For Sale Camping trailer project

[barefoot]

Baby slots?

[mat_the_cat]

Yeah, 10"...just had a look at tyre prices expecting them to be cheap given the size. But I guess not a lot of demand for that size nowadays!

[Eddie Honda]

They'll be smaller diameter, I guess, than the tube nuts and washers I had to get for my Maxi when I fitted GKN Wolfrace wheels.

 

Maxi 007.jpg by E Honda, on Flickr

 

 

Whilst "trade only", as I was near I took a wheel down and managed to blag my way in at the time.

 

http://www.grayston.biz/wheelnutmenu.htm

 

Are Mini studs 3/8" UNF hence SN51?

[mat_the_cat]

Yes, Minis were 3/8" UNF from what I've been able to find out, but not measured the thread yet to be sure. The old nuts fit the new hub studs, so I can at least roll the trailer around until I find more.

 

I actually found a link with the same part nos - the washer is flat rather than tapered so I think it's SN21 I need. I'd never seen them before but fortunately it seems to be a non-unique nut!

[mat_the_cat]

Rally Design seemed the best bet for wheel nuts, £1.50 each instead of £2.39 from eBay. So I ordered a set and gave the wheels a quick coat of (brush) paint. I haven't gone to town on them as I want to fit new tyres at some point - these are a little old and too narrow for the rims in my eyes. So will maybe spray them then, but they'll do for a while.

 

 

That meant I could pull the trailer outside, fit the hitch etc and actually move it around!

 

 

Next stage is to decide on a floor, and get that sorted; also get it under cover but the only place I can think of needs some tree stumps clearing first for vehicular access.

[mat_the_cat]

I decided to make the floor from Stokbord, which is a board made from recycled plastic, and used for agricultural cladding. It's a bit more flexible than plywood of the same thickness, but is tougher and won't rot.

 

 

Next job was clearing a couple of stumps - I don't have a stump grinder so had to make do with the saw. But managed to get them down to roughly ground level without blunting the chain too many times!

 

 

Trailer *just* fits, but I may move the armchair and have my man cave somewhere else!

 

[ruffgeezer]

I like what you've used for the flooring, how stiff is it and what is the cost like compared to ply?

[mat_the_cat]

It is quite flexy so wouldn't be a direct replacement for ply unless you put in extra bearers. Depending on weight I guess. I was originally thinking of the chequerplate faced version, except it was just an embossed pattern rather than an actual sheet of aluminium. That would have been ideal to spread any load.

 

These are the prices from my local place - not sure how it compares to normal exterior ply but is quite a bit cheaper than phenolic impregnated ply that you would normally use for heavy duty trailer beds.

 

[Forty-two]

That's something that I didn't know existed. Good call for a floor, resistant to all sorts of road shite.

 

I had a small trailer that I re-floored a few years ago, marine ply and a few coats of bituminous paint on the underside. Stokboard looks like a much better option.

 

As a thought, if you were worried about flex, could you bond two layers together? I imagine gripfill or such like would do the job for bonding?

[DodgyBastard]

I always look forward to updates on this, I have an old trailer that I would like to do something similar with.

[loserone]

Cheers for this - our chicken coop is made of that stuff, and I'd already thought of a few other uses for it, but had no idea what it was called!

[mat_the_cat]

Finally I've got wood!

 

So I've built up the sides of the trailer - I was going to go higher but the proportions looked wrong, especially if I am to put a hard top on.

 

 

Wondering about just a tarp over the top though...

 

The corners will have some galvanised angle iron over the top for protection and to anchor to the chassis, then it's the fun (I really mean it!) job of wiring

[3VOM]

The corners will have some galvanised angle iron over the top for protection and to anchor to the chassis, then it's the fun (I really mean it!) job of wiring

Consider putting it on the top edges too. Nothing worse than going to take an old "whatever" to the tip and bashing a chunk out of the top of a panel when it catches on the edge.

[KruJoe]

... originally thinking of the chequerplate faced version, except it was just an embossed pattern rather than an actual sheet of aluminium. That would have been ideal ...

 

You may have had a lucky escape there Mat, aluminium is a really good conductor of heat, so would feel really cold if you're gonna be spending time inside it. 

Solid plastic can feel chilly, but it'll be better than ally-faced stuff.

[mat_the_cat]

You're right, it may have made a rather effective heatsink!

 

Lights are now on, but not wired up, and I still need to trim the corner posts to size. Is it just me who can see a face?

 

 

Traily McTrailerface...?

[oldcars]

Looking good. Its that caravan a CI Europa? Like an old van

[KruJoe]

Looks like a surprised clown!

[mat_the_cat]

Looking good. Its that caravan a CI Europa? Like an old van

 

It's definitely a CI, but not sure of the model. We lived in it for 8 or 9 months after buying the house (10 years ago today), while we made it habitable. It was kind of fun, but nice to move into the house properly. Now being used as a wood shed, and some of the fittings have been re-used in the LT.

 

I did a bit of wiring tonight, always my favourite job!

 

[Skizzer]

That's making me feel oddly Christmassy.

[mat_the_cat]

I've not done much on this recently, but to bring the thread up to date I've drilled and tapped the chassis to hold the corner posts securely in place. (Using nylon washers to isolate the stainless fasteners from the galvanised corner post).

 

 

Also wired up an interior light (the old load bay light from the LT - never throw anything away!)

 

 

I will add cig lighter and USB sockets for charging stuff from in due course...

 

Then I had a mysteriously shaped package arrive...any guesses what's in it?

 

 

No prizes - a set of mudguards! I wanted decent galvanised ones rather than something flimsy, and it took a while to find something wide enough for the wheels, which are wider than most trailer wheels of this size. But I reckon it looks OK.

 

 

Not certain on the suspension travel so haven't fixed them in position yet.

[Skizzer]

Class!

[DodgyBastard]

My home made trailer looks suitably crap in comparison.

 

DSC_0652 by srblythe, on Flickr

 

It's actually totally crap and not much use for carrying anything, I'd still like to build it into something useful but who knows if that will ever happen...

[mat_the_cat]

With Shitfest coming up soon I've wired in a couple of power sockets now; 2 USB and one cigarette lighter. These run off the towing vehicle battery at the moment but could potentially run off a separate one in the future.

 

 

And the final bit for now is the cover:

 

 

I may need to put a temporary crossmember in while sleeping, in case water starts to pool on top. But apart from that I reckon it's just about done. Mudguards are mounted now as well so ready for a test run soon!

[Skizzer]

Crikey, that looks fantastic!

 

You are Ifor Williams AICMFP.

[barefoot]

 

 

 

I may need to put a temporary crossmember in while sleeping, in case water starts to pool on top. 

 

 

How the actual fuck will you get in & out from under that tarpaulin, Houdini?

[Chas4545]

Class!!  10/10

 

If you wake up with a hangover after not drinking, you have a ventilation problem, if you don't wake up you have used a fuel burning heater to keep warm.

 

Pods make me want to return to easy camping, but for £Loads of money the build quality is often crap.

[mat_the_cat]

How the actual fuck will you get in & out from under that tarpaulin, Houdini?

 

This remains to be seen, but like most of life's problems can often be helped after the consumption of alcohol.

 

The solution may be to get too drunk to care, but we shall see next weekend!

[mat_the_cat]

I dragged it out of the shed today, and all seems OK!

 

 

Apart from wiring the indicators the wrong way round, but easily sorted.

 

I checked out the SF sleeping arrangements too, and it IS possible to undo the tarp from inside, although not the easiest task in the world. It's nise and cosy inside though

 

[oldcars]

Looks a well made wee thing. Do you have steadies for the back or is that the idea. Wake up, slide to the back and roll out?

[mercrocker]

 

 

DSC_0652 by srblythe, on Flickr

 

 I'd still like to build it into something useful but who knows if that will ever happen...