a really quick build

[coal_burner]

i have a beat up 5x8 utility trailer that has seen better days.


i also have a friend, who is about to drive from michigan to california, to collect all of her worldly possessions.
the plan is to make a slightly aerodynamic box with a five foot ceiling height to carry all of the aforementioned possessions.

step one on day one requires stripping the wood floor and steel sides from the donor trailer


the 5mm plywood sides are then screwed and glued to the 2x4 base frame

daylight fails me and i must save the next steps for tomorrow

[coal_burner]

here are pictures from the end of day 2


the view from the rear shows the temporary diagonal board i used to keep everything square




here you can see my construction method:
2x4s on 24" centers with a bottom plate on flat & a top plate on edge
a 4x8 sheet of 5mm hardwood plywood for the wall with an extra 14" strip of the same to give me more height





the ceiling has 2x4s set on top of the wall studs.
they are glued to the studs and screwed through the top plate and wall sheeting.
there are 10" gussets screwed and glued on each side of every joist to keep everything square.
the gussets are cut from the scrap 1/2" plywood left over from the floor




it only took about 6 hours, and a dozen beers to get to this point

tomorrow should bring me pretty close to being done.

[bonnie]

looks like it will do the job nicely.

[coal_burner]

day three

the roof has been glued on, the nose has been framed, and while i'm skinning the front, my assistant is urethaning the back









with the skin complete and the urethane on it, the trailer almost looks complete





i'm really proud of how awesome my miter tolerances were on the nose framing, even though i was just freehanding it with a skill saw.





a few more hours tomorrow to build doors and trim work and it'll be ready for it's 2,000 mile maiden voyage.

[coal_burner]

this may end up being an under 20 beer build !!!

i'm not sure if i should be depressed about that.

[capy235]

One word of caution. Check tires for weight rating. Loading household stuff can get heavy quickly and shredding a tire can ruin a whole trip. Don't ask how I know........

[coal_burner]

i'm in total agreement with you there capy.

we've spent alot of time discussing item weight and trailer balance.

although the trailer is registered at 1495 gross, the frame is much beefier than a harbor freight 1875 lb frame. (empty trailer is about 600lbs)

it's also all welded construction (no bolts), and has tires rated 1050 lbs each.

without the doors, the trailer seems a little nose heavy. i'm figuring that the dining room chairs (bulky but light, can go up front, while the boxes of clothes and books can go right over and behind the axle.

she will have access to a creeper jack and a scale in california, so she should be able to load things right under 200lbs tongue weight.

[droid_ca]

Wow your doing a good job can't wait to see more

[coal_burner]

day four:
the doors are laid out and ready to be glued



an hour later, the 26 gauge sheet metal begins to be siliconed and stapled to the project.





then its done and ready for the freeway test







85 mph on the freeway, passing big rigs and no bad tendencies. she is ready for the big times.

tomorrow she goes to cali.

[droid_ca]

What did you use for trim on the outside it looks good

[coal_burner]

thats 26 gauge galvanized sheetmetal

$68 at my local furnace duct supplier.

i'm not sure if it'll hold up to the elements, but i can always paint it.

[droid_ca]

is that a wood trim on the bottom as well look almost rope like

[S. Heisley]

That looks like a very nice home made cargo trailer. I'll bet that gets used for other things later.
That was a good quick job. Oh, and I'm glad it only took around 20 beers. ...wouldn't want you to loose a finger from too many.
Thanks for sharing!

[coal_burner]

what looks like moulding under the doors is just where the plywood floor sticks out.

the moulding strips on the sides are there to cover up the grid of screwholes holding the side sheeting on.



after the trailer gets back from california, i'm going to add a couple of windows and rekajigger the door latch, so it can be opened from the inside.

a little bit of pink foam insulation and it'll be a short standie.

but that's a project for another day/beer.

[b.bodemer]

Nice work...............
Barb