slammedham
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Post by slammedham on Aug 28, 2014 12:03:34 GMT -8
Good Afternoon, I hope that nobody here is too offended by what I do to this old camper, but I neede a little cargo trailer to take my kids bikes, wagons, and pedal cars to the car shows. I have a 1966 Econoline Van that has air ride on it, so I wanted the trailer to match. This is the build thread for the trailer. I started with a 12 foot 1957 Mercury Travel Trailer. It was in pretty rough shape with the body rotted away from the floor. It had had numerous repairs that were not done well over the years, making it the perfect candidate for this build. Here she is what she looked like the day I brought her home.
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slammedham
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Post by slammedham on Aug 28, 2014 12:07:10 GMT -8
I got her off the trailer and backed my van up so I could get a better idea of how much to chop, shorten and chanell the trailer. The trailer made the van look so small, my goal was to make the trailer match the van a little better.
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slammedham
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Post by slammedham on Aug 28, 2014 12:12:35 GMT -8
I got the trailer in the driveway and had to leave jacks under the body or it would have fallen right off the frame. That was part of the build, I just did not want it to fall off until I was ready. When I took the jacks away, it was only a few sawzall cuts and the trialer pretty much fit in the back of my truck.
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slammedham
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Post by slammedham on Aug 28, 2014 12:14:41 GMT -8
Then I started on the frame. I am going to use 1x1 steel for the sides, and then cut new patterns for the siding out of 3/4 plywood. I think that will make the trailer much stronger as a cargo trailer with a rear opening door.
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slammedham
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Post by slammedham on Aug 28, 2014 12:18:02 GMT -8
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slammedham
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Post by slammedham on Aug 28, 2014 12:23:37 GMT -8
Then I framed up a few 2x4s so I could screw 3 sheet of plywood together and lay out the siding. I am gonna trace the original siding on the plywood, then make some measurement on the chop and the shorten.
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slammedham
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Post by slammedham on Aug 28, 2014 12:25:09 GMT -8
Here it is traced out on the wood with the original lines and the chop and shorten line.
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slammedham
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Post by slammedham on Aug 28, 2014 12:26:12 GMT -8
Then I cut out each peice with a jig saw.
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slammedham
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Post by slammedham on Aug 28, 2014 12:28:20 GMT -8
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poncho62
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99 Springdale 5th Wheel
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Post by poncho62 on Aug 28, 2014 13:00:35 GMT -8
Welcome...Although I am not a big fan of the radically lowered rods, I do applaud what you will be doing. Better modified than on the scrap heap, right?
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slammedham
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Post by slammedham on Aug 28, 2014 13:37:26 GMT -8
Welcome...Although I am not a big fan of the radically lowered rods, I do applaud what you will be doing. Better modified than on the scrap heap, right? Thanks very much. I understand that most people will not be huge fans of the air ride lowriders, I really searched for a trailer that I thought was too far gone to be restored. Figured I could save it from the scrap yard.
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slammedham
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Post by slammedham on Aug 28, 2014 13:38:54 GMT -8
I then started the framing with 1x4 to connect the sides and get some window frames in.
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slammedham
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Post by slammedham on Aug 28, 2014 13:41:22 GMT -8
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Post by slammedham on Aug 28, 2014 13:43:08 GMT -8
I traced the sides on to the back of the siding, then took it off again. I used tin snips to trim of the excess and then put them back on.
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slammedham
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Post by slammedham on Aug 28, 2014 13:46:08 GMT -8
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