Hydraulic Frames

[vtx1029]

they are having a $5 off per package rebate right now.

[Cheers]

for some strange reason in our local Menards store it is not in the building/lumber department , it is part of the paint department as a wall finishing !

[vtx1029]

24 minutes ago, Cheers said:

for some strange reason in our local Menards store it is not in the building/lumber department , it is part of the paint department as a wall finishing !

 

Correct mine too.

[Adam NWI]

Same here. I spent 15 minutes walking back and forth through the lumber dept before I finally had someone look it up on the computer.

[Adam NWI]

I've got a big mess to clean up, but I got all of my boards stained and polyurethaned over the weekend.  I went with Provincial color stain.  It looks great, I just hope it's not too dark in a closed up fish house.  I'm using it for the walls, ceiling and cupboards and I have the slate gray rubber g-floor on order and should be here any day now.

 

I'll be driving up this weekend to pick up the frame

[Lip_Ripper Guy]

The Provincial should be a good color.  I used Jacobean, which looks a little more brown vs reddish, and makes the grain a little bit darker.  It works with the color scheme I have, but lighter would probably be better for a more traditional fish house finish.  

[Adam NWI]

It took me all day to do it because of the icy roads, but I picked up my frame on Saturday from Berkon. 

 

The owner there is a real nice guy.  I had the wrong ball on my hitch when I got there and had to run to the hardware store to get another size.  By the time I got there, Eric had it at the desk and paid for on his account.  The frame itself is better than expected.  Built like a tank, has an auto-latching hitch that can be adjusted up and down to the height of your hitch. 

 

Spent Sunday at the shop cutting and framing my walls.  My helper had two sick kids so I was on my own and could only get one wall framed.  Hopefully next weekend goes a little smoother and faster!

Edited November 22, 2016 by Adam NWI

[Adam NWI]

I got the rest of the frame welded up over the weekend.  All that's left is the ramp.  By the time I finished up yesterday it was raining out.  I really didn't want to pull it home in that and I couldn't leave it in the shop, because I'm building it in our maintenance dept.  So I spent a couple hours last night cleaning the tubing and spraying what I had laying around for primer to try and get most of it covered.  This morning I pulled it home before work and wiped it down the best I could.  We'll see how well I did tonight!

[Adam NWI]

For those of you that have built toy haulers, what did you use for ramp hinges and did you need ramp springs for yours?

[vtx1029]

Being your frame is galvanized its likely you don't want to weld so a bolt on would be possibly the best way to go. Mine is just tubing welded to each the frame and door and then a pin slid in. Pretty simple. Your going to need springs in one way or another. My door is 5'6" wide, 6' tall made from 1x2 and 1x1 11gauge steel and finished it takes 75 pounds to lift. Honestly I don't think I would ever build another one its taken me a ton of time to finish it.

[Lip_Ripper Guy]

3 hours ago, vtx1029 said:

Honestly I don't think I would ever build another one its taken me a ton of time to finish it.

 

If I only had $1 for every time I've heard this....

 

 

[vtx1029]

9 hours ago, Lip_Ripper Guy said:

 

If I only had $1 for every time I've heard this....

 

 

Some people have to do things the hard way

[vtx1029]

Here's some pictures of my ramp door

[Hawg]

You guys are right, everybody celebrates and thinks the hard work is over once it's framed and enclosed. In reality that's when the time consuming work starts right when most think they are almost done. But its also what makes all the difference in a quality finished product, something Ice Castle still hasn't figured out.  

[Moon Lake Refuge]

Just an FYI on the welding, you can weld still.  Just hit the spots you want to weld with a grinder, make your weld and touch it up with some zink paint.  Not quite as good as being dipped but for a small spot no big deal.  Just make sure your outside or ventilated so you don't breathe to much in.

[Adam NWI]

2 hours ago, vtx1029 said:

Here's some pictures of my ramp door

That really turned out nice!  I'm considering getting the overhead cable ramp springs to help lift it, I'll just need to find someone who knows how to put tension in them correctly.  Hopefully I can find a way of doing it without getting in the way of my top bunk.  That will take some thinking! 

 

My dimensions are pretty similar to yours, so I'm betting I'll have about the same weight.

 

Where did you get the trim around your door?

[Lip_Ripper Guy]

2 hours ago, Hawg said:

You guys are right, everybody celebrates and thinks the hard work is over once it's framed and enclosed. In reality that's when the time consuming work starts right when most think they are almost done. But its also what makes all the difference in a quality finished product, something Ice Castle still hasn't figured out.  

 

Spot on, Hawg.  The framing and exterior of these is by far the easiest, IMO.  Inside is where the real fun begins

On 11/28/2016 at 9:24 AM, Adam NWI said:

I got the rest of the frame welded up over the weekend.  All that's left is the ramp.  By the time I finished up yesterday it was raining out.  I really didn't want to pull it home in that and I couldn't leave it in the shop, because I'm building it in our maintenance dept.  So I spent a couple hours last night cleaning the tubing and spraying what I had laying around for primer to try and get most of it covered.  This morning I pulled it home before work and wiped it down the best I could.  We'll see how well I did tonight!

 

Looking great!  What are you using to attach your siding?

Edited November 29, 2016 by Lip_Ripper Guy

[Adam NWI]

I'll be using the 3M CV62F and CV45F for the seams like you recommended.  My shed at home isn't heated, so I'll have to bring it back out to the shop Friday night to get the steel warmed back up and install it there Saturday morning.  From what I've read, this stuff likes a temperature of about 70 degrees for 3 days to cure.  I'm going to have to turn up the temp a little and hope it's alright by Monday morning when I have to get it out of there again.

 

I think I saw somewhere that it should be 90% cured after 24 hours at 70 degrees, so as long as I get everything clean, it should be alright after 48 hours above 70.  Time will tell

[vtx1029]

1 hour ago, Adam NWI said:

That really turned out nice!  I'm considering getting the overhead cable ramp springs to help lift it, I'll just need to find someone who knows how to put tension in them correctly.  Hopefully I can find a way of doing it without getting in the way of my top bunk.  That will take some thinking! 

 

My dimensions are pretty similar to yours, so I'm betting I'll have about the same weight.

 

Where did you get the trim around your door?

Thanks. I have an over head spring for mine but I blew out the spring on it LOL it was rated for 185 lbs. I bought my setup from hsolist just search for Enclosed trailer ramp spring. I just got a new spring from Menards hopefully this one will work correctly. It sticks out from the wall about 5-6 inches. My lift bunk will just sit in forward of it.

When you set up your hinges space them away from the frame so the outside face of the ramp door is 3/8 - 1/2 to allow for trim and weather stripping. I had to recess my wall a little to allow for this because when I had my frame made I had him flush them both up.

 

The Molding I got from Eagle Molding http://eagle-aluminum.com/

Here's the h trim I used on the door http://eagle-aluminum.com/shop/rv-trailer/aluminum-trailer-trim-1-x-2-trailer-door-frame/

Drip edge I used over the doors http://eagle-aluminum.com/shop/rv-trailer/aluminum-trailer-trim-1370-trailer-drip-edge/

Used this for the roof to siding transition http://eagle-aluminum.com/shop/rv-trailer/aluminum-trailer-section-2-823-top-rail-trailer/

Then used some of their angle to do the corners. FYI get the anodized ones if they offer it. Really nice stuff. Their prices are great too IMO.

[Moon Lake Refuge]

We ran into the same time crunch on ours in the winter.  Good luck getting it on.  What are you doing for the roof?  Thats the part that put us low on time, we did a rolled sheet for the roof and only got a couple days on that.

[Lip_Ripper Guy]

32 minutes ago, Adam NWI said:

I'll be using the 3M CV62F and CV45F for the seams like you recommended.  My shed at home isn't heated, so I'll have to bring it back out to the shop Friday night to get the steel warmed back up and install it there Saturday morning.  From what I've read, this stuff likes a temperature of about 70 degrees for 3 days to cure.  I'm going to have to turn up the temp a little and hope it's alright by Monday morning when I have to get it out of there again.

 

I think I saw somewhere that it should be 90% cured after 24 hours at 70 degrees, so as long as I get everything clean, it should be alright after 48 hours above 70.  Time will tell

 

That's the good stuff!  It looks like you may have used a galvanized paint/primer on the studs.  I had some stuff that was a little bit "powdery" when it dried (I did not paint the taped side of my studs).  If that happens, you may want to use some scotch brite and alcohol to get the loose stuff off there for better tape adhesion.  

[Adam NWI]

8 minutes ago, vtx1029 said:

Thanks. I have an over head spring for mine but I blew out the spring on it LOL it was rated for 185 lbs. I bought my setup from hsolist just search for Enclosed trailer ramp spring. I just got a new spring from Menards hopefully this one will work correctly. It sticks out from the wall about 5-6 inches. My lift bunk will just sit in forward of it.

When you set up your hinges space them away from the frame so the outside face of the ramp door is 3/8 - 1/2 to allow for trim and weather stripping. I had to recess my wall a little to allow for this because when I had my frame made I had him flush them both up.

 

The Molding I got from Eagle Molding http://eagle-aluminum.com/

Here's the h trim I used on the door http://eagle-aluminum.com/shop/rv-trailer/aluminum-trailer-trim-1-x-2-trailer-door-frame/

Drip edge I used over the doors http://eagle-aluminum.com/shop/rv-trailer/aluminum-trailer-trim-1370-trailer-drip-edge/

Used this for the roof to siding transition http://eagle-aluminum.com/shop/rv-trailer/aluminum-trailer-section-2-823-top-rail-trailer/

Then used some of their angle to do the corners. FYI get the anodized ones if they offer it. Really nice stuff. Their prices are great too IMO.

Thanks a lot!  I've been trying to decide what to do for trim for a while and couldn't make a decision.  I'll give them a call.

 

If you've got a picture of how you did your lift bunk I'd like to see that.  I've been playing with the idea of gas shocks or hanger springs to lift it up, but haven't found anything with the amount of travel that I need.

13 minutes ago, Moon Lake Refuge said:

We ran into the same time crunch on ours in the winter.  Good luck getting it on.  What are you doing for the roof?  Thats the part that put us low on time, we did a rolled sheet for the roof and only got a couple days on that.

I picked up a one piece rubber roof membrane from Mills Fleet Farm as recommended by Lip Ripper to go over my 3/8" plywood.  With the trailer being 8'2" wide there will be a 2" gap between the sheets.  I'm assuming people just rip an extra sheet into 2" sections to run down the middle.  At least that's my plan.  If I missed something there I'll never say no to a good recommendation!

[Moon Lake Refuge]

Good there, no real time crunch for curing time.  I've heard people say a nice warm roof makes it easier to stretch on for what that's worth.  I haven't put one on so cant give you anything first hand there.

[Adam NWI]

17 minutes ago, Lip_Ripper Guy said:

 

That's the good stuff!  It looks like you may have used a galvanized paint/primer on the studs.  I had some stuff that was a little bit "powdery" when it dried (I did not paint the taped side of my studs).  If that happens, you may want to use some scotch brite and alcohol to get the loose stuff off there for better tape adhesion.  

I just picked up some regular paint primer.  Normally I wouldn't have primed the outside before the tape, but it since I was going to have to bring it home after a heavy rain, I wanted something over it so I wasn't taping over rust.  I'll have to see how well it's sticking and clean it up the best I can. 

 

Hopefully it stuck ok and I don't have to run a wire brush over it all.

1 minute ago, Moon Lake Refuge said:

Good there, no real time crunch for curing time.  I've heard people say a nice warm roof makes it easier to stretch on for what that's worth.  I haven't put one on so cant give you anything first hand there.

That does make sense.  I'll have to leave it in the shop overnight before I put it on.  It's been sitting in the bed of my truck since I picked it up.

[vtx1029]

20 hours ago, Adam NWI said:

Thanks a lot!  I've been trying to decide what to do for trim for a while and couldn't make a decision.  I'll give them a call.

 

If you've got a picture of how you did your lift bunk I'd like to see that.  I've been playing with the idea of gas shocks or hanger springs to lift it up, but haven't found anything with the amount of travel that I need.

I picked up a one piece rubber roof membrane from Mills Fleet Farm as recommended by Lip Ripper to go over my 3/8" plywood.  With the trailer being 8'2" wide there will be a 2" gap between the sheets.  I'm assuming people just rip an extra sheet into 2" sections to run down the middle.  At least that's my plan.  If I missed something there I'll never say no to a good recommendation!

I've not started on the bed yet most likely be using garage door tracks and rollers for guides and maybe a electric actuator for the lift here's a picture of what I was thinking