I have been following JScherb's Fiberglass replica M416/M100 military trailer for over a year now, and decided to finally stop drooling and get tooling!
I had even bought a set of wheels off Thorshammer on this forum a year ago for this Until now they have made a really nice cocktail table for the man-cave, but time to put them to use!
My main objective is to have a 'camping support' trailer...i.e. a kit carrier...and then continue the build out until it becomes a full blown adventure trailer.
Due to budget constraints, I won't be able to do the full build (i.e. buying the fiberglass tub he designed) for some time, but plan on doing this in phases.
Since I want to ultimately put the "M72" tub on the trailer, I am starting with his (and Dinoot's) instructions for narrowing and strengthening a Harbor Freight heavy duty trailer so it'll be the right size when I get to that point.
Until then I will be building a wooden crate/box for it to make the trailer usable until I get the mad money for the tub.
The instructions JScherb and Dinoot publish are very good, but as I am diving in, I have found that some aspects of the HF trailer have changed; There are minor variations in the manufacture which have actually simplified the build rather than complicate it
The first challenge I had was actually buying the trailer! I was foolish enough to think I could simply walk in to my local HF after work on Friday and pull one off the shelf. I even called to make sure, and they told me the 'computer showed two in stock"...but when I got there, there was only one, and it was the 'mostly' assembled display one. The guy there was nice enough to check the other nearby locations and call for a 'physical check'....five stores later, there were none to be found.
I did some calling around when I got home and found one store, 45 minutes away, which had one, but one of the boxes was broken opened. So Saturday I took the chance...armed with a printout of the parts list I headed to North Palm Beach. Luckily all parts were accounted for and I was good to go!
I spent the rest of Saturday clearing out working space in the garage and running to Lowes for drill bits and extra bolts. Sunday I got started...which means I spent an hour re-reading the instrux and building up the nerve to start cutting up the shiny new frames with my hand grinder.....
After the first cut, my confidence grew and the rest of the cuts went pretty easily, albeit not perfectly square...but close enough By the end of Sunday I had gotten as far as bolting the frame and spring hanger together. I did manage to snap two $12 carbide bits in the process, but that's just me being overly aggressive with the hand drill.
I had even bought a set of wheels off Thorshammer on this forum a year ago for this Until now they have made a really nice cocktail table for the man-cave, but time to put them to use!
My main objective is to have a 'camping support' trailer...i.e. a kit carrier...and then continue the build out until it becomes a full blown adventure trailer.
Due to budget constraints, I won't be able to do the full build (i.e. buying the fiberglass tub he designed) for some time, but plan on doing this in phases.
Since I want to ultimately put the "M72" tub on the trailer, I am starting with his (and Dinoot's) instructions for narrowing and strengthening a Harbor Freight heavy duty trailer so it'll be the right size when I get to that point.
Until then I will be building a wooden crate/box for it to make the trailer usable until I get the mad money for the tub.
The instructions JScherb and Dinoot publish are very good, but as I am diving in, I have found that some aspects of the HF trailer have changed; There are minor variations in the manufacture which have actually simplified the build rather than complicate it
The first challenge I had was actually buying the trailer! I was foolish enough to think I could simply walk in to my local HF after work on Friday and pull one off the shelf. I even called to make sure, and they told me the 'computer showed two in stock"...but when I got there, there was only one, and it was the 'mostly' assembled display one. The guy there was nice enough to check the other nearby locations and call for a 'physical check'....five stores later, there were none to be found.
I did some calling around when I got home and found one store, 45 minutes away, which had one, but one of the boxes was broken opened. So Saturday I took the chance...armed with a printout of the parts list I headed to North Palm Beach. Luckily all parts were accounted for and I was good to go!
I spent the rest of Saturday clearing out working space in the garage and running to Lowes for drill bits and extra bolts. Sunday I got started...which means I spent an hour re-reading the instrux and building up the nerve to start cutting up the shiny new frames with my hand grinder.....
After the first cut, my confidence grew and the rest of the cuts went pretty easily, albeit not perfectly square...but close enough By the end of Sunday I had gotten as far as bolting the frame and spring hanger together. I did manage to snap two $12 carbide bits in the process, but that's just me being overly aggressive with the hand drill.