Fiberglass bolt-together trailers

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Re: Fiberglass bolt-together trailers

Postby Junkboy999 » Wed Jul 24, 2013 8:56 pm

I love the Mil prototype. I like the ¼ scale model over on the jeep forums the best.

This is a big weight saving on the fiberglass tub over a real one.
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Re: Fiberglass bolt-together trailers

Postby schaney » Thu Jul 25, 2013 1:40 pm

Thanks Terry! This will be budget friendly and lightweight. Here is a 68 page design thread for the Fiberglass M416/M100 Military-style Trailer Tub Kit

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Re: Fiberglass bolt-together trailers

Postby Junkboy999 » Sat Jul 27, 2013 11:57 pm

Love it.

You need to get rid of that storage box up front and get one of these.
We use to call them baby coffins in the air force.

shipping box boxes military surplus storage containers
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Re: Fiberglass bolt-together trailers

Postby schaney » Sun Jul 28, 2013 2:01 pm

Terry, that is the great thing about DIY camping trailers, you can build yours exactly how you want it 8)
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Re: Fiberglass bolt-together trailers

Postby kludge » Tue Aug 27, 2013 4:00 pm

Scott, I read though the whole thread on the M416, and I have a question... If you configure the fiberglass top to open front/back halves separately, what keeps the water from running inside?

Could you have put a lip (J or U shaped channel) at the center junction on one of the halves to catch/drain the water?

I know that means you have to make two different molds, but still...

And the people who want a single lid can still bolt them together.

BTW the extended fiberglass trailer with the fiberglass camper top has me very interested. I'm hoping the design is such that I don't HAVE TO put in a sliding galley.
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Re: Fiberglass bolt-together trailers

Postby schaney » Wed Aug 28, 2013 9:03 am

kludge,

The design we've got for hinging the front/back halves separately does included a "rain gutter", but we've designed it in such a way that it doesn't require separate molds for the cover halves. We'll post more details on that as we get closer to releasing the cover; the current priority is to getting the base tub into production.

The Dinoot hardsided camper is still a paper concept, although building one to the your appropriate level of outfitting will be no problem. Could use it as a shell or go full tilt on the outfitting.
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Re: Fiberglass bolt-together trailers

Postby schaney » Wed Aug 28, 2013 9:35 am

Here are a few Dinoot examples

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Re: Fiberglass bolt-together trailers

Postby kludge » Wed Aug 28, 2013 12:20 pm

So, if someone were to buy a trailer and a Dinoot kit, to eventually do this...

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which trailer frame and bolt together kit would that person need?

It doesn't look like the "Extended" length is long enough. I think this will fit my needs precisely. Although, it would be nice if a riding mower would somehow fit (other than removing the tub)... a braced plywood top and long ramps?
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Re: Fiberglass bolt-together trailers

Postby schaney » Wed Aug 28, 2013 3:15 pm

The current thought for maximum part reuse, is using two of the exist Compact side panels together you get an 8'-3" tub. This would fit on a standard 4'x8' HF frame. The current tailgate opening is ~36" wide, not sure if a riding mower with the deck on would clear.
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Re: Fiberglass bolt-together trailers

Postby kludge » Wed Aug 28, 2013 4:00 pm

Not the mower deck I'm thinking of. :)

Thanks for the info. I've been watching this thread since it started, but never posted.

Is it garageable? (It would have to be garageable with my HOA.) What is the overall height with the cap on top? 75" would give plenty of clearance I think (sloped driveway) but I might be able to deal with a few more inches. Put it this way, when my son got out and held the door all the way up I could JUST squeeze in our old full size van (Ford E150) into the garage. I think the van was 78" high. Just something to think about.

FWIW I've been collecting a few parts... in particular I have a couple temporary spare 15x6 wheels and tires from a Jeep Cherokee with (5 on 4.5" bolt pattern). Or if I could find one more steel 15x7 Cherokee wheel, but there is a lot of backspacing on those wheels.

In your experience with all the wheels and tires you've tried, would these fit, or would they need spacers to clear the frame?

(Of course I would change the tires out to something like 195/55R15 or 205/55R15 and not use the temporary tires.)

Then I could put on the stock HF tires on for towing behind the mini van and use the "big" tires when pulling with the Cherokee, and not have as much nose up or nose down on the trailer. (The Cherokee is on 31"s with a 3" lift, and a 84 Scrambler is waiting for me to find time between work and five kids.)

Right now I have a 7x8 Utility trailer that I've slept in on a few scout campouts, with either a tarp or a pop up shelter over it. (Think snowmobile trailer built over a jonboat trailer with side walls so you can haul mulch/landscape tools and you'll get the picture.)

I've always been a tent camper and a spartan trailer with room for a queen or two twins (for when my wife goes) and space for lots of gear is what I need. I don't have space or money for two trailers and I'm getting too old to sleep on the ground. My camping trailer needs to be my utility trailer, and the last thing I need is another project that won't get finished. A 5x8 enclosed trailer is a touch too small and I'm having a hard time finding a 5x10 that will go in the garage that doesn't jack the price way up. And then how do you get the much into the trailer? A bolt together trailer with the possibility of adding amenities seems like it's right up my alley.
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Re: Fiberglass bolt-together trailers

Postby schaney » Thu Aug 29, 2013 9:04 am

The plan is to have it under 78" so it will fit in a garage.

Most any steel wheel with a 5 on 4.5 lug pattern will bolt on a trailer axle. With stock auto rims they normally have lots of backspacing. This means narrowing the frame or hub spacers to get the sidewall /frame clearance needed. Stock Jeep rim have to much backspacing to use without modifications. Aftermarket 15x6 steel rims like white spokes can be found with backspacing that will work on a HF frame.

Yes having a multi-purpose trailer is a smart way to go. For your non-camping hauling needs, would a liftoff body that leaves a flat bed trailer work? Or is an enclosed shell needed?
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Re: Fiberglass bolt-together trailers

Postby kludge » Fri Aug 30, 2013 1:24 am

Rarely do my utility hauling needs require a cover. For mulch and related tools, and camping gear, the side walls are nice to have. And a little moisture is no big deal. Big stuff like a riding mower (rare) can be strapped down to a flatbed. My current trailer has hauled it's share of furniture too. The side walls mean I don't have to do a lot of tying things down. But its 7ft width makes it difficult to tow behind a Cherokee or minivan at freeway speeds. The old E150 with 5.4L V8 never cared about the big parachute it was dragging. 5 feet wide is about perfect for both of the TV's I have now, and though they will tow more, 2000# is really a good limit.

I would really like to have a lid to keep the camping gear out of the weather, but most of that gets hauled around in "weatherproof" boxes anyway. And it would be nice to sleep under the lid... camping with my sons and the scouts, deer hunting... and I just plain want to have all the gear in one place so I can hitch up and go. The gear I usually haul would easily fill the tub of the 5x8 Dinoot; a cover would mean I can stack more of it or throw in a half-dozen scouts' worth of backpacks. My new minivan just can't swallow the gear like the back of the old E150.

I'm a four season camper, and I've slept in the comfortably in the single digits and teens and 6" of snow in my winter bag and a summer tent. As long as the weather is halfway decent my wife loves to camp since we got the air mattresses. And all she needs is a place to wash and change comfortably. Our big tent or EZ Up shelter works for that.
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Re: Fiberglass bolt-together trailers

Postby schaney » Sat Aug 31, 2013 1:52 pm

Thanks for the info, as it transitions from a concept into a design, we'll see how it end up meeting your needs.
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Re: Fiberglass bolt-together trailers

Postby schaney » Sat Sep 21, 2013 10:15 am

The first pre-production M-series tub kit came out of the molds this week!

Got the test tub trimmed, drilled and bolted together today. Without a floor it weighed in at 46 lbs. Because of the step in the side panel, we are using a different layup. The side panels are about a 1/4" thick.

It passed the first test with flying colors! Test was to lay a 2x4 across the center of the side panels and climb on. Springing on the 2x4 with my 170 lbs doesn't cause any notable flex the side panels. This was without the corner reinforcement brackets we plan on using.

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For folks planning on using a bolt together frame on their project, here is what the tub looks like sitting on the frame before narrowing.

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Won’t be long before we can start taking order for M-series tub kits with solid front & rear panel.
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Re: Fiberglass bolt-together trailers

Postby rowerwet » Sat Sep 21, 2013 11:20 am

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