Motorcycle tent trailer (Kustom Klamshell)

[harleykamper]

It's approx 250 lbs . That's base trailer, steel floor frame, wooden floor and storage boxes. I'll eventually get to a scale that can weight more accurately. Those wooded boxes add a bit! But gotta have the storage.
I'd like to keep it around 350 to 400 lbs max. I think it'll be Ok. There's still the 1" X 2" wood frame, lauan plywood, aluminium skin and trim, lights, hot tub.
I'd like to keep the price somewhere $700.00ish. I'm currently at $440.00. I have to go to the local RV wrecking yard to find used aluminium trim. The nice type trim that runs along the top edge and down the front and back. That stuff is wicked expensive new! Way out of my budget. I have a source for some aluminium skin fairly cheap, but it's only 48" wide. This RV place here has a roll that he's had forever. He doesn't even remember how much he paid for it way back when. So he think he'll part with it cheap. But I'd really like to get skin that's just over 54" wide, so I don't have any seams to leak. So I'll check out the semi tractor trailer repair places here in town. Maybe I'll get lucky and find some used. Much to be done!

[High Desert]

Cool design and good execution of the plan. Nice scoot too, should be a great combo. Will be watching your progress

For wider aluminum, you might check with Sparks Trailer Repair over on Kleppe. He may have what you need and the owner's a good guy (and a gear head). He likes anything unique and is also a rider. It would just be mill finish but that can be polished or painted of course. Best of luck to ya!

[harleykamper]

Cool design and good execution of the plan. Nice scoot too, should be a great combo. Will be watching your progress

For wider aluminum, you might check with Sparks Trailer Repair over on Kleppe. He may have what you need and the owner's a good guy (and a gear head). He likes anything unique and is also a rider. It would just be mill finish but that can be polished or painted of course. Best of luck to ya!

Great! Thank you for the suggestion. I'll check with him soon. I want to paint the trailer the same copper as the bike with a black insert both both sides. Then put the same anniversary emblem on the sides to match the bike. Then cool tail lights and some sort of script "saying' on the back. It's getting there!

[harleykamper]

Well....had to take a week off for my mother-in-law's Birthday. 85! Hey had to celebrate with her. So this week I cut, and attached the 2" X 2" rails around the perimeter of the floor. The sides, front and back panels with screw into these. Then I sprayed the bottom side with black undercoating. All the wood was coated with varnish first. Hopefully, with these two layers, the bottom with be protected from water. Next I'll apply liquid nails all along the metal rails of the frame then set the floor in the frame and screw the floor to the frame.


Just another view. I used to different undercoating products. One was Dupli-color Truck Bed Coating and the other was Rust-oleum Truck Bed Coating. The Dupli-color is SUPERIOR!! I'll buy two more cans to finish the bottom. Use the Dupli-color if you undercoat in this way! Just my two cents....
This is the Rust-oleum product below. The Dupli-color is the picture above.

[TJinPgh]

I think it was the DupliColor truck bed liner that I used when I painted the fenders on my bike.

Good stuff.

[harleykamper]

Well, another Sunday build day has come and gone. And man, am I ever sore! But it will be worth it when it's done. There's so much work done to get it to this point, but it just doesn't look like that much in the pictures!
Today I glued and screwed the floor to the frame, painted the boxes, trimmed the lids with plastic trim, installed the recessed handles in the lids, And installed the fittings for the table.
I also applied another coat of varnish on the sides and top.


Below shows the storage boxes now painted. Ready for camping supplies.



This the floor with the lids in place. The recessed handles have been routered into the lids.


A different view.The black fittings sunken into the floor are fitting to hold the table stand.



Close up of the lid. The black PVC fitting will hold the PVC table leg.


Here is the table leg without the table.



Here's the table in place. This shows the plastic trim around the lid/table top. I want to save space and weight, so the this little lid will have to serve as both lid and table. Normally we will just use the campground picnic tables but if it rains I want to be able to sit up inside and use a little table to eat. With my crappy back and neck, it's hard to sit cross legged for very long. The table leg fits in the storage box nicely.



Here I am sitting at my little table, contemplating the universe and my next camping trip. Where's my dinner?


Next week I start on the sides, front and back. Then it should start to look like a little trailer. More or less, sorta, kinda , maybe!!

[KCStudly]

Good progress there. Looks nice.

Have you been keeping track of the weight, and are you still on target for your goal?

[harleykamper]

Actually, it'd love to know how much it weights. It's not licensed yet. So I can't get to a scale. Maybe I can get it done some place close.

[KCStudly]

Stick one tire and the jack on a 2x and the other on your bathroom scale. Then swap it around until you have all three "corner weights". Add them up, and there you go.

At a 250 lb. final weight goal, you shouldn't need a commercial scale.

[S. Heisley]

Cute pic of you sitting at your table!

I'm looking forward to seeing the sides and top go on it.

[ST1100]

Actually, it'd love to know how much it weights. It's not licensed yet. So I can't get to a scale. Maybe I can get it done some place close.

That looks very good planned ! I'm looking forward to see the next steps.

My bathroom scale showed 62 kg added both tires and the tongue of my trailer. The commercial scale for my license showed then 0.06 tons ! So my title says 60 kg !

Are you not afraid to feel the handles of your floor doors later through your mattress ?

Tom

[harleykamper]

I thought about weighing each tire and the hitch weight. I just wasn't sure how well that worked. I tried to weigh something else recently that way and it didn't well because the object was tilted or whatever. I'll weight it this weekend and post that. The handles are recessed into the lids, and the floor will have indoor/outdoor carpet. So the handles will lie flat. I haven't decided about using an air mattress or foam. Either way I shouldn't feel the handles. I'd like an air mattress that would only be 4 or 5 inches thick. Most are 8". So if I can't find a thinner air mattress I may go 4" foam. Then cut into sections to make it easier to get it out of the way. I'm hoping to make some progress on the sides and front /back frames this weekend. That's my plan anyway! I'm excited to get to the point where it starts to look like a trailer.

[AlgoDan]

I must say that is some slick work you have there...a brilliant idea and design. Good job

[KCStudly]

The trick to getting accurate weights is to put something equal in height to the scale under the other two points. For me and my fairly typical spring type bath scale that was a 2x whatever board.

On the cut up mattress: consider sewing the coverings together along the edges of abutting corners in a zig zag fan fold fashion (top edge of 1st to 2nd, bottom edge of 2nd to 3rd, top edge of 3rd to 4th, etc. That way they are still all connected and won't separate. This will prevent you from working your way through the cracks, and you can still fold then into a stack to get them out of the way.

[harleykamper]

Yes, sewing them together will work well. I was thinking of cutting it into 3 pieces them covering them with sheet material of something like that. If I sew each edge on the opposite edge from the other then it will accordion up into a much smaller package. What I'm sure of is how much space from top to bottom I'll have down at the foot of the trailer. The total height inside when closed is 12"! A 4 inch mattress folded in thirds is 12" also. Guess I'll just to wait and see. Good suggestion!
I'll space up the other wheel to match the scale.