Karebru's 7x16 Build Log

[Karebru]

INSTALLATION METHODS
□□ Free-floating Installation: Roll it out and trim to fit.
□□ Tape or Glue Optional Installation: Roll it out and trim to fit. Use an acrylic-based, double-sided tape, such
as Roberts® MaxGrip™, at the edges and along the seams or, for full glue down option, use an acrylic based
vinyl adhesive such as Roberts® MaxGrip™ 2310 or 2315 sheet vinyl adhesive
If you are riding a 800lb motorcycle in and out and up and down the ramp, you will want it glued down WELL. Also, consider the environment the trailer is exposed to. The expansion/contraction, wet/dry, twisting and flexing, vibration etc. I hope I never have to replace the flooring, but I have scraped and sanded flooring adhesive before, not fun but do-able.

I thought about the expansion and contraction issue before gluing mine. We don't get wild temperature swings over the course of the year. Hot, to pretty cool.
You won't see this southern boy camping in Nebraska in January.

Here's one quick picture from this weekend.
Aluminum screen enclosure framing.
Above will be filled in with a removable box that covers the ramp mechanism.
Did you guys who put the flooring on your ramps need to tighten the lift spring?

I have stock sized screen doors that I'll need to take apart and cut down in height. I'm 5'8" and my head just touches the frame at the back door. The side door is a little taller.

[McDave]

Nice work Karebru!
The flooring I used on the ramp didn't affect the spring tension much, but then I mounted the spare to the ramp and now it is pretty heavy. I haven't adjusted it yet but probably will before I get much older. I have had enough back injuries to last a lifetime.

McDave

[phoenixbound]

Interesting concept for a screen. Got me thinking. I may have just enough room on each side of my Harley Tri-Glide to build this screen frame. I would like to see how it turns out with the screens in. It could be cheaper than this option from Stoett. I like it, but is pretty pricey. I put a "Magic Screen" on my side door. Surprisingly, I think it is going to work pretty good. Find out next week in Sturgis.

https://www.stoett.com/product/sportscreen-black/

INSTALLATION METHODS
□□ Free-floating Installation: Roll it out and trim to fit.
□□ Tape or Glue Optional Installation: Roll it out and trim to fit. Use an acrylic-based, double-sided tape, such
as Roberts® MaxGrip™, at the edges and along the seams or, for full glue down option, use an acrylic based
vinyl adhesive such as Roberts® MaxGrip™ 2310 or 2315 sheet vinyl adhesive
If you are riding a 800lb motorcycle in and out and up and down the ramp, you will want it glued down WELL. Also, consider the environment the trailer is exposed to. The expansion/contraction, wet/dry, twisting and flexing, vibration etc. I hope I never have to replace the flooring, but I have scraped and sanded flooring adhesive before, not fun but do-able.

I thought about the expansion and contraction issue before gluing mine. We don't get wild temperature swings over the course of the year. Hot, to pretty cool.
You won't see this southern boy camping in Nebraska in January.

Here's one quick picture from this weekend.
Aluminum screen enclosure framing.
Above will be filled in with a removable box that covers the ramp mechanism.
Did you guys who put the flooring on your ramps need to tighten the lift spring?

I have stock sized screen doors that I'll need to take apart and cut down in height. I'm 5'8" and my head just touches the frame at the back door. The side door is a little taller.

[Karebru]

Phoenixbound, I looked at the first picture on your thread and had to laugh. Your "Stealth" trailer is anything but... It sure is pretty, though.

Mine will be more camper than toyhauler. My toys, these days, are a couple adult trikes... Yeah, the pedal kind.
But I remember the glory days.
I had a 66 Electra Glide for a few years in the late 70s, and too many Jap. dirt and street bikes to remember, before and after the Harley. Mostly Yamahas.

The material for both doors ran me about four hundred dollars. Then there's the work involved. It kind of surprised me.
But, I wanted plain old swinging screen doors, just like home.

[phoenixbound]

Yea, I guess it is a little conspicuous. I had a guy ( I'll call him Cpt. Obvious) ask me on the way to Phoenix last year if I had a Harley in there. I kind of went opposite route with bikes. Rice burners first, then a BMW (amazing bike, but zero comfort) then Harley's. This my third one and the Tri-Glide is absolutely mine and my wife's favorite. In our book it is the "Cadillac" of Harley's. We leave home Saturday, staying Saturday night in Chadren, NE at a Mom and Pop Motel I have stayed at a couple of times and roll into Custer Park on Sunday. Meeting friends in Chadren. This will be the maiden camping voyage for the CTC and we are excited. Although I have been to Sturgis many times, I have never hauled the bike to do it. It will be a new experience. I have worked my a## off on this thing and now is the time to test it out. I will be posting a few pictures of the trip when we get back. I like your work on your trailer, keep it up. It inspires me and others.

Mark

Phoenixbound, I looked at the first picture on your thread and had to laugh. Your "Stealth" trailer is anything but... It sure is pretty, though.

Mine will be more camper than toyhauler. My toys, these days, are a couple adult trikes... Yeah, the pedal kind.
But I remember the glory days.
I had a 66 Electra Glide for a few years in the late 70s, and too many Jap. dirt and street bikes to remember, before and after the Harley. Mostly Yamahas.

The material for both doors ran me about four hundred dollars. Then there's the work involved. It kind of surprised me.
But, I wanted plain old swinging screen doors, just like home.

[Karebru]

Looking forward to the pictures.
Have fun.
Stay safe .

[Karebru]

UGGHHH!!!

Sometimes when things aren't going well, ya just gotta take a step or two back and regroup.

I found myself doing other things to avoid working on the trailer, because I wasn't happy with the way things were going.
Yeah, they needed doing but...

I fought and fought trying to be happy with how my aluminum framing and screen doors were going... I finally gave up this morning.
I took it all out and bundled it up for the scrappers. I should have returned the doors. After unwrapping them, I found them to be really flimsy.
But, I tried cutting them down anyway. I salvaged the screen. There's more to my struggle than the doors, but anyway...

I'm moving on with the project and will come back to screening it in later. Probably with wood.
There's something about the charm of a good old fashioned screen door.

Meanwhile, My lumber and plywood for the cabinets and panelling should be here this week.

Onward.....

[flboy]

Sometimes it is one step forward and then two steps back. Hang in there!

Sent from my SM-G935P using Tapatalk

[McDave]

Yeah, ya don't want to force it. You are way too talented and creative to get hung up on a pre-fab piece any ways. It'll come to ya and it'll awesome when it does. Shake it off and come back later.

McDave

[Karebru]

Thanks guys.
Sometimes I forget to breathe.
I just renewed my fishing license.
No deadlines on fun projects.

[Karebru]

Back at it and haven't been fishing yet.

Some of my cabinet and paneling material showed up last week. I'm hoping the rest of it is here before the weekend.

I played around with my low voltage stuff while it's still easy to get to.
One 20 AMP transformer would be more than enough to run everything, but I had two, so I mounted both.
One will power all the LEDs, and the other, my water pump and bathroom fan.
If one transformer goes bad on the road, I'll be able to move everything over to the good one.
As I've said, at least for now, I will have shore-power only with no battery backup.
I also installed some of my lights and made connections for the wall switches, etc.



I haven't abandoned by electrician/brother. When I'm ready, I'll let him do the honors of finishing out the high-voltage stuff.
...And double checking everything I did without him.
I don't know which I trust myself doing less. Electric or plumbing.

[Karebru]

Happy holiday weekend y'all.
And tropical weather heading to Florida right on schedule.
...At least I got the grass cut.

Got my alder paneling up everywhere except where there will be cabinets and such.





Lights work too.

My water tank and pump are installed where they will eventually be under the kitchen sink cabinet and the front of the starboard side bunk.
I'm familiar with the tubing and barb fittings used in boat plumbing, so I'm going that route.
There's a tank shut off valve, a system drain valve, and fifteen hose clamps right there, but with cold water only, all I need is one more "T" fitting and single lines to feed the two sinks.
I guess drains would be a good idea too.



Next weekend, I hope to cut the straps on this bundle of 4/4 alder.

[Karebru]

Two weeks come and gone, and I still haven't cut those straps.
Got several little things that I've been putting off finished up, though.

All of the electrical is finished up except for a few LV light fixtures that will mount to the cabinets. ...I plugged it into the house for the first time, and it works!
The AC grills are permanently mounted now, and rain "gutters" are installed over them and the windows.

And today, inbetween doing yard work, the roof got three good coats of Henry Dura-Brite. ...It's blinding, I tell you!

Some family drove down to Key West for a couple of days and they must have stopped along the way.
They brought us back this, along with some key lime fudge.



Years ago, we'd go down and I'd hit this little fudge shop and buy all the key lime fudge they had made at the time. An ounce or five pounds... It didn't matter.
Don't know if it's still the same old shop, but it tasted just as good.

[Karebru]

My employer has several cargo trailers of different sizes. One is a dual axle about the size of mine. When it's empty, it is tongue weight neutral.
It will ballance on the four wheels without the jack touching the ground, and relies on loading to give it tongue weight.

Mine, empty, had plenty of tongue weight. I haven't weighed it, but it does make my V6 Frontier squat a bit.
The weight I've added so far has been evenly distributed. I've done what I could with my camper design to place the heaviest things over the axles, but there will be some added weight right up in the V-nose where the small bathroom will be. My overall weight should be well within capacity, but I anticipate it being tongue heavy.

So... I think my rig is going to need some help for safety reasons, and for a better ride.
A short-armed weight distribution hitch might fit. My exposed A-frame is very short. Only 30 inches along the tubes from the ball to the box.

I guess my other option would be Firestone Ride-Rites.

https://www.realtruck.com/firestone-air-bag-suspension-kits/R181688P2017Y451MA.html

Years ago, I put them on an F150 that I used to tow a heavy boat, and I was very happy with the difference they made.

Right now, I'm leaning towards the air assist bags.
Any thoughts?

[hankaye]

Karebru, Howdy;

I know it may seem like I'm sellin' these things but I've got no horse in the race, honest!
I just had an excellent time towing with the one I had. Here's a link to their page for V-Nosed
trailers. Gives a few options and the fit is adjustable for the 'L' brackets that you'd attach to
the trailer's frame. Buy it or not your choice.
https://www.equalizerhitch.com/manuals- ... tion-guide

hank