Gadget Mans Adventure Trailer Photos

[Prem]

Love your work Gadget Man. Fabulous trailer!

[smooth1977]

This looks awesome! I am fixing to start a little project on my cargo trailer to install some two fold down bunk beds and one queen fold down bed. When mounting these to the wall how is the best way to mount the beds? Do I use short screws? My friend told me that he just drilled holes all the way through the walls and used bolts with rubber washers for waterproofing. Please help!

[Gadget Man]

Smooth1977:
I'm not going to be responsible for telling anyone how to mount their beds to the wall...
But I will tell you what I did in my trailer and if it worked or not.

The full length desk cabinet and the back wine rack cabinet actually sit on the floor, so all the weight is on the floor, so I simply screwed them to the wall studs with self-drilling sheet metal screws, use # 10 or #12 screws. I was going through 3/4 oak, plus 1/4 inch paneling. My wall studs or trailer frame studs are 1" thick, so I used 1.5 inch screws. So the screw is 1/2 inch into the stud. Be very cautious not to run them in to fast or you will strip them out.
I used this same method to hold up the two back wall cabinets. They are screwed into the wall studs and into the roof studs. (the same 1" thick)

I's say something as heavy as the beds should be drilled straight through the wall studs and use stainless steal bolts going from the outside-in, to hold up the beds. Your term "short screws" sort of scares me.

When I mounted my rear ramp/patio hold up chains, I drilled straight through the back wall door frame studs and used a 3/8 inch eye-bolt with nylon lock nuts.
When I get around to mounting my spare tire in the bottom of my wine rack cabinet, I'll weld up a brace and bolt that straight through the wall stud for maximum strength and security.

I have no problem with a nice stainless steel bolt head on the outside of my trailer for holding up the big stuff. The outside is full of screws, so they sort of blend in anyway.

Gadget Man

[Gadget Man]

8-ball
Thanks for the heads up on the inverter. I went out and read the owners manual. it says...
" The AC output of this inverter is known as Modified Sine Wave. It is a stepped waveform that has characteristics similar to the sine wave shape of utility power. This type of waveform is suitable for most AC loads, including linear and switching power supplies used in electronic equipment, transformers and small motors" .

I hope this is the correct one for my Bose music system, I certainly wouldn't want to blow it up.

Gadget Man

[pete42]

This looks awesome! I am fixing to start a little project on my cargo trailer to install some two fold down bunk beds and one queen fold down bed. When mounting these to the wall how is the best way to mount the beds? Do I use short screws? My friend told me that he just drilled holes all the way through the walls and used bolts with rubber washers for waterproofing. Please help!

Have you seen E-TRAK? Others have used it mounted to the walls
using the brackets that you can buy they have made a very sturdy
support to hold beds bunks and bench seats.

pete

[pete42]

gadget man I forgot to tell you I have a picture of a CT with the ramp door being supported bu chains.
what made the picure so great was the rear porch was out over a small fast flowing stream
a sight that made one wish they were there. If I knew how to post I'd share.

pete

[Gadget Man]

Pete
That reminds me of the time we camped at the Silver Rapids Lodge in Ely MN.
They have a campground that is right on the edge of White Iron Lake. We had a pop-up camper with the pull out beds. We backed up as far as we dared and
slid the rear bed out over the waters edge. It made for an interesting nights sleep.
It a wonderful place right on the edge of the Boundary Waters Wilderness Canoe Area. We have been there many times.

Gadget Man

[Gadget Man]

Greetings everyone.
Today is Mothers Day, I hope everyone had a Great Day. We worked around the yard today. and I got permission to paint the roof of the Trailer.
Anything that may help keep it a bit cooler inside.
I bought this paint at my local Ace Hardware store last fall, but ran out of time to paint it on before the Minnesota winter arrived.
I kept it inside all winter.Today I opened the can, and it had separated a little on top. I have a paint mixer paddle that goes into a cordless drill, it works wonders to mix paint, one minute with this, is equal to about 10 minutes with a wooden paint mixer.
I took the trailer to the car wash yesterday and tried to rinse off the roof, but it didn't clean it near well enough to paint over.So today I had to brush off the top and wash the entire top with Windex.
After that it was time to start painting. We are in the middle of the seasonal drop of the Maple Tree seed whirly-gigs. I knew they would be falling on my fresh paint, but I wasn't concerned of them sticking. Between coats I simply blew them all off with the air compressor hose.
I applied the first coat and then waited about 3 hours and applied the second. I actually have enough left over for a third coat, maybe Tuesday evening.


















Bought these chairs today @ Home Depot. They go with the fire pit I built last weekend, it all goes with my wife's 50th Birthday Party on May 18th

[roadinspector]

That roof paint is one of the best investments (IMO) to reduce heat. Many moons ago I painted a trailer house galvanized metal roof with it one spring weekend in central Texas. The salesman told me to mop it real good with vinegar water mix to remove oxidation. Then hose it off real good to remove all of the vinegar water. The roof was so hot before I put on the first coat I could not touch it at all with my hand. With just the first coat I could lay down on it with no problem. The heat and sun was reflected so much that the second coat was hard to apply. The temp difference between roof level and head high was drastic. I almost got too hot and half blinded by the reflection of heat and light. The paint lasted for years and cut my cooling bill by at least 50%. It was worth every minute and time put into it.

A CT would be much easier to do since they are much smaller. Good looking build!

Earnest

[Gadget Man]

Three times a charm.
I had an opportunity today to finish off the 3rd coat on the roof. I had about 1/3 of the can left, so it was going to be perfect.
By the time you are on your third coat, you pretty much have a routine down on moving the ladder all around the trailer so you can paint, don't forget the bricks and 1/2 inch plywood scraps used in some feeble attempt to make the ladder safe and level.

If anyone is wondering...one gallon did three coats on my 7x14 trailer.

I think the pictures today look great.





Gadget Man

[8ball_99]

Looks good. lol I just put my paint roller on a pole and walked around on the roof

[pete42]

windex you cleaned the roof with windex?
you are, to quote Steve Martin "one wild and crazy guy".
The roof does look good and I haven't heard anyone say that they wished they had not painted their roof.
it must work and work well.

pete

[Gadget Man]

Pete
Why the question on the Windex? Do you know something I don't ?
It worked perfectly, if you look back at the picture right after the picture of the Windex bottle, you can see the part I cleaned and the part I didn't.
The car duster was used to brush off all the dust. Then the Windex cleaned the seamless aluminum.

Gadget Man

[pete42]

no I don't know anything wrong with using windex
I'm to lazy to clean my windows let alone a trailer roof.
I know it needed to be cleaned before you painted otherwise you would be painting
over dirt which is never a good Idea. Back when I had a travel trailer I used tilex to clean the
awning wet it down spray with tilex roll it up wait 1/2 hour unroll scrub and wash using plenty of water.
works like a charm not my idea but it does work and works well
I did try to clean the rubber roof on the travel trailer some spots came off others didn't.
since I can only walk and stand for a short amount of time Most everything I do is from a seated
position I have a 12 year old nephew who works cheap and does good work.

Pete

[Gadget Man]

Well, I figure now since I just got the roof painted and looking good, it's time to start drilling holes in it.
I'm a bit anxious to drill a 2 inch hole in the roof for my new antenna, but I gotta do it.
This is the "Jack" HDTV antenna. It swivels 180 degrees and is powered by 12 volts to boost the signal. It's 12 inches tall and does not fold down.

When I insulated the roof I didn't put any wood blocking between the roof skin and the inside ceiling. The only thing in there is the 1 inch styrofoam insulation.
In a perfect world I would have sandwiched a piece of 1 inch plywood between the roof studs where I wanted to mount the antenna.
So now my plan is to mount the antenna to a piece of 1/4 inch aluminum and then mount that "plate" to the roof screwed to 2 roof trusses. Then silicone seal all around it.
The aluminum plate that I'm using is the same stuff I used for my counter top. It will be more than strong enough.

Here are a few pictures of the antenna and some of the parts I have. I won't get to mount it till this weekend if it ever stops raining here.
We have had over 5 inches of rain in central Minnesota in the last 24 hours. No leaks in my trailer. Knock on wood...













Gadget Man