The Moonshine Motel - Enclosed Gooseneck "Crawler Hauler" Build

[aczlan]

That should be nice.

Aaron Z

 

[GLTHFJ60]

Generator mount support and plate are finish welded and painted. Came out tits. Generator, fuel tank, and 12v battery will all fit in this compartment no problem, and everything clears the chain system beautifully.

All brackets are 1/4" plate, added support is 2.5x2.5" 1/4" wall tube. Should be plenty stout.

 

[aczlan]

Looks nice, one question, how much of a pain is it going to be to fill the fuel tank from the outside with a gas can? It looks like it could be difficult, but that might just be the angle of the pictures.

Aaron Z

 

[GLTHFJ60]

Looks nice, one question, how much of a pain is it going to be to fill the fuel tank from the outside with a gas can? It looks like it could be difficult, but that might just be the angle of the pictures.

Aaron Z

Yeah, agree, not ideal, but given the circumstances, it's a small concession. I've got a plan to fix it I think, we'll see how it fleshes out.
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[Grendel]

Put a fuel filler neck on it.

 

[GLTHFJ60]

Put a fuel filler neck on it.

Pretty much, just have to pipe it over to the drivers side to match my truck.

 

[Grendel]

Pretty much, just have to pipe it over to the drivers side to match my truck.

I have a 2004 Dodge 1500 fill neck that uses 1.5" hose. They're stainless and work well for smaller stuff like this.

 

[GLTHFJ60]

I have a 2004 Dodge 1500 fill neck that uses 1.5" hose. They're stainless and work well for smaller stuff like this.

I used this company to buy the fuel neck parts for my flatbed. I'll probably use them again, had a good experience.

https://www.fillernecksupply.com/

 

[GLTHFJ60]

Any reason I shouldn't use floor chain tie downs? Seems like this is the obvious answer, as it welds to the frame of the trailer, and sits flush with the deck when not in use:

https://www.amazon.com/Buyers-Produc.../dp/B000HD4M0E

 

[GLTHFJ60]

Genny compartment is just about fleshed out. Waiting on a couple of parts for the fuel tank before it gets installed. Fuel tank mount is pretty simple, as is the battery tray. Exhaust worked out well with a short extension, very convenient that the components are all npt.

 

[Firstram]

Add some sound deadening and you're in business

 

[Firstram]

I'm set up for the exact same installation in the front of my jockey boxes. I just need to find a reasonably priced and sized generator.

 

[GLTHFJ60]

I'm set up for the exact same installation in the front of my jockey boxes. I just need to find a reasonably priced and sized generator.

Now that's a trailer! Damn.

 

[Firstram]

Thanks, very different use than yours though. It's used as a 2nd Unit FX trailer when we are on a job and jam packed with tools and equipment when we're not. A "pup" is nice when parking is limited but it's really not big enough, 36 feet seems so much bigger when it's empty!

 

[aczlan]

Thanks, very different use than yours though. It's used as a 2nd Unit FX trailer when we are on a job and jam packed with tools and equipment when we're not. A "pup" is nice when parking is limited but it's really not big enough, 36 feet seems so much bigger when it's empty!

Nice, I see a similar trailer (but blue and longer, not sure if its a 48' or a 53') come into town to run Pageant every year. They bring it stuffed, it has 2-3 layers of shelves in it (mounted on e-track crossbeams) and it has an office in the front that they can setup to run sound and lighting out of (IIRC they have it plugged into the network and keep a backup lighting console up and running in there).
They also bring another trailer (a 53') that doesn't have an office, side doors or under body storage, just a big lift gate on the back.

Aaron Z

 

[GLTHFJ60]

Floor came up easily. All the extra doors leak and the result was a lot of rot. Have only found surface rust so far, so that's a great thing.

The next step will now be residing the trailer, to stop the leaks, so that I can replace the flooring without risk of further rot. Any recommendations on where to find the aluminum siding are welcome.

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[Grendel]

This is turning into a shit ton of work.

Might I suggest 1/8" aluminum in 12x6 sheets, huck bolted to the trailer Z channels?

 

[arse_sidewards]

This is turning into a shit ton of work.

Might I suggest 1/8" aluminum in 12x6 sheets, huck bolted to the trailer Z channels?

What did you ever wind up doing for the formed corners on that build? Just off the shelf stamped dry van corners?

 

[Grendel]

What did you ever wind up doing for the formed corners on that build? Just off the shelf stamped dry van corners?

No, had them bent a degree or two at a time on a press brake. 8' X 4 pieces of corner, done that way.

 

[GLTHFJ60]

This is turning into a shit ton of work.

Might I suggest 1/8" aluminum in 12x6 sheets, huck bolted to the trailer Z channels?

That would be something, lol

 

[Snowy]

Quick turnaround on the pics!! Thank you sir!

That 28' lift kit doesn't look like a "kit" so much as a piece of box steel welded in. I like it. The 38'er looks to me like a torflex lift kit.

This is my trailer, seems to be the same. Guess I'll order the torflex lift kit and give it a whirl, not sure I want to be welding on the axles just yet.

Did you end up going with the torflex lift? I’ve got a 40’ enclosed crawler hauler with triple torsion axles and I’m trying to figure out the best way to lift it to gain some ground and bed clearance.

 

[GLTHFJ60]

Did you end up going with the torflex lift? I’ve got a 40’ enclosed crawler hauler with triple torsion axles and I’m trying to figure out the best way to lift it to gain some ground and bed clearance.

No I didn't. The literature says that the torflex#12 lift kit doesn't work for 3" brackets. Talked myself out of ordering it.

 

[arse_sidewards]

No, had them bent a degree or two at a time on a press brake. 8' X 4 pieces of corner, done that way.

I meant the corners at the top of the box.

 

[CarolinaCrawler]

I have been following along and your thread has inspired me to finally pull the trigger and pick up a used enclosed trailer of my own. I had a slide in camper, but with 3 kids and a great dane that likes to come along, I need the extra space.

No I didn't. The literature says that the torflex#12 lift kit doesn't work for 3" brackets. Talked myself out of ordering it.

My plan is to do what Will Carter did on his enclosed trailer and just pick up some 2x6 rectangle tube and make my own extensions.

I am also dealing with a side window that I want to get rid of. Im not sure if I'm going to replace the panels, or take the easy way out and just make a patch panel and cover it. I really don't want to remove all the trim on the damn thing!

 

[Snowy]

No I didn't. The literature says that the torflex#12 lift kit doesn't work for 3" brackets. Talked myself out of ordering it.

That’s about where I’m at, Dexter is pretty proud of those lift brackets too. I’m leaning towards making a bolt in set of lift blocks out of some square tube. There doesn’t seem to be much info out there on the Dexter torsion triple stuff

 

[Grendel]

I meant the corners at the top of the box.

Nope. Used pieces from the Spartan trailer @gavan brought us.

 

[GLTHFJ60]

I have been following along and your thread has inspired me to finally pull the trigger and pick up a used enclosed trailer of my own. I had a slide in camper, but with 3 kids and a great dane that likes to come along, I need the extra space.


My plan is to do what Will Carter did on his enclosed trailer and just pick up some 2x6 rectangle tube and make my own extensions.

I am also dealing with a side window that I want to get rid of. Im not sure if I'm going to replace the panels, or take the easy way out and just make a patch panel and cover it. I really don't want to remove all the trim on the damn thing!

Nice man.

If the dexter lift blocks would work on my axles I'd have bought them already. I could cut tube for my own lift blocks on the mill, just not high on the priority list at the moment.

 

[GLTHFJ60]

Found a guy selling aluminum on Craigslist. Might end up going to pick this up to reskin the trailer with.

https://winstonsalem.craigslist.org/mat/d/winston-salem-aluminum-sheets/7266332690.html

 

[GLTHFJ60]

20 sheets of light pewter skins ordered from factory rv surplus. Ended up at ~$80 a sheet, which is the cheapest I could find. 49"x96"x.030". Still need to source the studs.

Fuel tank parts finally showed up, so the fuel system for the genny got finished last night. Need to tweak the exhaust and the genny is done, minus the high voltage wiring.

 

[GLTHFJ60]

Exhaust tweaked and finished, fuel in the tank, and the genny is back in service. The circuit breaker still trips when hitting the stop button, which is strange, but ive narrowed it down to the glow plug circuit at this point. I'll work on troubleshooting that when I have some time to kill.

Quick shout out to the guys who helped nudge me over the edge to keeping this generator by building the remote jack shaft system. This compartment came out pretty damn neat, almost like it was built to hold this generator from the beginning. Thanks boys, I'm happy with how this came out.

Siding should be here next week some time. I'd better get cracking!