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Trailer-Van Project

19K views 79 replies 23 participants last post by  mdmudchcker 
#1 ·
This is a fun dream I've had for years. I guess it's inspired by some I've seen over the years at the Van-ins (I remember a cool scene in Southern Ontario) always wanted to try it. It won't have clamshells or anything, but the Dutch doors will look kinda cool.

The white is a 95 I picked it up for $500 and I got about a year and a half out of it.
The blue is a 97 I bought it for $600 and drove for 5 years
:banana:
...I also needed to 'clean up' my parts trucks
Cut part done..now the paste.
It'll be painted to match and be pulled by the 90 shorty. Hopefully we'll see it at vanfest one of these years LOL :)
:ty:
 
#4 ·
Looking forward to seeing this one develop. Are you in Canada by any chance? I thought I saw part of a Canadian flag on the pole in one of your shots...…
Best of luck to you; looks good so far!
-M!ke-
 
#5 ·
I LIKE it! Ever thought about fabbing an alternator driven by the yoke to charge a house battery? I've always wanted to see this done, and wondered if anyone ever did it.
 
#6 ·
Big_kid said:
Ever thought about fabbing an alternator driven by the yoke to charge a house battery? I've always wanted to see this done, and wondered if anyone ever did it.
I have never heard of that being done before, but it sounds freaking genius! I don't see why it wouldn't work
 
#7 ·
TurnNburn said:
I would also be concerned with tongue weight once its done
I thought so too until I cut it. The open faced white box that was left was on blocks and a jack. I was worried about being under it..then I slid the door open.
As the weight of the door slid past the axle, the jack moved, I thought it was going to fall off the blocks. It was basically balanced..with the door slid open it had a tongue weight of about 10 lbs. It was easy to rest it back on the trailer hitch.

Thats when i got under to take off every unessential thing.View media item 96416There's nothing holding this up it's resting on the trailer hitch

OK so I had to still add the back eight inches of the blue/green van to it but it is easily carried by two guys. :thumbup:
I bet it has maybe a 200lb tongue weight right now.
And I left the hitch on it so as to put the bike rack or a cargo carrier on it still.
That will take some tongue weight off too. :pray:
 
#8 ·
Or something even more important...a beer cooler. :cool:
 
#10 ·
Sizing it up :thumbup:
Lots of drawing board time
 
#11 ·
jdMcEvil said:
Sizing it up :thumbup:
Lots of drawing board time
With the van backed up to it, I thought you were hooking it up. But it looks like you were sizing the metal needed for a tongue. It looks good sitting behind your van like that though. Almost like it belongs behind the van. ;) Sorry if I'm jumping the gun, but your trailer is coming along nicely. :cool:
 
#12 ·
TurnNburn said:
Instead of putting a spare tire there(since your van will already have one that will match) why not put some batteries up there?
Or better yet, make a hole and weld in a deep floor pan so that the batteries are accessible from above than from below. I was thinking about how the newer minivans that allow you to fold the seats into the floor have a very deep recessed area for storage.
 
#13 ·
Nice match of the body lines but that roof line is going to be some work.
Don't go to short on the tongue length. Figure out tongue length by placing the van 90 degrees to the trailer and add 18-24 inches to allow for a storage box, cooler, propane tanks, etc...
 
#14 ·
MI_Ghost said:
Nice match of the body lines but that roof line is going to be some work.
Don't go to short on the tongue length. Figure out tongue length by placing the van 90 degrees to the trailer and add 18-24 inches to allow for a storage box, cooler, propane tanks, etc...
.....Yeah, THAT^^^^^. A little extra length on the tongue will also make it a lot less twitchy when you try to back up with it. Just don't get carried away. It also increases the amount of leverage that the trailer has to "fight" the tow vehicle with.
-M!ke-
 
#15 ·
Astrofarian said:
MI_Ghost said:
Nice match of the body lines but that roof line is going to be some work.
Don't go to short on the tongue length. Figure out tongue length by placing the van 90 degrees to the trailer and add 18-24 inches to allow for a storage box, cooler, propane tanks, etc...
.....Yeah, THAT^^^^^. A little extra length on the tongue will also make it a lot less twitchy when you try to back up with it. Just don't get carried away. It also increases the amount of leverage that the trailer has to "fight" the tow vehicle with.
-M!ke-
Well, since now it's not just a thought in my head and I see it together and I am more leaning toward having the front facing barn doors to remain completely functional. So thought turns to having my cargo carrier be storage..offsetting the tongue weight.
I only have weekends to work on it ..Ive been concentrating on the welding it back together.
Dealing with the roof line that turns out to be a 1 inch drop with about six inches of material..kinda makes it look like an aerodynamic design choice :thumbup:

The undercarriage steel needed to attach it to the frame will add significant weight to the tongue and I'm not new to backing up so as short as I can is what I'm thinking without any dumb jackknife math where the corners touch or anything.
A standard 50 degree A frame tongue will have a 53 inch "A" before it gets to the frame rails under the van..puts it out there about 4 feet :geek:
A previous owner installed a hitch on the shorty for a long body so instead of being recessed it sticks out an inch I used to hate it but now it suits my purpose perfectly :pray: Thank You
Updates and pics on Monday :)
 
#18 ·
So I managed to pull some time out of my hat and do a bit of work on the trailervan today.
I had the welder in about the worst possible conditions with a 100 foot extension cord :eek:
It gave me about a eight second duty cycle..so I expected the best welds :doh:
My effort was to weld the roof portions together with a difference in height of about an inch and a half.
The doors were the hardest to 'chop' as they also had to come in an inch and a half also.
One day off at a time sucks..I have some holidays next week :thumbup:
Once the rough welds are fixed up the real bodywork begins..at least it's symetrical
It went well and I expect the body welding will be done this weekend
 
#20 ·
Love it!
Have seen the alternator on race car diffs before.
Back when they didn't have high output lightweight alt.
I think I would eventually get a trailer axle for it.
I'd guess it would cut a lot of weight?
I saw the big block Astro and trailer on the other site as mentioned. Cool stuff. I had a deal on a roller Safari that I dreamt of making a trailer but chickened out and just bought parts.
Glad you are actually doing it.
Fun to watch.
 
#21 ·
#23 ·
markmitch said:
very cool -did go with the same type doors at both ends?
Most of the vans I've had were dutch door.
It's what i had to work with, Made the choice easy.
The front facing doors are functional, I was going to seal the bottom doors.
The tongue seems to be needing to be about 3" longer so everything can open.
 
#25 ·
So I had to do some work on the van today beside the trailer.
I saw there was a coat of surface rust on the welds. :eek:
They didn't look like the day I welded that's for sure..
Then I heard this can of tremclad calling me. :poke:

So, on a cold day in a strong wind. :shrug: I went all in.
I had only one can and had to hold it close, like 3" because of the wind
View media item 97104I covered the welds and started to see what it will look like with the paint scheme
View media item 97102so I stretched the can as far as I could.
I still have to grind and bondo it but at least for now its covered.
Till next time :ty:
 
#26 ·
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