CNC Build: The Bed and Breakfast at 4 years and 40,000 miles

[KCStudly]

It'll be worth the hard work in the end.

[capnTelescope]

Saturday got spent painting. Fenders, tongue box bottom and the front end of the chassis. I'm not happy with the paint job on fenders. First, I got fish-eyes, then didn't add enough thinner for spray to flatten, then runs, drips and errors. I'll have to burn this bridge again, the next time I come to it. LCG IX is just around the corner, and the trailer isn't street legal yet. Shiny-smooth fender paint can wait.

My Tear is 81" wide. Over 80" requires more running lights that I planned for. The feds want a 3-red-light rear light bar to identify the trailer as being over 80" wide. Who the heck knows that's what the 3 lights mean? Truckers and cops, I guess. Also, front and rear facing clearance lights showing the max width of the trailer. It's hard to include them in a trailer design so they don't look like they were added as an afterthought. Which is exactly what I'm doing. So they'll look like an afterthought.

The light bar gave me a chance to practice my newly found metalworking skills. I drew up a sheet metal pattern for My Custom Light Bar and cut it out on the CNC. Actually, I cut out two, since I wasn't sure about my bending brake skills. At least the CNC saved me from embarrassing myself on the hydraulic shear. Bending allowances? We don't need no steenkin' bend allowances. Drill and rivet 4 times and done!

Actually, they both turned out acceptably good:


Aaaaand I also got my fenders mounted.

It still looks a little bit high, but...LCG IX.



Add side clearance lights and I should be ready to register.

Thanks for stopping by!

[noseoil]

81" with the fenders, out to out? Just checking.

[capnTelescope]

It'll be worth the hard work in the end.

It's already worth it. I'm having fun.

81" with the fenders, out to out? Just checking.

Yep. 61" chassis + 10" per fender * 2. (Sniffle)

[Sheddie]

Hi Brad,
that is looking really good.
Regards the mud guards (fenders), if it were me, I would be looking at taking 1/2" off the inside of each guard (fender). What is the width to the outside of the sidewalls on the tyres (or should I say tires).
Frank

[capnTelescope]

that is looking really good.

Thank you, Frank. I have to agree.

Regards the mud guards (fenders), if it were me, I would be looking at taking 1/2" off the inside of each guard (fender). What is the width to the outside of the sidewalls on the tyres (or should I say tires).

Too much work to narrow the fenders (mud guards). Besides, the sidewalls are even with the fenders. You may certainly say tyres, bonnet, boot and mud guards. We speak close enough versions of the same language.

[Sheddie]

Hi Brad
As we Kiwis say in this situation, "Bugger".
Oh well it could be worse, at least it is only a few extra lights. And if you look at it on the "bright" side you can cruise down the road looking like one of those big truckers.

My Tear is 81" wide. Over 80" requires more running lights that I planned for. The feds want a 3-red-light rear light bar to identify the trailer as being over 80" wide. Who the heck knows that's what the 3 lights mean? Truckers and cops, I guess. Also, front and rear facing clearance lights showing the max width of the trailer. It's hard to include them in a trailer design so they don't look like they were added as an afterthought. Which is exactly what I'm doing. So they'll look like an afterthought.

We once (many years ago when I was a little nipper), had a strange law that when you were towing a trailer you had to have a small blue light on the roof of the TV. In NZ when the trailer gets over 2m you need lights front and rear to mark the extremities. in the case of a TD, with external guards, the lights would be mounted on the guard. Most of the time a single light is used, showing red to the rear and white to the front.

[capnTelescope]

Hi, Frank.

Bugger, indeed. I wonder if "bugger" has the same meaning there as it occasionally does here, although it's not that commonly used.

So here's the fender clearance light, amber front, red rear:

Definitely looks like an afterthought.

I also riveted a piece of rubber tread to the top of the fenders. This is intended to be a functional surface, so I don't want to worry about getting the paint scratched. This side turned out OK. The other side didn't light up when I tested it. Turns out I wired it up with the polarity wrong. Totally stupid mistake. After fishing the wiring out from behind the fender to make the repair, I'm not sure the wires got back in where they won't get pinched and blow a fuse just before I pass by a cop after dark. I also over-tightened one of the mounting screws and broke the bottom of the mounting hole out. Whatever happened to "unbreakable" plastic?

I turned the garage lights out for atmosphere, and took this pic of the wide load identification light:

Looks like a homemade afterthought.

.

On the bright side, the tear should be street legal now. I'm going to mount the other door and take the Tear to get weighed today. Registration day tomorrow. Wish me luck!

Thanks for stopping by!

[KCStudly]

Looks good from here.

I wonder if you might want to use some sort of adhesive between the rubber mats and fenders to keep moisture from collecting under there (...made you think underwear? )

[capnTelescope]

I wonder if you might want to use some sort of adhesive between the rubber mats and fenders to keep moisture from collecting under there ...

Under where? Underware? Underwear!

But seriously folks, I did have that thought. Tried some contact adhesive, but didn't really like the results. It didn't seem to stick to the rubber well enough. Maybe if it gets muddy and moldy under there, the rubber will stick to the fender. I'm concerned that sustained highway-speed winds might blow the rubber off.

If this is an early fail, I'll report back.

[KCStudly]

I would keep the rivets, too, so no fail. Not really concerned with an early fail; was thinking more long term. You know, that bridge on up the road yonder.

[capnTelescope]

You know, that bridge on up the road yonder.

Yeah! The one I'll burn then, when I come to it over yonder.

Well, as promised, I hooked up today and went over and got the Tear weighed. Ten bucks later (drumroll please) 1320 pounds!

That puts me just a little above average according to this post. That's dry weight. Just add water and about 40 pounds. No air conditioner, so add another ~40. No propane tank, add another ~30. Still in mobile toolbox mode, but no cabinet doors. I'll call that a wash.

My mental guess was about 1250#. I'm calling that a pretty close guess.

Tomorrow will be Registration Day (one).

[aggie79]

You know, that bridge on up the road yonder.

Yeah! The one I'll burn then, when I come to it over yonder.

Well, as promised, I hooked up today and went over and got the Tear weighed. Ten bucks later (drumroll please) 1320 pounds!

That puts me just a little above average according to this post. That's dry weight. Just add water and about 40 pounds. No air conditioner, so add another ~40. No propane tank, add another ~30. Still in mobile toolbox mode, but no cabinet doors. I'll call that a wash.

My mental guess was about 1250#. I'm calling that a pretty close guess.

Tomorrow will be Registration Day (one).

Cap'n,

Things are coming together rapidly. #1320 seems like a decent weight to me. One of these days I'll get mine weighed and registered (instead of doing the ole trailer license plate switcheroo.)

Good luck at the DMV. (Is it still called that?)

Take care and hopefully I'll see you at LCG,
Tom

[tony.latham]

You know, that bridge on up the road yonder.

Yeah! The one I'll burn then, when I come to it over yonder.

Well, as promised, I hooked up today and went over and got the Tear weighed. Ten bucks later (drumroll please) 1320 pounds!

That puts me just a little above average according to this post. That's dry weight. Just add water and about 40 pounds. No air conditioner, so add another ~40. No propane tank, add another ~30. Still in mobile toolbox mode, but no cabinet doors. I'll call that a wash.

My mental guess was about 1250#. I'm calling that a pretty close guess.

Tomorrow will be Registration Day (one).

Okay bro, mine came in at 1380 with the battery.... I see a pattern here.

Tony

[Sheddie]

Hi, Frank.

Bugger, indeed. I wonder if "bugger" has the same meaning there as it occasionally does here, although it's not that commonly used.

Hi Brad. No doubt it does.
Have a look at this you may get a laugh. It puts it in Kiwi perspective.
The broadcasting standards authority had several complaints about the add, but said in this context it is a term in every day use in NZ and let it play.
http://youtu.be/cbBx4Ql6Umo
Frank