Yesterday afternoon I cleaned my garage and moved the trailer frame into it. Since it had been outside for 4 months, some rainwater got into the frame mainly through the screw holes that were there from the original plywood deck I had removed. I knew there was some in there but when wheeling it across the lawn, over bumps and up the driveway much more came gurgling up through the screw holes emerged than I expected. I also had left a few nicks in the minor frame members by one wheel well when I cut it back and the cutter got away from me a little bit. Here's the rusty water puddle left in the driveway behind the trailer frame.
I have to deal with the water before going much further!
I drilled some 3/16" holes at the downhill right sides of each of the frame members that had holes in them that could have allowed water to get in. Here's the water dripping out, but a little out of focus since I was trying to take the picture in the first few seconds before the flow slowed down:
I drilled about a dozen carefully placed drain holes and got water out of half of them, then removed the axle and rolled the frame over on its right side. My neighbors helped me roll it over carefully and we slid it into the garage easily using some 4" plastic pipe sections (those on top of frame in first picture). Once I got it into the garage very little water had dripped on the floor so I'm fairly confident that almost all of it is out now.
My plan is to make sure the frame is dry inside then treat it with some internal frame coating; I ordered a few cans of Eastwood frame coating:
http://www.eastwood.com/internal-frame- ... ozzle.html and picked this one because it looks like it will be effective and it has a long hose with a spray nozzle.
This week I will layout the new 2x2 steel box members where I want them and hold them with clamps but not weld them for now. I'll finalize my measurements and order the axle, then weld the 2x2 members when it arrives (in case I need to tweak the position a little). If my welding skill is not good enough by then I'll ask my certified neighbor to help me with it.
Here it is in the garage. Since I have a post in the middle of the garage holding up the front of the house I have to stay to one side. I'll be able to roll it outside for work or rotate it for now. The workspace will get better when I install the aluminum floorboards that are leaning against the post for now. You might also notice the foam pipe insulation wrapped on the top cross bars - I had to do this because I kept bonking my head on them when working on the frame then standing up and forgetting what was above me. I had to either add the padding or else wear a bicycle helmet when working inside the frame.
It just fits under the bikes hanging from the ceiling.
I will also list this axle (probably on Craigslist) for some nominal price, and could sell it with our without the wheels. Its got a 5.5" drop and hub-face length of about 67" and idler hubs (no brakes). Bolt pattern is 5 on 4.5".