M116A3 Build

[lfhoward]

Thanks, Tim! I have definitely had a long while to tinker with it in my head, waiting for good weather and some extended building time. It's amazing all of the different ways I've thought up to put it together, virtual pre-assembly, I guess! The order in which I put it together makes a difference to a successful outcome, I think.

Last night I dreamed up a folding shelf/closet design for the interior that can be stowed against the rear corner walls when I need more cargo space inside the trailer. When deployed, it would give me two to three shelves in each corner next to the back door, which would be useful for storing clothes, towels, and other odds and ends. I haven't worked out all the bugs, but it was a fun mental exercise.

We have another scorcher here in the Philly area today, 92* and humid. I'm working in the shop this morning on the tongue box, but will have a go with the roof panels this afternoon when my neighbor is available to help.

[lfhoward]

Today I focused on the electrical power center (aka the tongue box). I got it mounted in place using Grade 8 bolts and lock nuts, so it isn't going anywhere. I also installed the waterproof flexible conduit between the box and the cabin for the main power wires.



Here is a look inside the box. I have 3 deep cycle marine batteries wired in parallel (12 volts total). Each battery has its own compartment and they are secured to keep them from bouncing up and shorting out on the aluminum box lid.



The compartmentalization will also make battery removal and replacement a lengthy process, because the dividing walls must be removed to get at the side batteries. Hopefully I'll get a good number of years of service from these before I need new ones. I have a voltage meter in the cabin to make sure I won't draw them down to more than 50% charge, which should prolong their life.

[lfhoward]

Here's a sketch of the 1x1x3 shelving unit I am thinking of building by the back door. In my electrical task mode today, working on the tongue box, I got thinking about running the interior wiring, and I need a place to put the light switches, volt meter, solar readout, and inverter switch that is convenient to the back door. The exterior wall isn't thick enough for these things without building a box around them, but an interior wall in a shelving unit will work great. Plus I need the storage space. It won't be a collapsible storage unit like I was thinking about before. I may put a smaller collapsible shelf in the opposite corner (not pictured).

[lfhoward]

Today's progress:

- Hooked up the electrical on the interior of the trailer so now I have lights and a fan again
- Installed the front 45* roof panel and two 14x21 windows (I need trim rings to secure them but gravity works fine while parked in the driveway)
- Installed the rear roof panel and rain gutter over the rear door
- Installed the center roof panel, with cutout for the Fantastic Fan

It started raining so I covered the trailer with a tarp, so no pictures until tomorrow.

I ran out of Sikaflex today so I ordered more. Amazon has them with free 1 day shipping, so they should be here tomorrow!

Tomorrow's list of tasks:

- Install the Fantastic Fan
- Make the side door skins and T moldings
- Make DIY trim rings for the front windows
- Measure and cut out the side panels (and install them if I get the Sikaflex delivered in time)

Many thanks to my neighbor Tim for all his help. Working with big aluminum panels is not a one person job!

[S. Heisley]

We're still watching your progress & you're doing good!

[lfhoward]

:thumbsup: We're still watching your progress & you're doing good!

Thanks Sharon!

Today was raining or threatening rain, so I worked on smaller self contained projects that I could do in the shop or during dry spells.

- Made the interior edge molding for the rear door out of aluminum, dry fit it, drilled and installed screws. It needs to come off one more time to Sikaflex underneath the trim. I ran out of trim screws partway through, so another trip to Fastenal is in order.
- Cut out 1/16 or so of aluminum door jamb molding to adjust the strike plate towards the outside. The door latch closes nice and tight now.
- Increased the rear window trim ring tightness to sandwich the butyl putty tape down a little tighter and make sure the window is really waterproof.
- Installed the fantastic fan on the roof, including waterproofing with butyl putty tape.
- Installed a large vent cover over the top of the fantastic fan so the fan lid can be opened in the rain.
- Tidied up the wiring going to and from the Blue Sea fuse panel. It can no longer be described as a plate of spaghetti!
The fuse panel has 6 circuits:
1- LED lights (3A fuse)
2- fantastic fan (5A fuse)
3- port power outlet (15A fuse)
4- starboard power outlet (15A fuse)
5- solar charge controller (10A fuse)
6- battery charger (30A fuse)
- Started to replace a side marker light that I accidentally smashed, but ran out of daylight. I'll finish that tomorrow. These are the cheap $5 trailer lights from the auto parts store. Someday I might spring for the indestructible military issue side marker lights, but they are like $28 a piece!
- Repaired a crack in one of the solar panel wire connectors using RTV gasket maker.
- Got tired of losing things in my shop and spending too long looking for everything, so I organized my workbench. Found stuff I forgot I had!

This week's to do list:

Make and install trim rings for the two front windows
Skin exterior side walls with aluminum
Install RV edge moldings where the walls meet the roof
Install side windows
Skin and make edge moldings for side utility doors, and then install those
After this, the trailer should be weatherproof!

Fix side marker light
Take the trailer to be inspected

At this point the trailer will work as a cargo hauler, but it still needs an interior to become a camper:

Window frames/sills and curtains
Cedar planking on the walls
Birch plywood on the ceiling
Folding benches that convert into a queen size bed frame
Cabinet and folding shelf in the rear corners, and book/glasses shelf along the front wall
Light switches, voltage readout, and power outlets

And it needs the solar panel installed on the roof.

[lfhoward]

I didn't have a full day to work on the trailer today but did make some progress:
- replaced the broken side marker light (in time for my PA inspection appointment tomorrow morning)
- cut out and dry fitted the lower side walls
That last part was tricky since the trailer bed and fenders are not actually square or level, so there was much time spent measuring and remeasuring before cutting! The panels are tacked in place temporarily and do not yet have the utility doors cut out of them.

Here are a couple of up to date pics:





It's nice to see the trailer sits fairly level when hooked up to the Jeep, and the JBA 4 inch lifted springs can carry the tongue weight without losing too much height. I have no idea what the trailer weighs now, but when it's done I'll take it to a truck stop and park it on a scale. It started out at 1000 lbs and has a 3150 lb GVRW rating.

[noseoil]

I added some air bags to the back of my truck last week (SD Truck Springs). With the trailer, coolers & gear in the truck, it was starting to be a bit heavy. Just a few pounds of air pressure works wonders to level it out again. Just a thought if you need a bit more lift & don't want to make it a permanent change on springs.

[lfhoward]

That's a good suggestion.

The update for today is that the inspection passed and my trailer is legal for another year.

Here's a question. I am looking at getting a door catch to keep the door from swinging in the wind and hitting the side of the trailer. Do these work well?



https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000BRJPHG/ref=twister_B00DV1WB8O?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

Thanks!
Lauren

[noseoil]

I used a different type. A forum member sent these from NZ for me (Frank, AKA "Sheddie") since I couldn't find them here in the states. I didn't want that much metal poking out on mine. They work well & don't stick out much at all.





You might be able to find something similar here, but I couldn't in my searches. Build is looking really good now. The skin makes a big difference, doesn't it?

[lfhoward]

Those are nice door catches, and they would definitely be more forgiving if I were to accidentally bump into one. The device in my picture above has a 3 inch long metal poker! They come in 4.5 inch long versions too. I just can't imagine where you could safely put one, unless it is way above eye level. One thing I did like about it though is that it's chrome, so it would match my hinges and door handles. So, I'm looking for safe, good looking, and effective. I seem to remember seeing something on a Ford Transit or Sprinter Van that looked good, so I might look in that direction.

Yes, having a lot of metal on it now makes a huge difference! For one, it lifts my morale. For another, I am less worried for the occasional rain shower (although water could still get in on the sides through the open window holes). I think it also strengthens the structure a lot.

I have a week long camping trip for work (forest ecologist!) coming up on Monday, and I'm hoping to have the trailer campable by Sunday night. For me, that means waterproof with working windows. The next steps in the next couple of days will be to fasten the lower side metal onto the camper, then cut and fasten the upper side metal and install the windows. I will cut out the side utility doors at a later date, because i dont have time to do all the trim work on them before I leave. The electrical system works, with the exception of the solar panel which is not yet installed. With 3 batteries topped off at home, I should be able to last 5 days, which is the length of this trip. The inside is spartan and unfinished, but no worries! Still better than a tent!

Today's update is the following:
- installed the interior edge moldings on the rear door, along with an inner layer of weatherstripping. The door is officially rain proof now. (I hope!)
- moved the door catch out 1/16 of an inch (again) to accommodate the weatherstripping. Note to self: on your next trailer, install the door catch for the first time after installing all the trim and weatherstripping!
- installed the rear porch light. It's nice to be able to see out there at night, and it really lights up the area well.
- in collaboration with my wife, picked out and purchased curtain material at the fabric store! She will be making the curtains for all 5 windows, and they will be held on to the window frames with 3/4 inch Velcro strips.
- trimmed blobs of dried, squeezed out Sikaflex from the roof panel edges in preparation for installing the side panels.
- covered it with the tarp, as rain is predicted overnight. It won't be long before I won't have to worry about the tarp anymore!

[lfhoward]

Today was full on trailer skinning. I got 4 panels fabricated/installed today, two on each side. I also installed the side windows. For the first time the trailer is waterproof without a tarp (thanks to aluminum + Sikaflex caulk).

Actually, I still need to make and install edge moldings where the sides meet the roof (for better waterproofing), as well as fabricate trim rings for the front two windows. Those are tomorrow's to-do's, in between predicted scattered thundershowers. If I can get those two things done, the trailer will be useable for my camping/work trip on Mon-Fri!

After returning from my camping trip, I hope to get a few improvements done before my next 3-week outing on the 20th. These include:
- installing the solar panel on the roof
- installing the side utility doors (I didn't cut them out of the metal siding yet so the trailer will be waterproof in the meantime.)
- beginning to make the interior of the camper (lots to do there)

[S. Heisley]

...If I can get those two things done, the trailer will be useable for my camping/work trip on Mon-Fri!

Hooray! It's all gonna be worth it! You'll see.

[lfhoward]

Well, 5 weeks later, here's an update:
I've been using the trailer for field work, both as a cargo hauler and as a camper! It's not finished but it is campable, which means it's waterproof and the electrical works! Here are a few shots of it on duty:







A couple of things that might be apparent from the photos:
No roof edge moldings yet. Silaflex is doing the job temporarily.
No solar panel yet.
No side utility doors yet.
And you couldn't tell from these pics, but there is no interior yet either.

These things will come with time! For now it gets the job done.

Here's what I'm up to this summer. I'm working on reconstructing the forest fire history of several sites in western Maryland by counting the tree rings on fire-scarred trees. Using live and dead trees, the record can usually be figured out back at least 200 but sometimes 400+ years.

A section with a scar removed from a live tree (which should recover and go on living):


A bunch of sections all wrapped up and ready to make the trip to the lab:


The Jeep and all the equipment at the end of a long work day:

[S. Heisley]

Congratulations on getting your M11643 camp-able. She looks good behind your Jeep.
Thanks for sharing a little part of what you do for your job, too.