Round nose hybrid build

[Flatworm]

Thanks for that. I had seen the ultralight frame but when I tried the link to the calculator, it didn't work. Your link works fine though and my trailer appears to be ok. Thanks again.

Funny, you are thinking of your next trailer as well. I've told both my kids I'm making them one for their 18th birthday presents. 4 years away for #1.

[Flatworm]

After a week away fishing I'm back to work on the caravan between real jobs.

I was trying to get torsion suspension but can't find any with the right weight rating - the smallest I can get here are 750kg each side. I wanted around 250 kg. We will go with springs and get the height as low as possible.

Have clad the hatch and roof with ply. Looking good.

Small job today then I'll either continue with this or a friend will come around and we will start on the trailer.

[Flatworm]

Did a couple of hour's work on the trailer yesterday afternoon. Had a friend who welds better than me help

[Flatworm]

Decent day's work today.

Started outer ply skin on sides. Blew one sheet on the nose but second sheet went on fine.




Cut out hatch. Made a template and routed around it with a collett. Very happy with the results. Didn't move at all, obviously fits perfectly and weighs 16 kg.

Especially happy with the shape along the bottom. Decided that there was no need for straight lines.

[Flatworm]

Just to complete the excitement of today, I raced out to the garage tonight and fitted the continuous hinge to the hatch. Perfect fit.

Phew!

the hatch was one of the jobs I was most worried about, I feel like I have most covered now.

Hatch works
Have a friend helping with trailer
Another friend helping with glassing
Need to make decisions about windows and ventilation. Don't like roof vents as they let too much light in causing unnecessarily early starts and daytime overheating. Maybe Wiley windows and computer fan. Will need to make my mind up soon.

[OP827]

So, let me understand how you fabricated your hatch... looks like you did it "in-situ". You have glued up ply+(kerfed foam with wood edges)+ply sandwich and glued it all together and bent to the trailer curved walls in the back. Added some wood strips here and there and screwed them down to clamp to the side walls. After glue had set you just cut it apart by fixing a template and by a router with something like 6mm(1/4") spiral bit to allow for a weatherstrip gasket space? If that is the case it is another brilliant idea, again! I did not see that one before!

[Flatworm]

Hi OP

Yes, that is pretty much it.

I didn't trust my craftsmanship to be able to make a hatch that fitted. This seemed an easy way.

Just needed to make extra wide framing on the sides at the rear. I laminated up some ply and ran it through the thicknesser so it was pretty simple.

Cool thing would be to make an unusual shape hatch and it would still fit.

Up to about 70 hour's work so far but could probably cut that in half if I was to do it again.

Working the last week and away at the beach for the weekend so resume on Monday.

[Flatworm]

Finished trailer frame yesterday. Weight ended up at 97 kg - a little heavier than I would like.

Breakdown of weights
Frame 35 kg
Wheels 34 kg
Axle 17 kg
Hubs, springs, hitch etc 11 kg.

Used a heavier axle than needed as a friend had box lying around and I didn't want to buy a whole length.

Main problem was that I couldn't get light weight torsion suspension in the colonies.

So, overall
Caravan shell currently 160kg. Budget 200 kg glassed and with last two panels on.
Trailer 100kg
Allowance for water, toilet, mattress , electrics 100kg?

Aiming for finished weight in low 400 kg range so not too heavy.

Fingers crossed.

[Flatworm]

Started working on Wiley windows.
Cut out inside hole around template.
Framed up inside, should have done this when I built the doors but hadn't decided on window design.
Will rout through the framing today.
Ground welds and primed trailer.
Sanding
Sounds like I did more than I felt I did.

[Flatworm]

Productive day today, mostly small stuff.

Routed and sanded doors ready for outer skin. Trimmed and sanded hatch, doors and door frames.

Biggest change was flipping the whole caravan onto its roof. Was a bit tense for a moment with my 11 year old assistant and I. However nothing and no-one broke. Nice that it is still light enough for me to lift one side.

Have a few jobs while it is upside down.
1. sand, fill and glass the underside.
2. Sand and polyurethane the ceiling and any other upside down stuff.
3. Laminate the outer skin on.
4. Fit the trailer



Upside down I can see my earliest work and I'm not proud of it. At least I must be getting better.

[Ron Dickey]

nice job on the trailer. How do you plan to keep the water out of the galley when the hatch is closed.

Ron

[Flatworm]

Umm. I'm kind of making that stuff up as I go.

But, I have a water proof continuous hinge with a rubber strip along the top. I'm hoping to add ply to the inside of the rear area protruding up above the wall.this will be the drain. Apart from that, lots of rubber seal.

I guess that the advantage in having a wall section in the hatch is that I can use draw latches on the boot to really lock it down.

Anyway, fingers crossed.

[Flatworm]

Good day today, things coming together well I hope.

Polyurethane coat on interior. Thought that I'd do the ceiling while it was upside down then kept going. Was impressed at laminate strength. Sat on roof to varnish, roof just supported at edges but held my puny 75 kg ok.

Still working trying to get the curved front door at the right radius. Will have to plane the edges to get the right curve. Always figured that this door would be problematic.

Have been waiting for more epoxy to glue last skins on. Arrived this afternoon, glued up another wall.

Apart from that, just bits of filling and sanding.

[Flatworm]

I had hoped that I'd finish the glassing of the floor today. Am close but had a couple of setbacks.

First I glued the outer ply skin on the last wall, trimmed both to shape. Looks good.

Laid out glass cloth and started spreading epoxy. First mistake, I made one small mix with only 75 percent of the hardener that it should have had. only noticed when I mixed the next batch. Oops.

Ply sucked the epoxy in. Was hard to completely wet the cloth.

Second disaster, phone rang, I saw that it was my administrator and I was supposed to phone her earlier. Answered and had short conversation. Went back to 1/4 cup of mixed epoxy. Was hot but liquid and without thinking I poured it onto the cloth. Big mistake. Now had jelly mixed in with cloth. Tidied as well as I could.

Fortunately it is only the floor.

Have one side done, epoxy sealed the other side of the floor and will try to lay and wet out cloth tonight.

Another example of my confidence exceeding competence - but if it didn't, I wouldn't have ever started this.

I'm also wondering if my project has passed the threshold from hobby to addiction - my administrator has to hassle me to focus on my business. I'm supposed to tell her to concentrate on her job!

[Johnysteam]

Looking good. keep posting