Tiny Trailer Frame Up Rebuild - SLEEPER

[DaddyJeep]

I see why the "gunstock" is your favorite stain. It really is nice and is now at the top of the list for mine if I remember what the name of it is by the time I get to that point.

[2bits]

Thanks! This is my teardrop that I used the same stain on too just for reference

[DaddyJeep]

yep.... very nice. Do I see the back corner of a square body there too?

[2bits]

yep.... very nice. Do I see the back corner of a square body there too?

Oh yeah, I love my old Chevys. That was my ’78 Silverado, I have since sold it and now I have a ’79 Stepside. I've had ten or twelve of these over the years but I am going to keep this one, going to be a great tow combo.

[DaddyJeep]

Nice. I do like a step side. Mine is a little on the larger side.

20170528_222419.JPG (86.51 KiB) Viewed 2657 times

[2bits]

Damm! Yeah I think that will tow alright!

[working on it]

...Oh yeah, I love my old Chevys. That was my ’78 Silverado, I have since sold it and now I have a ’79 Stepside. I've had ten or twelve of these over the years but I am going to keep this one, going to be a great tow combo.

• About 16 years ago, when I still used my '86 S-10 for commuting to work, and my '69 Chevy 1500 for play and occasionally towing my still-streetable drag-racing '66 Chevelle, I bought a beat-up '75 Chevy 1500 longbed, to fix up for towing the racecar to distant venues (if you drive your racecar 200 miles away, and it breaks....??). The reasoning was that I had started restoring the '69, but it still had drum brakes all-around, and the engine I installed in it was a gas-guzzling beast (6-8 mpg when towing). It went fast, but was hard to stop, and I made frequent gas stops. And the souped-up '86 S-10 had a tiny 2.8L engine, that didn't have the torque needed for towing.
• So, with the '75, I rebuilt the engine, tranny, rear axle, springs, shocks, brakes, you name it, except for the interior & body. It looked like crap, but it was a capable and reliable truck. I added an aluminum topper that I had seen for years, in the service yard of a heavy equipment place, south of Granbury. I called my father-in-law down there to ask him to go look at it and see if they would sell it...I would pay up to $300 if it was in fair shape. He did, and bought it for $10. Though it was white, and my truck light blue, it was exactly perfect for my use. I replaced the useless lock with a padlock & hasp, put a foam pad, sleeping bag, and heater inside (I used it for my icy-weather commuting to work, in case I got stuck there overnight...many times!), and as my racing commitment grew, I added a generator, two toolboxes, spare parts & supplies, and a spare set of smaller front-runners for the Chevelle. It was great for 2 years, but was so ugly my wife wouldn't ride in it.
• After my S-10 commuter was T-boned and totaled by a Ford Explorer in late 2004, I used that opportunity to replace it with a used '04 Chevy 2500HD, that had been used and maintained by a Hummer dealership. After putting on a good set of tires, it now served as my daily driver and was the better short or long-distance hauler. So the ugly '75 was seldom used, except for the icy sleepover trips to work. Then, gas prices went to almost $4 around here, and I bought a'09 HHR Panel for commuting, and for my sleepover vehicle, too, so that made the ugly '75 trade-able.
• I was asked to make a three-way trade for it, so racing parts were also thrown in, and I ended up with a Dixon zero-turn mower, and a replacement engine for my wife's '98 GMC (I never received it- a long, sad, story about that-, though, and luckily the GMC engine is still great!). Oh, I had previously traded away my semi-restored '69 in another three-way trade, where I received nothing (but my debt, kept like a bar tab by my engine guy- hidden from the wife- on my latest big-block engine parts, several carburetors, two torque converters, wheels, and roll-cage was forgiven).
• I miss that old, ugly truck (the exterior of the '69 was ugly, too, but the interior was perfect, and the '75 was bad in and out). I considered getting a friend's '85, but the emission crap/strange carburetion/air pump that the puny 305 engine had turned me away in 2009, a year before it would've been 25 years old, and eligible for a de-smogged engine transplant (besides, I had just bought the '09 HHR and the wife's '08 Cobalt within the last 6 months, so the wife was un-enthused).
• However, if I could get a decent shape, '85 K-10 4wd like the guys on The Fast Lane Truck bought, The Big Green, I'd do it in a second. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6eAM32gu3MM&index=27&list=PLjXptazwnuepPy3edstMf1-Ik0_3DNdBs&t=0s Of course, I would put in a beefed-up 383 Chevy engine and convert it to fuel injection, but I think I could still do that kind of work (or the 427/441 big block out of the Chevelle?, nah). It is my ideal of the perfect "squarebody" to replace the ugly '75, and match up to my "squareback" TTT. Maybe painted grey. too?

• 

  1985 Chevy K10 4x4 pickup truck.JPG (85.32 KiB) Viewed 2640 times

[aggie79]

Hi Thomas,

The gunstock stain is "deja vu" and still looks beautiful!

Take care,
Tom

[HMK]

I figure with all this Sunshine, you've been making sawdust fly!

[2bits]

I figure with all this Sunshine, you've been making sawdust fly!

I have been but took off to Colorado a fee days ago, I will be back at it on Wednesday!

[Staryder61]

I figure with all this Sunshine, you've been making sawdust fly!

I have been but took off to Colorado a fee days ago, I will be back at it on Wednesday!

Enjoy that visit in Colorado and be safe,,

[HMK]

How's it going?

[2bits]

Work has been slow with it storming every afternoon after the humidity builds up to 100% so I’ve been working half days. I don’t mind the heat but when you can slide the air with a butter knife it really taxes me. Doing alot of knick knack and little stuff but the day before yesterday I had a real productive day…

First I stained the inside of the kitchen cabinet anywhere you might see when opening a door and built a shelf under the sink. It will still get face frames which are all built and stained and just need to get poly.

Next I took the big step of fastening the kitchen, couch and bed frames to the floor and the walls so finally set the walls free from their stabilizers and now they can stand on their own. Then I built the power center panel with the main 30a power feed and mocked up the breaker box, misc power outlet and the switch to control the water heater, (much nicer switch and outlet covers will be bought)! Lastly, I ran ALL of the plumbing lines along with the hot water heater. There will be a small box built over where the water lines and Romex where they run from the bed to the kitchen along the back wall to hide them.

It poured and poured last night so today is going to be another super thick day but should be alot cooler so I am going to run the circuit leads unto the breaker box and get the box installed today. After that will be installing the appliances, and face frames and building the upper cabinets and the counter top and then I will be ready to start putting the roof on, it should go pretty quick. Here are some pics!

[2bits]

...and the plumbing pics

[Staryder61]

Looks great Thomas, you're moving right along with it.. love the pictures and details, Thank you for those...
I never have used the tubing you show for water, looks to be better as for tight areas then PVC that I am used too..
You sir, do an excellent job on all of it.. shows you really enjoy what you're doing..
I finally was able to see a couple picks of the tear drop you did, loved it...
This will be a build I will definitely keep marked for future reference, just in case we ever decide to up grade to a standy..
The Raven Nest is not campable yet.. and in my head, already thinking ahead.. what have you people done to me?