Magoo’s minimal overland tear/square drop

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Magoo’s minimal overland tear/square drop

Postby Metal_Magoo » Sat Jul 02, 2022 6:00 pm

Hi everyone. This is my first build and first real adventure into carpentry. A 5x8 trailer with no galley. We wanted to open the hatch and have a full view of the mountains.

I’m very fortunate enough to find a deal wherever I can. Scored all the metal for the frame as well as an axle for $150. My biggest concern with the axle was that it had hubs to match my Tacoma bolt pattern. Should have went for electric brakes but I went with a 7 pin connector to upgrade in the future.

Designed the frame and pod in sketch up. A plan of attack really minimizes the 1 hour of work for every 4 hours of beer/thinking.

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Re: Magoo’s minimal overland tear/square drop

Postby Metal_Magoo » Sat Jul 02, 2022 6:10 pm

The frame came together really quickly. I run a sign shop in Edmonton and have access to all the tools I would need but ended up buying a few cordless tools because..well..who really needs an excuse to add to your arsenal LOL.

So this is where I started. An a-frame coupler for $10.
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Moved on to 3” C-Channel frame with 2” channel for the crossmembers. 2”x3” Tubing for the tongue. My axle was a foot too long so why not just cut it down right? Crown in the middle pointing up. I thought it was a tube. After cutting through half way I’m thinking “yeesh, this is some thick walled tubing”….turns out its 2” solid round bar. This axle came off a dump trailer with 9000# leafs. So I cut out the center, beveled the bar really good and ran two passes over it. Slapped it and said “that’s not going anywhere”.


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Last edited by Metal_Magoo on Sun Jul 03, 2022 6:26 pm, edited 2 times in total.
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Re: Magoo’s minimal overland tear/square drop

Postby tony.latham » Sat Jul 02, 2022 7:08 pm

Looking good. Nothing like scrounging. :applause:

A 5x8 trailer with no galley. We wanted to open the hatch and have a full view of the mountains.


A couple of things come to mind. First of all, bugs. At least in the mountains around here. Especially if you turn on a light of course.

Image

But secondly, a basic teardrop has two shear walls--which tie the walls together fore and aft. Much more so than the roof spars. The front, where the roof curves around, is the frontal wall and the rear is the bulkhead (plus a properly attached countertop to help tie the walls together all the way to the hatch). That's why there are still 'drops around that are sixty years old.

Now, I'm not saying it won't work... but without a bulkhead, your 'drop won't be as strong.

Just a couple of thoughts.. :thinking:

Tony
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Re: Magoo’s minimal overland tear/square drop

Postby Metal_Magoo » Sat Jul 02, 2022 7:27 pm

tony.latham wrote:Looking good. Nothing like scrounging. :applause:

A 5x8 trailer with no galley. We wanted to open the hatch and have a full view of the mountains.


A couple of things come to mind. First of all, bugs. At least in the mountains around here. Especially if you turn on a light of course.

Tony


BUGS!!! Dang skeeters and black flies I tell ya.

I had planned on a zip-on screen annex, which would also serve as a sheltered area outside of the camper. Bugs will still get in though, you’re absolutely right.

As for a bulkhead, excellent point, we will have to make a bit of a compromise and add a small shelf across the ceiling tying each wall together. Also, the “galley” we envisioned is a simple 6” high set of drawers across the back opening on the floor. It’ll be level with or slightly lower than the mattress. One side has the stove, the other side will be empty for whatever. The countertops of each drawer will be attached to those flip up coffee table hinges.
Last edited by Metal_Magoo on Sun Jul 03, 2022 6:29 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Magoo’s minimal overland tear/square drop

Postby Metal_Magoo » Sat Jul 02, 2022 8:00 pm

Had the frame cut and welded together in a couple hours

Edit: some have noted the axle placement and that it’s not as far back as it should be. I did the math and 8” behind center was where it should land for tongue weight. I’m not running a full galley here where that extra weight would have impacted towing.
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Last edited by Metal_Magoo on Sun Jul 03, 2022 4:59 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Magoo’s minimal overland tear/square drop

Postby Metal_Magoo » Sat Jul 02, 2022 8:07 pm

For the floor we went with a 1/2” sheet of plywood for a base (one side sealed with tremclad and rubber undercoating), 2”x2” framing, 1-1/2” foam, and then another sheet of 1/2” plywood.
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Last edited by Metal_Magoo on Sat Jul 02, 2022 8:11 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Magoo’s minimal overland tear/square drop

Postby JasenC » Sat Jul 02, 2022 8:08 pm

And so it begins :)

As this is your first venture into something like this, my best advice is don't stress the small stuff, remember to have fun and the rest will fall in place.
I'll be done when I'm finished, if that's not fast enough, take a number.

Build Thread https://www.tnttt.com/viewtopic.php?f=50&t=74269
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Re: Magoo’s minimal overland tear/square drop

Postby Metal_Magoo » Sat Jul 02, 2022 8:11 pm

JasenC wrote:And so it begins :)

As this is your first venture into something like this, my best advice is don't stress the small stuff, remember to have fun and the rest will fall in place.


The small stuff and details are stressing me out :lol:
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Re: Magoo’s minimal overland tear/square drop

Postby Metal_Magoo » Sat Jul 02, 2022 8:15 pm

3/4” ply for the walls. They seem solid. Glued and screwed everything as we go. Can’t rave enough about a pocket hole jig.
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Re: Magoo’s minimal overland tear/square drop

Postby Metal_Magoo » Sat Jul 02, 2022 9:25 pm

After the walls were up I started on the ceiling with hardboard and used 1/8” Baltic birch for the outer skin and more 1-1/2” foam for insulation.

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Re: Magoo’s minimal overland tear/square drop

Postby Sparksalot » Sun Jul 03, 2022 3:30 pm

Nice doors. Did you find frames with seals to put you own skins into?
Holy cow, Rose is a teenager now! Done? Surely you jest. A teardrop is never "done".

The Compass Rose build thread: viewtopic.php?t=23213

Inspiration: http://tnttt.com/Design_Library/Trailer%20for%20Two.htm

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Re: Magoo’s minimal overland tear/square drop

Postby Metal_Magoo » Sun Jul 03, 2022 4:45 pm

Sparksalot wrote:Nice doors. Did you find frames with seals to put you own skins into?


Thanks! I did fast forward a little bit as I can only post 3 photos at a time.

Looking at the price of doors (albeit really nice products) I couldn’t justify north of $500 per door. So, being frugal, if I can’t buy it then I build it!

Although there was already a cutout for a door I originally planned to build, I found a storage compartment door complete with the trim/frame. Only $50!! Those were the important bits to me. So now I had to fill in the oversized gap. Pocket holes to the rescue.

I framed out the inside of the door jamb with 1x4 strapping. It provided a 3/4” flange backing to put the door frame against.

Side note ** why do some of my picture post rotated 90*?
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Re: Magoo’s minimal overland tear/square drop

Postby Metal_Magoo » Sun Jul 03, 2022 4:54 pm

Shot of the frame and backing.

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Re: Magoo’s minimal overland tear/square drop

Postby Metal_Magoo » Sun Jul 03, 2022 7:10 pm

Attempting the hatch was the most intimidating facet for me. Searching this forum provided a lot of great examples. I have no clue what I’m doing so naturally I dove in head first.

Made spars from 3/4. Clamped together and sanded. For the top and bottom plate I used 2x2 with dados half way through for each spar. Glue, staple, and screw!

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Last edited by Metal_Magoo on Sun Jul 03, 2022 8:26 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Magoo’s minimal overland tear/square drop

Postby Metal_Magoo » Sun Jul 03, 2022 8:25 pm

After the hatch framing was together, next was another 5x5 sheet of 1/8” Baltic birch for the sheathing. It’s really great stuff. Bends very easily around contours. This is when I wished that I had added a radius to the bottom of the pod too haha. Way too late for that.
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Right around this time the 5x8 trailer itself received its VIN! Kept it under 80” wide (79” fender to fender lol) to avoid extra lighting. It’s registered as a 3500# utility trailer due to the springs I used even though everything else is stupid beefy for its intended use.

Found some ash for interior panels at a Windsor Plywood, where I had bought the Baltic birch.
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