Anymore progress on your trailer? I'm planning to do this same build in the spring.

Yes, I have been busy building the top and an opening mechanism that does not work the way I invisioned it. I will replace with standard hinges and take plenty of pictures of both. I just have been to busy to keep up. Hope to make some progress tomorrow. Thanks for asking.

JEB

I have finaly had some real time to work on the trailer. Tried to design an opening mechanism that did not work as expected. Seems like I just could not bring myself to purchase 8 feet of piano hinge and pay the price. In the end I wound up buying some "T" hinges at the local hardware and using (4) of them. Cost for the hinges was 6 dollars. Any way here is the failed hinge arraingment. Next post I will update the cost so far and post pictures of my current hinge set up.

JEB[8D]

I inteded to update the cost of construction so far. Here is my investment to date.

Prior Total $373.60
Additional plywood at $10/sheet 3 sheet $ 30.00
Additional boards $ 17.56
Hardware $ 13.96
Glue $ 10.00

Current Total $ 445.12

JEB

You have inspired me, I got together a list of materials I need to build my own. I have an old popup that sits on a 7x10 frame that will work as a dandy platform to build from. The popup isnt worth fixing but the frame is great. My wife even OK'd the projected cost (after she said to double it just in case, lol)!!! I am going to make a box six foot high but with two 4x8 lift doors on the sides and a small swing door on the back. I will use gas springs to lift the doors. I found a website with tons of info on making your own camper trailers. I will post the URL if you are interested.

Prop nut... I'm intrested in the URL. Thanks

Prop nut please post it. I am getting ready to take pictures of my opening mechanism. I would suggest you keep the clasps on the outside of the pop up if your unit has them. I am looking for a couple of these that I can get so that I can latch down the lid and lock it. Here is a url for some reasonably priced gas struts. http://www.surpluscenter.com/item.as...1&catname=misc

JEB

Here is the URL, you need to do a search for the info you want but its in there......someplace

http://www.mikenchell.com/forums/

I have four of those latches, I only need two. I will see if I can pull a couple off tommorow.

Here is an article on painting with latex (its actually about painting boats but this should illistrate the point very well).


http://www.angelfire.com/nc3/davecar...roofing%20Wood

Prop nut,

Thanks for the offer. If it works just let me know how much I owe you. Also I will take pictures of my opening system for the lid. Works well for me and I did not have to order gas struts. Here is a link that explains how to deturmine strut size. http://www.mcmaster.com/

JEB

nice trailer,
your posts are great, they have given me enough info to go to school and build one in my metal work lesson. the only change i am making is i will be building it all out of metal (afterall it is a metalwork lesson) hopfully my trailer will look as great as yours!
how many planes do u fit in?
cheers

Here are some pictures of my opening mechanism. Works great for me and I did not have to purchase any gas springs. I still have some work to do to make the lid support arms automaticaly extend and retract. Right now I must manualy move them over the center point to get them to lock open or retract. Another trip to the hardware and here is what I spent for fittings and metal.

Prior Total $ 445.12
This trip $ 18.90

Current Total $ 464.02

Next hardware trip to purchase oil based wood sealer and final paint. Still have to build the flight box container on the front of the trailer and a spoiler on the rear. A buddy of mine owns a fiberglass shop so I might get some help here. I have worked with glass before having built a Rand-Robinson KR-2 wood/foam/fiberglass full scale aircraft.

JEB

Your lid system looks great. How did you make the mechanism? Here is a great field table for you to put in your trailer I use one of these when I go to flyins during the summer. I made up a bunch of them today to take to a swap meet this weekend.

Wow - is that slick! Is that your own design? Or are there plans available somewhere?
Very nicely equipped workshop as well!

I copied these from another guy at our field, altered somewhat. I could made up a plan sometime if you like. I do custom cabinets and countertops, mostly kitchens, baths, and custom offices. I like my shop

PropNut Understandably, very nice.
Plans on the tables would be nice.

What did you use to seal the the bottom side of the floor?

None of the wood has been sealed yet. I plan on using an exterior polyurethane wood sealer and then paintint the bottom with white polyurethane paint. The rest of the trailer will get white/red/blue exterior latex.

JEB

I have found and installed the cover latches. A loca camper supply store had 6 inch draw latches with lock tabs for using a pad lock. They were $8 each and the bolts for attatchment were $1.67. I will be disasembling the trailer box to seal the bottom with a high quality oil based polyurethane. Then the box goes back on and the rest of the wood gets sealed.

Prior Total $ 464.02
Spent $ 17.67

Total $ 481.69

Hello, Is anybody out there interested in buying a low profile alluminum clamshell RC trailer. I found a company in lower michigan that will build one simular to the AeroExpress (no longer built) Anyway, the company has a min. order of 4 trailers. I'll have all the specs soon. If interested let me know we can buy them at cost if we all go together on the sale. The price will be close to $2,000 but it's alluminum, very lite and you'll be able to pull it with a car.

John

For that price you can get a small utility trailer from one of the big box hardware stores..........they are also very light (but not as light, true) at that size. With a UT you can put in shelving etc. I have seen those trailers that you are talking about, they are cool but very expensive for what is actually no better than using an old gutted pop up.

I think you missed the point, this is going to be built very lite so it can even be pulled with a 4 cyllinder car. I'ts low profile so it won't buck the wind.

A gutted pop up is still extremely heavy and the suspension is usually sprung for 2500 or more pounds. When you gutt the thing and use it to transport planes it will shake the heck out of everything. This trailer is really for the discriminating RC modeler who enjoys the best. I guess I could buy a rusted out old van and just use that too, but thats not my style.

John

Actually...........I do have two gutted pop-ups. Both are very light ( I had to get a weight on one to get tags for it as the original owner had lost the title). I very often tow it from my home 170miles up north to fly with friends when my wife wants to visit her parents for the weekend (if you are reading this Tom, Don, Tim, Gary, thank god I found you guys, lol. No more weekends nodding my head while my inlaws talk). The pop-ups have never had a shaking problem, I need do very little to cushion the planes (three 1/4 scale WWI planes) and it tracks great behind my wifes Ford Focus (!) As far as looks, I could clean the one up so it looks a little better, and finish the stars on the roof so the flag looks right.....maybe someday. The other pop-up is reasonably new and I plan on using that one for its frame for a custom trailer (bigger frame, more room). So.........maybe I do know what I am talking about after all.

I never said you didn't know what your talking about, I'm sure you do know all about your trailer. You said it's lite but didnt' say what it weighs. I'm very happy you have found a good budget trailer. How long is the bed on that trailer?

I know alot about several trailers. Everyone that I have met at meets, that have one, has loved thier pop-ups. I didnt mean to say that those custom trailers are not good, just expensive for what you get. Several guys have resided thier pop-ups to look newer or more modern. One piece of advice that I have heard often is to actually make your trailer heavier (less bouncing). I would have posted the weight if I could find it. Driving my wifes Focus, it is often easy to forget the trailer is back there. Driving my pickup you never know its back there. The bed is 8 foot, its about 6.5 wide. I lined it with 1/2" plywood and comercial carpet on the bottom. The other is 7x10 and I plan on putting a 6' box on top and slide in trays for the planes. I really dont need a trailer like that but thought it would be fun to build one. The fact that the pop-ups are cheap is not really an issue, here is my other toy hauler. BPS, I owe you an apology, I didnt mean to take up time in your thread with this discussion. And I forgot all about the latches on the other pop-up that I was going to send to you.