unnamed trailer build journal

[pbrunicorn]

the hitch box is tacked and i am pretty happy with it. Will need to finish the welding on it next monday.



http://www.flickr.com/photos/moomoocow/4017039459/

[pbrunicorn]

loaded up 1 of the dogs



http://www.flickr.com/photos/moomoocow/4017261671/

went over to my moms and picked up 2 4x8 3/4" sheets of cdx for the floor from her husband.



http://www.flickr.com/photos/moomoocow/4018084544

He works for a local lumber yard so I got a discount

Total for 2 sheets $35

Total $ put in to project $35

[cokebottle10]

I do like the idea of a steel frame TD. And I look forward to watching your build.

These are some of my concerns and thoughts.

I think that you are way too overkill. I have yet to read on this site anyone that said 'I wish I had made it more heavy duty or stronger". You are not going to stand or walk on the floor. Nor are you going to point load it. You need to think of it as more of a bed on wheels, not as a utility trailer.

Your sides look to be over 4 foot high. Once the inside and outside skins are on they will have alot of vertical strenght The floor does not need this vertical strenght because the sides have it. The bulkhead wall along with the curved roof keeps the sides from racking. This is the beauty of a TD. This is why you can make it light weight. The only places you need the heavy steel is in the tonque and the axle attachment points. The rest of it can be made out of light weight 1x1 box tube.

Steel has a R value of 0. It will conduct the cool to the inside walls. This will cause condensation with two people and two dogs sleeping inside.

You want it to be 82 inches wide outside. You still have to add wheels and fenders. At 10 inches wide each that will give you 102 inches total. You may want to put two chairs behind your truck at 102 inches wide and look at them in your mirrors to get a feel for the size.

Good luck on your build,
David.

[pbrunicorn]

just picked up a set of wheels for 25 bucks from craigslist.



http://www.flickr.com/photos/moomoocow/4027912048/

Spent my day welding up the inside of the hitch box. Will tig weld the outside of it tomorrow to give it a nice finish.



http://www.flickr.com/photos/moomoocow/ ... otostream/

total for 2 wheels 25$

total put in to project 60$

off to the dog park

[pbrunicorn]

Steel should be in tomorrow so I can start trailer frame *keeping fingers crossed*

Picked up two 15" tires for 25 bucks this week. My brother took them to his shop and got them mounted for me.

Finished up the basics of my hitch box last week. Need to make some handles and latches for the lid. Will be adding compartmental storage to the inside later in the build.



http://www.flickr.com/photos/moomoocow/4033156440/

Have a basic design down for the interior of the cabin and the galley. (very basic) When I decide on a tv, I will be able to design the cabin storage around the sizing of that. Brackets/gussets/shelf framing (not sure which option(s) I will use) are not drawn in yet.



http://www.flickr.com/photos/moomoocow/4056529754/

Hurry up and get here steel!

new costs - 25$ tires

Total Cost 85$

[caffeine]

... Darn near everyone overbuilds their first teardrop.

Not me! I don't even have anything on top of my wall studs, the ceiling is held up by the inner skins and the foam board. My wife and I call it "load bearing insulation"

[grizz]

Some serious engineering there, not that I have much room to speak here.

Even while building mine, I know it is overengineered.

[pbrunicorn]

Last friday when making my cut sheets we started doing calculations and unless I was going to put wheel wells inside the trailer I was going to just be under the legal limit for width. I needed to drop a few inches off and in doing that, we decided on dropping down from a king to a queen bed. In order for the two of us and the two dogs to sleep comfortably this now cuts in to the galley area. I am all for putting the dogs in the car for the night, the fiance not so much. (I know better than to argue with the boss over the dogs.) The galley area will end up looking more like the little guy campers, basically a table with storage underneath or dog beds in this case. My weekend was spent redrawing everything in cad.

FWRD to today - Walked in to the welding yard and finally my steel arrived. WOOHOO!



http://www.flickr.com/photos/moomoocow/ ... otostream/


began by cutting my 2x3s



http://www.flickr.com/photos/moomoocow/ ... otostream/

then moved on to the 2x2's




http://www.flickr.com/photos/moomoocow/ ... otostream/

Whew - lots of cutting spent over 4 hours today working with this saw

http://www.flickr.com/photos/moomoocow/4070467750/

My camera phone just isnt cutting it anymore, will need to steal the bosses camera for future pics. Waiting for my invoice to know how much $$$ was dropped in to this project today. I need a beer.

[Ageless]

That saw brings back memories. I think I spent 6 of my 36 years cutting stock

[pbrunicorn]

was feeling pretty lazy yesterday and made yard art instead of working on the trailer



http://www.flickr.com/photos/moomoocow/4075843731


Spent the day cleaning/deburring and prepping my edges for my joints on the trailer. After that I put it in some corner clamps, got it level and started tacking it together.



http://www.flickr.com/photos/moomoocow/4078855400/

not much new or special just a lot of prep work today. Hope to get the major parts of the frame finished tomorrow.

[pbrunicorn]

finished up the outside frame welding this afternoon



http://www.flickr.com/photos/moomoocow/ ... otostream/

keep forgetting to take the bosses camera in to get real pictures.

Will finish up trailer bracing this week.

[pbrunicorn]

cross bracing has been fit and tacked in. will fully weld tomorrow.



http://www.flickr.com/photos/moomoocow/4096065017/


Goals for this weekend are some new work gloves, get my flooring cut at home so I can take in to class to check fit, then seal floor, get axle and springs ordered.

[corncountry]

Any more progress,---- pictures?

Jim

[pbrunicorn]

Video tour on youtube here

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0yhc0Lolnfo

there isnt much left to do. The design has changed as the project has progressed. My aluminum didn't arrive until a week before school was out so I had very little time to do all that but I made it.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/moomoocow/ ... 455098179/ The build pictures are all there. Hoping we can get it out this weekend.

[pbrunicorn]

maiden voyage is tomorrow - very excited. Looks like the weather will be nice throughout the weekend too.