Has anyone built a slide-out box?

[Krusty]

I'm making plans for a lightweight foamie with a lifting roof. The wife and I are both pretty short, so I'm planning on a 4'x6' bed space on a 4'x8' trailer. I'm thinking that I could help to increase the overall space in the trailer by building a 2 foot deep slide out end just big enough to expand a 4'x'4 sleeping area to a 4'x6' sleeping area that is perpendicular to the main length of the trailer.

I'm thinking of using some slide-out cabinet rails or something similar to support it. Has anyone built a slide-out box of this nature on their trailer? Anyone have any suggestions on proved build techniques?

[ksmack01]

I put one in my camper. I have changed it 3 times and it is an engineering marvel haha. I do love it and would put anouther one, or two in my next build. My latest version is foam and works great. It slides in and out by hand and works flawlessly. You can check out my photo album or even check it all out on you tube. My video link is posted to this site on the video thread. It was a pain making it all work, but is well worth it.

[Krusty]

Where's the video thread at?

[absolutsnwbrdr]

Where's the video thread at?

Found the video.... Pretty cool idea https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8QQG3k5 ... ata_player



I've thought about slideouts for various reasons, but keep straying away from them. One of the main reasons is that I like to have a trailer that requires zero setup in case I pull into a site and its pouring down rain. Just climb right in and wait out the storm. Having a slideout would require some sort of setup, and it can also limit storage space while traveling.

[Krusty]

Where's the video thread at?

Found the video.... Pretty cool idea https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8QQG3k5 ... ata_player



I've thought about slideouts for various reasons, but keep straying away from them. One of the main reasons is that I like to have a trailer that requires zero setup in case I pull into a site and its pouring down rain. Just climb right in and wait out the storm. Having a slideout would require some sort of setup, and it can also limit storage space while traveling.

That's definitely a concern. I live in Southern California so pretty much any camping within 10 hours will have a low rain chance though :p

The goal I'm going for is a low profile, lightweight fiberglass foamie with a fully lifting roof (think like a board game box being opened). So there will already be some degree of work required.

HOWEVER, depending on the way I build it, all that work can be done from inside the trailer. Crawl inside, push up and lock roof in place, push out slide out, then flop in bed.

Ksmack, how much weight does that slide out support? How far out does it slide? Did you use drawer rails for the sliding mechanism?

[mezmo]

Hi Krusty,

I think a slide out is a good approach and it can be as simple
or as complicated as you want. They are very popular with/in
the Australian camper trailer world. Some are quite ingenious
and inventive in their design and operation.
Some pics:
https://www.google.com/search?q=aussie+ ... s&tbm=isch

You should decide how you want to configure it - the overall size, what features
you need and want, the size it needs to be and so on. It doesn't have to be built
of heavy materials either. If you look at the various Australian ones, most are
made of sheet metal - aluminum or stainless steel or thinner thicknesses of plywood
A good example:
http://www.drifta.com.au/
http://www.drifta.com.au/CamperTrailerKitchens.php

You could build a frame out of 1x wood and glue 1/8 to 1/4 inch
"genuine" plywood to it for the outer coverings and various internal divisions etc.
I have a storage seat-stool/box from an older 1950s house trailer [@18inchx18inchx24inch]
that is made of 3/4 inch [true dimension] framing on the perimeter of all sides and
that is covered with 3/16 inch plywood on the four sides and the bottom. The top
opening perimeter uses 3/4 x 1 inch framing pieces. The top cover/seat is made out
of a piece of 3/4 inch plywood that is padded and upholstered. It is incredibly strong -
it's basically a cube-shaped torsion box. I'm sure it was just made out of scrap/cut-off
pieces of wood and plywood from the construction of the house trailer, and became a
something light and useful - a vanity seat/stool for use within it.

I'd check out the long drawer slides and the weight capacity you need for them. A 4-5
ft slide isn't cheap but would be worth it for the function and convenience it would give.
Of course, you'd want to have a support leg on the end away from the trailer once it's
pulled out to take some of the strain off of it, even if the slide-out can support the
weight itself, the end support leg is just extra 'insurance'. The "right" hardware or
part is most often worth any cost that is considered to be 'extra' or 'high', especially
if it makes what you are making easier to use or more useful.

You could also just do a simpler pull-out using rollers and guide rollers and a flip-down
end leg. But that would require you to be able to hold the weight of it as you pull it out
and before/while you deploy the end support leg. It just depends what your circumstances
and desires are.

Cheers,
Norm/mezmo

P.S. 'Just came across this Australian DIY Camper Trailer Build [What we call a tent trailer]
with a basic slide out kitchen. It's about midway down the build post. It slides out on plastic
covered runners with the 'trailer end' of the runners being tapered to aid in sliding it back
in.
http://www.campertrailers.org/holspeed_mk11.htm

[bobnlyd]

you could the same slides as a tent trailer..support it the same way...they go out up to the size of a queen bed (60") i think and at least 48"

[Lgboro]

My cook area is a slide out similar to what you are talking about and could be made to be very easily. There are a few others around. Mine used a quality drawer slide and works very well for a kitchen - a slide out would be just a small change.

[Prototear]

I'm currently designing a small slide-out to hold a cooler out the side of the trailer so that we can access it without having to open the main hatch. This would allow us to load it when we set out on a trip and avoid removing the bikes hanging off the back that would block the hatch.

I've looked at heavy duty drawer slides but they are expensive and would limit me to just including one pair if I broke down and bought it. Instead I'm thinking of using the low profile superstrut and either rollers or flat plastic bushing.

To keep the option of having my cooler on the right or left I'd like a track that goes the full width of the trailer and helps to reduce other materials. My frame has 1" tubular square steel on the sides so I have solid attach points to use. This shows the rear left corner where I cut out tubing in the frame that seemed excessive to make room for the slideouts.


For the track arrangement, I have 4 ideas in mind, all variations of the same idea:
1. Using rollers similar to a garage door roller but slightly smaller to fit inside the strut, but its hard to find rollers the right diameter. I figure I'd need at least 3 pairs of rollers, one in front, one at the rear to react the upward force, and one about 3/4 of the way back as a pivot.
2. Use actual garage door track to fit the rollers, but this might be stiff enough.
3. With a second pair of superstrut tracks laying flat inside and sliding along the lower edge of the first pair, also serving as the frame for the slide-out tray. This needs a bushing on top of the second pair to fill the gap and react the upward forces when the outside of the slideout tilts down from the cooler weight.
4. Same second pair of superstrut tracks but with small rollers to fill the gap instead of a flat plastic bushing.

I checked these at Home Depot and was surprised that they fit together nicely and slid fairly smoothly, even with the friction of the full 10' lengths. Here are pictures I took in the store looking at what would be seen above and below (but I wasn't confident enough to buy 4 sticks yet so I took these pictures in the electrical aisle of the store).





For rollers in option 1, I've found one that would fit nicely, but at $17 each it would defeat the cost savings. These http://www.mcmaster.com/#additional-carriages/ are made to fit in steel tracks that have almost the same dimensions as the low profile superstrut. They are also steel and I think nylon may be quieter.

Garage door rollers are 1.75" diameter (or larger), cheap, and widely available but the superstrut has an inside width of 1.42 inches so I'd have to machine the wheels down and keep them round while doing it. I also wonder how much steel will be underneath the nylon once I start cutting or grinding into it. This led to option 2 with actual garage door tracks but I wouldn't be able to take advantage of the strut as a structural member like I could in #1, and I don't know if it would hold up the weight of the cooler cantilevered out the side of the trailer.


I also found an unusual steel garage door roller at 1-5/16" diameter that comes close and would allow for about a 1/10" of play, maybe too much play.

Options 3 and 4 are similar variations but require extra outlay on superstrut.

For now, I'll continue my search for the right size rollers to use in the superstrut, and maybe try to machine a cheap nylon garage door roller down to work. If this works, I'm also thinking of using a second pair of tracks up higher to hold a slide-out sink/faucet, but I wouldn't be able to use it on the same side as the cooler since it would interfere, especially if I wanted to make it fit under a normal height countertop in the galley.

[danijel]

Thoughts:

Rollers below the slide out. Heavy duty hinges on the door. Use the door width when open to support slideout.

Search expedition forum for self made long slider. The solution used ball bearings and square channels. Cheap and strong

[Prototear]

Aha, I think I found it here http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/threads/16548-Behold-my-home-made-Engel-fridge-slide or at least one that resembles what you described. It doesn't show a support door underneath it, but I can see how a sturdy door hinged on the bottom could help support it. I need to consider if it will be a shin-banger at night if left open.

Thanks Danijel!

Meanwhile, I've discovered that there are also 1" rollers for overhead doors - the doors on delivery trucks use tracks with 1" rollers instead of ~2" like most garage doors. These should fit within the spacing of a low-profile superstrut with about 0.4" extra room that can be filled with a strip of something (plastic, plywood, etc.).

[danijel]

Sorry. To clarify my thoughts were for two different ideas.

Found the The link to the second idea here

http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/t ... g-Platform

For the first idea the door hinges are on the side of the door. There is a "guide" on the door. When you pull the drawer out, it uses the guide to support its weight. Wish i could sketch it.

[Prototear]

My idea using shallow SuperStrut didn't work with the small door rollers I got because there wasn't enough depth in the strut without the roller jamming. I took one of my wheels to the store and tried to slide it in (expecting it to work and expecting to buy the strut) but the wheel went about an inch and jammed.

I then shifted to simple 1.5" steel channel and built one up today. I need to finish installing it and add trim and a liner in the channel to pull in the play in it. The wheel is 1.1" diameter and the inside of the channel is 1.25", leaving 0.15" of play (a few thousandths would OK, but this is a little too much. Once I finish it I'll post pictures here (there are some painful details in the meantime in my build journal). I have just over $30 into parts versus over $120 per pair of heavy duty drawer slides (if I ignore my time for planning, experimenting and building it).

[Ron Dickey]

slide out like this

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GIG9P0lB1iA

there was one made years ago by a high school class worked much like the ford families first camper it pull out from inside had drawers the pulled left and right and extended the sleep area.

[Ron Dickey]

here is a you tube of that model t camper.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zViYjKjSLtI