Pop-up foamie for Cross-Canada trip

[dancam]

Hey Dan, that is a really impressive looking build! I was looking back a couple of pages and saw a little discussion on the shellac primer, I just looked at a can and it said only spot prime exterior surfaces, good reminder to read the label, huh? I'm curious will your battery box be sealed or open to the tongue box? I've got a 4' tongue and might want to do a box, too. Also, is your rust from salt on the roads there? We are lucky, no salt here!
Anyway, you're doing great work! Thanks for all your updates! Nodrog

Thanks!
It sure is
The battery box will be sealed. You should be able to see the white lid standing up beside it in the video. I glued a thicker back to the battery box since i make the video and will put a seal around the top and find some latches to hold the lid down tight. I have to find a way to get the power cord of the charger through the wall of the battery box while keeping it sealed and how to get it through the tongue box nicely. Maybe ill just go straight down through the floor with it and have somewhere to hang it.

I like 50km from my work, done about 4 round trips, so 400km total with the trailer. Never in salt and never even while it was raining because i dont want road grime on a trailer im working on. Its only seen paved roads and i bought it brand new from Lowes...

Thanks again!

:applause:

My vote goes for one handle, though it's looking great either way.


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Thanks. I just installed the lower one because i think it looks better as well. If its a problem i can always install the top one.

How about two handles. Except instead on front and rear like shown, how about centered right and left?

Like where these marks are?
That was my original intention because it would be much easier to lift that way. Then i realized gluing backing for strength behind those would be very difficult on that curve and all the handles i found were meant for flat surfaces, not curved. So whatever parts touch the trailer would not be flush. That wouldnt look good or seal well. My next best option was this i think

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[ghcoe]

Yes, that is what I had in mind. I can see your issue with the non-flat area. Can be a work around, but sometimes it is not worth the effort.

[GPW]

Gentlemen, may I humbly suggest the use of thick “chipboard “ for reinforcing in cases like this … although it is flexible enough to fit curves , once thoroughly painted ( the mix ) it becomes plasticized and very sturdy ( and waterproof) … if you consider it is the same basic material as wood … cellulose… crumbs for thiought …

… and if you stand in front the trailer lifting the hatch , it would seem more comfortable to keep the handles horizontal ( like hands are ) instead of the curved vertical position ( blue) JMHO … easier to find handles too ...

[Nodrog]

nothing....

[dancam]

Yes, that is what I had in mind. I can see your issue with the non-flat area. Can be a work around, but sometimes it is not worth the effort.

Yes, i could have come up with a solution. My plan was to grind the bases of the handles to fit the curve, re-tap the threads, then lay the lid upsideown and glue 1/8th baltic birch squares to the underside where the screws had to go through with enough weight to bend and hold them down. Problem is that would take a week and the weight required to bend my 1/8th squares would also bend the 1/8 thick lid. So this seemed far easier

Gentlemen, may I humbly suggest the use of thick “chipboard “ for reinforcing in cases like this … although it is flexible enough to fit curves , once thoroughly painted ( the mix ) it becomes plasticized and very sturdy ( and waterproof) … if you consider it is the same basic material as wood … cellulose… crumbs for thiought …

… and if you stand in front the trailer lifting the hatch , it would seem more comfortable to keep the handles horizontal ( like hands are ) instead of the curved vertical position ( blue) JMHO … easier to find handles too ...

Huh, never looked to see how thin of chipboard i could get, but with washers over the (small headed) screws that come with the handles that would probably work.
When i stood on the tongue it seemed either way would be equally comefortable but with the handles where the blue marks are they would have to be in the right position front to back for it to be balanced enough to be easy.

Hi dancam, I am sorry I somehow got the idea the other day your trailer had some rust, I could be crazy. Probably. Thanks for info on the battery box, I like that, a box-in-a-box! Altogether, the build is just looking great! The tongue box design is really nice, good work!
Is it getting pretty cool in your location this time of year? Pretty hard to work on things in cool weather, I always thought. I'm pretty spoiled with our mild winters here. Keep up the good work- Nodrog

Oh, it is covered in rust, thats the point, lol. Its a terrible trailer frame. You can see it in the video of the wiring underneath the tongue box.
Thanks!
And yes, battery is in a sealed box which is in a sealed box. Should be ok
Yes, too cold to keep working on it. I have nowhere indoors at home and its getting too cold to work on it inside, then put it back out when im done. For the glues and adhesives that is.
Forecast changes all the time but this is in celcius...

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[GPW]

Looks to be a bit … CHILLY !!!

[dancam]

Video and photos of the festiva camping trailer! Still needs a ton of work in the spring to get ready to camp in, but its too cold to keep working on it so i took it home friday Oct 20. This was the first drive with everything on the exterior except the doors. Check out the video for details on the trailer but the drive was good.
It was actually hard to get used to that tow mirror. Trailer brakes worked quite well but need to be adjusted tighter. Was good on the highway for the 55km home. I went to a deserted highway near my house and tried some fast stopping. I was impressed and a proper hight reciever, properly adjusted rear suspension, new rear brakes on the car and adjusting the trailer brakes will help even more. Did some 'emergency manouvers' basically swerving hard into the oncoming lane and then hard back. Also tried to make the trailer sway. Started at lower speeds and worked up to 95kmh and everything was great, it tracks well.

I Mouseproofed it once I got home.

Video of trailer and car: https://youtu.be/_Y1cBrMl0jg



I have a fair bit of work to do on the car this winter as well as a lot of the planning for our trip. Then in the spring I have to go hard on the trailer to finish it up. We had hoped to take a test drive this fall through some really steep mountains but that will have to wait. We plan to leave on our trip in june 2018. 30,000km around Canada and through Alaska.

The doors painted up alright, but didnt dry in time to mount.


Rain sticks to it weirdly...


And i couldnt find long enough strain reliefs so i had to drill down a bit into my floor




So next spring I have to:

find out How to secure down gerry cans and propane and make it so the gas doesnt leak and wreck the paint.
-water tank fittings, buy and install
-make doors, doorjambs and seals and install them and doors
-seal where lower half is bolted to frame at the back so dust doesnt get in there
-finish flooring inside trailer
-build dividers in trailer for storage and to sleep on
-install screens for sides and doors.
-wire interior for 12 and 110v power
- install lights inside and outside trailer
-12v strip light inside with remote
-install door fans
-make bed slats
-spare tire carrier install
-make and install hub spacers instead of wheel spacers
-buy better trailer tires and get them balanced
Proper grease into the axle
Paint inside of tongue box lid
seal tongue box lid better - dont want fumes from gas and propane stored in where we sleep
install things for Door catches to keep them open-
Seal and latch battery box
Install rear tie down hooks after doors
Install charger better, needs hole drilled for strain relief through floor? and foam on bottom?
Find clamps for rear taillight wires
Fix up breakaway cable length
adjust trailer brakes
-test drive

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[GPW]

Very Nice !!!

[lthomas987]

Looking really good!

[dancam]

Very Nice !!!

Looking really good!

Thanks!

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[mikeschn]

dancam,

I added the fimg tags for you...

Mike...

Sorry , no way we can see those TOO BIG a photos …

[dancam]

dancam,

I added the fimg tags for you...

Mike...

Sorry , no way we can see those TOO BIG a photos …

What are fimg tags?

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[mikeschn]

Here ya go...

http://tnttt.com/viewtopic.php?f=26&t=69728

Mike...

dancam,

I added the fimg tags for you...

Mike...

Sorry , no way we can see those TOO BIG a photos …

What are fimg tags?

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[dancam]

Here ya go...

http://tnttt.com/viewtopic.php?f=26&t=69728

Mike...

dancam,

I added the fimg tags for you...

Mike...

Sorry , no way we can see those TOO BIG a photos …

What are fimg tags?

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Ok, thanks a lot!

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[Nodrog]

Hey Dan- saw your post on my thread, am hoping you get things finished enough to do your trip! Sounds like you are not doing too much complex stuff on the inside? So, you can get enough done if the tow vehicle is ready? Really hoping you can do your epic trip, maybe with a few things unfinished, then finish it and do another big trip later!! Darn weather is hard to deal with there, I think! Let us know how things are going, ok? Later....Nodrog