M116A3 Build

[noseoil]

I used the torx drive with the center post for my solar panel brackets. I figure that's the "weak point" in my build with respect to what can be stolen on the outside. Everything else is pretty well secured, or at least a PITA to deal with & requiring more time & effort than it's worth. I like the idea of at least slowing things down & making it more difficult. They're not stealing because they're highly motivated individuals usually. If you can place a few hurdles in the path, they will often just choose a different path that's easier. I still use the "multiple layers" of defense approach.

[lfhoward]

Tonight the urethane on the doors and the trailer itself was dry enough to put the doors and windows back on (temporarily until I skin it). I like having them on and locked, because as you say, it's just a little more difficult to get the batteries and electronics if you can't actually see them and can't reach right in.

Tonight is the first frost of the season. It's going down to 32 degrees tonight and 30 tomorrow night. I don't expect the batteries to freeze in that short amount of time, but I have the trailer plugged in and charging overnight. The battery bank was down to 12.4 volts because I had been using the lights for several nights, and I hadn't fully charged it in about a month. The batteries should be topped off by tomorrow morning.

I have a smart onboard charger that won't overcharge the batteries, so I could leave it plugged in all the time if I need to. I'd like to get the trailer skinned and then install the solar panel, so the trailer could maintain itself off the grid.

[lfhoward]

Not much to report, as I was away for work this week and the weekend coming up is already full with other commitments. But on the upside, my neighbor has a sheet metal brake (bender) that he is going to lend me!

[lfhoward]

Here is the type of sheet metal bender my neighbor has.
http://www.van-mark.com/Brakes/trimabrake/tab1.htm



It has been sitting outside under leaves for who knows how long, so I will need to clean it up before using it. Really excited not to have to rent one, though! And also I can work at my own pace instead of having to rush to get everything done before a rental would be due back at the HD.

I do have a couple of thoughts, now seeing the equipment.
1. This will only bend a sheet within a foot or so from an edge. That means I cannot use it to bend in the middle of a sheet, or cut one there by using the scoring/bending method.
2. What is the best (or a good) method of cutting 0.04 aluminum if I cannot do it on the brake? Do you recommend tin snips, jig saw (with a metal cutting blade) or something else? I assume the router would only be good for trimming outside edges to fit once a panel has been secured to the trailer.

[lfhoward]

Planning for skinning!



I have RV roof edge moldings and butyl tape for where the walls but up against the roof, front, and rear panels. However, some overlap will be necessary where panels on the same surface connect up with each other. (My 4 foot wide aluminum sheets won't be able to do a whole 5 foot tall wall without some splicing. Also, the trailer is a hair over 6 feet wide.)

What do you think about the areas in my drawing where I'm planning for the sheets to overlap? My logic was to think like a roofer, plan for water to flow downhill, and make sure a top sheet overlaps a bottom sheet (not the other way around). I can use the bender to make 45 or 90 degree bends on the roof panels, to facilitate the overlap.

How much of a sheet should be overlapped with another for a good weather proof seal? (6 inches, 8 inches?) I will be using Sikaflex to seal the sheets to each other where they overlap, and of course I will screw the overlapping seams down to cross beams underneath.

[noseoil]

I would think that with the sikaflex & some screws it would be enough to have 1" or 1 1/2" of actual overlap, if there's a backing frame to fasten into with the screws. Doing it like this, the screw spacing would be good at 3" or 4", depending on how it lays down. I used #8 X 1" stainless steel pan head screws (phillips drive) for the seams & they held fine. Osi Quad from Home Delay works in the screw holes & the clear is easy to remove once it sets up (invisible). It's nasty when it's not cured yet, just leave it alone when it's not cured, or have paint thinner & paper towels handy for the mess. Use nitrile gloves for your hands with urethane adhesives, easier than trying to remove it later.

I would do a dry run first for all of it. If there's any fine tuning to be done, now's the time to do it. Make all the sections, fasten them in place with a few screws temporarily, to make sure it all fits together properly, drill pilot holes for alignment & then look it over again. If all of it is good, do a section at a time to put it all back together again. Blow out all the holes, sweep all of the aluminum shavings from drilling, clean it up & then do the full final assembly with glue.

Take your time & it should go easily. You might need an extra pair of hands while holding the sheets in place. Mask the seams you have first when it's dry fit, so the glue doesn't end up sticking where you don't want it to go. I think doing it like a roofer will work fine. Looking forward to the pictures.

[dales133]

I overlaped about 2 inches with plenty of sikaflex inbetween and spaced my s rews at 4 inches.
Sikaflex cleans up pretty well wet or dry with paint thinners or mineral turpentine.
I find it easier to clean up when its about half dry

[OP827]

For your second question on the best cutting method for aluminum... jig saw could work good enough as in this video, check it out - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lH-Bugq9nos . I am also thinking that some nearby fab shop has a large shear machinery to make best straight cuts if they are really required. Cheers!

[lfhoward]

Thank you for the suggestions and answers to my skinning questions, everyone. I have a pretty good idea in my head of how I'll cut and install the aluminum panels. Now it is just finding the time. Work has been very busy lately, even on the weekends, so I have very few multi-hour time blocks to work on the trailer. How much time should I budget for cutting out and installing an aluminum wall panel? I was thinking I would need several hours at least for the first one. Then when I practice my technique it will go a little quicker. (I will temporarily tack all the panels on until I know they fit the way I want them to. Thanks for the suggestion, Tim!)

Last night and today I had an hour here and there to putter and I was able to finish the inside of the rear cubbies using scraps of 1/4 plywood left over from wall construction. These are the cubbies under the bench/bed and rearwards of the tire wells that would be good for storing boots and shoes. I was quick and it doesn't look perfect, but nobody is going to notice the workmanship under there but me.

The walls above the benches will be a nicer material than the 1/4 pine ply I'm using in the cubbies and under the bed. I am currently thinking of installing 1/4 thick tongue and groove knotty cedar on the walls and 1/4 Baltic birch plywood on the ceiling. That will give the interior a nice two-tone effect.

[lfhoward]

So, not skinned yet. I have thought about this and there are several factors in play.
- rain on my days off
- lots of work on weekends, so few days off
- only a couple of hours free at a time
- not knowing where to start
- and an irrational fear of screwing something up

Really, the last two reasons have stood in my way the most. I could probably bang out an aluminum panel in an hour, right?

Which panel would you start with? After cutting it to the right size, would you attach it to the trailer with a few screws and trim the edges with the router? Or wait and trim after you have all the panels made and attached to the trailer?

I'm thinking I should probably make them all before permanently gluing them down.

I'm also wary of getting halfway done and then having rain water get between the aluminum and the wood. Should I wait until I have time to skin the whole thing in one or two consecutive days of good weather?

Lots of questions. But maybe I just need to start with one panel and see how it goes.

[lrrice]

I would suggest these or some good aviation snips for your cuts then hide the cut edge under the factory edge or trim. If you have the choice of more overlap or scrap on the floor, err on the side of over lap.
http://www.harborfreight.com/media/cata ... _13972.jpg

[S. Heisley]

LF, I don't know how you are doing as much as you are, living in PA and out, working in the unsheltered climate. Most people would have probably put the project away for the winter. My guess is that you will as soon as snow starts to fall. I hope that you can shelter it from melting snow. Maybe you can rent a small storage unit for the winter months.

Where to start without worry of screwing up? If it were me, I would start with that little electrical door. After all, that needs to be a separate cut-out piece; and, if you do something wrong, it's easy to find another piece to take its place. This would allow you to get in a little practice before you tackle the bigger pieces and build on your knowledge and confidence. From what I've seen so far, you'll do just fine; however, confidence building is always a help.

Keep going! We're watching!

[Al in PA]

Gander Mountain is selling a portable garage for $99. That's cheaper than a storage unit and you can use it to protect your camper after the build is complete.

[kudzu]

Gander Mountain is selling a portable garage for $99. That's cheaper than a storage unit and you can use it to protect your camper after the build is complete.

Are you sure? That would be great but what I'm seeing for that price is just a sidewall kit for a canopy sold separately.

[Al in PA]

Sorry, you are correct. Speed reading was never my forte.