My build on a '60s trailer chassis

[theonetruetom]

Well, I brought my donor trailer home from Nebraska in July, and just today got the motivation to start tearing it down. So without further ado:

Here's the frame I'll be starting with. I have to wait until payday to pick up the flooring and undercoat, but I'm starting even more basic than that, with some frame redesign:



I'm going to take out the lengthwise piece of angle iron that's between the front and back crossmembers, and replace it with 2 pieces of channel iron, one in front of the axle, and one behind. Then I'll do the same with the piece on the rear of the trailer, because angle iron isn't as structurally rigid as channel iron. Next I'm going to cut the length member in pieces and weld pieces of it in front of and behind the wheels, so that I have a place to mount storage boxes and a deck to.

Course, I might just trim off the sides, and make it 4x10 only, since those pieces of 1/8" angle iron sticking out on the sides may not be strong enough to hold me or the storage boxes I'm planning. Additional crossmembers are still going in. Suggestions?

[canned o minimum]

Since there will obviously be a floor... THAT will add strength to carry them storage boxes. The trailer looks great fer a start. I do like the channel iron as opposed to the angle iron.

[Papi]

Looks like a robust frame! Sanding and welding and painting the frame was very therapeutic for me, and hopefully it will be for you too.

[theonetruetom]

I was going to just build the floor 4' wide. Since I'm not skinning with aluminum, I'm kind of worried about water pooling up on the exposed sides and seeping under the walls if I make the floor full-width with space for the wheels. Not too big a concern in a desert like NM, but if I ever take it up north to visit family that might be an issue.

Although I do still have some of the aluminum raingutters from the old camper that was on there. And if I make the storage boxes out of the same kind of plywood I'm making the rest of the walls out of, instead of steel like I was planning...

[Zboom]

Hey onetruetom the trailer looks like a keeper!!! I'm in new Mexico also, have fun!

[theonetruetom]

One question that kinda came up while I was planning this out:

I'm planning to reuse the jealousy-style windows that were on the existing camper in my tear build. If I do this, are there any reasons why putting a jealousy-style window on the door might be a bad idea? I'm kind of worried it'll get broken when someone closes the door hard if the window's open, since there isn't any real padding for the glass in that case. Is this a valid concern? I really want to reuse the existing windows (partly due to costs, partly due to the fact that I like recycling in all its forms) but if they're gonna break the first time the door gets slammed, it's not worth my time and I may as well get new windows.