Hot Rod...Burning down the house!!!

[mckenney56]

I like that red color. Not many red campers on here except the little swiss one.

[WhitneyK]

Love the red to checkerplate contrast

I agree, lookin' good, lookin' good

[Woodstramp]

Looking great. Doesn't look like a garbage hauler any more.

The red aluminum is sharp. You said that you got it for $86 for a 4x10? Did you happen to wieght the two sheets before intalling? Just curious. Thanks.

[Martiangod]

Did you happen to wieght the two sheets before intalling? Just curious. Thanks.

I think the lable said 44 lbs per sheet, one of the corners I cut off has the shipping lable to the shop is on it , will check later.

[Martiangod]

Got a little more done today, have to take advantage of everyday it's not snowing.
Installed a set of BAL telescopic stabilizer jacks, the type used on back of fifth wheels.
When closed they tuck right up behind the bumper, the drive nut is an inch below the rear clearance light,
so should be no bending them
unless some dummy pulls out with them down






Got some vinyl insert in, what fun in the cold, kept the roll inside my coat to keep it warm and fed it out from there
Looks better, might be able to live with the white aluminum corners afterall
None of the other pics really showed it, but I cut the top at the back like the old slide in campers so it wasn't totally square






And got a bit of a start on cleaning up the tongue box, sides are going to be black or charcole
Going to experiment with that roll of Kerdi , if it works thats how the lower sides and the sides of the tongue box will be.



So, nice weather forcast for tomorrow, but I have to go back to London to tear down the RV show....Bummer, snow forcast for the rest of the week

[PcHistorian]

I hear yah with the "at the mercy of the weather" predicament. I moved forward to do the awning just so I wouldn't get soakers getting in and out. Michigan has been more rain than snow this winter. And even though a day ago we got two inches in two hours (abouts of snow) we still have more rain than snow and it all washed away and melted. (I got some mod's to do on it. I decided to anchor the braces of the awning to the back frame of the trailer, rather than the ground, since I may end up on a slope some time and unless the braces are adjustable the awning won't have the right slope. I'm trying to figure a spring loaded latch to eyelets on the upper trailer side, for easy on off, and then just keep the weight down.

Man your build is looking sweet! I don't have any of your pictures to reference on this page, but I was thinking if you carved out the back of some 1x4's so they would fit over those lights and switches, you could get the whole thing to disappear. Maybe even drill some holes through jjjjuuuussssst over the lights and caulk the holes in with clear caulk, you could see the lights when the cover was closed.

Can you get that diamond sheet in aluminum? How hard is that to weld?

Are you using electric trailer brakes? Some one on here was asking me about using standard car brakes with electric trailer system through the 7 pin connectors. (They have a trailer that is the back half of a front wheel drive car, cut in half. Brakes are still intact on the "back/trailer" axel.)

Yeah, your idea about the support ground braces still being down when pulling out, makes me want to consider using a wire of the 7pin connector to let the cab/tv know the trailer is "green for go" and put in some micro switches for doors being closed and latched, rear hatches latched, and micro or magnetic switches for "ground braces up and locked". I mean one of seven for return ok is a good idea. I could even make it so you can test the trailer lights by having that green light in the tv blink for blinkers, brake lights and headlights, so you just turn on either blinker and watch the green light blink. (if it stays out then you are not connected) The advanced system will tell you if any of the lights are burned out. ;-) (To do list... ;-)

[Martiangod]

You don't use the yellow wire in the bundle unless your hooking up back up lights, so you could use that for return and the diamond plate is aluminum
A surge couple would work the car brakes on a cut off car http://www.easternmarine.com/Hydraulic-Surge-Brake-Actuators/

[Martiangod]

Well, the Schlutter Kerdi was a big fail, curdled with brush on contact cement, either that or the old paint on the ply curdled...., Oh well, back to the drawing board, now my computer room stinks of contact cement.
Do you ever feel like the trailer is starting to get the best of you, should have just bought a cargo trailer, lol
Lack of paying work is taking its toll on me
I guess I'm getting to that point
Should go turn the heat on and have a nap in the trailer, maybe I'd feel better

[synaps3]

I really like how well the red matches your truck. It looks excellent.

I think it's funny how our builds are similar sizes with similar results, but you are winging it, while I have every last little detail outlined on the computer. Everyone works differently.

What front bumper do you have on your Ranger? I like the way it looks.

[Martiangod]

What front bumper do you have on your Ranger? I like the way it looks.

No front bumper, Push bar/winch mount is for a 1999, they don't make one for the late models, had to notch the lower rad support , had the bumper on with push bar, just took it off to be different. Going back on soon though

[droid_ca]

I like how your build is coming along So I see your moving to this side of the country You'll like it over here lot more places to use your trailer

[PcHistorian]

Yeah, take a nap inside and wait for inspiration.

[Martiangod]

Well the sun was shinning today, so after I made breakfast sausages and crepes and cooked some blueberry maple syrup, I headed out for awhile

Got the corner trim on the rear corners



and it was so nice I decided to head to the front for awhile, got the front box and framing painted, plywood back in and painted,
painted the bottom of the lid
painted the tongue and wired a light for the front compartment.
Mounted the regulator and put the second battery in
Have the jack and handle mounted in there, is room for a second BBQ tank, shovel hatchet, saw and tire iron will all get mounter on the back wall of the compartment, and I'm hoping I will have room for my patio heater in there and maybe my Weber egg BBQ

Bottom half of compartment will get painted in spring or summer, too wet down there right now





Seein as I got the tongue painted I fished my seven wire up through the tongue and got the plug on it
All splices tyeing into the existing wireing are inside the storage box out of the weather
Just have to run 2 wire back to the brake axel now and all running wiring will be done



So thats where she stands for now


Going to have some trouble with oilcanning though, sun came out for a bit and warmed the aluminum, EEK!!!
Will likely have to pull some corners in the heat of the summer and trim the aluminum a bit...OH WELL
The joys of building outside in the snow

[campmaster-k]

Looking great Chris.

[Martiangod]

Weather sucks.....
Just sitting here goin through old pictures, almost forgot about my SUV tent.
Gonna take some figuring but I hope I can fit this to the back of the trailer somehow. Will probably have to make some sort of support for the boot so the door will open.
Its a Napier 10 x 10,
Can't find the info right now, but I think 17 feet was the circumfrence of the boot. Tent is 7 feet high inside, trailer is 8 feet high with a circumfrence of 24 feet. Hmmmm