rcguy1

I just purchased a new Road Force 12x6x6 foot trailer manufactured by Wells Cargo. I'm going to customize the trailer with work bench, cabinets, generator and will be posting my progress from beginning to finished product. Since I fly both RC planes and helis, the custom job should interest more fliers. All members are welcome to post suggestions, pictures of their custom trailers and any comments will be greatly appreciated. Since I'm not a carpenter nor electrician by trade but can build just about anything, this will be a challenge and help will also be welcome.

Remember the purpose of this thread is to share ideas, suggestions and criticism, so all of you guys and gals and maybe with the help of Wells Cargo, with me doing most of the labor, together can build the finest custom trailer for R/C airplanes and helicopters. So send me some input and with pictures are even better. You can think of all of us as the, "Bob Villas of this New Custom R/C Trailer."

The trailer came from the factory with a few upgrades; ramp door, side vents, side door and standard 12 volt lighting. Some other factory specs are: single axle, curb weight 1180 lbs., overall length 16'1", suspension Torflex and 15" tires. Wells Cargo, "Road Force Trailers" range in size from 8'3"x5 to 16x6'9". Here are the beginning pictures:

rcpilotjae-RCU

My Feedback: (21)

rcguy1:

Good to start a new thread on this subject. I'm basically writing this so I can be notified of the messages and keep up with what's said. Never know, maybe I'll win the lotto and be able to have a trailer also! My only suggestion at this point is changing the 12v lighting over to 110v (if your going to add a generator). Not only will this give you better light, but the generator would really come in handy for some of the power tools that don't run on battery packs.
Good luck with this project, the trailer sure looks like a beauty!

rcguy1

I ordered a Briggs and Stratton Model 1653 which is a 3250 watt generator and it weighs 103 lbs. I'm planning to install florescent lights and have 110 volt outlets in the trailer. Since I live in central Florida, I'm going to insulate the walls and ceiling with fiberglass mat which is R13. The side walls are covered with finish grade plywood (3/8" I think) and insulating will be no problem. I'll have to add a plastic sheeting to hold the insulation and finish off the ceiling. I already have the side vents and I'm planning to add a 110 exhaust fan as to keep the inside of the trailer's air moving and keeping it from becoming an oven when parked on the side of my house in the summer. I had a trailer boat which I sold 4 years back, so I have a 6 foot high by 12ft double gate already installed.

I have to wait for the generator to be delivered (12/01/03) and installed before I can install the insulation and 110 volt wiring with outlets. I want the 110 to work with the generator or house 110. So there is not much I can do until the generator is installed. Would appreciate any advice, comments, pictures or ideas. Till then. Russ

hnesitd1

rcGuy1 - it must be soooooooooooooooooooo nice to be thinking of insulation (for air conditioning) in December! Hee Hee - freezing in Canada!

spitgy

rcguy1
I posted a reply on the other thread but the bottom line here is, the Home Depots in Ontario (Canada) don't always carry what the US ones do.
I'll check with Home Depot when I next go. - and thanks again!

rcguy1

The insulation is to keep out the heat in the summertime. I'm not going to air condition my planes and helis.

I was shopping around for a welder to weld in braces for the generator and build an aluminum weather proof box. I wanted it made out of aluminum diamond plate, either .063 or .080. This guy told me the job would run about $650.00 because the .063 diamond plate alone was $200.00 for a 4x8 foot sheet. I told him that I paid $479.00 for the new generator with no tax and shipping through Amazon.com and hell would freeze over before I paid $650.00 for a box.

I made a few calls from home and the retail price for a 4x8x.063 aluminum diamond plate is $61.65. The .080 is 74.88 a sheet. I was born at 7:22 in the AM but it wasn't yesterday. A few more calls and I found a few welders who will do the job with me supplying the diamond plate for about $100.00. There is a big difference between $650 and $161.65 and I think I'll treat myself to the .080 plate.

spitgy

Great idea for starting this thread!
My cargo trailer is 5x8. It has a 5/8" ply floor so I went ot home depot, got some white self adhesive tiles and stuck em on.
The walls are 3/16" !!!! luan ply. I just painted it white. I plan on putting 120 inside with a hookup receptacle outside to feed in the power. Our field has power so I'll just hook up as needed.
I think the interior is too small to build in a work surface so I was thinking of some type of portable table - what's the opinion of the collective wisdom on this?
I am going to build a box on the tongue to hold gas and other fuels. I was going to cover in in white aluminum. The diamond plate suggested by rcguy1 is a need idea

rcguy1

Go for the aluminum diamond plate. It's not cheap but looks great. You can see the diamond plate on the first posted picture on the front of my trailer. I might use the .063 diamond plate for the floor and ramp instead of vinyl at least on the ramp because vinyl when damp or wet tends to get slippery. I'm also planning on painting my interior walls semi or gloss white. It makes the inside so much lighter and gives the illusion of a larger interior.

I bought a 2 ft x 4 ft white fiber glass table with fold down legs for about $35.00 from Sam's Club. I'm not a member but got a day pass from Sam's Club. I use it to start my heli's and work on them at the field and it fits nicely inside my Jimmy. Sam's Club has these fold down tables with white fiber glass tops and they are very strong in smaller and larger sizes. Check it out, this may be the solution you have been looking for.

R/C Foolish

My Feedback: (6)

Russ,

Go with indoor/outdoor carpet. Even though you will have to vacuum every so often. Vinyl or the diamond plate will get slippery. I just cut my carpet to fit ( ramp also ) and then just used a staple gun an stapled around the edges. This way if I want to replace it it is easy.

John

OscarPilot

My Feedback: (7)

You should consider an inverter for AC power.

rcguy1

Too late for an inverter. The generator was delivered this morning. I bought the 4x8 aluminum diamond plate and some R -13 glass insulation. I'm waiting for some bids on welding a diamond plate weather proof box that is double hinged so the front and top open. Plus there will be 10 inches of space on both sides. Should be plenty of air circulating to keep the generator cool. The unit weighs 103 lbs and I put the wheels on to help move the unit around. Of course they will come off.

The first picture is the generator and the second is where the generator and diamond box will be located.

spitgy

There is no "Sam's" in my area but I assume the Sam is Sam Walton of Wal-Mart. Sounds like a summer item too. Around here, Wal-Mart has probably substituted tables for snow shovels but I'll check them out when I go there to get some material to make wing bags.
Another option for the "box" is a heavy plastic box I've seen on mobile homes - I'll check with a trailer place to see what they have. For me, I think a custom made diamond plate box to carry gasoline is a little overkill. The more $$ on the trailer, the less on planes and that's no good

spitgy

Russ - I just checked out the front of your trailer and those look like maple leaves. Fall there eh?
Have you got a locking hitch pin for your trailer? Mine is made by Kryptonite - slides thru the space where the pin goes and the lever can't be engaged. I also have one on the draw bar of my van, so the draw bar can't be removed from the mount. Provides peace of mind when the trailer is parked on its own somewhere and when the van and trailer are parked unattended.
Darryl

rcguy1

Yes's the Sam's I'm referring to is the late Sam Walton and I think they carry folding tables all year long. The diamond box is to shield the generator from the weather, not just to carry gasoline. That 4x8 sheet of diamond plate .080 cost me $80.00 with tax. My trailer sits behind a 6 ft. locked fence besides my home and yes I do have a lock on the hitch. Also the trailer can't be seen from the street. Remember I had a $25,000 boat on a trailer. So I'll be careful, I promise.

Those are Sycamore leaves. Look very much like Maple but this is Florida and they have a lot of strange foliage down here. I'm originally from New York City and didn't see a tree until I was about 18 years old. Only kidding, there always was Central and Bronx Park. The Sycamore trees lose their leaves starting in August and continue to lose leaves until February. Then spring arrives and new leaves appear. Most of the foliage in Florida stays green all year long from Tampa and all points south. Some times five years go bye before we get a freeze that may last 1 to 3 hours in the early morning. Our winters are usually very mild, lows in the mid fifties and highs in the mid seventies. I've lived here for 15 years (in Tampa) and have never seen snow and don't miss it either.

rcpilotjae-RCU

My Feedback: (21)

rcguy1:

Those are trees in Central Park? Hmmmm, who knew? :-)

Your project is getting off to a good start. Lots of good suggestions here, I'm sure more will come. I have to agree that the diamond plate or vinyl tile in NOT the way to go on the floor/ramp. That stuff (either) will get so slippery when wet you'll be sorry. The out door carpeting seems like a better choice. Cheap, cleanable and if it really gets messy over the years, it's easy to replace. That's about my only observation so far. Good thread!

OscarPilot

My Feedback: (7)

The folding tables are also available from Lowes. I just bought 2 last week. They come with a lifetime guarantee.

bolar

My Feedback: (5)

I painted the inside walls of my trailer white, which makes it brighter inside. For the floor I laid 12X12 carpet squares. The carpet is indoor/outdoor so it should hold up for a number of years and also makes it a lot quieter stomping around inside. The squares are peel and stick so they were real easy to put down. When it gets dirty I just shop-vac it out and if anything bad ever happens I'll just peel out the bad square and put down a new one.

I looked at getting a carpet remnant but most places wanted as much for the remnant as what I could have bought the squares for. Plus I would still have to get the glue, scraper, and a roller to put it down with. The squares were too easy .

rcguy1

I'm planning on painting the inside walls white, semi-gloss/ high gloss, still not sure. The floor covering and the ramp are more up in the air, vinyl squares, vinyl one piece, carpet squares, carpet one piece or some thing else.

Remember the purpose of this thread is to share ideas, suggestions and criticism, so all of you guys and gals and maybe with the help of Wells Cargo, with me doing most of the labor, can build the finest custom trailer together for R/C airplanes and helicopters. So send me some input and with pictures, will even be better.

Still waiting on bids to fabricate the aluminum diamond plate weather proof box for the generator. Also, I ordered an electrical outside box with male connections instead of female connector from Wells Cargo. The generator has a female connection and the end of my extension chord to my house is also female. So the male box makes sense. I will post a picture of the Wells Cargo electrical box when I receive it from my dealer.

Happy Thanksgiving to all.

rcguy1

Finally found a fabricator to make the generator box. Pete a member of our flying club and his father make custom aluminum boat tuna towers, custom gas/fuel tanks and aluminum stations for open sport fishing boats out of Tarpon Springs, FL. Building a weather proof box for the generator will be a piece of cake for them. So now we can get started customizing this trailer. I need the generator installed before I can do the 110 volt wiring and insulation.

rcguy1

Just a word on caution! I was working inside the trailer taking the inside plywood walls off so I could install wiring and insulation and had my trailer unhooked from my Jimmy. Since I am not heavy enough alone to tilt the trailer, I didn't put the rear leveling jacks down. I was working just past the single axle to the rear and my wife started to walk up the ramp of the trailer. Before I could say anything the trailer tipped and my wife fell back-wards and hit her hear hard enough to render her unconscious. I called 911 and we spent the rest of the day in the local trauma ER room. Thank God all the tests were negative and she will be fine. Remember when your trailer is not hooked to your towing vehicle, always lower the rear leveling jacks to prevent the trailer from tilting.

rcguy1

Here are some pictures of a custom trailer that I really like. This is what can be done to a plain 12x6x6 trailer. Nice - huh?" I'm going to try to accomplish something like the pictures below.

rcguy1

It's slow going. Dropped off the diamond plate and generator yesterday at the fabricator. He said the generator enclosure will be ready within two weeks. I now know what side of the trailer I should install the electrical box but still waiting for Wells Cargo to deliver the box to the local dealer. I bought some 14-2 Romax for the 110 volt wiring but need four double electrical receptacles with built in boxes that are thin. Will have to hunt that down today, for I know they make them special for RV's. Then I can start the wiring and insulation. Pictures coming soon.

rcpilotjae-RCU

My Feedback: (21)

rcguy1:

A bad learning experience. Hope all is well. On another note it's nice to see your so committed to this project. I'm sure it will be all you ever wanted.

R/C Foolish

My Feedback: (6)

Russ,

Go to Home Depot and they have some shallow cream colored boxes ( used for adding in a room ). They are surface mount but they look finished. That is what Atlas used in my trailer and then I added some additional outlets. I think the walls are too thin for a recessed box. Run the wires inside the wall but use the finished box for the receptacle.

John

rcguy1

I took your advice and went to Home Depot. Here are a few pictures of what I purchased. Since I bought 4 receptacles, is this what you meant? I truly believe these boxes will look and work just fine. I only had an inch between the trailer's aluminum sidewall and the inside plywood wall. I think I would have had a hard time finding something to fit in this limited space. See guys and gals how your input helps.