a1gemmel builds an offroad trailer from scratch

[a1gemmel]

Let's build the trailer box frame.

Pieces:



Parts:



Welded up:



Voila! Four rivnuts and M6 bolts hold the box to the frame. Punting on how the propane tank will be secured for now.



Then the whole trailer gets flipped over to stitch the floors to the braces and weld up the bottoms of all the pieces added on after the initial frame construction.

[TyTheJeepGuy]

Just gets flipped over eh, just like that?

[a1gemmel]

TyTheJeepGuy previously posted:

[TjMike]

a1gemmel previously posted:

[a1gemmel]

We're back from a week haitus of replacing the heater core in the lady's truck - hot tip, if the heater core ever springs a leak in your GMT800 just scratch the VIN off and set it alight in a walmart parking lot, whatever the consequences end up being will be less trouble.

I had a hell of a time trying to get the uprights and the top of the box square in all directions. I own a welder, that doesn't mean I am one. The tubes just want to pull all over the place when tacking them in. Then I realized I could cut the sheet metal piece for the front of the box and use that to hold the frame square to weld it up, then it was smooth sailing. All parts of the box are within 0.2 degrees of the desired angles, so I'm going to call that good enough.



I also finished welding in the last of the patchwork floor.

[a1gemmel]

I'll throw this out here to solicit opinions, since I'm not quite sure about what I want to do - I have a tankless propane water heater to put in the trailer for hot tap water and showering, but I'm not quite sure where to mount it. Haven't found a lot of info online about putting it in an enclosed space, venting requirements, etc. This isn't a person-carrying trailer so I'm not concerned about carbon monoxide, more just heat and moisture management.

Option 1 - Put it inside the front half of the trailer. There will be a steel bulkhead separating the front and rear half, where the floor seam is in the pic above. I'd mount it on that facing forward and fab a heat shield to keep things in the storage compartment from touching it. I think I'd need to put a vent on the top of the trailer, making that rainproof could be challenging. If this puts off a ton of moisture, it could make things in the storage compartment soggy.

Option 2 - I've seen (but can't find again) a pic of someone using a pelican case mounted on the outside side of their trailer with the heater inside it. You just open the case to use the heater. I would mount it behind the driver side tire. This seems like a safer option, but it does take space I was planning on using for a jerry can. I like the thought of having a safety switch that only powers it when the case is opened.

Option 3 - ???

Typing this out, I think I know which option I'm leaning towards but I'd be interested in hearing other opinions too. Never done this before.