My Project a Cargo Trailer for back country camping

[meach4x4]

Your desire for a bed and couch says . . . .futon

It keeps you up off the floor andd even gives you a bit of storage underneath

I did check into futons after your post. Although the loveseat wall hugger looks like it will work, I've decided to stay with the homebuild because:

1) The angles and construction of the futon frame leaves very little storage under the bed. With my design, the entire bed is above the floor 18 inches, which gives room for totes to slide in underneath the bed, whether the bed is laid out, or folded back into a sofa.

2) The frame was over $400 for a loveseat wall hugger. I am confident I will come in at way under that cost.

3) The futon frame weight is over 70 lbs, and futon mattresses are also heavy, due to the fabric stuffing. I plan on a frame under 50 lbs, using the frame of the trailer for the bulk of the structure. I also plan to use a lighter mattress, due to using two layers of foam, no ticking, and a lighter upholstry.

I'm not saying the idea of a futon is bad, it just doesn't work out for my design goals. (Subject to re-evaluation after I prototype the bed.)

Thanks for your input, Ageless. Keep 'em coming.

Gil

[meach4x4]

I'm in a funding mode this weekend (also known as a garage sale) but in the midst of doing the setup for the sale, in pops the UPS man with a few crates of parts for my trailer!

Now, I just have to get this sale done (tomorrow) and I'll be back in the groove getting the windows, vent/fan, and insulation in. Then, it's bed (building) time!

Stay tuned!

Gil

[bobhenry]

I bought a metal futon frame at a yard sale for $5.00 and it didn't work well in the "barn" so I used the mattress frames only and built my own supports out of scrap and crap at work out of our trash stream.

My sofa / full bed combo sets great and sleeps better. The support boxes will hold a ton of "stuff as well.







The best part total investment $5.00

[meach4x4]

Well, after doing a garage sale, then building a new shed to clear out some workspace, I'm back into the project of building the mods for the trailer. I've got a bunch of parts sitting in the garage: 2 ea 15"x30" sliding windows, 1 port hole lexan window, 1 fantastic fan vent, 1 max air vent cover, plywood cut to size for bed, and a couple of fir bed frame rails.

I haven't been totally ignoring the trailer for the last couple of weeks, I did have a 4" lift installed and added a couple of flip down rear stabilizers.

Tomorrow, the project starts again.

Gil
meach4x4

[meach4x4]

I spent most of today moving stuff around in the garage to get ready for the interior build.

I did get a chance to take a picture of the exterior, now that the 4" lift and stabilizers are installed. First, here is a picture of what the trailer looked like when I picked it up:



And here is what it looks like with the 4" lift and the stabilizers (and no vinyl wrap.)



I'll be installing larger tires and wheels soon, but first to the interior...

Stay tuned!

Gil

[meach4x4]

Today I removed all the interior panelling from the trailer. Now that it is off, I'll be installing windows, vents, wiring, and insulation. Then, the panelling goes back in, along with the ceiling treatment and the bed. Here is a pic of the interior with the panelling stripped out...


Stay tuned!

Gil
Meach4x4

[meach4x4]

Nothin' sez loving like drilling and cutting your new toy!

I put in the Fan-Tastic Vent/Fan this morning. It all went great. I started by drilling holes up through the ceiling to mark the four corners, then used the jig saw to cut the aluminum and luan liner out to a 14" square hole. I lined up the location so that the leading edge of the mounting flange lined up with one of the roof supports, so all the screws in the front caught the support. The side and back mounting screws went through the bracket, then the aluminum skin, then the 1/4" luan backing board. It all seems plenty sturdy, and will definatly gain more support after the insulation and finish mount are all sandwiched together after the insulation and roof liner are in place.

I put on a tube of silly-cone caulk to seal up the flange, mounting screws and roof. Then, I checked the inside finish plate to make sure it will work, and all is good.

In order to check out the locations of the windows, I stacked up a tote with a piece of plywood sitting on top of it, and a moving blanket for a cushion. Sitting on top of it, it looks like we can move the windows up on top of the side walls, just under the top rails, and all will be good for support and viewing the scenery from the sofa.

'Tomorrow, I hope to cut the window holes, and get the preliminary mounting on the windows done. Oh... and take some pics to show how it works out.

Stay tuned!

Gil

[meach4x4]

deleting a double post... stay tuned

[meach4x4]

Progress was a little slower than I expected today. In my plan, I hoped to be able to use the window frame to stiffen the sides of the trailer where the vertical uprights are cut to accomodate the window. After thinking it over, I decided to follow the advice of the Wells Cargo factory, and to install some angle below the window frames to stiffen the side walls.

Yesterday, I installed the Fan-Tastic Vent Fan in the roof. I put it just ahead of the ceiling light, and positioned it to screw into the roof support beam on the leading edge.



I followed Prem's advice on using wide tape on the exterior of the sidewall to mark the cut line for the window opening, and then cutting it with a jigsaw.



After marking the cut line on the tape, I drilled a locating hole next to the cut line and through the vertical support.



Using the hole to verify where the window support frame would be located, I marked the vertical supports where they would be cut out.



Then, after placing some wooden shims behind the supports to protect the side skin. I used a 4 1/2" grinder with a thin cutting wheel to cut off the vertical supports and removed them.



The next step will be to fit the 1/8" thick 1" angle above and below the frame, and weld it to the cut off vertical uprights. That will make the wall as stiff as it was before the side was cut out.

Stay tuned...

Gil

[meach4x4]

Well, I was too busy out playing with the Jeep on the rocks last night to post the results from yesterday, but I did get the angle braces welded. Here is a belated picture of the angle brackets (ignore the wood frame and hole cut, as they were put in today, and I'll get to that later in this post.)



Today, now that the angle brace was welded to the vertical posts, the wall was nice and stiff. I drilled 3 holes in the top of the angle brace, and then cut out the exterior wall. I noticed that the base of the saw was quite sharp, and it was scraping off my masking tape, causing some marring of the exterior paint. I put a layer of tape on the base of the saw, and that eliminated the scratching problem.



Here are the results of sawing out the exterior panel with the tape on the jigsaw base and the exterior of the panel.



After cutting out the window hole, I attached the wood frame to the angle brace with wood screws through the 3 holes I drilled in the top of the angle brace, running the screws up into the wood frame.



Once the wood frame was in place, I temporarily mounted the window in place. I will be pulling it back out to re-install the luan on the insides after wiring and insulation are done. It was nice to see the window in the hole, even if it isn't the final install of it.



I went to Home Despot today and picked up the wiring. If I get the wiring in the walls tomorrow, I'll start putting in the luan and tackle the final mounting of the windows this weekend.

Stay tuned!

Gil

[hunter535]

Gil,
Looks great!

[meach4x4]

Gil,
Looks great!

Thanks, I'm about half finished with the wiring, but I am dithering about what to do with the area in the top of the V up front. It isn't as simple to finish off, as the nose cone doesn't have frame under it like the rest of the roof. I am considering a small overhead cabinet. I was trying to keep it simple, but I do want to insulate and have a finished ceiling below the insulation, but I'm not sure I want to hang any cabinets that may be subject to shaking apart on rough roads. Oh well, I'll sleep on it.

On the up side, I picked up some more Luan and all the insulation today, so I can get the back end finished off now.

Stay tuned!

Gil

[bobhenry]

When I built the barn this summer I added cabinets in the nose.



The are quite handy and although they were distressed inventory overruns from a discount store I have no worries about them shaking apart. as long as the mounting rails are firmly attached they will survive a great deal of mistreatment.

If I might suggest an idea I see for your vee nose. Mount 2 seperate cabinets at the 15 degree angle on each angled wall then hand make a small pie shaped open cabinet in the center. If you extend a small bulkhead up from the top of all the cabinets you should be able to shape it somewhat to match the roof and catch your inside liner . It will look real sharp and the open neich cabinet would make a good spot for the electronics.

P.S. anyone with cabinets. The little baby safety hooks are great. After 1 shake down cruise ( yep everything shook down) I installed the child protective hooks and now all stays where I put it.

[Prem]

Gil,

Cabinets? Shelves? Or just panelled?

A custom floor cabinet in the nosecone going all the way to the ceiling sounds practical. I'd worry about the weight of a cabinet (and contents) mounted above the floor in the nose.

Another idea: The nose cap is fiberglass, right? You could stiffen it up, seal it forever from leaks and insulate it all in one move with expanding polyurethane foam in a can. You can use a Surform plane on it when dry to put the needed angle on the mass of foam. If you get it uniform, you could cut and glue thin paneling to it with or without any backing structure. You could even use wallpaper or fabric in lieu of thin ply.

One could installt a counter-top cabinet as a galley in the nosecone.

Prem

[SteveB]

Gil, nice work. It has been fun to watch your build. I too have a 5x8 CT conversion. I built mine as a base station that could be modified later for mild off roading. You might consider extending the tongue and looking at the articulating hitches that the Adventure Trailers use. These guys have been building serious off road trailers for years.

SteveB