These are some pictures of my trailer in progress. So far everything is going well, including the old foam type twin mattress I found that fits inside perfectly! At this point I am just waiting for the weather to warm up into the 40's so I can use the adhesive I bought for the project. I am still considering moving the axle back 2" on the trailer frame since this just requires drilling a few holes.


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Update 3/15/2003: Well it didn't get as warm as they expected, but I did manage to get some work done. I finished puting the roof struts on and added some 1"x2" floor supports inside on top of the floor section. I did this for the purpose of holding the floor in place while I took the box on and off the frame and also because I think I want the box removable in the future after the project is complete. Today I hung the door and started to attach the latch I am using....a locking window sash hasp. I also started dry fitting the roof itself (Hurrah!). One problem I did run into was that the paneling I bought wouldnt go around the 12" radius curves lengthwise so I moved the main piece and will be adding 2 sections front and rear that will be curved against the grain, hopefully. Here are some new pictures.
Update 3/17/2003: The paneling I bought for the job cracked under the stress of the bend. So today I went out and looked for a better quality sheet, while still maintaining my penchant for thriftiness ( I'm cheap) I replaced the section I had put on the roof...and this time after I got it dry fit, I applied a good coat of the marine epoxy I planned on using for weatherproofing. I will keep you updated on how that works out.


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Update 4/13/2003:I am moving slow during this time. I did manage to get the rest of the roof on but I still have to weatherproof it. Here are some updated pictures of what I have so far




Here are a couple of pictures of my cargo trailer I pull now for reference



Update 5/5/2003: Now after weeks of moving at a snails pace I am trying to get it ready for a week long trip. So I am just trying to get the weatherproofing done to a point it will last. Here are a couple of pics of it ready for a road test, its a dark and windy day....wish me luck! P.S. Ignore the ugly spot on the front, that was me testing primer sticking to the epoxy...which it does rather well



Note: Be very careful when test driving your trailer in gusting 20mph winds! I had a lot of trailer sway during the test drive. I was able to take some of it out when I loaded 50lbs of ballast inside the front of the trailer, which is where I was planning on the load going. this brought the tongue weight to about 35lb and the trailer to about 310lb....pretty good numbers. I have decided to move the wheels to the back a few inches in the hopes that this will increase my stability...hope I can get this stable before Friday or I take my little cargo trailer instead!

Update6/5/2003: Sorry I didnt get this info posted for awhile, here's how everything went. I did move the axle back 4.25", this improved the trailers towing alot. It still has some pretty good sway when Semi's go by and can get a little annoying. It also knocked my gas mileage down to 37mpg from 48mpg. Those are the negatives...now for the possitives. I pulled the trailer 2200 miles with no other problems than mentioned, travelling thru rain and wind and up and down the mountains of Kentucky and Tennessee. I spent two nights in it during raging thunderstorms and came out dry with a smile on my face. I did have at least one small leak I have to find.....but considering I just gooped the joints between the roof and the walls a day before i left I am really impressed. I need to add a vent of some type to it because it had a lot of moisture inside from breathing. Also do NOT build one of these unless you are prepared for TONS of people rubbernecking you as they drive by (and as they turn thier heads they tend to pull into your lane! *&#*&*!) or if you do not wish to show several dozen people the inside and demonstrate that "Yes" you can actually fit in there quite well. I will add some more pics when I start getting it ready for its next adventure and/or get to work on getting it painted and perty.


Update8/28/2004: No I haven't painted it yet or put in the vent I mentioned. I did discover that the frame could be assembled so that the tongue is 10" longer using predrilled holes. So I disassembled the trailer to get that done and to start painting it. Basically you just bolt the center peice of the frame farther forward, all the holes are there.

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