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utee94 · 07-24-2015, 12:15 PM

Wow that looks great. I didn't realize until just now that you'd sold your Overlander and had a new project. Suffice to say, I'm subscribed. Good luck!

-Marcus

truckasaurus · 07-24-2015, 08:16 PM

yup, sold but still local. The new owners are putting a ton of miles on the Overlander and should be down in Texas next month and then Florida before coming back home . I on the other hand will be spending the next couple of years or so getting this bad boy travel ready.

This week I had an OCD defining moment as I was Bondo'ing any defects under the floor, before base coat, before top coat and before rubberized undercoating.

I also picked up some C channel I'd had bent up; I paid a few dollars to get it all made up in 8' lengths.

Lastly I'd tracked down 5052 H32 in .032' 5' x 10' too but when I went to pick it up it became all too clear that ham fisted delivery muppets had ruined my plan. I'm now torn between a belly pan skinned in 4' x 10' sheets or going to .050" in 5' x 10's which is apparently more muppet resistant. I'm thinking smaller sheets right now for ease of dropping sections but thought I'd mull it over.

utee94 · 07-25-2015, 06:43 AM

I like the idea of smaller sheets. Airstreams were originally all sealed up and made self-contained for people that just wanted them to work from day 1. But you're a tinkerer and will probably want to get in there at various points for various reasons.

I still haven't ever put in the bellypan back on mine, and I like having access to all of the underneath.

HiHoAgRV · 07-25-2015, 07:32 AM

I've done a couple of new bellypans with 4 x 10 sheets. I do the center by using the sheets sideways, 4' wide, just like the plywood is lay'd out on the top. I stop each piece at the frame rail. Then the 10' length is used to make the rolled edges. This way if I ding up a side piece, it's a single part to replace and not a complete belly section.

This also makes it easier to do plumbing work since the center sections can be installed with cleco's, waiting for the final riveting until the very end of the project.

truckasaurus · 07-25-2015, 07:47 AM

Awesome, that's exactly what I have in mind. The narrow sheets are only $49 too which is very appealing.

truckasaurus · 07-26-2015, 09:45 PM

New C channel ready to be cut and formed into curves. I'm thinking of making a bucket saw with a jigsaw to speed things up a bit as I don't have a bandsaw. I'm also considering cutting the slits from the outer leg towards the inner leg rather than inside out; if that makes any sense.

I had a few free minutes so I test drilled a hole in spare steel box tube to fit a floorboard screw. Good job I tried one out, I ordered and paid for 1/4 screws and got 5/16" fasteners. Still, now I know it's all good. Torx T40 here I come.

truckasaurus · 08-03-2015, 07:58 PM

Floor on! 200 x layout fastener, pilot, drill steel, countersink MDO, drill MDO, apply sealant and wet install self tapping screws. I finished up on the floor by sealing it up a bit with rubberized undercoat.

Today I slotted the C channel and gave it all a prime coat ready to install next.

It's starting to look pretty decent so on went the locks.

HiHoAgRV · 08-04-2015, 11:07 AM

nice work

truckasaurus · 08-30-2015, 03:17 PM

I little bit of cardboard for mocking up the aft kerb side belly pan, not too tricky considering it's a 6" height rather than the original 4".

I'm going to drop the shell onto the c channel for a test fit before going all out on the BP.

Also mystery shot of the day is my newly shortened bow and the off cut to be relocated forward one bow....

truckasaurus · 09-13-2015, 07:45 AM

Time to get the shell on. We got the gantries together and lifted the shell, this time with ladders for the bracing, nice and light yet rigid.

Backing through a narrow gate to position the frame between gantries was fun...

It all went pretty well and with the thickness of the belly pan next time should be spot on.

I like the look of the new axle location 2 feet aft of original but have yet to get a tongue weight.

Ready for a giant tarp :-)

Aerowood · 09-13-2015, 10:09 AM

Looking good

truckasaurus · 03-05-2016, 01:39 PM

I guess it's not really spring but it's starting to feel closer; so I thought I'd start stocking up on supplies. (I always seem to leave buying some parts too late and they're back ordered or obsolete, I was really surprised to see clearance lights disappear off the face of the planet). A large box arrived from VTS with all the window gaskets, some polishing supplies to prep end cap segments for dent removal on my English wheel and a $15 lock cylinder. Not the worst way to drop $800 Canadian but it was the lock cylinder that proved the most rewarding.

I found a locksmith willing to undertake the Bargman L77 work and for $100 he straightened it all out and fitted the VTS lock cylinder plus 2 extra keys. Now I have a slick lock and gave it a quick polish with Autosol after removing the latex paint.

I'm getting ready to order glass for all the windows and have settled on 3MM tempered, but keep flip flopping between clear and a light grey tint. Tint makes sense to keep heat out but just doesn't seem to look right on the vintage trailers.

truckasaurus · 05-08-2016, 04:10 PM

I switched out most of the C channel that I'd installed for a heavier duty version made from 5052 H32 .050". The skinny stuff was just flexing too much with the belly pan attached to even have a hope of lowering the shell down. Trying to see the silver lining of a step back I ordered much more than I need for the C channel so that I can use it to stiffen the walls and roof too :-)

I made up 6 hold down brackets from 3/16" and 1/8" steel and POR'd them for install with 5/16" Bolts.

Lastly I had a go at the rear belly pan, It's quite time consuming being a new 6 inch frame but I like how it looks in it's current un trimmed state. I'm going to cut the side skins wheel well cut outs to the style of an Ohio trailer rather than Cali so I need a bit extra sheet to play with.

Pics of both sides, still in protective plastic.

HiHoAgRV · 05-11-2016, 08:22 PM

I'm glad to know that you were able to recreate the corners with a 6" frame. I'm headed that way on a future project. Good looking work!

Tbeck11931 · 05-12-2016, 07:18 AM

Looking great please keep us posted.
I really enjoy the pictures.

truckasaurus · 05-15-2016, 05:28 PM

I just thought this might help someone out.....

I used scrap art paper and made a template on the trailer itself, I taped it to the frame and used a bunch of clamps to secure it to the C channel.

When it looks decent, remove and use to template the sheet metal

truckasaurus · 05-15-2016, 05:36 PM

Next I used whatever was lying around to locate the aluminum where I wanted it on the frame rails and pinned it down with one 1/8" cleco in each outrigger.

Now just roll the sides up to the channel and secure then pull the remaining metal tight and temporarily secure to the channel.

I've left the plastic protection on and a bit of masking tape but I think after a trim it's going to look great.

I was worried that it just wouldn't work well on a deep frame but the front was a cake walk compared to the rear.

Next weekend I'll pop the side sections on and maybe a trim piece at the front and rear then it'll be time for the removable centre sections to be made up.

**Rocinante** · 05-15-2016, 08:55 PM

Wow, that looks really nice!

MarkR · 05-16-2016, 06:05 PM

I think you can quit your day job now

truckasaurus · 05-28-2016, 08:31 PM

I got the oversize front hold down in place and final installed the aft belly pan curved sections. It went pretty well and sits really flat with 3M tape and 3/16" pop rivets.

I'm questioning whether I want to fabricate the aft centre section that wraps up from the belly to shell. As my chassis has a 6" x 2" tube crossmember there adding aluminum belly pan skin is really doing nothing but potentially trapping moisture. I whipped up a filler strip instead to see how it would function. Ultimately I thing the floor is well protected at that point but I can always revisit the pan there when I replace the outside body sections.

Pic of 142 linear feet of .032" T3 2024 Alclad boxed up. That's all the exterior save the compound segments. My trailer has multiple sheets joined together as it's quite long but I'm switching it out for longer sheets, 22', for a smoother leak free look.