Colorado Expedition Trailer Build
- Thread starter Martyinco
- Start date
Martyinco
Adventurer
Yes you can :jumping:
I should have a report for you in the next week and a half, hope to have the trailer for the most part buttoned up this weekend, minus skinning it.
Martyinco
Adventurer
Update! :Wow1:
So I had a very productive weekend, the wife let me loose in the garage and didn't bug me all weekend :smiley_drive:
Upside down on my "mobile work bench" while I was measuring the axle placement... (upside down mind you..)
And once the axles were squared up and the wheels were on...
I flipped it over by myself, my neighbor was going to help me but when I was ready he wasn't home. and I am far too impatient. It really wasn't bad, actually a lot easier than I thought. I was worried I screwed up the axles with the wheel adapters that I bought, thinking it would push the wheels out too far, but it actually turned out perfect.
I then began to work on the rack for the RTT. This picture shows it before the I threw on the cross bars in the center.
And a picture of the rack in the up position. Not fully up though, I don't have my linear actuators yet, so for the test I just used my Toyota's jack to lift it as high as the jack could take it. It actually moves very smoothly, smoother than I thought, I was worried about it binding and such, but it really didn't.
Next is to source my HDPE plastic for the skins on the sides. For the time being I am going to do a plywood floor until I can afford some 1/2" or 3/4" thick HDPE for the floor.
Lock'n'Roll hitch was ordered yesterday as well lights, front jack and trailer plug wiring.
Hope to have it registered this week if everything goes as planned :victory:
So I had a very productive weekend, the wife let me loose in the garage and didn't bug me all weekend :smiley_drive:
Upside down on my "mobile work bench" while I was measuring the axle placement... (upside down mind you..)
And once the axles were squared up and the wheels were on...
I flipped it over by myself, my neighbor was going to help me but when I was ready he wasn't home. and I am far too impatient. It really wasn't bad, actually a lot easier than I thought. I was worried I screwed up the axles with the wheel adapters that I bought, thinking it would push the wheels out too far, but it actually turned out perfect.
I then began to work on the rack for the RTT. This picture shows it before the I threw on the cross bars in the center.
And a picture of the rack in the up position. Not fully up though, I don't have my linear actuators yet, so for the test I just used my Toyota's jack to lift it as high as the jack could take it. It actually moves very smoothly, smoother than I thought, I was worried about it binding and such, but it really didn't.
Next is to source my HDPE plastic for the skins on the sides. For the time being I am going to do a plywood floor until I can afford some 1/2" or 3/4" thick HDPE for the floor.
Lock'n'Roll hitch was ordered yesterday as well lights, front jack and trailer plug wiring.
Hope to have it registered this week if everything goes as planned :victory:
Martyinco
Adventurer
rustED I have spoke with the local plastic supplier, and they actually recommended an 1/8" thick ABS plastic to me, mostly for savings in the $$ department since a sheet of ABS is almost half of HDPE. I am going to look at it after work and make a decisions and speak to them a little more in depth about it. Will keep you posted!
Martyinco
Adventurer
So yesterday the RTT arrived! And as impatient as my wife is she wanted to see it on top of the trailer immediately, so in fine fashion and me not wanting to spend the night in the crawl space, we threw it up on the trailer.
OF COURSE that was not enough, so I had to hook up the trailer to the truck and carefully (tent is not permanently attached) drive it down our semi steep driveway into the street. Opened her up!
This is obviously in the low position for the tent, didn't feel like lifting it up since it is me doing it manually at the moment. But it made the wife super happy to see her tent up and almost ready to camp in.
This weekend I will install the lights, paint, and wait for my plastic to arrive next week so I can skin the sides.
rustED, after speaking with a second supplier of plastic and an actual engineer (not a sales person) I ended up going with the HDPE to skin the sides. It is a marine grade board that will stand up to the elements and UV rays. He explained to me the ABS the other company was trying to sell me would yellow in a matter of weeks and become brittle, given the fact they were not even trying to sell me a UV rated board. So next week I will attach my Riv-nuts to the trailer and skin her!
OF COURSE that was not enough, so I had to hook up the trailer to the truck and carefully (tent is not permanently attached) drive it down our semi steep driveway into the street. Opened her up!
This is obviously in the low position for the tent, didn't feel like lifting it up since it is me doing it manually at the moment. But it made the wife super happy to see her tent up and almost ready to camp in.
This weekend I will install the lights, paint, and wait for my plastic to arrive next week so I can skin the sides.
rustED, after speaking with a second supplier of plastic and an actual engineer (not a sales person) I ended up going with the HDPE to skin the sides. It is a marine grade board that will stand up to the elements and UV rays. He explained to me the ABS the other company was trying to sell me would yellow in a matter of weeks and become brittle, given the fact they were not even trying to sell me a UV rated board. So next week I will attach my Riv-nuts to the trailer and skin her!
Martyinco
Adventurer
We have paint!
I also got the lighting all done, I was worried about running it internally because I had one weld to do on the tail end of the trailer to get the wires around a corner. But it worked and all the lights work :wings:
I did to a quick road test down one of the back roads around my house, being completely empty with no floor or sides it was a little bouncy, but nothing more than I had expected. Today after work I will go get it weighed and hopefully tomorrow get it plated and legal.
So if everything works out like it should (and always does) we will be camping this weekend with it in tow! :Wow1:
I also got the lighting all done, I was worried about running it internally because I had one weld to do on the tail end of the trailer to get the wires around a corner. But it worked and all the lights work :wings:
I did to a quick road test down one of the back roads around my house, being completely empty with no floor or sides it was a little bouncy, but nothing more than I had expected. Today after work I will go get it weighed and hopefully tomorrow get it plated and legal.
So if everything works out like it should (and always does) we will be camping this weekend with it in tow! :Wow1:
Martyinco
Adventurer
UPDATE
Official trailer weight, #460, that was minus the HDPE for the sides and the plywood floor. But that wont be more than 40 or so more pounds, so we can call it a #500 trailer.
I got the RTT mounted permanently last night, as well as my Foxwing Awning. Both are from Odin Designs in Colorado. I came by the Foxwing by some trade work I did with the owner, he needed his M416 trailer repaired after loaning it out to someone. Since I'm not one to turn down trade work I took him up on the offer.
And of course the wife wanted to see the Foxwing opened up, which just barely happened since the trailer was in the garage at the moment. (dont mind my belly)
HDPE is scheduled to be delivered today, so hopefully I will get all or most of that installed tonight and its ready to go! :wings:
Official trailer weight, #460, that was minus the HDPE for the sides and the plywood floor. But that wont be more than 40 or so more pounds, so we can call it a #500 trailer.
I got the RTT mounted permanently last night, as well as my Foxwing Awning. Both are from Odin Designs in Colorado. I came by the Foxwing by some trade work I did with the owner, he needed his M416 trailer repaired after loaning it out to someone. Since I'm not one to turn down trade work I took him up on the offer.
And of course the wife wanted to see the Foxwing opened up, which just barely happened since the trailer was in the garage at the moment. (dont mind my belly)
HDPE is scheduled to be delivered today, so hopefully I will get all or most of that installed tonight and its ready to go! :wings:
Martyinco
Adventurer
So a rather quick update for everyone (Been busy doing a kitchen remodel 
)
I got my sheet of HDPE and began mounting it, the picture does not show it but the sides are done as well. Only parts I left off are the pieces on the very back, about 8 inches or so. I need to figure out what I want to do as far as a tailgate is concerned. AND I had a plan of camping last weekend but the rain gods thought other wise, I'm all about the elements but constant rain for 3 days just does not scream fun to me :snorkel: Either way, onto the one picture I have for you all who have graciously subscribed
The HDPE is a dream to work with, cuts super clean with a fine tooth blade on my circular saw. I used riv-nuts on the frame of the trailer and M8 button head bolts to secure the HDPE. :wings:
)I got my sheet of HDPE and began mounting it, the picture does not show it but the sides are done as well. Only parts I left off are the pieces on the very back, about 8 inches or so. I need to figure out what I want to do as far as a tailgate is concerned. AND I had a plan of camping last weekend but the rain gods thought other wise, I'm all about the elements but constant rain for 3 days just does not scream fun to me :snorkel: Either way, onto the one picture I have for you all who have graciously subscribed
The HDPE is a dream to work with, cuts super clean with a fine tooth blade on my circular saw. I used riv-nuts on the frame of the trailer and M8 button head bolts to secure the HDPE. :wings:
Martyinco
Adventurer
Thanks! Steal away, hell I know I did that to half the builds I have read on here
I was rather pleased when it was up and I stood back and looked at it. Hope to find some time this weekend to actually get out and use it