XL - Update 6.27.11 - Repairs started

[stomperxj]

Hey all -

I've been taking it easy with the trailer lately. Had some Jeep problems and have been in physical therapy for some tendonitis. Plus it has been pretty cold lately too and with no heat in the garage its not too fun...

I do have a small update. I actually did this a while ago but forgot to post the pics. I got a couple hinges done and mounted them up and hung a door.









I am doing a super clean on the garage this weekend so hopefully I'll have more updates soon.

I hope everyone's new year was memorable...

[davis131]

Awesome build,keep it going,hope ya don't mind but I'm taking notes as you go,I built a tear a couple years ago and learned a lot,it turned out OK but this is the design I really want however I not nearly the craftsman you are. I'm amazed how much it looks like the drawing

[Endo]

Any more progress on the off-road tear?

[stomperxj]

Awesome build,keep it going,hope ya don't mind but I'm taking notes as you go,I built a tear a couple years ago and learned a lot,it turned out OK but this is the design I really want however I not nearly the craftsman you are. I'm amazed how much it looks like the drawing

Thanks davis131...

Any more progress on the off-road tear?

Thanks for checkin in on me Brad

Not much is going on due to the cold weather. I have made a little more progress on the hatch framing. I cut one rib out of some good 3/4" birch ply and then rough cut a bunch more out of the same birch. I just used an edge router bit and clamped them down to the master rib one at a time:








I used some good sticks of red oak for the main cross frame pieces. I'm just going to use a plain ol piano hinge on this one...

Slowly but surely

[aggie79]

Looking good! We all wondered how your build was going.

[Jeeper92]

hEY sTOMPER ANY chance of you fabbing me up a few of those jeep looking door hinges??????????? Please!!?

[stomperxj]

hEY sTOMPER ANY chance of you fabbing me up a few of those jeep looking door hinges??????????? Please!!?

I'll let you know when i'm closer to being done with my build


We had a couple warm days here so i got a battery box built. 1/2"x1/2"x1/16" angle for the seal surface. I'm working on the lid fastening next. Glued and stapled 3/4" ACX.

I'm going to run 2 of these batteries:

Interstate Batteries 34AH








The box will hang right behind the axle and the lid will be in the floor. I'm thinking i'll run an onboard battery tender too.

More later-

[stomperxj]

Another warm day yesterday so I got after the battery box again. Temp mounted it and cut the hole in the floor. Cutting that hole was a little nerve racking... Cant go back if you screw that one up ...








Next is the lid and some brackets to bolt the lid down to...

More soon

[Wolffarmer]

Nice looking battery box there.

I got out in the shop today and started building a cutting board. Table saw didn't want to run. Still a bit cold for that old motor. Thats my excuse also.

Next weekend glue it up and might get it finished. My weekends is Friday and Saturday.

[mk10108]

What do the shocks do that the springs cannot?

[stomperxj]

What do the shocks do that the springs cannot?

The shocks dampen. That's something the springs cannot do. Springs and shocks have 2 separate functions.

[stomperxj]

It got up to almost 55* today so i got out in the shop for a little bit. I trimmed the lower edge of the sides, repainted the frame sides and i have been working on the hatch latch some too. I found a trunk release cable out of some car at the local pick and pull and I got the handle off of eBay. I also got the lid brackets done for the battery box.







More updates soon!

[Jeeper92]

Amazing!! wanna sell it!!??

[stomperxj]

Amazing!! wanna sell it!!??

Everything is for sale for the right amount of money

[S. Heisley]

Hi, stomperxj:

Your build really shows your knowledge and skills. You're doing a beautiful job! If only we all were as capable as you!

As I was looking at your battery box and the underside of the deck, I noticed that the trailer appears to not have a water shield to protect all your hard work. Obviously, you are building this extra tough so it can handle rugged terrain and you will probably be fording some streams and occasionally will be in rain and/or snow; so, you probably have a plan that just isn't evident yet. (Please forgive me if I missed something in the 8 pages of build pictures and notations.)

What is your plan for the subflooring water shield? Are you going to lift the body above the metal chassis so you can get at the underside of all the deck plywood? Are you going to apply roof emulsion or you do you plan to use the Kilz listed in your spreadsheet or.....?

OOPS! Scratch the above. I went back and found the picture where you coated the floor; but, I don't understand why that black coating doesn't show in the pictures of the underside of the installed battery box. Isn't that built into the deck floor?