No Hatch Green Chile PolyDrop

[kokomoto]

This is my second build. The first was damaged in a rear end accident on Hwy 64 in West Tennessee. The Jeep Cherokee XJ frame was bent, but the Mrs. and I were uninjured. The trailer frame itself is still in fine condition, but the rear of the cabin and hatch are not. It would be a shame to let a perfectly good trailer frame go to waste. I've decided to build something without so many curves. Curves look great, but they can make the build more time consuming (my last build took several months of my spare time), and darn near require the use of hard to find, pricey Baltic Birch. I plan to use standard, readily available plywood, straight edges and angles, fiberglass/resin coating and bedliner finish. The working area of the frame is 5' x 9', so the overall length of the cabin will be a minimum of 10". I'm also considering installing a steel framed rack on the rear to hold a spare tire, and a layer of impact protection. BTW, everything I just typed is subject to change. This is the very early planning stage. I just sketched this out over coffee this morning.

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[tony.latham]

My reaction to your profile is that the axle may be too far forward, especially with the spare in the rear.

It's a thought.

Tony

[kokomoto]

You may be right. I drew that to scale based on where the axle currently is on the trailer. The tongue on the old TD was a bit on the heavy side, and it towed like it was on rails. This TD will likely have a center of gravity somewhere aft of the previous one due to the shape and design. The tire rack frame itself will have some heft to it, but it will also provide some crash protection. What the sketch doesn't show is the Honda Trail 90 that I've been mounting transversely across the tongue, which adds about 200+ lbs forward. In any case, I'll likely end up with something mounted up there, even if it's a box to store propane and gear, or a motorbike.

I'm determined not to have a hatch on this build. I need to devise some sort area to cook and make coffee that sets up quick and easy without a lot of fuss. It doesn't have to be fancy, just a Coleman or propane stove. Some type of externally mounted shelf, table, thing might work. I'm also considering elevating the bed about 12" or less, and locating it as far to the rear as possible. I think it would just clear the door, and provide about 3.5' of space at the front of the cabin to work with. That would provide some convenient storage space and something like a mud room at the entrance without the need for a hatch to access it. I also need to decide if I'm building my own doors, or investing in store-bought doors. If I stick with the mudroom layout. I need to mock this up, and see how it would work. If I buy doors, do you have any recommendation on what particular model and where to find them?

Are you still considering building a squaredrop of some sort?

[tony.latham]

What the sketch doesn't show is the Honda Trail 90...

Sounds like a plan,

Tony

[mmccrumb]

Sorry to hear of the accident, but so glad you two were okay!

I'm in the middle of a build, and also did not want a hatch (my carpentry skills are not to that level...haha). I incorporated a side-slide-out kitchen in mine. Simple Coleman two-burner stove, and a fridge. Room under the stove for water and propane (the Coleman sized bottles) storage. Your design and ideas sound great!

Mike

[kokomoto]

It wasn't fun to chop up my TD with a sawzall after putting so much time and energy into building it, but it need to be done.

The hatch was a big challenge for me to build. It's cool when you get it right though. I'll have to check out your build.

I've already revised the design to a more conventional design with the mattress located forward and on the floor in order to make room for a galley in the rear with conventional, hinged doors for access. Everything is a compromise. In the end, we've learned a lot about how we actually use a TD, and having a galley at the back is something we need. I've also decided to forego the spare tire idea. I've never needed one. I always carry a plug kit, which has always got me back on the road. I do intend to weld some type of steel bar onto the lower rear to minimize damage in another rear end accident. The overall shape and size will remain roughly the same.

I'm undecided on whether to use conventional fiberglass or PMF. I already have some rolls of fiberglass and resin in the garage, but the PMF has some advantages that are appealing to me. I may experiment with a smaller PMF project just to see if I'm satisfied with it before I make a final decision.

[kokomoto]

I completed assembling most of the floor today. I built it like my previous build with 1x4s, 1/4" ACX plywood, and EPS foam that I already had in the attic. However, this time I used Titebond 2 and a pneumatic stapler. On the first build, I used biscuit joints for the 1/4 frame, and tried to used all kinds of weight on the plywood to set the glue joints. What a time consuming PITA. I don't know what I was thinking. This method was much less hassle, and much faster. I'm using Tony's book. The first one was built before the book.

I have some epoxy on the shelf that has been sitting there a number of years. I need to mix a small batch tomorrow to see if it's still good. I plan to fiberglass the bottom of the floor with it. I bought enough 1/4" ACX to start finish the wall outers, but haven't found any 1/8" BB plywood available locally to use for the interior walls and ceiling. I may have to resort to luan or similar, but prefer the look of the birch.

I recently remembered that my trailer frame is not perfectly flat. I has a very slight arc. It's equal on both side rails, and is roughly 3/16" to 1/4" at the apex over the 9' length of the side. On the first build I had to make the wall frame curved slightly to match the arc. By clamping a 6" x 9' piece of scrap plywood to the rail, and tracing the arc onto the plywood, I was able to make a pattern for bottom of the walls.

[bictonboys]

Your old build was a great piece of work- looking forward to seeing this one come together

[kokomoto]

Started applying The Mix to the floor while I await the delivery of the RAKA epoxy for the bottom of the floor. I also stock up on 1xX's today in case we get snowed in tomorrow.

[kokomoto]

I'm still chipping away at the floor and walls. The bottom of the floor has been fiberglassed. I've decided to install prefab doors primarily to save time. I'm trying to get the TD finished in time for a trip to Florida at the end of February. The International Norton Owners Association has an annual event called Nortona at Holiday Travel Park in Bunnel, FL. I don't own a Norton yet, but we'll be taking my '67 Triumph.

Here are the doors I'm considering:

https://recpro.com/36-x-26-rv-black-tea ... nger-side/

[reaver]

I like those doors a lot. The windows are nice and big, and would allow for lots of airflow.

[kokomoto]

The doors arrived last week from RecPro. I'm not overly pleased with the quality of the doors. Overall, I believe they are a good design, but the manufacturer needs to pay a bit more attention to detail. One of the doors had a broken window slide latch prevent the window from staying put in the open position. Some of the seals don't seat properly, and the latch isn't properly aligned. I contacted RecPro, and they promptly shipped a replacement door. However, It arrived in as bad or worse condition. The bottom of the door is bent, but not the frame. I doubt this happened during shipping or the outer frame would have been bent as well. Additionally, the window slide latch holes do not line up side to side. I also noticed that when they drilled the drain holes in the bottom of the frame, they didn't clean up drill hole on the inside. This leaves metal protruding upwards, preventing water from flowing into the hole properly. I think I can get a tool in there to fix that problem without too much trouble. I contacted them today, and await a response.

The walls are completed, and are ready to install once I finish the floor and bolt it to the trailer. I decided to upgrade the lighting a bit. I bought some Nilight strip LED tail lights to install on the rear of the frame, similar to Tony's. On the first build, I installed round taillights onto the rear of the fenders. While installing the tail lights, I decided to tidy up the trailer wiring a bit. Today's project was repainting the trailer. Tomorrow, once the paint is dry, I should be ready to bolt the floor onto the trailer.

[kokomoto]

I finally mounted the walls earlier today with the help of Good Neighbor Dave. Tomorrow....the ceiling.

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[kokomoto]

Made some progress today with the help of my neighbor.

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[kokomoto]

I started the PMF process yesterday using 7oz cotton duck from big duck and TB2. I decided to run the fabric on a delicate cycle in the washing machine without soap and then dry it on low. I then ironed the entire fabric. It shrank the fabric quite a bit. I had purchased a 56" x 7yd piece of fabric thinking that would be enough for the sides (10' long). After shrinking, I didn't have near enough to complete 2 sides. I'll try to source 5 more yds locally later today. I rolled on the TB2 with a 3/8" paint roller, and then had my neighbor and wife guide the fabric down from the top while I pressed it out smoothly onto the side. I've never worked with PMF before, and I have to say, unlike the aluminum skinning process, I enjoyed it.

I've also been chipping away at the galley area. It's not quite compete yet, but it's taking shape. I salvaged the countertop from the previous build, so it is almost ready to install.

I still have a Group 27 SLA battery that has a bit of life left. However, I'm strongly considering an upgrade to a lifepo4 40-50AH battery. I also need to up my solar game for boondocking.

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