Pico Light Foam and fiberglass

[aksnowryder]

Building the Pico-Light with a few mods. First mod, instead of building with plywood I'm going to be using foam and epoxy with fiberglass. I'm also building it 36" wide instead of 48". Here are some pics of the beginning of the project. I'm going to be towing it with my 2006 Vulcan 900 Classic LT.

[Papi]

Very interesting! But won't that trailer be kinda "boingy" going over bumps?

[aksnowryder]

I am not sure how it will act yet. I really figure I can always add weight. The torsion axles are rated at 250# each side. So they are about as light as I can get them. I did hook it up to the bike and tried it out up and down our street this evening and yes... it goes boingy, boingy very well especially over the man-hole covers. The Pico was designed to weigh in at 280 and I think with the way I'm building it and its size I may come in closer to 215 add gear and I'm up to about 300#. I don't think with that weight I'll have any problems, but I really don't know. I will keep ya posted though.

[bonnie]

Will be watching your build with interest. Where, if I may ask, did you get the axles? I'm looking at them for my build. Did you weld them directly to the frame or are the bolted on?

Thanks!

[Oldragbaggers]

This will be a great thread to watch!! Lots of pictures please.

[aksnowryder]

Bonnie, the axles I bought off of EBay, I found them on Amazon as well. There is a plate welded to the cross member and the axles are bolted to the plate.

Pics are truly not my best thing but I am really trying. I'm hoping to take some each day I'm on the build. I seem to get so caught up in the task I forget to take them. But I'm trying.

[bonnie]

Bonnie, the axles I bought off of EBay, I found them on Amazon as well. There is a plate welded to the cross member and the axles are bolted to the plate.

Pics are truly not my best thing but I am really trying. I'm hoping to take some each day I'm on the build. I seem to get so caught up in the task I forget to take them. But I'm trying.

@

I understand completely. I keep thing, darn, could have taken a picture I'd that. Oh well, when you work alone, some things don't happen.

[angib]

That's looking good, Doug - I've been keeping my lip buttoned waiting for you to post pictures!

Please don't forget what I've called the 'body mounts' - the piece of angle on top of each end of the cross-member that carries the load between the frame and body side. This is the one place where connecting a lightweight thin-skin construction to a metal frame needs some care. You could of course just add local fiberglass thickening to the body rather than weld on metal to the frame, though the effect is the same.

[aksnowryder]

Thanks Andrew, yep, I have the brackets cut and ready to go as well as the two forward tabs for the floor mount. I am excited about the door as that is going to be the next step for me. I'm going to do the shape as the plans specify but the window is going to be a 18" round window... kinda a porthole look. I hope to cut the door this afternoon and then glue in the wood for the supports for the door latch and hinges. I will post pics of the door cut out. The fiberglass and epoxy should be in on Monday so I hope to be ready to begin glassing Monday afternoon.

[GPW]

Monday ... Wow!!! That’s Quick .... all we need now is the

[aksnowryder]

Got the door cut out and window hole cut and routed in today. Tomorrow I hope to cut in the wood support for the hinges and door latch.

[bonnie]

Got the door cut out and window hole cut and routed in today. Tomorrow I hope to cut in the wood support for the hinges and door latch.

Really like that porthole window!

[aksnowryder]

Thanks Bonnie

[GPW]

AK, Thanks for the pics ... Looking Good , really coming along quickly ....

[aksnowryder]

Thanks GPW, I'm trying to be ready for when my fiberglass supplies get here. Truthfully, I'm nervous about laying the glass and epoxy. I have never done a project of this size before. Like many here, my experience has been in RC planes and rockets. I've spent the past month talking to the fiberglass shop going over the plans and having them go over them with me to see if I've forgotten anything in my planning. So it may seem the build is going fast, but I assure you, I feel like it has been going on much longer.