FINALLY...Progress on the Squidget with PICS to prove it!!!

[cracker39]

:thumbsup: errrrrr Dale, you haven't been taking fashion lessons from Snoop Dougie have ya...I mean, ya down wid da hat thing so wher'z da bling
madjack

Sorry Jack, that wasn't a fashion statement. I had been wearing my cap backwards so I could put on my dust mask and safety glasses easier. I don't usually wear it that way. I supposed someone would notice and make the comment.

Rain today and that means very little work gets done. I'll probably finish my axle brackets and that'll be about it. I 'll probably do some work catching up on my plans for the work to date. I moved some of the photos from my Template album to a Sides album and added more shots to it. One of these days, I'll see if I have enough room in my web site to put them there.

[cracker39]

I'ts a lovely day in the neighborhood...

Sorry about that...it's been so nice out today that I felt like singing (knowing full well I can't sing). After yesterday's rain and wind, being cooped up inside, giving my neighbors' ears a much needed rest from the power tools, today was beooooootiful. It got close to 70, the sun was out, the sky all blue with a slight fringe of clouds around the edges, and I worked, worked, worked.

My 2nd side is all framed. I am trying not to get impatient, so I'll let it sit overnight to let the glue fully set up. Tomorrow, I'll put in some insurance screws around the edges and joints and fill with bondo.

While the side is off being turned over, I'll finally weigh my frame to see how heavy it really is. My windows and fan should be here by Thursday or Friday, and I'll get all the materials on the frame and weigh and balance for axle placement and get the axle on this weekend (at least, that's the plan). That means getting all of the skin and paneling, and cutting out the pieces to distribute on the frame for weighing. I can use concrete blocks and/or flagstones to simulate battery and AC weights. I should get it in the ball park. If I have to do any guessing, I'll go a little on the heavy side for the tongue rather than too light to be sure it is 10% or more, not less.

[mikeschn]

Sounds like you're making good progress.

Here, even though the sun way out, it only climbed up to 28*. Chell said it's supposed to warm up later this week... Hey, maybe I can do some work on the Lil Diner...

Mike...

[cracker39]

Got my 2nd side further along, putting in some screws through the skin into key framing pieces and filling with Bondo. Hoping it cures better than the last time. I mixed it a little hotter this time....we'll see.

My Fantastic vent/fan arrived today, and the brand says it all. Thanks to Scott, it looks to be a perfect installation. The fan thickness is the same as my roof, the closed dome will only stick up about 2 inches above the roof, and the fan controls will only extend 5/8" under the ceiling., thanks to the short knob that Scot sent. I will have to trim a little off my garnish so it will fit flush against the ceiling, and cut a notch in one side to go around the wiring (notch is on the inside and won't be seen).

I couldn't be happier with it. I am so used to buying things that need to be altered, jerry-rigged, or rebuilt to work for my application, I was really pleased to get something that works right out of the box (other than trimming some off the garnish...and I don't really have to do that if I put in a 1/8" gasket...it's no big deal).

I'll echo everyone else. Scott at Adohen Supply is a pleasure to do business with.

Still waiting on my windows...they should be here by Friday. I found my Haier AC today at Target in Lakeland. It's a 5200, not the 5000, and I think the controls are more manual than the 5000, but beggars can't be choosers...at least it has the updraft air flow that I wanted.
_________________

[Ira]

What did you pay for the AC, does it have a digital thermostat, and does it have a remote?

I am PASSIONATE about this, because the 5000 Amana I bought at HD for 90 plus cant be beat in this regard.

[cracker39]

Ira, I bought for the air deflector that aims up instead of straight out. No, it doesn't have any fancy bells or whistles. It's just a 2-speed, 2-settings (cooling on or off I suppose), with a dial control (1 - 10)...no ditital stuff on this one. I'll probablly open the carton and check it out tomorrow. It was priced at 89.97 in Target. As little as I'll use it, I'm sure it will be sufficient for us. Shoot, my vent fan cost a lot more than the AC and we'll probably use that the most.

[cracker39]

Yes, it does have another side...The strips in the doorway are bracing due to the fact that the two sheets only have about 7 inches at the top and 2 inches at the bottom where the edges join, and the bottom has only the temporary 1" strip for floor mounting, which will be cut out after it's on the trailer. So, I had to reinforce the side so it wouldn't break while moving it around.



I wasn't in a big hurry to get this side completely finished, as I was tweaking things. I put both sides together, clamped them, and belt sanded the top curve to get both sides identical. I also flattened the fan area and eased the radius on the front curve somewhat. I thought I'd have to build up the fan mount, but it's such a perfect fit, it will fit flush on the top surface. By the weekend, I should have a good estimate of weight and get the axle on the chassis. I'll also know just what the chassis will weigh. Next week, I'll get the chassis painted and post pics of it finished. I am anxious to start putting it all together, and that shouldn't be much more than a week away that I can move it and begin assembly.

[cracker39]

Are you all getting tired of hearing about my project yet? Well, new status report. Just weighed the chassis without the floor, added weights for axle, axle mount, coupler, and nuts/bolts and it weighs in at about 310 lbs. Later today or tomorrow, I'll have a pretty close estimate of the overall weight...at least in the ball park.

[Ira]

Man, you're moving FAST! And no, we're not bored!

But how can you get to your total weight yet? Are you insulating, adding sticks for that and interior skins, plus all of the OTHER stuff you're gonna have in there?

Or do you have all of those weights calculated into a spreadsheet already?

I hate good planning.

[cracker39]

Ira,

This is NOT hi tech. NO spreadsheet. Just lots of work. The only way to explain what I'm doing is to show you and then explain it.



Under all that mess is my chassis, sitting on 3 concrete blocks. One on each side about where I think the axle should go, and one under the tongue at the coupler.

First, I placed both sides on the chassis, facing the right direction, but both in the same position. but, I weighed and balanced that load on the chassis, so that it weighs the same on both sides.

Today, I bought 7 sheets of 5mm luan and 11 sheets of 1/8" paneling. I've rough cut all of the pieces for the outside skin (front, back, top) and the inside paneling, and placed those pieces about where they will be installed, relative to the length of the cabin.

Next, I cut all of my spars and placed them on top of the paneling, aligning them with the notches in the sides. Everything placed on top is centered from side to side for weighing purposes.

The cardboard box near the back are my windows that came today from Grant. Tomorrow morning, I have to calculate how much cabinetry framing there will be and simulate that weight on the pile. Next, stick my AC unit on the back, the door in it's place, and put a couple of concrete blocks on the front to simulate a biga** battery. And, I'll put a few things I know I'll be taking camping (folding chairs, tables, etc.) where they will be stored for traveling.

The seat/bed cushions should balance out the stuff I'll have in the galley cabinet, so that's a wash. The main storage compartment should be over the axle, so not a concern now. The foam insulation is so light, that I'm not worried about having it on to be weighed. It is distributed all over, more to the front than rear, but very little weight to be concerned with.

THEN...and only then...will I be ready to weigh it and locate the axle point to get my 12-13% tongue weight.. I've explained that process often enough, so most of you should know what I'll do. I'm going for 12%-13% tongue weight for the axle placement now. If the total weight turns out to be lighter than I had originally estimated, I'll go for more tongue weight...maybe up to 14% now. If it varies a percent or two in either direction when it's loaded for camping, It should still be in the 12% - 15% range.

Any more questions???

[cracker39]

I do have a spreadsheet with weight estimates, but it doesn't do the loading for balance, just tells me what everything should weigh. According to the spread sheet, it should weigh 1260 lbs. Tomorrow, I'll find out just how accurate that is. Except for the foam that is. What does a sheet of 3/4" foil backed foam weigh anyway? about 3 or 4 lbs?

[Ira]

As you said, the foam is inconsequential. Plus, it's gonna be evenly distributed to begin with, so that shouldn't really affect your tongue weight.

So what's your plan, like your next step? Place your axle, and then put the floor together?

[cracker39]

After placing the door and AC on the pile, I drew up cabinetry framing diagrams, and calculating the weight of the wood, I placed a "close to equal" amount of wood on front and back to simulate it. Except for loading stuff that I'll take camping, I was ready to weigh. I made weight measurements, starting 36" from the rear of the chassis, and the tongue weight came in at 22%. I moved forward 6" and it was 16%. I then went forward 3" and another 3" for 14%, then 12%. So, I backed off to 14% (185 lbs) and will stay with that. When loading for camping, more weight will be in the back than in the front, so the tongue weight % may lighten up somewhat. I pretty sure it will still be within the 10% to 15% range.

The total weight calculations varied a little, probably because I was using 2x2s under the board, not pieces of pipe which would have been more accurate. As it was, I got weights from 1262 to 1334. That's without the axle and wheels. I am hoping that I overdid the materials weight. I know some plywood and paneling will be trimmed off, and I may have over built the bed and cabinet frames. I'm still hoping to end up with less than 1400 lbs total dry weight.

Next step? Rest up from the work this morning. Seriously, first is to get everything off the chassis and find someplace in my shed to store it for now (except for the sides and floor). Then,

1. I will use a floor jack to hold the axle in place, tack weld the brackets, remove the axle, weld on the brackets and my tail light wiring conduit.

2. Leaving the chassis on blocks, I will coat it with Rustbullet, and varnish and undercoat the floor.

3. Install the coupler, jack stand, wheels/tires and test drive it around the block.

4. Then, install the floor and underchassis insullation.

5. Put the sides on blocks on the floor (to clear the tires) and back it inside my boat canopy, block it up level again, remove the wheels/tires, and start construction.

Does that sound like a plan?

[cracker39]

By 4:30 PM, I had the frame cleared and all of the plywood, paneling, and spars put in my utility shed. The axle with the mounting brackets attached are in place on blocks under the frame ready for welding. I spent over a half hour aligning, measuring, realigning, measuring, etc. etc. getting it all lined up. the spindles are within 1/16th of an inch of being the same distance from the end of the frame. And, the end of each side of the frame was the same distance from the hitch ball when it was welded. I have no doubt that it will track straight.

Tomorrow, I tack on the brackets, remove the axle, and will attempt the welding of the brackets myself. I'll have to go buy some lug nuts as I haven't gotten them yet, before I can put on the wheels and tires. I am really excited to be this close to starting to put it all together.

[cracker39]

It's noon, Sat, and time for lunch break. I've welded on my axle mounting brackets. The welds ain't purty, but they'll do. My son-in-law stopped by to drop off my wife's granddaughter for the weekend and gave me some pointers. I had forgotten most of what I had learned a couple of weekd ago (I'm one of those who need to be retrained daily in a new process). He said most would hold. Some I ground down and rewelded. I got pretty good with the bead, but couldn't follow a straight line for crap. One went up the side of the rail clear to the top before I knew I was going in the wrong direction. I also tack welded on some conduit from the coupler to my tongue box for my tail light wiring.

Next step, Rustbullet. Then, put on some wheels and tires and give it a trial run just for the fun of it. And pics of the completed chassis, of course. That may be Monday before I am at that point.