My Expedition Trailer project

[Omega]

Future plans are a tool box for the tongue.....but them things are EXPENSIVE!!  Gotta box it in and I will probably buy a door for an RV for the back.  They make some very neat frame/door units for tear drop campers or storage access doors for large RV's.  
 
This should handle enough gear for me and the woman to get the hell outta here in a hurry or just enjoy a weekend at the lake.  
 
 
 
The whole thing will get coated with bedliner when it's done.  Then I'll paint the roof top white to shed heat.

I went to harbor freight for my trailer tool box, fairly cheap considering the others:

http://www.harborfreight.com/35-inch-steel-trailer-tongue-box-66244.html

http://www.harborfreight.com/2-34-cu-ft-steel-trailer-tongue-box-60302.html

I went with the more expensive one, but with the 20% coupon it was less than $100. More than 4 years and the only thing that didn't hold up is the paint but a quick rattle can paint job will fix that.

[Grand Torino]

Man you got it going on....that's one heckuva project. Congratulations :up:

[Monkeyman2500]

Very cool project. Can't wait to see the final product!

[DWARREN123]

Paint it pink!!!!

[Caster]

I am SERIOUSLY considering yellow.  I think I would like to coat the whole thing in bedliner.  Let that cure then pain the whole thing Tonka Yellow, then paint the roof white.  Why you ask?  Well, matching the tow vehicle would look pretty cool.....

 

 

[peejman]

You could get it powder coated nearly any color. 

[Caster]

That cost money. I'll pass. :)

I know a local guy who paints cars. He owes me a favor or two and he's gonna need a good set of used tires soon. He's probably gonna paint it...he just don't know it yet. He's one of one those guys that travels to car lots, setting up the tent to do touch ups and what not. He's on the look out for Toyota yellow. He has the paint code. He'll find some 'extra' left over from a job one of these days.

[Johnny Rotten]

You could get it powder coated nearly any color. 

line x is no difference, you can match lots of colors

[nightrunner]

line x is no difference, you can match lots of colors

X2. LineX is available in lots of colors.

I don't know, but I highly doubt that paint will adhere to textured bed liner. Edited June 25, 2015 by nightrunner

[Caster]

I dunno, I've done it before and it worked very well. The trick is to make sure the bed liner is fully cured and super clean.

I did a whole jeep in spray bedliner then painted it green. It was a tough finish. I ran it through the thicket and woods pretty hard before I sold it.

[Caster]

Just been too gotdang hot to do much but I managed to get a nice work top made for the front.  3/8" plate.  I welded it all the way around...twice.  Very solid. A buddy gave me a whole box of 5/32" 7014 welding rods so I turned up the welder to 160 amp and put it to it!  spent an hour with a grinder smoothing it out and viola!  You should be able to beat anything apart on that!  

 

I decided I'd rather have a work top than use a tool box.  Workspace is nonexistent on a trail.  You could certainly pound out a U joint or something here.

 

 

 

Cleaned it all up and smeared a little bed liner over it.

 

 

Edited July 18, 2015 by Caster

[Caster]

I don't think I'm gonna be able to do much more until the weather cools off.  Screw this heat!!!!

[nightrunner]

That looks good! I'm betting you could still have a toolbox on there just not permanently attached so you could remove it easily if you needed the space.

I'm with you on this heat. No sense being out in it if you don't have to.

[monkeylizard]

Looking good. +1 to a work surface. I like that idea. Could you work up a bracket to hold a toolbox in place, but the bracket could be removed (or fold away) to clear out the whole surface for a work area if needed?

Edited July 18, 2015 by monkeylizard

[Caster]

Possibly. I'll be looking into it.

Next, I'm going to put a few 1/2-13 holes in the plate. I'd like a small anvil and vise I can bolt down and remove as needed.

Then, I have to design a cozy spot for my little generator.

[10-Ring]

That bed liner looks good, what is it exactly?

[Caster]

Duplicolor spray bed liner. The TR250 NOT the spray 'Bed Armor' that crap sux. It comes out too clumpy for a nice even coat.

[Caster]

Got my floor in finally.  It was a long day yesterday but I went to Lofts and picked up  4x8 sheet of .125 crs sheet metal.  They were nice enough to shear 1/3 of it off so I could actually manhandle the thing.  I HAD to piece it anyway, I couldn't get one continuous piece in there with the frame already built.  

 

Got it welded all the way around and halfass smoothed out.  Now....time to build some walls.  

 

 

[Caster]

I've been debating what to do with the floor.  I don't wanna paint it, it'll just get skinned alive moving gear in and out.  Bedliner is pricey for interior that never will see the weather.  I'm thinking a rubber mat cut to fit.  Would add a bit of cushion too I think.  It could be easily removed for cleaning too.  

 

Thoughts?

[monkeylizard]

Either that, or strips of stick-down grip tape.

 

Maybe that garage floor tile like Racedeck or SwissTrax? I'd bet Harbor Freight has some generic brand kits of that stuff. Maybe not as tough as the branded, but would work fine for walking on and storing stuff. The slotted tiles are good because any spilled liquids run underneath. Yeah, you have to pop up the tiles to clean, but the tiles won't be slippery.

Edited August 19, 2015 by monkeylizard

[Caster]

Covering it in grip tape would be pricey BUT thanks for mentioning that, I will for a fact put down a few sheets strategically spaced and that will keep the rubber mat from scooting around.

[Hozzie]

I would probably go ahead and use bedliner.  It will protect it from rust just from sitting out in the humidity, plus if you spill something you can just hose it off.  I would think a rubber mat would just collect moisture under it and make it worse.

[LagerHead]

I would probably go ahead and use bedliner.  It will protect it from rust just from sitting out in the humidity, plus if you spill something you can just hose it off.  I would think a rubber mat would just collect moisture under it and make it worse.

 

Agreed. And when I asked for a quote I found it was about half as expensive as I thought. I would think they could do your trailer for $100 or less.

[monkeylizard]

 

 

 

 

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[EssOne]

Impresses the heck out of me!